Allow me to unravel the tapestry of your family’s heritage, the MacInneses, a name that whispers the essence of the Celtic Gaelic spirit, derived from ‘Macaonghuis’, translating to ‘son of Angus’. In the annals of time, Grimble’s pages offer a glimpse into the seventh-century chronicle, Senchus Fer n’Alban, where the echoes of your ancestors, the sons of Angus, reverberate. In the rich tapestry of Dalriada’s legacy, your kindred, among Gabran and Lome, belonged to Angus, who once held Islay, later the realm of the Macdonald Lordship of the Isles. Although these threads of history weave a complex pattern, a distinct connection to the Maclnneses emerges, etched with the resonance of the Western Isles.

The historical whispers, as they can be traced with certainty, paint a portrait of the Maclnneses emerging from the Morvern peninsula in the heart of Argyll’s western expanse. Kinlochaline Castle stood as their realm, sheltering their legacy. In the tapestry of time, 1645’s Wars of the Three Kingdoms saw them guarding their stronghold against the Macdonalds, aligning with Royalist commander Marquis of Montrose against the Covenanters, led by the Campbell Earl of Argyll. Their fate intertwined with the Campbells, who dominated Scotland’s western shores in the wake of the Lordship of the Isles’ downfall, a strategic alliance born of wisdom.

A distinctive facet of your family’s narrative lay in their role as hereditary archers for the Mackinnon chiefs of Skye, a legacy echoing in their crest—an arm wielding a bow. As the pages turn, the MacInneses cast their lot with the Hanoverian cause alongside the Campbells, yet a branch, entwined with the Stewarts of Ardsheal, embraced the Jacobite banner. The ebb and flow of history propelled them across continents, weaving their name into the fabric of the English-speaking world, most notably in Canada and New Zealand. Among these threads, a singular figure emerges—John Macinness, who embarked on a journey from Scotland, wielding his service as an officer in the East India Company. His ascent, reaching the pinnacle of a general before retiring, inscribes his legacy. From his loins, Miles Macinness took the reins, a director of the London and North Western Railway, a Justice of the Peace for Cumberland and Middlesex, and a Member of Parliament for Hexham, his name echoing through history’s corridors.

In the embrace of this remarkable lineage, your family’s history is a tapestry woven with tenacity, courage, and adaptability, echoing the spirit of your ancestors through generations.