Eachdruigh na sinnsir a ghleidheadh falluin Ga lirigeadh gun eismeil le iantruig Bho bheul gu beul, bho ghluin gu ghluin An tiomnadh agus an dileab as liurst an Gun bheum air ni no neach Gun fiaradh air firinn gu cothachadh ceilg Gun neartachadh air olc, gun fannachadh air ceart Fhad agus a bhios an fhull blath an com Agus an duisg an Fheinn”
“To preserve unsullied the history of our ancestors, To hand it down freely and in truth, without fear or favor, From mouth to mouth, from knee to knee, That patrimony and rich inheritance, Which is most precious to all free people, Steadfast against oppression and corruption, Attributing no blemish to beast or man, Without distortion of truth, Relentless against deceit, Giving no quarter to evil, No weakening of Right or Justice, No swerving from truth, And that as long as the blood is warm, Breath in the body, Until the reawakening of the Feinn”
History of the Clann Bhiocair By Angus MacVicar Contributed by Bill Covington Wakefield, Yorkshire, England
This is the official stamp verifying the authenticity of the Coat of Arms and the brief history of the McVicar name you will find below. This Coat of Arms, our Coat of Arms, predates all others on this page and is the registered Coat of Arms for McVicars.
McVicar is a name that evolved among the people of the kingdom of Dalriada in ancient Scotland. It is a name for a person who worked as a son of a vicar, who was a priest in charge of a parish in which most or all of the tithes were paid to another recipient, while the vicar received a stipend. The Gaelic form of the surname is Mac a Bhiocair. The world would be a less interesting place without the tremendous fighting spirit of the Scottish Highland clans and their violent history.
From the desolate, sea-swept Hebridean Islands and the mountainous western coast, this surname has emerged as one of the great families whose history is romanticized by the skirl of the bagpipes, the brandished sword, the swinging kilt and the highland games.
Historical researchers, using some of the oldest manuscripts including Clan genealogies, the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, the Ragman Rolls, the Inquisitio, the Black Book of Exchequer, parish cartularies, baptismal records, tax records and many other manuscripts, found the name McVicar in Argyllshire where they were seated from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Scotland to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.
Spelling variations of names can cause much confusion in research, and the name McVicar has also been spelled MacVicar, MacViccar, MacVicker, MacVicer, McWicar, Quaker and these changes in spelling could occure often, sometimes even between father and son. It was not uncommon for a clansman to be born with one spelling, marry another, and have yet another appear on his headstone. Sometimes a different spelling indicated a religious preference or loyalty to a branch or chieftain.
Bearers of the family name McVicar are believed to have descended originally from one of the Scoti tribes that invaded Scotland from northern Ireland, displacing the resident tribes of the Picts, the Britons and the Caladonians. The most well known tribe among the Scots are the Dalriadans, who established their kingdom of Dal Riada in the Western Highlands and on the coastal islands. These different tribes were culturally and linguistically diverse and often fought bitter battles against each other over territory. Scotland was to some extent united by Kenneth MacAlpin, a Dalriadan, who became king of the Picts as well, in about 839 A.D. Some people can trace a direct line of ancestry through MacAlpine back to King Colla da Crioch, who was banished from Ireland in 327 A.D., and invaded Scotland along with 350 clan chiefs. Even now, certain Scottish highland clans still proudly carry the designation "Children of Colla".
The clans were closely knit groups related by blood, and intensely loyal to their customs and families. Under the clan system a man's first loyalty was given to his chief and not to a state or a ruler. The clans were also quite isolated: Parliament at Edinburgh was far south of the Highland line and removed from the daily realities that the clans faced. Many battles were fought against the Scottish King who generally had difficulty uniting and controlling the clans no matter who was on the throne.
The surname McVicar emerged as a Scottish clan or family in their territory of Argyllshire where they were recorded as a family of great antiquity seated with manor and estates in that shire. They are said to be descended from Maurice and Duncan MacNaughton who were Vicars of the MacNaughton Clan and became Vicars of Inchadney about the year 1400. They became an independant Clan but largely dependent on the MacNaughtons and when that Clan was broken they moved toward the Campbells of Argyll. The name was also anglicized to Quaker. They held lands in Iverary and Phantelane in Argyll. They became ecclesiastically involved in the religious turmoil of the 16th and 17th century and many were banished. Notable amongst the clan from early times was Sir Newyne MacVicar who was banished to New England in 1685.
