is very interesting: "Immediately after the battle of Auldearn
Seaforth met and communed with Montrose, the result of which
was that Seaforth should join Montrose, for the King against the
Parliament and States, whom they now discovered not to be for the
King as they professed; but in the meantime that Seaforth should not
appear, till he had called upon and prevailed with his neighbours
about him, namely, My Lord Reay, Balnagown, Lovat, Sir James
Macdonald of Sleat, Macleod of Dunvegan, and others, to join him
and follow him as their leader. Accordingly, Seaforth having
called them together, pointed out to them the condition the King
was in, and how it was their interest to rise and join together
immediately for his Majesty's service and relief. All of them
consented and approved of the motion, only some of them desired that
the Parliament who professed to be for the King as well as they,
and desired to be rid of Montrose and his bloody Irish, should
first be made acquainted with their resolution. Seaforth, being
unwilling to lose any of them, condescended, and drew up a declaration,
which was known as Seaforth's Remonstrance, as separate from
Montrose, whereof a double was sent them; but the Parliament was
so far from being pleased therewith that they threatened to proclaim
Seaforth and all who should join him as rebels. Now, after the
battle of Alford and Kilsyth, wherein Montrose was victorious,
and all in the south professing to submit to him as the King's
Lieutenant, he was by the treachery of Traquair and others of
the Covenanters, surprised and defeated at Philiphaugh. In the
beginning of the next year, 1646, he came north to recruit his army.
Seaforth raised his men and advertised his foresaid neighbours to
come, but none came except Sir James Macdonald, who, with Seaforth,
joined Montrose at Inverness, which they besieged, but Middleton,
who then served in the Scots armies in England, being sent with
nearly 1000 horse and 800 foot, coming suddenly the length of
Inverness, stopped Montrose's progress. Montrose was forced to
raise the siege and quit the campaign, and retired with Seaforth
and Sir James Macdonald to the hills of Strathglass, to await the
arrival of the rest of their confederates, Lord Reay, Glengarry,
Maclean, and several others, who, with such as were ready to join
him south, were likely to make a formidable army for the King but,
in the meantime, the King having come to the Scots army, the first
thing they extorted from him was to send a herald to Montrose,
commanding him to disband his forces, and to pass over to France
till his Majesty's further pleasure. The herald came to him in
the last of May, 1646, while he was at Strathglass waiting the rest
of the King's faithful friends who were to join him. For this
Montrose was vexed, not only for the King's condition, but for
those of his faithful subjects who declared themselves for him
and before he would disband he wrote several times to the King,
but received no answer, except some articles from the Parliament
and Covenanters, which after much reluctance, he was forced to
accept, by which he was to depart the Kingdom against the first of
September following, and the Covenanters were obliged to provide
a ship for his transportation, but finding that they neglected to
do so, meeting with a Murray ship in the harbour of Montrose, he
went aboard of her with several of his friends, namely, Sir John
Hurry, who served the States the year before, John Drummond, Henry
Brechin, George Wishart, and several others, leaving Seaforth and
the rest of his friends to the mercy of these implacable enemies;
for the States and Parliament threatened to forfeit him for acting
contrary to their orders, and the Kirk excommunicated him for
joining with the excommunicated traitor, as they called him, James
Graham; for now the Kirk began to rule with a high hand, becoming
more guilty than the bishops, of that of which they charged him
with as great a fault for meddling with civil and secular affairs;
for they not only looked upon them to form the army and to purge
it of such as whom, in their idiom, they called Malignants, but
really such as were loyal to the King; and also would have no
Acts of Parliament to pass without their consent and approbation.
Their proselytes in the laity were also heavy upon and uneasy to
such as they found or conceived to have found with a tincture of
Malignancy, whereof many instances might be given." But to return
to Seaforth. "After he was excommunicated by the Kirk he was
obliged to go to Edinburgh, where he was made prisoner and detained
two years, till in the end he was, with much ado, released from
the sentence of excommunication, and the process of forfeiture
against him discharged; for that time he returned home in the
end of the year, 1648, but King Charles I. being before that time
murdered, and King Charles II. being in France, finding that he
would not be for any time on fair terms with the States and Kirk,
he proposed to remove his family to the Island of Lewis, and dwell
there remote from public affairs, and to allocate his rents on
the mainland to pay his most pressing debts, in order to which,
having sent his lady in December to Lochcarron, where boats were
attending to transport himself and children to the Lewis by way of
Lochbroom, wherein his affairs called him, he, without acquainting
his kinsmen and friends, went aboard a ship which he had provided
for that purpose, and sailed to France, where the King was, who
received him most graciously and made him one of his secretaries.
