became head of the original Mackenzies of Dundonnel, although
the estates had been sold to another family. He married Louisa,
daughter of Captain Stewart of the Celyon Rifles, without issue.
If his next brother, who went to California, survived George
Alexander, then, on his death, he -
VIII. THOMAS MACKENZIE, would have succeeded as head of his house,
and failing him and his descendants, if any, the representation
of the old Mackenzies of Dundonnel would have fallen to JOHN HOPE
MACKENZIE, third son of Thomas, VI. of Dundonnel and last proprietor
of the family estates. He married Louisa, daughter of Captain
Stewart of the Ceylon Rifles, widow of his deceased brother, George
Alexander, without issue, and died in London in 1892.
The only members of this family whose descendants can ever now by
any possibility succeed to the Chiefship should it pass from the
Mackenzies of Allangrange are (1) Alexander, second son of Kenneth
Mor, first of Dundonnel, but of him there is no trace for more
than two hundred years, and never likely to be. (2) Simon,
Alexander's youngest brother, of whom nothing has been heard during
the same period. (3) Captain Alexander, of the 73rd Regiment,
second son of Kenneth Mackenzie, II. of Dundonnel, who died,
probably unmarried, in 1783. In any case there is nothing known
of any descendants. (4) Kenneth, W.S., second son of Kenneth
Mackenzie, III. of Dundonnel, who died in 1790, and is not known
to have been married. (5) William, third son of the same Kenneth, an
Episcopalian minister, who was married, and left issue, of whom,
however, we know nothing. (6) Roderick, William's immediate younger
brother, and third son of the same Kenneth Mackenzie, III. of
Dundonnel, who was also married, with issue, but whether extinct
or not we cannot say. (7) Captain Simon, who was married and died
in Nairn in 1812, but of his descendants, if any, we at present
know nothing. (8) Captain Lewis, who died in India, probably,
unmarried, but this has not been conclusively established; and
(9) Thomas, second son of Thomas, VI. of Dundonnel, who in early
life emigrated to California, and regarding whom nothing has since
been heard. If he is still alive or has left any surviving male
issue the late John Hope Mackenzie could not have succeeded as
head of the family, and Thomas, or his male heir, if now in life,
occupies that position; and on the failure of the Mackenzies of
Allangrange, he or his representative will become Chief of the
Mackenzies. Failing Thomas, or his male heirs, that honour would
fall to the heirs male, if any, of each of the eight others mentioned,
in the inverse order in which their names are here set forth.
THE MACKENZIES OF HILTON.
THE MACKENZIES OF HILTON are descended from Alexander Mackenzie,
VI. of Kintail, known among the Highlanders as "Alastair Ionraic,"
by his first wife, Anna, daughter of John Macdougall of Dunolly.
The first of the family was
I. DUNCAN MACKENZIE, designated of Hilton, a barony situated in
Strathbraan, bounded on the north by Loch Fannich, on the south
by the ridge of the hills on the north side of Strathconan, on the
east by Achnault, and on the west by Ledgowan. Duncan married a
daughter of Ewen Cameron, XIII. of Lochiel, with issue - an only
son, his heir and successor -
II. ALLAN MACKENZIE, second of Hilton, Loggie or Brea, from
whom the family is known in Gaelic as "Clann Alain." He married
a daughter of Alexander Dunbar of Conzie and Kilbuyack, third son
of the Sheriff of Moray, with issue -
1. Murdoch, his heir and successor.
2. John, progenitor of the Mackenzies of Loggie.
3. Roderick, who married, with issue, an only daughter, Agnes,
who married Alexander Mackenzie, II. of Killichrist, with issue.
4. Alastair, who married, with issue - a daughter, who married
Roderick, son of Murdoch Mackenzie, III. of Achilty, with issue -
the Rev. Murdo Mackenzie, Bishop of Ranfoe, in Ireland.
Allan's wife survived him, and married, as her second husband,
Kenneth Mackenzie of Meikle Allan, now Allangrange, second son of
Hector Roy Mackenzie, I. of Gairloch.
