The more I learn about the McGrouther/McGruther/McGruder family in Scotland the more outlandish it seems to imagine they were part of Clan Gregor or that Alexander ever identified himself as a MacGregor. The Drummond family, to whom the McGruders were connected for many generations, were closely allied with the Glenorchy Campbells, with whom the MacGregors feuded bitterly. And, more particularly, the Drummonds and McGruthers had a powerful reason to feud with Clan Gregor themselves. See the new page I’ve just put up, with the same title as this post, under the heading Scotland.
- Comment
- Reblog
-
Subscribe
Subscribed
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
Magruder's Landing 
Why did Alexander use the name McGregor when he immigrated in 1667 if there was no relation?
Hi Robin, & welcome. I don’t know where you got those details. Alexander never used the name McGregor, and he did not immigrate in 1667. He was transported to the Maryland colony as a prisoner of war, and arrived (we believe) in 1652. He first appears in surviving records the following year. His surname was spelled variously in records created in his lifetime. In Scotland, his name would have been McGruder. He signed his will with the Anglicized/phonetic spelling “Magruder,” which has been used by the majority of his descendants in the U.S. The earliest claims to Clan Gregor descent by American Magruders dates to around 1800, maybe the 1790s.
Hi – I have long been researching the Magruders independently of this site, as I’m a direct descendent of Alexander Magruder (along with the “thousands” of others, through Cassandra Magruder/William Drane connection. Anyway, I’m thinking a few things contributed to this connection: for one, the cheeseball “family crest” websites that have misdirected folks for at least 15-20 years now so you can order your coat of arms and get some sort of generic family tree, and also there are some Clan Gregor yearbooks from the early 20th century, published in America, that somehow associates our line, in particular, with the MacGregors. But something else I found made me question that connection anyway. I agree, Magruders are Magruders…