For the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, the surname McVicar played an important role in the highlands and the affairs of Scotland. The Jacobite cause aimed at restoring the Stuarts to the throne, united some Highlanders, especially for rebellions of 1715 and 1745. The last one, led by Bonnie Prince Charlie, met with some success until Jacobite forces were overwhelmingly defeated at the famous battle of Culloden. Afterwards legislation was passed with the purpose of depriving the Scots of their ethnic identity, to help prevent further insurrection. Highlanders were no longer allowed to own broadswords, wear kilts or play the bagpipes. Clan societies are now attempting to reconstruct Highland culture with World festivals, Highland Games and tattoos.
Many adventurous Scots moved away to England, Ireland and the Colonies. For some it was an economic necessity as the industrial revolution consumed jobs and landlords tried to free up land to raise sheep. Many immigrated from Scotland to Ireland during the 17th and 18th centuries where they were granted the lands previously owned by the native Catholic Irish. The name McVicar may well have arrived in Ireland early in the 17th century during the reign of James I of Britain, when six counties in Ulster were confiscated and settled by the Protestant "Planters" or "Undertakers," as these settlers were known.
In North America, among other locations, the Highlanders settled in the New England States, the Carolinas, Nova Scotia, south-eastern Ontario and the Ottawa Valley. Some of the first immigrants who could be considered kinsmen of the McVicar family were Donald and Duncan MacViccar settled in New England in 1685; Archibald McVicar settled with his wife, children and servants in New York in 1775 and his brothers Barnabas and John; Archibald, Dan, Denis, Patrick, William McVicar arrived in Pennsylvania between 1840 and 1860.
There are many prominent people with the name McVicar and they include Rev. Kenneth McVicar; Neil MacVicar, Sheriff of the borders.
The Motto for the Coat of Arms translates as: At length.
Crest: Eagle Motto: Dominus Providebit (the Lord will provide)
Source: "Crests of Great Britain and Ireland" author, James Fairbairn of Edinburgh, 2nd Edition printed by Thomas C. Jack, 92 Princes Street, Edinburgh, Scotland. Ref; page 314 and 543, to Plate 67 cr 4
The M’Vicar – Affleck Arms illustrated in Burke’s General Armory is the only MacVicar Arms recorded by the Lyon Court. We find that this Coat of Arms was granted to James MacVicar Affleck of Edinghame, Galloway, Scotland on 26 December 1777. James was a Doctor and Surgeon who migrated to Jamaica and was the eldest son of Robert MacVicar of Argyll. Apparently James was married to Mary Affleck daughter of James Affleck of Edinghame.
The Arms are described as follows: Quarterly, 1st and 4th, ar. a galley, her oars in action and sails furled sa. a flame of fire on the masthead ppr. betw. an eagle’s head erased of the last in the dexter, and across crosslet fitchee gu. in the sinister chief points, for Vicar; 2nd and 3rd, ar. three bars sa. within a bordure gu., for Affleck. Crest-A green branch growing out of the truck of an oak tree ppr, Motto-Tandem
As translated the original colors of the MacVicar Arms are: ‘Quartered: 1st and 4th silver, a galley with its black oars in action and black sails furled, with naturally colored flames on the masthead between a naturally colored eagle’s head, jagged, placed to the right, and a red cross crosslet fitchee in the upper corner, 2nd and 3rd silver, three black horizontal bars; a red border.’
Above the shield and helmet is the crest, which is described as: ‘A green branch growing out of the trunk of a naturally colored oak tree.’
Coats of Arms along with battle standards were used by leaders of many families to provide Espret de Corps for family members and those who pledge their loyalty to a specific family. During the Middle Ages this form of recognition clearly defined the location of their command headquarters and the battle station for combatants. In the hectic struggles for battlefield dominance it was essential to provide a visual recognition for the fighters. Seeing their Standard and members of the Clan with their Coat of Arms would offer encouragement for soldiers that they were still a viable fighting force and able to conduct operations against enemy forces. Other than military operations we found the Coat of Arms used to identify the family during social events, public occasions, and official events such as Privy Council meetings, gathering of Clans, foreign trips and other occasions whereby a family wished to display unity.
