A genealogical and heraldic history of the commoners of Great Britain and ...
By John Burke
Tormod Macleod, of Macleod, who in July, 1580, was infeft in the whole estate. He was the son of
Alexander Alisdair Crotach MacLeod.This laird m. first, Giles, daughter of Hector Maclean, of Duart, by whom he had issue,
I. William
II. Roderick
III. Alexander, of Minginish, from whom Alexander Macleod, of Fer- rinnilea, William Macleod, of Ose, and Lieut. Norman Macleod.
I. Margaret, m. to Donald Macdonald, of Slate. The feuds which subsisted between the Macleods and Macdonalds arose from the bad treatment of the lady by her husband.
II. ______ , m. first, to Macleod, of Lewis ; and, secondly, to Macdonald, of Ben- beaila.
Tormod wedded, secondly, a daughter of the Earl of Argyll, and had by her a daughter, Jannet, who became the wife of Maclean, of Coll. Macleod was a man of courage and conduct, and an adherent of the unhappy Mary, of Scotland. He died in March, 1584, and was s. by his eldest son,
William Macleod, of Macleod, who was served heir 31st July, 1585. He m. Janet, daughter of Lachlan McIntosh, of Dunachten, and dying in October, 1590, without issue, was s. by his brother, Roderick
Sir Roderick Macleod, of Macleod, commonly Rory more, or great Roderick, who received the honour of knighthood from King James VI. and was infeft in the whole estate as heir to his brother in September, 1596. This laird appears to have been involved in much difficulty, but his address and courage bore him eventually through. An act of parliament having passed, l0th December, 1507, obliging, under pain of forfeiture, all the chieftains and other landholders in the Highlands and Isles, to produce the title- deeds of their estates before the lords of the exchequer, to be considered by them previously to the 25th day of May following, and Sir Roderick refusing compliance, King James conferred his whole estate, with the exception of Trotterness, Slate, and Uist, upon James Lord Balmerinock, Sir James Spence, of Wolmerston, and Sir George Hay, of Nether Cliff, afterwards Viscount Duplin, equally between them, on which these gentlemen, taking out a charter under the great seal, were infeft, and Sir George Hay acquired right to Balmerinock's and Wolmerston 's shares. At the same time, to augment his embarrassment, Sir Roderick was on bad terms with Sir Roderick McKenzie, of Coigach, tutor of Kintail, ancestor of the earls of Croroartie, then a privy councillor and a man of considerable power and influence, who, aware of the fiery disposition of Macleod, affronted him in presence of the council, that he might commit some act which should render him amenable to the law ; — the desired effect was produced;—
Macleod knocked M'Kenzie immediately down, and thus subjected himself to capital punishment: at this period too his country was invaded by the Macdonalds of Slate, while himself and a large number of his clan were in the island of Mull; and although the invaders were gallantly opposed by Alexander Macleod, of Minginish, with so many of the clan as he could collect together, the Macdonalds, after a bloody skirmish in Guillen, carried away a spreath; in retaliation, when Sir Roderick returned, |he made an inroad into Trotterness, and burned and destroyed the whole country. He had also at this time deadly feuds with the family of Clankanald. He was however long and greatly befriended by the Earl of Argyll, and, on the 7th July, 1606, engaged himself by contract to resign bis barony of Glenelg into the king's hands in favour of that nobleman, on his lordship's becoming bound to grant to him (Sir Roderick) and his heirs male a charter of that barony, to be held of Argyll and his heirs by service of ward, marriage, and relief; he subsequently accommodated matters with Sir Roderick M'Kenzie, and entered into bonds of friendship with Macdonald, of Slate, Macdonald, of Clankanald, and Mackinnon; and at length, on the 4th May, 1610, obtained from James a remission. On the 18th July, in the same year, he purchased from Kenneth, Lord Mackenzie, of Kintail, the barony of Vaterness, disposing to Kintail of the Twopenny land of Trotterness, and the office of bailliary of the whole lands of Trotterness. On the 19th of the same month he obtained from George Hay, Viscount Duplin, a disposition of the whole estate, and on these titles, with his own resignation, he acquired from the crown a new charter, dated 4th April, 1611, of Vaterness and his other estates, containing a novoda- mus taxing the ward, and erecting the whole into a barony, to be called the barony of Dunvegan, in favour of himself and the heirs male of his body, remainder to his brother german, Alexander Macleod, of Minginess, remainder to William Macleod, alins Macwilliam Macleod, of Meidle, the heir male of Tormod, second son of John, sixth laird of Macleod, remainder to his own nearest and lawful heirs male whatsoever ; and upon this charter he was infeft 22nd October, 1611. On the 16th September, 1613, he was served heir in special to William Macleod, his uncle, in the lands of Trotterness, Slate, and North Uist, and was infeft in them llth February, 1614. Those lands he desposed of, in February, 1618, to Sir Donald Macdonald, of Slate. Sir Roderick became a great favourite with King James VI. who, on the 18th May, 1610, wrote to him a letter requiring his assistance in an affair to be communicated to him by the Earl of Dunbar, which his majesty says, " he shall not fail to remember, when any occasion fit for your good shall be offered." In 1613 the king conferred the honour of knighthood on him, and in the June of that year he wrote three several letters from Greenwich, recommending Macleod and his affairs, in the strongest terms, to the privy council of Scotland. On the 16th June, 1616, his majesty granted to Sir Roderick a license, under his hand and seal, to come out of Scotland to court whenever he should think convenient, without being liable to any challenge or pursuit for so doing. Sir Roderick died in the beginning of 1626, leaving issue by his wife, Isabella, daughter of Macdonald, of Glengary, five sons and five daughters, viz.
