MacQueen

The head of the Macqueens was Macqueen of Corrybrough, Inverness-shire. The founder of this tribe is said to have been Rodericj Dhu Recan MacSweyn or Macqueen, who, about the beginning of the 15h century, received a grant of territory in the country of Inverness. He belonged to the family of the Lord of the Isles, and his descendants from him were called the clan Revan.

The Macqueens fought, under the standard of Mackintosh, captain of clan Chattan, at the battle of Harlaw in 1411. On 4th April 1609, Donald Macqueen of Corrybrough signed the bond of manrent, with the chiefs of the other tribes composing the clan Chattan, whereny they bound themselves to support Angus Mackintosh of that ilk as their captain and leader. At this period, we are told, the tribe of Macqueen comprehended twelve distinct families, all landowners in the counties of Inverness and Nairn.

In 1778, Lord Macdonald of Sleat, who had been created an Irish peer by that title two years before, having raised a Highland regiment, conferred a lieutenancy in it on a son of Donald Macqueen, then of Corrybrough, and in the letter, dated 26th January of that year, in which he intimated the appointment, he says, "It does me great honour to have the sons of chieftains in the regiment, and as the Macqueens have been invariably attached to our family, to whom we believe we owe our existence, I am proud of the nomination". Thus were the Macqueens acknowledged to have been of Macdonald origin, although they ranged themselves among the tribes of the clan Chattan. The present head of the Macqueens is John Fraser Macqueen, Q.C.

Another account of the clan...

The name Macqueen or Macsweyns is said to originate from several sources; from the Gaelic Suibhne meaning "going well", or MacCuinn, "son of Conn", or from the Norse, Sweyn. The Macqueens were of Hebridean and West Highland origin, and appear to have been originally associated with Clan Donald. During the 15th century when Malcolm Beg Mackintosh, 10th chief of Mackintosh married Mora MacDonald of Moidart, the bride was accompanied by several Macqueen clansmen who settled in Argyll f orming a sept of Clan Chattan. Among these was Revan Macqueen who fought under Mackintosh at the Battle of Harlaw in 1411, he was ancestor to the Macqueens of Corrybrough who settled in Strathdearn. They were known as "Clan Revan". These lands appear to have been lost at the end of the 18th century when the chief John Fraser died in 1881. The title passed to his brother who's son emigrated to New Zealand and was the last known chief of the clan. In the Hebrides the Macqueens held the lands of Garafad i n Skye for many generations. However it was from the islands that there was a massive exodus of Macqueens across the Atlantic. Robert Macqueen, Lord Braxfield was a notable judge of the late 18th century who was renowned for his savagery and sentences and was given the appropriate title of "the hanging judge", although in fact to be fair he was from neither Clan Revan nor from the Hebridean clan but of Lanarkshire descent.