present representatives of the Gruinard family, by which John
Mackenzie, their progenitor is incorrectly described as the son
of George Mackenzie of Kildun, second son of George, second Earl
of Seaforth. It is believed that the descendants of this George,
who was the second George designated of Kildun, are long ago
extinct; but whether they are or not, it will be conclusively
shown, by reference to dates, that John, I. of Gruinard, could not
possibly have been a son of his. And to the indisputable evidence
of dates may be added the testimony of all the Mackenzie MSS. in
existence which make any reference to John of Gruinard. In every
instance where his name appears in these he is described as a
natural son of George, second Earl of Seaforth.
Before this Earl succeeded he also was known as George Mackenzie
of Kildun, hence the error in the Gruinard Genealogical Tree. The
author of the Ancient MS., so often quoted in the course of this
work, was a contemporary of John, I. of Gruinard, and he states
that Earl George "had also "ane naturall" son, called John Mackenzy,
who married Loggie's daughter." The author of the Ardintoul
MS., who was the grandson, as mentioned by himself, of the Rev.
Farquhar Macrae, Constable of Ellandonnan Castle in Earl Colin's
time, and who died advanced in years as far back as 1704 - consequently
a contemporary of John of Gruinard - describing the effects of the
disastrous battle of Worcester, says that Earl George, who was
then in Holland, was informed of the result of the battle "by John
of Gruinard, "his natural son," and Captain Hector Mackenzie, who
made their escape from the battle," that the tidings "unraised his
melancholy, and so died in the latter end of September, 1651." The
Letterfearn MS. is also contemporary, for the author of it speaks
of Earl Kenneth as ""now" Earl of Seaforth," and of George of Kildun
in the present tense, while he speaks of his father in the past
tense, and he say's that "He (Earl George) left "ane natural son,"
who "is" called John, who "is" married with Logie's daughter."
That John of Gruinard was married to Christina, daughter of Donald
Mackenzie, III. of Loggie, is proved by a sasine dated 1655, in
which that lady is described as his wife.
It may be objected to these MSS. that, however probable it may be
that they are correct, they are not necessarily authentic. But
there is ample evidence of an official and incontestible character
on the point. A sasine, dated 6th of February, 1658, is recorded in
the Particular Register of Sasines of Inverness, vol. 7, fol. 316,
from which the following is an extract - "Compearit personally John
Mackenzie, "naturall" broyr to ane noble Erle Kenneth Erle of
Seaforth Lord of Kintail, etc., as bailzie in that part," on behalf
of "the noble Lady, Dame Isobell Mackenzie, Countess of Seaforth,
sister german to Sir George Mackenzie of Tarbat, Knight, future
ladie to the said noble Erle." Another authentic document having a
most important bearing on this question was recently discovered in
the office of the Sheriff-Clerk of Tain. It is a discharge by
Patrick Smith of Braco, dated and registered in the Commissary Books
at Fortrose, on the 4th of December, 1668, in which the parties are
described as "Kenneth Erle of Seafort, Lord Kintail, as principal,
and John Mackenzie of Gruinyard, designit in the obligatione
vnder-wrytten his "naturall" brother, as cautioner." Further, George
of Kildun married, first, Mary Skene, daughter of Skene of Skene, in
1661. This is proved by a charter to her of her jointure lands of
Kincardine, etc. (see Particular Register of Sasines Invss., vol.
ix. fol. 9). He married, secondly, Margaret, daughter of Urquhart
of Craighouse. The absolute impossibility is at once obvious of
George of Kildun - who only married his first wife in 1661 - having
had a son, John Mackenzie of Gruinard, in a position to have obtained
a charter in his favour of the lands of Little Gruinard, etc., in
1669 - within eight years of his reputed father's marriage to his
first wife - and who was himself designated in that charter as
of "Meikle Gruinard," while it is proved by undoubted official
documents that John of Gruinard's "wife" had lands disponed to her
as his wife in 1655; that is, six years before the marriage of
George of Kildun, John's alleged father. And further, how could
John of Gruinard's second son, Kenneth, have married, as be is known
to have done, the widow of Kenneth Og, fourth Earl of Seaforth,
who died in 1701, if John, his father, had been the son by a
second marriage of George of Kildun, who married his first wife
in 1661? The thing is absolutely impossible.