i. John, his successor.
ii. Roderick, of Talliskir.*
ill. Normand, of Berneray.
iv. William, of Stammer,
v. Donald, of Grishernish.
i. Margaret, m. to M'Lean, of Duart.
n. Mary, m. to — M'Lean, brother of Duart, and her son succeeded to the estate.
in. Moire, commonly called Moire Voire, m. to John Musdortich, captain of Clankanald, which marriage terminated the feuds between the two families.
iv. Janet, m. to John Macleod, of Ra- say.
v. Florence, m. to Donald M'Sween.
It is remarkable that this chieftain was a proficient in Latin, had travelled on the Continent, and spoke French with fluency, yet could neither utter nor understand the Scotch or English dialect. His eldest son and heir,
John Macleod, of Macleod, surnamed John More, from his great size, was confirmed in the whole family estate, 9th November, 1626, on a precept from the Chancery, and was subsequently under a decree of the Privy Council of Scotland, compelled to resign his barony of Glenelg in the king's hands, in favour of the Earl of Argyll, (son of the nobleman with whom his father had entered into the contract,) and to take a charter of it, holding of his lordship, paying twenty thousand merks for taxing the ward, marriage and relief, by which tenure it is yet held of die house of Argyll. This laird was a staunch Royalist, and opposed the measures of the Covenanters from the commencement, for which conduct he received a letter of thanks from King Charles I. dated at Durham 2nd May, 1639. He continued firm in his allegiance, to the hour of his death, which happened in September, 1649. He was remarkable for his goodness and piety, and took so much pains to civilize the country, that he acquired the appellation of Lot in Sodon. He m. Sibella, daughter of Kenneth, Lord M'Kinzie, of Kintail, and haa issue,
Roderick,
John,
successive lairds.
Mary, m. first, to Sir James Macdonald, of Slate, and secondly, to Muir, of Rowallan.
Marion, m. to Donald Macdonald, captain of Clankaland, and was mother of Allan, captain of Clankaland, who fell at Sheriff Mnir.
Giles, m. first, to Sir Allan M'Lean, of Duart, and secondly, to Campbell, of Glendaruel.
Sibella, i». to Thomas Fraser, of Beaufort, and was mother of Simon Fraser, the last Lord Lovat, (see p. 207).
Margaret, m. to Sir James Campbell, of
Laarg.
