Have you ever become interested in researching your ancestry? I finally decided to look into mine. I was curious – all I’d ever heard was about American Indians, Ireland, and Germany. Maybe some completely unexpected country would appear! Well, one did, The Netherlands, but it was almost entirely England, Ireland, and Germany. I did have one surprise: I had a famous ancestor: Robert “Rob Roy” MacGregor. I had heard some of his legend and had always assumed he was a myth, but he was an actual person.
Robert MacGregor, who called himself “Rob Roy” with “roy” referring to his dark red hair, was baptized on 7 March 1671 in Buchanan, Stiringshire, Scotland, and died on December 28, 1734 in Balquhidder, Perthshire, Scotland. He was a legend in his own time, although his reputation was later developed and exaggerated from a poem by William Wordsworth (who I’ve always associated with pretty nature poetry) and in Sir Walter Scott’s 1818 novel, Rob Roy.
Rob Roy’s legend is that of a Scottish Rob Hood, but his history is actually very complex. He lived during a time period when the Scottish clans were beginning to die out but still could be a force to be reckoned with and the British Monarchy was still being invaded by claimants to the throne. Many of the Scottish clans sided with those who had claims to the throne but were not the current monarchs. This meant that Rob Roy needed to manoeuvre between each of these political elements in order to survive. He would often play one side against the other. He was a known cattle thief, and would charge people protection money to keep their cattle safe from poachers, and if they didn’t pay up, he’d usually be the one stealing the cattle! Cattle raiding and charging for protection was considered respectable in those times, however, so I guess it’s not as bad as it sounds. That was classic Rob Roy.
In the 1995 film Rob Roy, it is correct when it depicts MacGregor borrowing money to increase his cattle size (he had, in fact, borrowed money several times before, always paying it back.) The final time, the chief herder, who was entrusted with the money, disappeared, Rob Roy lost his money and his cattle and defaulted on the loan. He was declared an outlaw and evicted from his home, which was burned to the ground. It is not believed his wife was attacked; however, Rob Roy decided to seek a private blood feud against his creditor, the Duke of Montrose, because the Duke seized his lands. This lasted from 1720-1722, when Rob Roy was forced to surrender and was imprisoned. He was going to be shipped off to Barbados in 1727, but in 1723 Daniel Defoe published “Highland Rogue,” a fictionalized biography, which helped him receive a Royal pardon. He was released from prison and died at home in 1734. He stopped fighting. His sons, however, continued, and were connected to some well known battles. His oldest son escaped to France. His oldest grandson was severely injured at the battle of Culloden Moor and managed to escape to America.
If you’re interested in history, this family, as well as Clan MacGregor/Gregor, is fascinating! Fair warning, though – it isn’t full of sunshine and happiness. I’ve done my best to keep this article family friendly and free of political intrigue. The full story is very intense and graphic.