Kenneth Mor, third Earl of Seaforth, who, according to the Gruinard
Genealogy, was John of Gruinard's uncle, was born at Brahan Castle
in 1635. In 1651 he is described as "a child" by a contemporary
writer, who says that the Kintail people declined to rise with him
in that year during his father's absence on the Continent, because
"he was but a "child," and his father, their master, was in life."
Colin, first Earl of Seaforth, died in 1633, and the author of the
Ancient MS. says that "Earl George, being then the Laird of Kildun,
married before his brother's death, the Lord Forbes's daughter."
Thus, George of Kildun could not have been born before 1636 or
1637 at the very earliest; and the date of his first marriage,
twenty-four years later, strongly corroborates this. How then
could he have had a married son, John Mackenzie of Gruinard, whose
wife undoubtedly obtained lands in 1655; that is, when Kildun
himself was only 18 years of age, and when John, already designated
of Gruinard, was, in 1656, old enough to be cautioner for Kenneth,
Earl of Seaforth? Proof of the same conclusive character could be
adduced to any extent, but in face of the documents already quoted,
it is obviously superfluous to do so.
John Mackenzie, I. of Gruinard, could not in the nature of things
have been a son of the second George Mackenzie of Kildun. He was, on
the other hand, undoubtedly, the "natural" son of the first George,
who succeeded his brother Colin as second Earl of Seaforth, and
it necessarily follows that his representatives can have no claim
whatever to the Chiefship of the Clan, or to the ancient honours
of the family of Kintail and Seaforth. We shall now proceed to show
that these distinctions belong to and are at present possessed by
the male representative of
THE MACKENZIES OF ALLANGRANGE.
HAVING disposed of the only two serious claims made to the Chiefship
of the Clan in later times our next step is to show who the present
Chief is. To do this we must go back to Kenneth, created Lord
Mackenzie of Kintail in 1609; for there is no male representative of
any later head of the House in existence, so far as can be ascertained,
between that date and this. Lord Kenneth had seven sons -
1. Colin Ruadh or "the Red Earl," his heir and successor, who
died, in 1633, without surviving male issue.
2. John Mackenzie of Lochslinn, who married Isabel, daughter of
Alexander Mackenzie, V. of Gairloch, and died in 1631, having been
poisoned at Tam, without issue male. His only daughter, Margaret,
married Sir Norman Macleod, I. of Bernera, with issue.
3. Kenneth, who died unmarried.
Lord Kenneth, XII. of Kintail, married secondly, Isabel, daughter
of Sir Gilbert Ogilvie of Powrie, with issue -
4. Alexander, who died unmarried.
5. George, who succeeded his brother Colin, as second Earl of
Seaforth, and whose line terminated in Lady Caroline Mackenzie, who
died without issue in 1847, her father Kenneth, Baron Ardelve and
Earl of Seaforth in the peerage of Ireland, the last male of his
line, having died at the Cape of Good Hope in 1781.
6. Thomas Mackenzie of Pluscardine, whose male issue was proved
extinct at the Allangrange Service in 1829.
7. SIMON MACKENZIE, who, after the death of his brother John,
was designated of Lochslinn, and whose representative will be
shown to be the present head and heir male of the ancient family of
Kintail and Seaforth, and Chief of the Clan. This SIMON married,
first, Elizabeth, daughter of the Rev. Peter Bruce of Ferrar,
D.D., Principal of St. Leonard's College, St. Andrews, and son of
Bruce of Fingask, by Elizabeth, daughter of Alexander Wedderburn
of Blackness, with issue - five sons and one daughter, Jane, who
married Robert Douglas of Katewell, in the parish of Kiltearn,
Ross-shire, and secondly, Sir James Grant of Moyness.
The eldest of Simon's five sons was the famous SIR GEORGE MACKENZIE
of Rosehaugh, Lord Advocate for Scotland, whose history is so
well known that it would serve no good purpose to give only such
a brief account of it as could be given in the space here available.
