Clan Taylor

TAYLOR: This name is, not surprisingly, derived from the occupation of a cutter of cloth and is very common throughout Britain and abroad. It first appears in old Scots records c.1276 and the occurrence of the name Cissor/Scissor in some records has been equated with the trade and name. The word 'tailor' passed into Gaelic as 'taillear', and gave rise to the Highland surname, Mac-an-taillear, 'son of the tailor'. Alexander and John McKyntalyhur were declared rebels in 1392 for their part in a raid on Angus and the murder of Sir Walter Ogilvy. Until the end of the 18th century several families in Cowal named Mac-an-taillear regarded themselves as a branch of Clan Cameron and called themselves 'Clann an Taillear Duibh Chamronach'. Traditionally, the Taylors who are considered a sept of Clan Cameron claim to be descendants of a 16th century warrior named Taillear dubh na Tuaighe, 'The Black Taylor of the Axe', a natural son of the 14th Chief of Lochiel, who was renowned for his skill with the Lochaber Axe. There is a tradition amongst the MacLachlans of Cowal that their kinsmen in Lochaber gave refuge to the mighty axe-man and that he in fact died in Cowal. In most instances the name will have originated from the craft of tailoring, and therefore a direct genealogical trace would be required to establish a clan connection. Those who consider themselves members of Clan Cameron may wear any of the accepted Cameron tartans with the exception of the chief's personal sett, the red Cameron of Lochiel. There is distinct Taylor tartan designed in 1955 by Lt.Col. Iain.B. Cameron Taylor, its most prominent feature of which is the double black lines, said to represent the Black Taylor. There is also a marked similarity to the Hunting Cameron pattern. The Camerons have a long and proud heritage in Lochaber and that clan itself was made up from several native families, the MacMartins of Letterfinlay, the MacGillonies of Strone, and others, all of whom projected the history of the race back into the mists of antiquity. Their chiefs were the epitomy of their class and were staunch supporters of the Jacobite cause.