barbarous tyrannies and oppressions so frequent within he Highlands
and Isles, of that (part of) his Highness's Kingdom of Scotland,
before his Majesty's departure furth of the same, that one part
of the inhabitants thereof being altogether void of the true ear
of God, and not regarding that true and loyal obedience they ought
to his Majesty in massing and drawing themselves together n troops
and companies, and after a most savage and insolent form committing
depredations, rieves, "slouthis," and cruel slaughters against
the most honest, godly, and industrious sort of people dwelling
within and bewest the said bounds, who were a ready prey to the
said oppressors, so that the said honest and peaceable subjects
were oft and sundry times, for defence of their own lives, their
wives and children, forced to enter into actions of hostility
against the said limmers and broken men who oft and diverse times
invaded and pursued them with tire and sword, reft and spuilzied
their whole goods, among whom his Majesty, understanding that his
Highness's lovites and true and obedient subjects, John Mackenzie
of Gairloch, Alexander, Kenneth, Duncan, and William Mackenzie,
his sons, dwelling within the Highlands most 'ewest' the Isles
of Skye and Lewis, who many and sundry times before his Majesty's
going to England, has been most cruelly invaded and pursued with
tire and sword by sundry of the said vagabonds and broken men
dwelling and resorting in the Skye and Lewis and other bounds of
the Highlands where they dwell, and has there-through sustained
many and great slaughters, depredations and heirschips, so that
in the very action of the said invasions and hostilities pursued
against them, the said persons in defence of their own lives, their
wives' and children's, and of their goods, have slain sundry of
the said invaders and limmers, taken others of them and thereafter
put them to death, to the great comfort of his Majesty's good,
honest, and true subjects who were subject to the like inroads,
invasions and tyrannies of the said vagabonds and fugitives, and
settling of his Majesty's peace within the bounds and his Majesty
being noways willing that the said John Mackenzie of Gairloch and
his said sons' forawardness in their own defence, and withstanding
of the foresaid open and violent hostilities and tyrannies of the
said broken men which has produced so much and good benefit to his
Majesty's distressed subjects, shall suffer any hurt, prejudice,
or inconvenience against the said John Mackenzie of Gairloch and
his said sons, which his Highness by these letters decrees and
declares to have been good and acceptable service done to his
Highness and the country: Therefore, his Majesty, of his special
grace, mercy, and favour, ordains a letter to be made under his
Highness's Great Seal in due form to the said John Mackenzie of
Gairloch, Alexander, Kenneth, Duncan, and William Mackenzie, his
sons, remitting and forgiving them and everyone of them all rancour,
hatred, action, and crime whatsoever that his Majesty had, has,
or anywise may lay to the charge of the said John Mackenzie or his
said sons, or any of them, for the alleged taking and apprehending,
slaying or mutilating of the said vagabonds and broken men, or
any of them, or for art and part thereof, or for raising of tire
against them, in the taking and apprehending of them, or any of
them, at any time preceding his Majesty's going to England and
of all that has passed or that may pass thereupon, and of every
circumstance thereanent and suchlike. His Majesty, of his especial
grace, taking knowledge and proper motive, remits and forgives the
said persons, and everyone of them, all slaughters, mutilations,
and other capital crimes whatsoever, art and part thereof committed
by them, or any of them, preceding the day and date hereof (treason
in our said Sovereign Lord's own most noble person only excepted),
with all pains and executions that ought and should be executed
against them, or any of them for the same, exonerating, absolving,
and relieving the said John and his said sons, and all of them
of all action and challenge criminal and civil that may be moved
thereupon to their prejudice for ever: Discharging hereby all
judges, officers, magistrates, administrators of his Majesty's laws,
from granting of any proofs, criminal or civil, in any action or
causes to be moved or pursued against the said John Mackenzie or
his sons foresaid for anything concerning the execution of the
premises: Discharging them thereof and their officers in that
employed by them, and that the said letter he extended in the best
form with ill clauses needful and the precepts he directed orderly
thereupon in form as effeirs. Given at Theobald's, the second day
of April, the year of God, 1614 years. [Original in the Gairloch
Charter Chest.]