He wrote several works of admitted literary merit, his "Institutes"
being to this day considered a standard legal authority. He left an
autobiography in MS. which was published by his widow in 1716.
The estate of Rosehaugh, where he always took up his residence
while in the Highlands, was, in his time, profusely covered with
the Dog Rose, a fact which first suggested to the famous lawyer
the idea of designating that property by the name of "Vallis
Rosarum," or Rosehaugh. Sir George married first, Elizabeth,
daughter of John Dickson of Hartree, with issue - (1) John; (2) Simon;
(3) George, all of whom died young and unmarried; (4) Agnes, who
in 1705 married Sir James Stuart Mackenzie, first Earl of Bute,
with issue, whose descendants, now represented by the Earl of
Wharncliffe, succeeded to his Ross-shire estates, but since sold
by them, though still retaining the name and arms of the family.
(For the succession see Retour of James Marquis of Bute, January,
1721); (5) Elizabeth, who married, first, Sir Archibald Cockburn
of Langton, with issue, and, secondly, the Hon. Sir James Mackenzie
of Royston, Baronet, with issue - George (who married but died
before his father, without male issue), and two daughters - Anne,
who married Sir William Dick of Prestonfield; and Elizabeth, who
married Sir John Stuart of Grandtully, with issue.
Sir George Mackenzie of Rosehaugh married, secondly, Margaret,
daughter of Haliburton of Pitcur, with issue, (6) James, who died
young; (7) George, who succeeded his father as II. of Rosehaugh,
and married - with issue, an only daughter, who died without issue;
(8) Jean, and (9) Margaret, both of whom died without issue. From
this it will be seen that the male representation of Sir George
Mackenzie of Rosehaugh, eldest son of the Hon. Simon Mackenzie
of Lochslinn, terminated at the death of his only son. We must
therefore revert to SIMON MACKENZIE, the immediate younger brother
of Sir George Mackenzie, and second son of the Hon. Simon Mackenzie
of Lochslinn, from whom JAMES FOWLER MACKENZIE OF ALLANGRANGE,
present Chief of the Clan, is descended as follows:
SIMON, who died at Lochbroom in 1664, married Jane, daughter of
Alexander Mackenzie, I. of Ballone, brother of Sir John Mackenzie
of Tarbat and uncle to George, first Earl of Cromarty (marriage
contract 1663) with issue - an only and posthumous son,
I. SIMON MACKENZIE, first of Allangrange, an Advocate at the
Scottish Bar. This property he acquired through his wife in the
following manner. Alexander Mackenzie, I. of Kilcoy, third son
of Colin, XI. of Kintail, had four sons, of whom the youngest,
Roderick, obtained the lands of Kilmuir, in the Black Isle. He
became a successful lawyer, Sheriff-Depute, and Member of Parliament,
and was knighted by Charles II. Sir Roderick, at the same time
proprietor of Findon, acquired several other properties by purchase.
He died in 1692, and on the death of his only son in the following
year, without issue, his unentailed estates, which were not
included in the Barony, and which had become very considerable,
and all his moveable property, were divided equally among his four
daughters, as heirs portioners. Isobel, the third of these ladies,
on the 22nd of August, 1693, married, as his first wife, Simon
Mackenzie, the Advocate, and carried to him in 1699 as her portion,
the estate of Allan - formerly the property and residence of the
Earl of Seaforth - which has ever since been known as Allangrange.
By Isobel Mackenzie, daughter of Sir Roderick Mackenzie of Findon,
Simon had issue -
1. Roderick, who died unmarried.
2. George, who succeeded his father as II. of Allangrange.
3. Kenneth, of whom there is no trace.
4. William, a Captain in the Dutch army. He married a Miss Innes,
with issue, since proved extinct.
5. Simon, who died, without issue, in the West Indies.
6. Lilias, who died unmarried.
7. Elizabeth, who in 1745 married, as his third wife John Matheson,
V. of Fernaig, ancestor of Sir Kenneth James Matheson, Baronet
of Lochalsh, with issue - one son, Captain Alexander Matheson, of
the 78th Highlanders, who died in India in 1809, without issue.
