Clan MacBeanClan MacBean and Clan Chattan's own usage of the spelling of the name. (or Clan MacBain),Way, George and Squire, Romily. (1994). Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia. (Foreword by The Rt Hon. The Earl of Elgin KT, Convenor, The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs). pp. 206-207. is a highland Scottish clan and is a member and historic sept of Clan Chattan Confederation.Preface, 'Minor Septs of Clan Chattan' by Charles Fraser-Mackintosh
History
Origins
Origins of the clan's name
There could be several possible Gaelic origins for this name, with bheathain (lively one) being one. Another possible origin for the name is the Gaelic BànGaelic Place Names of Scotland ('Fair' / 'White' in English), which appears in the name of Scottish King Donald Bàn – the name could be a reference to the colour of his hair'Dhòmhnall / Donald Bàn' – The Gaelic-English Dictionary by Colin B.D. Mark'Domnall Ban' – A Dictionary of Scottish Phrase and Fable by Ian Crofton and/or the paleness of his face. Donald Bàn's epithet is often seen phonetically anglicised as Bane or Bain.
The first name 'Bean' is also found applied to men from other Clan Chattan families such as Clan Macpherson"Bean Macpherson of Strathmaisie" (page 336), "Kenneth, eldest son of Ewen Baan" (page 524) – Historical memoirs of the house and clan of Mackintosh and of the clan Chattan, by Alexander Mackintosh and Clan Shaw,"On 4, April 1609, as the senior Chieftain within the family, Ay or Adam Mac Bean Mac Robert signed for Clan Ay and on behalf of the Rothiemurchus tribes in the Great Clan Chattan confederation Band of Union and Manrent at Termit." – Clan Shaw Historical Summary and Clan MacGillivray."Duncanus McBehan (son of Bean) in Dunmakglas" (page 577) – Historical memoirs of the House and Clan of Mackintosh and of the Clan Chattan, by Alexander Mackintosh (1880)
A third, but perhaps less likely origin of the name is the suggestionThe Highland clans of Scotland; their history and traditions by George Eyre-Todd (page 218) that the name originated from 'Beann' (otherwise 'beinn'), which means 'top'/'peak',An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language, Dr Alexander MacBain M.A., LL.D. (See page 32 in the 1982 Reprint by Gairm Publications of the 1911 edition) as applied to the names of mountains such as Beinn a' Chaorainn in Lochaber and Britain's highest mountain Ben Nevis (Gaelic: Beinn Nibheis). If the name did arise from 'Beann' then one might assume it was a reference to the height of the person it was applied to.
An authoritative view on the origin of the name MacBean came from the respected Gaelic academic Dr Alexander MacBain who, in his An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language, wrote the following words:
If one pronounces the name McBheathain without use of the usual English "th", but lightly skip over it, as one would do in Gaelic, one can easily see how the name was then written as MacBean, McBain etc. In view of Dr Alexander MacBain's eminent Gaelic scholarship, it is his etymology of the name that can be most trusted, and this is the origin of the name that the Clan MacBean follows.Hughston McBain of McBain, A Brief History of Clan McBain. Published 1973
Some MacBeans dropped the use of 'Mac'/'Mc', resulting in the surnames 'Bean' and (phonetically) 'Bain'. This has understandably caused confusion with the similarly named Bains of Tulloch who were not part of the Clan MacBean (McBain), but were in fact a branch of the Clan Mackay, who had changed their surname to Bain, after a forebear who was nicknamed 'Bàn'.Mackay, Angus. (1906). Book of Mackay. (St Andrews University). Printed by William Rae, Wick. Page 50.History of the House and Clan of Mackay (page 73). Author: Robert Mackay, Writer, Thurso. Published Edinburgh 1829.Bains of Dingwall – a historya short history of the Bains of Tulloch – The Clan Mackay Association of Canada Despite the lack of relationship between the Bains (Baynes) of Tulloch and Clan MacBean, a slight connection came later when Kenneth Bayne, 8th Laird of Tulloch sold the estate to his cousin Henry Davidson, whose successors became chiefs of Clan Davidson, members of Clan Chattan like the MacBeans.
Early history – descent from Gillichattan Mor and Clan Chattan
History and tradition ascribes the MacBeans as being among the descendants of Gillichattan Mor more commonly known as Clan Chattan.Clan MacBean official website: An early record of the name in its more modern form appeared in the Kinrara manuscript, which names both Bean McCoil voir and his son, Milmoir McBean.Lachlan Mackintosh of Kinrara: A Chronicle of the Family of Mackintosh to 1680 ('The Kinrara Manuscript) – edited by Dr Jean Munro, published by the Clan Chattan Association
Charles Fraser-Mackintosh provides some helpful information about the clan's origins:Fraser-Mackintosh, Charles. (1898). Minor Septs of Clan Chattan.
The Mackintosh history being referred to above is the Kinrara Manuscript, a new edition of which, edited by Dr. Jean Munro, has been published by the Clan Chattan Association.
15th, 16th and 17th centuries
The Clan MacBean fought for Domhnall of Islay, Lord of the Isles, along with the rest of Clan Chattan at the Battle of Harlaw in 1411, where they suffered heavy losses. In the history of the Mackintoshes, chiefs of Clan Chattan, it is recorded that "Mackintosh mourned the loss of so many of his friends and people, especially of Clan Vean".
