same Murdoch Mackenzie of Sand to Colin Mackenzie, I. of Sanachan,
brother-german to John Mackenzie, II. of Applecross, for 2000
merks, borrowed on the 20th of March in that year the one-half of
which was to be paid by the delivery at the feast of Beltane or
Whitsunday, 1658, of 50 cows in milk by calves of that year, and
the other half, with legal interest, at Whitsunday, 1659. Colin
Mackenzie, I. of Sanachan, married Murdoch's daughter; the contract
of marriage is dated the same day as the bond, and is subscribed
at Dingwall by the same witnesses.
By letters of Tutorie Dative from Oliver Cromwell, he was, in
1658, appointed Tutor to Hector Mackenzie, lawful son of Alexander
Mackenzie, lawful son of Duncan Mackenzie of Sand, Gairloch. There
is nothing further to show what became of the pupil, Hector,
but it is highly probable that on the death of Alexander, son of
Duncan of Sand, the farm was given by Kenneth to his own brother,
Murdoch, and that the 2000 merks, borrowed from Colin Mackenzie
of Sanachan, who married Murdoch's only daughter, Margaret, may
have been borrowed for the purpose of stocking the farm. The dates
of the marriage, of the bond, and of the Tutorie Dative, so near
each other, strongly support this view.
Kenneth married, first, Katharine, daughter of Sir Donald Macdonald,
IX. of Sleat, without issue. The contract of marriage is dated
5th September, 1635, the marriage portion being the handsome sum
of "6ooo merks, and her endowment 1000 libs Scots yearly." He
married, secondly, Ann, daughter of Sir John Grant of Grant, by
Ann Ogilvy, daughter of the Earl of Findlater (marriage contract
dated 17th October, 1640). There is a charter by Kenneth in
her favour of the lands of Loggie-Wester, the miln and pertinents
thereof, with the grazings of Tolly, in implement of the marriage
contract, dated 4th of December, 1640, with a sasine of the same
date, and another charter of the lands and manor-place of Kinkell
and Ardnagrask, dated the 15th of August, 1655, with sasine
thereon, dated 5th September following. By her Kenneth had issue -
1. Alexander, his heir and successor.
2. Hector, of Bishop-Kinkell, who married Margaret, eldest
daughter of Donald Mackenzie, III. of Loggie, and widow of Roderick
Mackenzie, V. of Fairburn, and with her obtained the lands of
Bishop-Kinkell, to which his son John succeeded.
3. John, who died unmarried.
4. Mary, who, in 1656, married Alexander Mackenzie, at the time
Younger and afterwards III. of Kilcoy, with issue.
5. Barbara, who married, first, Fraser of Kinneries, and secondly,
Alexander Mackenzie, I. of Ardloch, with issue by both.
6. Lilias, who married, as his first wife, Alexander Mackenzie,
II. of Ballone, with issue.
He married, thirdly, Janet, daughter of John Cuthbert of Castlehill
(marriage contract dated 17th December, 1658, the marriage portion
being 3000 merks, and her endowment 5 chalders victual yearly),
with issue -
7. Charles, I. of Letterewe, who, by his father's marriage
contract, got Loggie-Wester, which had been purchased by Kenneth
in 1640. In 1696 Charles exchanged it with his eldest half-brother,
Alexander, VII. of Gairloch, for Letterewe. Charles married Ann,
daughter of John Mackenzie, II. of Applecross, with issue - See
MACKENZIES OF LETTEREWE.
8. Kenneth, who died unmarried.
9. Colin, I. of Mountgerald, who married Margaret, second daughter
of Alexander Mackenzie, I. of Ballone, and widow of Sir Roderick
Mackenzie of Findon, without issue; and secondly, Katharine,
daughter of James Fraser of Achnagairn, with issue - See MACKENZIES
OF MOUNTGERALD.
10. Isabella, who married Roderick Mackenzie, second son of John
Mackenzie, II. of Applecross, with issue, whose descendants now
represent the original Mackenzies of Applecross.
