George Mackenzie, 2nd Earl of Seaforth
Encyclopedia
George Mackenzie, 2nd Earl of Seaforth (died 1651) was a Highland
clan
chief and Scottish
nobleman, who played an equivocating role in Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.
(died 1611), and Isobel, the daughter of Sir Gilbert Ogilvie of Powrie. The Mackenzies
were a clan from Ross-shire
that had risen to prominence in the 15th century during the disintegration of the Lordship of the Isles
.
On the death in 1633 of his elder half-brother Colin
without male heirs, Mackenzie inherited his estates and the title of Earl of Seaforth. Prior to that point, he was known as George Mackenzie of Kildun.
In 1633 he was "served heir male to his brother … in the lands and barony of Ellandonnan
, including the barony of Lochalsh
, in which was included the barony of the lands and towns of Lochcarron
, namely, the towns and lands of Auchnaschelloch
, Coullin (Coulin), Edderancharron, Attadill
, Ruychichan, Brecklach, Achachoull, Dalmartyne, with fishings in salt water and fresh, Dalcharlarie, Arrinachteg (Arineckaig), Achintie
, Slumba (Slumbay), Doune, Stromcarronach (Strome Carronach), in the Earldom of Ross, of the old extent of £13 6s 8d, and also the towns of Kisserin, and lands of Strome
, with fishings in salt and fresh water, and the towns and lands of Torridan
with the pertinents of the Castle of Strome; Lochalsh, Lochcarron, and Kisserin, including the davach of Achvanie, the davach of Achnatrait (Achintraid
?), the davach of Stromcastell, Ardnagald, Ardneskan
, and Blaad, and the half davach of Sannachan (Sanachan
), Rassoll (Rassal), Meikle Strome, and Rerag (Reraig), in the Earldom of Ross, together of the old extent of £8 13s 4d." He was served heir male to his father Kenneth, Lord Mackenzie of Kintail, in the lands and barony of Pluscardine, on 14 January 1620; and had charters of Balmungie and Avoch
, on 18 July 1635; of Raasay, on 18 February 1637 and of Lochalsh, on 4 July 1642.
, was to be found on the side of the Covenant. He was appointed General of the Covenanters north of the Spey, but disbanded his army on Montrose
’s instructions following the Pacification of Berwick, which concluded on 18 June 1639. When Montrose joined the king’s side, Seaforth too was suspected of lukewarmness for the Covenant. In 1640, he was temporarily imprisoned as a precautionary measure and in 1641, when the King arrived in Scotland, Seaforth was persuaded by the Earl of Traquair to enter into a bond with the Earls of Montrose, Wigtown, Atholl and Home against the Covenanters. However, he continued to equivocate, declining the king’s offer of chief justice general of the Isles and taking up arms against Montrose after his victory at Aberdeen in September 1644.
Montrose (with an army of only 1,500) was preparing to attack his forces of about 5,000, when he was informed of Argyll’s descent on Lochaber. Changing his route, Montrose won a famous victory at Inverlochy against Argyll on 2 February 1645. Following this victory, Seaforth met Montrose between Elgin and Forres and was held prisoner for several days, but was subsequently released, having apparently sworn allegiance to the King and having promised never again under any circumstances to take up arms against him. Notwithstanding this promise, he shortly afterwards joined Sir John Hurry
the Covenanting general. On 9 May 1645 he took part in the Battle of Auldearn
, which was fought between Hurry’s army of Sutherlands, Mackenzies, Frasers, Roses and Brodies and Montrose’s army of Gordons, Macdonalds, Macphersons, Mackintoshes and Irish. The result was another victory for Montrose, but the Mackenzies emerged largely unscathed. The Reverend John Macrae (d. 1704) gave a lengthy account of the battle (in the Ardintoul manuscript) which suggested that there had been deliberate collusion between Montrose, Hurry and Seaforth.
Be that as it may, Seaforth subsequently refused a commission from the Committee of Estates
appointing him as their Lieutenant north of the Spey and was excommunicated by the General Assembly. He then joined Montrose publicly at the siege of Inverness in April 1646.
