Alexander Mackenzie (clan chief)
Encyclopedia
Alexander Mackenzie known as “Ionraic” (or “the Upright”), traditionally counted as 6th of Kintail
, was the first chief
of the Clan Mackenzie
of whom indisputable contemporary documentary evidence survives. During his long life, he greatly expanded his clan’s territories and influence.
.
He was apparently among the Western barons summoned to Inverness
in 1427 to meet King James
, who promptly seized them on arrival, executing some and imprisoning others. The king sent Mackenzie, then a mere youth, to the High School at Perth
, regarded at that time as the principal literary seminary
in Scotland. According to traditional histories of the Clan Macrae
, he was prevailed upon by Fionnla Dubh mac Gillechriosd
to return from school in order to deal with three illegitimate uncles, who were disturbing his tenants in Kinlochewe
.
and the Scottish crown, Mackenzie chose the side of the latter. The course of events, as they affected Mackenzie, is summarised in two charters. On 7 January 1463, Mackenzie received a charter from John of Islay, Earl of Ross
, confirming him in his lands of Kintail
, with a further grant of the "5 merk lands of Killin, the lands of Garve
, and the 2 merk lands of Coryvulzie, with the three merk lands of Kinlochluichart, and 2 merk lands of Ach-na-Clerich [Achnaclerach], the 2 merk lands of Garbat, the merk lands of Delintan, and the 4 merk lands of Tarvie, all lying within the shire and Earldom of Ross, to be holden of the said John and his successors, Earls of Ross."
However, in 1462, John of Islay had over-reached himself by entering into a treacherous agreement with Edward IV of England
and Mackenzie later played a significant part in the negotiations between John of Islay and James III
that led to the former’s surrender of the Earldom of Ross in 1476. Mackenzie was rewarded in 1477 with a charter from the Crown to some of the lands renounced by the Earl of Ross, namely Strathconan, Strathbraan, and Strathgarve, and was confirmed in his lands in Kintail. It was probably at this point that Mackenzie moved his family's chief residence from Eilean Donan
in Kintail to Kinellan Castle, near Strathpeffer
. After this the Barons of Kintail held all their lands quite independently of any superior but the Crown.
At some point between 1485 and 1491, Mackenzie’s son Kenneth led the Mackenzies to victory over Alexander Macdonald of Lochalsh
at the Battle of Blar-na-Pairc. This battle may be regarded as a seal upon the rise of the Mackenzies at the expense of their former Macdonald overlords.
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.
The Earl of Cromartie
said:
(with whom he had previously been at loggerheads) against Allan’s brother, who had usurped some of the Moydart estates, and there are also traditional accounts of his involvement in about 1452 in the Battle of Bealach nam Broig
between a western force of MacIvers
, Maclennans
, Macaulays and Macleays against a force of Frasers
, Munroes
of Foulis
and Dingwalls
of Kildun.
, while at the same time he had Brahan as a mains or farm, both of which his successors for a time held from the King at a yearly rent, until they were later feu
ed.
Alexander’s marriages have been the subject of genealogical controversy but it appears that he married, first, Anna, daughter of John Macdougall of Dunollie, and, secondly, Margaret, daughter of Macdonald of Morar
(a cadet
of Macdonald of Clanranald). By his first wife, he had Kenneth
, his heir and successor, and Duncan, progenitor of the Mackenzies of Hilton. By his second wife, he had Hector Roy
(or “Eachainn Ruadh”), from whom are descended the Mackenzies of Gairloch
, and a daughter who married Allan Macleod, Hector Roy’s predecessor in Gairloch.
He is also said to have had a natural son (or, in some sources, a brother), Dugal, who became a priest and was Superior of Beauly Priory
, which he repaired about 1478, and in which he is buried.
Alexander died in or before 1488 at Kinellan, having attained a great old age. His eldest son was served heir in the lands of Kintail at Dingwall on 2 September 1488.
Kintail
Kintail is an area of mountains in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. It consists of the mountains to the north of Glen Shiel and the A87 road between the heads of Loch Duich and Loch Cluanie; its boundaries, other than Glen Shiel, are generally taken to be the valleys of Strath Croe and Gleann...
