THORFINNSSON, Earl Paal

1036 - 1099  (63 years)  Submit Photo / Document

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• Name	THORFINNSSON, Paal
  Prefix	Earl
  Birth	1036	Driga, Orkney, Scotland
  Gender	Male
  Death	3 Nov 1099	Bergen, Hordaland, Norway
  WAC	1 May 1901	SLAKE
  _TAG	Reviewed on FS
  Headstones	Submit Headstone Photo
  Person ID	I50314	Joseph Smith Sr and Lucy Mack Smith
  Last Modified	19 Aug 2021

  
  

  Father	SIGURDSON, Earl Thorfinn ,   b. 1001, Orkney, Orkney Islands, Scotland Orkney, Orkney Islands, Scotlandd. 1064, Christchurch, Birsay, Orkney Islands, Scotland (Age 63 years)
  Family ID	F25480	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	HAAKONSDATER, Ragnhild ,   b. Abt 1044, Orkeny Islands, Scotland Orkeny Islands, Scotlandd. Aft 1070 (Age > 27 years)
  Children	+ 1. PAALSON, Earl Haakon ,   b. 1 Jul 1070, Orkney Islands, Orkney, Scotland Orkney Islands, Orkney, Scotlandd. 2 Feb 1122, Kirkwall, Pomona Island, Orkney Islands, Orkney, Scotland (Age 51 years)
  Family ID	F25477	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	24 Jan 2022

  
  

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• Notes

  Ref: McHaffie's Among Covenanter Martyrs and Transportees The tree below was drawn by Dr. Leslie Lucas, family member and Celtic scholar. "I have been able to confirm the marriage of Eoin to Margaret, daughter of Robert II of Scotland and three of their pogeny: Donnell, Eoin Mor M. Magery Bissett) and Alastar Carach. While I have found a reference to Marcus http://www3.dcs.hull.ac.uk/cgi-bin/gedlkup/n=royal?royal04211, the alleged progenitor of the MacDonnells of Knocknacloy, Co. Tyrone, I have yet to confirm his tie to Tyrone. A useful site giving some detail behind the below tree may be found at http://wwwislandregister.com/macdonaldskyhtml. It lists the descendants of Tuathal and his descendant, Donald Gorm MacRanold, progenitor of Clan Mac Dhomhuill/Clan MacDonald. Yet another site, The MacDonnells of Knocknacloy, provides more detail on the Clan (note that Marcus is spelled "Marcach"). The following material helps to fill in some of the family history for the period between the 15th and 19th centuries. Above Notes on the McDaniel Family History websight- Descent of the McDanells- Paul, his son was Hoakon, Earl of the Orkneys; his daughter was Ingibjorg IV who married Olaf Bitling, King of the Southern Isles; his her son Ragnhilda who married Somerharlidh, King of Argyll. about 1157; and their three sons were: Eufgall, Ergus, and Raghnall. Raghnall had a son Donal, and Donal had a son Aenghus Mor MacDomhnaill (circa 1263) and Aenghus had a son by the same name (Aenghus Og who died in 1325; Aenghus Og who died in 1325 had a son Eoin (RIN 98216) who married Margaret, daughter of Robert II of Scotland. Eoin (98216) and Margaret (RIN23517) had four children- 1. Donnel of Isla c. 1411 2. Alastar Carrach 3. Marcus who was the ancestor of the MacDonnells of Knocknacloy of Colttyar?? 4. Eoin Mor md. abt 1400 to Margery Bissett her became the ancestor of the Earls of Antrim (RIN38642) Material compiled by Bob McDaniel. (Recorded in this Clarkson Database.) Descent of the McDannells The above tree was drawn by Dr. Leslie Lucas, family member and Celtic scholar. I have been able to confirm the marriage of Eoin to Margaret, daughter of Robert II of Scotland and three of their progeny: Donnell, Eoin Mor (m. Margery Bissett) and Alastar Carrach. While I have found a reference to Marcus , the alleged progenitor of the MacDonnells of Knocknacloy, Co. Tyrone, I have yet to confirm his tie to Tyrone. A useful site giving some detail behind the above tree may be found at . It lists the descendants of Tuathal and his descendant, Donald Gorm mac Ranald, progenitor of Clan Mac Dhomhuill / Clan MacDonald. Yet another site, The MacDonnells of Knocknacloy , provides more detail on the Clan (note that Marcus is spelled "Marcach"). The following material helps to fill in some of the family history for the period between the 15th and 19th centuries. Some Notes on the McDaniel Family History-(MAP of the island of Ireland 1450 unable to copy.Land held by the native Irish, Land held by Anglo-Irish Lords, Lan held by English King pg. 4 out of 21 pages as recorded in this file.) Rev. George Hill, An Historical Account of the Macdonnells of Antrim: Including Notices of some other Septs, Irish and Scottish, Belfast: Archer and Sons, 1873. (Editorial note: Alexander Macdonnell succeeded as third earl of Antrim in 1682. In 1685 he was admitted as a member