History of the Mackenzies, with genealogies of the principal families of the name — John Shaqi
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
Some followers of the Earl of Ross about this time made a raid
to the district of Kenlochewe and carried away a great herschip.
Mackenzie pursued them, recovered a considerable portion of the
spoil, and killed many of the raiders. The Earl of Ross was greatly
incensed at Kenneth's conduct in this affair, and he determined
to have him apprehended and suitably punished for the murders and
other excesses committed by him.
In this he ultimately succeeded. Mackenzie was captured, chiefly
through the instrumentality of Leod Mac Gilleandrais - a desperate
character, and a vassal and relative of the Earl - and executed
at Inverness in 1346, when the lands of Kenlochewe, previously
possessed by Kintail, were given to Mac Gilleandrais as a reward
for Mackenzie's capture.
On this point the author of the Ardintoul manuscript says, that
the lands of Kenlochewe were held by Kenneth Mackenzie "and his
predecessors by tack, but not as heritage, for they had no real or
heritable right of them until Alexander of Kintail got heritable
possession of them from John, Earl of Ross," at a much later date.
Ellandonnan Castle, however, held out during the whole of this
disturbed and distracted period, and until Kenneth's heir, who
at his father's death was a mere boy, came of age, when he fully
avenged the death of his father, and succeeded to the inheritance
of his ancestors. The garrison meanwhile maintained themselves
on the spoil of the enemy. The brave defenders of the castle were
able to hold their own throughout and afterwards to hand over the
stronghold to their chief when he arrived at a proper age and
returned home.
The Earl of Cromarty, who gives a very similar account of this
period, concludes his notice of Kenneth in these terms - "Murdered
thus, his estate was possessed by the oppressor's followers; but
Island Donain keeped still out, maintaining themselves on the spoyle
of the enemie. All being trod under by insolince and oppression,
right had no place. This was during David Bruce's imprisonment
in England," when chaos and disorder ruled supreme, at least in
the Highlands.
Kenneth married Finguala, or Florence, daughter of Torquil Macleod,
II. of Lewis, by his wife Dorothea, daughter of William, second
O'Beolan Earl of Ross by his wife, Joan, daughter of John the first
Red Comyn, and sister of John the Black Comyn, Lord of Badenoch
and Earl of Buchan, with issue, an only son,
IV. MURDOCH MACKENZIE,
Usually called "Murchadh Dubh na h' Uagh," or Black Murdoch of the
Cave, from his habits of life, which shall be described presently.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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