11. Annabella, who married George, third son of Roderick Mackenzie,
V. of Davochmaluag, with issue.
According to the retour of service of his successor, Kenneth died
in 1669, was buried in Beauly Priory, and was succeeded by his
eldest son,
VII. ALEXANDER MACKENZIE, who, by a charter of resignation, got
Loggie-Wester included in the barony of Gairloch. It had, however,
been settled on his stepmother, Janet Cuthbert, in life-rent, and
after her on her eldest son, Charles of Mellan and subsequently of
Letterewe, to whom, after her death, Alexander formally disponed
it. They afterwards entered into an excambion by which Alexander
reacquired Loggie-Wester in exchange for Letterewe, which then
became the patrimony of the successors of Charles.
A tradition is current in the Gairloch family that when Alexander
sought the hand of his future lady, Barbara, daughter of Sir
John Mackenzie of Tarbat, and sister-german to the first Earl
of Cromarty and to Isobel Countess of Seaforth, he endeavoured
to make himself appear much wealthier than he really was, by
returning a higher rental than he actually received at the time
of making up the Scots valued rent in 1670, in which year he
married. This tradition is corroborated by a comparison of the
valuation of the shire of Inverness for 1644, published by Charles
Fraser-Mackintosh in "Antiquarian Notes," and the rental of 1670,
on which the ecclesiastical assessments are still based. In the
former year the rental of the parish of Gairloch was L3134 13s
4d, of which L1081 6s 8d was from the lands of the Barony, equal
to 34 1/2 per cent., while in the latter year the valued rental
of the parish is put down at L3400, of which L1549 is from the
barony lands, or 45 1/2 per cent. It is impossible that such a
rise in the rental could have taken place in the short space of
twenty-six years; and the presumption is in favour of the accuracy
of the tradition which imports that the rental was over-valued for
the special purpose of making the Baron of Gairloch appear more
important in the eyes of his future relatives-in-law than he
really was. In 1681 he had his rights and titles ratified by Act
of Parliament, printed at length in the Folio edition.
He married, first, in 1670, Barbara, daughter of Sir John Mackenzie,
Baronet of Tarbat, with issue -
1. Kenneth, his heir and successor.
2. Isobel, who married John Macdonald of Balcony, son of Sir James
Macdonald, IX. of Sleat.
He married, secondly, Janet, daughter of William Mackenzie, I.
of Belmaduthy (marriage contract 30th of January 1679), on which
occasion Davochcairn and Ardnagrask were settled upon her in
life-rent, and on her eldest son at her death, as appears from a
precept of date clare constat, by Colin Mackenzie of Davochpollo,
in favour of William, his eldest surviving son. By her he had
issue -
3. Alexander, who died unmarried.
4. William, who acquired the lands of Davochcairn, and married, in
1712, Jean, daughter of Roderick Mackenzie, V. of Redcastle, with
issue - a son, Alexander, of the Stamp Office, London, and several
daughters. Alexander has a "clare constat" as only son in 1732.
He died in 1772, leaving a son, Alexander Kenneth, who emigrated
to New South Wales, where several of his descendants now reside;
the representative of the family, in 1878, being Alexander Kenneth
Mac-kenzie, Boonara, Bondi, Sydney.
5. John, who purchased the lands of Lochend (now Inverewe), with
issue - Alexander Mackenzie, afterwards of Lochend and George,
an officer in Colonel Murray Keith's Highland Regiment also two
daughters, Lilias, who married William Mackenzie, IV. of Gruinard,
and Christy, who married William Maciver of Tournaig, both with
issue - See MACKENZIES OF LOCHEND.
6. Ann, who, in 1703, married Kenneth Mackenzie, II. of Torridon,
with issue. She married, secondly, Kenneth Mackenzie, a solicitor
in London.
He died in December 1694, at the age of 42, which appears from
his general retour of sasine, dated 25th February, 1673, in which
he is said to be then of lawful age. He was buried in Gairloch,
and was succeeded by his only son by his first marriage,
VIII. SIR KENNETH MACKENZIE, created a Baronet of Nova Scotia,
by Queen Anne, on the 2nd of February, 1703. He was educated at
Oxford, and afterwards represented his native county of Ross in
the Scottish Parliament. He strongly opposed the Union, considering
that if it should take place, it would be "the funeral of his
country." After the succession of Queen Anne he received from her,
in December 1702, a gift of the taxed ward, feu-duties, non-entry,
and marriage dues, and other casualties payable to the Crown, from
the date of his father's death, which, up to 1702, do not appear to
have been paid. Early in the same year he seems to have been taken
seriously ill, whereupon he executed a holograph will and testament
at Stankhouse, dated the 23rd of May, 1702, which was witnessed
by his uncle, Colin Mackenzie of Findon, and by his brother-in-law,
Simon Mackenzie, I. of Allangrange. He appoints as trustees
his "dear friends "John, Master of Tarbat, Kenneth Mackenzie
of Cromarty, Kenneth Mackenzie of Scatwell, Hector Mackenzie,
and Colin Mackenzie, his uncles, and George Mackenzie, II. of
Allangrange. He appointed Colin Mackenzie, then of Findon, and
afterwards of Davochpollo and Mountgerald, as his tutor and factor
at a salary of 200 merks Scots. In May, 1703, having apparently
to some extent recovered his health, he appears in his place
in Parliament. In September of the same year he returned to
Stankhouse, Gairloch, where he executed two bonds of provision, one
for his second son George, and the other for his younger daughters.
