My Piping Heritage 

 

As you will see from the short history below, I am proud to be descended from a long line of distinguished pipers, from the Hendersons on my father's side and the MacKenzies on my mother's side, including John Ban MacKenzie who was known as 'King of the Pipers', and most recently Pipe Major Jimmy MacKenzie of Helensburgh.

 

 

  The Hendersons

The name Henderson in Gaelic is MacEanruig, pronounced in English as MacKendrick. The principal family of Hendersons was the clan Eanruig of Glencoe for whom it is claimed that they were in the glen of grievous memory centuries before the MacIains (Macdonalds) arrived there. Tradition states that “ Iain Fraoch,” a brother of John, 1st Lord of the Isles, married a daughter of the chief of the Hendersons of Glencoe and their son Iain was the founder of the MacIains of Glencoe. He was called “ Iain Abrach” from his being born in lochaber, and the clan came to be known as the Clan Abrach. The Hendersons were notable for their strength and always formed the bodyguard of the chief, and were the hereditary pipers of the Clan Abrach. The well known march “Gabhaidh Sinn an Rathad Mor” ( We will take the highway) was composed by John Breac Henderson, a celebrated Glencoe piper. 

 

 

The MacKenzies                              

 A couple of years ago there was a gathering of some of the best pipers in the land at the Old Kinnettas Cemetery at Strathpeffer. By all accounts, it was one of those drizzly Friday afternoons and they were there at the graveside to honour two great pipers, the piper in the photograph,

John Ban Mackenzie, known as the "King of Pipers, or "An Piobaire Ban" from his fair hair, and also his son, Donald. John Ban was born in 1796 at Achilty, which is near Strathpeffer, and became a legend in his own lifetime, a piping superstar no less. He seems to have been a bit of a lad with the ladies, too! All the great Highland families of the time had their retainers, who worked on the estate combining employment with musical duties as the laird's personal piper. John Ban was such a man. He found success quickly when he entered the piping competitions, making his mark on the prestigious Highland Society of London Competitions in only three short years. As piper to George Falconer Mackenzie of Allangrange, he won the fourth prize in 1820, second in 1822, and finally achieved the Prize Pipe in 1823. In 1835, as piper to the Marquis of Breadalbane, he won the first Gold Medal offered by the Highland Society of London, a competition only open to former winners of the Prize Pipe. That achievement alone marked him as the greatest piper of his day. John Ban seems to have developed a bit of a following early on in his piping career, especially amongst the fairer sex, or so it would seem. Hardly surprising considering the descriptions of the man - "the handsomest man of his day, tall, of magnificent physique, and as upright in character as in appearance". He certainly had something! Maria Mackenzie, the beautiful daughter of Captain Donald Mackenzie of Hartfield, brother of Mackenzie of Applecross, certainly thought so. But at the time the young heiress was being courted by John Ban's employer of the time, the love-lorn laird Duncan Davidson of Tulloch. And in those days discretion was what it was all about.

So the laird had John Ban piggy-in-the-middle passing secret notes and messages to Miss Mackenzie, including the last note asking her to elope with him and "damn the consequences". Damn the consequences the lady did, but instead of eloping with the laird, she eloped with John Ban instead! The couple left Applecross on ponies, Maria still in her thin cloth slippers, and they made their way through the mountains of Wester Ross, into Strath Conon and down to the east coast where they caught the coach for Crieff. There they were married in the old Scots manner (by making their vows in front of witnesses, which was perfectly legal). Luckily, being a piper of renown and the winner of many prizes, John Ban had no difficulty securing a job with Lord Breadalbane at Taymouth Castle, but as a single man. His bride had to go and live in the nearby village and the marriage was kept secret. Then Queen Victoria paid a visit one day and on the guest list was none other than his former boss, the laird Duncan Davidson. So John Ban was forced to reveal his secret. Fortunately for him, Lord Breadalbane found the whole episode quite amusing.

  At the start of the Northern Meeting Competitions in Inverness, John Ban, as the most famous piper of his time, and as the trusted family piper of Lord Breadalbane (with whom he stayed for 28 years in all) was invited to do a bit of judging.

Interesting to note the other judges on the bench alongside him - Lord Lovat, Cluny Macpherson, Colonel Mackintosh of Farr and one Charles Edward Sobieski Stuart!

Anyway, John Ban returned to the ranks of the competitor, winning the Prize Pipe in 1849, the Northern Meeting's Gold Medal in 1852 and building a reputation as a bagpipe maker, too. After retiring from his post at Taymouth Castle, he went to live at Greenhill Cottage, Munlochy, on the Black Isle, untill his death. John Ban's son Donald inherited his father's talent, winning the Prize Pipe at the Northern Meeting in 1847, when he was only 14 years old. He went on to win the Gold Medal in 1853, and again in 1861. But his promise was cut short when he died of smallpox at his father's home in Munlochy at the age of 30.