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Clan MacDuff

Clan MacDuff

Society of America

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History

Ancient History

The Ancient Duff History Timeline (Dhuibh)

Ancient

  • The Catti were an ancient Germanic tribe who were fighting the Romans in ancient times

50 AD

  • Around 50 AD, they moved North on to the Holland area, and then to Northern Scotland
  • They settled on the northern peninsula that was referred to as the Caithness area.
  • In very early times this was called the Caledonia lands.
  • Later they moved down into the Moray below the Moray Firth.
  • This is around the current areas of Banff and MacDuff and into the associated Highlands
  • These people were called the Dhuibh, from the ancient Gaelic. Pronounced Duff.
  • This means a dark complected man with dark hair.
  • The other people living in Scotland (Alba) at that time where fair complected and
    had red or brown hair. (The connection with the old Irish and Pics)

100-200 AD

  • The Duffs kept expanding there area and finally reached the Fife area.
  • By now the were a powerful family and were Mormaers of Moray.
  • This meant they were the rulers of their area in Scotland
  • They assisted other families and fighting the Romans and keeping the Invaders from expanding into their part of Scotland.

200-800 AD

  • The Duffs were the rulers in the Moray during the era of the Pictish Kings, and were prominent in Fife and Fothiff.
  • Strath Avon was near of their old neighborhoods, near the Caringorm Mountains.

830 AD

  • The first Official Record of the Thanes of Fife was when Kenneth MacAlpine united the waring nations of the Picts and Scots under one rule.
  • Kenneth MacApline, the first King of Scotland, appointed Duff as Governor of Fifeshire.
  • The Chief of the Duffs were the Mormaers of Fifeshire now.

c 900s AD

  • The Duffs ruled the Fifeshire area and support the King and his sons when called upon.

1039

  • MacBeth, Ruler of Moray, killed King Duncan and seized the throne of Scotland.
  • Duff (the Thane of Fife) went to England to join Duncan’s son, Malcolm and asked him to claim is right an take the Throne of his fathers.

1057

  • Upon returning with an army, Duff found that MacBeth had murdered Lady MacDuff and several of her children. The army attacked MacBeth’s castle of Dunsinane, then drove him north into the area above the Dee River, where MacBeth was killed.

1057

  • Upon returning with an army, Duff found that MacBeth had murdered Lady MacDuff and several of her children. The army attacked MacBeth’s castle of Dunsinane, then drove him north into the area above the Dee River, where MacBeth was killed.

1058

  • Malcolm of Canmore was crowned King King Malcom called on a Parliament at Forfair (in 1058) to reward those who aided him in attaining the crown. He awarded Duff with several Privileges:
  • 1st – That the Earl of Fife, by Office, shall bear the heraldic red lion rampant of the Royal House. This was the 1st Earl of Fife, Ethelred (AEDH). He was the son of Duff, hence Mac Duff.
  • 2nd – That the House of Duff shall set the Crown upon the King’s head on the Stone of Scone at his Coronation.
  • 3rd – That when the King should give Battle to his enemies, that the Earl of Fife should lead the Vanguard of his host.
  • 4th – That the lineage of Duff should enjoy Regal authority and Power within all their
    lands, as to appoint officers and judges for the hearing an determination of all manner of Controversies.
  • 5th – If any man or tenants were called to answer in any court other than their own circuit, they might appeal to their own judges.
  • 6th – In case of slaughter of a mean person, twelve marks fine. And if a Duff should kill by chance and not by pretense malice, twenty four marks, fine and released from punishment by Duffs Privilege.
  • The Duffs always marched with their kinsmen, the MacKintoshes of Clan Chattan, and the Shaws of Clan Quhele in time of war. It was established that they were not only valiant on the field of battle, but continued to uphold the traditions that had so long sustained their ancestors in the earlier days of Scotland’s history.

1087

  • Shaw Duff, the younger son of the Earl of Fife, was made Governor of Moray, and had his headquarters at Inverness.

c 1090

  • The Earl of Fife built another stronghold, MacDuff Castle, on a sea-cliff above the waters of the Forth.

1115

  • Duffagan, a son of Ethelred, witnessed a charter at Scone. He was the 2nd Earl of Fife.

1124

  • Constantine (MacDuff) was the 3rd Earl of Fife

1129

  • Gillimichael the 4th Earl of Fife and witnessed the charter of Holyrood in 1123 and the charter of Dumermline.

1139

  • Duncan, the 5th Earl of Fife, assisted in the coronation of King Malcolm IV.

1154

  • Duncan 2, the 6th Earl of Fife, married the daughter of King Malcolm IV.

1203

  • Malcolm, the 7th Earl of Fife, founded the Abby of Culross in 1217

1229

  • Malcolm (nephew), the 8th Earl of Fife, married the daughter of the Prince of Wales

1266

  • Colban, the 9th Earl of Fife. His younger brother died fighting with Wallace at the battle of Falkirk, July 22, 1298.

1270

  • Duncan, born 1263, was a ward of Alexander, Prince of Scotland, son of Alexander III. He became the 10th Earl of Fife. He married the daughter of the Earl of Gloucester. Duncan was murdered in Sept 25, 1288

1288

  • Duncan II was only three when his father was killed. Raised in the English Court, he married the granddaughter of Edward I. He became the 11th Earl of Fife.

