history of the mackenzies-第21章

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ognised　as　its　legitimate　head。　　He　then　determined　to　　punish　Mackenzie　for　having　taken　his　father's　part　at　Court；　and　　otherwise；　during　the　rebellion；　and　swore　that　he　would　recover　from　him　the　great　possessions　which　originally　belonged　to　his　predecessors；　the　　Lords　of　the　Isles；　but　now　secured　by　Royal　Charter　to　the　Baron　of　　Kintail。　　With　this　object　he　decided　to　attack　him；　and　marched　to　　Inverness；　where　he　expected　to　meet　the　now　aged　Mackenzie　returning　　from　attendance　at　Court。　　Angus；　however；　missed　his　object；　and　instead　of　killing　Mackenzie；　he　was　himself　assassinated　by　his　harper；　an　　Irishman。　This　tragic；　but　well…merited；　close　to　such　a　violent　and　　turbulent　career；　is　recorded　in　the　Red　Book　of　Clan　Ranald　in　the　　following　terms：〃Donald；　the　son　of　Angus　that　was　killed　at　Inverness　by　his　own　harper；　son　of　John　of　the　Isles；　son　of　Alexander；　son　of　Donald；　son　of　John；　son　of　Angus　Og；〃　an　event　which　must　have　occurred　about　1485。

Alexander　was　the　first　of　the　family　who　lived　on　the　island　In　Loch　Kinellan；　while　at　the　same　time　he　had　Brahan　as　a　〃maines；〃　or　　farm；　both　of　which　his　successor　for　a　time　held　from　the　King　at　a　yearly　　rent；　until　Kenneth　feued　Brahan；　and　Colin；　his　son；　feued　Kinellan。

The　　Earl　of　Sutherland　had　been　on　friendly　terms　with　Mackenzie；　and　　appointed　him　as　his　deputy　in　the　management　of　the　Earldom　of　Ross；　　which　devolved　on　him　after　the　forfeiture。　　On　one　occasion；　the　Earl　of　Sutherland　being　in　the　south　at　Court；　the　Strathnaver　men　and　the　men　　of　the　Braes　of　Caithness　took　advantage　of　his　absence　and　invaded　　Sutherland。　　An　account　of　their　conduct　soon　spread　abroad；　and　reached　　the　ears　of　the　Chief　of　Kintail；　who　at　once　with　a　party　of　six　hundred　men；　passed　into　Sutherland；　where；　the　Earl's　followers　having　joined　　him；　he　defeated　the　invaders；　killed　a　large　number　of　them；　forced　the　　remainder　to　sue　for　peace；　and　compelled　them　to　give　substantial　　security　for　their　peaceful　behaviour　in　future。

Kintail　was　now　a　very　old　man。　　His　prudence　and　sagacity　well　repaid　the　judicious　patronage　of　the　first　King　James；　confirmed　and　　extended　by　his　successors　on　the　throne；　and；　as　has　been　well　said　by　his　　biographer；　secured　for　him　〃the　love　and　respect　of　three　Princes　in　　whose　reign　be　flourished；　and　as　his　prudent　management　in　the　Earldom　　of　Ross　showed　him　to　be　a　man　of　good　natural　parts；　so　it　very　much　　contributed　to　the　advancement　of　the　interest　of　his　family　by　the　　acquisition　of　the　lands　he　thereby　made；　nor　was　he　less　commendable　　for　the　quiet　and　peace　he　kept　among　his　Highlanders；　putting　the　laws　　punctually　in　execution　against　all　delinquents。〃　　Such　a　character　as　this；　　justly　called　Alastair　Ionraic；　or　the　just；　was　certainly　well　fitted　to　govern；　and　deserved　to　flourish　in　the　age　in　which　he　lived。　　Various　important　events　occurred　during　the　latter　part　of　his　life；　but　as　Kenneth；　　his　brave　son　and　successor；　was　the　actual　leader　of　the　clan　for　many　　years　before　his　father's　death；　and　especially　at　the　celebrated　battle　of　　Park；　the　leading　battles　and　feuds　in　which　the　clan　was　engaged　during　　this　period　will　be　dealt　with　in　the　account　of　that　Baron。　　There　has　been　much　difference　of　opinion　among　the　genealogists　　and　　family　historians　regarding　Alexander's　two　wives。　　Both　Edmonston　　in　his　Baronagium　Genealogicum；　and　　Douglas　　in　　his　　Peerage　say　　that　Alexander's　first　wife　was　Agnes；　sixth　daughter　of　Colin；　first　Earl　of　　Argyll。　　This　we　shall　prove　to　be　absolutely　impossible　within　the　　ordinary　course　of　the　laws　of　nature。　　Colin；　first　Earl　of　Argyll；　　succeeded　as　a　minor　in　　1453；　his　uncle；　Sir　Colin　Campbell　of　　Glenurchy；　having　been　appointed　his　tutor。　　Colin　of　Argyll　was　created　　Earl　in　1457；　probably　on　his　coming　of　age。　　He　married　Isabel　Stewart　of　　Lorn；　had　two　sons；　and；　according　to　Crawford；　five　daughters。　If　he　had　　a　daughter　Agnes　she　must　have　been　his　sixth　daughter　and　eighth　child；　　Assuming　that　Argyll　married　when　he　became　of　age；　about　1457；　Agnes；　　as　his　eighth　surviving　child；　could　not　have　been　born　before　1470。　　Her　reputed　husband；　Alexander　of　Kintail；　was　then　close　upon　70　years　of　　age；　having　died　in　1488；　bordering　upon　90；　when　his　alleged　wife　would　　barely　have　reached　a　marriageable　age；　and　when　her　reputed　son；　　Kenneth　a　Bhlair；　pretty　well　advanced　in　years；　had　already　fought　the　famous　battle　of　Park。　　John　of　Killin；　her　alleged　grandson；　was　born　　about　1480；　when　at　most　the　lady　said　to　have　been　his　grandmother　　could　only　have　been　10　to　15　years　of　age；　and；　in　1513；　at　the　age　of　33；　　he　distinguished　himself　at　the　battle　of　　Flodden；　where　Archibald　　second　Earl　of　Argyll；　the　lady's　brother；　at　least　ten　years　older　than　　Agnes；　was　slain。　　All　this　is　of　course　impossible。

