Hello members of the McNeill Clan of Colonsay and Gigha!
My name is Deborah Jane McNeill (born New Zealand 1968) and I am your future Clan Chief. I am the eldest daughter of John Duncan McNeill (known as Duncan, born New Zealand 1938) who is the current Head of the Clan McNeill of Colonsay (as it is officially known by the Office of the Lord Lyon), a title that was conferred to him after the death of his father. My grandfather, Alexander Malcolm McNeill (born New Zealand 1899), matriculated his arms on 31st July 1972, making him the Clan Chief until his death in January 1988. As my father chose not to Matriculate his own Arms, he is titled Head of the Clan.
In recent months, he and I have had several global conversations (he lives in Darwin, Australia and I live in Suffolk, UK) on the subject of the future. He has decided to return his right to hold the title as Head of the Clan to the Lord Lyon in order that I may Matriculate my Arms to become the Clan Chief sooner. He wishes to see me hold the title while he’s still alive. Fortunately, he’s in reasonably fine fettle for 84 and still enjoying an active life.
The process of Matriculation is quite complicated and lengthy. Once I have sent my petition to the Lord Lyon, which will require quite a bit of paperwork, then it could take up to two years before the matriculation has been completed. So, we’re probably looking at 2024 before the formal process has been completed and I can officially call myself your Clan Chief.
In that role, I would aim to undertake a variety of activities for the clan including:
- collaborating with others to help raise the profile of our branch of the McNeills
- to support the promotion of our clan at Scottish and international events
- to organise Clan Gatherings in Scotland
- to attend as many international Clan McNeill gatherings as possible
- to set up a Scottish Clan McNeill of Colonsay Society
- to support research and publication of materials including books which provide information on the history of the clan
- to work with manufacturers and suppliers to make our Clan McNeill tartan and memorabilia more readily available to purchase (especially in Scotland)
- to take my place representing our Clan at Scottish and international events
A little about me. I was born and raised in New Zealand on a sheep farm which the family left when I was 10. I qualified as a Registered Nurse but after nursing for a couple of years, moved onto other endeavours. In 1994 I travelled to the United Kingdom and have ended up living here ever since – I’m in “no-man’s” land when it comes to my accent because I sound Kiwi to the English and English to the Kiwis! Eventually I found myself working in the public sector in an exceptionally busy and pivotal role as Town Clerk at Diss Town Council in Norfolk, a position I held for 12 years.
After falling ill with chronic fatigue in 2018, I completely changed my life and now work as a landscape photographer and run a small campsite on the family farm in Suffolk, UK that my 24 year old son recently inherited from his father (who I divorced in 2007 but remained close to, returning to nurse him to the end last year). I am also training as a hypnotherapist and planning to start running glamping retreats for women from 2023. My interests include travel (I’m never happier than when out and about in my motorhome called Doris), reading, gardening and personal development. For over 20 years I have been involved with helping to preserve the memory of the American men of the 388th Bomb Group who flew B-17’s over Germany during WWII from an airbase not far from the farm on the Norfolk/Suffolk border. My ex husband started and curated for nearly 30 years, a small museum on the farm in their memory which I now find myself as curator of following his passing.