Welcome to Clan MacLennan New Zealand. Our Clan genealogy pages for New Zealand have probably the best coverage of any region in the world – with roots going back to Scotland and elsewhere. The evidence for the work include official record citations, certificates, headstones and much more. We have good coverage of the McLennans who migrated from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia to Waipu (and surrounds). Access to the on-line Clan database is available simply by joining the Clan association – please click on “Membership application” on this page.
We attend Highland Gatherings in different parts of NZ, our Facebook page is a place to connect with other Clan members.
A free Clan travel guide is available as an eBook from the Genealogy section of this website – click on “Scotland Travel Guide” – Genealogy
Upcoming events:
Saturday 25 January 2020 – 156th Turakina Highland Games – meet us at our tent – More at www.turakinahighlandgames.co.nz
Saturday 8 February 2020 – 27th Paeroa Highland Games & Tattoo – meet us at our tent – More at www.paeroahighlandgames.co.nz
15 February 2020 – Wellington Pipe band competition
Join us:
- assist clanfolk to better understand their heritage and
- to assist each other to research family ancestors.
NO ONE IS TOO OLD OR TOO YOUNG TO JOIN !!
Instagram: clanmaclennan_nz
Tag: #clanmaclennan_nz
Contacts:
General:
Email: info-nz@clanmaclennan-worldwide.com
Genealogy:
Email: famhist@clanmaclennan-worldwide.com
Clan MacLennan Tartan & Crested Goods for sale:
Visit Ross McClennan’s Scots Corner: www.scotscorner.co.nz
Some New Zealand McLennans:
Professor Ian McLennan – www.otago.ac.nz
Chris McLennan Photography – www.cmphoto.co.nz/
Edward Duncan McLennan – Killed at Gallipoli – see also Clan database record for Edward Duncan
Duncan McLennan and family memorials at Papakura – see also Clan database record for Duncan McLennan 1810-1898
Stewart Bell McLennan – see also Clan database record for Stewart Bell McLennan
Andrew McLennan – musician, singer, and songwriter – see Clan database records for Andrew McLennan
Recent events:
1 Jan 2020 Waipu Games
26 Jan 2019 – 155th Turakina Highland Games – join us at or tent and parade (More information – www.turakinahighlandgames.co.nz/ )
July 2018 – Worldwide Clan Gathering, Inverness, Scotland – 2018 Gathering
28th January 2017 – 153rd Turakina Highland Games – come and meet us at our Clan tent. Join us in the Clans March at 12.30 am. (more at www.turakinahighlandgames.co.nz )
11th February 2017, 9am to 9pm – Paeroa Highland Games & Tattoo – at the Paeroa Domain – come and meet us at our Clan tent (more at www.paeroahighlandgames.co.nz ) – join us in the Parade at 11.00 am.
30 January 2016 – 152nd Turakina Highland Games – come and meet us at our Clan tent (more at www.turakinahighlandgames.co.nz )
History re-published on Clan Genealogy -
Murdoch McLennan (ID i1441) was born in the district of Lochalsh about 1830 - the son of Kenneth McLennan and Flora Mackay. They have many descendants around NZ - including "Buck" Shelford MBE.
As part of a project to move all of our Clan Histories to a new flipbook platform, "The History of the McLennans and Dewars of New Zealand 1858-1978" is now available with simpler, smoother delivery. Just go to clanmaclennan-worldwide.com/genealogy/ and click on "Histories" to find the book.
Or go to Murdoch's page and find the book under media towards the end - clanmaclennan-worldwide.com/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I4441&tree=tree101
In 1858 Murdoch migrated to Dunedin on the "Palmyra". On board also was his future wife Mary Dewar. They married in 1862 and together they successfully settled a district in South Otago - as a result, many landmarks there bear the McLennan name or those of their children.
To use the new Histories you will need to have recently logged on to Clan Genealogy.
Post in Scotland Facebook group ...🧬 Have you ever thought about getting your DNA tested? 🔬
Lockdown could be the ideal time to get a proper DNA test done that could trace your MacLennan family back hundreds of years!
Our Clan has a DNA Project hosted at the world leading laboratory in surname testing, Family Tree DNA (“FTDNA”) – based in Texas. This is the only company that provides state of the art testing along with a relational database to make connections.
As well as ordering direct from Family Tree DNA, orders can be placed through its representative in Edinburgh, YourScottishAncestry. Many of us met Ali Macdonald at our last Clan Gathering in Inverness. He is also available to help you understand the results when they come back!
