Heritage
The Ayson family is originally believed to have come from Ireland as descendants of the Esson/Easson/Asson family (there are many derivations of this name) traceable back to the 14th century. They settled in the Glenshee area of the Highlands of Scotland which is now our so called ancestral home.
William Ayson’s only brother Robert who was a tailor and clothier in Blairgowrie found there were too many Essons about that interfered with his business, so he and William decided on a name change to Ayson in about 1766; and, prior to when William and Robert joined the Scottish Army. Apparently, the name Ayson was not started by William and Robert because there are records of the name Ayson as far back as 1392; and, just as many in the period 1700 to 1872. Therefore, it is speculated that the name was changed previously from Ayson to Esson as a matter of convenience! In Scotland prior to 1855 all one had to do to change a name was to change the spelling - but in the early days the spelling was phonetic hence a Session Clerk might copy down the name as it sounded to them in disregard to the actual spelling.
In very short time they produced 10 children. Then in order to give their family a better life and also because of the disruption of the Established Church of Scotland that made conditions difficult in the Glen – they decided to sail for NZ in 1852 along with half-brother James who was to marry later.
After a voyage of nearly five months on the ship Royal Albert they reached landing at Port Chalmers on 6 March 1853 – then Dunedin soon after.
Margaret Ayson who married James Robertson arrived in Dunedin in 1856; as did Alexander and Joan with their four children on the ship Southern Cross.
Peter and his family built a two roomed hut at Warepa which is 50 km south-west of Dunedin (19 km west of Balclutha). It was called Corydon – that was soon replaced by a larger homestead. As the family grew two cottages were added on the 50 acres of land that increased to 800 acres over time. They went in for wheat cropping and sheep breeding – specialising in stud merino sheep.
Peter and Douglas had a family of fourteen – ten sons and four daughters. Unfortunately, Duncan Fraser Ayson died at the age of seven just before the family left for NZ. He is reputed to have been buried in the grave yard of the Spittal Church at Glenshee, but has not been found as yet probably because many of the old headstones are in disrepair and are unreadable.
FORMATION OF CLAN SOCIETY IN NEW ZEALAND
Following on from the resolution at the general meeting held in Dunedin on 20 March 1954, a letter was sent to Mr Ian M.Campbell, Secretary of the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs in Edinburgh informing him of the forming of our Clan Society on the lines suggested by him. Also with this letter went a brief history of William of 1762, the migration of his three sons and daughter to New Zealand, their activities in the new colony and the estimated number of their descendants, together with a request that Mr Campbell bring this to the notice of Mackintosh of Mackintosh in the hope that he would accept our society into the Mackintosh group.
The following is a copy of the letter received on 30 August 1954, from Mackintosh of Mackintosh:
Dear Mr Ayson,
After the Annual General Meeting of the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs on July 2nd, Mr Campbell, our Secretary, passed me the correspondence he had with you.
I am most interested in your Clan Ayson of New Zealand Society and all your records with so many who have served their Country with distinction.
I have the greatest pleasure in welcoming the Clan Ayson of New Zealand as Clansmen of mine if they so wish to be and I give them full permission to wear the Mackintosh Turtans. There are now two which have been officially registered with the LORD LYON KING OF ARMS in 1951, i.e. The Clan Turtan and the Hunting.
Our Clan Badge plant is the Red Whortleberry, I don't know if you grow it in New Zealand, it requires peaty soil.
I think that nothing but good can come from the Clan spirit. As you know Clan means children or family and I think that the Clan Mackintosh and its various Septs are a happy family distributed all over the world.
I am afraid that I haven't had the good fortune of visiting New Zealand. It was somewhat tantalising during the war when I got within 700 miles of your Country in my ship, H.M.S. Victorious, based on Noumea , New Caledonia , in 1943. I had quite a number of New Zealand pilots serving under me and it was disappointing that I could not have given them leave in their own country. We were then attached to the U.S. South Pacific Fleet but we were ordered back to rejoin our own Fleet at Home.
Some of you may wish to become a member of the Clan Chattan Association of which I am President. I'm afraid you don't get much out of it except a journal once a year but it would keep you in touch with the Clan and we could report your activities. I enclose a couple of application forms if you care to use them, if not, please destroy them.
If any members of your Clan Society come over to this country I hope they will look us up. They will get a warm welcome.
