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Clan MacNab is a fascinating family with a wealth of notable and talented members! From a notorious chief to an Olympic athlete, and a star of a beloved TV sitcom, dive in to discover some of the MacNab’s most notable members.
Meet the Famous MacNabs
Francis MacNab
One clan chief is now famous as the subject of an iconic portrait by Sir Henry Raeburn. ‘The MacNab’ shows Francis MacNab (1734 – 1816) dressed in a tartan kilt holding a pistol, stood proudly against a stark Highlands backdrop.
Francis was the 16th chief of Clan MacNab, and a notorious character. He is thought to have been 6 foot 3 tall, towering above his peers, and possessing immense strength. His awe-inspiring stature, as well as his eccentric personality, have solidified his status as one of Scotland’s most memorable chiefs.
He was a scandalous womaniser, fathering at least 32 children, a gambler, and a heavy drinker. He was so passionate about whisky that he even produced his own! A man who visited Perthshire in 1792 exclaimed that ‘MacNab produced the best whisky to be found in Scotland.’ It is also believed that he ran a secret, illegal distillery in Killin and drank the alcohol he made there from a 9-gallon jug that he fondly coined ‘the bachelor.’
Due to his illicit activities, he was known for his vehement dislike of the government. MacNab was, however, immensely proud of being Scottish, and particularly proud of being from the Highlands. He once scathingly remarked to a visitor in Killin from Edinburgh that ‘the Highlands are no place for a man with breeches on!’.
He found himself unimpressed by trips to England and was very disappointed by the strength of animals he saw on a visit to a London cockpit. He is said to have bet large amounts of money that he could bring a Scottish bird that would easily defeat any opponent, then returned carrying a stunning golden eagle on his arm.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, all these antics, while entertaining, did not prepare the clan very seamlessly for the future! Despite having so many children from numerous different women, Francis had no legitimate heir. In 1812, he assigned his lands to his nephew, Archibald MacNab, but also left him an unpleasant surprise.
After his death, the true extent of his debts became clear, and after many desperate attempts to save the family estate, Archibald was forced to abandon it in 1823. He moved to Canada and set up an offshoot of the clan, with 85 members joining him there in the following year.
While Francis MacNab cannot be argued to be the perfect chief, he was undeniably an iconic one. Today, Raeburn’s famous portrait of him is on permanent display in Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Why not pay him a visit if you ever find yourself in the area.
James Alexander Macnabb
Our next famous face for today also served as a chief of Clan MacNab, but we’d like to focus on his extraordinary sporting achievements. James Alexander Macnabb was born on the 26th of December 1901 in West Yorkshire. He studied at Eton where he began rowing, quickly discovering an impressive natural talent. His first recorded competition was in 1920, when he formed part of the Eton crew that reached the semi-final of the Ladies’ Challenge Plate.
He went on to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he joined a tight-knit team named the ‘coxless four’ which won the 1922 and 1923 Stewards’ Challenge Cup. Macnabb also rowed for the Cambridge team in the 1924 boat race, helping lead them to a victory that started a 13-year winning streak! 1924 also saw Macnabb’s most famous, and most international, achievement. The ‘coxless four’ were chosen to represent Great Britain in the Paris Olympics and triumphed against Canada in the final, securing the much sought after gold medal.
However, the path to victory was not smooth. Macnabb later recalled the chaos in the days preceding the big race, as the team’s equipment had not arrived in Paris: ‘the big question at this time was the whereabouts of our boats and oars. They had not arrived at the course, nor had they been heard of. We made the journey each day to the Seine where we could do nothing but hang about.’ We think this minor setback only makes their glory even more impressive! After Paris, Macnabb continued to foster a love for rowing, acting as a long-standing president of the Amateur Rowing Association, and coaching the Oxford crew between 1949 and 1951, becoming one of the only people to coach both Cambridge and Oxford.
However, these were not his only achievements. He also served in the Royal Artillery during World War Two, worked as a qualified accountant, and raised awareness of charitable housing, being awarded an OBE in 1972 for his work with The Peabody Trust. Since his death at the age of 89, his legacy continues to live on. His Olympic medal is on display at the Leander Club in Henley, while the ‘Macnabb megaphone,’ once used by the man himself, is used today for coaching crews on the Thames.
Mercedes McNab
Our final famous MacNab for today has starred in numerous beloved shows. Mercedes McNab was born on the 14th of March 1980 in Vancouver, to notable English football player, Bob McNab. She developed both a passion and a talent for acting as a very young child, so moved with her parents to Los Angeles at just 9 years old, already determined to find success.
Luckily, she didn’t have to wait for long! McNab got her first big role in 1991, when she appeared in the iconic Addams Family as a girl scout selling cookies. Though the part was small, she made an impression and was invited back to feature in the 1993 sequel as a snobby child at summer camp named Amanda Buckman. Her comedic timing was impressive even at such an early level of her career, and she was already starting to make a name for herself.
A few years later in 1997, McNab was cast in the ground breaking TV show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She drew on her comedic talents again, portraying Harmony Kendall, a popular young student who eventually becomes a vampire. She appeared on the show for 4 years, becoming a mainstay of the franchise and gaining countless fans. She was so well-liked that she later went on to join the spin-off series, Angel. After a one-off guest role in the second season, she was made a recurring character.
McNab continued to grow her star, winning roles in smash-hit shows such as Psych and Supernatural. In 2007, she branched out and took the lead role in a slasher movie named Hatchet, proving her impressive acting range. She retired from acting after getting married in 2012, but we’re sure many are still enjoying her old Buffy and Supernatural reruns!
That brings us to the end of this month’s Famous Faces blog. We’ve been astounded by the breadth of Clan MacNab’s talents. If you are lucky enough to belong to this ancient clan, we hope you feel inspired by the achievements of your peers.
To learn more about the mighty Clan MacNab, head over to our Clan MacNab page, and be sure to keep an eye out for the rest of our MacNab content.
Image Sources:
Francis Macnab- Clan Macnab Society https://www.clanmacnabsociety.com/
James Alexander MacNabb- Stephencdickson
Mercedes McNab- Eva Rinaldi
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mercedes_McNab_2012.jpg
