Transactions. 49 



fourteen knights of the name of M'Lellan. It was this family 

 which lias given us the name Balmaclelland, or village of the 

 the M'Clellands, to the parish of that name. Time has swept 

 them out of the parish to which they were once so closely allied. 



The name M'Lellan does not appear in Galloway in the time of 

 William Wallace. Subsequently it appears, and the rise of the 

 family was rapid. The charter for Balmaclellan was granted 

 1466. The Bombie property was then in possession of the 

 family. Thomas M'Lellan was killed by the Gordons of Lochin- 

 var at the door of St. Giles' Church, Edinburgh, 1526. The 

 knights of that name are mentioned about this time as possessors 

 of land in Kelton, Rerwick, Balmaclellan, Kirkmabreck, Troqueer, 

 Kirkgunzeon, Borgue, Minnigaff, Colvend. All their properties 

 have changed hands. 



The name is found in the following parishes : — Balmaghie, 

 Kirkcudbright, Kelton, Crossmichael, Kirkgunzeon, Kirkbean 

 Minnigaflf, Lochrutton. Deanston, Lochrutton, was purchased by 

 A. Clelland, 1872. 



Macghies. 



The original name of the parish of Balmaghie was Balmakethe. 

 The subsequent name is believed to have been given or taken 

 from the Macges, who obtained lands there in the 14th century. 

 In 1606 Alexander M'Ghie of Balmaghie obtained a charter of 

 the lands of the parish. Time has been kinder to the M'Ghies 

 and M'Kies than to the M'Lellans. From twenty to thirty 

 lairdships have belonged to persons of these names. They are 

 truly representative Kirkcudbrightshire surnames. 



Five M'Ghies, three M'Kies are tenants in Dairy. The names 

 occur in Balmaclellan, M'Kie six. These names also occur in 

 MinnigafF, Kirkmabreck, Balmaghie, Rerwick, Buittle, Kelton, 

 Crossmichael, Parton, Urr, and Colvend. Auchencairn, once in 

 possession of a family of the name of Cairn, from which it derives 

 its name, was purchased less than twenty years ago by Ivie 

 Mackie, whose progenitors belonged to Girvan. 



Maxwells. 



According to some authorities this was originally a Scoto-Irish 



family, according to others a Norman. Ewan de Maccuville was 



at the siege of Alnwick Castle. Eugene de Maccuswell married, 



not many years after, the daughter of Roland, the Lord of 



7 



