Origins of the McWilliam surname.
There appears to be at least three origins of the McWilliam name all derived from the Gaelic and Norman Gaelic historic traditions which have subsequently been anglicized over the ages to what we have today. The three regional origins are Scotland, which has the earliest recorded use of the name in 1138, the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland.
Scottish "McWilliam"
Up until the 10th century, the ruling families of Scotland considered themselves as king and were continually at war between themselves. In the north east of Scotland, allegiance was either to the King of Norway or the King of England. However, in the west and central highlands, there was no significant allegiance that dominated. From this group, arose one "Malcolm of Canmore" also known as "Greathead" who defeated MacBeth in 1054 and became the leader of a dominant family in the early 11th century. He was crowned "Malcolm the first", King of Scotland, and it is from his descendant "Malcolm III" who had two marriages, that subsequently led to bitter rivalry between these two lines of his family for claim over the Scottish crown.
Malcom III's first marriage to "Ingibiorg" widow of " Thorfinn (died 1064) produced the linage of "Duncan II" (eldest son of Malcolm) to "William FitzDuncan" (equivalent to the French, William "son of" Duncan), to "Duncan Ban MacWilliam" (known as "Donald"- who was slain in battle of Mam Garvia, in Moray in 1187), to his sons, "Dovenald Ban" (slain in Moray in 1215) and "Guthred" (who was beheaded in Kincardine in 1211).
Malcolm III's second marriage was to Queen Margaret which lead to the line of "David I" (ninth and youngest son), to "Henry, earl of Ross", to "King William the Lion" ( 1165-1214, second son of Henry, earl of Ross). There was continual struggling between the two sides of the family which was temporarily resolved when "King William the Lion" granted the first marriage descendants the "Earldom of Ross" in return for them renouncing their claims to the Scottish crown.
It was the descendants from "Malcolm III's" first marriage who held power in the north which passed down to a "Donald MacWilliam" and when King William the Lion (from the second marriage side of the family) was captured by the English in 1174, this Donald MacWilliam reasserted power and captured the Earldom of Ross in 1181. William the Lion was subsequently released by the English and in 1187 lead an army north to re-establish his authority which resulted in the slaying of Donald on the moor of Mam Garvia, somewhere west of Inverness, and his severed head was brought to William the Lion. Donald left a son, Guthred MacWilliam (who had been exiled in Northern Ireland) to carry on the revolt. William the Lion's army was strengthened by "King John of England" and Guthred was captured and beheaded at Kincardine Castle in 1211 and his body hung upside down as a warning to the rebels. A final rebellion occurred around 1229 against the Scottish crown lead by "Gilleasbuig MacWilliam" against "Alexander II" of Scotland, who in order to remove all "Gilleasbiug MacWilliam's" heirs, ordered the murder of Gilleasbuig's infant daughter by having her brains dashed out against the cross in the town of Forfar.
The source of this information is the book "Lost Kingdoms" by John L Roberts (Edinburgh University Press) and "A Passage Through Time" by John McQuilliams (McQuilliams Research 2002, a private publication, San Rafael, California.) . This includes another reference that establishes the McWilliam family name associated with rebellion up to the 1300's with references to a John of MacWilliam, known as "Brownbeard", believed to be associated with the Northern Ireland McWilliams in Ulster. ("Scotch Irish Families of America", Vol 1, page 376, by Henry Dobson.)
Thoughout medieval and later history, the McWilliams have been associated with the Highland clans of Scotland, particularly the MacLeods, McGregors, Mcfarlanes, McDonalds and the Gunns. The areas in which they were prevalent is the northern and central highlands of Moray and Ross. It was from these areas that they were driven by both the Scottish and English Kings, to the western parts of Scotland such as Caithness and the southwestern parts such as Wigtownshire which is in close proximity to Antrim in Northern Ireland.
