The traditional lands of the Macphersons are in Badenoch, a district in the Highlands south of Inverness that straddles the valley of the Spey River. This chapter summarizes how the area came to be inhabited and how the culture of the earliest settlers evolved. It shows that Badenoch was first visited by Mesolithic hunter-gatherer-fishers from Iberia, settled by Neolithic farmers, and then progressively influenced by Beaker and Celtic immigrants. The coming of the Bronze and Iron Ages accelerated the bonding of farming clans for mutual defence, including leadership provided by elite warrior families. The more isolated clans tended to make a virtue of fierce independence, making alliances and trading for mutual advantage, and continuing to be loosely knit, unless they were collectively threatened.

Clan Macpherson was orginially part of Clan Chattan, the Clan of the Cat. This chapter shows that Clan Chattan lands were known to have been occupied by the Vacomagi before the Romans first probed into what they called Caledonia in 69 AD and after their departure in 410 AD. It also suggests the active role the Vacomagi played in the Battle of Mons Graupius and the guerilla tactics they used to avoid being subjugated by the Romans.

This chapter considers the prior inhabitants of Badenoch, the Highland Picts, and how they were required by political forces to integrate Gael immigrants such as the Clan Chattan. It is shown to be part of a wider process facilitated by the Kings of Alba and Irish missionaries. These kings wanted political and military unification against the Vikings and the English. The missionaries wanted peace and to save souls. The Clan Chattan settled in Badenoch among the more numerous Highland Picts as God's administrators and adopted their culture of militant independence.

This chapter shows that the development of the Chattan Confederation, including Clan Macpherson, was undermined between 1215 and 1665 by internal and external feuds that required them to live in a state of war for 360 years. Despite its size and military capacity, the Confederation played a minor role in the Scottish Wars of Independence and in the development of the nation states of Alba and Scotland.

This chapter shows that Clan Macpherson acquired their lands in Badenoch by capturing Clan Comyn territories from about 1215, probably at the request of King Robert the Bruce, and integrtaing with the prior Picts. Their gradual colonisation of Badenoch was completed by about 1550 through political alliances, marriages and military treachery. A key alliance was membership of the Chattan Confederation. Clan Macpherson was a founding member and yet regularly disputed Clan McIntosh's leadership of the Confederation. The Chattan Confederation's disintegration from 1411 or 1429 is shown to be due to external political machinations in the region as well as internal feuds over leadership in Clan McIntosh.

This chapter traces Clan Macpherson’s place in Scottish history from the Reformation in the 1550s through until the late 1700s when the Battle of Culloden and the Highland Clearances destroyed the clan system in Scotland. It explains how the Presbyterians displaced the Catholics in the governance of Scotland, why the Macphersons helped the Jacobites in their many futile bids for power, how Sir Aenaus Macpherson helped create the conditions for the Massacre of Glencoe and why Macphersons/ McPhersons/ MacPhersons scattered to all parts of the world.

I am not going to add to the immense literature describing the Highlanders’ march down into England in 1745 and the disaster at Culloden the next year, or the debate on what might have happened had they not turned back at Derby. Instead I am attempting to place the Jacobite revolt into its context of British politics and foreign affairs.

The earliest confirmed ancestor of the Sinclair Macphersons is William McPherson. He was probably born in Banff about 1752, settled in Portsoy and married Elspet Duff in 1800. He was a flesher (butcher), provided for a large family and ended his days in Portsoy. At least four generations of his descendents lived there. By about 1926, however, the surname had died out in Portsoy, with none there today. Quite a few McPhersons of Portsoy went to Aberdeen. Two at least went to Canada. Two went to the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. One went to England with his descendents going on to the Far North of New Zealand. Most of these groups do not know of each other's existence. This chapter explains how it all happened and why. This chapter is the latest version and includes information recently provided by descendents in Aberdeen and in the USA.

