page_title: Clan Buchanan
section_title: The Chiefs
hierarchical_section_title: Clan Buchanan / Clan Chiefs / The Chiefs
caption_attribution_description: English: Depicts a synthesis of the Clan Buchanan succession of chiefs as described by the two main Clan historians, William Buchanan of Auchmar and Guthrie Smith
context_page_description: Clan Buchanan is a Highlands Scottish Clan whose origins are said to lie in the 1225 grant of lands on the eastern shore of Loch Lomond to clergyman Sir Absalon of Buchanan by the Earl of Lennox.
context_section_description: The first six Clan Chiefs are poorly represented in historical records and are included by some Clan historians and omitted by others. Buchanan of Auchmar and Guthrie Smith commence their respective numbering of Chiefs at a different person, and describe a different order and number of Chiefs following Sir Walter 11th of Buchanan. In part this is due to the heir apparent not succeeding to the chiefship before he dies and chiefship passing directly from grandfather to grandchild. The following lineage reconciles Guthrie Smith and Buchanan of Auchmar and their respective numbering is in parenthesis.
  1st – Anselan O'Kyan, son of a petty king from Ulster, Ireland, in the service of Malcolm II of Scotland from whom he received a grant of land in Lennox. He married an heiress of Denniestoun and by her had a son, John.
  2nd – John,  whose son and successor was Anselan.
  3rd – Anselan,  whose son and successor was Walter.
  4th – Walter,  whose son and successor was Girald.
  5th – Girald also called Bernard,  whose son and successor was McBeath.
  6th –McBeath (MacBethe/McBeth) McCausland,  whose son and successor was Anselan.
  7th – Anselan McCausland,     (Guthrie Smith identifies him as the 7th Laird of Buchanan and commences his numbering of Chiefs from him.) Seneschal to Earl of Lennox in about 1225 and obtained the charter for the Loch Lomond island of Clareinch (the Clan's call to war and alternately rendered as Clairinch or Clar Innis), had three sons (Gilbert his successor, Methlin the ancestor of the MacMillans, and Coleman the ancestor of the MacColemans).
  8th – Gilbert Buchanan,  (Guthrie Smith identifies him as 2nd Chief and Buchanan of Auchmar identifies him as 8th Chief) whose son and successor was Maurice.
  9th – Sir Maurice Buchanan,  (Guthrie Smith identifies him as 3rd Chief and Buchanan of Auchmar identifies him as 9th Chief) had three sons (Maurice his successor, Allan who married the heiress of Leny and John the first ancestor of the cadets of Auchneiven).
  10th – Sir Maurice Buchanan,    (Guthrie Smith identifies him as 4th Chief and Buchanan of Auchmar identifies him as 10th Chief) lived to a considerable age, married the daughter of Sir William Menteith of Rusk and by her a son and successor (Walter).
  11th – Sir Walter Buchanan, (Guthrie Smith identifies him as 5th Chief and Buchanan of Auchmar identifies him as 11th Chief) married Margaret and had three sons (Walter his successor, Alexander who reputedly killed the Duke of Clarence at the battle of Beaugé in 1421 and who later died in the battle of Verneuil in 1424, and John [Buchanan of Auchmar identifies him as 12th Chief ] who married Janet the heiress of Leny and was the first ancestor of the cadets of Leny) and two daughters (Elizabeth and Jean).
  12th – Sir Walter Buchanan, (Guthrie Smith identifies him as 6th Chief and Buchanan of Auchmar identifies him as 13th Chief) first married an unidentified women and by her three sons (Patrick his successor and Walter  Drumikill and Carbeth) and one daughter. He married secondly to Isobel Stewart.
  13th – Patrick Buchanan, (Guthrie Smith identifies him as 7th Chief and Buchanan of Auchmar identifies him as 14th Chief) married Jonet Cunningham of Galbraith and by her a son (Walter his successor) and a daughter (Anabella). He also had an illegitimate son (Patrick).
  14th – Walter Buchanan,    (Guthrie Smith identifies him as 8th Chief and Buchanan of Auchmar identifies him as 15th Chief) married Isobel Graham and by her four sons (Patrick [Guthrie Smith identifies him as 9th Chief but then goes on to advise that the Chiefship passed from Patrick's father to Patrick's son  and Buchanan of Auchmar identifies him as 16th Chief ] who married the daughter of the Earl of Argyle and by her had George who succeeded his grandfather; John first ancestor of cadets of Arnprior; Maurice; and Walter first ancestor of cadets of Spittal) and two daughters (Margaret and Elizabeth).
  15th – George Buchanan,    (Guthrie Smith identifies him as 10th Chief and Buchanan of Auchmar identifies him as 17th Chief) succeed his grandfather, Walter 1
caption: Succession of Clan Buchanan Chiefs
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