This did incense the States against him, so that they placed a
garrison in his principal house at Brahan, under the command of
Captain Scott, who (afterwards) broke his neck from a fall from
his horse in the Craigwood of Chanonry, as also another garrison
in the Castle of Ellandonnan, under the command of one William
Johnston, which remained to the great hurt and oppression
of the people till, in the year 1650, some of the Kintail men, not
bearing the insolence of the garrison soldiers, discorded with
them, and in harvest that year killed John Campbell, a leading
person among them, with others, for having wounded several at
little Inverinate, without one drop of blood drawn out of the
Kintail men, who were only 10 in number, while the soldiers numbered
30. After this the garrison was very uneasy and greatly afraid of
the Kintail men, who threatened them so, that shortly thereafter
they removed to Ross, being commanded then by one James Chambers;
but Argyll, to keep up the face of a garrison there, sent ten men
under the command of John Muir, who lived there civilly without
molesting the people, the States were so incensed against the
Kintail men for this brush and their usage of the garrison, that
they resolved to send a strong party next spring to destroy Kintail
and the inhabitants thereof. But King Charles II., after the defeat
of Dunbar, being at Stirling recruiting his army against Cromwell, to
which Seaforth's men were called, it proved an act of oblivion and
indemnity to them, so that the Kintail men were never challenged for
their usage of the garrison soldiers. Though the Earl of Seaforth
was out of the kingdom, he gave orders to his brother Pluscardine to
raise men for the King's service whenever he saw the King's affairs
required it; and so, in the year 1649, Pluscardine did raise
Seaforth's men and my Lord Reay joining him with his men, marched
through Inverness, went through Moray, and crossed the Spey, being
resolved to join the Gordons, Atholes, and several others who were
ready to rise, and appeared for the King. Lesley, who was sent
from the Parliament to stop their progress, called Pluscardine to
treat with him, while Seaforth's and my Lord Reay's men encamped at
Balveny, promising a cessation of hostilities. For some days Colonel
Carr and Strachan, with a strong body of horse, surprised them in
their camp, when they lay secure, and taking my Lord Reay, Rory
Mackenzie of Redcastle, Rory Mackenzie of Fairburn, John Mackenzie of
Ord, and others, prisoners, threatening to kill them unless the men
surrendered and disbanded; and the under officers fearing they
would kill them whom they had taken prisoners, did their utmost to
hinder the Highlanders from fighting, cutting their bowstrings,
etc., so they were forced to disband and dissipate. Pluscardine,
in the meantime, being absent from them, and fearing to fall into
their hands, turned back to Spey with Kenneth of Coul, William
Mackenzie of Multavie, and Captain Alexander Bain, and swam the
river, being then high by reason of the rainy weather, and so
escaped from their implacable enemies. My Lord Reay, Red-castle,
and others were sent to Edinburgh as prisoners, as it were to make
a triumph, where a solemn day of thanksgiving was kept for that
glorious victory. My Lord Reay and the rest were set at liberty,
but Redcastle was still kept prisoner, because when he came from
home he garrisoned his house of Redcastle, giving strict commands
to those he placed in his house not to render or give it until
they had seen an order under his hand, whereupon Colonel Carr and
Strachan coming to Ross, after the defeat of Balvenny, summoned
the garrison to come forth, but all in vain; for they obstinately
defended the house against the besiegers until, on a certain day,
a cousin of Carr's advancing in the ruff of his pride, with his
cocked carbine in his hand, to the very gates of the castle,
bantering and threatening those within to give up the castle under
all highest pain and danger, he was shot from within and killed
outright. This did so grieve and incense Colonel Carr, that
he began fairly to capitulate with them within, and made use of
Redcastle's own friends to mediate and persuade them, till in the
end, upon promise and assurance of fair terms, and an indemnity of
what passed, they came out, and then Carr and his party kept not
touches with them, but, apprehending several of them, and finding
who it was that killed his cousin, caused him to be killed, and
thereafter, contrary to the promise and articles of capitulation,
rifled the house, taking away what he found useful, and then burnt
the house and all that was within it. In the meantime Redcastle
was kept prisoner at Edinburgh, none of his friends being in a
condition to plead for him, till Ross of Bridly, his uncle by his
mother, went south, and being in great favour with Argyll, obtained
Redcastle's liberation upon payment of 7000 merks fine." [Ardintoul
MS.]
