two-thirds of the lands of Gairloch he found it very difficult to
secure possession of them from the Macleods and their chief, Allan
MacRory, the former proprietors. This Allan had married, as his
first wife, a daughter of Alexander, VI. of Kintail, and sister
of Hector Roy, with issue - three sons. He married, secondly, a
daughter of Roderick Macleod, VII. of Lewis, with issue - one son,
Roderick, subsequently known as Ruairidh Mac Alain, author of
an atrocious massacre of the Macleods of Raasay and Gairloch at
Island Isay, Waternish, Isle of Skye, erroneously attributed in
the first edition of this work to his grandfather, the above-named
Roderick Macleod of Lewis. Allan of Gairloch was himself related
to the Macleods of Lewis, but it is impossible to trace the exact
connection. Two brothers of Macleod of Lewis are said, traditionally,
to have resolved that no Mackenzie blood should flow in the veins of
the future head of the Gairloch Macleods, and determined to put
Allan's children by Hector Roy's sister to death, so that his son by
their own niece should succeed to Gairloch, and they proceeded across
the Minch to the mainland to put their murderous intent into execution.
Allan MacRuairidh, the then Macleod laird of Gairloch, was personally
a peacefully disposed man, and lived at the "Crannag," of which
traces are still to be found on Loch Tolly Island, along with his
second wife, two of his sons by the first marriage, and a daughter.
The brothers, having reached Gairloch, took up their abode at the
old "Tigh Dige," a wattled house, surrounded by a ditch, whose site
is still pointed out in one of the Flowerdale parks, a few hundred
yards above the stone bridge which crosses the Ceann-an-t-Sail river
at the head of Gairloch Bay. Next day the murderous barbarians
crossed over to Loch Tolly. On the way they learnt that Allan
was not then on the island, he having gone a-fishing on the Ewe.
They at once proceeded in that direction, found him sound asleep
on the banks of the river, at "Cnoc na Mi-chomhairle," and without
any warning "made him short by the head." Then retracing their
steps, and ferrying across to the island where Allan's wife, with
two of her three step-children were enjoying themselves, they, in
the most cold-blooded manner, informed her of her husband's fate,
tore the two boys - the third being fortunately absent - from her
knees, took them ashore, and carried them along to a small glen
through which the Poolewe Road now passes, about a mile to the
south of the loch, and there, at a spot still called "Creag Bhadain
an Aisc," the Rock at the place of Burial, stabbed them to the
heart with their daggers, and carried their bloodstained shirts
along with them to the Tigh Dige. These shirts the stepmother
ultimately secured through the strategy of one of her husband's
retainers, who at once proceeded with them to the boys' grandfather,
Alexander Mackenzie, VI. of Kintail, at Kinellan or Brahan.
Hector Roy started immediately, carrying the bloodstained shirts
along with him as evidence of the atrocious deed, to report the
murder to the King at Edinburgh. His Majesty on hearing of the
crime granted Hector a commission of fire and sword against the
murderers of his nephews, and gave him a Crown charter to the
lands of Gairloch in his own favour dated 1494. The assassins
were soon afterwards slain at a hollow still pointed out between
Porthenderson and South Erradale, nearly opposite the northern end
of the Island of Raasay, where their graves are yet to be seen,
quite fresh and green, among the surrounding heather. [Mackenzie's
"History of the Macleods," pp. 342, 343.]
One of the family historians says that this was the first step that
Hector Roy got to Gairloch. His brother-in-law, Allan Macleod,
gave him the custody of their rights, but when he found his nephews
were murdered, he took a new gift of it to himself, and going to
Gairloch with a number of Kintail men and others, he took a heirschip
with him, but such as were alive of the Siol 'ille Challum of
Gairloch, followed him and fought him at a place called Glasleoid,
but they being beat Hector carried away the heirschip. After this
and several other skirmishes they were content to allow him the
two-thirds of Gairloch, providing he would let themselves possess
the other third in peace, which he did, and they kept possession
till Hector's great-grandchild put them from it." [Ancient MS.]
