Celtic Studio - Clan Mac Pherson

Mac Pherson

CREST: A cat sejant Proper
MOTTO: Touch not the cat but a glove *
TRANSLATION: Touch not the cat without a glove.
PLANT: Boxwood, white heather
GAELIC NAME: Mac a Phearsoin (son of the parson)
ORIGIN OF NAME: Gaelic: Mac a Phearsoin (son of the parson).
WAR CRY: Creag Dhubh Chloinn
Chatain (The black rock of Clan Chattan)
PIPE MUSIC: Mac Pherson's March

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Reference: * http://www.sonasmor.net/

"BUT" OR "BOT"
by R. G. M. MACPHERSON

SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE CHIEFS MOTTO

      Several clansmen have recently enquired about the use of the word "BUT" in Cluny's Motto, "Touch not the Cat but a Glove", and have raised the point that "BOT", rather than "BUT", is the more popular and, indeed, the more distinctive rendering of the famous motto.
      Although the point is one of purely minor detail, there is certainly no doubt that "BOT" is used frequently, if not exclusively, by manufacturers of Highland jewellery when producing Clansmen's Crest Badges and there is probably a case to be made in favour of "BOT" as a distinctive word, as opposed to "BUT" which is likely to be confused with the grammatical conjunction "but". However, the fact remains that "BUT" is another variant of the old usage of the word, which in broad Scots means "without", and this particular old spelling has been consistently used in all matriculations of the Arms of Macpherson of Cluny since 1672. There have been five matriculations to date.       The early renderings of Cluny's motto read "Tutch not the Catt but a Glove" and the more modern version, as exemplified by the Green Banner, is "Touch not the Cat but a Glove". The Chief of Clan Mackintosh , on the other hand, employs the spelling "BOT" in his motto, as do a number of Macpherson cadets. Robert John Macpherson of Dalchully, Ewan L. Cheyne-Macpherson, James Grant Macpherson, Ian Kenneth Rivers-Macpherson, Colin Archibald Iver Macpherson of Banchor, and Ian Fyfe Macpherson, all use the motto "Touch not the cat BOT a glove", as assigned in their parchment Letters Patent.
      While it is true that a number of Macpherson armigers use the spelling "BOT" in conjunction with their personal Arms, nonetheless the official and correct rendering of the Chief's motto, as recorded at Lyon Court since 1672, must remain "Touch not the cat BUT a glove"; and this is unquestionably the form the motto should take when we, as followers of Cluny, display his crest "within the strap and buckle" as a badge.

EDITOR'S NOTE. See the most recent extract of Matriculation of Macpherson of Cluny in the 1966 issue of CREAG DHUBH, Vol. 3, No. 2, centre page of journal "But", meaning "without" is, of course, still current usage in English speech in the old Kingdom of Northumbria, cf. "Ilkla' Moor BAHT I' at".

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Mac Pherson

This is a name derived from the Gaelic, "Macaphersein", meaning "son of the parson". The old Celtic church had married clergy, and the Clan Mac Pherson is believed to have been founded by Muireach (or Murdo) Cattenach, who was a priest of Kingussie in Badenoch. The Mac Phersons formed part of the great Clan Chattan Confederation. In the first half of the ninth century, Clan Chattan was led by a chief called Gille Chattan Mor, one of whose sons was forcibly resettled in Lochaber by Kenneth Mac Alpine around 843. The chief would appear to have been named in honour of St Cattan, and may have been the lay prior of Ardchattan in Lorn.
Mac Pherson tradition has it that in 1309 Robert the Bruce proposed granting the lands of Badenoch to the chief of the Mac Phersons (perhaps Ewan Ban Mac Mhuirich), on condition that he destroyed Bruce’s enemies, the Comyns. They carried out the king’s wishes with alacrity. Ewan Ban had three sons: Kenneth of Clunie, lain of Pitmain and Gillies of Invereshie, and the Mac Phersons are some-times known as the Clan of the Three Brothers.
In 1370, a raiding party of Camerons lifted cattle from the Clan Chattan lands. They were confronted at the junction of the Rivers Spey and Truim at Invernahavon by the Mac Phersons, Mackintoshes and Davidsons. An argument arose between the Mac Phersons and the Davidsons as to who should take the right wing, traditionally the place of seniority or honour. Mackintosh adjudicated in favour of the Davidsons, whereupon the Mac Phersons refused to take part in the battle. The Camerons were apparently gaining the upper hand when the Mackintosh sent his bard, posing as a Cameron, to taunt the Mac Pherson for cowardice. The Mac Phersons soon charged into battle, and the Camerons were routed. The feud between Clan Chattan and the Camerons continued for many years. In 1396 a battle of champions was fixed to be held on the North Inch of Perth before Robert III and his whole court, and Sir Walter Scott gave a vivid description of this bizarre encounter in The Fair Maid of Perth. Andrew Mac Pherson, reckoned as the eighth chief, acquired the abbey-castle grange in Strathisla in 1618. His son, Euan, was a great royalist, and fought with Montrose during the civil war. Duncan Mac Pherson of Cluny, the tenth chief, lost his claim to lead Clan Chattan in 1672 when the Privy Council and the Lord Lyon, King of Arms, ruled in favour of a Mackintosh. As Duncan had no sons, he was succeeded as chief of the Mac Phersons by Lachlan Mac Pherson, fourth Laird of Nuid, in 1722.
His son, Fuan of Cluny, became a famous Highland leader in the Forty-five. During the retreat from Derby he defeated a numerically superior force at Clifton Moor in Westmorland. After the defeat at Culloden, Cluny was able, through the faithful support of his clansmen, to escape capture by Hanoverian troops for nine years, despite a reward of £1,000 for his capture. He finally escaped to France in 1755.

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Background: Lightened Mac Pherson Tartan