8. Eliza, who married Ludovic, son of Roderick Mackenzie, V. of
Redcastle.
9. Isobel, who married Murdoch Cameron, with issue, at Allangrange.
Simon married, secondly, on the 28th of August, 1718, Susanna,
daughter of Colonel Alexander Fraser of Kinneries, generally known
as "the Coroner," with issue -
10. Colin, who married a Miss Macdonald in Lochaber, with
issue - William, who died unmarried in the West Indies; Susanna, who
married a Mr Cameron, with issue; and a daughter, who died unmarried.
11. Alexander, a Doctor of Medicine, who died without issue, in
Jamaica, in 1780.
12. Margaret, married Dr John Mackenzie of Newton, who died
in 1759, with issue - Dr Simon of Mullet Hall, Jamaica, who there
married Catherine, daughter of Samuel Gregory from Nairn; George;
Roderick; Kenneth; and Isobel.
13. Frances, who married Lieutenant James Cumming of the Marines
(marriage contract 1752), without issue.
14. Susanna, and
15. Janet, both of whom died unmarried.
Simon was drowned in the River Orrin, in February, 1730, while
returning home from a visit to a friend in Fairburn, when he was
succeeded by his eldest surviving son,
II. GEORGE MACKENZIE, second of Allangrange, who in May, 1731,
married Margaret, daughter of John and grand-daughter of Sir Donald
Bayne of Tulloch. They have a retour in 1732. The male heirs
of the Baynes of Tulloch--originally a sept of Mackays from
Sutherlandshire, who settled down in the vicinity of Dingwall early
in the sixteenth century - having terminated in John, this lady's
father, she carried the lineal representation of that old and
respectable house to the family of Allangrange. By Margaret Bayne,
George Mackenzie had issue -
1. Simon, who died young in 1731.
2. William, a Captain in the 25th Regiment. He died before his
father, unmarried, in 1764.
3. George, who died young.
4. Alexander, who died unmarried before his father, in 1765.
5. John, who succeeded his father in Allangrange.
6. Margaret, who, as his second wife, married Alexander Chisholm,
XXII. of Chisholm, with issue, and carried on the succession of
that family.
7. Isobell, who married Simon Mackenzie of Langwell, a Captain
in the 4th Regiment (marriage contract 1767), with issue.
8. Mary, who married Kenneth Chisholm, Fasnakyle, a cadet of
Knockfin, with issue - Margaret, who married John Chisholm, Comar.
George had six other daughters - Anne, Janet, Susanna, Lilias, Ann,
Barbara, and Elizabeth, all of whom died young or unmarried.
He died in 1773, when he was succeeded by his eldest surviving
son,
III. JOHN MACKENZIE, third of Allangrange, who at an early age
was appointed Examiner of Customs in Edinburgh. He married, first,
Catherine, eldest daughter and co-heiress of James Falconer of
Monkton (marriage contract 1781), and grand-daughter of the Right
Hon. Lord Halkerton and the Hon. Jane Falconer. By the acquisition
of his wife's fortune John was able to devote himself to his favourite
agricultural pursuits, in which he was eminently successful in
his day. By his wife, who died in 1790, he left issue -
1. George Falconer, his heir and successor.
2. Jane Falconer, who married John Gillanders of Highfield, with
issue - (1) Captain George Gillanders, who died without issue; (2)
Captain John Mackenzie Bowman Gillanders, H.E.I.C.S., of Highfield,
who died, without issue, in 1852; (3) Alexander Gillanders; (4)
James Falconer Gillanders, of Highfield, who in 1852 married Amy,
daughter of the late Major Charles Robertson of Kindeace, with
issue - George Francis Gillanders, late of Highfield, who, on the
21st of December, 1876, married Geraldine Anne Isabella Mary Jane,
daughter of Major James Wardlaw, Belmaduthy, with issue - an only
daughter, Frances Geraldine; (5) Frances Williamina Gillanders,
who died without issue; (6) Margaret Mackenzie Gillanders; (7)
Catherine, who married William Inglis, of the H.E.I.C.S.