He married, in 1696, Margaret, youngest daughter, and, as is
commonly said, co-heiress of Sir Roderick Mackenzie of Findon, but
the Barony of Findon went wholly to Lilias, the eldest daughter,
who married Sir Kenneth Mackenzie, 1st Baronet and IV. of Scatwell
another of the daughters, Isobel, married Simon Mackenzie, I. of
Allangrange. There was a fourth daughter, unmarried at the date
of Margaret's contract of marriage and the four took a fourth part
each of Sir Roderick's moveables and of certain lands not included
in the Barony. At the date of his marriage Kenneth had not made
up titles to his estates; but by his marriage contract he is taken
bound to do so as soon as he can. His retour of service was taken
out in the following year.
By Margaret Mackenzie of Findon Kenneth had issue -
1. Alexander, his heir and successor.
2. George, who became a merchant in Glasgow, and died unmarried
in 1739.
3. Barbara, who, in 1729, married George Beattie, a merchant in
Montrose, without issue.
4. Margaret, who died young in 1704.
5. Anne, who, in 1728, married, during his father's life-time,
Murdo Mackenzie, VII. of Achilty, without issue.
6. Katharine, who died young.
Sir Kenneth had also a natural daughter, Margaret, who married,
in 1723, Donald Macdonald, younger of Cuidreach. Sir Kenneth's
widow, about a year after his decease, married Bayne of Tulloch.
Notwithstanding the money that Sir Kenneth received with her, he
died deeply in debt, and left his children insufficiently provided
for. George and Barbara were at first maintained by their
mother, and afterwards by Colin of Findon who had married their
grandmother, widow of Sir Roderick Mackenzie of Findon, while
Alexander and Anne were in even a worse plight.
He died in December 1703, at the early age of 32; was buried in
Gairloch, and succeeded by his eldest son,
IX. SIR ALEXANDER MACKENZIE, the second Baronet, a child only
three and a half years old. His prospects were certainly not
enviable, he and his sister Anne having had for a time, for actual
want of means, to be "settled in tenants' houses." The rental
of Gairloch and Glasletter at his father's death only amounted to
5954 merks, and his other estates in the Low Country were settled
on his mother, Sir Kenneth's widow, for life while he was left
with debts due amounting to 66,674 merks, equal to eleven years
rental of the whole estates. During his minority, however, the
large sum of 51,200 merks was paid off, in addition to 27,635
in name of interest on the original debt; and consequently very
little was left for his education. In 1708 he, along with
his brother and sisters, were taken to the factor's house - Colin
Mackenzie of Findon - where they remained for four years, and
received the rudiments of their education from a young man, Simon
Urquhart. In 1712 they were all sent to school at Chanonry,
under Urquhart's charge, where Sir Alexander remained for six
years, after which, having arrived at 18 years of age, he went to
complete his education in Edinburgh. He afterwards made a tour
of travel, and returning home in 1730 married his cousin, Janet
Mackenzie of Scatwell, on which occasion a fine Gaelic poem was
composed in her praise by John Mackay, the famous blind piper
and poet of Gairloch, whose daughter became the mother of William
Ross, a Gaelic bard even more celebrated than the blind piper
himself. If we believe her eulogist the lady possessed all the
virtues of mind and body but in spite of all these graces the
marriage did not turn out a happy one; for, in 1758, she separated
from her husband on the grounds of incompatibility of temper,
after which she lived alone at Kinkell.