John Roy purchased or rented the tithes of his lands, which appear
to have led him into no end of disputes. The Rev. Alexander
Mackenzie was appointed minister at Gairloch - the first after
the Reformation - and in 1583 he obtained a decree from the Lords
of the Privy Council and Session ordaining the teind revenue to
be paid to him. At the Reformation Sir John Broik was rector of
the parish; after which it was vacant until, in 1583, James VI.
presented this Alexander Mackenzie to "the parsonage and vicarage
of Garloch vacand in our Souerane Lordis handis contenuallie sen
the reformatioun of the religioun within this realme by the decease
of Sir John Broik." [Reg. Sec. Sig., vol xlix, fol. 62.] In 1584
the Rev. Alexander Mackenzie let the teinds to John Roy for three
lives and nineteen years more, for an annual payment of L12 Scots.
In 1588 the Crown granted a similar tack for a like payment. In
1612 the Rev. Farquhar MacGillechriost Macrae raised an action
against John Roy and his eldest surviving son Alexander for
payment of the teind. A certain Robert Boyd became cautioner for
the teind of 1610; but the action went on for several years, and
was apparently won by the Rev. Farquhar Macrae, who, in 1616, lets
the teind of Gairloch for nineteen years to Alexander Mackenzie,
Fiar of Gairloch, for L80 Scots yearly. Alexander thereupon
surrenders the tithes of the lands of Letterewe, Inverewe, Drumchorc,
and others to Colin Lord Mackenzie of Kintail, who on his part,
as patron of the parish, binds himself not to sanction the set of
these tithes to any other than the said Alexander and his heirs.
[Papers in the Gairloch Charter Chest.]
John Roy married, first, Elizabeth, daughter of Angus Macdonald,
VII. of Glengarry, by his wife, Janet, daughter of Kenneth Mackenzie,
X. of Kintail, by Lady Elizabeth, daughter of John, second Earl
of Athole, with issue -
1. John, who married, as already stated, Isabel, daughter of
Alexander Mackenzie, II. of Fairburn, with issu - an only daughter,
also named Isabel, who, as his second wife, married Colin Mackenzie
of Kinnock, with issue--an only son, who sold back his mother's
jointure lands of Davochpollo and Pitlundie in 1666. John died
before his father, in 1601, at Kinkell, and was buried at Beauly.
2. Alexander, who succeeded to the estates.
3. Murdoch, killed, unmarried, at Raasay in 1611.
4. Kenneth, I. of Davochcairn, who married, first, Margaret,
daughter of James Cuthbert of Alterlies and Drakies, Inverness,
with issue, whose male representation is extinct. He married,
secondly, a daughter of Hector Mackenzie, IV. of Fairburn, also
with issue, of whose present representation nothing is known.
Kenneth died at Davochcairn in 1643, and was buried at Beauly.
5. Duncan of Sand, who married a daughter of Hugh Fraser of
Belladrum, with issue - (1) Alexander, who succeeded him at
Sand; (2) John, who married a daughter of the Rev. George Munro,
minister of Urquhart, and resided at Ardnagrask; (3) Katharine,
who married, first, a son of Allan Macranald Macdonald, heir male
of Moydart, at the time residing at Baile Chnuic, or Hiltown of
Beauly, and secondly, William Fraser of Boblanie, with issue.
(4) A daughter, who married Thomas Mackenzie, son of Murdoch
Mackenzie, IV. of Achilty and (5) a daughter, who married Duncan
MacIan vic Eachainn Chaoil. Duncan died at Sand, from the bite
of a cat at Inverasdale, in 1635, and is buried at Gairloch.
