Erc

• Preferred Name: Erc
  
• Gender: M
  
• FSID: 93D1-9SL
  
• Death: Y
  
• Notes:

  === From "Quaker Greggs" by Hazel May Middl ===
  From "Quaker Greggs" by Hazel May Middleton Kendall The MacGregor was one of the purest of all Celtic tribes, the principal sept of Siol Alpine, unmixed in direct descent from the Alpinian stock which formed the aboriginal inhabitants of Scotland with the original seat in Glenorchy, Scotland. "Don't mister me nor Campbell me! My foot is on my native heath and my name is MacGregor" -- expresses the feelings and history of the famous clan. No tribe was more proud of its ancient name, none had to suffer more for bearing the name or more cruelly compelled to abandon it. Through all centuries they possessed a wide stretch of territory across the middle of the Highlands from Ben Cruashan to the locale of Fortingall in Glen Lyon, the home of a famous race of MacGregor pipers, as far south as the Pass of Balmaha on Lock Lomondside and the chain of lochs which runs eastward to Collantogle ford in Menteith. The strain of Gregg blood originated dually in two Gaelic speaking branches of the Celtic race - one, the Picts - the other, the Milesians. From Partholan, who invaded Ireland from middle Greece 600 or 500 B. C., descended the Irish Cruithni or Picts, the bronze-armed Goidelic branch of Celts. They subdued and intermarried freely with the older race found there. In the first half of the fourth century they acquired the northeastern county of Antrim called Dal Riada. The Milesians arrived 350 B. C. primarily from Scythia (footnote: Bath received Scythia as his lot upon division by Japhet, son of Noah) after so-journing in Egypt, Crete, and in Scythia again, then Spain. Their ancestral line extended unbroken to Noah. The leader was Galam. His followers were called Milesians from Gal, "valour," a name which might be expressed by the Latin miles, a knight from which comes the name Milesians. These Scots were the last invasion of prehistorical races to settle Meath County, Ireland, whose coast was most accessible for landing purposes. They u sed the Ogam inscribed stones from Spain, their last residence before invading Ireland. After the sons of Galam had defeated the other tribes, they partitioned Ireland between themselves and kinsmen. Eremon received Leinster and Conaught; Eber Find, the rest. They fought until Eber Find lost his life. In the reign of Eremon some Picts arrived from Scythia, but the main body of them was forced to Scotland and centuries later produced the great Pictish King Hungus. A long (centuries) struggle ensued between the descendants of Eber Find and Eremon, and displacements of tribes took place. The victors were the Scots (Milesians); the conquered or vassal tribes paid a daer or base rent to the Scots, the free clans during our Furst century. The line of Eremon was restored with the emerging of a powerful leader, Tatham Tecla, who not only founded a phase of feudal system based on the monarchy of Meath but also organized a religious system. He reigned A. D. 130-160. His grandson, the famous Conn Heckathorn ("the hundred fighter"), reigned 157-177, was constantly at war with the descendants of Eber Find's followers who drove them into Dalriada (county Antrim) which was inhabited by the Picts. These Milesian Scots overran that province of Antrim and settled there. In 503 a body of the Irish Dalriad tribe of Scots from Dalriada in northern Antrim migrated fourteen miles to Mull (footnote: the Scot's word "mull," meaning a promontory or headland, represents the Gaelic maol) of Kintyre in Airgelli (Araghael), Alba (Scotland) under the leadership of the great Fergus Mac, son of Ferchard (Erc), and his brothers. He brought with him the palladium of Scotland, a sacred relic (pillar of Jacob) which Iber (Hiber) the Phoenician had brought from the Holy Land to Spain, thence to Ireland. A new colony was established on the basis of a previous one which became known as Air Goedel, or region of the Gael, a name now condensed to Argyle. The Scots were a G aelic speaking peop0l. These Gaelic Dalriadic settlers in Argyll were Christians in the Irish manner. For the next three hundred years the Scots and Picts warred with apparent intermissions of peace, and intermarried generally. They lived by the tribal system. The word "tuath" means tribe. Each tribe was divided into communities called sept, with a head, his kinsmen, slaves, and other retainers. The head of a homestead was an aire, a representative freeman capable of acting as a witness, compurgator, and bail. An aire whose family held the same land for three generations was called a laird (lord). In many respects the Gaels were barbarous, with a musical and fervent nature, were keenly aware to appreciate the beauties of nature though wild and reckless in heroic deeds. Their two passions were to fight well and talk cleverly; they were fierce in battle but cultivated sentimental poetry or ballads. Bards sang of tribal conquests and history of family deeds. The greatest Pictish King Hungus (Angus MacFergus) laid waste all of western Argyll 730 A. D. to revenge his son Brude's capture by Dungal, son of the Dalriad Scot King Selvach, and then ruled 731-761. His daughter, Princess Fergusia of royal Alpine line, married Achauis, a descendant of Fergus MacErc, thus uniting the Scottish and Pictish dynasties. These were the Scots from whom Scotland took its name when generally applied to Malcom's reign 1005-1034. They brought Scotland its name, its Christianity, and its first kings.