Official Clan MacTavish Society
since 1997
Article on "Clans, Families and Septs" by Sir Crispin Agnew
Patronymics / Surnames / Word Definitions
SEPT/SECT: "A BODY OF PEOPLE, sharing religious, philosophic or political opinions, who have broken away from a larger body (often used as a term of disapproval)". This of course is a modern explanation of the old Gaelic word "SEPT" seen so often in Scottish history. In the Ancient days of our Scottish culture, when a man looked for a place to provide shelter and food for his family he would just set up a type of shelter but, what defense did he have against other men who would attempt to rob and plunder for they were violent days, how could one man provide the shelter, the food and, the safety for his wife and children. The answer was to live on a piece of land with the permission of the laird. Thus, he would have the use of a small plot of land to grow what he could, or near a Loch or seaside for fish. His payment to the Laird would be a small amount of his harvest or catch or whatever, and to get the lairds protection against raiding mobs, in turn he had to, at the command of the laird, add his claymore against any enemies of the laird whenever the laird called his people "to arms"
In the days that we speak about, it was a way of life, Clan feuds, marauding raiding parties, etc. There were hard times all over Scotland but perhaps more so in the Highlands where the soil was not of the quality for growing a crop, not the fertile lands to the east in Perthshire, as an example. Yes, the Highland race were hardy people, but one man against a mob of men had no chance, therefore, the protection from the landowner was of great importance. This was known as "paying allegiance to the landowner. Obviously, most of the landowners were chiefs of clans and the Highlander that we use as the example, only wanted to provide the best he could for his family, was considered apart of that clan, whoever was the chief or landowner. If we use the name Alexander MacTamhais as the name of said Highlander and the laird in our example as, Earl of Argyll, The Campbell Chief at that time, (we could just as easy, reverse the names, the Highlander's name was John Campbell and the Laird was Dougall MacTamhais) then it could be said that Alexander MacTamhais, as well as the John Campbell, would be paying allegiance to the Clan of that XXX Chief, not that all of the name MacTamhais or all of the name Campbell, were paying allegiance, but merely those two individuals, that we use in example.
Many Highland families beginning at an early stage, left the lands of their birth
in search of an easier way to provide for their family. Many left the western Highlands
and took up residence in many different areas. In our Clan history, many MacTavishes
in fact did move to the east, to the more fertile lands of Perthshire, also, to the
northern islands and again, south, to the border country as well as Strathclyde,
in search of an easier and better way of life. Many clansmen of one clan moved onto
another clan's land and paid the yearly fee, from their produce but more important
to the new clan, it was an extra claymore for the use of that chief. I would think
that there were men of all clans, who branched out and paid allegiance to another
Chief, BUT, this did not mean that all men of that name were connected to that clan.
At the same time, there was much inter-