Alexander, who succeeded his father at Sand (retour 1647), married
a daughter of Murdo Mackenzie of Kernsary, fifth son of Colin Cam,
XI. of Kintail, by his wife, Barbara, daughter of John Grant, XII.
of Grant. Murdoch married the eldest daughter of John Mackenzie,
III. of Fairburn, by whom he had, in addition to the daughter who
became the wife of Alexander Mackenzie of Sand, an only lawful
son, John, killed in 1645 at the battle of Auldearn in command
of the Lewis Mackenzie Regiment, whereupon the lineal and sole
representation of the Kernsary family reverted to the descendants
of Alexander Mackenzie of Sand, through Mary, his wife, by whom
he had issue - two sons and two daughters. He was succeeded, in
1656, by the eldest son, Hector, who also succeeded his uncle
John in Ardnagrask. He married Janet Fraser, with issue - John
Mackenzie, who died in 1759, and left a son Alexander, who got a
new tack of Ardnagrask for forty years, commencing in May, 1760;
[Gairloch Papers.] and married Helen Mackenzie, daughter of
Donald, great-grandson of Murdo Mackenzie, V. of Hilton (by his
wife, Jean Forbes of Raddery), by whom he had a large family of
five sons and six daughters. The eldest son, John Mackenzie,
a merchant and Bailie of Inverness, was born at Ardnagrask in
1762, and married Prudence, daughter of Richard Ord, Merkinch,
Inverness, by his wife, Elizabeth, daughter of John, third son
of Alexander, VII. of Davochmaluag, with issue - five sons and
two daughters. Three of the sons died without issue, one of whom
was John, a merchant in Madras. Another, Alexander, married
Maria Lascelles of Blackwood, Dumfries, with issue - John Fraser
Mackenzie, who married Julia Linton, with issue; Alexander, who
married Adelaide Brett, Madras, with issue and four daughters,
Margaret, Jane, Frances, and Maria, of whom two married, with
issue.
Bailie John's second surviving son, the Rev. William Mackenzie,
married Elizabeth Maclaren, with issue - John Ord, who married,
without issue; James, who married, with issue; Richard, who married
Lousia Lyall, with issue Henry, of the Oriental Bank Corporation;
Gordon, of the Indian Civil Service; and Alfred, of Townsville,
Queensland; also Louisa, Isabella, Maria, and Williamina, all
married, the first three with issue.
Bailie Mackenzie's daughters were - Elizabeth, who married
Montgomery Young, with issue; and Jane, who married Provost
Ferguson, of Inverness, with issue - John Alexander, who married,
with issue; Mary, who married the late Walter Carruthers of the
Inverness Courier, with issue; and Agnes Prudence, who married the
Rev. G. T. Carruthers, one of Her Majesty's Chaplains in India.
6. William Mackenzie of Shieldaig, who married a daughter of
the Rev. Murdo Mackenzie, minister of Kintail, with issue - (1)
Murdoch, who married Mary, daughter of Roderick Mackenzie, I. of
Applecross, with issue - Roderick, who, in 1727, married Margaret
Mackenzie, with issue - William Mackenzie, on record in 1736; (2)
Duncan, who married a daughter, by his second marriage, of Hector
Mackenzie, IV. of Fairburn; (3) John, who married a daughter of
Murdo Mackenzie in Sand; (4) Kenneth, who married a daughter of
Hector MacIan vic Eachainn Mackenzie; (5) Hector; (6) Roderick;
(7) Alexander, the last-named three unmarried in 1669; (8) a
daughter, who married Alexander Fraser of Reelick, with issue;
(9) a daughter, who married Hector "Mac Mhic Alastair Roy"; (10)
a daughter, who married Murdo "Mac Ian Mhic Eachainn Chaoil,"
a son of one of the Raasay heroes; (11) a daughter, who married
Hector Mackenzie, Chamberlain in Lochcarron; (12) a daughter, who
married the Rev. Donald Macrae, minister of Lochalsh; and (13)
a daughter, unmarried in 1669. He had also a natural son, John
Mor "Mac Uilleam," who married a natural daughter or Murdoch
Mackenzie, II. of Redcastle.
7. A daughter, who married Fraser of Foyers.
8. Katherine, who married Hugh Fraser of Culbokie and Guisachan.
9. Another Katherine, who married Fraser of Struy.
10. Janet, who married, first, George Cuthbert of Castlehill,
Inverness (marriage contract 29th June, 1611); and secondly Neil
Munro of Findon marriage contract dated 5th of February, 1627).
