Andrew MacThomas of Finegand has been the 19th
Chief of Clan MacThomas since May 1970. He grew up in
Edinburgh and was educated in both Scotland and England. He
retired in 2005 from his role as Public Affairs Director of
Barclays plc, one of the world's leading financial services
companies based in London, where he still lives with his
Dutch-born wife, Anneke. They have two children, Tom and
Amy.
Finegand is
Vice-President of the Clan Chattan Association; a Fellow of
the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland; and a member of the
Board of Directors of the Standing Council of Scottish
Chiefs.
Since succeeding to the Chiefship,
Finegand has dedicated a great deal of time to promoting his
ancient clan and re-establishing the Clan's historic links
with Glenshee.
In the 1970's, the Chief
arranged for the Clan's ancient Gathering Place, the
Cockstane, which had been purchased a few years earlier by a
member of his family, to be made over to the Clan Society in
perpetuity.
In the 1980's,
Finegand led the discussions with Tayside Regional Council
which culminated in the new bridge over the River Shee at the
Spittal to be named "The MacThomas Bridge" in recognition of
the original clansfolk who first settled in the fields bedside
the river in the 15th Century.
In the 1990's,
Finegand purchased all the immediate land around the Cockstane
on behalf of the Society and in the first decade of the new
millennium oversaw the complete redevelopment of the Cockstane
site.
To make his ancient
Clan better known, Finegand was the first MacThomas Chief to
visit Australia, South Africa, Canada and the USA, the latter
a number of times.
MacThomaidh Mhor (pronounced
in Gaelic "McHomy Vor") is the correct designation of the
present Chief and his successors.
Please click here to
view the Chief's family tree in our Genealogy
section.
Board of Directors of the Standing Council of Scottish
Chiefs.