Isle of Man "McWilliam"
The Norman, "DeMandeville" family became established in the Isle of Mann in the 1200's where there was a mixture of Gaelic and Norse cultures. It is believed that the name McWilliam came from "William DeMandeville". As Gaelic doesn't have an equivalent of "W", so the name of William was Gaelicized to "Uilliem" which lead to McUilliem, McQuilliam and McQuillan, still common names in the Isle of Man. Following the 12th century invasions of Ireland, the families were found settled in the north of Co. Antrim where they became "Lords of the Route" and centered at the castle of Dunluce. They also became known as the "Princes of Dalriada" but were vanquished by the MacDonalds by the 16th century.
Irish "McWilliam"
The "DeBurgho" family, part of the Norman Earls, came to England in 1066 with William the Conqueror. "William Fitzadelm De Burgho's" descendants took part in the 1171 invasion of Ireland with "Strongbow". From this William can be traced the first "McWilliam" of Connaught. The "McWilliam" being the title of the chief of the Irish septs rather than a surname.
The Burke family (or DeBurgh) also adopted the surname McWilliam when they renounced their allegiance to the English king and became Irish. King Henry the 8th, during his conquest of Northern Ireland in the 16th century, offered a pact with the McWilliam/Burke families who eventually dropped the McWilliam from their names. In the 14th century, Walter DeBurgh/McWilliam married the daughter of the King of Ulster and became the Red Earl of Ulster controlling much of northern and eastern Ulster. This family also had notable connections to the Scottish Kings with the marriage of Margaret McWilliam/Burke (daughter of the Earl of Ulster) to Robert Bruce, King of Scotland. It is probably from this McWilliam family that the Irish descendants arose. There are few written records of the common Irish before 1600 and then mostly from English records. In the Munster Rolls of 1642, there are McWilliams listed in counties Down, Antrim and Donegal, generally as soldiers or tenant farmers. Many variations of the name occur for instance, in Wigtonshire Parish (where our descendants may have come from) the 1684 rolls show "McCuilliam", McCulziame", "McCulziane", MacKwilliam" and "Maccuiliam"
There appears to be at least three origins of the McWilliam name all derived from the Gaelic and Norman Gaelic historic traditions which have subsequently been anglicized over the ages to what we have today. The three regional origins are Scotland, which has the earliest recorded use of the name in 1138, the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland.
Scottish "McWilliam"
Up until the 10th century, the ruling families of Scotland considered themselves as king and were continually at war between themselves. In the north east of Scotland, allegiance was either to the King of Norway or the King of England. However, in the west and central highlands, there was no significant allegiance that dominated. From this group, arose one "Malcolm of Canmore" also known as "Greathead" who defeated MacBeth in 1054 and became the leader of a dominant family in the early 11th century. He was crowned "Malcolm the first", King of Scotland, and it is from his descendant "Malcolm III" who had two marriages, that subsequently led to bitter rivalry between these two lines of his family for claim over the Scottish crown.
Malcom III's first marriage to "Ingibiorg" widow of " Thorfinn (died 1064) produced the linage of "Duncan II" (eldest son of Malcolm) to "William FitzDuncan" (equivalent to the French, William "son of" Duncan), to "Duncan Ban MacWilliam" (known as "Donald"- who was slain in battle of Mam Garvia, in Moray in 1187), to his sons, "Dovenald Ban" (slain in Moray in 1215) and "Guthred" (who was beheaded in Kincardine in 1211).
Malcolm III's second marriage was to Queen Margaret which lead to the line of "David I" (ninth and youngest son), to "Henry, earl of Ross", to "King William the Lion" ( 1165-1214, second son of Henry, earl of Ross). There was continual struggling between the two sides of the family which was temporarily resolved when "King William the Lion" granted the first marriage descendants the "Earldom of Ross" in return for them renouncing their claims to the Scottish crown.