While these proceedings were taking place in the Highlands, Seaforth
was in Holland at the exiled Court of Charles II., and when Montrose
arrived there Seaforth earnestly supported him in urging on the King
the bold and desperate policy of throwing himself on the loyalty
of his Scottish subjects, and in strongly protesting against the
acceptance by his Majesty and his friends of the arrogant and
humiliating demand made by the commissioners sent over to treat
with him by the Scottish faction. It is difficult to say whether
Seaforth's zeal for his Royal master or the safety of his own
person influenced him most during the remainder of his life, but
whatever the cause, he adhered steadfastly to the exiled monarch
to the end of a life which, in whatever light it may be viewed,
cannot be commended as a good example to others. Such vacillating
and time-serving conduct ended in the only manner which it deserved.
He might have been admired for taking a consistent part on either
side, but with Earl George self-preservation and interest appear
to have been the only governing principles throughout the whole of
this trying period of his country's history. The Earl of Cromarty
thought differently, and says that "this George, being a nobleman
of excellent qualifications, shared the fortune of his Prince,
King Charles I., for whom he suffered all the calamities in his
estate that envious or malicious enemies could inflict. He was
made secretary to King Charles II. in Holland, but died in that
banishment before he saw an end of his King and his country's
calamities or of his own injuries." We have seen that his conduct
was by no means steadfast in support of Charles, and it may now
be safely asserted that his calamities were due more to his own
indecision and accommodating character than to any other cause.
Earl George married early in life, Barbara, daughter of Arthur Lord
Forbes (sasine to her in 1637) with issue -
I. Kenneth Mor, his heir and successor.
II. Colin, who has a sasine in 1648, but died young and unmarried.
III. George of Kildun, who married, first, Mary daughter of Skene
of Skene, with issue - (1) Kenneth, who went abroad and was no more
heard of; (2) Isobel; and several others who died young. He
married, secondly, Margaret, daughter of Urquhart of Craighouse,
with issue - Colin of Kildun and several other children of whom
no trace can be found. All his descendants are said to be extinct.
IV. Colin, who has a sasine of Kinachulladrum in 1721, as "only
child now in life, and heir of his brother Roderick." He married
Jean, daughter of Robert Laurie, Dean of Edinburgh, with issue - (1)
Captain Robert Mackenzie, killed in Flanders, without issue, Colin
married, secondly, Lady Herbertshire, with issue, (2) Dr George
Mackenzie, who, in 1708, wrote a manuscript "History of the
Fitzgeralds and Mackenzies," frequently quoted in this work, and
"Lives of Eminent Scotsmen." He, with his father sold the estate
of Kinachulladrum to Roderick Mackenzie, IV. of Applecross, in
1721, and died without issue. (3) Barbara, who married Patrick
Oliphant.
V. Roderick, I. of Kinachulladrum, who married, first, Anna,
daughter of Ogilvie of Glencairn, in 1668 (sasine 1670), with
issue - (1) Alexander, II. of Kinachulladrum, who married Anne,
daughter of Alexander Mackenzie, III. of Applecross (marriage
contract 1707), with issue - Anne, his only child alive in 1766;
(2) Kenneth, who died without issue; and two daughters. Roderick
married, secondly, Catherine Scougall, daughter of the Bishop of
Aberdeen, with issue, all of whom died young.
VI. Jean, who married, first, John Earl of Mar, with issue; and,
secondly, Lord Fraser.
VII. Margaret, who married Sir William Sinclair of Mey, with
issue.
VIII. Barbara, who married Sir John Urquhart of Cromarty.
IX. John, first of Gruinard, a natural son whose illegitimacy is
fully established in the chapter dealing with the Chiefship of
the clan. When his Lordship received the news of the disastrous
defeat of the King's forces at Worcester he fell into a profound
melancholy and died in 1651, at Schiedam in Holland - where he
had lived in exile since the beginning of January, 1649 - in the
forty-third year of his age. He was succeeded by his eldest son,
XV. KENNETH MOR, THIRD EARL OF SEAFORTH,
Kenneth was born at Brahan Castle in 1635, and when he was five
or six years old his father placed him under the care of the Rev.
