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GREGG GRIGG GRIGGS
Triadic Origin of Name Scotland
Criuthene, first King of what is now known as Scotland but was known to the Romans before the Christian Era as Caldonia, Pictia and Albania, had seven sons one of whom was called Ciric. It is likely that the personal names of Grig, Greg and Gregor in Scotland stem from the legendary accounts of this King and his son Ciric. Greg is from the Gaelic greigh meaning herd and fear (a man) meaning herdsman.
Grig was the fourth King after Kenneth Alpin. He was the son of Dongal who reigned next before Alpin, father of Kenneth. Dongal was a cousin of Achaius, father of King Alpin, on the paternal side. Achaius married Fergusia a Pictish Princess. King Grig ruled 875-893. He liberated the Scottish Church from subjection to the laws of the Picts his home and castle, Dondour, and Ecclegrieg (Greg’s Church) were in Carioch, Aberdeenshire. He is called Grig, Ciric, Cirig, Cyrig, Girg Girig and by Latin writers, Circi and Circium, and in later chronicles, Gregor, Grigar, Greg, and Circium, and in later chronicles, Gregor, Grigar, Greg, Mac Donnagal, Gregory, Gregorious and Gregory the Great.
Gregor became a surname when Gregor Alpin, third son of King Alpin, founded Clan MacGregor, 750-800. He was a descendant of Scottish King; Fergus Mor Mac Earca (about 500) in the male line and the Pictish Royal line in the female and his ancestry can be traced to Adam.
Strong leaders characterized the clan of the MacGregor, with there aggressive personalities who kept the Clan feuding in the Highlands. In the year 1633, King Charles prevailed upon Parliament to abolish Clan MacGregor. It was not termed a felony to murder a MacGregor. It was not lawful to use the name on any contract and the ministers dared not baptize a babe of that name.
Because of this stringent act of parliament, the MacGregors took such names as Gregg, Greig, Grigg, Greer, Gregor, Grigar, Greg, Gregson, and Grigson.
William Gregg the Quaker was very old when he and his sons, John, George and Richard and daughter, Ann, came to the Colonies about 1680 and settled in Christina Hundred, Delaware, on a four hundred acre plantation which was surveyed 11 March 1685.
Among their family records were mottoes Srioghal mo dhream eindo, which are traced to the Arms of the Clan MacGregor. The older motto was Ein Do and spare not (boit spair nocht) Sir John Murry MacGregor obtained permission to change the motto above the Crest to S'Rioghal mo dhream (Royal is my race). The motto below the escutcheon is Ard Choille (The woody hill).
From these mottoes the true ancestry of William Gregg the Quaker can be traced to Gregor Alpin, third son of King Alpin. Gregor founded Clan Macgregor and his eldest son became the first MacGregor-Doungheal son of Gregor. However Mac, meaning son of, was not used as part of surnames until the eleventh century.
It is thus established that William was of pure Scottish blood, notwithstanding that he resided in Ireland supposedly from the time of the Cromwellian Wars, 1648/9. He was doubtless banished to Ireland with others because of his religious views.
It is reasonable to believe that William became a Quaker when he saw the evil and turmoil caused by the endless Clan Wars. There is every reason to believe that he was born William MacGregor and that the family name was changed to Gregg when Clan MacGregor was abolished. William died 1st of July 1687 and is buried on his plantation.
His descendants became innumerable le in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, and the Carolinas, where they are recorded in the Civil records. In the Quaker books they are found in Kennet Monthly Meeting in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and in Meetings of Salem, New Jersey, Fairfax and Hopewell Meetings in Virginia. In the records of Kennet Monthly Meeting in Chester County, Pennsylvania, we find the following letter on page 23 of the book of
From our Monthly Meeting of Newark held at Center in county of Newcastle on the Delaware, 6 October 1759, to Monthly Meeting of Cane Creek in North Carolina:
Dear Friend, whereas the bearer Joshua and Jacob Gregg having sometime ago produced a certificate from your Meeting to ours and now requesting some lines from us to you. They may therefore certify on their behalf that inquiry hath been made concerning them. And we don't find but that having their abode among us they have been of an orderly conduct and are clear from marriage engagements, and their affairs are of satisfaction as far as we find. We remain loving friend and brethren.
Jacob and Joshua were sons of William Gregg, who was a son of John, who was a son of William the Quaker.