of the privy council of James II. The king appointed him lord lieutenant of his native county of Antrim and gave him the command, as colonel, of an infantry regiment.) p. 357: Lord Antrim was not much known either as a politician or a soldier. Perhaps one of the chief distinctions of his life arose from the fact that the gates of Derry were shut in his face by the Apprentice Boys of that city, 1689. A letter had been addressed to the earl of Mountalexander warning him of a massacre which was to be commenced in Ireland, by the Irish, on the 9th of December, 1688. This letter, although generally believed among well informed people to have been written by a protestant, naturally produced the greatest excitement throughout the country. Just while the commotion thus called forth was at its height in Derry, the earl of Antrim's regiment, ordered thither from Coleraine, was seen approaching, followed by a wild looking rabble, which the general agitation had induced to follow their soldier-friends on their march. The frightened multitudes that had taken refuge in Derry from various surrounding districts at once concluded that the approaching party under lord Antrim was about to initiate the massacre; and, as the only ready means of protection, they, headed by some apprentices in the place, rushed to the gates and shut out not only the Irish rabble, but also the earl and his regiment. The now celebrated act of shutting the gates was thus done entirely on the spur of the moment, by a crowd of humble and otherwise insignificant individuals; but although an unpremeditated act, it was followed by very marked results. The following truthful of this affair was written by a protestant of the time: -"But that which happened of greatest consequence upon this discovery was the extraordinary accident that attended the account of it in Londonderry; where it had no sooner arrived (the account of the contents of the letter aforementioned), but it seemed to be confirmed past a doubt, by the advance of a considerable part of the earl of Antrim's regiment, consisting of five new raised companies, which, together with the rabble that followed, made up, at least, a thousand men, designed for a garrison to that town. The inhabitants, seeing such a number, and concluding them to have been the instruments designed for the execution of the pretended massacre, immediately shut up their gates, and, discharging some great guns upon the near approach of the Irish, obliged them to retreat in great disorder; and the townsmen, keeping their gates shut, issued out a declaration showing the reason for what they had done, which they wholly imputed to the apprehension of a Popish massacre." Lord Antrim, who was thus in some sort distinguished by being shut out, suffered forfeiture as an adherent of James II. He had now become old, and was comparatively unable to wrestle with the difficulties of his position, but he persevered in his efforts to regain the family estates, and was eventually fortunate in getting his case included in the articles of Limerick. His outlawry in England, however, was not reversed by the operation of these articles, and on this point the aged earl appears to have been particularly sensitive. Indeed, the closing year of his life was employed in efforts to have this outlawry in England reversed, which was at length accomplished, but not before death had removed him from this scene, which to him had been of almost unceasing turmoil. p. 360 (footnote): (17) Mack Daniell and Mack Donnell - Mack Daniell was a form of the surname of Macdonnell, which prevailed in some districts of Ireland; several of the MacDaniells were forfeited in 1690. The last statement means that their lands were confiscated. Presumably, then, these MacDaniells were supporters of James II. Were they, then, Roman Catholic or simply mercenaries in the pay of James II's supporters (such as Lord Antrim)? They might then have been Presbyterian or some other denomination. Later, of course, the Church of Ireland discriminated against Presbyterian and Roman Catholic alike thus encouraging many of these to emigrate to the American colonies. (Extract from a commercially prepared document purporting to be a history of the McDaniel name:) "The surname McDaniel appeared as a Scottish clan or family in their territory of county Antrim. This name was a corruption of MacDonnell from the ancient Lords of the Isles. The MacDaniels were gallowglasses (soldiers of fortune) to the powerful Chiefs of Northern Ireland and Ulster about the 14th century." (Leslie