, was the first chief
Scottish clan chief
The Scottish Gaelic word clann means children. In early times, and possibly even today, clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the Scottish clan. From its perceived founder a clan takes its name. The clan chief is the representative of this founder, and...
of the Clan Mackenzie
Clan MacKenzie
Clan Mackenzie is a Highland Scottish clan, traditionally associated with Kintail and lands in Ross-shire.-Origins:The Mackenzies, a powerful clan of Celtic stock, were not among the clans that originated from Norman ancestry. Descendants of the long defunct royal Cenél Loairn of Dál Riata, they...
of whom indisputable contemporary documentary evidence survives. During his long life, he greatly expanded his clan’s territories and influence.
Early life
According to the traditional clan genealogy, Mackenzie was the son of Murdoch Mackenzie (5th of Kintail) and Finguala, daughter of Malcolm Macleod of HarrisClan MacLeod
Clan MacLeod is a Highland Scottish clan associated with the Isle of Skye. There are two main branches of the clan: the Macleods of Harris and Dunvegan, whose chief is Macleod of Macleod, are known in Gaelic as Sìol Tormoid ; the Macleods of Lewis, whose chief is Macleod of The Lewes, are known in...
.
He was apparently among the Western barons summoned to Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
in 1427 to meet King James
James I of Scotland
James I, King of Scots , was the son of Robert III and Annabella Drummond. He was probably born in late July 1394 in Dunfermline as youngest of three sons...
, who promptly seized them on arrival, executing some and imprisoning others. The king sent Mackenzie, then a mere youth, to the High School at Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
, regarded at that time as the principal literary seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
in Scotland. According to traditional histories of the Clan Macrae
Clan MacRae
The Clan Macrae is a Highland Scottish clan. The clan has no chief; it is therefore considered an Armigerous clan.-Surname:The surname Macrae is an Anglicisation of the patronymic from the Gaelic personal name Macraith. This personal name means "son of grace"...
, he was prevailed upon by Fionnla Dubh mac Gillechriosd
Fionnla Dubh mac Gillechriosd
Fionnla Dubh mac Gillechriosd is purported to have been a 15th century Scotsman, who lived in the north-west of Scotland. The Gaelic Fionnla Dubh mac Gillechriosd translates into English as "Fionnla the black, son of Gillechriosd". Fionnla Dubh is known from a late 17th century traditional account...
to return from school in order to deal with three illegitimate uncles, who were disturbing his tenants in Kinlochewe
Kinlochewe
Kinlochewe is a village in Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. It is in the parish of Gairloch, the community of Torridon and Kinlochewe and the Highland Council area. It lies near the head of Loch Maree in its magnificent valley, and serves as a junction between the main Ullapool...
.
Downfall of the Lord of the Isles
In the long-running conflict between the Lord of the IslesLord of the Isles
The designation Lord of the Isles is today a title of Scottish nobility with historical roots that go back beyond the Kingdom of Scotland. It emerged from a series of hybrid Viking/Gaelic rulers of the west coast and islands of Scotland in the Middle Ages, who wielded sea-power with fleets of...
and the Scottish crown, Mackenzie chose the side of the latter. The course of events, as they affected Mackenzie, is summarised in two charters. On 7 January 1463, Mackenzie received a charter from John of Islay, Earl of Ross
John of Islay, Earl of Ross
John of Islay was a late medieval Scottish magnate. He was Earl of Ross and last Lord of the Isles as well as being Mac Domhnaill, chief of Clan Donald....
, confirming him in his lands of Kintail
Kintail
Kintail is an area of mountains in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. It consists of the mountains to the north of Glen Shiel and the A87 road between the heads of Loch Duich and Loch Cluanie; its boundaries, other than Glen Shiel, are generally taken to be the valleys of Strath Croe and Gleann...
, with a further grant of the "5 merk lands of Killin, the lands of Garve
Garve
Garve is a village on the Black Water river, in Ross-shire, and is in the Highland Council area of Scotland. It is situated 5 miles northwest of Contin, on the A835, the main road to Ullapool on the west coast, close to where the A832 branches off towards Achnasheen.The village is served by the...