He was succeeded by his eldest son,
III. MURDOCH MACKENZIE, third of Hilton, who married a daughter
of Innes of Innerbreakie, now Invergordon, with issue - an only
son,
IV. JOHN MACKENZIE, fourth of Hilton, who married Margaret,
daughter of Dunbar of Inchbrook, with issue -
1. Murdoch, his heir.
2. Alexander, who, in 1640, married Margaret, natural daughter
of John Roy Mackenzie, IV. of Gairloch, apparently without issue.
The marriage contract is in the Gairloch charter chest.
3. Colin, M.A. of Aberdeen University, and minister of Kilearnan,
where he died. He married Miss Dundas, with issue - Kenneth, well
known in his day as Deacon of the Edinburgh Goldsmiths, who left
no issue.
4. A daughter who married John Sinclair, Caithness.
5. A daughter, who married John Matheson, "Ian Og," in Lochalsh,
whose eldest son, Alexander, became the progenitor of the Mathesons
of Lochalsh, Attadale, and Ardross, represented in this country by
Sir Kenneth James Matheson, Baronet, and others.
John was succeeded by his eldest son,
V. MURDOC MACKENZIE, fifth of Hilton, who married Mary, eldest
daughter of the Rev. Murdoch Murchison, Auchtertyre, minister of
Kintail, with issue -
1. Alexander, his heir.
2. Roderick, who married the eldest daughter of Alexander, third
son of Murdoch Mackenzie, II. of Redcastle, with issue - a son,
Colin, who died without issue, in 1682.
3. Colin, who married Isobel, daughter of Donald Simpson, Chamberlain
of Ferintosh, with issue - (1) Alexander, locally called "Sanders,"
who succeeded his grandfather, Donald Simpson, as Chamberlain of
Ferintosh. He married Helen, daughter of William Munro, Ardullie,
with issue - two sons and two daughters - (a) Colin, who died unmarried,
but left a natural son, of whom are descended several respectable
families in Ferintosh; (b) Donald, who married Jean, legitimate
male succession of his paternal grandfather, Alexander, eldest son
of Colin, third son of Murdoch Mackenzie, V. of Hilton. Donald
had several daughters; first Mary, who was along with her father
and brother when they were drowned, but she was saved, and married,
as his second wife, the Rev. Colin Mackenzie, minister of Fodderty,
first of the family of Glack, of whom presently second, Jean, who
married Colin Murchison third, Isabel, who married David Ross;
fourth, a daughter, who married Mackenzie of Ussie, with issue - two
sons, Donald and Frank; fifth, Anne, who married Lewis Grant;
and sixth, Helen, who married Alexander Mackenzie of Ardnagrask,
afterwards at Loggie-side, from whom was descended Bailie John
Mackenzie, of Inverness. Alexander's ("Sanders") eldest daughter,
Mary, in 1723, married Donald, son of John Murchison, Achtertyre;
the second, Elizabeth, married William Martin of Inchfure, with
issue - a daughter, Ann, celebrated for her beauty, who, as his second
wife, married Norman Macleod, XIX. of Macleod, with issue - three
daughters, Elizabeth, Anne, and Rich Mary, for whose marriage and
descendants see Mackenzie's "History of the Macleods," pp. 154-155.
(2) Roderick, Colin's second son, whose male heir carried on the
representation of the family on the death, without legitimate male
issue, of Alexander Mackenzie, X. of Hilton, when he was succeeded
by Roderick's grandson, Alexander, as XI. of Hilton, whose descent
will be shown presently. John, a third son of Colin, is on record
in 1730, but nothing more is known of him.
4. Murdoch, fourth son of Murdoch, V. of Hilton, married Agnes
Helen, daughter of Donald Taylor, a Bailie of Inverness (1665),
with issue - an only son, Alexander, who in early life entered the
service of Kenneth, Earl of Seaforth, and who, in 1709, became
Chamberlain of the Lewis for Earl William. In the same year
Alexander married Katherine, daughter of Andrew Duncan, factor
for Viscount Stormont, with issue, whose descendants are unknown.
