“IN GREATER PERFECTION
AS BEING COMPLETE AT LAST”
‘PARADISO’; DANTE; 1308.
Abbots formed the bulk of the spiritual peerage. The position held by them throughout every part of the country gave yet a further weight to their great position as noblemen and local magnates. As such they went pari passu with baron or earl of the noblest lineage. The Iona Abbot always served as a Lord Spiritual on the Lordship's Council of the Isles, Finlaggan, Islay.
Iona Abbot John MacAllister was an “Ecclesiastical Nobleman”. His “Nobleman” brother Angusii had a son Alexander and then his grandson who were both Abbots of Saddell from 1433 to its closure c.1508. (Nobleman : "ARGYLL : An Inventory of the Monuments VOL 4, IONA”; Royal Commission on the Ancient & Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS); p.274, (n.180); 1982.)
John's father, Gofaidth (mac) Angusii, who was given the alternate surname MacAlasandair, is the first ever recognizable ‘MacAllister’. John "Goffredi" is also given this surname in the same Papal Indult of 1395 (Dr Nicholls). [1]
[“Iohannes Goffredi MacAlasandair", the Iona Claustral Prior (“tanaise abbad”) from c.1395 and ordained Abbot from 1405 - c.1421. John, son of Gofaidth [MacAlasandair], son of Angus, son of Alaxandair Og, son of Angus Mor, son of Donald - facts of descent from Papal indult 1395; Calenders of Papal Letters & Scottish Supplications (SHS); MS 1467; and near contemporary Irish Manuscripts - An Leabhar Donn, Books of Ballymote and Lecan. John was previously the "rector of the parish of St Comgan {Kilchoan, Ardamurchan?}, Sodor diocese, in subdeacon's orders" and he was "ensured a share of the fruits of the monastery" - Reg Aven 296, 52-52v. He was married with Papal dispensation 1395 to Anna, the daughter of Lachlan McLean 1st of Duart and Mary de Insulis (MacDonald) -“and that by her inclination of yielding”. Mary was the daughter of Lord John (I) de Yle and his first wife Amy MacRuairi.]
Most, if not all, MacAllisters in fact descend from these MacAlaxandair "Noblemen" and not from Alaster Mor, son of Donald (1).
NB : Alaxandair is the gaelic spelling used in MS ('1450'/1467 [“The most valuable genealogical authority we have - the sheet anchor - the highest authority"; Revs A&A; "CLAN DONALD"; 1896-1904. I use this spelling to differentiate Alaxandair OG from his nebulous uncle, which I spell as Alaster MOR. And, that is exactly how it is spelt in the orthographically correct Annals of Ulster, 1362.8 : "..One who was to be king of Insi-Gall Hebrides, namely, the son of John the Black, son of Alaxandair (OG) MacDomnaill"; and all the other Ulster annals of that period. [Just to confuse matters, W. Skene calls the branch of Alaxandair/Alexander OG in MS 1467, as "obviously the Clan Alasdair" - with a heading of CLAN ALASTAIR; p.468; n.13]
Iona Abbot John MacAllister was an “Ecclesiastical Nobleman”. His “Nobleman” brother Angusii had a son Alexander and then his grandson who were both Abbots of Saddell from 1433 to its closure c.1508. (Nobleman : "ARGYLL : An Inventory of the Monuments VOL 4, IONA”; Royal Commission on the Ancient & Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS); p.274, (n.180); 1982.)
John's father, Gofaidth (mac) Angusii, who was given the alternate surname MacAlasandair, is the first ever recognizable ‘MacAllister’. John "Goffredi" is also given this surname in the same Papal Indult of 1395 (Dr Nicholls). [1]
[“Iohannes Goffredi MacAlasandair", the Iona Claustral Prior (“tanaise abbad”) from c.1395 and ordained Abbot from 1405 - c.1421. John, son of Gofaidth [MacAlasandair], son of Angus, son of Alaxandair Og, son of Angus Mor, son of Donald - facts of descent from Papal indult 1395; Calenders of Papal Letters & Scottish Supplications (SHS); MS 1467; and near contemporary Irish Manuscripts - An Leabhar Donn, Books of Ballymote and Lecan. John was previously the "rector of the parish of St Comgan {Kilchoan, Ardamurchan?}, Sodor diocese, in subdeacon's orders" and he was "ensured a share of the fruits of the monastery" - Reg Aven 296, 52-52v. He was married with Papal dispensation 1395 to Anna, the daughter of Lachlan McLean 1st of Duart and Mary de Insulis (MacDonald) -“and that by her inclination of yielding”. Mary was the daughter of Lord John (I) de Yle and his first wife Amy MacRuairi.]
Most, if not all, MacAllisters in fact descend from these MacAlaxandair "Noblemen" and not from Alaster Mor, son of Donald (1).
NB : Alaxandair is the gaelic spelling used in MS ('1450'/1467 [“The most valuable genealogical authority we have - the sheet anchor - the highest authority"; Revs A&A; "CLAN DONALD"; 1896-1904. I use this spelling to differentiate Alaxandair OG from his nebulous uncle, which I spell as Alaster MOR. And, that is exactly how it is spelt in the orthographically correct Annals of Ulster, 1362.8 : "..One who was to be king of Insi-Gall Hebrides, namely, the son of John the Black, son of Alaxandair (OG) MacDomnaill"; and all the other Ulster annals of that period. [Just to confuse matters, W. Skene calls the branch of Alaxandair/Alexander OG in MS 1467, as "obviously the Clan Alasdair" - with a heading of CLAN ALASTAIR; p.468; n.13]