When, in 1721, Sir Alexander came of age, he was obliged to find
means to pay the provision payable to his brother George and to
his sisters, amounting altogether to 16,000 merks, while about
the same amount of his father's debts was still unpaid. In 1729
he purchased Cruive House and the Ferry of Skudale. In 1735 he
bought Bishop-Kinkell; in 1742 Loggie-Riach and, in 1743, Kenlochewe,
which latter property was considered equal in value to Glasletter
of Kintail, sold about the same time. About 1730 he redeemed
Davochcairn and Ardnagrask from the widow of his uncle William,
and Davochpollo from the widow and son James of his grand-uncle,
Colin, I. of Mountgerald. In 1752 he executed an entail of all
his estates; but leaving debts at his death, amounting to L2679
13s 10d more than his personal estate could meet, Davochcairn,
Davochpollo, and Ardnagrask, had eventually to be sold to make up
the deficiency.
In 1738 he pulled down the old family residence of Stankhouse,
or "Tigh Dige," at Gairloch, which stood in a low, marshy, damp
situation, surrounded by the moat from which it derived its name,
and built the present house on an elevated plateau, surrounded
by magnificent woods and towering hills, with a southern front
elevation - altogether one of the most beautiful and best sheltered
situations in the Highlands; and he very appropriately called it
Flowerdale. He greatly improved his property, and was in all
respects a careful and good man of business. He kept out of the
Rising of 1745, and afterwards when John Mackenzie of Meddat applied
to him for aid in favour of Lord Macleod, son of the Earl of
Cromarty, who took so prominent a part in it, and was afterwards in
very tightened circumstances, Sir Alexander replied in a letter
dated at Gairloch, 17th May, 1749, in the following somewhat
unsympathetic terms:
Sir,--I am favoured with your letter, and am extreamly sory Lord
Cromartie's circumstances should obliege him to sollicit the aide
of small gentlemen. I much raither he hade dyed sword in hand
even where he was ingag'd then be necessitate to act such a pairt
I have the honour to be nearly related to him, and to have been
his companion, but will not supply him at this time, for which I
believe I can give you the best reason in the world, and the only
one possible for me to give, and that is that I cannot. [Fraser's
"Earls of Cromartie," vol. ii., p. 230.]
The reason stated in this letter may possibly be the true one;
but it is more likely that Sir Alexander had no sympathy whatever
with the cause which brought his kinsman into such an unfortunate
position, and that he would not, on that account, lend him any
assistance.
Some of his leases, preserved in the Gairloch charter chest, contain
some very curious clauses, many of which would now be described
as tyrannical and cruel, but the Laird and his tenants understood
each other, and they got on remarkably well. The tenants were
bound to sell him all their marketable cattle "at reasonable
rates," and to deliver to him at current prices all the cod and
ling caught by them; and, in some cases, were bound to keep one
or more boats, with a sufficient number of men as sub-tenants,
for the prosecution of the cod and ling fishings. He kept his own
curer, cured the fish, and sold it at 12s 6d per cwt. delivered in
June at Gairloch, with credit until the following Martinmas, to
Mr Dunbar, merchant, with whom he made a contract binding himself,
for several years, to deliver, at the price named, all the cod
caught in Gairloch. [See copy of lease granted by him, in 1760,
of the half of North Erradale, to one of the author's ancestors,
printed at length under the family of "Alastair Cam."]
Sir Alexander married, in 1730, Janet, daughter of Sir Roderick
Mackenzie, second Baronet and V. of Scatwell, with issue -
1. Alexander, his heir and successor.
2. Kenneth, who died in infancy.
3. Roderick, a captain in the army, who was killed at Quebec
before he attained majority.
4. William, a writer, who died unmarried.
5. James, who died in infancy.
6. Kenneth of Millbank, factor and Tutor to Sir Hector, the fourth
Baronet of Gairloch, during the last few years of his minority.
