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Our Scottish clan

The Clan MacBean is of ancient origin and is claimed, by some authorities, to have sprung from the ancient House of Moray. The name appears in different forms as MacBean, MacBain and McVean. An early scottish king was known as Donald Ban.

Originally the MacBeans are said to have come from Lochaber in the suite of the heiress of Clan Chattan and settled in eastern Inverness-shire. Myles MacBean was a strong supporter of Mackintosh against the Red Comynn, and at the Battle of Harlaw in 1411, many of the MacBeans fell fighting for Mackintosh. The The principal family were the MacBeans of Kinchyle, and Kinchyle signs several important Clan Chattan agreements in 1609, 1664 and 1756. Other families were the MacBeans of Drummond in the parish of Dores, MacBean of Faillie in Strathnairn and MacBean of Tomatin in Strathdearn.

The MacBeans were ever a war-like clan, and at the Battle of Culloden, Gillies MacBean, filling a breach in a wall, killed fourteen of the Hanoverian side before he fell. His feat was almost emulated over a century later by Major-General William MacBean, who enlisted in the 93rd regiment in 1873. He gained the V.C. for attacking and killing single-handed eleven of the enemy in the main breach of the Begum Bagh at Lucknow in 1858. Another member of the clan, Major Forbes MacBean of the Gordon Highlanders, gained the D.S.O. for his gallant conduct at the taking of the heights of Dargai in 1897.

Learn even More .. !!

Badge: A grey demi catamountain, salient, on his sinister foreleg a Highland targe, gules.

Motto: Touch not a catt bot a targe.

Gaelic Name: MacBheathain (Son of the Lively One)

Plant Badge: Boxwood (official) and Red Whortleberry (for Clan Chattan)

 

 

other information:

  1. I was named William after my paternal Grandfather. He was killed in World War 1 on Christmas Eve 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. His regiment was the Seaforth Highlanders  My father never knew him as he was only 8 months old when he died. As the first son of the family, I took his Christian name.

  2. My second Christian name is Tromans and I have this because it is a tradition of many Scottish families that the first son of the family takes his mother's maiden name which, in my case, was Elsie Lillian Tromans.

some of my Photos

 
Bill, Barbara, Barrie, Beverly & Belinda - at a family wedding at Niagra Falls
Barbara, me & Beverly - at a street party on Coronation Day 1953

 
Born:
at home, 8 Wylde Crescent, Rowley Regis, at 7.25am on Saturday 24 April

Weight:
when born I was 8˝ pounds. My weight now? You've no chance!

Christened name:
William Tromans McBain [there's a reason why I took these two Christian names - click here if you wish to know more]

Education:
Infant & Junior schooling: This was at the 'British School' on the Stourbridge Road, Halesowen

Secondary Education was at the 'Boys School' in Windsor Road, Halesowen

Further Education was at the Halesowen College [for the first year it was based at Colley Lane, Cradley but then we moved to the new purpose built premises in Whittingham Road, Halesowen] where I took my 'A' Levels.  

early Life:

At the age of 5 weeks I was rushed into The Guest Hospital, Dudley with pyloric stenosis but I was too weak for the needed operation. Within a week, however, the hospital said it was essential I have that operation and thus my uncle Lol, a Methodist local preacher, was called from work to christen me in hospital just in case I didn't survive the operation.

 

The family moved to 52 Hawne Lane, Halesowen when I was 6 52 Hawne Lane in 1968 - a corner house with Cherry Orchard Avenue

 

Mom began attending Short Cross Methodist church, in Attwood Street Halesowen, and so it was there I started to go to their Sunday School. Three photos are shown to the right - I'm only in the middle photo!

 
Short Cross sunday school anniversary - date unknow but it's circa 1968 photograph taken outside Short Cross Methodist church - after a Parade Service. date unknown Sunday School anniversary at Short Cross methodist - 1970 can you spot Belinda on the back row?]

my family

the gathering - minus me, of course!To see a few details of each member of the family and my nieces & nephews click here.

family history

  • I'm trying to look into the family history of both the McBains' and the Tromans' families
  • The research is rather long-winded and I've only got back about 4 generations so far.
  • Some of the information can be seen here - but there's a lot of work to be done yet!!

. . . . . a snap shot

With Claude-Michel Schonberg [the composer of such music as Le Miserables & Miss Saigon - after he came to choir practice of the Midlands Symphony Chorus.

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My one and only time fishing, an overrated experience  - but I would say that wouldn't I?!

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My beautiful XR3i - stolen off my drive & later abandoned and  burnt out. So sad.

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at the gates, after a Garden Party at Buckingham Party

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my first time in a kilt - Scotland 2004My first time ever in a kilt; and my dad never saw this! (At a wedding of my cousin's daughter - Aug 04)

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my dad laying a wreath at the grave of his own father - this was the first time he had ever seen his father's grave. An emotional time for us all

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Taken by me when standing in The Mall, London, as part of the 1 million+ people there to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee. (Concorde & the Red Arrows.)

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I took this photo of Lord Mountbatten's funeral procession as it came down Whitehall - he had been murdered by the IRA & was given a state funeral

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Just after I'd landed from my first ever glider flight

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me being 'arrested' outside Number 10 Downing Street - or was I . . . . ??!!

. . . . . a snap shot

Taken from the Canadian side of the Niagara Falls - a long time ago!!

. . . . . a snap shot

A short video clip taken from a recently found Cine-Film of a bed-push I took part in way back as a 19 year old when ‘our gang’ pushed the bed the 15 miles from Halesowen to Stourport in aid of leukaemia research. I find this clip fascinating, not only because sponsored events were relatively unheard of then, but because ‘Health & Safety’ was obviously an unknown concept – as is clearly demonstrated by our total lack of!! See the YouTube video here. Oh so thin; oh so young; oh for a full head of non-grey hair!!

 
© William Tromans McBain 

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