~ Editor’s note (5 November 2006):

Please note that none of the below article has been verified by the editor through primary sources. Efforts have been made to contact the author of this piece without success and much of it has been put in doubt by other researchers of the MacEachan name. I will leave this page posted here with this caveat. And I challenge anyone willing to do the research to report on the claims made in this article. I will post here on this page research, claims and rebuttals by anyone with an interest in a full vetting of the topic. The first posts come from David John Kerr:

 I just wanted to write to you to alert you of the problems with using the "MacEachain coat of 
arms" section (but also to say i really enjoyed the rest of your wonderfully researched website). But here’s 
the unpleasant bit....I think you have already recorded some skeptical comments in the relevant webpage 
so these comments probably wont be a complete surprise to you.
 Firstly there is no Clan McCaughan.... it's "Chief" was never validated by any known council of 
chiefs or Official Heraldic organizations of the Governments of England, Scotland or the Republic of 
Ireland. The titles claimed are most probably false...Chevalier is a French title of nobility and the claimant 
has no authority to claim it without any evidence of a date of the granting of the title & the body which 
granted it. The stated orders of knighthood are not recognized orders of the British or Irish states, 
monarchy or Government and are in effect "Masonic, pseudo-Masonic & Knights Templar fraternities 
awards...they are not awards of nobility...
 The description of the heraldic elements is completely wrong and therefore cannot be relied 
on. Please see any book on heraldic devices to de-bunk the claims in the description section. The 
symbol of the red hand is actually the symbol used by O'Neils of Ulster although it has subsequently been 
used by many organizations and official bodies as well as by some noble families with documented 
issues of grants from the official herald of the relevant country(these are always a government department 
not a private institution).
 In addition the "documentation" showing origin to "Pictish kings" etc has never been provided 
and the only references are unrelated to genealogies and circumstantial at best, in addition the historical 
elements of the description are so full of errors that not child in primary school would even make them(I 
am Irish but i was educated in Scotland) its frankly very embarrassing reading the pseudo-history of 
MacEachain.
 Also this listed claimant John was never the head of the Anglican church in Canada...there is a 
list of these people who are all well known personages in the Anglican church and have all been 
listed...his name appears nowhere in the official Anglican websites of Canada or England.
 
 I am not aware of any organization called Heraldry of Ireland which has the right to grant arms 
to individuals that is the sole responsibility of the Office of Chief Herald located in Dublin in the National 
library on Kildare street or in the case of Northern Ireland the office of the Ulster King of Arms which was 
absorbed by The college of arms http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/. The Lord Lyon has no right to grant 
arms to families outside of Scotland. Alternatively if this "clan" was Scottish then the Lord Lyon would be 
responsible for verifying the titles and arms of the claimant. I notice this was never applied for and that 
alone raises suspicions. All these facts can easily be checked by consulting the official 
websites/contacting the appropriate Heraldic authority in Scotland(Lord Lyon), Ireland 
(http://www.nli.ie/fr_offi2.htm)& Ulster(now located in London)
 
I think your website is wonderful but please don’t taint it by association with the poorly researched claims 
of the MacEachain website.
 
Thanks
 

David John

Hello David John,
I see you came to some of the same conclusions as I did regarding the MacEachainn website. I have

done some checking on some of the claims presented by the author, but was unable to verify any of it.  For

example, I checked on her claim that John was the head of the Anglican church in Canada and also could

find no evidence of this.  To review her sources, I have attempted to contact the website's author,

Minniebell McKaighan Perkins or anyone listed as a contact on her website but have never received a

reply.  Some of my questions for her were quite pointed, so my emails may have been simply ignored. 
As you can probably determine from my narrative, my knowledge on the subject is parochial at best. So

your comments are well received and do not come as a surprise. 
I'm a strong believer in a thorough vetting of all facts prior to drawing conclusions.  As you've noted, I've

voiced my skepticism regarding the so-called Coat of Arms and our membership in Clan MacEachan,

whatever that may be.  Hopefully by doing so, I have steered my audience away from the notion that there's

any official recognition of the Kaighins (specifically) being members of Clan MacEachan.  The question I

posed, which is what I'm assuming prompted your email, was meant to initiate exactly this dialogue.  So I

would like to post your dissent to my site with your permission along with any future correspondence

between us on the subject.

Kind regards and thank you for writing

Greg Kaighin

 
Hello Greg
 
I don’t have any vendetta against the people running the website but I feel strongly that if someone takes it
upon themselves to be a source of information for others then they should at least provide authenticated, 
referenced data and not mislead people through inaccuracies or by hearsay and presenting 
unsubstantiated "facts" as truth.
 