The eldest son,
Roderick Macleod, fifteenth laird of Macleod, was served heir in special to his father 22nd November, 1665,
* This gentleman, Roderick Macleod, of Tal- liskir, on the death of his elder brother, John, who succeeded his father, and became fourteenth laird of Macleod, was appointed tutor to his nephew, Roderick Macleod, the fifteenth laird, John's son and heir, then in minority. On the arrival of Charles II. in Scotland, in 1650, and the issue of his Majesty's proclamation, commanding all his subjects to repair to the Royal Standard with as many men as they could levy, Roderick immediately raised a regiment, seven hundred strong, of his clan and followers, and appointed hi» brother Nonnand, of Bernere, lien- tenant-colonel, who cheerfully obeyed the royal summons, and after remaining some time with the king's army, received orders to complete his corps by a levy of three hundred men more. This he accomplished ; but being in want of arms, he obtained an order on John Bunkle, then commissary, to supply him. The commissary, however, refused to comply, unless Tulliskir would pass his bond for the value, which, rather than prejudice the service, was passed. This bond was afterwards assigned to William M'Cullocb, who used utmost diligence upon it against Talliskir, during the Usurpation. These proceedings were at last suspended; and Colonel Macleod relieved from the claim by act of parliament, in 1661. At the head of this regiment, himself and his brother attended the King to the fatal field of Worcester, where almost every man of the corps was either killed, or taken prisoner, and transported to the plantations. The colonel had a narrow escape, and after concealing himself a short time in England, got in disguise to Scotland, where he became active in encouraging a spirit of loynlty among the Highland clans; the best affected of whom met at Glenelg on the 21st April, 1653, and agreed on raising a body of two thousand men for the King's service, and to apprise his Majesty of Great Britain, the King of Denmark, the Princes* Royal, and the States of Holland, with their resolution. This mission was entrusted to Lieutenant- Col. Normand Macleod, to be carried to Xing Charles, who conveyed in return a most flattering letter from the exiled monarch to his brother Talliskir. When, subsequently, the royal cause entirely failed, Colonel Macleod lived privately at dome until the Restoration, when the King, in consideration of his faithful services, conferred upon him the honour of knighthood. Sir Roderick m. first, a daughter of Donald, first Lord Kie ; and secondly, Mary, daughter of M'Kin- non, of that ilk : by the latter he had John, Magnus, who died a youth, and a daughter Isabel!, m. to Donald M'Lean, of Coll. She .;. about the year 1675. His son John was m. to Janet, only daughter of Alexander Macleod, of Grishemish, and had a son and heir, Donald, who m. Christian, daughter of John Macleod, nnd left issue. John, of Talliskir, lieut.-colonel in the service of the States of Holland; Magnus, on officer in Col. Campbell's regiment of Highlanders ; Roderick, professor of philosophy in the king's college of Aberdeen . Normand, captain-lieut. in the regiment of light-armed infantry in America, and one of the superintendants of the Indians. Janet, m. to Hugh M'Lean, of Coll; and Isabel), the wife of Hector M'Lean, of Islecomonk.
*Normand Macleod, of Berneray, third son of Sir Roderick, concurred most heartily during his nephew's minority in all the measures adopted by bis eldest brother, Sir Roderick, the tutor of Macleod. He was at the battle of Worcester, in the rank of lieut.-colonel of his brother's regiment, and being taken prisoner there, was detained in custody for eighteen months, during which period he was tried for his life on the supposition of being a Welchman, from the affinity, the surnames of Ap Lloyd and Macleod; but being well known to the Scots army, bis identity was easily established, when there was an end to the case, and the prisoner remanded. It was then proposed to him to subscribe the oath called the tender, and his liberty was offered to him ; but peremptorily refusing, his incarceration was prolonged, and his treatment rendered more severe; but being a man of abilities, address, and enterprise, he at length effected his escape, and joined his friends in the Highlands, attended the council of war already mentioned, and was deputed to convey the result of the proceedings to King Charles. He was afterwards active in the many attempts made to re-establish the King's affairs in Scotland, and when General Middleton was no longer able to keep the field, but obliged to retire to the Western Isles, Lieut.-colonel Macleod conducted him to his own house at Berneray, where he remained in security, until provided with means, by his gallant host, to make his escape beyond sea. After the Restoration, be received, with his brother, the honour of knighthood, but got no other reward, except through the Earl of Middleton be obtained the forfeited estate of a certain Highland family, which took place in consequence of a correspondence discovered between its chief and the usurpers. Sir Normand m first, Margaret, only child of John M'Kenzie, of Lochslin, second son of Kenneth, Lord Kintail, by whom he had an only son, John Macleod, of Contulich, who wedded Isabella, eldest daughter of Kenneth M'Kenzie, of Scatwell, and had a numerous issue, of whom the eldest son, John Macleod, of Muirnvonside, was father of Alexander Macleod, advocate, and Klizabeth, the wife of John Macdonald, of Largie, and the second son, Donald Macleod, of Bernera, had, by his first marriage, Norman Macleod, of Unish, and Captain Alexander Macleod, of the Lord Mansfield Indiaman, with several daughter*; and by his second marriage, John Macleod. Sir Normand espoused, secondly, Catherine, eldest daughter of Sir James Macdonald, of Slate, by whom he had
William, of Laskindir, father of Alexander, of Laskindir, of Roderick, clerk to the signet; of Margaret, m. to Ronald Macdonald, of Clankaland, and Alice, the wife of Roderick M'Neill.
Marion, m. to Donald M'Lean, of Colt. m. to Alexander Macleod, of R»-
say, and afterwards to Angus M'Donell,
of Scotherin.
MacLeod Wikipeida
