Translation of Folio 5.
This folio represents Mathew, Ch 1, vv 18-21. At the top of the folio appears "in nomine sancte Trinitatis", partially pared off in binding the volume. It has Gaelic writing in the margins, in a hand much later than the original scribe of the Gospel book. In the Gaelic it reads:
"Robhaid colbain mormáer buchan acus eua ingen garnait abenphústa acus donnachac mac sithig tœsech clenni morgainn edbarta rí día acus rídrostán acus ria columcilli acus rí petar apstal onahulib dolaidib archuit cetri dabach do ni thíssad arardmandaidib alban cucotchenn acus arardchellaib . testibus his brocin et cormac abb turbrúaid et morgunn mac donnchaid acus gilli petair mac donnchaid acus malæchín acus da mac matni acus mathe buchan huli naíaidnaisse in helain."
which interpreted is:
Colbin, mormaer of Buchan, and Eva, daughter of Gartnat, his wedded wife, and Donnachadh, son of Sithig, toisech of Clann Morgainn, immolated all the offerings given to God and to Drostan and to Columcille and to Peter the Apostle, free from all the burthens for a share of four davachs of what would come on the chief residences [monasteries] of Alba generally and on the chief churches. Before these witnesses: Broccin, and Cormac, Abbot of Turbruaid, and Morgan, son of Donnachadh, and Gilli-Petair, son of Donnchadh, and Malaechin, and Matan's two sons, and the nobles of Buchan, all in witness hereof in Elan (Ellon)".
The act of making this grant took place at Ellon, which was of old the capital of the province and earldom of Buchan in Pictish times, at a meeting of the officials, and "good men" or proprietors of the district. This was doubtless held on the Moothill, a green mound at Ellon on the banks of the River Ythan, where the Earls of Buchan administered justice and took investiture of their great fief.
That the Clan MacKay was once called Clan Morgan has never been disputed by competent authorities. The earliest reference to the Clan Morgan, of which we have any knowledge, is to be found in a Gaelic entry in the Book of Deer, dated a few years later than 1132; and in this entry [vide supra] we find the toisheach of the clan, his two sons, and the two sons of Matan, witnessing a legal transaction at Ellon, the old capital of Buchan. [Mackay, A. (1906) The Book of Mackay, Edinburgh: Norman Macleod, p. 12]
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