Clan MacThomas: A Legacy of Glenshee, Finegand and Overcoming Envy with God’s Help
Introduction
Clan MacThomas is a historic Highland Scottish clan rooted especially in Glenshee, Perthshire, Finegand, The Thom, Spittal of Glenshee, Badenoch, Clan Chattan country, Dundee, Fife, Angus, and the wider Scottish diaspora.
The clan motto is:
“Deo Juvante Invidiam Superabo”
“With God’s help, I will overcome envy.”
The clan crest is:
A demi-cat-a-mountain rampant guardant Proper, grasping in his dexter paw a serpent Vert, langued Gules, its tail environing the sinister paw.
In simpler terms, this is a Scottish wildcat holding a green serpent.
The clan plant badge is:
Snowberry.
The current chief is:
Andrew Patrick MacThomas of Finegand
19th Chief of Clan MacThomas
The official Clan MacThomas Society identifies Andrew MacThomas of Finegand as the 19th chief, a member of the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs, and a vice president of the Clan Chattan Association.
Chapter I: Origins of Clan MacThomas
The name MacThomas means:
Son of Thomas
The Gaelic form is often given as:
MacThòmais
The clan descends from a powerful 15th-century Highlander known as:
Tomaidh Mòr
Great Thomas
He was a Gaelic-speaking Highlander and a descendant of the Mackintosh chiefs of Clan Chattan. Clan histories describe him as a grandson of William Mackintosh, 7th chief of Clan Mackintosh and 8th chief of Clan Chattan. As Clan Chattan grew large and difficult to govern, Tomaidh Mòr led his followers from Badenoch across the Grampians into Glenshee, where they settled and became known as the MacThomases.
Historic spellings and related names include:
MacThomas
McThomas
MacThòmais
MacComie
McComie
McCombie
McComas
McColm
McComb
McComish
Combie
Combe
Thom
Thoms
Thomas
Thomson
Clan MacThomas therefore belongs firmly to the Highland world of Clan Chattan, Glenshee, Gaelic kinship, Perthshire folklore, and chiefship restored through memory and society.
Chapter II: Clan Territory and Ancestral Lands
Clan MacThomas’s historic territory includes:
Badenoch
Glenshee
Finegand
The Thom
Spittal of Glenshee
The Shee Water
Perthshire
Angus
Fife
Dundee
Aberdeenshire
The wider Scottish diaspora
The clan’s early chiefs ruled from:
The Thom
This was opposite the Spittal of Glenshee, on the east bank of the Shee Water. Later, the chiefship moved to:
Finegand
Finegand became the seat of the chiefs after the murder of Robert McComie of Thom, the fourth chief. The name Finegand is often explained from Gaelic feith nan ceann, meaning burn of the heads, linked to a tradition about slain tax collectors whose heads were thrown into the burn.
The clan’s gathering ground is still marked in Glenshee, and the modern MacThomas landscape remains one of the most distinctive in Highland clan geography.
Chapter III: Important People of Clan MacThomas
Tomaidh Mòr — Great Thomas
The founder of the clan was Tomaidh Mòr, or Great Thomas.
He led his followers from Badenoch to Glenshee, creating the clan’s independent identity within the wider Clan Chattan world.
Robert McComie of Thom
Robert McComie of Thom, the fourth chief, was murdered around 1600.
After his death, the chiefship passed to his brother John McComie of Finegand, and Finegand became the new seat of the chiefs.
John McComie of Finegand
John McComie of Finegand became chief after the murder of his brother Robert.
A charter in 1571 confirmed John McComy-Muir in the lands of Finegand in Glenshee.
Iain Mòr — John McComie
One of the most legendary chiefs was:
John McComie, known as Iain Mòr
He passed into Perthshire folklore as a fierce and formidable figure. Tradition says an Italian swordsman was sent by the Earl of Atholl to kill him, but McComie killed the swordsman instead.
Patrick MacThomas, 16th Chief
Patrick MacThomas, the 16th chief, became Provost of Dundee in 1847 and purchased the Aberlemno Estate in Angus.
This marks the clan’s later shift from Glenshee into Dundee, Fife and Angus success.
