MACONOCHIE,
a surname derived from the Gaelic Macdonochie, the son of Duncan.
The Maconochies of Meadowbank, Mid Lothian, the principal family of
the name, are descendants of the Campbells of Inverawe, Argyleshire,
the first of whom was Duncan Campbell, eldest son of Sir Neil
Campbell of Lochow, ancestor of the ducal house of Argyle, by his 2d
wive, a daughter of Sir John Cameron of Lochiel. The eldest son of
that marriage, Duncan Campbell, obtained a grant of Inverawe and
Cruachan from David II. in 1330. His eldest son was named Dougal,
after his mother’s family, and Dougal’s eldest son Duncan was called
in the Highlands Mac Douill Vic Conochie. He named his son also
Duncan, who was thus Maconochie Vic Conochie, the son and grandson
of Conochie, or Duncan. Maconochie, from that period, became the
patronymic appellation of each succeeding Campbell of Inverawe,
while the cadets of the family still bore the name of Campbell.
From the Campbells of Inverawe sprung the Campbells of Shirwan,
Kilmartin, and Cruachan.
In 1660, Dougall Campbell, or, as he was called, the
Maconochie of Inveraugh, engaged in the rebellion of the marquis of
Argyle, in whose armament of the clan Campbell he held the rank of
major. He was tried with the marquis in 1661 and attainted. He was
soon afterwards executed at Carlisle.
After the Revolution of 1688, Dougall’s son, James Maconochie,
who, at his father’s death, was little more than nine years old,
applied to government for the restoration of the Argyleshire
property, which had got into the possession of an uncle, but was
unsuccessful. From King William III., however, he obtained a grant
in compensation, which he invested in the purchase of the lands of
Kirknewton, in the muir now called Meadowbank, Mid Lothian, which
his descendant still possesses, and, adopting Lowland customs, all
the family took the name of Maconochie. His only son, Alexander
Maconochie, was a writer in Edinburgh. The son of the latter, Allan
Maconochie, a celebrated lawyer, born January 26, 1748, died June
14, 1816, was a lord of session and justiciary, under the title of
Lord Meadowbank, being appointed to the former in 1796, and to the
latter in 1804. While attending the university of Edinburgh, he was
one of the five students who originated the Speculative Society, and
was afterwards for some time Professor of the Laws of Nature and
Nations in that university. He was the author of a pamphlet entitled
‘considerations on the Introduction of Trial by Jury in Scotland,’
and in 1815, when the Scottish jury court was instituted, he was
appointed one of the lords commissioners. He is said to have been
the inventor of moss manure, now extensively employed in various
counties of Scotland, and printed for private distribution a tract
on the subject. He married Elizabeth, third daughter of Robert
Wellwood, Esq., of Garvock, by whom he had issue.
His eldest son, Alexander Maconochie, passed advocate in 1799,
and after being sheriff-depute of the county of Haddington 1810,
solicitor-general 1813, and lord-advocate 1816, was appointed a lord
of session and justiciary in 1819, when he also took the title of
Lord Meadowbank. He resigned in 1841, and died Nov. 30, 1861. On the
death of his cousin, Robert Scott Welwood, he succeeded to the
entailed estates of Garvock and Pittiver, in the county of Fife, and
assumed the name of Welwood of Garvock (see Welwood). He married
Anne, eldest daughter of Lord-president Blair; issue, with 5
daughters, 4 sons, viz. – 1. Allan Alexander Maconochie, LL.D., born
in 1806, passed advocate in 1829, and in 1842 appointed professor of
civil law and the law of Scotland in the university of Glasgow. 2.
Robert Blair, writer to the signet. 3. William Maximilian George. 4.
Henry Dundas.