Murdoch had also a daughter, Jean, who daughter of Thomas Forbes
of Raddery and of the lands of Fortrose as far as Ethie, with
issue - an only son, Alexander, who was drowned along with his
father, while fording the Conon, Opposite Dingwall, in 1759, when,
the son being unmarried, perished the married Hector Mackenzie, by
whom she had a son, Kenneth, a Jesuit Priest in Spain, and several
daughters.
5. Isobel, who married the Rev. Donald Macrae, minister of Kintail,
with issue.
Murdoch was succeeded by his eldest son,
VI. ALEXANDER MACKENZIE, sixth of Hilton, who, in 1630, married,
first, Annabella, second daughter of John Mackenzie, I. of Ord,
without issue, and secondly, Sibella, eldest daughter of Roderick
Mackenzie, I. of Applecross, widow in succession of Alexander Macleod,
V. of Raasay, and Thomas Graham of Drynie, with issue - an only son,
VII. EWEN MACKENZIE, who succeeded as seventh of Hilton. He
married, in 1685, Elizabeth, third daughter of Colin Mackenzie,
IV. of Redcastle, with issue -
1. John, his heir and successor.
2. Colin, who succeeded his brother John as IX. of Hilton.
3. Florence, who married her cousin, Alexander Macrae, son of the
Rev. Donald Macrae, minister of Kintail.
He was succeeded by his eldest son,
VIII. JOHN MACKENZIE, eighth of Hilton, who married Margaret,
daughter of Kenneth Mackenzie of Alduinny (marriage contract
1710), without issue. He joined the Earl of Mar, and was one of
"The four Johns of Scotland," - Ceithear Ianan na h-Alba - killed at
the battle of Sheriff-Muir in November, 1715, where he commanded
a Company of the Mackenzies. He was succeeded by his brother,
IX. COLIN MACKENZIE, ninth of Hilton, who married Catherine,
daughter of Christopher Mackenzie, Arinhugair, with issue -
1. John, who married Helen, daughter of Roderick Mackenzie, VII.
of Fairburn, and died without issue, before his father, in 1751.
2. Alexander, who succeeded to the estate.
3. A daughter, who, as his first wife, married John Macdonell,
XII. of Glengarry, with issue - Alastair, who carried on the
representation of that family, and another son.
He died in 1756, aged 65, and was succeeded by his only surviving
son,
X. ALEXANDER MACKENZIE, tenth of Hilton, who married Mary,
daughter of George Mackenzie, II. of Gruinard, without issue, when
the direct male line of Murdoch, V. of Hilton, came to an end.
He, however, had a natural son - Alexander, well known in his day
and yet affectionately spoken of by very old people as "Alastair Mor
mac Fhir Bhaile Chnuic," Seaforth's principal and most successful
recruiting serjeant when originally raising the 78th Highland
Regiment. And many a curious story is still told of Alastair's
successful efforts to procure willing and sometimes hesitating
recruits for the Regiment of his Chief. He married Annabella
Mackenzie, of the Gruinard family, by whom he had a numerous offspring;
and many of his descendants, one of whom is Major Alexander Colin
Mackenzie, of the 1st V.B. Seaforth Highlanders, Maryburgh, occupy
responsible positions in several parts of the country.
We must now revert, in order to pick up the legitimate male line
of succession, to
RODERICK MACKENZIE, I. of Brea, Chamberlain of Ferintosh, second
son of Colin, by his wife Mary Simpson, third son of Murdoch, V.