Lucas, in his 1962 letter (referred to below) seems to imply that the Rev. P. Walsh in his book Irish Chiefs and Leaders states that the O'Neills brought the McDaniels (McDonnells) over from Scotland to fight for them! They apparently then settled near Dungannon. (Extract from a 1962 letter by Dr. Leslie Lucas written in response to a query from Ronald McDaniel:) "Your (Ronald McDaniel's) great-grandfather was John McDaniel of Loughans, and in the valuation of 1860 the names of John McDonnell and Thomas McDonnell are given for that townland; there is also a Denis McDonnell, but he was probably a Roman Catholic. I should explain that McDonnell appears to have been the original form of the name but some of our ancestors seem to have changed it to McDaniel sometime during the last century." This view seems to imply a conscious decision to change a name as opposed to inadvertent change due to illiteracy. Later in this letter Leslie opines that our family is likely descended from Scottish forebears who were originally RCs but became Protestants in the 18th century. Edward Machysaght, Irish Families Macdonnell: 18th century gallowglasses to most powerful chiefs in Ireland. Gradually acquired territory of their own through grants for military service and by marriage. In Irish Mac Domhnaill, meaning son of Domhnaill anglicized as Donal. In the 17th century the anglicized form, MacDaniell, was more usual than Macdonnell. Robert Bell, Ulster Surnames The Macdonald: Donald first recorded in the welsh form, Dumnagal, in Roman documents 2000 years ago. They take their name from Donald of Islay, grandson of Somerled. One of Donald's sons, Alexander, progenitor of the clan McAllister, at one time chief of the clan Donald, was forfeited by Robert the Bruce in the 14th century. Some of his sons came to Ireland as gallowglasses and his grandson, Somhairle Macdonald, was the ancestor of the Tyrone sept of Macdonald galloghlach, the hereditary mercenaries of the o'Neills. This sept settled at Knocknacloy in Co. Tyrone where they rendered services to o'Neill until the end of the 16th century. From William Petty's Survey, 1654: 1640: Turlagh McArt og o'Neale, Irish papist, owned Tullyvannon and Aghinduffe townlands. Ranell McDonald, Irish papist, owned Cullineflear, parish of Donaghmore. William Lord Caulfield, English protestant, owned Cranlane, Inishmagh, and Tulnavern townlands. The McConnell Connection The following account of the McConnell family is derived from various sources, but special credit is to be given to R. Kirk McConnell of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, who in turn acquired much of his information from the Rev. R.J.J. McConnell of Stavely Vicarage, Kendal, England. It is not possible in this sketch to give more than an outline of what has been written in regard to the McConnell family, and indeed it could not be done with the limited facilities at hand. There is much more to be written in the future, for the McConnell clan has grown in this country to be a very large group; the largest in number probably now living in the state of Ohio. Original Covenanters, they have become divided religiously, and the name is to be found in practically all religious denominations in the U.S. A very large number of them have become ministers of the Gospel, but the name may be found among those of all trades and professions. It is quite likely that all McConnells, whether they come from Scotland or Ireland and whether they be Catholic or Protestant, are descended from Alexander Konnel, Laird of Dunnyveg and the Glens, Scotland and Ireland respectively. The name McConnell is another spelling of the surname MacDonnell or MacDonald. There is no such name as MacDonnell or MacDonald in Gaelic. In that language the name is spelled "MacDhomhnuill." In Gaelic, however, after the c in Mac, the d becomes silent and the name is pronounced somewhat as though it were spelled MacHonnell, which the ear cannot distinguish from the new and popular form of spelling, "McConnell." The "Mac" or abbreviated form "Mc" in Gaelic, means "son of." In ancient times if a Gael named "Iain" had a son named "Alister" the son would be surnamed Alister MacIain, and if in turn Alister MacIain had a son named "Donald" the latter would be newly surnamed Donald MacAlister and so on, each child receiving the Christian name of the father and the prefix "Mac" as a surname. The surnames were not family names as we use them today. There came a time in Scotland, however, when these surnames became fixed in