The Lie in the 1957 MacLaren Petition to the Lyon Court for Chiefship of Clan MacLaren

Map published in Highland Settlement in Western Perthshire a Thesis

The 1957 MacLaren Petition to the Lyon Court contains a lie, pure and simple. An intentional lie that mislead the court and resulted in a family member of an obscure family of McLarens from Achtoo and later London, to become chief of the surname MacLaren. The Petition was written and submitted by an officer of the Court, Iain Moncrieffe with Donald Maclaren and Margaret Maclaren assisting. Below within quotation marks is the salutation and item 1. from the MacLaren Petition.

"UNTO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORD LYON KING OF ARMS.

The Petition of Major

DONALD MacLAREN of MacLAREN AND ACHLESKINE in the Earldom of Strathearn and County of Perth, CHIEF OF THE NAME OF MacLAREN, as Heir Male and Representative of the ancient House of Achleskine, HEAD OF THE CLAN LABHRAN.

Humbly Sheweth:

1. THAT the Petitioner, as hereinafter shewn, is the heir male and representative of the ancient House of Achleskine, Chiefs of the Name of MacLaren and hereditary Heads of the Clan Labhran; AND THAT the said Clan Labhran throughout its history has been centred on Achtoo within Achleskine in Balquhidder, in the ancient earldom of Strathearn."

Before we get to the lie, the Earldom of Strathearn fell during the time of Malise V in the 1350s. A stretch to the pedigree of peerage, since the first recorded McLaren in Balquhidder was Malcum Maklawryn at Invernenty in 1512, one-hundred-fifty years later. The first recorded Auchleskine McLaren was Finlay Makneill V'Laurent in Auchaliskin, a witness in a 1586 bond.

“Achtoo within Auchleskine in Balquhidder” is the lie, repeated frequently in the petition. Why would they write that in the Petition and also in Margaret’s book ‘The MacLarens A History of Clan Labhran’ when you can see from the map that the three Achtoos are not within Auchleskine.

The reason is, the 'House of Auchleskine' was the clan MacLaren chiefs duchthus, according to Patrick Stewart (ex of Ledcreich, Balquhidder) living in Cheraw, South Carolina in 1763. Patrick’s assertion is the single primary source for the claim that the clan McLaren chief’s ‘duchthus’ was Auchleskine.

Unfortunately for the wanna be clan chief, Donald’s tenant ploughman McLaren ancestors lived at Achtoo, so they created the lie that Achtoo was within Auchleskine. The Achtoos later became part of the Edinchip estate, when the chiefs of clan Gregor owned it, and Donald McLaren's ancestors were their tenant ploughman on the estate.

Here are contemporaneous primary examples of Achtoo, never being considered as within Auchleskine, but as an adjacent property.

In 1511 King James IV grants the lands westward from the Edinchip estate that include Auchleskine, Tulloch, Lednascridan, Kirkton, the three Auctoos, Cuill and Drumness, all of them clearly defined none a part of the other, to Ross of Craigie. JRMS ii no 3668

That pattern continues for two more centuries. In 1541 Auahleskin, Kirktoun de Balquhidthir, Lauchinskreden, cum earundem molendinof, Tulloch, cum tribus Auchintowis, Cowill, Coltuchchir [FDY]1541 {RMS iii no 2448). In 1558 Auchlesken, Kirktoun de Balquhidder, Lauchinskreden, Tulloch, cum tribus Auchintowis, Cowill 1558 {RMS iv no 1331)

In 1558 John Ross of Craigie sold Auchleskine, the Kirkton of Balquhidder, Lednascriden with the mill, the three Achtows, Tulloch, and Cuilt to David Lord Drummond and his spouse Dame Lilias Ruthven. The lands were forfeited to the Crown by the Jacobite Drummonds in 1746.

So, as you can plainly see, Achtoo was never considered within Auchleskine. The MacLaren couple and their accomplice, repeat the lie throughout the Petition shown below. And is the sole justification for receiving chiefly ensigns from the Lyon Court. Nevermind that around 1711 their genealogical link to Auchleskine skips three generations. Since when can you skip generations in a legal document?