The 12th chief of Clan MacBean was Paul MacBean who due to heavy debts was forced to give up his lands in about 1685. However, the lands were re-granted in the same year by Sir Hugh Campbell of Cawdor (Calder) to Paul's son William MacBean in Kinchyle. William's eldest son Aeneas MacBean, younger of Kinchyle was long thought to have succeeded his father;McBain of McBain, Hughston. A Brief History of Clan McBain. but he died long before him sometime before 18 May 1722, when he is first mentioned as deceased. Therefore, on William's death sometime between 24 December 1736The Testament Dative of Angus McIntosh of Culchlachy, who died on 20 June 1730, was confirmed on 24 December 1736, and mentions William MacBean of Kinchyle as living at the time and 13 March 1741The Testament Dative of Farquhar MacGillivray of Dunmaglass, who died at Kinchyle in June 1740, which was confirmed on 13 March 1741 – it mentions the Deceast William McBean of Kinchyle the chiefship was inherited by his 2nd son Major Gillies 'Mor' MacBean, who became famous as a result of his heroic exploits and death at the Culloden (see below). Gillies was succeeded as Chief by his son Captain Donald MacBean.Mackintosh, Alexander M. (1903) The Mackintoshes and Clan Chattan.'The Clan MacBean Register' magazine, Fall/Winter 2020: New discoveries on the lineage of the Chiefs of Clan MacBean – the clan’s greatest hero joins our list of chiefs – by Philip Beddows, Seanachaidh to the Chief and Clan Historian of the Clan MacBean
18th century and Jacobite risings
Many of Clan MacBean supported the Jacobite rising of 1715 and as a result many of them were transported to the plantations in Virginia, Maryland and South Carolina. However this did not deter Gillies MacBean (sometimes known as Gillies Mor MacBean), second son of the 12th chief William MacBean of Kinchyle (his older brother was Aeneas MacBean of Kinchyle), from fighting in the Jacobite rising of 1745. Gillies MacBean took up a commission as a major and fought at the Battle of Culloden. He is said to have been at least six feet four inches tall, and the story goes that during the battle he saw government dragoons breaking through to assault highlanders on their flank. Gillies threw himself into the gap and cut down thirteen or fourteen of his assailants, fighting with his back to the wall. Iain Breac MacDonald, who witnessed this, recalled that 'he mowed them down like dockens'.page 148: The Scottish People, Their Clans, Families and Origins – James Alan Rennie FSA Scot. (Hutchinson of London) A government officer tried to call back his men to save a fellow brave soldier but MacBean was killed. Also at the Battle of Culloden, a MacBean is credited with assisting the chief of Clan Cameron (Lochiel), who was wounded and unable to walk to escape. Another MacBean, Aeneas MacBean (of Faillie) managed to escape after the battle by repeatedly leaping from one side of a stream to another until his pursuers were forced to give up. However, this is unlikely to have been Aeneas/Angus MacBean, Tacksman of Faillie, since he is listed among the officers of Lady Anne Mackintosh's Clan Chattan regiment who were killed at the battle.The Muster Roll of Prince Charles Edward's Army, by Alastair Livingstone (Aberdeen University Press, 1984)
After the Battle of Culloden, the chief struggled to keep his lands and they were sold in 1760. In 1778 Lieutenant General Forbes Macbean was appointed the commander of artillery in Canada.
Later clansmen
William MacBean extraordinarily rose from the rank of private to Major General and won the Victoria Cross for gallantry during the Indian Mutiny in 1858.
Forbes MacBean, another of the well known military family descended from Reverend Alexander MacBean of Inverness (mentioned above), was mentioned in dispatches in 1897 when serving as a Major in the Gordon Highlanders, for the gallant and courageous action in taking the heights of Dargai near the border of Afghanistan, in India's old north west province, which is now part of Pakistan. Various accounts of this action have been written.Piper Findlater VC, Hero of Dargai: by Craig Cross Forbes Macbean later commanded the Gordon Highlanders regiment against the Boers of South Africa in 1899 during the Second Boer War.Stirling, John. Our Regiments in South Africa 1899-1902. (Published by Naval and Military Press Ltd) He is mentioned in an account of the bravery of the Gordon Highlanders at Doornkop (or Florida), south-west of Johannesburg. John Stirling recorded in his book 'Our Regiments in South Africa 1899-1902' that The Gordons were led by Lieut.-Colonel Burney and by Colonel Forbes Macbean, who has perhaps seen more hard fighting than any officer now alive and with his regiment.Our Regiments in South Africa 1899-1902: by John Stirling (published by Naval and Military Press Ltd)
The Clan in Modern Times
The chiefly line of the clan has flourished in Canada and the United States in the 20th century.
The present chiefs descend from a younger brother of Aeneas and Gillies 'Mor' MacBean, the two elder sons of William MacBean of Kinchyle. Aeneas had a surviving daughter Margaret who on 22 July 1765 was served as heir "of provision" to her father, and his brother Gillies' heir to Kinchyle was his son Captain Donald MacBean, who left two daughters as his heirs. The chiefly line did not continue through any of these daughters, but instead continued through Aeneas and Gillies' youngest brother John. The copy of the grant of arms of McBain of McBain by The Lord Lyon to Hughston McBain as 21st chief (having succeeded his older cousin Stewart McBain of Glenbain in Saskatchewan) confirms that the line of succession passed via Hughston's great-great-grandfather William McBean 'in Pitourie' in the parish of Alvie, in the district of Badenoch, and states: Which William was great-grandson and eventual Representative of William McBean of Kinchyle, Chief of the Clan McBain.Matriculation dated 8 March 1960 by The Lord Lyon, King of Arms of Hughston McBain of McBain, as 21st Hereditary Chief of The Clan McBain This matriculation was listed in The Edinburgh Gazette, 27 May 1966.Rolls of the Chiefs and Heads of Territorial Houses, The Edinburgh Gazette, 27 May 1966 (page 430)