1306

  • In March 1306, Isabella MacDuff, Countess of Buchan, crowned Robert the Bruce at Scone She was captured in June 1306 and was imprisoned in a cage in a shape of a cross for 4 yrs.

1333

  • Duncan III was the eldest son of Duncan II was the 12th Earl of Fife. He was taken prisoner during the battle of Durham and tried for treason. He was pardoned due to his relationship to Edward II. He died in 1353 without a male issue. Duncan’s death ended the male line of the MacDuff Celtic Earls of Fife

1425

  • The Title of Earl of Fife reverted to the Crown. The Earldom of Fife become extinct.

follow up

  • A letter dated August 19, 1982 from the Court of Lord Lyon, Edinburgh, Scotland, states that Alexander W.G. Duff (1849-1912) was representer of the family of Duff of Braco, and not that of Chief of Clan MacDuff. The Chiefship of Clan MacDuff is said to have passed to descendants of a younger son of the Earl of Wemyss who had not changed his name.

Modern History

The Modern Duff History Timeline and of the Duff House

c 1460-1515

  • Andrew Duff married Helen Hay (had John Duff)

c 1500-1560

  • John Duff married Elizabeth Abercrombie (had John Duff of Muldavit)

d 1593

  • John Duff of Muldavit married Margaret Gordon (had Adam Duff of Clunybeg)

1590-1674

  • Adam Duff of Clunybeg married Betrix Gordon (had Alexander Duff of Keithmore)

1623-1696

  • Alexander Duff of Keithmore married Helen Grant (had Alexander Duff of Braco, William Duff of Dipple, Patrick Duff of Craigston, Mary Duff & Elizabeth Duff)

1652-1705

  • Alexander Duff of Braco married Margaret Gordon (had 5 children)

1655-1731

  • Patrick Duff of Craigston married Anne Innes & Mary Urquhart) (had 36 childern)

1653-1722

  • William Duff of Dipple married Jean Gordon (had William Duff of Braco 1st Earl)

1697-1763

  • William Duff of Braco (1st Earl of Fife) (a banker by trade)

1734

  • William Duff decides to build a new house (the Duff House)

1735

  • The Plans were approved and construction begins of the Duff House in Banff.

1739

  • The Roof and Exterior was completed on the Duff House

1745-1746

  • Jacobite Uprising

1748

  • Work was abandoned on the Duff House
  • William proved his MacDuff ancestory and was granted the title of Earl Fife (1st)

1750

  • James Duff (2nd Earl Fife) (1720-1809) took over

1759

  • House was finished

1793

  • Mausoleum Built

1731-1811

  • Alexander Duff (the 3rd Earl of Fife) takes over for 2 years then dies

1776-1857

  • James Duff (the 4th Earl ) (inherits but spends most of the Duff’s fortune)

1811

  • James Duff (4th Earl of Fife) takes over the Duff House and estate

1817

  • James Duff founded Duff Town (the largest producer of single malt Scotch)

1857

  • James Duff (1814-1879) (the 5th Earl of Fife) inherited the estate & title

1879

  • Alexander Duff (1849-1912) (6th Earl) inherited the house & title

1870

  • Added a kitchen block onto the house

1883

  • The House receives a Royal visit by the Price of Wales, (the future King Edward VIII), and Count Herbert von Bismark. A great ball was held in honor of the visit.

1889

  • Alexander Duff married eldest daughter of Price of Wales. Queen Victoria bestowed the title of Earl of Fife on Alexander, making the 1st Duke of Fife.

History of the Society

How the Clan MacDuff Society of America Started

In  the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, Ward Weems began researching his own family genealogy.  During this time, the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games also began.  As Weems (or Wemyss) is a Scottish name, Ward began volunteering and supporting the Grandfather games.  Through the games, Ward met Harvey Rich, original proprietor of Everything Scottish.  Harvey introduced Ward to the MacDuff and Wemyss tartans.  Ward read works of Lain Moncreiffe who stated “Clan MacDuff was the premier clan amount the Scottish Gaels”.  

However, MacDuff wasn’t officially registered and did not have a chief.  Harvey Rich introduced Ward to Agnes McRae Morton.  Ms. Morton directed Ward to contact the Lord Lyon, King of Arms.  At the time, the office was held by Sir James Monteith Grant.  Sir Grant instructed Ward to cotact the Earl of Wemyss, David Charteris or James Carnegie, descended from the Earls of Fife, they are the closest connection to the MacDuff line.  Ward wrote to and received consent.  This was shared with Lord Lyon and the society was officially registered.  Clan MacDuff was then included within the ring of clan tents on McRae Meadows during Grandfather Mountain Games.  Ward had help setup other clan tents of the ring and was now able to setup a tent with a connection to the clan.  The society grew and would assemble each year of Friday of the Grandfather Games to feast.  Ward continued and expanded involvement with highland games in North America.  He founded one of the early vendors attending many games in the USA.  Weems and Son initially offered t-shirts featuring artwork by Ward and his mother Shirley.  The business evolved to offer books convering a wide range of topics about Scotland.

Landmarks

Clan MacDuff Landmarks

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Access Portal