Origins of the clan

The surname Matheson has more than one anglicization of its Scottish Gaelic derivation.^[3] The historian Black attributes Matheson to the Gaelic Mic Mhathghamhuin which means son of the bear, and the clan chief's arms carry two bears as supporters.^[3] It has also been suggested that MacMhathain means son of the heroes.^[3] The Scottish Lowland version of Matheson means simply son of Matthew.^[3]

Chiefs of Clan Matheson are descendants of Kenneth the first MacAlpin, king of Scotland. The Mathesons were granted lands by the Celtic Earls of Ross and settled around Loch Alsh, Lochcarron and Kintail.^[3] In 1262 a Scottish army led by Alexander III of Scotland invaded the Isle of Skye in order to free the isles from the kings of Norway and one of the leaders of this expedition is recorded as Kjarnac or Cormac Macmaghan.^[3] Following the Battle of Largs in 1263 the Western Isles came to be dominated by the Clan Donald whose chiefs were the Lords of the Isles and the Clan Matheson sided with them.^[3]

15th and 16th centuries

In 1411 the Clan Matheson fought for Domhnall of Islay, Lord of the Isles at the Battle of Harlaw where the clan chief, Alasdair was captured.^[3] The Clan Matheson was then said to have numbered over two thousand warriors.^[3] Macmaken supported Alexander of Islay, Earl of Ross who was suspected of treason by James I of Scotland.^[3] As a result, the earl was seized by the king at Inverness in 1427.^[3] Matheson was also arrested by the king,^[4] and was executed.^[3]

As the Lords of the Isles lost power so did the Mathesons.^[3] The Mathesons then found themselves involved in the feuding between the Clan MacDonald and the Clan Mackenzie.^[3] Iain Dubh Matheson was killed defending the Mackenzie stronghold Eilean Donan Castle, of which he had become constable of after marrying the widow of Sir Dugald Mackenzie.^[3] Dougal MacRuadhri Matheson sat in Parliament and was Prior of Beauly between 1498 and 1514.^[3]

According to the MS Account of the Gunns a historic manuscript, the Clan Matheson fought alongside the Clan Mackay and the Polsons at the Battle of Torran Dubh in 1517 against the Clan Gunn, Clan Ross and the Murrays of Aberscross.^[5]

All genealogies of the clan agree that the next chief was the undisputed Murdoch Buidhe (yellow haired) who died in about 1602.^[3]

17th and 18th centuries

Murdoch had two sons, Roderick and Dugald.^[3] Duglad was styled of Balmacara and he rose to become chamberlain of Lochalsh in 1631.^[3] Dugald was the ancestor of John Matheson of Attadale whose grandson, John, was forced to sell their Highland estates.^[3]

Another branch of the Clan Matheson who had settled on the north side of Loch Shin had been ballies to the Earls of Sutherland in the late 15th century.^[3] Donald Matheson of Shin fought against the Jacobites during the Jacobite rising of 1715.^[3] Meanwhile, the chiefship of the clan had descended through a line who were descended from Dugald of Balmacara's elder brother, Roderick Matherson.^[3] They acquired lands on the Black Isle that were known as Bennetsfield.^[3] Unlike his cousins in Sutherland, John Matheson, second of Bennetsfield was a Jacobite who fought at the Battle of Culloden in 1746.^[3] Of the members of the Clan Matheson who supported the British Government during the Jacobite rising of 1745, it is recorded that a Kenneth Mathisom was a lieutenant in the Independent Highland Company that was formed by the town of Inverness and a John Mathison was also a lieutenant in one of the Independent Highland Companies formed by the Clan Mackenzie chief, also to support the British Government.^[6]

Current chief

The current chief is Sir Alexander Fergus Matheson, 8th Baronet, who now resides in Norfolk, England.