of Hilton, all the intermediate male heirs having, as has been
shown, become extinct. He acquired Brea in Ferintosh, in wadset
and it remained in his family for two generations. By marriage he
became possessed of the ruined Castle of Dingwall, and the lands
adjoining, the ancient residence of the Earls of Ross; also the
lands of Longcroft. Roderick married Una, or Winifred, daughter
of John Cameron, Town Clerk of Dingwall, with issue -
1. John of Brea, commonly known as "John the Laird." He resided
at Tarradale and married, in 1759, Beatrice, second daughter of
Alexander Mackenzie, VIII. of Davochmaluag, by Magdalen, daughter
of Hugh Rose, XIII. of Kilravock, with issue - (1) Roderick, who
died unmarried; (2) Alexander, who succeeded as XI. of Hilton,
and of whom presently; (3) Kenneth of Inverinate, who married
Anne, daughter of Thomas Mackenzie, IV. of Highfield and VI. of
Applecross, with issue - (a) Thomas, who succeeded as X. of Applecross,
in right of his mother, and whose male heirs have died out (see
Applecross genealogy); (b) Alexander, who married Harriet, daughter
of Newton of Curriehill, with issue - Kenneth, who died unmarried;
Alexander, a Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers, who died unmarried;
Marion, who married Charles Holmes, barrister, without issue; and
Harriet, unmarried; (c) Jean, who died unmarried; (d) Elizabeth,
who married her cousin, Major John Mackenzie, XII. of Hilton, with
issue, whose descendants, in Australia, now represent the male
line of the family; (e) Flora, who married the Rev. Charles Downie,
minister of Contin who died in 1852, leaving issue - Kenneth
Mackenzie Downie, a surgeon in Australia, and five daughters, all
dead; (f) Catherine, (g) Mary, and (h) Johanna, all three of whom
died unmarried. The other sons and daughters of John Mackenzie
of Brea, "the Laird," were (4) Colin, called "the Baron," born at
Tarradale, on the 3rd of December, 1759, and died unmarried; (5)
Peter, who also died unmarried; (6) Duncan, who married Jessie,
daughter of Mackenzie of Strathgarve, without issue; (7) Arthur,
who died unmarried; (8) Magdalen, who died unmarried; (9) Marcella
or Medley, who married the Rev. Dr Downie, in the Lewis; (10)
Mary, who in 1790, married her cousin, the Rev. Donald Mackenzie
minister of Fodderty, with issue - Major Colin, Royal Engineers, who
married Anne, daughter of John Pendrill, of Bath, without issue;
and (11) Elizabeth, who died unmarried.
2. Colin Mackenzie, minister of Fodderty, who purchased an estate
in Aberdeenshire, and was the first of the Mackenzies of Glack, in
that county, of whom later on.
3. Sir Peter, M.D., a knight of Nova Scotia, Surgeon-General in
the army, who died unmarried.
Roderick Mackenzie was succeeded in Brea by his eldest son,
JOHN MACKENZIE, II. of Brea, with surviving issue, among several
others already mentioned, Alexander, who as nearest male heir
collateral, succeeded to the lands and barony of the family as
XI. ALEXANDER MACKENZIE, eleventh of Hilton and Brea, who was,
as has just been shown, the great-grandson of Colin, third son of
Murdoch, V. of Hilton, and his heir of line. Alexander was born
at Tigh-a-phris of Ferintosh, on the 3rd of July, 1756. He was
educated at the University of Aberdeen, but was afterwards bred
a millwright to qualify him for the supervision of family estates
and business connections in Jamaica, where he subsequently became a
Colonel of Militia. On the death of his maternal uncle, Alexander
Mackenzie, VIII. of Davochmaluag, in 1776, and of that gentleman's
grandson, Lieutenant Kenneth Mackenzie, who was killed at Saratoga
in 1777, Alexander of Hilton succeeded also to the Davochmaluag
estate. The adjoining properties of Davochpollo and Davochcairn
having been previously acquired by his father, John Mackenzie,
second of Brea, Alexander combined the three properties into one,
and gave it the name of Brea, after the former possession of the
family in Ferintosh. He greatly improved this estate and laid it
out in its present beautiful form. His land improvements, however,
turned out unremunerative. His Hilton property was heavily encumbered
in consequence of the part taken by members of the family in the
Risings of 1696, 1715, and 1745, and great losses having been
incurred in connection with his West Indian estates, Alexander
got into pecuniary difficulties, and all his possessions, at home
and abroad, had to be sold either by himself or by his trustees
to meet the demands of his creditors. He was a distinguished
agriculturist for his time, and was the first, along with Sir
George Mackenzie, VII. of Coul, and his own cousin, Major Forbes
Mackenzie, to introduce Cheviot sheep to the Highlands for hill
grazings.
