Time Line

I have marked in red the areas I am concerned with, in solving a puzzle. Matthew Cock says the McNaughton chief was captured on Aug 21, 1689. But Angus Macnaghten says he signed a bond on August 24th at Blair castle. Is the date wrong? Could the Bond have been actually signed earlier? That is my guess. It probably took several days to get all the signatures. It was dated after the last one signed. So Chief John MacNaughton probably signed before the 21st.

1. July 27, 1689  - Battle of Killiecrankie, where according to the poem The Grameid the son of MacNaughton fought in shining armor

2. Aug 17, 1689 J. McNachtane signs letter of defiance to General McKay

3. August 21, 1689 - Capture of Chief John at Dunkeld (according to Matthew Cock - page 74) He stays imprisoned for at least fourteen months.

4. August 24, 1689 at Blair John signed a Bond of Association pledging 50 men for a future campaign. A. McNaughton also signed. Young Alexander? (According to Angus Macnaghten, page 46.)

5. August 31, 1689 magistrates request permission of Privy council to transport twelve Highland prisoners, including John and his son Alisdair to custody in Albroath and then Dundee.

6. November 30, 1689 - The letter from King James to Chief McNaughton

7. January 3, 1690 -  Proceedings against the Chief John McNaughon and also against his Uncle and the uncle's 2 sons. (It is from one of these two sons that our line descends.)

8. June 30, 1690 - Battle of the Boyne

9. July 14, 1690 - The Scottish Parliament passes forfeiture against Chief John Mcnaughton and also against his uncle John McNaughton

10. Jan 1 1692 - The Deadline for the oath of obedience - Chief John McNaughton was one of the last to sign

11.   February 1, 1692 - The Massacre of Glencoe

12. 1696 A horning is pressed against the uncle John MacNauchtan for 86 pounds

13. January 23, 1701 - Campbell of Argyll serves McNaughton with an injunction

14. 1702 - Alexander McNaughton dies in the Battle of Vigo

15. 1704 - The Laird of McNaughtoun is numbered among the Commissioners of Supply for Argyllshire

16. September 1704  - Argyll grants charter of all McNaughon lands to Campbell of Ardkinglas

17. March 1, 1706 Chief John McNaughton matriculates from Glasgow University

18. Aug 24, 1710 John deeds Dunderave to James Campbell of Ardkinglas

19. The Sasine or actual transfer of lands did not take place until 1713 (Duncan McNaughton, page 28.)

20. There is no evidence that I know of indicating that the McNaughtons were thoroughly evicted from Dunderave as of 1713. Considering that the last chief's grandmother was Anne Campbell of Ardkinglas one would think the Ardkinglas family would not be so severe as to force out the McNaughtons completely, at least not immediately. It seems at least possible to me that some McNaughton familymembers would have been able to inhabit Dunderave as late as 1720 or even later. Surely not the chief himself though. Chief John was functioning as a Custom's officer in Anstruther Fife. But Dunderave was still widely known as the McNauchtan castle, even if the ownership had been transferred to Ardkinglas. One would think that for a few years at least there would remain some hope that somehow the MacNauchtans might regain ownership. Meanwhile some MacNaughtons would have to continue living in the castle as long as possible so as to keep the hope alive. And the most likely familymembers to live there would be the families of the two sons of the uncle of the chief. We know from the records that on January 3, 1690 Proceedings of forfeiture took place against  the chief and also against his uncle John and the uncle's 2 sons. The 2 sons must have been involved in the action at Killiecrankie. They may have been between 15 and 20 years old at that time. So by 1720 they would have been 45 to 50 years old. Since their father was named John it is almost certain that the elder son was also named John. If anyone lived in Dunderave castle between 1710 and 1720 it would have been this John MacNauchtan and his wife and children. Or if he was deceased it could have been his brother. It was one or the other of them, probably the elder. The reason this matters is that our family records tell us that our ancestors, Thomas and Malcolm McNaughton were born in Dunderave castle and their father was John MacNauchtan. We know Thomas died before 1750 and he had one son, Duncan who married his first cousin Katherine in 1772. So it would stand to reason that Thomas would have been born in Dunderave before it was abandonned by the MacNauchtans. 1715 seems about right. Thomas's father might have been about 40 or 45 years old in 1715. Then his son Thomas might have sired Duncan around 1740 or 1745 at something like age 30.

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