succeeding generations as family names are fixed today. The use of the surname McConnell was peculiar to the respective familes of the Chiefs of Clan Iain Mhoir, or Clan Donald South of the Scottish Highlands. The clansmen of Clan Donald South were surnamed MacDonalds and it was only a Chief or descents of a Chief that signed his surname McConnell. Clan Iain Mhoir, or Clan Donald South, was a branch of Clan Donald. The Chiefs of this clan were said to trace their ancestry in the "Poems of Ossian," published in 1750, and in other ancient annals, back to Constantine Centimachus who lived about A.D. 125. From Constantine, there are thirty seven chiefs of Clan Donald named before we come to the name of John, father of John Mhoir Tanistear, who was the first chief of Clan Donald South. Sir Walter Scott, in his poem "Pibroch of Donuil Dhu," calls Clan Donald South "Clan Conuil," as appears in the first stanza: "Pibroch of Donuil Dhu Pribroch of Donuil Wake thy wild voice anew, Summon Clan Conuil." The first three Chiefs of Clan Donald South were not surnamed McConnell because the name McConnell had not been adopted as a family name at so early a date. Since these Chiefs were just as much ancestors of the McConnells in the male line as though they were so surnamed, and since a comprehensive understanding of the history of the McConnell family requires it, we shall begin with the first Chief of Clan Iain Mhoir and recite the history briefly through each succeeding Chief to the last one that so functioned. (Source: ) Clans and Families of Ireland and Scotland VIII. The Laigin The Clann Dhomhnuill or MacDonalds (Mac Dhomhnuill) descend from Dhomnuill, or Donald, son of Reginald (or Ranald) mac Somerled, King of the Isles and Lord of Argyle and Kintyre (1164 -1207). Ranald's mother was the daughter of Olav, Norse King of Man and the Isles. It was from her that he derived his titles in the Isles, his paternal grandfather Somerled being already Lord of Argyle (the Lordship of the Isles was under the control of the King of Norway until 1266). The Clann Dhomhnuill includes the families of MacDonald of Clan Donald and Islay, the MacDonells of Keppoch and MacDonnells of Antrim, the MacIans, MacAlisters, MacSheehys, and the Clan Ranald. The MacDonalds of Clan Donald, or Clann Uistein, the chief family of the clan (now represented by MacDonald of MacDonald, and his cadet, MacDonald of Sleat, both of Skye), were the leaders of the most powerful tribal organization in Scotland, and were long vested in the Lordship of the Isles (the last Lord of the Isles died in 1503, the title being taken over by a jealous House of Stewart, see Chapter IV). They descend from Donald, son of John, first Lord of the Isles (from 1354) and his second wife, a daughter of Robert II of the House of Stewart. The MacDonalds of Islay and MacDonnells of the Glens of Antrim, the Clan Ian Vor, descend from lain Mor, or "Big John" the Tanist, a younger full brother of Donald, second lord of the Isles who married the MacEoin or Bissett heiress of Antrim about 1400, thus inheriting lands in Antrim, which were settled by them in ernest during the first part of the sixteenth century. The Clan Ranald of Lochaber, or MacDonells of Keppoch, (between Loch Lochy and Loch Spean in Lochaber, or southern inverness-shire) descend from Alasdair, another younger full brother of Donald. The Conns, an old Aberdeenshire family, traditionally descend from William Con, son of Donald of the Isles, chief of Clan Donald in the first part of the sixteenth century. They took the name of Conn from the traditional ancestor of the Clan Donald (see above under Oirghialla). The Conns appear under the appellation "of Auchry" before 1539, and appear in the district from 1522. They were a prominent Roman Catholic family in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, but were driven into exile soon after 1642 (George Con was the Pope's agent at the court of the Queen of Charles I). The MacDonalds of Clanranald, captains of the great Clan Ranald "proper," descend from Ranald, son of John, first Lord of the Isles and his first wife, the heiress of the MacRuaris of Uist Isle and Garmoran, the mainland district between Skye and Argyle (from Loch Hourn to Loch Sunart), both of which they inherited (the MacRuaris descended from another son of Reginald mac Somerled). Their younger branch, the MacDonells of Glengarry (just east of Garmoran) descend from Donald, himself the son of Ranald, ancestor of the Clan Ranald. The Clann an tSaoir, or Maclntyres (Mac an