Seaforth’s involvement in public affairs did not prevent him from pursuing (in the manner of his forbears) his own more personal concerns. In particular, he embarked on a remorseless campaign to wrest Assynt
from the Macleods, laying siege to the castle of Donald Ban Mor Macleod on the Isle of Assynt in May 1646. His men were said (in a later complaint by the Macleods) to have carried away 3,000 cows, 2,000 horses and 7,000 sheep and goats, as well as burning the habitations of 180 families.
, they returned home to "cut their corn which was now ready for their sickles." During the whole of this period Seaforth's fidelity to the Royal cause was open to considerable suspicion, and when Charles I threw himself into the hands of the Scots at Newark
, and ordered Montrose to disband his forces, Earl George, always trying to be on the winning side, came in to Middleton
, and made terms with the Committee of Estates; but the Church
, by whom he had previously been excommunicated, continued implacable, and would only agree to be satisfied by a public penance in sackcloth
within the High Church of Edinburgh. The proud Earl consented, underwent this ignominious and degrading ceremonial, and his sentence of excommunication was then removed. Notwithstanding this public humiliation, after the death of Charles I, Seaforth, in a final act of tergiversation, went over to Holland in 1649, and joined Charles II
, by whom he was made Principal Secretary of State for Scotland
, the duties of which, however, he never had the opportunity of performing.
, he fell into a profound melancholy and died in August 1651, in Schiedam, Holland.
Early in life, he had married Barbara, daughter of Arthur, Lord Forbes
, and had by her at least eight children, including his heir and successor, Kenneth
. Of his three daughters, Jean married first John, Earl of Mar
, and secondly Andrew Fraser, 3rd Lord Fraser; Margaret married Sir William Sinclair of Mey
; and Barbara married Sir John Urquhart of Cromarty
.
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
clan
Scottish clan
Scottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...
chief and Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
nobleman, who played an equivocating role in Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.
Origins
Mackenzie was the son of Kenneth Mackenzie, 1st Lord Mackenzie of KintailKenneth Mackenzie, 1st Lord Mackenzie of Kintail
Kenneth Mackenzie, the first Lord Mackenzie of Kintail , was a Highland clan chief who secured for himself and his heirs the entirety of the island of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides and successfully pursued a bloody feud with the Macdonells of Glengarry.-Origins:Mackenzie was the son of Colin Cam...
(died 1611), and Isobel, the daughter of Sir Gilbert Ogilvie of Powrie. The Mackenzies
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...
were a clan from Ross-shire
Ross-shire
Ross-shire is an area in the Highland Council Area in Scotland. The name is now used as a geographic or cultural term, equivalent to Ross. Until 1889 the term denoted a county of Scotland, also known as the County of Ross...
that had risen to prominence in the 15th century during the disintegration of the Lordship of the Isles
Lord 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...
.
On the death in 1633 of his elder half-brother Colin
Colin Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Seaforth
Colin Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Seaforth , was a Highland clan chief and Scottish nobleman, possessed of vast estates and wealth.-Origins:...
without male heirs, Mackenzie inherited his estates and the title of Earl of Seaforth. Prior to that point, he was known as George Mackenzie of Kildun.
Estates
As a result of the acquisitive proclivities of Seaforth’s ancestors, his estates were very extensive.In 1633 he was "served heir male to his brother … in the lands and barony of Ellandonnan
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...
, including the barony of Lochalsh
Loch Alsh
Loch Alsh or Lochalsh is a sea inlet between the isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides and the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The name is also used to described the surrounding country and the feudal holdings around the loch...
, in which was included the barony of the lands and towns of Lochcarron
Lochcarron
Lochcarron is a village, community and civil parish in the Wester Ross area of Highland, Scotland. It has a population of 923.-Local Information:...
, namely, the towns and lands of Auchnaschelloch
Achnashellach
Achnashellach is an area in Wester Ross in the Highlands of Scotland, and within the Highland council area. It is at the eastern end of Loch Dùghaill, and on the A890 road...
, Coullin (Coulin), Edderancharron, Attadill
Attadale, Scotland
Attadale is a settlement and estate in Wester Ross, in the Highland council area of Scotland. It is on the southern shore of of Loch Carron, between the villages of Stromeferry and Strathcarron....