The Earl of Cromarty, and other MS. historians of the family fully
corroborate this. The Earl says that Hector, incited to revenge
by the foul murder of his nephews, made some attempts to oust the
Macleods from Gairloch during John of Killin's minority, but was
not willing to engage in war with such a powerful chief as Macleod
of Lewis, while he felt himself insecure in his other possessions,
but after arranging matters amicably with his nephew of Kintail,
and now being master of a fortune and possessions suitable to his
mind and quality, he resolved to avenge the murder and to "make
it productive of his own advantage." He summoned all those who
were accessory to the assassination of his sister's children before
the Chief Justice. Their well grounded fears made them absent
themselves from Court. Hector produced the bloody shirts of the
murdered boys, whereupon the murderers were declared fugitives and
outlaws, and a commission granted in his favour for their pursuit,
"which he did so resolutely manage that in a short time he killed
many, preserved some to justice, and forced the remainder to
a composition advantageous to himself. His successors, who were
both active and prudent men, did thereafter acquire the rest from
their unthrifty neighbours." The greatest defeat that Hector
ever gave to the Macleods "was at Bealach Glasleoid, near Kintail,
where most of them were taken or killed." At this fight Duncan Mor
na Tuaighe, who so signally distinguished himself at Blar-na-Pairc,
was present with Hector, and on being told that four men were
together attacking his son Dugal, he indifferently replied, "Well,
if he be my son there is no hazard for that," a remark which turned
out quite true, for the hero killed the four Macleods, and came
off himself without any serious wounds. [Duncan in his old days
was very assisting to Hector, Gairloch's predecessor, against the
Macleods of Gairloch, for he, with his son Dugal, who was a strong,
prudent, and courageous man, with ten or twelve other Kintailmen,
were alwise, upon the least advertisement, ready to go and assist
Hector, whenever, wherever, and in whatever he had to do, for which
cause there has been a friendly correspondence betwixt the family
of Gairloch and the MacRas of Kintail, which still continues." -
"Genealogy of the MacRas."]
The massacre of Island Isay followed a considerable time after
this, and its object was very much the same as the murder of Loch
Tolly, although carried out by a different assassin. Ruairidh
"Nimhneach" Macleod, son of Allan "Mac Ruairdh" of Gairloch, and
nephew of the Loch Tolly assassins, determined not only to remove
the children of John Mor na Tuaighe, brother of Alexander Macleod,
II. of Raasay, by Janet Mackenzie of Kintail, but also to destroy
the direct line of the Macleods of Raasay, and thus open up the
succession to John na Tuaighe's son by his second wife, Roderick
Nimhneach's sister, and failing him, to Roderick's own son Allan.
By this connection it would, he thought, be easier for him to
attain repossession of the lands of Gairloch, from which his family
was driven by the Mackenzies.
Roderick's name appears as "Rory Mac Allan, alias Nevymnauch,"
in a decree-arbitral by the Regent Earl of Murray between Donald
Macdonald, V. of Sleat, and Colin Mackenzie, XI. of Kintail, dated
at Perth, the 1st of August, 1569, in terms of which Macdonald
becomes responsible for Roderick and undertakes that he and his kin
shall "desist and cease troubling, molesting, harming or invasion
of the said Laird of Gairloch's lands and rowmes, possessions,
tenants, servants, and goods, while on the other hand Kintail shall
see to it that Torquil Cononach shall cease to do the same in all
respects to Macdonald's lands." In 1586 Roderick is described as
"of Lochgair," but another person is named in the same document
as "Macleud, heritor of the lands of Gairloch," which proves that
Roderick Nimhneach was not the actual proprietor of even the small
portion of that district which was still left to his family. He
was the second son, and one of the objects of the massacre on
Island Isay was to cut off his father's only surviving son and
heir by his first wife - a daughter of Mackenzie of Kintail - who
escaped the previous massacre on the Island of Loch Tolly.
With the view of cutting off the legitimate male representation of
his own Macleod relatives of Gairloch and of Raasay, he invited
all the members of both families, and most of them accepted the
invitation. Roderick on their arrival feasted them sumptuously
at a great banquet. In the middle of the festivities he informed
them of his desire to have each man's advice separately, and that he
would after-wards make known to them the important business which
had to be considered, and which closely concerned each of them. He
then retired into a separate apartment, and called them in one by
one, when they were each, as they entered, stabbed with dirks
through the body by a set of murderous savages whom he had engaged
and posted inside the room for the purpose. Not one of the family
of Raasay was left alive, except a boy nine years of age, who was
being fostered from home, and who had been sent privately by his
foster-father, when the news of the massacre became known, to the
laird of Calder, who kept him in safety during his minority. He
afterwards obtained possession of Raasay, and became known as
Gillecallum Garbh MacGillechallum. Macleod of Gairloch's sons, by
Hector Roy's sister, were all murdered. Roderick took his own
nephew to the room where, walking with his brutal relative, he
heard one of his half-brothers cry on being stabbed by the
assassin's dirk, and saying "Yon's my brother's cry." "Hold your
peace," Rory replied, "yonder cry is to make you laird of Gairloch;
he is the son of one of Mackenzie's daughters." The boy, fearing
that his own life might be sacrificed, held his tongue, "but
afterwards he did what in him lay in revenging the cruel death of
his brothers and kinsmen on the murtherers." [Ancient MS.]