This revised chapter tells the story of Alexander Sinclair McPherson, the first known Sinclair Macpherson. He was born in 1834 Aberdeen, lost his mother in 1855 in Leslie, Fife, and then moved to Leeds about the time his two younger sisters migrated to New Zealand. He married Sarah Brown Walker, established a family of leaders and ended his days living in a stately home, Glenholme, in Harrogate. Three of Alexander and Sarah's children prospered, many of their grandchildren serving with distinction as leaders in the Anglican Church or in the British Army. Two of his grandchildren departed and settled in the Far North of New Zealand, the rest moving to various parts of England following their careers and marriages. In sum, since 1843, 13 of Alexander's descendents have been given the middle name of Sinclair. Although they may not know it, they are commemorating the life of the founder of the Macphersons of Leeds.

This is the tragic story of a World War One fighter pilot shot down over the trenches at Ypres in Belgium in World War One by a known enemy pilot who had a significantly better aircraft, much more experence and training in innovative group dog fighting tactics.

This revised chapter is getting so big that you will need to download it by Right Clicking on the Download icon and use the Save Target As choice to save it to your hard disk.

It documents the lives of the many descendents and connections of Alfred Sinclair Macpherson and his younger brother Eric Gordon Macpherson in the Far North of New Zealand. Alfred and Gordon came from a family in Leeds, England, whose forebears originated in Portsoy, Scotland. This chapter clarifies the links between Macphersons and other extensive famillies in the Far North, including those with Ngai Takoto, Te Rarawa and Ngapuhi affiliations. It has a contents page, many photographs, references and a detailed index to help readers trace themselves and their ancestors. Corrections are inevitable and welcome.

The McPhersons of the West Coast of New Zealand were established by an uncle and his nephew; William James McPherson and Charles McPherson. This chapter explains why they are related to the Macphersons of Leeds and the McPhersons of Portsoy. William was a seaman who settled on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand and rose to become the Captain Harbourmaster of Greymouth. Charles also started work as a seaman, travelled and worked with William, and rose to become the Dredgemaster of Greymouth. They both played crucial roles in the early development of the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. This chapter was written in collaboration with Ron McPherson who lives in Flagstaff, Arizona USA, a great grandson of Captain William, Peter McPherson who lives in Hamilton, New Zealand, a grandson of Charles, and Lori McPherson, a great granddaughter of Charles.

This is a collection of writings comprising a brief autobiography, two short stories and poems written by Ken Macpherson. It presents a life marked initially by mistreatment, then hard work and enterprise, and then being blessed with a fine family.

This chapter is also so big that you will need to download it by Right Clicking on the Download icon and use the Save Target As choice to save it to your hard disk.

It reports the research of Beverley E. Jeffery (2008) into the descendents of John McPherson (1865-1947)from Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland. John settled in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Enquiries may be made to Beverley at 61A Hanrahan St., Ilam, Christchurch, 8041,New Zealand or by email to wejbej@ihug.co.nz or by phone to +64 3 343 2372

This powerpoint presentation introduces the main family structures of the McPhersons and Macphersons that settled in the Far North of New Zealand. It shows that the McPhersons came from Wardwell Farm, Inverkeithny, Banffshire, while the Macphersons originated from Portsoy,Banffshire, just 14 miles apart. It was prepared by Reynold Macpherson for the Macpherson Family Reunion 25-27 February 2011.

This slideshow was prepared for the Macpherson Family Reunion 25-27 February 2011. It uses portraits to trace the children and descendents of Francis 'Frank' and Morehu Rebecca 'Butu' McPherson of Ahipara.

These photos were submitted by a number of photographers. They portray the people that attended the Friday Powhiri and Meet and Greet, the Saturday Spit Roast Dinner abd Ceilidh at the Waipapakauri Domain, and the Sunday Luncheon in the Houhora Deep Sea Fishing Club. They will be submitted to the Photo Competition and the winning photos will be used to create a display for the Macpherson Museum in Newtonmore, Scotland.

Mangatoetoe’s Wedding of the Decade