3. Margaret Bayne, who died young.
4. Margaret Bayne, who also died young.
John married, secondly, Barbara, daughter of George Gillanders,
first of Highfield, widow of John Bowman, an East India merchant
in London, without issue. She died in 1823. He died in 1812,
when he was succeeded by his eldest son,
IV. GEORGE FALCONER MACKENZIE, fourth of Allangrange, who was
in 1829 served heir male to his ancestor, the Hon. Simon Mackenzie
of Lochslinn, and heir male in general to Simon's father, Kenneth,
created first Lord Mackenzie of Kintail in 1609, and to Lord
Kenneth's brother, Colin, created first Earl of Seaforth in 1623.
He matriculated arms accordingly in the Lyon Office of Scotland.
On the 9th of January, 1828, he married Isabella Reid, daughter of
James Fowler of Raddery and Fairburn, in the county of Ross, and
The Grange, Jamaica, with issue -
1. John Falconer, who succeeded his father, and died unmarried in
1849.
2. James Fowler, who succeeded his brother John.
3. George Thomas, who married Ethel Newman, London, without issue
male.
4. Catherine Sophia, who died young.
5. Anna Watson.
George Falconer Mackenzie died in 1841, and was succeeded by his
eldest son,
V. JOHN FALCONER MACKENZIE, fifth of Allangrange, who died
unmarried in 1849, when he was succeeded by his next brother,
VI. JAMES FOWLER MACKENZIE, now of Allangrange, Chief of
the Mackenzies, and heir male to the dormant honours and ancient
titles of the historic family of Kintail and Seaforth. He is
still unmarried, and it is much to be feared that after his death
and that of his brother, George, who is without issue male, the
Chiefship of this great Clan may go a-begging. The only member of
the family whose male representation has not been proved extinct
is Kenneth, third son of Simon, I. of Allangrange, born about two
hundred years ago, and of whom or of his descendants, if any,
nothing is known for two centuries. And trace of them is now
scarcely within the region of possibility, even if in existence,
which is extremely improbable.
The Hon. Simon Mackenzie of Lochslinn, seventh son of Kenneth,
first Lord Mackenzie of Kintail, had by his first wife, three
other sons - Thomas Mackenzie, I. of Loggie; John Mackenzie, I. of
Inchcoulter or Balcony and Colin Mackenzie, Clerk to the Privy
Council, but the male issue of all three has been proved extinct.
He, however, married again; and it is among the descendants of
the second marriage that the Chiefship of the Clan must be sought
for should the heirs male of Allangrange at any time fail.
THE OLD MACKENZIES OF DUNDONNEL.
THE HON. SIMON MACKENZIE of Lochslinn married, secondly, in 1630
(marriage contract dated at Kingillie on the 12th of January),
Agnes, daughter of William Fraser, V. of Culbokie, and widow of
Alexander Mackenzie, I. of Ballone, brother of Sir John Mackenzie
of Tarbat, with issue -
1. Kenneth Mor Mackenzie, first of Glenmarkassie and Dundonnel.
2. Isobel, who, in 1673, married Murdoch Mackenzie, VI. of Fairburn,
with issue.
3. Elizabeth, who married the Rev. Roderick Mackenzie, minister
and laird of Avoch - the land of which he had purchased - son of John,
Archdean of Ross, natural son of Sir Roderick Mackenzie, Tutor of
Kintail, with issue. This
I. KENNETH MOR MACKENZIE, first of Glenmarkassie, acquired the
lands of Dundonnel, or "Achadh-Tigh-Domhnuill," from Roderick
Mackenzie, III. of Redcastle, in 1690, by excambion for Meikle
Scatwell. In 1681 he is described as Chamberlain of Assynt, and
in 1690 he receives a discharge from the Hon. John Mackenzie, then
designed "of Assynt," for 2448 merks, being the full rent for the
estate crop of 1689. He married Annabella, daughter of John
Mackenzie, I. of Gruinard, natural son of George, second Earl of
Seaforth, with issue -
1. Kenneth, his heir and successor.
2. Alexander, of whom nothing is known.
3. Colin Riabhach of Ardinglash, who married Annabella, daughter
of Simon Mackenzie of Loggie, without surviving issue.