, and the 2 merk lands of Coryvulzie, with the three merk lands of Kinlochluichart, and 2 merk lands of Ach-na-Clerich [Achnaclerach], the 2 merk lands of Garbat, the merk lands of Delintan, and the 4 merk lands of Tarvie, all lying within the shire and Earldom of Ross, to be holden of the said John and his successors, Earls of Ross."
However, in 1462, John of Islay had over-reached himself by entering into a treacherous agreement with Edward IV of England
Edward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
and Mackenzie later played a significant part in the negotiations between John of Islay and James III
James III of Scotland
James III was King of Scots from 1460 to 1488. James was an unpopular and ineffective monarch owing to an unwillingness to administer justice fairly, a policy of pursuing alliance with the Kingdom of England, and a disastrous relationship with nearly all his extended family.His reputation as the...
that led to the former’s surrender of the Earldom of Ross in 1476. Mackenzie was rewarded in 1477 with a charter from the Crown to some of the lands renounced by the Earl of Ross, namely Strathconan, Strathbraan, and Strathgarve, and was confirmed in his lands in Kintail. It was probably at this point that Mackenzie moved his family's chief residence from Eilean Donan
Eilean Donan
Eilean Donan is a small island in Loch Duich in the western Highlands of Scotland. It is connected to the mainland by a footbridge and lies about half a mile from the village of Dornie. Eilean Donan is named after Donnán of Eigg, a Celtic saint martyred in 617...
in Kintail to Kinellan Castle, near Strathpeffer
Strathpeffer
Strathpeffer is a village and former spa town in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland, with a population of 1,469.-Geography:It lies in a glen 5 miles west of Dingwall, with varying elevation from 200 to 400 feet above sea level...
. After this the Barons of Kintail held all their lands quite independently of any superior but the Crown.
At some point between 1485 and 1491, Mackenzie’s son Kenneth led the Mackenzies to victory over Alexander Macdonald of Lochalsh
Clan MacDonald of Lochalsh
-History:The MacDonald of Lochalsh branch was founded by Celestine MacDonald . Celestine MacDonald was the second son of Alexander of Islay, Earl of Ross, 3rd Lord of the Isles and 8th chief of Clan Donald...
at the Battle of Blar-na-Pairc. This battle may be regarded as a seal upon the rise of the Mackenzies at the expense of their former Macdonald overlords.
Earldom of Ross
The Earl of SutherlandEarl of Sutherland
Earl of Sutherland is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created circa 1230 for William de Moravia. The Earl of Sutherland is also the Chief of Clan 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
Strathnaver
Strathnaver or Strath Naver is the fertile strath of the River Naver, a famous salmon river that flows from Loch Naver to the north coast of Scotland...
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.
The Earl of Cromartie
George Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Cromartie
George Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Cromartie FRS , known as Sir George Mackenzie, 2nd Baronet from 1654 to 1685 and as The Viscount of Tarbat from 1685 to 1703, was a Scottish statesman....
said:
- “…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."
Other clan disputes
Mackenzie also involved himself in the affairs of his neighbours. According to the Earl of Cromartie, he intervened to assist Allan Macdonald of MoidartMoidart
Moidart is a district in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland.Moidart lies to the west of Fort William and is very remote. Loch Shiel cuts off the south-east boundary of the district. Moidart includes the townships of Dorlin, Mingarry, Kinlochmoidart and Glenuig. At Dorlin is located the ancient fortress...
(with whom he had previously been at loggerheads) against Allan’s brother, who had usurped some of the Moydart estates, and there are also traditional accounts of his involvement in about 1452 in the Battle of Bealach nam Broig
Battle of Bealach nam Broig
The Battle of Bealach nam Broig was a battle fought between Scottish clans from the lands of north-west Ross, against north-eastern clans of Ross who supported the Earl of Ross...
between a western force of MacIvers
Clan MacIver
Clan MacIver, also known as Clan Iver, is Scottish clan recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms. The clan, however, does not have a chief recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms. Because of this the clan can be considered an armigerous clan. The clan name of MacIver is of Gaelic origin, derived...