Farquhar Macrae, minister of Kintail, and constable of Ellandonnan
Castle, who had a seminary in his house which was attended by the
sons of the neighbouring gentry, who kept young Kintail company.
One of the manuscript historians of the family, referring to this
practical early training of his Lordship, says - "This might be
thought a preposterous and wrong way to educate a nobleman, but
they who would consider where the most of his interest lay, and
how he was among his people, followers, and dependants, on which
the family was still valued, perhaps will not think so, for by this
the young lord had several advantages; first, by the wholesome,
though not delicate or too palatable diet he prescribed to him and
used him with, he began to have a wholesome complexion, so nimble
and strong, that he was able to endure Stress and fatigue, labour
and travel, which proved very useful to him in his after life;
secondly, he did not only learn the language but became thoroughly
acquainted with and learned the genius of his several tribes or
clans of his Highlanders, so that afterwards he was reputed to be
the fittest chief or chieftain of all superiors in the Highlands
and Isles of Scotland; and thirdly, the early impressions of
being among them, and acquaint with the bounds, made him delight
and take pleasure to be often among them and to know their
circumstances, which indeed was his interest and part of their
happiness, so that it was better to give him that first step of
education than that which would make him a stranger at home, both
as to his people, estate, and condition but when he was taken
from Mr Farquhar to a public school, he gave great evidence of
his abilities and inclination for learning, and being sent in the
year 1651 to the King's College at Aberdeen, under the discipline
of Mr Patrick Sandylands, before he was well settled or made any
progress in his studies King Charles II., after his army had been
defeated at Dunbar the year before, being then at Stirling recruiting
and making up his army, with which he was resolved to march into
England, the young laird was called home in his father's absence,
who was left in Holland (as already described), to raise his men
for the King's service, and so went straight to Kintail with the
particular persons of his name, viz., the Lairds of Pluscardine
and Lochslinn, his uncles; young Tarbat, Rory of Davochmaluag,
Kenneth of Coul, Hector of Fairburn, and several others, but the
Kintail men, when called upon, made a demur and declined to rise
with him, because he was but a child, and that his father, their
master, was in life, without whom they would not move, since the
King, if he had use for him and for his followers, might easily
bring him home." [Ardintoul MS.]
Kenneth, like his father in later years, became identified with
the fate of Charles II., and devoted himself unremittingly to the
services of that monarch during his exile. From his great stature
he was known among the Highlanders as "Coinneach Mor." On the
arrival of the King at Garmouth, in June, 1650, his reception
throughout all Scotland was of a most cheering character, but
the Highlanders, who always favoured the Stuarts, were specially
joyous on the return of their exiled king. After the defeat by
Oliver Cromwell of the Scottish army at Dunbar - a defeat brought
about by the interference of the Committee of Estates and the Kirk
with the duties of those in charge of the forces, and whose plans,
were they allowed to carry them out, would have saved Scotland
from the first great defeat it had ever received at the hands of
an enemy - the King resolved to come north and throw himself upon
the patriotism and loyalty or his Highland subjects. He was,
however, captured and taken back to Perth, and afterwards to
Edinburgh, by the Committee of Estates, on whom, it is said, his
attempted escape to the Highlands "produced a salutary effect;"
and they began to treat him with some respect, going the length
even of admitting him to their deliberations. A large number
of the Highlanders were already in arms to support him; but the
Committee, having the King in their power, induced him to write
to the Highland chiefs requesting them to lay down their arms.