He married Anne, daughter of Alexander Mackenzie of Tolly, with
issue - (1) Alexander, County Clerk of Ross-shire, who married, and
had issue - Alexander, in New Zealand; Kenneth, who married twice,
in India, and died in 1877; and Catherine, who married Murdo
Cameron, Leanaig, with surviving issue - one son, Alexander; (2)
Janet, who married the Rev. Dr John Macdonald, of Ferintosh, the
famous "Apostle of the North," with issue; (3) Catherine, who
married Alexander Mackenzie, a merchant in London, and grandson
of Alexander Mackenzie of Tolly, with issue - an only daughter,
Catherine, who married Major Roderick Mackenzie, VII. of Kincraig,
with issue; (4) Jane, who, in 1808, married the Rev. Hector
Bethune, minister of Dingwall, with issue - Colonel Bethune, who died
without issue; the Rev. Angus Bethune, Rector of Seaham; Alexander
Mackenzie Bethune, Secretary of the Peninsular and Oriental Navigation
Company, married, without issue; and a daughter, Jane, who married
the late Francis Harper, Torgorm. Mrs Bethune died in 1878, aged
91 years.
7 and 8. Margaret and Janet, both of whom died young.
9. Janet, who married Colin, eldest son of David, brother of
Murdo Mackenzie, VII. of Achilty. Murdo leaving no issue, Colin
ultimately succeeded to Achilty, but he seems afterwards to have
parted with it, for in 1784, he has a tack of Kinkell, and dies
there, in 1813, with his affairs seriously involved, leaving a
son John, who died without issue.
Sir Alexander had also a natural son, Charles Mackenzie, ancestor
of the later Mackenzies of Sand, and two natural daughters, one
of whom, Annabella, by a daughter of Maolmuire, or Miles Macrae,
of the family of Inverinate, married John Ban Mackenzie, by whom
she had a daughter, Marsali or Marjory, who married John Mor Og
Mackenzie (Ian Mor Aireach), son of John Mor Mackenzie, grandson
of Alexander Cam Mac-kenzie, fourth son of Alexander, V. of Gairloch,
in whose favour Sir Alexander granted the lease of North Erradale,
already referred to. The other daughter, known as "Kate Gairloch,"
who lived to a very old age, unmarried, was provided for in
comfortable lodgings and with a suitable allowance by the heads
of the family.
He died in 1766, in the 66th year of his age, was buried with his
ancestors in Gairloch, [The old chapel and the burying place of the
Lairds of Gairloch appear to have been roofed almost up to this
date; for in the Tutorial accounts of 1704 there is an item of
30 merks for "harling, pinning, and thatching Gairloch's burial
place."] and succeeded by his eldest son,
X. SIR ALEXANDER MACKENZIE, third Baronet, designated "An
Tighearna Ruadh," or the Red-haired Laird. He built Conon House
between 1758 and 1760, during his father's lifetime. Lady Mackenzie,
who continued to reside at Kinkell, where she lived separated from
her husband, on Sir Alexander's decease claimed the new mansion at
Conon built by her son eight years before on the ground that it was
situated on her jointure lands; but Sir Alexander resisted her
pretensions, and ultimately the matter was arranged by the award of
John Forbes of New, Government factor on the forfeited estates of
Lovat, who then resided at Beaufort, and to whom the question in
dispute was submitted as arbitrator. Forbes compromised it by
requiring Sir Alexander to expend L300 in making Kinkell Castle more
comfortable, by taking off the top storey, re-rooting it, rebuilding
an addition at the side, and re-flooring, plastering, and papering
all the rooms.
Sir Alexander, in addition to the debts of the entailed estates,
contracted other liabilities on his own account, and finding himself
much hampered in consequence, he tried, but failed, to break the
entail, although a flaw has been discovered in it since, and Sir
Kenneth, the present Baronet, having called the attention of
the Court to it, the entail was judicially declared invalid. Sir
Alexander had entered into an agreement to sell the Strathpeffer
and Ardnagrask lands, in anticipation of which Henry Davidson
of Tulloch bought the greater part of the debts of the entailed
estates, with the view of securing the consent of the Court to the
sale of Davochcairn and Davochpollo afterwards to himself. But on
the 15th of April, 1770, before the transaction could be completed,
Sir Alexander died suddenly from the effects of a fall from his
horse. His financial affairs were seriously involved, but having
been placed in the hands of an Edinburgh accountant, his creditors
ultimately received nineteen shillings in the pound.
He married, first, on the 29th of November, 1755, Margaret, eldest
daughter of Roderick Mackenzie, VII. of Redcastle, with issue -
1. Hector, his heir and successor.
She died on the 1st of December, 1759.
He married, secondly, in 1760, Jean, daughter of John Gorry of
Balblair, and Commissary of Ross, with issue -