Quote Originally Posted by Streetcar
Hi all!
Been in “lurk” mode for awhile but I’ve got a clan/sept question I hope someone can answer.
I recently learned that one of my ancestors was a highlander by the name of John McReynolds in the late 1600’s. He joined the British Army and moved to Ireland in the 1680’s.
There’s not a McReynolds clan, but I see it associated as a sept for MacDonald of Clanranald, as well as MacDonell Of Keppoch.
Does my ancestor’s surname alone indicate a connection to one of these clans?
Not nescessarily. Be very careful regarding sept lists, since many of them were manufactured to sell more tartan around the time of the Royal visit to Scotland in 1822. There are some true "septs" or "associated families", that associated with a larger clan for protection and/or preformed a service (for example, the Cummings served as pipers to the Chief of the neighbouring Clan Grant), but really, it is more about where your family comes from, rather than the sept list. So, if your McReynolds ancestors lived in the territory of the MacDonald of Clanranalds, then they might have sworn fealty to their Chief.

That's it in a nutshell -- I'm sure Matt will have more to add to this.

Cheers,

Todd