Donald Whyte, FSA Scot., LHG
4- Carmel Road
Kirkliston, W. Lothian
Scotland EH29 9DD
Mr. Keith McClung,
President, McClung Association
332 Louisiana Ave.
Chester, W. Va. 26034, U.S.A.
Dear Mr. McClung,
I have held so little luck in trying to locate McClungs before 1650,
that I have simply worked to the value of your remittance and stopped.
Piles of volumes have been searched, but only one pre-1650 reference
was found, curiously in a witchcraft case! There are four of the
surname mentioned in 1684, but I gather this is too late for your purpose.
You will no doubt be disappointed - as I am - with the results but
of course realise that if they do not appear on record then I cannot find
the. Perhaps they were more prolific in Ireland.
Yours sincerely,
(signed) Donald Whyte
Black, G. F., Surnames of Scotland (New York, 1946, and reprints), that MacClung, Maclung, is a rare Galloway surname still current in Ayrshire and Kirkoudbrightshire. Gaelic MacLuinge, 'a son of the ship' a seaman. (p, 472).
Not the same as McLurg, as suggested by the editor of Parish Lists of Wigtonshire and Minnigaff, 1684 (Scottish Record Society.)
Searched Index to Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1875), 1124-1707. No trace of surname McLung.
Searched indexes to Registrum Secreti Sigilli Regum Scotorum, 7 vols. 1488-1580. Various editors, 1908-1966.
Searched Indexes to the 40 printed volumes (in three series, various editors) of the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, covering 1545 - 1691.
In 1634 there is a record of one Andrew McLunquha, who with Alexander McLean in Carisdouce, complaines to the Privy Council, that Patrick Agnew of Barmaill and others, armed with swords, staves, and others invasive weapons, had come to the lands of Barvennack in the month of May 1634, and meddled with his sheep and assaulted him. Further in September, they had pursued Andrew McLunquha near his own house "being ane aged man, reft his cloake frome him, pulled off his breekes, doublet coat and shoes, tooke his purse and twentie punds therein frome him, hurt and woudit him with rungs and others weapons upon the head and others parts of his bodie to the effusion of his blood and perrell of his lyfe, thereafter kuist him in ane peitt pott where he herd miserablie drowned if his wife had not happilie come furth and rescued him." The offenders were ordained to be warded in the tolbooth of Edinburgh, pending trial, Register, vol. V (1633-1635 3rd series, p. 182.
As so far we have no earlier references to McClung, it seems possible
it is a variant of some other name. McLunquhar (unless McClumpla) seems
a possibility. However the first reference to a McClung or McLung met in
our research, concerns a witchcraft case, when und er the date 6th November
1644, James Dowgall of Garthland and other Justices of the Peace, were
commissioned to try several people on charges of witch-craft.
"Forsamekle as Marion Shenan, spous to John Jameson in Drochool, Jonnet
McKennan, spous to Alexander Lourie in Balmurrie, Africk Elam, spouse to
Johne McLung in Knockibae, Marion Russell in Glenluce and Isobell Bigham
in the parish of Stanrawer, ar dlate guiltie of the crime of witchcraft,
as the depositions showin to the Lords of our Privie-Council beiris, therefore
we have made and constitute and be thir presents makes and constituts James
McDowgall of Garthland, McDowgall of Logan, James Ross of Barneill, McCullock
of Ardwell, and Patrik Agnew of Sewchan, or anie three of the, our justices
in that part to the effect under-written, givand, grant and committand
to them our full power, auchtoritie and commissioun," to call the accused
and witnesses before them Register, vol. VIII (1544-1660) 3rd series p.
133.
(Africk is a rare female Christian name of great antiquity. The name was given to the daughter of Donegal of Strathnith, who bequeathed his name of Edgar to his descendants, and this is one of our earliest surnames.)
(Knockibae is Knockbay, about 2 miles N.W. of Portpatrick, in Wigtownshire, part - with the Stewartry of Kirkoudbright - of the district called Galloway.)
No other direct references found in the 40 printed volumes of the Register of the Privy Council. There are several references to Mclun and McClun, which Dr. Black (surnames of Scotland, p. 472) thinks is a different surname, from the Irish MacGiolla Eoin, "son of the servant of St, John', and so the Same as McLean. Most references to McLun however, are in the south-west of Scotland.
Indexes to the Particular Register of Sasines for the Sheriffdom of Dumfries and the Stewartries of Kirkoudbright and Annandale, which have been published in five volumes by H. M. Stationery Office 1931-1961, and cover the period 1617-1780. No trace of surname McClung or McLung, but various references to McClune or McClune.
Searched Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland 1473-1574, published 1877-1970, by H.M. Stationery Office, in 12 volumes. Various editors. No trace of surname McClung or McLung.
Searched Exchquer Rolls of Scotland, 1264-1594, published by H.M. General Register House, 1878-1903 in 22 volumes, various editors. No trace of surname McClung or McLung.
Searched the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland, published by H. M. Stationer Office in 11 vols., 1883-1914, covering period 1306-1668 various editors. No trace of surname McClung or McLung.
Searched Wigtownshire Charters, edited by Dr. R. C. Reid, and printed at Edinburgh, for the Scottish History Society, 1960. No trace of surname McClung or McLung.
McClune or McClune, the nearest spelling, cannot be identified as a root name for McClung on the evidence so far. Dr. Edward MacLysaght, in his book, More Irish Surnames (Galway & Dublin, 1960, says, p. 59, that McClune is a Thomond surname. The Clunes or MacClunes of Ballymaclune, near Guin, Co. Clare, are on record as MacGluin in 1542.
Search Transactions of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society commencing in l862/3. No indexes pre 1912 but contents of part or volume.
Vol. for 1891-92 contains, pp. 46-54, an article on Location of Dumfriesshire Names, by James Sale, but McClung is not included. He treats mainly of prolific groups such as the Johnstons, Jardines, Scotts, Douglases, Fergusons, Murrays, Kirkpatricks and Carlyles.
Vol. for 1892-93 contains, pp 45-53, an article by the same author on Surnames of Kirkoudbrightshire, but again he treats of the more prolific families - Douglass, McDowell, McLellan, MacGie, Maxwell, Stewart, Gordon, Hannay and Herries.
Searched 1973. No trace of McClung or McLung
Wigtown Register of Testaments.
No record before 1700. In fact no testaments extant, only the warrants have survived 1700-1800.
Dumfries Resister of Testaments, 1624-1800. No McClung, but McClune and McLune appear in three instances.
Check also Edinburgh Register of Testaments, used by people all over Scotland 1514-1600 & 1600-1780. No trace of surname.
Search 11 volumes of manuscript indexes to Register House Charters. No McClungs or McLungs.
Check abstract of the Charter Chest of the Earl of Wigtown, 1214-1681, edited by F. J. Grant, and printed by the Scottish Record Society, 1910. No trace of the surname.
Check Parish Lists of Wigtonshire and Minnigaff 1684, edited by William Scot. Scottish Record Society, 1916.
James McClung, in Milnetoun, parish of Leswalt (p. 37)
Anna McClunge, in Commris, parish of Glenluce (p. 12)
John McClung, cripple, in Litell Larg, parish of Inch. (p. 19)
Thomas McClung, in Litell Larg, parish of Inch (p. 19)
The editor has opposite John McClung (McClurg?). But erroneously includes
McClurgs with McClungs in the index. The above four names are all the McClungs
recorded, but this is of course after 1650.