In acknowledgment of the King's favour, Hector gathered his followers
in the west, joined his nephew, John of Killin, with his vassals,
and fought, in command of the clan, at the disastrous battle
of Flodden, from which both narrowly escaped but most of their
followers were slain. Some time after his return home he successfully
fought the desperate skirmish at Druim-a-chait, already referred
to, pp. 114-118, with 140 men against 700 of the Munros, Dingwalls,
MacCullochs, and other clans under the command of William Munro
of Fowlis, on which occasion Sheriff Vass of Lochslinn was killed
at a bush near Dingwall, "called to this day Preas Sandy Vass,"
or Alex. Vass's bush, a name assigned to it for that very cause.
[Gairloch MS.]
Hector, during his life, granted to his nephew, John of Killin,
his own half of Kintail, the lands of Kinellan, Fairburn, Wester
Brahan, and other possessions situated in the Low Country, which
brought his son John Glassich afterwards into trouble.
[Gairloch MS.]
Hector Roy was betrothed to a daughter of the Laird of Grant
- probably Sir Duncan, who flourished from 1434 to 1485 - but she
died before the marriage was solemnised. He, however, had a son by
her called Hector Cam, he being blind of an eye, to whom he gave
Achterneed and Culte Leod, now Castle Leod, as his patrimony. Hector
Cam married a daughter of Mackay of Farr, ancestor of Lord Reay, by
whom he had two sons Alexander Roy and Murdo. ["These were both
succeeded by the son of Alexander, a slothful man, who dotingly
bestowed his estate on his foster child. Sir Roderick Mackenzie
of Coigeach, in detriment to his own children, though very deserving
of them, Captain Hector Mackenzie, late of Dumbarton's Regiment,
and also a tribe in the Eastern circuit of Ross, surnamed, from
one of their progenitors, Mac Eanin, i.e., the descendants of John
the Fair." - "Gairloch MS." Another MS. gives the additional names
of - "Richard Mackenzie, vintner in Edinburgh, grandson of Alexander
Mackenzie of Calder, Midlothian; Duncan Mackenzie, an eminent
gunsmith in London; and James Mackenzie, gunsmith in Dundee."
It also adds that of the successors of the Mac Eanins in Easter
Ross, were "Master Alexander Mackenzie, an Episcopal minister
in Edinburgh; and preceptor to the children of the present noble
family of Cromarty, whose son is Charles Mackenzie, clerk to Mr
David Munro of Meikle Allan."] Alexander married a daughter of
John Mor na Tuaighe MacGillechallum, a brother of Macleod of Raasay,
by whom she had a son, Hector, who lived at Kinellan, and was
nicknamed the Bishop. This Hector married a daughter of Macleod of
Raasay, and left a large family, one of the daughters being
afterwards married to Murdo Mackenzie, V. of Achilty, without issue.
Hector Cam's second son, Murdo, married a daughter of Murdoch Buy
Matheson of Lochalsh, with issue - Lachlan, known as "Lachlainn Mac
Mhurchaidh Mhic Eachainn," who married a daughter of Murdoch
Mackenzie, III. of Achilty, with issue - Murdoch, who married a
daughter of Alexander Ross of Cuilich and Alastair, who married a
daughter of William MacCulloch of Park.