He married Mary James, in Jamaica, with issue -
1. John, his heir.
2. Alexander, who married his cousin Charlotte, daughter of the
Rev. Dr Downie, with issue - (1) Alexander, who died unmarried; (2)
Downie, who died unmarried; (3) John; (4) Kenneth, who married
Flora, daughter of the Rev. John Macdonald, a native of Inverness,
who emigrated to and was a minister in Australia, by his wife Mary
(who died in 1878), third daughter of Neil Macleod, XI. of Gesto,
Isle of Skye; (5) Charles, who died unmarried; (6) William, who
died unmarried; (7) Mary James, who married her cousin, Kenneth
Mackenzie, XIV. of Hilton, in Australia; and (8) Jessie, who died
unmarried. Alexander emigrated to Australia, where he died.
3. Kenneth, W.S., who married Anne Urquhart, Aberdeen, with
issue - an only daughter, who died unmarried. He married, secondly,
Elizabeth Jones, with issue, and died in Canada, where his widow
and children continued to reside, in the city of Toronto.
4. Mary, who died unmarried in Australia a few years ago.
Alexander died at Lasswade in 1840, and was succeeded as representative
of the family by his eldest son,
XII. JOHN MACKENZIE, Colonel of the 7th Regiment of Bengal
Cavalry, and for many years Superintendent of the Government
breeding stud at Buxar, India. He married, in 1813, his cousin,
Elizabeth, daughter of Kenneth Mackenzie of Inverinate, W.S., with
issue -
1. Alexander, who succeeded him as representative of the family.
2. Kenneth, who succeeded his brother Alexander.
3. Mary, who married Dr James of the 30th Regiment, without issue.
4. Anne, who married General Arthur Hall of the 5th Bengal Cavalry,
with issue.
5. Elizabeth Jane, who died unmarried.
Colonel John died at Simla in 1856, when he was succeeded as
representative of the family by his eldest son,
XIII. ALEXANDER MACKENZIE, who emigrated to Australia, and died
unmarried in New South Wales in 1862, when he was succeeded as
representative of the family by his younger brother,
XIV. KENNETH MACKENZIE, who recently resided at Tyrl-Tyrl, Taralga,
near Sydney, New South Wales. He married his cousin, Mary James,
daughter of Captain Alexander Mackenzie of Brea, second son of
Alexander, XI. of Hilton, with issue -
1. John, his heir; (2) Kenneth; (3) Downie; (4) Flora; (5) Jessie,
all in Australia.
THE MACKENZIES OF GLACK.
THIS family is descended from Roderick, second son of Colin, third
son of Murdoch Mackenzie, V. of Hilton. The issue of Roderick,
Hilton's second son, by the daughter of Alexander Mackenzie of
Redcastle, and Roderick's eldest brother, has already been proved
extinct. Colin, Murdoch of Hilton's third son, had - (1) a son,
Alexander, whose male issue died out in 1759; and (2) Roderick,
Chamberlain of the Lewis. This Roderick had three sons - (1) John
Mackenzie, I. of Brea, who carried on the male line of Hilton, and
whose representative, now in Australia, is head of that family;
(2) Colin; and (3) Sir Peter, a Surgeon-General in the army, who
died unmarried. Roderick's second son,
I. THE REV. COLIN MACKENZIE, minister of Fodderty, purchased
the estate of Glack - in Aberdeenshire, and became the first of this
family. He was born in 1707, educated at the University of Aberdeen,
and in 1734 appointed parish minister of Fodderty. Subsequently,
for services rendered to the family of the forfeited Earl of
Cromarty, he was appointed by the Earl's eldest son, Lord Macleod,
Chaplain to Macleod's Highlanders, afterwards the 71st Highland
Light Infantry, an office which proved more honorary than lucrative,
for he had to find a substitute, at his own expense, to perform
the duties of the office. Colin inherited a considerable fortune
in gold from his father, while in right of his mother he succeeded
to the ruined Castle of Dingwall, one of the ancients seats of the
old Earls of Ross, and its lands, as also the lands of Longcroft.