[Both marriage contracts are in the Gairloch Charter Chest.]
11. A daughter, who married Alastair Mor, brother of Chisholm of
Comar.
John Roy married, secondly, Isabel, daughter of Murdoch Mackenzie,
I. of Fairburn, with issue -
12. Captain Roderick of Pitglassie, who served in the army of the
Prince of Orange, and died, unmarried, in Holland, in 1624.
13. Hector of Mellan, who married, first, the widow of the Rev. John
Mackenzie of Lochbroom, without issue and secondly, a daughter of
Alexander Mackenzie, IV. of Achilty, with issue, five sons - Alexander,
who married a daughter of "Murdo Mc Cowil vic Ean Oig"; Murdo, who
married a daughter of Murdo Mackenzie of Sand and three others
unmarried in 1669.
14. John, a clergyman, who married a natural daughter of Alexander
Mackenzie, I. of Kilcoy, with issue - four sons and two daughters.
He died at Rhynduin in 1666, and is buried at Beauly.
15. Katherine Og, who married Fraser of Belladrum, with issue - from
whom the Frasers of Achnagairn and Seafield.
16. Isabel, who married first, Alastair Og Macdonald [The marriage
contract is in the Gairloch Charter Chest, dated 23rd Jan. 1629.
This gentleman, in the month of November, 1625, killed a man in
Uist named Alexander Mac Ian Mhic Alastair, for which he received a
remission from Charles I., dated at Holyrood, the first of August,
1627, and which Macdonald appears to have deposited in the
Gairloch Charter Chest on his marriage with Isabel of Gairloch.]
of Cuidreach, brother-german to Sir Donald Macdonald of Sleat, and
ancestor of the Macdonalds of Cuidreach and Kingsburgh, Isle of
Skye. She married, secondly, Hugh Macdonald of Skirmish.
John had also a natural son, Kenneth Buy Mackenzie, by a woman
named Fraser, who married a daughter of Alexander Mackenzie, IV.
of Achilty; and two natural daughters, one of whom married Donald
Bain, Seaforth's Chamberlain in the Lewis, killed in the battle of
Auldearn in 1645; the other, Margaret, in 1640, married Alexander,
"second lawful son" of John Mackenzie, IV. of Hilton.
He died at Talladale in 1628, in the 80th year of his age; was
buried in the old churchyard of Gairloch, and succeeded by his
eldest surviving son,
V. ALEXANDER MACKENZIE, who was advanced in years at his father's
death. He was most active in the duties pertaining to the head
of his house during the life of his father, for it was he who led
the Mackenzies of Gairloch against the Macleods in their repeated
incursions to repossess themselves of their estates, "He was a
valiant worthy gentleman. It was he who made an end of all the
troubles his predecessors were in the conquering of Gairloch from
the Shiel Vic Gille Challum. [Applecross MS.] Very little is
known of him personally, his career having been so much mixed up
with that of his father. By the charter of 1619 he was infeft in
the barony as fiar, and he immediately succeeded on his father's
decease. In 1627, while still fiar or feuer of Gairloch, he obtained
from his son-in-law, John Mackenzie of Applecross (afterwards of
Lochslinn), who married his daughter Isobel, a disclamation of
part of the lands of Diobaig, previously in dispute between the
Lairds of Gairloch and Applecross. In the Gairloch Charter Chest
there is a feu charter of endowment by John Mackenzie of Applecross,
in implement of the contract of marriage with his betrothed spouse,
Isobel, daughter of Alexander Mackenzie, younger of Gairloch, dated
6th of June, 1622. After John of Lochslinn's death, she married,
secondly, Colin Mackenzie of Tarvie and there is a sasine in favour
of Margaret, second lawful daughter of this Colin of Tarvie by
Isobel of Gairloch and spouse of Matthew Robertson of Davoch-carty,
in implement of a marriage contract.