tSaoir) are also a branch of the Clan Ranald. They settled in Loin, or North Argyle, sometime during the fourteenth century, having come from the Hebrides in a galley "with a white cow," to settle in Glen Oe (or Noe) just south of Loch Etive. There they were hereditary foresters to the Stewart lords of Lorn. A branch settled in Badenoch under MacKintosh protection in the fifteenth century, and became members of the Clan Chattan Confederacy. The Maclans (Mac lain), or MacDonalds of Glencoe (just east of Appin in the north of Argyle), also known as the Clan Ian Abrach, descend from John Og, son of Angus Og, Chief of Clan Donald in the time of Robert the Bruce (early fourteenth century). The Maclans (MacDonalds) or Clan Ian of Ardnamurchan (the peninsula just west of Garmoran) descend from Angus MacIan, one of the relations of John, first Lord of the Isles, who was granted Ardnamurchan by King David II. The Clan Alister, or MacAlisters (Mac Alasdair) of the Loup in Kintyre descend from Alasdair, or Alexander, younger son of Donald mac Reginald mac Somerled, King of the Isles and eponymus ancestor, or name-founder, of the Clan Donald. The MacSheehys (Mac Sithigh) descend from Sitheach, great-grandson of the same Donald. They were a famous gallowglass family (galowglasses were heavily armed foot-soldiers) employed as hired bodyguards by various tribal kings in Ireland, as per Gaelic aristocratic custom. They are first mentioned in the Annals in 1367, having taken part in a battle that year between two factions of the Royal O'Connors of Ui Briuin in Connacht. In 1420 they settled County Limerick as constables to the Earl of Desmond, and built their castle of Lisnacolla, or Woodfort, located in the parish of Clonagh, about four miles west of Rathkeale in north-central Limerick. The Clann Dubhghaill or MacDougals (Mac Dubhghaill) descend from Dubhghaill, King of the Hebrides and Lord of Lorn (North Argyle) who was the son of the great Somerled and brother of Reginald (or Ranald), ancestor of the Clann Dhomnuill, or MacDonalds. Lorn was held by Dubhghaill under the Scottish crown, while the Hebridian islands under his control were held of the King of Norway. Dunollie Castle in Oban Bay was the principal stronghold of the MacDougal chiefs, whose power declined after their defeat at the hands of King Robert I the Bruce in the Pass of Brander in 1309. The MacDougals were related by marriage to the Bruce's rivals, the Cummins, and thus backed them during the period leading up to the battle of Bannockburn in 1314. As a result, the MacDougals were forfeited and lost their vast island territories, although they were later restored to the mainland Lordship of Lorn by King David II (after their seventh chief married a granddaughter of Robert I). Eventually the MacDougalls lost the lordship of Lorn, which (like many other old Scottish Dignities) passed almost inevitably to the covetous House of Stewart. The family further suffered as a result of their support for the Jacobite cause during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Nevertheless, based upon their proverbial connection with Lorn, the family has ever been known, both officially and informally, as the MacDougalls of Lorn. (Source: ) Read a brief history of the Scots in Ulster . See also another viewpoint on the beginning of the McDaniel family. You might have a look at the family crest . A general history of the Gaels in Ireland and Scotland may be read online: Clans and Families of Ireland and Scotland: An Ethnography of the Gael A.D. 500 - 1750 by C. Thomas Cairney, Ph.D. Also of considerable interest is The Plantation of Ireland and the Scots-Irish and Ireland: Settlement Patterns of its Surnames . Here are some relevant excerpts from various Website: Netscape: Re: CLAN MCDONALD=MC DANIEL http://genforum.genealogy.com/cgi-bin/pageload.cgi?Ireland::mcdaniel::1698.html Thursday, August 9, 2001 That thing about being from the MacDonald's is not necessarily true. There are Scots McDaniels of that line yes, but McDaniel is also (and from what I have seen more often)an Irish family. I am not meaning this as an offense to those of Scots persuasion, just pointing out that the family name is not tied only to the MacDonalds. To my knowledge, McDaniels can have these origins: Ireland: McDaniel - There is a family, whose coat of arms I have sent out, who are listed as the McDaniels. They have their own coat of arms and family motto. MacDonnel of the Glens - A Clan MacDonald spin-off that ruled part of Northern Ireland (Antrim). The name