Publications about Clan Matheson

This book was first published in 1882 by Alexander Mackenzie, and a second edition was heavily revised by Alexander MacBain and published in 1900.

Both editions are available free of charge in a variety of formats from the Internet Archive:

1882 edition

1900 edition

This booklet and the accompanying map relate the place names in Lochalsh mentioned in the ‘History of the Mathesons’ to their locations, and record some of the history associated with them.  A previous chief of the clan, Sir Torquhil Matheson of Matheson, undertook this project to record place names of significance to the clan before changing landscapes and revision of maps lost the connection.  The UK branch of the clan society has made the book and the map both available.

William Matheson was an academic at the University of Edinburgh. In two articles in the Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness, he explored Matheson origins.

Traditions of the Mathesons was published in volume 42 (or XLLII), pages 153-181.  The full volume of the journal is available here.

Genealogies of the Matheson was published in volume 47 (XLVII), pages 172-217.  The full volume of the journal is available here.

Some of the family lines he mentions run into the late 1800s, so you might be able to make a connection with your ancestors.

This book reviews the 1900 History of the Mathesons and William Matheson’s articles, and builds on them in the context of the turbulent history of the northwest Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

You can buy a hardcopy for 20 pounds, but the whole text seems to be available on the author’s blog.