My McNab Ancestors Update post has create a lot of discussion. It mentions a letter written to the Clan Macnab Society in 1909 by Archibald Hearne McNabin in which he claims that the title of Clan Chief and being a descendant of John MacNab, of Shenaghart in Kintyre, and later of Sherrabeg in Badenoch, who is my 4 x great grandfather. The letter explains how John was the oldest son of Duncan, who was the oldest son of Alexander McNab, who commanded the clan through the Jacobite Rebellion. It also claims that heads of the other branches served under him, because the chief was in the Royalist (anti-Jacobite) army. Whether Alexander is the same MacNab that accompanied my ancestor Angus Ban Macdonell of Inch with the Bonny Prince during his wanderings after Culloden is not clear.
It appears that there are new papers from a reliable source that show that my 4 x great grandfather John MacNab, of Shenaghart, etc, was born in Callander 25 Jun 1765. There’s a John Macnab on FamilySearch.org shown as being baptized in Callander Jun 27, 1765, son of Duncan McNab and Christian Wright. So I’m guessing this is the same John son of Duncan.
Records also show that Duncan & Christian were married in Callander April 27, 1752; he of Callander parish; she of Aberfoyle:
Four children have been found as follows:
- Mary baptized Feb 23, 1753
- Margaret baptized Sep 3, 1754
- Alexander baptized Oct 13, 1755
- Margaret baptized Nov 24, 1756
These MacNabs are apparently a cadet branch of the MacNabs of Innishchewan. It’s not clear why they were in Callender, although they may have moved a bit after Culloden. It’s possible that Alexander being the name of the first born son confirms that Duncan’s father was Alexander – and if they did follow the naming tradition, then Duncan’s mother was likely Margaret. In any event, it’s another one tiny step closer to solving the MacNabs of Innishchewan mystery.
a tale of downward social mobility 
There is some question of whether these people were descended from the Inneshewan cadet. If we take the report that Alexander MacNab in Keppoch’s regiment was the cousin of the chief, then one of his parents must have been a brother or sister of the previous chief. That would make them of the house of Kinnell. Further, there is a line of the Inneshewan family that also has a reported Alexander McNab who fought at Falkirk in the Duke of Perth’s regiment. That Alexander was the last of the Inneshewan line dying in 1810 (from a local newpaper report). My guess is that Allexander who fought in Keppoch’s regiment called himself “Inneshewan” to avoid association with chief who was fighting for the other side.