Andrew Patrick MacThomas of Finegand
The current chief is:
Andrew Patrick MacThomas of Finegand
19th Chief of Clan MacThomas
He has played a major role in preserving clan identity, strengthening clan society work and maintaining the MacThomas presence in Glenshee.
Chapter IV: Castles, Lands and Historic Sites
Glenshee
Glenshee is the heartland of Clan MacThomas.
For Clan MacThomas, Glenshee represents:
Clan origin
Highland settlement
Tomaidh Mòr
Finegand
The Thom
The Cockstane
The gathering ground of the clan
The modern clan still gathers in Glenshee, and the landscape remains central to MacThomas identity.
The Thom
The Thom was the early seat of the chiefs.
It stood near the Spittal of Glenshee and was the place from which the early MacThomas chiefs ruled.
Finegand
Finegand became the later chiefship seat after the murder of Robert McComie of Thom.
The name’s traditional meaning, burn of the heads, reflects the dramatic folklore of the glen.
Clach Na Coileach — The Cockstane
The clan gathering ground is associated with:
Clach Na Coileach
The Cockstane
This remains one of the most important modern symbolic sites for the clan. Modern clan summaries describe it as a gathering place where members of the clan have assembled in Glenshee.
Dundee
Dundee became important in later MacThomas history.
The chiefly family moved into business, property and civic life there, and Patrick MacThomas became Provost of Dundee in the 19th century.
Chapter V: Clan Chattan, Conflict and Clan Events
Clan MacThomas history is shaped by migration from Badenoch, Clan Chattan kinship, Glenshee settlement, civil-war loyalty, legal hardship and later dispersal.
Clan Chattan Origins
Clan MacThomas is part of the wider Clan Chattan Confederation.
The clan descends from the Mackintosh chiefly line through Tomaidh Mòr, linking MacThomas to the great confederation of Highland kindreds including Mackintosh, Macpherson, Shaw, MacBean, Davidson, MacGillivray and others.
Settlement in Glenshee
Tomaidh Mòr led his followers from Badenoch over the Grampians into Glenshee.
This movement created the MacThomas identity as a separate Highland clan based in Perthshire.
Recognition in Acts of Parliament
The MacThomases were named in government clan rolls in the late 16th century. Modern summaries note that Clan MacThomas was listed in the Acts of Parliament of 1587 and 1595.
Civil War Royalism
During the Scottish Civil War of the 17th century, Clan MacThomas supported King Charles I.
The lawsuits and penalties that followed damaged the chief’s position severely, and after the chief’s death in 1676, his sons were forced to sell the remaining lands.
Dispersal of the Clan
After the loss of lands, many clansfolk dispersed.
Some moved south into the Tay valley and became known as Thomson. Others moved into Angus and Fife, where they used names such as Thomas, Thom and Thoms.
This explains why MacThomas-related names appear in several forms across Scotland today.
Chapter VI: Clan Crest, Motto and Badge
Clan Crest
The MacThomas crest is:
A demi-cat-a-mountain rampant guardant Proper, grasping in his dexter paw a serpent Vert, langued Gules, its tail environing the sinister paw.
This means a Scottish wildcat holding a green serpent.
The official Clan MacThomas heraldry page describes the chief’s crest as containing a Scottish wildcat and a serpent.
The symbols suggest:
Ferocity
Watchfulness
Highland courage
Cunning overcome
Strength against danger
The wild independence of the clan
The wildcat connects MacThomas visually with the Clan Chattan world, where cat imagery is deeply important.
Clan Motto
The motto is:
“Deo Juvante Invidiam Superabo”
This means:
“With God’s help, I will overcome envy.”
The Clan MacThomas Society gives the motto as Deo Juvante Invidiam Superabo, translated as With God’s help I will overcome envy.
It means:
Faith over malice
Strength over resentment
Divine help against ill-will
Rising above jealousy and hostility
For Clan MacThomas, it is a powerful motto because the clan’s history includes rivalry, legal pressure, loss of land and survival through determination.
Clan Badge
The plant badge is:
Snowberry
The official Clan MacThomas material gives snowberry as the clan plant badge.
Snowberry suggests:
Resilience
Purity
Winter survival
Quiet endurance
Beauty in harsh conditions
Chapter VII: Clan MacThomas Tartans
MacThomas Tartan
The MacThomas tartan is officially recognised and recorded in the Scottish Register of Tartans.
