MacColl, P/M John
(1960-1943)
Born in Kentallen on Loch Linnhe on 6th January 1860 he was the youngest of 7 children of Dugald MacColl, the tailor of Kentallen and his wife Elizabeth MacInnes. He won the Oban gold Medal in 1883, the Gold Medal at Inverness in 1884 and the Former Winners Medal there in 1888. After a spell as a piper to Neil MacDonald of Dunach, he made his living entirely from the Games circuit and from teaching. As well as being an outstanding composer of ceol beg (he was one of the founding fathers of the ‘modern competition march’), he was an expert yachtsman and golfer, a shinty internationalist, and a Gaelic singer (at which he also competed).
When Donald MacPhee died prematurely in December 1880, McColl returned home to continue his lessons with P/M Ronald MacKenzie, ex P/M of the 42nd Black Watch and piper to the aforementioned Neil MacDonald of Dunach (three miles south of Oban) where MacColl’s future wife, Helen Carruthers, worked as a housemaid. They were married on 21st June 1894 with her sister Jeannie Carruthers as one of the witnesses. Hence the titles of two of his classic march tunes – “Jeannie Carruthers” and “Mrs John MacColl”. John MacColl died on 8th June 1943 at 34 Claddens Quadrant, Glasgow.
When Donald MacPhee died prematurely in December 1880, McColl returned home to continue his lessons with P/M Ronald MacKenzie, ex P/M of the 42nd Black Watch and piper to the aforementioned Neil MacDonald of Dunach (three miles south of Oban) where MacColl’s future wife, Helen Carruthers, worked as a housemaid. They were married on 21st June 1894 with her sister Jeannie Carruthers as one of the witnesses. Hence the titles of two of his classic march tunes – “Jeannie Carruthers” and “Mrs John MacColl”. John MacColl died on 8th June 1943 at 34 Claddens Quadrant, Glasgow.