A little piece of scandal seems, from an extract of the Presbytery
Records of Dingwall, of date 3rd of March, 1666, to have arisen in
connection with this pair - Matthew Robertson and Margaret Mackenzie.
"Rorie McKenzie of Dochmaluak, compearing desyred ane answer to his
former supplication requiring that Matthew Robertson of Dochgarty
should be ordained to make satisfaction for slandering the said
Rorie with alleged miscarriage with Matthew Robertson's wife. The
brethren considering that by the witness led in the said matter
there was nothing but suspicion and jealousies, and said Matthew
Robertson being called and inquired concerning the said particular,
did openly profess that he was in no wayes jealous of the said
Rorie Mackenzie and his wife, and if any word did escape him upon
which others might put such a construction, he was heartily sorry
for it, and was content to acknowledge so much to Rorie Mackenzie
of Dochmaluak, and crave pardon for the same, which the brethren
taking into their consideration, and the Bishop referring it to them
(as the Moderator reported), they have, according to the Bishop's
appointment, ordered the said Matthew Robertson to acknowledge so
much before the Presbytery to the party, and to crave his pardon in
anything he has given him offence. The which being done by the
said Matthew Robertson, Rory Mackenzie of Dochmaluak did acquiesce
in it without any furder prosecution of it," and we hear no more
of the subject.
In 1637 Alexander proceeded to acquire part of Loggie-Wester from
Duncan Bayne, but the matter was not arranged until 1640, during
the reign of his successor.
Alexander married, first, Margaret, third daughter of Roderick Mor
Mackenzie, I. of Redcastle, by his wife, Finguala or Florence,
daughter of Robert Munro, XVth Baron of Fowlis, with issue -
1. Kenneth, his heir and successor.
2. Murdo of Sand, "predecessor to Sand and Mungastle," [There is
great confusion about the families of the various Sands which we
have not been able to clear up. The following is from the public
records: In 1718 on the forfeiture of the Fairburn estate,
"Alexander" Mackenzie of Sand appeared and deponed that "Murdoch"
Mackenzie of Sand, his father, had a wadset of Mungastle and
certain other lands from Fairburn. In May 1730 "Alexander" Mackenzie
of Sand purchased Mungastle for 3000 merks from Dundonell, who
had meantime become proprietor of it. In January 1744 "Alexander"
Mackenzie of Sand, son of the preceding Alexander, was infeft in
Mungastle in place of his father. In 1741 the above Alexander (the
younger) being then a minor, and John Mackenzie of Lochend being
his curator, got a wadset of Glenarigolach and Ridorch, and in 1745
Alexander being then of full age, apparently purchased these lands
irredeemably. In March 1765 Alexander Mackenzie of Sand, with consent
of Janet Mackenzie, his wife, sold Mungastle, Glenarigolach, etc.
One of the witnesses to this deed of disposition is Alexander
Mackenzie, eldest son to Alexander Mackenzie, the granter of the
deed.] who married the eldest daughter of John Mackenzie, III.
of Fairburn, with issue - a daughter, Margaret, who married Colin
Mackenzie, I. of Sanachan, brother to John Mackenzie, II. of
Applecross.
3. Hector, "portioner of Mellan," and a Cornet in Sir George
Munro's regiment, who married a daughter of Donald Maciver, with
issue - three sons and a daughter, Mary - of whom under MACKENZIES
OF DAILUAINE.
4. Alexander, from whom the author of this History, and of whose
descendants under "SLIOCHD ALASTAIR CHAIM."
5. Isobel, who married John Mackenzie of Applecross (afterwards
of Lochslinn), brother-german to Colin, first Earl of Seaforth.
By him she had issue, a daughter, who married Sir Norman Macleod,
I. of Bernera, with issue - John Macleod of Muiravenside and Bernera,
Advocate. Isobel, on the death of her husband, who was poisoned
at Tam, married secondly, Colin Mackenzie of Tarvie, third son
of Sir Roderick Mackenzie, I. of Coigach, Tutor of Kintail, with
issue. She married, thirdly, Murdoch Mackenzie, V. of Achilty,
without issue.
