Boston Public Library - Electric Scotland

CHAPTER HI.
THE ALISONS OF SCOTLAND AND AUSTRALIA.
The family of Alison is of very old date (583 years^ in
the parish of Avondale, count}' of Lanark, Scotland, where
they live in 1893.
"
Macalister, the name of a clan that inhabited the South
of Knapdale and the North of Kintyre in Argyleshire. The}''
are traced to Alister or Alexander, a son of Angus Mor, of
the clan Donald. Exposed to the encroachments of the Campbells,
their principal possessions became, ere long, absorbed
by different branches of that powerful clan ; clan badge, the
five-leafed heather. The chief of this sept of the Macdonalds
is Somerville Macalester of Loupe in Kintyre and Kennox in
Ayrshire. In 1805, Charles Somerville Macalester, Esq., of
Loupe, assumed the name and arms of Somerville in addition
to his own, in right of his wife, Janet Somerville, inheritrix
of the entailed estate of Kennox, whom he had married in
1792." 1
The Highland name of the Alisons was Alester, or McAlester,
and was changed into the Lowland name Alison when this
branch of the family was driven from Loupe, near Oban, in
Argyleshire by the followers of King Robert the Bruce.
"From their descent from Alexander (Macalester), eldest
son of Angus Mor, Lord of the Isles and Kintyre in 1284, the
grandson of Somerled, the thane of Argyle. the Macalesters
claim to be the representatives, after MacDonell, of Glengarry,
of the ancient lords of the Isles, as heirs male of Donald,
grandson
of Somerled." ^
Alexander MacAlister, of Loupe, last mentioned, took the
side of Baliol, the competitor for the Scottish throne, and
was attacked by King Robert the Bruce in his chief Castle
Sweyn in Knapdale. This was not a great distance from
Oban. He was overcome, compelled to fiee, was taken prisoner
on his way to Ayrshire, was confined in the Dundonald
Castle, where he died in 1309. This castle is in parish of
Dundonald, Ayrshire, four miles from Prestwick, four miles
1 Anderson's Scottish Nation, Vol. 2, p. 708.