Unknown McVicker Arms: William McVicker of Lodi, CA., USA has provided this Coat of Arms that was given to him by his mother and father. His family migrated to the United States from Belfast, Ireland and William is a first generation American. This Coat of Arms may be of Irish or British origin and requires historical investigation. Our initial research provides the following basic information based upon ‘A Complete Guide to Heraldry,’ by A.C. Fox-Davies.’ Upon the shield is the fret, which is very frequently found occurring in British armory, and is derived from very early Coats of Arms, many of which are interlacing. It is noted that this symbol appears as early as 1308 in the Arms of Sir John de Harington and again in the 1400’s. Of note, we find the Arms associated with St. George’s Chapel at Windsor from 1395-1400.
The fret is usually depicted throughout when borne singly, and is then composed of a bendlet dexter and a bendlet sinister, interlaced in the center by a mascle. Occasionally it will be found couped, but it is then, as a rule, only occupying the position of a subsidiary charge. A coat, which is fretty, is entirely covered by the interlacing bendlets and bendlets sinister, no mascles being introduced.
The helmet rests upon the shield and by its shape and position is indicative of rank. We learn that an esquire’s helmet was of steel, and was placed in profile, with the visor closed; the helmet of the knight and baronet was to be open and affronte; that the helmet of the peer must be of silver, guarded by grilles and placed in profile; and that the royal helmet was of gold, with grilles, and affronte. The helmet depicted on this shield bears a resemblance to those designed in Austria during the later 1400’s and represents an open visor with a side profile. Therefore, we might conclude that it is of a knight or baronet.
Upon the helmet is a crest depicted by a cubit arm habited clinching the symbol of a clasped bar label, or mark of cadency. The clothed arm is termed either “vested” or “habited.” The cuff is frequently of a different color, and the crest is then also termed “cuffed.”
Motto; Vigore. Also found as the Motto on the battle Standard for Vickers.
Standard of Vickers’
A Complete Guide to Heraldry By A.C. Fox-Davies
The term “Standard” properly refers to a long tapered flag carried into battle under which troops mustered for duty. Standards were widely used prior to the most recent Jacobite rebellion of 1745. This period in time was most properly called the Tudor period.
During the reign of Henry VIII, when standing armies came into their prominence, Standards lost ground because the Army was loyal to the crown and not to the Chieftain or Prince.
The Viccar Standard depicts a heraldic cross-called a “Cross Flory” next to the staff. Within the Cross are five “mullets of six points” crowned by
Three “Mill-rinds” or Fer-de-moline. These are representative of iron from the center of a grindstone. Next come three “Naval Crowns” which appears as a charge in the arms of the towns of Chatham, Ramsgate, and Devonport.
However, these particular Naval Crowns are more properly a Crest Coronet depicting Naval rank equal to Admiral. The motto “Vigore” transects the Standard for strength.
Clan Viccar owned lands bordering Loch Awe, Loch Fyne and the Isle of North Uist. Most likely one or more of our clan kin served in naval positions of importance to the 1500’s prior to our lands being dispersed and our Clan Chief being drowned by Campbell in 1567.
*~*I received an e-mail, April, 2006, from Virgil Mcvicker concerning the clan tartan (Sample to your left):
Alert to our Clan:
The voting for the tartans was wonderful. Thanks to all that participated. The new family tartan is MacVicar (McVicar, McVicker) of Argyll. We have ordered yardage from Dundale Mills, Selkirk, Scotland, and have acquired a super price for the Clan, about $40 US dollars per yard double wide. You can order now from our website shoppe for material, a kilt, scarf, etc. With delivery expected State side in about 5 weeks. Kilts will cost about $200 plus material and take about 3 weeks for delivery from Scotland. For our family in Scotland you can go direct to the Mill and place your orders now. They plan on the tartan run in about 4 weeks after getting the new dyed colors.
We have the summer inventory of Clan shirts in stock.
These make great gifts for family and friends who wish to be a Clan supporter.
Aye to all and Cheers, Virgil
To have a look at what is available simply click here and see for yourself. When on that page click on the 'clan shoppe' and go from there.
**ALSO CHECK OUT THE LINK, ON THE 'MORE MCVICAR SITES & INFO' PAGE, TO THE COAT OF ARMS SITE.**
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