Hector Roy, after the death of Grant of Grant's daughter, married
his cousin Anne, daughter of Ranald MacRanald, generally known as
Ranald Ban Macdonald, V. of Moydart and Clanranald. Her brother
Dougal was assassinated and his sons formally excluded from the
succession, when the estate and command of the clan were given to
his nephew Alexander, "portioner," of Moydart, whose son, John
Moydartach afterwards succeeded and became the famous Captain of
Clanranald Gregory says, however, that "Allan, the eldest son of
Dougal, and the undoubted heir male of Clanranald, acquired the
estate of Morar, which he transmitted to his descendants. He and
his successors were always styled 'MacDhughail Mhorair,' that is
MacDougal of Morar, from their ancestor Dougal MacRanald." This
quite explains the various designations by which these Moydart
and Clanranald ladies who had married into the Gairloch family
have been handed down to us. Anne was the widow of William Dubh
Macleod, VII. of Harris, Dunvegan, and Glenelg, by whom she had
an only daughter, who, by Hector Roy's influence at Court, was
married to Rory Mor of Achaghluineachan, ancestor of the Mackenzies
of Fairburn and Achilty, after she bad by her future husband
a natural son, Murdoch, who became progenitor of the family of
Fairburn. By this marriage with Anne of Moydart and Clanranald
Hector Roy had issue -
1. John Glassich, his heir and successor.
2. Kenneth of Meikle Allan, now Allangrange, who married a daughter
of Alexander Dunbar of Kilbuyack, and widow of Allan Mackenzie,
II. of Hilton, with issue - (1) Hector, who married an Assynt lady,
with issue - Hector Og, who was killed at Raasay, in 1611, unmarried;
and three daughters, the eldest of whom married, as her second
husband, John, son of Alastair Roy, natural son of John Glassich,
with issue - Bishop Murdoch Mackenzie of Moray and Orkney, and
several other sons. Hector's second daughter married "Tormod Mac
Ean Lleaye" - Norman, son of John Liath Macrae - who, according to
the traditions of the country, took such a prominent part against
the Macleods at that period - and a brother of the celebrated archers
Domhull Odhar and lain Odhar mic Ian Leith, of whose prowess the
reader will learn more presently. The third daughter married
Duncan, son of John, son of Alastair Roy, son of John Glassich,
II. of Gairloch. (2) Angus, who married, with issue - Kenneth,
who left an only daughter, who married her cousin, Murdo Mac Ian,
son of Alastair Roy.
3. John Tuach of Davochpollo, who married with issue - a son, John,
who died without lawful issue.
4. Dougal Roy, who inherited Scatwell, and was killed in a family
feud in 1550, and
Three daughters, who married respectively, Bayne of Tulloch, John
Aberach Mackay, and Hugh Bayne Fraser of Bunchrew, a natural son
of Thomas, fourth Lord Lovat, killed at Blar-na-Leine, ancestor of
the Frasers of Reelick.
He had also a son, John Beg, who was according to some authorities
illegitimate, from whom descended several Mackenzies who settled
in Berwick and Alloa.
Hector Roy died in 1528. On the 8th of September in that year,
a grant is recorded to Sir John Dingwall, "Provost of Trinity
College, beside Edinburgh, of the ward of the lands of Gairloch,
which pertained to the umquhile Achinroy Mackenzie." He was
succeeded by his eldest lawful son,
II. JOHN GLASSICH MACKENZIE, who, from the above quoted document,
appears to have been a minor at his father's death. His retour of
service cannot be found, but an instrument of sasine, dated the
24th of June, 1536, in his favour, is in the Gairloch charter chest,
wherein he is designated "John Hector-son," and in which he is
said to be the heir, served and retoured, of his father, Hector
Roy Mackenzie, in the lands of Gairloch, and the grazings of
Glasletter and Coirre-nan-Cuilean. He is said to have objected
to his father's liberality during his life in granting, at the
expense of his successors, to his nephew, John of Kuhn, so much
of his patrimonial possessions. According to the Gairloch MS.
already quoted Hector gave him his own half of Kintail, as well as
Kinellan, Fairburn, Wester Brahan, and "other possessions in the Low
Country besides." John thought these donations far too exorbitant,
and he "sought to retrench them by recovering in part what with
so much profusion his father had given away, and for that, a feud
having ensued betwixt him and his Chief, he was surprised in his
house by night, according to the barbarous manner of the times,
and sent prisoner to Iland Downan, and there taken away by poison
in A.D. l550. His brother Dugal, who sided with him, and John
(Beg), his natural brother, were both slain in the same quarrel."
[Gairloch MS. Another MS. says that his other brother, John Tuach,
was assassinated the same night.]