Yours sincerely,
(signed) Lachlan Mackintosh of Mackintosh
The name "Mackintosh" originates from Mac an Toisch and means "son of the chief". Rear Admiral Lachlan Donald Mackintosh CB, DSO, DSC was the 29th Chief of Clan Mackintosh, Chief of Clan Chattan,President of the Clan Chattan Association, and, President of the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs.
In books on Scottish history the families of Ayson and Esson are recorded as septs of Clan Mackintosh; and so Clan Ayson of NZ was proud to be accepted as a sept of the same distinguished Clan Mackintosh
Since this time the Clan has grown from strength to strength. The Executive of the Clan Ayson Society comprising a Chief, Sub-Chief, National Secretary and Treasurer was first based at Balclutha, Christchurch, Gore, but now with digital communication it can be widespread and is at present.
There are four branches in the Nth Island (Auckland, Waikato/Bay of Plenty, Central Districts, Wellington), and, seven in the South Island (Blenheim/Nelson, Christchurch, South Canterbury, Central Otago, Dunedin, Balclutha, Southland). At present the Clan numbers about 700.
Since the auguration of Clan NZ in 1954, the 9th Clan Chief was appointed in 2013.
A CLAN
A clan is best defined as a grouping together of a number of families all related by blood under one Chief. Each family in a clan were termed septs and all regarded their Chief with great loyalty and devotion. A clan was like a tribe and the Scots originally were not so much a nation but a race of tribes who would go to war for the possession of land.
The Clan Chattan can be defined as a federation of clans banded together for greater strength and protection on the principle that unity is strength. Where families are septs of their clan the clans forming the Clan Chattan are septs of Chattan.
Clan Mackintosh, with 38 septs or families is the most powerful in the Clan Chattan and the Chief of Mackintosh has been the Chief of Chattan for over 700 years.
Other clans included in the Clan Chattan are:
Clan Macpherson with 26 septs, Clan Farquharson with 22 septs, Clan Davidson with 8 septs, Clan Macgillivray with 7 septs, Clan Macqueen with 6 septs, Clan Macbean with 8 septs, Clan Shaw with 12 septs, Clan Phail with 8 septs, Clan MacThomas with 16 septs plus Clan Maclean of Dochgarroch and Clan Macintyre of Badenoch.
In books about Scottish history the families of Ayson and Esson are recorded as septs of Clan Mackintosh and now the Aysons of New Zealand have ben accepted as septs of the same distinguished Clan.
Lieut-Commander Lachlan RD.Mackintosh OBE LL RN (Retd) is the current President of Clan Chattan.
In recent years, Chief Peter Ayson has reviewed the status of the Aysons of New Zealand in respect of their overseas links and how they relate to other septs and clans and reports as follows:
"Since being welcomed as a sept of the Clan Mackintosh by Mackintosh of Mackintosh in 1954, confusion has arisen as to whether we belong to the Mackintoshs or the Shaws. To further confuse the issue, the Clan Chattan Journal shows the Aysons as being a sept of both Mackintosh and Shaw. Lachlan R.D. Mackintosh , son of Lachlan Donald Mackintosh who welcomed us to Clan Mackintosh, says that the Aysons were probably descended from the MacThomas's who came down from the North to Perthshire, this would support the claim of the Aysons to be a sept of Mackintosh, as MacThomas's were Mackintosh."
The Shaws started as a 'cadet sept' of Mackintosh. The Chieftainship was vacant from the mid-1500's until the present . John Shaw of Tondarroch's father was granted the arms in 1970 -a gap of over 400 years.
"So from this, it can be seen that when we Aysons of New Zealand applied in 1954 to be a sept of Mackintosh there was no Chief of Clan Shaw, so we were pleased to be accepted into Clan Mackintosh as a sept.
To quote Lachlan R.D. Mackintosh : 'It has to be said that we always acknowledge that the list of septs is not showing an exclusive position . In other words, people of the same name can be septs of different clans."
What makes the Aysons of New Zealand different, is that we are all relatives, not just of the same name.
In conclusion, Lachlan R. D. Mackintosh says: "There is much evidence that Aysons are a sept of Mackintosh . My father welcomed you as such. I am very happy to continue to acknowledge all who wish so to remain.
Please convey my greetings to all Aysons of New Zealand. With best wishes."
Acknowledgement:
The Ayson Story. Glenshee to Otago 1853 - 2000
Published Clan Ayson Of New Zealand Society