6. Margaret, who, as his third wife, married Alexander Ross of
Cuilich, from whom the family of Achnacloich.
7. A daughter, who married Robert Gray of Skibo, with issue.
Alexander married, secondly, Isabel, eldest daughter of Alexander
Mackenzie, progenitor of Coul and Applecross, with issue -
8. William of Multafy and I. of Belmaduthy, of whom in their
order.
9. Roderick, who married Agnes, second daughter of Alexander
Mackenzie, I. of Suddie, without issue.
10. Angus, who married the eldest daughter of Hector Mackenzie,
IV. of Fairburn, without issue. Angus "was a brave soldier, and
commanded a considerable body of Highlanders under King Charles the
second at the Torwood. He, with Scrymgeour of Dudhope and other
Loyalists, marched at a great rate to assist the Macleans, who
were cut to pieces by Cromwell's dragoons at Inverkeithing, but
to their great grief were recalled by the Earl of Argyll, General
of the army." [Gairloch Manuscript.]
11. Annabella, who, as his second wife, married Donald Mackenzie,
III. of Loggie, with issue - his heir and successor, and others.
12. Janet, who married Alexander Mackenzie, I. of Ardross and
Pitglassie, progenitor of the present Mackenzies of Dundonnel, with
issue - his heir and successor.
Alexander had also a natural daughter, who, as his first wife,
married George, fourth son of John Mackenzie, I. of Ord, without
issue.
He died, as appears from his successor's retour of service, on the
4th of January, 1638, [In this service we have "Kirktoun with the
manor and gardens of the same," and after a long list of the
townships, the fishings of half the water of Ewe and the rivers Kerry
and Badachro follows, "the loch of Loch Maroy, with the islands
of the same, and the manor place and gardens in the Island of
Illiurory, the loch of Garloch, with the fishings of the same,"
from which it appears that the residence on, Island Rory Beg,
the walls of which and of the large garden are yet distinctly
traceable, was quite as early as that on Island Suthain in which
Alexander died.] in the 61st year of his age, at Island Suthain,
in Loch Maree, where traces of his house still remain. He was
buried with his wife "in a chapel he caused built near the Church
of Gairloch," during his father's lifetime, and was succeeded by
his eldest son,
VI. KENNETH MACKENZIE, a strong Loyalist during the wars of
Montrose and the Covenanters. He was fined by the Committee
of Estates for his adherence to the King, under the Act of 3rd
February, 1646, entitled Commission for the moneys of Excise and
Process against delinquents," in a forced loan of 500 merks, for
which the receipt, dated 15th March, 1647, signed by Kennedy, Earl
of Cassilis, and Sir William Cochrane, two of the Commissioners
named in the Act, and by two or three others, is still extant.
Seaforth was, at the time, one of the Committee of Estates, and
his influence was probably exercised in favour of leniency to the
Baron of Gairloch; especially as he was himself privately imbued
with strong predilections in favour of the Royalists. Kenneth
commanded a body of Highlanders at Balvenny under Thomas Mackenzie
of Pluscardine, and his own brother-in-law, the Earl of Huntly; but
when the Royalist army was surprised and disarmed, he was on a
visit to Castle Grant and managed to effect his escape.
In 1640 he completed the purchase of Loggie-Wester, commenced
by his predecessor, but in order to do so he had to have recourse
to the money market. He granted a bond, dated 20th of October,
1644, for 1000 merks, to Hector Mackenzie, alias MacIan MacAlastair
Mhic Alastair, indweller in Eadill-fuill or South Erradale. On
the 14th of January, 1649, at Kirkton, he granted to the same
person a bond for 500 merks; but at this date Hector was described
as "indweller in Androry," and again, another dated at Stankhouse
of Gairloch (Tigh Dige), 24th of November, 1662; but the lender
of the money is on this occasion described as living in Diobaig.
For the two first of these sums Murdo Mackenzie of Sand, Kenneth's
brother-german, became security.