, Ruychichan, Brecklach, Achachoull, Dalmartyne, with fishings in salt water and fresh, Dalcharlarie, Arrinachteg (Arineckaig), Achintie
Achintee
Achintee is a village in Glen Nevis in the Scottish council area of Highland, around two miles from Fort William. It is notable as the starting point for the main tourist footpath up Ben Nevis, the United Kingdom's tallest mountain....
, Slumba (Slumbay), Doune, Stromcarronach (Strome Carronach), in the Earldom of Ross, of the old extent of £13 6s 8d, and also the towns of Kisserin, and lands of Strome
Strome Castle
Strome Castle is a ruined castle on the shore of Loch Carron in Stromemore, 3.5 miles south-west of the village of Lochcarron, on the west coast of the Scottish Highlands.Originally built by the Macdonald Earls of Ross...
, with fishings in salt and fresh water, and the towns and lands of Torridan
Torridon
Torridon is a small village in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. However the name is also applied to the area surrounding the village, particularly the Torridon Hills, mountains to the north of Glen Torridon. It lies on the shore of Loch Torridon.Torridon is on the west coast of Scotland, ...
with the pertinents of the Castle of Strome; Lochalsh, Lochcarron, and Kisserin, including the davach of Achvanie, the davach of Achnatrait (Achintraid
Achintraid
Achintraid is a small remote crofting township, that is situated at the eastern end of the sea loch Loch Kishorn, in Strathcarron, Ross-shire, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland....
?), the davach of Stromcastell, Ardnagald, Ardneskan
Ardaneaskan
Ardaneaskan is a village on the north shore of Loch Carron in Strathcarron, Ross-shire, in Highland, and is within the Scottish council area of Highland....
, and Blaad, and the half davach of Sannachan (Sanachan
Loch Kishorn
Loch Kishorn is a sea loch in the north-west Highlands of Scotland.-Topography:Loch Kishorn is a northern branch of Loch Carron about 1.5 km wide and 4 km long, and with a maximum depth of about 60 m. It is fed by the River Kishorn which flows from the north and enters through an...
), Rassoll (Rassal), Meikle Strome, and Rerag (Reraig), in the Earldom of Ross, together of the old extent of £8 13s 4d." He was served heir male to his father Kenneth, Lord Mackenzie of Kintail, in the lands and barony of Pluscardine, on 14 January 1620; and had charters of Balmungie and Avoch
Avoch
Avoch is a harbour-village located on the south-east coast of the Black Isle, on the Moray Firth.Ormond Castle or Avoch Castle was a stronghold built on the site and served as a royal castle to William the Lion; passed on to the Morays of Petty then Archibald the Grim, Lord of Galloway, upon his...
, on 18 July 1635; of Raasay, on 18 February 1637 and of Lochalsh, on 4 July 1642.
Civil War
In the Bishops War, Seaforth, although personally attached to the kingCharles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
, was to be found on the side of the Covenant. He was appointed General of the Covenanters north of the Spey, but disbanded his army on Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose was a Scottish nobleman and soldier, who initially joined the Covenanters in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, but subsequently supported King Charles I as the English Civil War developed...
’s instructions following the Pacification of Berwick, which concluded on 18 June 1639. When Montrose joined the king’s side, Seaforth too was suspected of lukewarmness for the Covenant. In 1640, he was temporarily imprisoned as a precautionary measure and in 1641, when the King arrived in Scotland, Seaforth was persuaded by the Earl of Traquair to enter into a bond with the Earls of Montrose, Wigtown, Atholl and Home against the Covenanters. However, he continued to equivocate, declining the king’s offer of chief justice general of the Isles and taking up arms against Montrose after his victory at Aberdeen in September 1644.