The Y chromosome (of men) changes very little over hundreds, even thousands, of years. However there are enough changes to make it useful for identifying how you are connected to other members of the Clan. The project also takes autosomal results and has 90 members. However, only 30 of these are male MacLennans. The MacRae project has 590 participants – we need your DNA!
No need to put off testing any longer – visit www.clanmaclennan-worldwide.com/dna/ to get your kit mailed to you - today!
⭐️ Thanks to Bruce McLennan for this post 👍🏻
Message from the Lord Lyon
The Celebration of the 700th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath
Greetings from Edinburgh on this spring day albeit that we are affected by the pandemic which is playing such a critical role in all our lives worldwide. On 6 April 2020 we are celebrating the 700th Anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath. This document was signed at Arbroath Abbey which is just a few miles from my home and the ruins of which I have walked round on many occasions.
The Declaration is one of the most significant documents that emerged from Mediaeval Europe. It is a document that is marked by learning and scholarship and for the 14th century provides an argument for the self determination of the Scottish people. It changed constitutional thinking – such that our King was required to rule in the best interests of his people who, through the Declaration, kept a right to Depose the king.
This fundamental principle in constitutional law of the power of the people remains even to today and applies in all democratic states to Monarch and State Leader alike.
Throughout the centuries this principle was drawn on by many including the Committee who drafted the American Declaration of Independence. Today we all celebrate the living Scotland whether here at home or abroad and acknowledge the influence this Declaration has had and further celebrate our Scottish heritage. One simple fact that highlights the influence of the living Scotland is shown in the life of Australia that there is a celebration of Tartan Day on the 1 July and the number of prominent people who were of Scottish descent who forged your wonderful nation.
Happy 700th Anniversary celebrations of the Declaration of Arbroath and Happy Tartan Day.
Lyon
Dr Joseph J Morrow,
CBE, QC, LLD, FRSE.
Right Honourable Lord Lyon, King of Arms
John Murchison was born in 1838 at Craig just east of Plockton (Lochalsh parish) in the Scottish Highlands. His mother was Christy McLennan and his father Duncan Bain Murchison. John is ID number i35918 in the Clan Records - www.clanmaclennan-worldwide.com/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I35918&tree=tree101.
His father died before 1851 and his mother in 1859, so that in 1861 he and his brother were joint tenants of the Craig property. Aged 25 John launched out for New Zealand. After arriving he had been in charge of the stud sheep at Robert Campbell's stations in Otago. In May 1878 John Murchison bought Acheron Bank from John Jackson Oakden. Acheron Bank (Runs 121 and 155) lies on the south side of Lake Coleridge - and originally ran up the Rakaia from Acheron to the Lake Stream. John Murchison was the first to introduce the double drafting gate to that part of Canterbury. And in 1890 he bought the Lake Coleridge runs (Runs 153 and 153A).
At Lyttleton in 1882 he had married Janet Sinclair, the daughter of Captain Sinclair there. John served on the local Road Board and was a member of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association, and as a judge of merino sheep was considered one of the best in the colony.
In May 1904 with his family he went to London for an operation but died soon after it was performed. His obituary in The Press said "The deceased gentleman was endeared to everyone with whom he was acquainted by his geniality and kindheartedness, and nothing gave him greater pleasure than to assist those whom he considered worthy of support"; He was buried in the Lochalsh churchyard with a suitable memorial stone.
His sons and their descendants continued to work the property for many decades and are the subject of the book "Murchison Family at Lake Coleridge from 1878 – 2002";, by Jean Murchison, 2002 and 2005 editions.
Original songs about erosion earned Timaru student band top prize - Timaru's top student band owes its success at an annual music competition to a "strong bond" and concern about erosion. The Indie rock/reggae quartet Jack's Point includes Jack McLennan, Billy Cook and Nick Goodwin. Last year they beat student bands from South Canterbury, Oamaru, and Ashburton to take top prize and the people's choice award at the Smokefree Rockquest Timaru regional final at Mountainview High School. (www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald )
More at -
www.facebook.com/JacksPointOfficial/
It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Relna Lillian McLennan Campbell Moore, of Tauranga, 1933-2019 - proud descendant of Donald Campbell McLennan from Middle River, Cape Breton NS, who migrated to New Zealand on the "Gertude" in 1856 - ID number i18901 in the Clan Records - or click clanmaclennan-worldwide.com/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I18901&tree=tree101
AND also a descendant of Isabella McLennan ID number i25960 of Middle River - clanmaclennan-worldwide.com/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=i25960&tree=tree101
Thank you to Andrew Chapman, Cape Breton to New Zealand - the 2nd Highland migration (Facebook Group)