I just finished reading the sixth book in the Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon in which she takes readers back to the mid-1700's in Scotland, and then brings the story right up to the eve of the American Revolution. Although it is a fictional love story mixed with a little time-travel, the meshing of day to day details about people, places and things, especially politics and medicine, fascinated me. More important, I found myself feeling somehow attached to every aspect of the story. In many ways I was wishing that I was there to see this history in the making with my own eyes.
It sparked an interest in learning more about my family history and it wasn't long before a Google search turned up tons of McMillin history, the most important being that my forbearers were from Scotland. Then I ran upon the official website of the Clan MacMillan. That really perked my interest and the more I read, the more I understood why I was so connected to Scotland and to the life and times of Jamie and Claire Frazier, the central characters in the books. They were caricature representatives of my family's Scottish history.
In addition to important events and people, the website explained a lot of things that I would never have known had I not done the research.
For example, the surname, McMillin, is but one of many variations of the spelling of Clan M'millan. In fact, according to the official records, "There are probably more variations on Macmillan than most because of the two Gaelic versions of the name - MacGhillemhaoil and MacHhaolain - each of which has been spelt in many different ways over the centuries, and in the various regions of the country in which members of the clan have lived."
Given the above, McMillin by any other name is a McMillin, and I can claim with full certainty to be of the MacMillan Clan. It won't make me rich but it sure makes me proud.
"Miseris sucurrere disco"
"I learn to succour the unfortunate"
If you would like to see and read more about Clan MacMillan you can go to: http://www.clanmacmillan.org/Index.html and click on any of the links.
Leroy McMillin - Clan MacMillan
