history of the mackenzies-第7章

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ted　in　those　parts　of　the　country　to　which　its　fictitious　events　　related　as　local　traditions。〃　＇Celtic　Scotland；　Vol。　III。；　p。　364。＇

The　final　decision　to　which　Dr　Skene　comes　in　his　great　work　is　that　the　clans；　properly　so　called；　were　of　native　origin；　and　that　the　　surnames　adopted　by　them　were　partly　of　native　and　partly　of　foreign　　descent。　　Among　these　native　Highland　clans　he　unhesitatingly　classes　the　Mackenzies；　the　clan　Gillie…Andres　or　Rosses；　and　　the　Mathesons；　all　of　　whom　belong；　he　says；　to　the　tribe　of　Ross。　　In　his　first　work　on　the　　Highlands　and　Highland　Clans　he　draws　the　general　deduction；　based　on　　all　our　existing　MS。　genealogies；　that　the　clans　were　divided　into　several　　great　tribes；　descended　from　a　common　ancestor；　but　he　at　the　same　time　　makes　a　marked　distinction　between　the　different　tribes　which；　by　indica…tions　traceable　in　each；　can　be　identified　with　the　earldoms　or　　maormorships　into　which　the　North　of　Scotland　was　originally　divided。　　　By　the　aid　of　the　old　genealogies　he　divides　the　clans　into　five　different　tribes　in　the　following　order：（1）　The　descendants　of　Conn　of　the　Hundred　Battles；　（2）　of　Ferchar　Fata　Mac　Feradaig；　（3）　of　Cormaig　Mac　　Obertaig；　（4）　of　Fergus　Leith　Dearg；　and　（5）　of　Krycul。　　In　the　third　of　　these　divisions　he　includes　the　old　Earls　of　Ross；　the　Mackenzies；　the　　Mathesons；　and　several　other　clans；　and　to　this　classification　he　adheres；　　after　the　　most　mature　consideration；　in　his　later　and　greater　work；　the　　History　of　Celtic　Scotland。


THE　　REAL　　CELTIC　　ORIGIN。


It　is　now　most　interesting　to　know　who　the　ancient　Earls　of　Ross；　from　whom　the　Mackenzies　are　really　descended；　were。　　The　first　of　these　　earls　of　whom　we　have　any　record　is　Malcolm　Mac　Heth　to　whom　Malcolm　IV。　gave　Ross　in　1157；　with　the　title　of　Earl　of　Ross；　but　the　　inhabitants　rose　against　him　and　drove　him　out　of　the　district。　Wyntoun　　mentions　an　Earl　〃Gillandrys；〃　a　name　which　we　believe　is　derived　from　　the　common　ancestor　of　the　Mackenzies　and　Rosses；　〃Gilleoin…Ard…Rois；〃　　as　one　of　the　six　Celtic　earls　who　besieged　King　Malcolm　at　Perth　in　　1160。　　Skene　is　also　of　opinion　that　this　Gillandres　represented　the　old　　Celtic　earls　of　Ross；　as　the　clan　bearing　the　name　of　Ross　are　called　in　　Gaelic　Clann　Ghilleanrias；　or　descendants　of　Gillandres；　and　may；　he　　thinks；　have　led　the　revolt　which　drove　Malcolm　Mac　Heth　out　of　the　　earldom。　The　same　King；　two　years　after　the　incident　at　Perth；　gave　the　　earldom　of　Ross　to　Florence；　Count　of　Holland；　on　that　nobleman's　　marriage　with　His　Majesty's　sister　Ada；　in　1162；　but　the　new　earl　never　　secured　practical　possession　＇Celtic　Scotland；　Vol。　III。；　pp。　66…67。＇　　He　is；　　however；　found　claiming　it　as　late　as　1179；　in　the　reign　of　William　the　　Lion。