Unfortunately, if anyone were to raise a debate on the subject in the message board of that website then it 
is highly likely that they would receive abuse, as strangely people express strong opinions based on what 
they want to hear rather than examining the evidence...I have seen the same thing happen over the 
"MacCarthy Mor" scandal where an allegedly false claimant to the ancient title convinced even the experts 
that he was the person he was claiming to be, then after he was dropped by all the Official bodies and his 
claims rejected he still had a large US following who refused to acknowledge the situation and continued 
using their bogus "titles and honours" received from this man, and they attacked anyone daring to state 
the true facts. I don’t think the McCaughan website or people are as extreme but they appear to be "owing 
an allegiance" to a bogus clan chief of a non existent clan and claiming all surnames which sound similar 
to the core name as "septs" without any regard to history.
 
I think you are doing a wonderful job, please keep it up.
 
Just to let you know my interest in the matter is due to researching one of my family lines who were 
McCahans then McCaughans in Armoy, I am still verifying information given to me by another careful 
researcher which seems to indicate that my family were actually O'Cahans (but i want to look at the 
original sources in the Public records Office in N.I. before confirming if this is the case)..When i tried to 
gain more information from the McCaughan website i was given a load of drivel about "welcome to the 
clan"...since my surname (which is not McCaughan) is an actual recognized clan i found that comment
very funny, if i was interested in all the phony clan stuff then i wouldn’t have far to go, i just need to look at 
my surname and then buy into the tartan tourist nonsense.
 
If you require any information or help then i will be happy to provide it, i can also provide links to the 
relevant organizations etc...
 
thanks for replying
 
Slan
 
Daithi

 
Hi David John,
    I think the author of that site would have done herself a service by at least presenting the documentation
that "Chevelier" MacCaughan allegedly used for his research so her audience could examine this.  It's 
actually disappointing to me to find someone who has put so much effort into researching the 
MacEachain name and put out bogus information as fact.  This body of work may discourage someone 
else from beginning legitimate research, thinking that the work has already been done.  I want research 
recognized and blessed by a relevant authority that I can reference when someone asks me about the 
MacEachan link.  Unfortunately there is none out there that I know of other than that website.
    As for the Kaighins, there is documented proof that the name Kaighin (which is phonetically 
pronounced Kack'n in the Isle of Man) is derived from Mac Cacken, which on the island is a later form of 
MacEachan and it's phonetic equivalents.  That all Kaighins on the Isle of Man are descended from a 
single MacEachan remains unproven.  There is speculation (although ample circumstantial evidence 
exists) that the first MacEachans (or phonetic equivalents) came to the island in 1098 from Galloway 
where that name was common. 
Aloha,
Greg Kaighin

 
Hi Greg 
 
Just thought I would update you with the ongoing McCaughan saga: I tried to get a response from the 
McCaughan website where I offered my services to help clear up the mistakes in the "history" sections, 
but as of yet I have received no replies, nor has anyone answered my questions in the guestbook, the 
original message is attached below
 
The sole purpose of offering my help was to help establish some serious research instead of the 
spurious self-serving tripe of "Chevalier McCaughan" I read the report about this man, I know the 
ballycastle area very well, I travel home a lot to it and I cant see how the local garage owner with no 
"noble" ancestry managed to acquire a French noble title which has been granted for about 200 years, I 
also did a bit more research into the knighthoods, they are pseudo-Masonic/Templar "knighthoods" not 
the official variety presented by the British crown, I really am thinking of creating a website based on solid 
research and basically refuting the alleged claims of the McCaughan "clan" [Click here]
 
Thursday 09/14/2006 7:30:10am 
Name: Daithi 
E-Mail: davidjk@eircom.net 
Homepage Title: 
Homepage URL: 
Referred By: Just Surfed In 
Location: Currently Germany formerly Ireland 
Comments: Hi I really liked the site, great idea trying to tie people together and thanks for all your hard 
work. 
 
Unfortunately on the downside the "history" contains many historical mistakes and doesn’t match the 
history i was taught in School & University or during my studies in the UK & Ireland. sorry I don’t want to be
 insulting because i really appreciate your great website and all your hard work/devotion which is very 
inspiring, I would be happy to discuss offline with you the errors and provide references to the many 
available Historical books on the subject which would eliminate them from your published history and 
otherwise excellent website. I am really impressed and in awe of the amount of progress many people 
have made in their family trees.
 