Montrose (with an army of only 1,500) was preparing to attack his forces of about 5,000, when he was informed of Argyll’s descent on Lochaber. Changing his route, Montrose won a famous victory at Inverlochy against Argyll on 2 February 1645. Following this victory, Seaforth met Montrose between Elgin and Forres and was held prisoner for several days, but was subsequently released, having apparently sworn allegiance to the King and having promised never again under any circumstances to take up arms against him. Notwithstanding this promise, he shortly afterwards joined Sir John Hurry
John Hurry
Sir John Hurry was a Scottish soldier.He was born in Aberdeenshire, and saw military service as a young man in Germany.In 1641 he returned home and became Lieutenant-Colonel in a Scottish regiment. At the end of the same year he was involved in the plot known as the "Incident"...
the Covenanting general. On 9 May 1645 he took part in the Battle of Auldearn
Battle of Auldearn
The Battle of Auldearn was an engagement of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It took place on 9 May 1645, in and around the village of Auldearn in Nairn. It resulted in a victory for the royalists led by the Earl of Montrose and Alasdair MacColla over a Covenanter army under the command of Sir John...
, which was fought between Hurry’s army of Sutherlands, Mackenzies, Frasers, Roses and Brodies and Montrose’s army of Gordons, Macdonalds, Macphersons, Mackintoshes and Irish. The result was another victory for Montrose, but the Mackenzies emerged largely unscathed. The Reverend John Macrae (d. 1704) gave a lengthy account of the battle (in the Ardintoul manuscript) which suggested that there had been deliberate collusion between Montrose, Hurry and Seaforth.
Be that as it may, Seaforth subsequently refused a commission from the Committee of Estates
Committee of Estates
The Committee of Estates governed Scotland during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms when the Parliament of Scotland was not sitting. It was dominated by Covenanters of which the most influential faction was that of the Earl of Argyll....
appointing him as their Lieutenant north of the Spey and was excommunicated by the General Assembly. He then joined Montrose publicly at the siege of Inverness in April 1646.
Clan affairs
After Montrose’s departure for Norway in September 1646, compulsory loans were levied against leading Royalists. Sixteen Mackenzies were ordered to provide loans totaling £28,666 (Scottish), but it appears that the authorities experienced great difficulties in enforcing their payment. The list provides an interesting snapshot of the perceived resources of some of the leading clan members of the time:- Thomas Mackenzie of Pluscarden: £2,000;
- Alexander Mackenzie of KilcoyMackenzie BaronetsThere have been ten Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Mackenzie, seven in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia and three in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom...
: £2,000; - Roderick Mackenzie of RedcastleRedcastleRedcastle , historically known as Edirdovar and Ederdour, is a mediaeval castle in Killearnan on the Black Isle, northern Scotland. It is so named from the colour of the stone of which it is built...
: £2,000; - Alexander Mackenzie of CoulMackenzie BaronetsThere have been ten Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Mackenzie, seven in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia and three in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom...
: £6,000; - Kenneth Mackenzie of GairlochGairlochGairloch 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...
: £3,333 6s.8d; - Hector Mackenzie of Scotsburn: £2,000;
- Roderick Mackenzie of DavochmaluagFoddertyFodderty is a small hamlet, close to Dingwall, Ross-shire in the Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland.The small hamlet of Bottacks is located 1 mile to the west and just to the east is Brae or Brea, formed in 1777 from the lands of Davochcarn, Davochmaluag and...
: £1,333 6s.8d; - John Mackenzie of Davach-Cairn: £1,333 6s.8d;
- William Mackenzie of Multavie: £1,000;
- Kenneth Mackenzie of ScatwellMackenzie BaronetsThere have been ten Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Mackenzie, seven in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia and three in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom...
: £2,000; - Thomas Mackenzie of Inverlael: £1,333 6s.8d;
- Colin Mackenzie of Mullochie: £666 13s.4d;
- Donald Mackenzie of Logie: £666 13s.4d;
- Kenneth Mackenzie of AssyntAssyntAssynt is a civil parish in west Sutherland, Highland, Scotland – north of Ullapool.It is famous for its landscape and its remarkable mountains...
: £1,000; - Colin Mackenzie of Kincraig: £1,000;
- Alexander Mackenzie of Suddie: £1,000.
Seaforth’s involvement in public affairs did not prevent him from pursuing (in the manner of his forbears) his own more personal concerns. In particular, he embarked on a remorseless campaign to wrest Assynt
Assynt
Assynt is a civil parish in west Sutherland, Highland, Scotland – north of Ullapool.It is famous for its landscape and its remarkable mountains...
from the Macleods, laying siege to the castle of Donald Ban Mor Macleod on the Isle of Assynt in May 1646. His men were said (in a later complaint by the Macleods) to have carried away 3,000 cows, 2,000 horses and 7,000 sheep and goats, as well as burning the habitations of 180 families.