A bond, dated 1544, has been preserved, to which John Glassich's
name, along with others, is adhibited, undertaking to keep the peace,
and promising obedience to Kenneth, younger of Kintail (Kenneth
na Cuirc), as the Queen's Lieutenant. [Spalding Club Miscellany,
vol. iv. p.213.] John's obedience does not appear, however, to
have been very complete. Kintail having, according to another
authority, received information of John Glassich's intention to
recover if possible part of the property given away by his father,
sent for him to Brahan, where he went, accompanied by a single
attendant, John Gearr. The chief charged him with these designs
against him, and John's denials proving unsatisfactory, Kintail
caused him to be apprehended. John Gearr, seeing this, and feeling
that his master had been treacherously dealt with, drew his two
handed sword and made a fierce onslaught on the chief who sat at
the head of the table, but smartly bowed his head under it, or it
would have been cloven asunder. John Gearr was instantly seized by
Mackenzie's guards, who threatened to tear him to pieces, but the
chief, admiring his fidelity, charged them not to touch him. John
Gearr, on being questioned why he had struck at Mackenzie and took
no notice of those who apprehended his master, boldly replied that
he "saw no one else present whose life was a worthy exchange for
that of his own chief." John's sword made a deep gash in the table,
and the mark, which was deep enough to admit of a hand being placed
edgeways in it, remained until Colin, first Earl of Seaforth,
caused the piece to be cut off, saying that "he loved no such
remembrance of the quarrels of his relations."
John Glassich, it would appear, was not unduly circumspect at
home, or a very dutiful and loyal subject to his King. In 1547
his estate was forfeited for refusing to join the Royal Standard,
and the escheat thereof granted to the Earl of Sutherland, as will
be seen by the following letter in favour of that nobleman:
"A letter made to John, Earl of Sutherland, his heirs, assigns,
one or more, the gift of all goods moveable and unmoveable, debts,
tacks, steadings, corns, and obligations, sums of money, gold,
silver, coined and uncoined, and other goods whatsoever which
pertained to John Hectors - son of Gairloch, and now pertaining to
our Sovereign Lady by reason of escheat through the said John's
remaining and biding at home from the 'oist' and army devised to
convene at Peebles, the 10th day of July instant, for recovering
of the house of Langholm furth of our enemies' hands of England,
in contrary to the tenour of the letters and proclamations made
thereupon, incurred therethrough the pains contained thereuntil,
or any otherwise shall happen to pertain to us our Sovereign by
reason foresaid with power, etc. At Saint Andrews the 23rd day
of July, the year of God, 1547 years." [Reg. Sec. Sig., xxi. fol.
316.]
There is no trace of the reversal of this forfeiture. It does
not, however, appear to have affected the succession. Indeed it
is not likely that it even affected the actual possession, for it
was not easy even for the Earl of Sutherland, though supported by
the Royal authority to wield any real power in such an out-of-the-way
region in those days as John Glassich's possessions in the west.
It has been already stated that, in 1551, the Queen granted to
John Mackenzie, IX. of Kintail, and his heir, Kenneth na Cuirc,
a remission for the violent taking of John Glassich, Dougal, and
John Tuach, his brothers, and for keeping them in prison, thus
usurping "therethrough our Sovereign Lady's authority." None of
them is spoken of in this remission as being then deceased, though
tradition and the family MS. history have it that John Glassich
was poisoned or starved to death at Ellandonnan Castle in 1550. [One
of the family MSS. says that by his marriage "he got the lands of
Kinkell, Kilbokie, Badinearb, Pitlundie, Davochcairn, Davochpollo,
and Foynish, with others in the Low Country, for which the family
has been in the use to quarter the arm of Fraser with their own.
This John, becoming considerably rich and powerful by those
different acquisitions, became too odious to and envied by John,
Laird of Mackenzie, and his son Kenneth then married to Stewart,
Earl of Atholes daughter, that they set upon him, having previously
invited him to a Christmas dinner, having got no other pretence
than a fit of jealousy on account of the said Earl's daughter,
bound him with ropes and carried him a prisoner to Islandownan,
where his death was occasioned by poison administered to him in a
mess of milk soup by one MacCalman, a clergyman and Deputy-Constable
of the Fort."] It is, however, probable that Kintail considered it
wise to conceal John's death until the remission had been already
secured. Only six weeks after the date of the "respitt" John
Glassich is referred to in the Privy Council Records, under date
of 25th July, 1551, as the "omquhile (or late) John McCanze of
Gairlocht," his lands having then been given in ward to the Earl
of Athole, "Ay and till the lawful entry of the righteous heir or
heirs thereto, being of lawful age." [Reg. Sec. Con., vol. xxiv.,
fol. 84.]