History of the Mackenzies, with genealogies of the principal families of the nameMackenzie, Alexander
History
History of the Mackenzies, with genealogies of the principal families of the name
Mackenzie, Alexander
Mackenzie family; Scotland -- Genealogy; Seaforth, Earls of
The great concern and anxiety of her ladyship of Ellandonnan can
be easily conceived, for all that she had yet learnt was the simple
fact that an engagement of some kind had taken place, and this she
only knew from having heard the sound of cannon during the night.
Early in the morning she noticed her protectors returning with
their birlinn, accompanied by another great galley. This brightened
her hopes, and going down to the shore to meet them, she heartily
saluted them, and asked if all had gone well with them. "Yea,
Madam," answered their leader, Duncan MacGillechriost, "we have
brought you a new guest, without the loss of a single man, whom
we hope is welcome to your ladyship." She looked into the galley,
and at once recognising the body of Angus of Glengarry, she ordered
it to be carried ashore and properly attended to. The men proposed
that he should be buried in the tomb of his predecessors, "Cnoc nan
Aingeal," in Lochalsh; but this she objected to, observing that,
if he could, her husband would never allow a Macdonald, dead or
alive, any further possession in that locality, at the same time
ordering young Glengarry to be buried with her own children,
and such other children of the predecessors of the Mackenzies of
Kintail as were buried in Kilduich, saying that she considered it
no disparagement for him to be buried with such cousins; and if
it were her own fate to die in Kintail, she would desire to be
interred amongst them. The proposal was agreed to, and everything
having been got ready suitable for the funeral of a gentleman of
his rank-such as the place could afford in the circumstances-he
was buried next day in Kilduich, in the same tomb as Mackenzie's
own children. This is not the most generally received account
regarding Angus Macdonald's burial; but we are glad, for the credit
of our common humanity, to find the following conclusive testimony
in an imperfect but excellently written MS. of the seventeenth
century, otherwise remarkably correct and trustworthy: "Some person,
out of what reason I cannot tell, will needs affirm he was buried in
the church door, as men go out and in, which to my certain knowledge
is a malicious lie, for with my very eyes I have seen his head raised
out of the same grave and returned again, wherein there was two
small cuts, noways deep." [Ancient MS.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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