THE SURNAMES OF SCOTLAND Author: George Fraser Black, Pub: NY Publishing Library, p.761 A shortening of (Mac)Taggart, q.v “Honi soit qui mal y pense,” says the late Sir Herbert Maxwell “the rule of celibacy was not strictly enforced upon the primitive church” (Scottish Lands Maps p.177). Patrick Taggart was a witness in Dumfries, 1544, Christian Taggart is in Inglistoun, 1678, Andrew Taggart appears in the parish of Borgue, 1684, and William Taggart in underweed in the same year.
THE SURNAMES OF SCOTLAND, The New York Public Library p.565,566 MACTAGGART, Donald McKyntagart of Dumfries had remission of his fine, 1459 (ER., VI, p.553), and William Maktygar “oratour and beidman” of “the kingis hospitaile of the trinite college besyd” Edinburgh, is in record, 1504 (Laing, 248). Thomas McKyntaggart was tenant in Strathdee, 1527 (Grant, III, p.68), and John Makintalgart in Bocastell made a complaint against certain individuals in 1581 (RPC, III, p.350). Walter McTaggart in Glenloy and two other McTaggarts who were charged with fire-rising and burning houses belonging to Steuart in Fintaillauch, 1583 (ibid., p577). Catherine M’Target or M’Targett in Dunbar was accused of witchcraft in 1688 ( (RPC., 3. ser. XIII, p.245). McIntagart 1614, M,Intagerit 1541, McIntargart 1615, Mckintaggart 1623, Myketagart 1433, and McTaggard, McTaggit, McTaggate in Galloway.
de Tasagart adds the Alexander/Vershoyle-Greene family- MacAlexander, MacAlaisdair, Tarbert in Kintyre and matrilineal Campbell and Stewart family. The Alexander descend from MacRanald (Clan Ranald) like the MacDougalls from when the Hebrides and Argyll were one. The first earl of Stirling William Alexander b.1567 married Janet Erskine. William the first Earl of Stirling descended also the Earls of Caledon, Tyrone Co 1480. Ireland. Sir William’s eldest son William led Sir William’s first expendion to Nova Scotia in 1627. According to the Gazeteer for Scotland, He served in the court of King James VI (b. 1566 & d. 1625, s/o Mary of Scots, crowned James I of England in 1604), from whom he received a grant of lands in Canada in 1621, which he named Nova Scotia (New Scotland). Another son John of Tarbert-Eridy married Agnes Elizabeth Graham of Tassagart, Dublin. John obtained a grant of 1,500 acres of land in Northampton,Co., Va., on March 24 1659 and came to America in 1659. John Alexander obtained a grant of 1,450 acres, formerly granted to John Bagnall and John Walter and by them assigned to John Alexander 8/10/1659. The next generations migrated to Maryland and further, North Carolina. John Alexander original settler of Co Donegal, Ireland b. ca 1590 believed to have been descended from the House of MacAlexander in Tarbert Kintyre, Scotland. He settled in Eridy near Raphoe in Tirconnel and Donegal, Ireland.
In Raphoe, Arda Midhair, The Ó Dochartaigh (O'Dohertys), of Cenél Conaill, were cited as chiefs of Arda Midhair (Ardmire, perhaps the Finn Valley) in the barony of Raphoe, county Donegal.
At the turn of the 13th century two Ó Dochartaigh were noted as kings of Tír Chonaill, breaking a long hold the O'Cannons and O'Muldorys (Mulderrys) had on this title. Soon after the O'Donnells rose to prominence in Tír Chonaill. By 1247 the O'Donnells are noted as Lords of Inishowen for the first time (Annals), an apparent indication of Cenél Conaill expansion into a region traditionally held region by the Cenél Éoghain (Mac Lochlainn).
The arrival of the Norman de Burgo family by the latter half of the 13th century saw the building of fortifications in the region. Any fear of further Anglo-Norman expansion in Inishowen and Derry, however, was halted by the murder of Earl William de Burgh in 1333, and the absenteeism of his heirs kept the path open for Gaelic dominance in the region. The Ulster Clans: Conchobair, Clan Owen, O' Cathain, were originally Kings of Magh Ith in Tirconnell, that territory now mostly comprised by the Barony of Raphoe, but also extending into Tyrone in earlier times to baronies of Donegal, Londonderry, Tyrone to maritime Munster and two great septs of O Cathain in Thomond and Giants Causeway in Ulster. In the early years of the 17th century the town of Raphoe as we know it today did not exist.