Final years
In 1648 Seaforth again raised a body of 4000 men in the Western Islands and Ross-shire, whom he led south, to aid the King's cause, but after joining in a few skirmishes under LanarkWilliam Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Hamilton
William Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Hamilton KG was a Scottish nobleman who supported both Royalist and Presbyterian causes during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms....
, they returned home to "cut their corn which was now ready for their sickles." During the whole of this period Seaforth's fidelity to the Royal cause was open to considerable suspicion, and when Charles I threw himself into the hands of the Scots at Newark
Newark-on-Trent
Newark-on-Trent is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands region of England. It stands on the River Trent, the A1 , and the East Coast Main Line railway. The origins of the town are possibly Roman as it lies on an important Roman road, the Fosse Way...
, and ordered Montrose to disband his forces, Earl George, always trying to be on the winning side, came in to Middleton
John Middleton, 1st Earl of Middleton
John Middleton, 1st Earl of Middleton was a Scottish army officer, who belonged to a Kincardineshire family which had held lands at Middleton since the 12th century....
, and made terms with the Committee of Estates; but the Church
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
, by whom he had previously been excommunicated, continued implacable, and would only agree to be satisfied by a public penance in sackcloth
Burlap
Hessian , or burlap in the US, is a woven fabric usually made from skin of the jute plant or sisal fibres, or may be combined with other vegetable fibres to make rope, nets, and similar products...
within the High Church of Edinburgh. The proud Earl consented, underwent this ignominious and degrading ceremonial, and his sentence of excommunication was then removed. Notwithstanding this public humiliation, after the death of Charles I, Seaforth, in a final act of tergiversation, went over to Holland in 1649, and joined Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
, by whom he was made Principal Secretary of State for Scotland
Secretary of State, Scotland
The Secretary of Scotland was a senior post in the pre-Union government of Scotland.The office appeared in the 14th century when it was combined with that of Keeper of the Privy Seal. Called Clericus Regis , he was regarded as an Officer of State...
, the duties of which, however, he never had the opportunity of performing.
Death and posterity
When Seaforth received the news of the disastrous defeat of the king’s forces at WorcesterBattle of Worcester
The Battle of Worcester took place on 3 September 1651 at Worcester, England and was the final battle of the English Civil War. Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians defeated the Royalist, predominantly Scottish, forces of King Charles II...
, he fell into a profound melancholy and died in August 1651, in Schiedam, Holland.
Early in life, he had married Barbara, daughter of Arthur, Lord Forbes
Lord Forbes
Lord Forbes is the senior Lord of Parliament in the Peerage of Scotland. The title was created sometime after 1436 for Alexander de Forbes, feudal baron of Forbes. The precise date of the creation is not known, but in a Precept dated July 12, 1442, he is already styled Lord Forbes. Brown's 1834...
, and had by her at least eight children, including his heir and successor, Kenneth
Kenneth Mackenzie, 3rd Earl of Seaforth
Kenneth Mackenzie, 3rd Earl of Seaforth was a Highland clan chief and Scottish nobleman, who adhered faithfully to Charles II through his tribulations...
. Of his three daughters, Jean married first John, Earl of Mar
Earl of Mar
The Mormaer or Earl of Mar is a title that has been created seven times, all in the Peerage of Scotland. The first creation of the earldom was originally the provincial ruler of the province of Mar in north-eastern Scotland...
, and secondly Andrew Fraser, 3rd Lord Fraser; Margaret married Sir William Sinclair of Mey
Castle of Mey
The Castle of Mey is located in Caithness, on the north coast of Scotland, about west of John o' Groats. In fine weather there are views from the castle north to the Orkney Islands.-History:...
; and Barbara married Sir John Urquhart of Cromarty
Cromarty
The Royal Burgh of Cromarty is a burgh in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland.-History:It was previously the county town of the former county of Cromartyshire...
.