The　district　of　Ross　is　often　mentioned　in　the　Norse　Sagas　along　with　the　other　parts　of　the　country　then　governed　by　Maormors　or　Jarls；　　and　Skene　in　his　earlier　work　says　that　it　was　only　on　the　downfall　of　　those　of　Moray　that　the　chiefs　of　Ross　appear　prominent　in　historical　　records；　the　Maormors　of　Moray　being　in　such　close　proximity　to　them　　and　so　great　in　power　and　influence　that　the　less　powerful　Maormor　of　　Ross　held　only　a　comparatively　subordinate　position；　and　his　name　was　in　　consequence　seldom　or　never　associated　with　any　of　the　great　events　of　　that　early　period　in　Highland　history。　　It　was　only　after　the　disappearance　　of　those　district　potentates　　that　　the　chiefs　appear　under　　the　appellation　　of　Comites　or　Earls。　That　most；　if　not　all；　of　these　earls　were　the　descendants　of　the　ancient　maormors　there　can　be　little　doubt；　and　the　　natural　presumption　in　this　instance　is　strengthened　by　the　fact　that　all　the　　old　authorities　concur　in　asserting　that　the　Gaelic　name　of　the　original　　Earls　of　Ross　was　O'Beolana　corruption　of　Gilleoin；　or　Gillean；　na　h‘Airdeor　the　descendants　of　Beolan。　　〃And　we　　actually　find；〃　says　the　same　authority；　〃from　the　oldest　Norse　Saga　connected　with　Scotland　that　　a　powerful　chief　in　the　North　of　Scotland　named　O'Beolan；　married　the　　daughter　of　Ganga　Rolfe；　or　Rollo；　the　celebrated　pirate　who　became　　afterwards　the　celebrated　Earl　of　Normandy。〃　　If　this　view　is　well…founded　the　ancestor　of　the　Earls　of　Ross　was　chief　in　Kintail　as　early　as　the　　beginning　of　the　tenth　century。　　We　have　seen　that　the　first　Earl　of　Ross　recorded　in　history　was　　Malcolm　Mac　Heth；　to　whom　a　precept　is　found；　directed　by　Malcolm　IV。；　　requesting　him　to　protect　the　monks　of　Dunfermline　and　defend　them　in　　their　lawful　privileges　and　possessions。　　The　document　is　not　dated；　but　　judging　from　the　names　of　the　witnesses　attesting　it；　the　precept　must　have　been　issued　before　1162。　　It　will　be　remembered　that　Mac　Heth　was　one　of　　the　six　Celtic　earls　who　besieged　the　King　at　Perth　two　years　before；　in　　1160。　　William　the　Lion；　who　seems　to　have　kept　the　earldom　in　his　own　　hands　for　several　years；　in　1179　marched　into　the　district　at　the　head　of　his　　earls　and　barons；　accompanied　by　a　large　army；　and　subdued　an　　insurrection　fomented　by　the　local　chiefs　against　his　authority。　　On　this　occasion　he　built　two　castles　within　its　bounds；　one　called　Dunscath　on　　the　northern　Sutor　at　the　entrance　to　the　Cromarty　Firth；　and　Redcastle　in　　the　Black　Isle。　　In　the　same　year　we　find　Florence；　Count　of　Holland；　complaining　that　he　had　been　deprived　of　its　nominal　ownership　by　King　　William。　　There　is　no　trace　of　any　other　earl　in　actual　possession　until　we　　come　to　Ferquard　or　〃Ferchair　Mac　an　t'　Sagairt；〃　Farquhar　the　son　of　the　Priest；　who　rose　rapidly　to　power　on　the　ruins　of　the　once　powerful　Mac　　Heth　earls　of　Moray；　of　which　line　Kenneth　Mac　Heth；　who；　with　Donald　　Ban；　led　a　force　into　Moray　against　Alexander　　II。；　son　　of　William　　the　　Lion；　　in　1215；　was　the　last。　　Of　this　raid　the　following　account　is　given　in　　Celtic　Scotland；　Vol。　I。　p。　483：

〃The　young　king　had　barely　reigned　a　year　when　be　had　to　　encounter　the　old　enemies　of　the　Crown；　the　families　of　Mac　William　and　Mac　Eth；　who　now　combined　their　forces　under　Donald　Ban；　the　son　of　　that　Mac　William　who　bad　been　slain　at　Mamgarvie　in　1187；　and　Kenneth　　Mac　Eth；　a　son　or　grandson　of　Malcolm　Mac　Eth；　with　the　son　of　one　of　　the　Irish　provincial　kings；　and　burst　into　the　Province　of　Moray　at　the　bead　　of　　a　large　band　of　malcontents。　　A　very　important　auxiliary；　however；　now　　joined　the　party　of　the　king。　This　was　Ferquhard　or　Fearchar　Macintagart；　　the　son　of　the　‘Sagart'　or　priest　who　was　the　lay　possessor　of　the　extensive　　possessions　of　the　old　monastery　founded　by　the　Irish　Saint　Maelrubba　at　Applecross　in　the　seventh　century。　　Its　possessions　lay　between　the　district　　of　Ross　and　the　Western　Sea　and　extended　from　Lochcarron　to　Loch　Ewe　　and　Loch　Maree；　and　Ferquhard　was　thus　in　reality　a　powerful　Highland　　chief　commanding　the　population　of　an　extensive　western　region。　　The　　insurgents　were　assailed　by　him　with　great　vigour；　entirely　crushed；　and　　their　leaders　taken；　who　be　at　once　beheaded　and　presented　their　heads　to　the　new　king　as　a　welcome　gift　on　the　15th　of　June；　when　he　was　knighted　　by　the　king　as　a　reward　for　his　prompt　assistance。〃

The　district　then　known　as　North　Argyle　consisted　chiefly　of　the　possessions　of　this　ancient　monastery　of　Appercrossan　or　Applecross。　Its　inhabitants　had　hithertoalong　with　those　of　South　Argyle；　which　　extended　from　Lochcarron　to　the　Firth　of　Clydemaintained　a　kind　of　　semi…independence；　but　in　1222　they　were；　by　their　lay　possessor；　Ferchair　　Mac　an　t'Sagairt；　who　was　apparently　the　grandson　or　great…grandson　of　　Gillandres；　one　of　the　six　earls　who　besieged　Malcolm　IV。　at　Perth　in　　1160；　brought　into　closer　connection　with　the　crown。　　The　lay　Abbots　of　　which　Ferquhard　was　the　head　were　the　hereditary　possessors　of　all　the　　extensive　territories　which　had　for　centuries　been　ruled　and　owned　by　this　old　and　powerful　Celtic　monastery。　　As　a　reward　for　his　services　against　　the　men　of　Moray　in　1215　and　for　the　great　services　which；　in　1222；　he　　again　rendered　to　the　King　in　the　subjugation　of　the　whole　district　then　　known　as　Argyle；　extending　from　the　Clyde　to　Lochbroom；　he　received　　additional　honours。　　In　that　campaign　known　as　〃the　Conquest　of　Argyle；〃　　Ferquhard　led　most　of　the　w