This they refused, and to enforce the King's orders a regiment,
under Sir John Drown, was despatched to the North, but it was
surprised and defeated on the night of the 21st of October by Sir
David Ogilvy of Airley. On receiving this intelligence, General
Leslie hastened north with a force of 3000 cavalry. General
Middleton, who supported the King's friends in the Highlands, and
who was then at Forfar, hearing of Leslie's advance, forwarded him
a letter containing a copy of a bond and oath of engagement which
had been entered into by Huntly, Athole, the Earl of Seaforth, and
other leading Highland chiefs, by which they had pledged themselves
on oath to join firmly and faithfully together, and "neither for
fear, threatening, allurement, nor advantage, to relinquish the
cause of religion, of the king, and of the kingdom, nor to lay down
their arms without a general consent; and as the best undertakings
did not escape censure and malice, they promised and swore, for the
satisfaction of all reasonable persons, that they would maintain
the true religion, as then established in Scotland, the National
Covenant and the Solemn League and Covenant, and defend the person
of the King, his prerogative, greatness, and authority, and the
privileges of parliament, and the freedom of the subject." Middleton
pointed out that the only object of himself and friends was to
unite the Scots in the defence of their common rights, and that,
as would be seen from this bond, the grounds on which they entered
into association were exactly the same as those professed by Leslie
himself. Considering this, and seeing that the independence of
Scotland was at stake, he urged that all Scotsmen should join for
the preservation of their common liberties. Middleton proposed to
join Leslie, to place himself under his command, and expressed a
hope that he would not shed the blood of his countrymen nor force
them to shed the blood of their bethren in self-defence. These
communications ended in a treaty between Leslie and the leading
Royalists at Strathbogie, dated 4th November, by which Middleton
and his followers received an indemnity, and laid down their arms.
["Balfour," vol, iv., p. 129. "Highland Clans," p. 285]
Immediately after the battle of Worcester, at which Charles was
defeated by Cromwell in 1651 - where we find among those present
Thomas Mackenzie of Pluscardine as one of the Colonels of foot
for Inverness and Ross, and Alexander Cam Mackenzie, fourth son
of Alexander, fifth of Gairloch - Charles fled to the Continent,
and, after many severe hardships and narrow escapes, he found
refuge in Flanders, where he continued to reside, often in great
want and distress, until the Restoration, when in May, 1660,
he returned to England "indolent, selfish, unfeeling, faithless,
ungrateful, and insensible to shame or reproach." The Earl of
Cromarty says that subsequent to the treaty agreed upon between
Middleton and Leslie at Strathbogie, "Seaforth joined the King at
Stirling. After the fatal battle of Worcester he continued a close
prisoner until the Restoration of Charles." He was excepted from
Oliver Cromwell's Act of Grace and Pardon in 1654, and his estates
were forfeited, without any provision being allowed out of it for
his wife and family. He supported the King's cause as long as there
was an opportunity of fighting for it in the field, and when forced
to submit to the opposing forces of Cromwell and the Commonwealth,
he was committed to prison, where, with "much firmness of mind
and nobility of soul," he endured a tedious captivity for many
years, until Charles II. was recalled, when he ordered his old and
faithful friend Seaforth to be released, after which he became a
great favourite at his licentious and profligate Court.
During the remainder of his life little or nothing of any importance
is known of him, except that he lived in the favour and merited
smiles of his sovereign, in the undisputed possession and enjoyment
of the extensive estates and honours of his noble ancestors, which,
through his faithful adherence to the House of Stuart, had been
nearly lost during the exile of the second Charles and his own
captivity. Referring to the position of affairs at this period,
the Laird of Applecross says that the "rebels, possessing
the authority, oppressed all the loyal subjects, and him with the
first; his estate was over-burthened to its destruction, but nothing
could deter him so as to bring him to forsake his King or his duty.
Whenever any was in the field for him, he was one, seconding that
falling cause with all his power, and when he was not in the field
against the enemy, he was in the prison by him until the restoration
of the King." Restored to liberty, he, on the 23d of April,
1662, received a Commission of the Sheriffship of Ross, which was
afterwards renewed to him and to his eldest son Kenneth, jointly,
on 31st of July, 1675; and when he had set his affairs in order at
Brahan, he re-visited Paris, leaving his Countess Isobel, daughter
of Sir John Mackenzie of Tarbat, and sister to the first Earl of
Cromarty, in charge of his interests in the North.
Kenneth married early in life Isobel, daughter of Sir John Mackenzie
of Tarbat, father of George, first Earl of Cromarty, with issue -
I. Kenneth Og, his heir and successor.
II. John Mackenzie of Assynt, who married Sibella, daughter of
Alexander Mackenzie, III. of Applecross (marriage contract 1697).
He has a sasine in 1695 and 1696. They had issue, an only son,
Kenneth, who married his cousin Frances, daughter of Alexander
Mackenzie of Assynt and Conansbay, and died in 1723, without issue.
III. Hugh, who died young and unmarried. There is a sasine to
him as third son in 1667.