In the Biography of the Hon. Archibald McLean, a Justice of the Court of Error and Appeal, there is a specific and deliberate record of his wife Joan MacPherson’s ancestry. The text highlights her descent from a distinguished family, yet when it reaches a pivotal ancestor, it describes him only as:
This wasn't a vague reference; it was a marker of status. In the rigid social hierarchy of the 18th-century Highlands, being "in the company" of a Chief like Donald Cameron of Lochiel wasn't a matter of chance—it was a matter of rank. This was not a common labourer; this was a member of the Gentry. By tracing the families of the Gentry, the "nameless" MacPherson is easily identified as Donald MacPherson of Breakachie, known as "Young Breakachie".