It was the descendants from "Malcolm III's" first marriage who held power in the north which passed down to a "Donald MacWilliam" and when King William the Lion (from the second marriage side of the family) was captured by the English in 1174, this Donald MacWilliam reasserted power and captured the Earldom of Ross in 1181. William the Lion was subsequently released by the English and in 1187 lead an army north to re-establish his authority which resulted in the slaying of Donald on the moor of Mam Garvia, somewhere west of Inverness, and his severed head was brought to William the Lion. Donald left a son, Guthred MacWilliam (who had been exiled in Northern Ireland) to carry on the revolt. William the Lion's army was strengthened by "King John of England" and Guthred was captured and beheaded at Kincardine Castle in 1211 and his body hung upside down as a warning to the rebels. A final rebellion occurred around 1229 against the Scottish crown lead by "Gilleasbuig MacWilliam" against "Alexander II" of Scotland, who in order to remove all "Gilleasbiug MacWilliam's" heirs, ordered the murder of Gilleasbuig's infant daughter by having her brains dashed out against the cross in the town of Forfar.
The source of this information is the book "Lost Kingdoms" by John L Roberts (Edinburgh University Press) and "A Passage Through Time" by John McQuilliams (McQuilliams Research 2002, a private publication, San Rafael, California.) . This includes another reference that establishes the McWilliam family name associated with rebellion up to the 1300's with references to a John of MacWilliam, known as "Brownbeard", believed to be associated with the Northern Ireland McWilliams in Ulster. ("Scotch Irish Families of America", Vol 1, page 376, by Henry Dobson.)
Thoughout medieval and later history, the McWilliams have been associated with the Highland clans of Scotland, particularly the MacLeods, McGregors, Mcfarlanes, McDonalds and the Gunns. The areas in which they were prevalent is the northern and central highlands of Moray and Ross. It was from these areas that they were driven by both the Scottish and English Kings, to the western parts of Scotland such as Caithness and the southwestern parts such as Wigtownshire which is in close proximity to Antrim in Northern Ireland.
Isle of Man "McWilliam"
The Norman, "DeMandeville" family became established in the Isle of Mann in the 1200's where there was a mixture of Gaelic and Norse cultures. It is believed that the name McWilliam came from "William DeMandeville". As Gaelic doesn't have an equivalent of "W", so the name of William was Gaelicized to "Uilliem" which lead to McUilliem, McQuilliam and McQuillan, still common names in the Isle of Man. Following the 12th century invasions of Ireland, the families were found settled in the north of Co. Antrim where they became "Lords of the Route" and centered at the castle of Dunluce. They also became known as the "Princes of Dalriada" but were vanquished by the MacDonalds by the 16th century.
Irish "McWilliam"
The "DeBurgho" family, part of the Norman Earls, came to England in 1066 with William the Conqueror. "William Fitzadelm De Burgho's" descendants took part in the 1171 invasion of Ireland with "Strongbow". From this William can be traced the first "McWilliam" of Connaught. The "McWilliam" being the title of the chief of the Irish septs rather than a surname.
The Burke family (or DeBurgh) also adopted the surname McWilliam when they renounced their allegiance to the English king and became Irish. King Henry the 8th, during his conquest of Northern Ireland in the 16th century, offered a pact with the McWilliam/Burke families who eventually dropped the McWilliam from their names. In the 14th century, Walter DeBurgh/McWilliam married the daughter of the King of Ulster and became the Red Earl of Ulster controlling much of northern and eastern Ulster. This family also had notable connections to the Scottish Kings with the marriage of Margaret McWilliam/Burke (daughter of the Earl of Ulster) to Robert Bruce, King of Scotland. It is probably from this McWilliam family that the Irish descendants arose. There are few written records of the common Irish before 1600 and then mostly from English records. In the Munster Rolls of 1642, there are McWilliams listed in counties Down, Antrim and Donegal, generally as soldiers or tenant farmers. Many variations of the name occur for instance, in Wigtonshire Parish (where our descendants may have come from) the 1684 rolls show "McCuilliam", McCulziame", "McCulziane", MacKwilliam" and "Maccuiliam"