The official Clan MacThomas Society describes the tartan as composed of blue and green, divided by narrower bands of black, with adjacent lines of magenta over the blue squares and lilac over the green.
MacThomas Ancient and Modern Tartans
Modern suppliers may offer MacThomas tartan in:
Modern
Ancient
Muted
Weathered, where available
The usual distinction is dye tone:
Modern colours are deeper and stronger.
Ancient colours are softer and lighter.
Weathered colours are more muted and aged.
Muted versions are often more restrained.
The Meaning of MacThomas Tartan Today
For modern MacThomas descendants, tartan represents:
Glenshee roots
Tomaidh Mòr
Finegand
Clan Chattan kinship
The wildcat crest
The motto “With God’s help, I will overcome envy”
Snowberry plant badge
Family pride and diaspora identity
The MacThomas tartan gives this Highland clan a visible and wearable Scottish identity.
Chapter VIII: Heritage, Identity and Clan Traditions
Clan MacThomas represents a Highland identity built on Clan Chattan ancestry, Glenshee settlement, folklore, loss, dispersal and revival.
Its story includes:
Tomaidh Mòr
Badenoch origins
Glenshee settlement
The Thom
Finegand
Iain Mòr McComie
Clan Chattan membership
Civil-war royalism
Dispersal into Thomson, Thomas, Thom and Thoms families
The Cockstane gathering ground
The wildcat-and-serpent crest
The motto “Deo Juvante Invidiam Superabo”
Snowberry plant badge
MacThomas tartan
A living recognised chief
Associated names and septs include:
Combie
MacOmie
MacOmish
McColm
McComas
McComb
McCombe
McCombie
McComie
McComish
Tam
Thom
Thoms
Thomas
Thomson
Modern clan summaries list these as associated names or septs of Clan MacThomas.
Chapter IX: Clan MacThomas Today
Today, Clan MacThomas remains a recognised Highland clan with a living chief.
The current chief is:
Andrew Patrick MacThomas of Finegand
19th Chief of Clan MacThomas
He is connected with both the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs and the Clan Chattan Association.
Modern Clan MacThomas identity can be found through:
Clan MacThomas Society
Clan Chattan Association
Family history research
Tartan wearing
Study of Glenshee and Finegand
Visits to the Cockstane and MacThomas Bridge area
Scottish heritage events
Highland games
Diaspora family networks
For MacThomas descendants, the best first step is to trace the family’s surname form:
MacThomas?
McComie?
McCombie?
McComas?
McComb?
McColm?
Thomas?
Thom?
Thoms?
Thomson?
Then trace the region:
Glenshee?
Perthshire?
Dundee?
Fife?
Angus?
Aberdeenshire?
Canada?
Australia?
New Zealand?
The United States?
That will determine the strongest family-history path.
Chapter X: Legacy of Clan MacThomas
The story of Clan MacThomas begins with Tomaidh Mòr, Great Thomas, leading his people from Badenoch into Glenshee.
From Clan Chattan came the bloodline.
From Glenshee came the homeland.
From Finegand came the chiefship.
From hardship came dispersal.
From memory came revival.
Its crest, the wildcat holding the serpent, speaks of strength, vigilance and Highland defiance.
Its badge, snowberry, speaks of endurance.
Its motto gives the clan its voice:
Deo Juvante Invidiam Superabo — With God’s help, I will overcome envy.
That phrase captures the MacThomas spirit: faithful, resilient, proud and unwilling to be broken by envy, loss or time.
From Glenshee to Finegand, from Clan Chattan to descendants across the world, Clan MacThomas continues to carry its history forward.
Its legacy is written in tartan, wildcats, snowberry, old glens, clan gatherings, family records and the pride of those who still honour the name.
Tartan Time Machine Closing Paragraph
At Tartan Time Machine, we bring Scotland’s past into the present by exploring the clans, surnames, castles, kirkyards, tartans, legends and forgotten stories that shaped the nation.
Clan MacThomas is one chapter in that greater story — a story of Tomaidh Mòr, Glenshee, Finegand, Clan Chattan, wildcat crests, snowberry badges, tartans and the powerful motto: With God’s help, I will overcome envy.
Discover more Scottish history, clan stories, castle features and heritage content at:
www.tartantimemachine.com