was often Anglicized to MacDaniel, as Daniel, Donald and Donnel(l) all mean the same thing to Gaelic peoples. MacDonnel of Clare and Connaught - An Irish origin family, who often got their name Anglicized, like the ones above them. Scotland: MacDonald, Lord of the Isles: Supposedly the true clan line of Scots McDaniels, but as I understand it, they are no longer a "recognized" clan, since the Lord of the Isles title was lost. MacDonnell of Keppoch - Oft anglicized to McDaniel MacDonnell of Glengarry - Same as above, and is according to a Clan Donald member I spoke to, the specific clan McDaniels would adhere to in the Clan Donald organization (ie. you'd wear their tartan rather than the Lord of the Isles colors or something) Sean McDaniel. Netscape: Re: CLAN MCDONALD=MC DANIEL http://genforum.genealogy.com/mcdaniel/messages/1703.html Thursday, August 9, 2001 Being Irish does not preclude being Scottish. In fact, the majority of Ulster Irish who immigrated to the U.S. were in fact Scotch-Irish. Now, this does not mean they had one Scottish parent and one Irish parent. It means that either they, or a parent, grandparent etc., was a Scot who moved to northern, or Ulster, Ireland. The greatest influx of Scots to Ireland occurred in the 17th and 18th centuries, largely for political reasons. McDaniels/McDonalds were among them. Netscape: Re: CLAN MCDONALD=MC DANIEL http://genforum.genealogy.com/mcdaniel/messages/1827.html Thursday, August 9, 2001 The Gaelic name "Donald/Donnell" (traditionally spelled something like 'Domnhaille') and the English name "Daniel" are the same name. Further, the Scots and the Irish are the same people, the Irish having colonized what is now Scotland before the time of Christ. The language of both nations is Gaelic with slight variations between them In earlier times in this country the names were used interchangably. Netscape: CPROOTS Genealogy Resource Center - What's in a Name? Surname Meanings - MacDonald Surname http://www.cproots.com/surnameorigins/names/namesmacdonald.htm Thursday, August 9, 2001 MacDonald McDonald and McDonell are variations of the same surname, both Scottish Patronymic names derived from the Gaelic -- MacDhamhnuill , which means "son of Domhnall", a given name from the Gaelic elements dubno =world + val =rule. Other variations are McDonnell, McDonaill, McDonall , and McDaniel Netscape: CPROOTS Genealogy Resource Center - What's in a Name? Surname Meanings - MacDonald Surname http://www.cproots.com/surnameorigins/names/namesmacdonald.htm Thursday, August 9, 2001 MacDonald From the Gaelic Name MacDhomhnuill. Originating from the Gaelic Domhnull (world ruler) MacDonald Origin of Name: Gaelic Domhnull (world ruler) MacDonald McDONALD (British). "Son of Donald (world mighty)" (Gaelic). MacDonald IRISH GAELIC NAMES Irish-Gaelic name Mac Domhnaill - Anglicized to MacDonnell - origins in Co Antrim - of Clan MacDonald (Scotch-Irish) Irish-Gaelic name Mac Domhnaill - Anglicized to MacDonnell - origins in Co Fermanagh - of Clankelly Irish-Gaelic name Mac Domhnaill - Anglicized to MacDonnell - origins in Clare/Limerick (Thomond) MacDONALD Ranked number 95 in the list of top 100 surnames in Ireland from the SPECIAL REPORT ON SURNAMES IN IRELAND, WITH NOTES AS TO NUMERICAL STRENGTH, By Sir Robert E.Matheson based on the index of births for the year 1890. MacDONNELL Ranked number 63 in the list of top 100 surnames in Ireland from the SPECIAL REPORT ON SURNAMES IN IRELAND, WITH NOTES AS TO NUMERICAL STRENGTH, By Sir Robert E.Matheson based on the index of births for the year 1890. MacDONALD George MacDonald 1824 - 1905 Scottish novelist and poet James Ramsey MacDonald 1866 - 1937 English labor leader and statesman; prime minister 1924, 1929 - 1935 MacDONALD (SCOTLAND) FAMILIES: MacDonald 'My Hope is Constant in Thee' MacDonald (of the Isles) 'Per Mare Per Terras' Clan MacDonald of the Isles It is difficult in a short sketch to outline the history of various branches of the clan Donald, the families of which are intricately interwoven. Somerled, Regulus of the Isles, from whom the clan trace their descent, expelled the Norsemen from the Western Isles in the 12th century. He was killed at Renfrew in 1164 when his army did battle with Malcolm IV, and was succeeded by his son Reginald, Lord of the Isles, from whom are descended the Clans MacDonald and MacRurie. From Dugall, the brother of Reginald, are descended the Clan MacDugall. Reginald was liberal to the church and founded the monastery of Saddell. His son, Donald "de Isla," succeeded him, and