On April 19, 1651, Sir Robert Makgill of the Isle of Mull, off the coast of Scotland, was knighted by Charles II for heroic action in assisting Charles to escape from the Army of the Covenanters. Robert was made Viscount of Oxingford, and received a large estate in Tullycairn, Ireland. Irish emigration brought Makgill's descendants to Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. The American Makgills dropped the "k" and some picked up a "c", while others became "Magill".

In honor of Dr. John Magill's Hebridean ties, here is "Bear Magill", made of handspun Hebridean wool imported from Uist in the Outer Hebrides, with eyes and nose embroidered in handspun cashmere (see Cashmere Scarf) and a scarf of the same cashmere. Bear was made while I was recovering from a distal radial (Colles) fracture in December, 2001. Dr. Magill, of Sun Orthopaedic Group, Inc., is the surgeon who treated my left wrist after I broke it in a fall during a tap dancing class. I was able to knit during all but two weeks of the splint/pins & plaster period of nine weeks (see the Rose Leaf Shawl).

Informal research suggested that the Magill family may be allied with the MacDonald Clan, hence the MacDonald tartan ribbon with which Bear Magill's box is tied; ribbon imported especially from Scotland for this purpose.