Donald MacKinnon (Celtic scholar)

Donald MacKinnon
portrait of Donald MacKinnon
Born 18 April 1839[1]
Kilchattan, Colonsay, Argyll, Scotland[2]
Died 25 December 1914 (aged 75)[3]
Balnahard, Colonsay, Argyll, Scotland[4]
Nationality Scottish
Occupation Professor of celtic
Known for Celtic Studies
Spouse(s) Catherine MacPhee MacKinnon (m. 1873) (1842–1917)
Children

5

  • Malcolm * Catherine (d. 1949) * Mary (d. 1960) * Neil (d. 1884) * Duncan (d. 1918)

[5]

Donald MacKinnon (1839–1914), born on Colonsay, an island in the Scottish Inner Hebrides, was a Celtic scholar, the first elected Professor of Celtic languages, literature, history and antiquities at Edinburgh University, a chair he occupied from 1882[6] to the year of his death in 1914.[7] He is known particularly for his edition and translation of the so-called Glenmasan manuscript, and also catalogued the manuscripts in the Advocates Library collection.

Education

He enrolled in the local Sean Sgoil (The Old School),[8] and at the age of eighteen, attended the Church of Scotland Training College. He was Clerk to the Church of Scotland's Educational Scheme (1869). Continuing his study at Edinburgh University he obtained the degree of M.A. in 1870. Later he became clerk and treasurer to the School Board of Edinburgh.

Writings

He began publishing essays in An Gaidheal (which ran from 1871 to 1877).[9] Later he wrote his observations entitled "Place Names and Personal Names in Argyll", in the The Scotsman (Newspaper) Nov–Jan 1888, in eighteen serialised parts.
He edited, translated, and annotated the fifteenth century Glenmasan MS. (formerly Adv. Lib. MS. LIII, now National Library of Scotland (Adv.MS.72.2.3), an important codex containing a later romance version of the Deirdre story besides other material. A list of his works is given in the #Bibliography section.

Genealogy

Some recently-published writings by Sheets[10] and Ray[11] indicate a resurgence of interest in the connection between the MacKinnons who migrated to Canada and the family of the professor in Scotland who was their kinsman.

Footnotes

  1. Archives Hub 2010; citing The Gambolier, 25 November 1914, pp.64–66
  2. Archives Hub 2010
  3. Celtic Review 10, p.1 (Title page) "Since this number was printed we have learned.. of Professor Mackinnon's death, which occurred in the Isle of Colonsay on Christmas Day." see Maclean 1914.
  4. Archives Hub 2010
  5. Lamb 2011 webpage genealogy
  6. "Chairs and Professors of Universities in the United Kingdom". Who's Who Year-book for 1908. p. 132.
  7. Mackinnon & Mackinnon 1956, Preface, p.xvi. "He occupied the Celtic Chair for 32 years, retiring in June 1914 at the age of 75. On Christmas Day of the same year he died in his native island of Colonsay"
  8. Ray 2005, p. 269
  9. Scottish Gaelic Studies 23, p.127
  10. Sheets 2000
  11. Ray 2005

Bibliography

References

External links