history of the mackenzies-第91章

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eaks　of　his　father　in　the　past　tense；　and　he　say's　that　〃He　　（Earl　George）　left　ane　natural　son；　who　is　called　John；　who　is　married　　with　Logie's　daughter。〃　　That　John　of　Gruinard　was　married　to　Christina；　　daughter　of　Donald　Mackenzie；　III。　of　Loggie；　is　proved　by　a　sasine　dated　1655；　in　which　that　lady　is　described　as　his　wife。　　It　may　be　objected　to　these　MSS。　that；　however　probable　it　may　be　　that　they　are　correct；　they　are　not　necessarily　authentic。　　But　there　is　ample　　evidence　of　an　official　and　incontestible　character　on　the　point。　　A　sasine；　dated　6th　of　February；　1658；　is　recorded　in　the　Particular　Register　of　　Sasines　of　Inverness；　vol。　7；　fol。　316；　from　which　the　following　is　an　　extract〃Compearit　personally　John　Mackenzie；　naturall　broyr　to　ane　　noble　Erle　Kenneth　Erle　of　Seaforth　Lord　of　Kintail；　etc。；　as　bailzie　in　that　　part；〃　on　behalf　of　〃the　noble　Lady；　Dame　Isobell　Mackenzie；　Countess　of　　Seaforth；　sister　german　to　Sir　George　Mackenzie　of　Tarbat；　Knight；　future　ladie　to　the　said　noble　Erle。〃　　Another　authentic　document　having　a　most　　important　bearing　on　this　question　was　recently　discovered　in　the　office　of　the　Sheriff…Clerk　of　Tain。　　It　is　a　discharge　by　Patrick　Smith　of　Braco；　　dated　and　registered　in　the　Commissary　Books　at　Fortrose；　on　the　4th　of　　December；　1668；　in　which　the　parties　are　described　as　〃Kenneth　Erle　of　　Seafort；　Lord　Kintail；　as　principal；　and　John　Mackenzie　of　Gruinyard；　　designit　in　the　obligatione　vnder…wrytten　his　naturall　brother；　as　　cautioner。〃　　Further；　George　of　Kildun　married；　first；　Mary　Skene；　　daughter　of　Skene　of　Skene；　in　1661。　This　is　proved　by　a　charter　to　her　of　　her　jointure　lands　of　Kincardine；　etc。　（see　Particular　Register　of　Sasines　　Invss。；　vol。　ix。　fol。　9）。　　He　married；　secondly；　Margaret；　daughter　of　　Urquhart　of　Craighouse。　　The　absolute　impossibility　is　at　once　obvious　of　George　of　Kildunwho　only　married　his　first　wife　in　1661having　had　a　son；　John　Mackenzie　of　Gruinard；　in　a　position　to　have　obtained　a　charter　in　his　favour　of　the　lands　of　Little　Gruinard；　etc。；　in　1669within　eight　　years　of　his　reputed　father's　marriage　to　his　first　wifeand　who　was　　himself　designated　in　that　charter　as　of　〃Meikle　Gruinard；〃　while　it　is　　proved　by　undoubted　official　documents　that　John　of　Gruinard's　wife　had　　lands　disponed　to　her　as　his　wife　in　1655；　that　is；　six　years　before　the　　marriage　of　George　of　Kildun；　John's　alleged　father。　　And　further；　how　　could　John　of　Gruinard's　second　son；　Kenneth；　have　married；　as　be　is　　known　to　have　done；　the　widow　of　Kenneth　Og；　fourth　　Earl　　of　Seaforth；　who　died　　in　　1701；　if　John；　his　father；　had　been　the　son　by　a　second　　marriage　of　George　of　Kildun；　who　married　his　first　wife　in　1661？　　The　　thing　is　absolutely　impossible。

Kenneth　Mor；　third　Earl　of　Seaforth；　who；　according　to　the　　Gruinard　Genealogy；　was　John　of　Gruinard's　uncle；　was　born　at　Brahan　　Castle　in　　1635。　　In　1651　he　is　described　as　〃a　child〃　by　a　contemporary　writer；　who　says　that　the　Kintail　people　declined　to　rise　with　him　in　that　　year　during　his　father's　absence　on　the　Continent；　because　〃he　was　but　a　　child；　and　his　father；　their　master；　was　in　life。〃　Colin；　first　Earl　of　　Seaforth；　died　in　1633；　and　the　author　of　the　Ancient　MS。　says　that　〃Earl　George；　being　then　the　Laird　of　Kildun；　married　before　his　brother's　death；　　the　Lord　Forbes's　daughter。〃　Thus；　George　of　Kildun　could　not　have　been　　born　before　1636　or　1637　at　the　very　earliest；　and　the　date　of　his　first　　marriage；　twenty…four　years　later；　strongly　corroborates　this。　　How　then　could　he　have　had　a　married　son；　John　Mackenzie　of　Gruinard；　whose　wife　undoubtedly　obtained　lands　in　1655；　that　is；　when　Kildun　himself　　was　only　18　years　of　age；　and　when　John；　already　designated　of　Gruinard；　　was；　in　1656；　old　enough　to　be　cautioner　for　Kenneth；　Earl　of　Seaforth？

Proof　of　the　same　conclusive　character　could　be　adduced　to　any　extent；　　but　in　face　of　the　documents　already　quoted；　it　is　obviously　superfluous　to　　do　so。