, Maclennans
Clan MacLennan
Clan MacLennan, also known as Siol Ghillinnein, is a Highland Scottish clan which historically populated lands in the north-west of Scotland. The surname MacLennan in Scottish Gaelic is Mac Gille Fhinnein meaning the son of the follower of St Finnan.-History:-Origins:According to tradition the...
, Macaulays and Macleays against a force of Frasers
Clan Fraser
Clan Fraser is a Scottish clan of French origin. The Clan has been strongly associated with Inverness and the surrounding area since the Clan's founder gained lands there in the 13th century. Since its founding, the Clan has dominated local politics and been active in every major military conflict...
, Munroes
Clan Munro
-Origins:The main traditional origin of the clan is that the Munros came from Ireland and settled in Scotland in the 11th century and that they fought as mercenary soldiers under the Earl of Ross who defeated Viking invaders in Rosshire...
of Foulis
Foulis Castle
Foulis Castle lies in the parish of Kiltearn, about 1.5 miles southwest of the village of Evanton in the Highland area of northern Scotland. The castle has been the seat of the Clan Munro for over eight hundred years. During the 11th century, the clan chief was given the castle and Foulis lands as...
and Dingwalls
Dingwall (name)
- Origins of the Name :This is a habitation surname, derived from an already existing place name, the town of Dingwall in Ross-shire. According to the old Statistical Account of Scotland, the name, formerly Dignaval or Digna vallis, took its origin from the richness of the soil of the lower...
of Kildun.
Family, death and posterity
Alexander was the first of the family who lived on the island in Loch Kinellan, near StrathpefferStrathpeffer
Strathpeffer is a village and former spa town in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland, with a population of 1,469.-Geography:It lies in a glen 5 miles west of Dingwall, with varying elevation from 200 to 400 feet above sea level...
, while at the same time he had Brahan as a mains or farm, both of which his successors for a time held from the King at a yearly rent, until they were later feu
Feu
Feu was previously the most common form of land tenure in Scotland, as conveyancing in Scots law was dominated by feudalism until the Scottish Parliament passed the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. Act 2000...
ed.
Alexander’s marriages have been the subject of genealogical controversy but it appears that he married, first, Anna, daughter of John Macdougall of Dunollie, and, secondly, Margaret, daughter of Macdonald of Morar
Morar
Morar is a small village on the west coast of Scotland, south of Mallaig. The name Morar is also applied to the wider district around the village....
(a cadet
Cadet branch
Cadet branch is a term in genealogy to describe the lineage of the descendants of the younger sons of a monarch or patriarch. In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets – titles, realms, fiefs, property and income – have...
of Macdonald of Clanranald). By his first wife, he had Kenneth
Kenneth Mackenzie, 7th of Kintail
Kenneth Mackenzie , traditionally reckoned 7th of Kintail and nicknamed Coinneach a'bhlair , was a Highland chief, being head of the Clan Mackenzie.-Origins:...
, his heir and successor, and Duncan, progenitor of the Mackenzies of Hilton. By his second wife, he had Hector Roy
Hector Roy Mackenzie
Hector Roy Mackenzie of Gairloch was a prominent member of the Mackenzie clan, who acquired vast estates in and around Gairloch as a result of his services to the Scottish crown and challenged his nephew for the chiefship of the clan.-Origins:...
(or “Eachainn Ruadh”), from whom are descended the Mackenzies of Gairloch
Gairloch
Gairloch is a village, civil parish and community on the shores of Loch Gairloch on the northwest coast of Scotland. A popular tourist destination in the summer months, Gairloch has a golf course, a small museum, several hotels, a community centre, a leisure centre with sports facilities, a local...
, and a daughter who married Allan Macleod, Hector Roy’s predecessor in Gairloch.
He is also said to have had a natural son (or, in some sources, a brother), Dugal, who became a priest and was Superior of Beauly Priory
Beauly Priory
Beauly Priory was a Valliscaulian monastic community located at "Insula de Achenbady", now Beauly, Inverness-shire. It was probably founded in 1230. It is not known for certain who the founder was, different sources giving Alexander II of Scotland, John Byset, and both...
, which he repaired about 1478, and in which he is buried.
Alexander died in or before 1488 at Kinellan, having attained a great old age. His eldest son was served heir in the lands of Kintail at Dingwall on 2 September 1488.