4. Simon, of whom there is no trace.
5. Barbara, who married Alexander Mackenzie III. of Ballone (sasine
1727), with issue.
6. Sibella, who married John Mackenzie, II. of Ardloch, with
issue.
7. Annabella, who married James Mackenzie of Keppoch, Lochbroom,
brother of John Mackenzie, II. of Ardloch, with issue.
Kenneth Mor was succeeded by his eldest son,
II. KENNETH MACKENZIE, second of Dundonnel, who married Jean,
daughter of John Chisholm, XX. of Chisholm, with issue -
1. Kenneth, his heir and successor.
2. Captain Alexander, of the 73rd Regiment, who died in 1783, and
whose issue, if any, is unknown.
3. John, who married Barbara, daughter of Alexander Mackenzie, I.
of Ardloch, with issue, several sons, all of whom died young, and
two daughters - Annabella, who married Alexander Mackenzie, Rivochan,
Kishorn, with issue, twenty-five children; and Isabella. John's
widow married, as her second husband, Roderick, sixth son of George
Mackenzie, II. of Gruinard, with issue.
Kenneth was succeeded by his eldest son,
III. KENNETH MACKENZIE, third of Dundonnel, who in 1737, married
Jean, daughter of Sir Kenneth Mackenzie, IV. and first Baronet of
Scatwell, with issue -
1. George, his heir and successor.
2. Kenneth, a W.S. who died in 1790, and whose issue, if any, is
unknown.
3. William, an Episcopalian minister, who married, with issue.
If any male descendants of his exist and can be traced one of them
may, at no distant date, become Chief of the Clan.
4. Roderick, who was also married, with issue, but of whose
descendants, if any, nothing is known.
5. Captain Alexander, who died in India, without issue.
6. Captain Simon, who was married, and died in Nairn in 1812,
whether with or without issue, at present unknown.
7. Captain Lewis, who died in India, without issue.
8. Janet, who married Colin Mackenzie, Jamaica brother of George
Mackenzie, Kildonan of Lochbroom without issue. She died in 1783.
9. Isabella, who died unmarried.
Kenneth, whose wife predeceased him in 1786, died in 1789, when
he was succeeded by his eldest son,
IV. GEORGE MACKENZIE, fourth of Dundonnel, who married Abigail,
daughter of Thomas Mackenzie, V. of Ord, with issue -
1. Alexander, who died young.
2. Kenneth, who succeeded his father in the estates.
3. Thomas, who succeeded his brother Kenneth.
4. Jane, who married the Rev. Dr Ross, minister of Lochbroom,
with issue.
George was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,
V. KENNETH MACKENZIE, fifth of Dundonnel, who, in 1817, married
Isabella, daughter of Donald Roy of Treeton, without issue. He
left the estate by will to his brother-in-law, Robert Roy, W.S.,
who, however, lost it after a long and costly litigation with
Kenneth's brother,
VI. THOMAS MACKENZIE, sixth of Dundonnel, who was financially
ruined by the litigation in the case, and the property had to
be sold in 1835, to meet the costs of the trial. It was bought
by Murdo Munro-Mackenzie of Ardross, grandfather of the present
owner, Hugh Mackenzie of Dundonnel, and of Bundanon, Shoulhaven,
New South Wales. Thomas married his cousin, Anne, eldest daughter
of Alexander, VI. of Ord, with issue -
1. George Alexander, who became the representative of the family
on the death of his father.
2. Thomas, who emigrated to California, and of whose issue, if
any, nothing is known.
3. John Hope, who for some time resided at Tarradale House,
Ross-shire.
4. Helen, who married the Hon. Justice Charles Henry Stewart of
Ceylon, without issue.
5. Isabella, who resided in Elgin, unmarried.
Thomas was succeeded as representative of the family by his eldest
son