John　Mackenzie；　I。　of　Gruinard；　could　not　in　the　nature　of　things　have　been　a　son　of　the　second　George　Mackenzie　of　Kildun。　　He　was；　on　the　other　hand；　undoubtedly；　the　natural　son　of　the　first　George；　who　　succeeded　　his　brother　Colin　as　second　Earl　of　Seaforth；　and　it　necessarily　　follows　that　his　representatives　can　have　no　claim　whatever　to　the　　Chiefship　of　the　Clan；　or　to　the　ancient　honours　of　the　family　of　Kintail　and　Seaforth。　　We　shall　now　proceed　to　show　that　these　distinctions　　belong　to　and　are　at　present　possessed　by　the　male　representative　of


THE　　MACKENZIES　　OF　　ALLANGRANGE。


HAVING　disposed　of　the　only　two　serious　claims　made　to　the　Chiefship　of　the　Clan　in　later　times　our　next　step　is　to　show　who　the　present　Chief　is。

To　do　this　we　must　go　back　to　Kenneth；　created　Lord　Mackenzie　of　Kintail　in　1609；　for　there　is　no　male　representative　of　any　later　head　of　the　　House　in　existence；　so　far　as　can　be　ascertained；　between　that　date　and　　this。　　Lord　Kenneth　had　seven　sons

1。　　Colin　Ruadh　or　〃the　Red　Earl；〃　his　heir　and　successor；　who　died；　in　1633；　without　surviving　male　issue。

2。　　John　Mackenzie　of　Lochslinn；　who　married　Isabel；　daughter　of　Alexander　Mackenzie；　V。　of　Gairloch；　and　died　in　1631；　having　been　poisoned　at　Tam；　without　issue　male。　　His　only　daughter；　Margaret；　married　Sir　Norman　Macleod；　I。　of　Bernera；　with　issue。

3。　　Kenneth；　who　died　unmarried。　　Lord　Kenneth；　XII。　of　Kintail；　married　secondly；　Isabel；　daughter　　of　Sir　Gilbert　Ogilvie　of　Powrie；　with　issue

4。　　Alexander；　who　died　unmarried。

5。　　George；　who　succeeded　his　brother　Colin；　as　second　Earl　of　Seaforth；　and　whose　line　terminated　in　Lady　Caroline　Mackenzie；　who　died　without　issue　in　1847；　her　father　Kenneth；　Baron　Ardelve　and　Earl　of　Seaforth　in　the　peerage　of　Ireland；　the　last　male　of　his　line；　having　died　at　　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope　in　1781。

6。　　Thomas　Mackenzie　of　Pluscardine；　whose　male　issue　was　　proved　extinct　at　the　Allangrange　Service　in　1829。

7。　　SIMON　　MACKENZIE；　who；　after　the　death　of　his　brother　　John；　was　designated　of　Lochslinn；　and　whose　representative　will　be　shown　to　be　the　present　head　and　heir　male　of　the　ancient　family　of　Kintail　and　Seaforth；　and　Chief　of　the　Clan。　　This　SIMON　married；　first；　　Elizabeth；　daughter　of　the　Rev。　Peter　Bruce　of　Ferrar；　D。D。；　Principal　of　St。　Leonard's　College；　St。　Andrews；　and　son　of　Bruce　of　Fingask；　by　　Elizabeth；　daughter　of　Alexander　Wedderburn　of　Blackness；　with　issue　　five　sons　and　one　daughter；　Jane；　who　married　Robert　Douglas　of　　Katewell；　in　the　parish　of　Kiltearn；　Ross…shire；　and　secondly；　Sir　James　　Grant　of　Moyness。

The　eldest　of　Simon's　five　sons　was　the　famous　SIR　　GEORGE　　MACKENZIE　of　Rosehaugh；　Lord　Advocate　for　　Scotland；　whose　history　is　so　well　known　that　it　would　serve　no　good　　purpose　to　give　only　such　a　brief　account　of　it　as　could　be　given　in　the　　space　here　available。　He　wrote　several　works　of　admitted　literary　merit；　his　Institutes　being　to　this　day　considered　a　standard　legal　authority。

He　　left　an　autobiography　in　MS。　which　was　published　by　his　widow　in　1716。

The　estate　of　Rosehaugh；　where　he　always　took　up　his　residence　while　in　　the　Highlands；　was；　in　his　time；　profusely　covered　with　the　Dog　Rose；　a　　fact　which　first　suggested　to　the　famous　lawyer　the　idea　of　designating　　that　property　by　the　name　of　〃Vallis　Rosarum；〃　or　Rosehaugh。　　Sir　George　　married　first；　Elizabeth；　daughter　of　John　Dickson　of　Hartree；　with　issue（1）　John；　（2）　Simon；　（3）　George；　all　of　whom　died　young　and　unmarried；　　（4）　Agnes；　who　in　1705　married　Sir　James　Stuart　Mackenzie；　first　Earl　of　　Bute；　with　issue；　whose　descendants；　now　represented　by　the　Earl　of　Wharncliffe；　succeeded　to　his　Ross…shire　estates；　but　since　sold　by　them；　though　still　retaining　the　name　and　arms　of　the　family。　（For　the　succession　　see　Retour　of　James　Marquis　of　Bute；　January；　1721）；　（5）　Elizabeth；　who　　married；　first；　Sir　Archibald　Cockburn　of　Langton；　with　issue；　and；　　secondly；　the　Hon。　Sir　James　Mackenzie　of　Royston；　Baronet；　with　issue　　George　（who　married　but　died　before　his　father；　without　male　issue）；　and　　two　daughtersAnne；　who　married　Sir　William　Dick　of　Prestonfield；　and　　Elizabeth；　who　married　Sir　John　Stuart　of　Grandtully；　with　issue。

Sir　George