(Mac)Colmin /Calman/Callum

The eponymous of Clann Challuim - (Mac)Colmins /Colemans/Callums/Malcolms - was the son of Gilchrist Gillemaol / Maolan who's documented in the Book of Deer in the mid-12th century as Malcoluim mac Molini. He appears in the MS1467 MacMillan genealogy (compiled at the end of the 15th century) as Gillacoluim mhic Gillacrist dar comhainn an Gillemaol, and on the Leny family tree (for which see the sept of Leny) both as Colmin Macmaolin and Colmin Macgilibile (Gilibile is a phonetic form of MacGhillemhaoil) from whom are shown to descend the Macolmins in Airgile & Cintyre.

Argyll traditions connect the chiefs of the original Clann Challuim with a place in Lorn called Colagin (not far from the modern town of Oban) and the importance of the kindred in medieval times is emphasised by the bitter comment said to have been made by the wife of the MacDougall chief on seeing MacCallum's twelve sons in church at Kilbride: "A third of Albyn were none too much for MacCallum of Colagin". This tale goes on to tell of a struggle between the MacMillans and the MacDougalls for control of Colagin - which was won by the MacDougalls - as a result of which MacCallum's three surviving sons left home to settle wherever the baggage should fall from their horses. While one son got no further than Cleigh, which is close to Colagin, the second son went north as far as Glen Etive, and the third son south to Kilmartin on the borders of Knapdale.

When Buchanan of Auchmar investigated the common origin of the MacMhaolains and the MacChalluims he was told by the Rev. Alexander MacColman, the Dean of Argyll, that his clan's "principal places" were then Benderloch and Muckairn (on both shores of the southern end of Loch Etive). Most of the clan living in these northern parts of Lorn were by then using the MacColman/MacCalman spelling of the name, while those to the south were generally MacCallums or MacMalcolms - though examples can still be found in the 18th century of individuals recorded with both spellings of the name (including the Rev. Alexander MacColman himself who's recorded in his first wife's testament as MacCallam).

Leading members of the southern branch of Clann Challuim had their seat at Poltalloch, and when they made a fortune as international merchants - particularly in the West Indies - they chose to drop the "Mac" and to call themselves "Malcolms". With their seat at Duntrune Castle and the old lairds of Poltalloch as their chiefs, the Malcolms now constitute a clan in their own right; so MacCallums / Malcolms whose ancestors came from the southern part of Lorn would belong to Clan Malcolm - though they're welcome to join (Mac)Calmans, (Mac)Colemans, (Mac)Colmins etc from northern Lorn as members of Clan MacMillan too if they wish to honour the shared ancestry of these two ancient kindreds.

A more detailed account

Read the article "Clann Challuim in Lorn" by Graeme M. Mackenzie in The Scottish Genealogist, Vol L, No. 3, September 2004.