He gave the site of the Castle, at the time valued at L300, to
Henry Davidson of Tulloch as a contribution towards the erection
of a manufactory which that gentleman proposed to erect for the
employment of the surplus male and female labour in Dingwall and
its vicinity, but which was never begun. He sold the remaining
portion of the Castle lands and those of Longcroft to his nephew,
Alexander Mackenzie, XI. of Hilton, and afterwards bought Glack
in Aberdeenshire, of which he and his descendants have since been
designated. Colin was on intimate terms with the Lord President
Forbes of Culloden, and maintained a constant correspondence with
his lordship, the result of which was, along with the demands and
influence of his clerical calling, to keep him out of the Rising
of 1745, although all his sympathies were with the Jacobites. He
is said to have been the first who, in his own district, received
intelligence of the landing of Prince Charles in Scotland. It
reached him during the night, whereupon he at once crossed
Knockfarrel to Brahan Castle, where, finding his Chief in bed, he
without awakening her ladyship, communicated to his lordship what
had occurred. Seaforth, having had his estate recently restored
to him, was easily prevailed upon by his clansmen to keep out of
the way in the meantime, and both of them started for the West
Coast of Ross-shire at the same time that the army of the Prince
began its march eastwards. The two were in retirement at Poolewe,
when two ships laden with his lordship's retainers from the Lewis
sailed into Lochewe. They were at once signalled to return to
Stornoway, Seaforth waving them back with the jawbone of a sheep,
which he was in the act of picking for his dinner, and in this
way, it is said, was fulfilled one of the prophecies of the Brahan
Seer, by which it was predicted "That next time the men of Lewis
should go forth to battle, they would be turned back by a weapon
smaller than the jawbone of an ass." Meanwhile Seaforth's lady (we
shall for greater convenience continue to call him by his former
title, although it was at this time under attainder), not knowing
what had become of her lord or what his real intentions were, is
said to have entertained the Prince at Brahan Castle, and to have
urged upon the Earl of Cromarty and his eldest son, Lord Macleod,
to call out the clan in her husband's absence. Subsequently, when
that Earl and his son were confined in the Tower of London for
the part which they took on her advice, and when the Countess with
ten children, and bearing another, were suffering the severest
hardships and penury, the Rev. Colin, at great risk to himself and
the interests of his family, collected the rents from the Cromarty
tenants, giving his own receipt against their being required to
pay again to the Forfeited Estates Commissioners, and personally
carried the money to her ladyship in London. It was in acknowledgment
of this service that Lord Macleod afterwards appointed him Chaplain
to his newly raised regiment, Macleod's Highlanders.
It was this Colin who first fully recognised the health-giving
properties of the Strathpeffer mineral springs, and who, by erecting
a covered shed over one of them, placed it, for the first time,
in a condition to benefit the suffering thousands who have since
derived so much advantage from it. Shortly before his death, in
1801, at the very old age of ninety-five years, he conducted the
opening services of the parish church of Ferintosh, and contributed
largely to the funds for its erection, to commemorate the saving
of his wife's life, when she was washed ashore on her horse's back,
near the site of the church, when her father and brother perished
by drowning while crossing the River Conon, opposite Dingwall, in
1759.
The Rev. Colin married first, Margaret, daughter of Hugh Rose, IV.
of Clava, with issue, an only daughter, Margaret, who died young
on the 22nd of September. 1746. He married, secondly, in 1754,
his cousin, Mary, eldest daughter of Donald Mackenzie, Balnabeen,
who, as has been already shown, carried on, in the female line,
the succession of Alexander (Sanders), eldest son of Colin, third
son of Murdoch, V. of Hilton. By her, who died in 1828, the Rev.
Colin of Fodderty, and Glack had issue -
1. Roderick, his heir and successor.