under his guidance the clan attained great eminence. He died in 1269 and was succeeded by his son Angus who supported Haco, but did not suffer from the latter's defeat at Largs in 1263. Angus Og supported Bruce and increased the family possessions considerably. His son, John, assumed the title of Lord of the Isles in 1354. His son Donald of Harlow followed as 2nd Lord of the Isles. He married the only daughter of the Countess of Ross, and claimed the Earldom of Ross, but later renounced this claim and became a vassal of the crown. He died in 1423, and his son Alexander succeeded and became Earl of Ross on the death of his mother. The title was acknowledged by the Crown in 1430. For a period he was Justiciar of Scotland. He died in 1448 and was succeeded by his son John, 4th and last Lord of the Isles, who rebelled against the Crown and declared his independence. After a long stormy life, during which the Earldom of Ross was annexed to the crown, And the Lordship of the Isles forfeited, John died without legitimate issue in 1498. Text taken from Robert Bain's "The Clans and Tartans of Scotland" A History of the McDaniel family name may be found at the URL . Early McDaniels in the Americas THE SCOTCH-IRISH OF NORTHERN LANCASTER COUNTY The Original Township of Donegal, and of Its Subdivisions--East Donegal, West Donegal, Conoy, Mount Joy and Rapho. The reasons for the migration of Presbyterians from Ulster to America in the first decades of the eighteenth century have been stated in the chapter on "The Scotch-Irish of Southern Lancaster," which chapter, by the way, has been set ahead of this only because the first land surveyed in Lancaster county happened to be in a Scotch-Irish section of southern Lancaster. It is generally recognized that the first dominant Scotch-Irish settlements in Lancaster county were in its "Upper End," or northern part, not in the "Lower End," as the five Scotch-Irish townships of southern Lancaster are sometimes called. The settlement of the aggressive Ulsterites in Lancaster county seated a power which soon became evident in the local government. The Hon. W. U.Hensel reviewed the matter in an address he delivered in 1905, entitled: "The Scotch-Irish: Their Impress on Lancaster County." In part he said: Into the historic bailiwick of my county there entered almost contemporaneously three ruling strains that have made the composite citizenship of Pennsylvania for nearly two centuries. On that theatre of action there have been displayed the play and counterplay, the rela- tion and interrelation, the action and counteraction, of the several religious and political forces that were set in motion early in the eighteenth century by the English Quaker, the Scotch-Irish, and the Pennsylvania-German. Whether Robert Galt was the first white settler who crossed the ridge that separates the Chester from the Pequea Valley, or if he was shortly preceded by the Pilgrim Palatines, to whom in 1711 Penn required the friendship" of the Conestoga Indians, it is difficult to determine, and it may be profitless to inquire; but it is notable that the early assessment lists of Conestoga township, then in Chester county, which bore such characteristic names as James Patterson, Collum McQuair, Thomas Clark, and John McDaniel, discriminated as Dutch inhabitants the Herrs and Kauffmans, Brubakers and Swarrs, the Brenemans and Zimmermans, the Brackbilis and Shenks. It is equally certain that, with characteristic persistence, the Scotch-Irish pushed past his German neighbor; so that when as early as 1720 the territory of West Conestoga, beyond the Pequea, was cut off and called "Donegal,' it was already peopled almost entirely by the more aggressive race. They held the frontier and stood on the firing line; at once they bore the odium and won the glory of battling with the savage. They worked out that great moral and political problem which has always to be solved when a weaker race throws itself across the path of advancing civilization. They made stern wrestle with all the difficulties that confront those who would at once break a new soil and settle new institutions. Carrying his religion with his rifle, the Scotch-Irishman in Lancaster county stamped an iron heel where he settled and wheresoever he trod. Regardless of disproportionate numbers he dominated the situation over his German neighbor for a century and a half. Source: An interesting and valuable site is The MacDonnell of Leinster Association , which is devoted to studies on Clan Donald and the Gaelic language and culture.