For the record I am not a McCaughan I am already a member of a different Scottish Clan with several 
chiefs (too many) recognized by the Lord Lyon/Royal court & listed in DeBretts, Who's Who & burkes 
peerage etc, so I am afraid i wont be running out and buying the McCaughan tartan:-)as part of my family 
research I tried to find McCaughans in all those records of the aristocracy as well as with the Scottish 
Standing council of chiefs but apparently they say that there has never been a clan chief or a clan named 
McCaughan which left me confused, does anyone know why they would say that? surely if the 
McCaughans are a clan then they would have a clan chief who registered/matriculated his grant of arms
with the Lord Lyon(the only legal & Official herald for Scotland)or if they were registered in Ireland then in
the past it would be with the Ulster lord of arms which is now based in London (as part of the 
Government), or after 1922 in the Republic with the Chief Herald's office which is part
 
ok back to what ive learned about my family line which were McCahan/McCaughans, The available 
evidence from early parish records & estate papers points to them being originally O'Cahans.
 
My grt grt Grandmother Nancy McCaughan married Henry Hamill, she was a children’s nurse and he was 
a farm labourer, both their Fathers were Farmers in Armoy (Archibald McCaughan & Alexander Hamill), 
Nancy had a brother named William who was a witness at her wedding in Armoy C of I in 1868.
there was an Archibald McCaughan in the Griffths Valuation for this time at Cromaghs and one died there,
This family in Armoy who are also registered in the 1803 census link into another larger family group who 
in turn are documented through c of i records and estate records back to the coast area, other records I’ve
seen seem to indicate links to the O'Cahans of Dunseverick and i will be double-checking the source 
documents in PRONI to see if this is true.
 
Does anyone else link into this line? I hope to do more solid research when i return home to Ireland for a
 break later this year.
 
I hope someone could help answer my questions about McCaughans being a clan and if they really have 
ever had a chief, maybe we can have an open discussion on the roots of the name and it's history, 
Hopefully it wont spark any major conflicts and we will all be winners, do we have a discussion board for 
McCaughans?
 
slan
Daithi 
 

The following is excerpted from Cuz of Sorts, North American Descendants of Gaelic Clan MacEachain

Compiled by Minniebell McKaughan Perkins

The full text can be found at

http://members.tripod.com/~McCoin_Geneology/

HEADS OF CLAN MacEACHAIN

The following is a report, in part, from Chevalier John Alexander McCaughan to the Lords of Lyon Court:

The genealogy of this family has not been fully researched and firmly documented for the years prior to 1150 A.D., this primarily because of the evident scarcity of Public Records for some periods in Galloway history. Until we come to Gillichrist MacEachain, the first of this family found on records with their surname Anglized. His Christian name indicates his family close connections with the Celtic Church in those early days. Gillichrist meant "son of Christ, born on Christ's birthday".

17 th GILLICHRIST MacEACHAIN/MacCAUGHAN, the lst Historical Representative, 17th Traditional Head of the Name and Family. The first Feudal Baron and Laird Barone of McCaughan and 5th MacEachain Mor. In the first document where his name is found he is registered Gillichrist MeCachen (the mode still pronouncing the family name in the old land) when his name appears in the 4th place as witness to a charter of lands by Earl Duncan of Galloway, to Monks at Melrose Abbey. He witnessed other land-charters in Galloway during the reign of Malcolm IV, King of Scotland 1153-1165 and his brother and successor William the Lion. also King of Scotland 1165-1214 A.D. Among other issue, his heir, CONALL.

18 th CONALL, or RONALD McCAUGHAN, succeeded his father as 2nd Feudal Barone and Laird Barone of McCaughan. Early in the 13th century, it is apparent that his family branched out and spread over into the Kingdom of Man, where because of the early mention of the surname in Manx Chronicles, and again in place-names, some which are Ballakcighan (Abbory Parish), and Ballakaighan (German Parish) are still preserved. In the Manx Kingdom, the family name again variously recorded and most often begins with the letter "K", also since 1611 A.D., some branches have dropped the prefix "Mac" entirely. Conall died in Wigtownshire, susposed to be in battle, leaving two sons: DUNCAN and ROLAND.

…

43rd JOHN ALEXANDER McCAUGHAN (9), Esquire, KH, LGH, FAS, FAS Scot, BS., 43rd traditional Representative, 26th historical Head and 10th Head of McCaughan's of Ballyverdagh. Born at Ballyverdagh, nr. Ballycastle, County Antrim, Ireland, 17 December 1906, baptised at Culfeightrin PE Church 7 April 1907, educated at Ramoan Public and Ballycastle High School with further education abroad, also Automobile Engineering with Messers J.W. McCaughan and Sons, Ballycastle, company director and public servant. Succeeded his father 11 August 1912, as 10th Head of Ballyverdagh with a petition before the Lords of Lyon Court for recognition as the 27th Representative of the ancient and extended House of McCaughan. ".(Petition granted 1979 in Ireland). He was a member of the Royal Ulster Constabuary. 1929, he took his widowed mother and two brothers to Toronto, Ontatio, Canada. Married 12 March 1931, at Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Elizabeth, born in Belfast, In Ireland, the 3rd daughter of Charles Kerr Cameron, marine Engineer and member of R.N.V.R. (1905-1925), born in Belfast, Ireland, died by shipwreck 1925, and his wife Elizabeth, youngest daughter of George Gordon, 8th of Knockmore and Lissue, Parish of Blairis, Lisburn, County Antrim, Ireland. *(Chevalier John died 25 October 1981, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, interred at the St John the Baptist Anglican (Norway) Church Cemetery in Toronto. Their issue:

(1) ELIZABETH MAUREEN McCAUGHAN, b 30 March 1932, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Educated in Toronto and the University of Toronto. *(Maureen is now married to Sigurd Christensen and they have one son. Her address is: 3065 Elgin Mill Road, East. Markham, Ontario L6C L Canada. She is a teacher and is acting as Head of the Clan until it is decided who will be next in line).

The following is taken from a report the late Chevelier John Alexander McCaughan, 43rd "Head of the house of McCaughan" prepared for the Heraldry of Ireland on the different ways he found the early families spelling our name in Scotland, Isle of Man, Ireland, and later in Canada, America, New Zealand and Australia. All stemming from the original Gaelic name "MacEachain". He felt they didn't keep all these spellings. Soon after the clans were broken up, a lot of the men were not educated and about the only place where their name was required was on church records. If you couldn't read or write, it was left to the church clerk to spell it like it sounded to him. This accounting for the Irish Gaelic spelling of the "Horse Lord" McQuuichin.

Auchanson -- McCaughin -- McGeaghan -- McCaughan (Galloway 1100) -- McGachen -- Cahanson -- McCaughan (Manx 1200) -- McGaychin -- Cackeon (Manx 1418) -- McCaghan -- McCaughern -- Caighan (Manx 1643-1745) -- McCahen (Ireland 1650) -- McCahan -- McKahan -- McKaighan (Manx 1200) -- McKeighan --Cagen (Manx 1630) -- McCaughran -- Kaighan (Ireland 1700) -- Kaighan (Manx 1611) -- McEachain (Galloway 1100) -- McKahon -- McKeechan -- MacGachan -- McGagen -- McKeuchane -- MakGachane -- McGachand -- McKechan -- MacAychin -- McGaichan -- McKeuchane -- McAchin -- McGauchane -- McKaghan -- Mcakeon -- McGaughan -- McKachan -- Mccachan -- McGeachan -- McKaychin -- McGathan -- McCaghan (Galloway 1150) -- McGahan (Ireland 1700) -- McQuuichin (1528)

It will be noticed from the above that some members of the family living on the Isle of Man have since 1418 A. D. dropped the prefix "Mac" entirely.

Time and distance does not permit us to fully research and determine when a branch of the family extended into the Kingdom of Man, however we can state that the surname, again variously recorded, appears in the early chronicles of that island, The Chronican Mannial. Also especially in the north there are places named after the family. Three of which are Villa McKeon and Ballakeighan in the Parish of Arbory and Ballakaighan, Parish of German. I would venture to guess that the name was carried to Man by one or more of the family, probably as a member of the Scottish Army, who remained to fill some position. Some items belonging to the family can now be found in the Manx Museum in Ballakaighan dating back to the Bronze Age.

The following is excerpted from The McCaughans of Scotland and Ireland

by John Alexander McCaughan Esquire, KH, LGH, FAS, FAS Scot, BS., 43rd traditional Representative, 26th historical Head and 10th Head of McCaughan's of Ballyverdagh

The full text can be found at

http://members.tripod.com/~McCoin_Geneology/index-28.html

The McCaughans of Scotland and Ireland

The family name McCaughan (pronounched Me Cachan in the old lands; as Me Cawhan in the Americans) is found variously recorded in public and private documents since the eleventh century, and with C, K, and G, of which C predominates, and is the Anglicized phoenetic rendering of their Gaelic surname MacEachain, meaning the "son of Eachain".

Before the twelfth century, the family had branched out and spread over into the Kingdom of Man, where because of the early mention of the name in the Manx Chronicles and place names, some etymologist refer to it as a Celtic patronymic of purely native origin. Here, their surname is again variously spelt and often with a K, also since 1611, some branches have dropped the prefix Mc entirely, but their descendents on going to Ireland shortly thereafter, resumed in time the use of both C and the Mc. Only after 1455, and with the downfall of their cousins, the last independent and Celtic Lords of Galloway, is their family name found in public documents pertaining to other parts of the realm.

The family name being so early associated with Mann, many Manx historians refer to it as a Celtic patronymic of purely native origin, and we do know that many descendents of the Manx family came to Northern Ireland early in the 1700's and for some time, retained their mode of the spelling of the name.

Submissions, corrections or suggestions kindly received by the editor at kaighin@iname.com