A　similar　difficulty　has　arisen；　from　what　appears　to　be　a　very　simple　cause；　about　　Alexander's　second　marriage。　　The　authors　of　all　the　family　MS。　histories　are　unanimous　in　stating　that　his　first　wife　was　Anna；　　daughter　of　John　Macdougall　of　Lorn；　or　Dunollich；　known　as　John　Mac　　Alan　Mac　Cowle；　fourth　in　descent　from　Alexander　de　Ergedia　and　Lord　　of　Lorn　（1284）；　and　eighth　from　Somerled；　Thane　of　Argyle；　who　died　in　　1164。　　Though　the　direct　line　of　the　house　of　Lorn　ended　in　two　heiresses　who；　in　1388；　carried　away　the　property　to　their　husbands；　the　　Macdougalls　of　Dunollich　became　the　male　representatives　of　the　ancient　　and　illustrious　house　of　Lorn　；　and　this　fully　accounts　for　the　difference　　and　confusion　which　has　been　introduced　about　the　families　of　Lorn　and　　　Dunollich　in　some　of　the　Mackenzie　family　manuscripts。

The　same　authorities　who　affirm　that　Agnes　of　Argyll　was　　Alexander's　first　wife　assert　that　Anna　Macdougall；　was　his　second。　　　There　is　ample　testimony　to　show　that　the　latter　was　his　first；　although　some　confusion　has　again　arisen　in　this　case　from　a　similarity　of　names　　and　patronymics。　　　Some　of　the　family　MSS。　say　that　Alexander's　second　　wife　was　Margaret；　daughter　of　〃M'Couil；〃　〃M'Chouile；〃　or　　〃Macdougall〃　of　Morir；　or　Morar；　while　others；　among　them　the　Allangrange　Ancient　　MS。　have　it　that　she　was　〃MacRanald's　daughter。〃　The　Ardintoul　MS。　describes　her　as　〃Muidort's　daughter。〃　　One　of　the　　Gairloch　MSS。　says　that　she　was　〃Margarite；　the　daughter　of　Macdonald　　of　Morar；　of　the　Clan　Ranald　Race；　from　the　stock　of　Donald；　Lord　of　the　　Aebudae　Islands；〃　while　in　another　MS。　in　Sir　Kenneth　　Mackenzie's　　possession　　she　　is　designated　〃Margaret　Macdonald；　daughter　of　　Macdonald　of　Morar。〃　　There　is　thus　an　apparent　contradiction；　but　it　can　be　conclusively　shown　that　the　lady　so　variously　described　was　one　and　　the　same　person。　　Gregory　in　his　Highlands　and　Islands　of　Scotland；　p。　　158；　states　that　〃Macdougall〃　was　the　patronymic　of　one　of　the　families　of　　Clan　Ranald　of　Moydart　and　Morar。　　Speaking　of　Dugald　MacRanald；　son　and　successor　to　Ranald　Ban　Ranaldson　of　Moydart；　he　says；　〃Allan　the　　eldest　son　of　Dougal；　and　the　undoubted　male　heir　of　Clan　Ranald；　　acquired　the　estate　of　Morar；　which　he　transmitted　to　his　descendants。

He　　and　his　successors　were　always　styled；　in　Gaelic；　MacDhughail　Mhorair；　　ie。；　MacDougal　of　Morar；　from　their　ancestor；　Dougald　MacRanald。〃　　At　　p。　65　he　says　that　〃the　Clan　Ranald　of　Garmoran　comprehended　the　　families　of　Moydart；　Morar；　Knoydart；　and　Glengarry。〃　　This　family　was　　descended　from　Ranald；　younger　son　of　John　of　the　Isles；　by　his　marriage　　with　the　heiress　of　the　MacRorys　or　MacRuaries　of　Garmoran　whose　　ancestry；　from　Somerled　of　the　Isles；　is　as　illustrious　as　that　of　any　family　　in　the　kingdom。　　A　district　north　of　Arisaig　is　still　known　among　　the　Western　Islanders　as　〃Mor…thir　Mhic　Dhughail〃　or　the　mainland　possession　of　the　son　of　Dougall。　　The　MS。　histories　of　the　Mackenzies　having　been　all　written　after　the　patronymic　of　〃MacDhughail〃　was　acquired　by　the　Macdonalds　of　Moydart　and　Morar；　they　naturally　enough　　described　Alexander　of　Kintail's　second　wife　as　a　daughter　of　Macdougall　　of　Morar；　of　Muidort；　and　of　Clan　Ranald；　indiscriminately。　　But　in　point　of　fact　all　these　designations　describe　one　and　the　same　person。

Alexande