Relearning some McLaurin history

Well....it's obvious that one blog a day isn't happening at this point in my life! I'll work toward it though! Just because I don't blog doesn't mean that I don't go sluething though!

I have continued my research into my family history. This week I have concentrated on the McLaurin side. When I was a little girl learning to write in school, I wrote my last name McLaurin with the = under the c. I don't know who taught me that or why I did it but I thought it was cool. I hope to find out the reason one day & share that little bit of information but for today, this is what I have to share.

If you have been researching your family history for any length of time you will understand when I say that I have not found anything new but I have learned a lot. Sometimes when you read things the first or second time, you don't really grasp what is being said or you aren't looking for that bit of information at that time so you just glance over the it.

This week I re-read about Rob Roy McGregor & his ties to the McLaren Clan. Rob Roy is buried in the Balquhidder Kirkyard, in the McLaren graveyard. The history about this graveyard is that "the first known church in the glen, the Eaglais Beag or "little church", was built here in 1250, on the site of St Angus's grave. The church was built by Abbot Labhran, who claimed the right for his heirs to be buried within the church. These heirs became known, after the Abbot, as the Clan MacLaren." ***

Now, here's what I don't understand....."A stone in the kirkyard records how the MacLarens were attacked by the MacGregors of Glen Dochart who, in 1558, murdered 18 MacLaren families resident in Balquhidder Glen before settling on their land. At the time the MacGregors largely evaded responsibility for what would today be called an act of genocide. But it was one of the factors later held against them (the more immediate being their slaying of several hundred members of Clan Colquhoun at the Battle of Glen Fruin on 7 February 1603) when the entire Clan MacGregor was outlawed by James VI in April 1603. It became a capital offence even to carry the name MacGregor."***from Undiscovered Scotland.

So, if the McGregors murdered that many MacLarens in 1558 & in 1603 King James VI outlawed the Clan Mcgregor...WHY would Rob Roy be buried in a McLaren graveyard in 1734? After roughly 176 yrs had the bad history between these two families been erased from their collective memories? I wouldn't think so, I thought a highlander NEVER forgot. Well....see what Donald MacLaren, the MacLaren Clan Chief had to say about it in a 2009 article here.

****and HERE is where a very good answer to my question above can be found.

I have also read on the blog spot of Clan MacLabhrainn that the Sir Walter Scott version of Rob Roy's confrontation with the Stewarts of Appin Clan was fiction, follow the link above for that explanation.

Please, please let me know if you have any comments, corrections or thoughts. I am beginning my journey & welcome all feedback.