John Mackenzie, 9th of Kintail
Encyclopedia
John Mackenzie or "John of Killin", traditionally reckoned 9th of Kintail
, was a Highland
chief, being head of the Clan Mackenzie
.
(d.1492) by his second wife, or reputed wife, Agnes Fraser. The Mackenzies' origins lay in the Northwest Highlands
, but the centre of their power had by the end of the 15th century shifted to Easter Ross
. John succeeded his half-brother, Kenneth
(died 1498-99) in the chiefship while still a minor.
John is said to have been sent to be educated at Court in Edinburgh
(pursuant to an Act of 1496, a legal requirement for boys in his station of life). However, the terms of a bond subscribed by him in favour of the Earl of Huntly suggest that he remained illiterate.
of Gairloch
, had been appointed tutor to Mackenzie's brother, Kenneth Mackenzie, 8th of Kintail, and on Kenneth's death was left in possession of the greater part of the clan lands. He challenged John's succession on the grounds of his illegitimacy, but was eventually compelled to come to terms with him. The traditional account records that John's men surrounded and set fire to Hector's house at Fairburn. More prosaically, Gregory’s History of the Western Highlands and Isles of Scotland states that:
Some traces of this dispute are to be found in public records of the time. An Act of the Lords of Council on 7 April 1511 described a summons issued by John against Hector Roy:
The Act continues:
Although John and Hector Roy appear ultimately to have made their peace, hostilities flared up again in the next generation. Hector Roy's son, John Glassich Mackenzie, is said to have renewed his father's claim to some or all of the clan's lands and died in mysterious circumstances in Eilean Donan. In 1551, John Mackenzie (9th of Kintail) and his son received a remission for his imprisonment.
. In 1504 he asserted an hereditary right to Meyne, Escadell [Eskadale] and other lands in Ross-shire
. He is recorded also as having been a tenant of Kynellane [Kinellan], Scatell Mekill [Greater Scatwell], Scatell Beg [Lesser Scatwell], Kilquilladrum and Mylne of Coulle [mill of Coul]. On 25 February 1508/9 he had a charter of Kintail, Eilean Donan
and other lands, incorporated in a free barony of Eilean Donan.
There is plentiful documentary evidence of Mackenzie's success over the years in expanding his estates. In 1526 he was infeft
with his wife in the lands of Fothirte
, Strathgarvy and Killyn [Killin]. He had charters of Killequhildrum on 25 September 1528, of Fotherty [Fodderty] on 25 May 1532, of Kinlochbanquhorie on 30 August 1538, of Laggan on 12 December 1540, of Meklebrawane
on 15 September 1541, of Monare on 22 October 1542 and of Lochbryne (with his wife, in excambion
for Fodderty) in 1543.
In 1544 he acquired half of Culteleod [Castle Leod] and Drynie from Magnus Mowat and Patrick Mowat of Bugholly and in January 1547 he acquired a wadset of the other half of those lands from Denoon of Davidston. In 1556 he acquired the heritage of Culteleod and Drynie from Denoon, which was confirmed to him by Queen Mary on 13 July 1556.
A number of grants were also made during his life to his son and heir, Kenneth.
on 9 September 1513 and is said in the traditional account to have been taken prisoner and to have subsequently escaped.
Be that as it may, Mackenzie was soon after appointed a lieutenant or guardian of Wester Ross
in response to Sir Donald Macdonald of Lochalsh's arrogation of the Lordship of the Isles
. In 1515, he seized the royal castle at Dingwall, but professed his willingness to surrender it to anyone appointed by the Regent, the Duke of Albany. In 1532, he was included in a commission by James V
for suppressing disorder among the Clan Mackintosh
.
On 13 December 1545, at Dingwall, the Earl of Sutherland
entered into a bond of manrent
with Mackenzie for mutual defence against all enemies, reserving only their allegiance to Queen Mary. Two years later, although by then an old man, he joined the muster called by the Earl of Arran at Musselburgh
for the Queen's protection and took part in the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh
, where he was again captured - and on this occasion released, after the payment of a considerable ransom.
Mackenzie died in 1561 and was buried at Beauly Priory
.
.
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 a Highland
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...
chief, being head 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...
.
Origins and education
John was the son of Kenneth Mackenzie, 7th of KintailKenneth 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:...
(d.1492) by his second wife, or reputed wife, Agnes Fraser. The Mackenzies' origins lay in the Northwest Highlands
Northwest Highlands
The Northwest Highlands are the northern third of Scotland that is separated from the Grampian Mountains by the Great Glen . The region comprises , Assynt, Caithness and Sutherland. The Caledonian Canal, which extends from Loch Linnhe in the west, via Loch Ness to the Moray Firth in the north...
, but the centre of their power had by the end of the 15th century shifted to Easter Ross
Easter Ross
Easter Ross is a loosely defined area in the east of Ross, Highland, Scotland.The name is used in the constituency name Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, which is the name of both a British House of Commons constituency and a Scottish Parliament constituency...
. John succeeded his half-brother, Kenneth
Kenneth Mackenzie, 8th of Kintail
Kenneth Mackenzie , or "Coinneach Oig", traditionally reckoned 8th of Kintail, was a Highland chief, being head of the Clan Mackenzie.-Origins:...
(died 1498-99) in the chiefship while still a minor.
John is said to have been sent to be educated at Court in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
(pursuant to an Act of 1496, a legal requirement for boys in his station of life). However, the terms of a bond subscribed by him in favour of the Earl of Huntly suggest that he remained illiterate.
Dispute over the chiefship
Mackenzie's uncle, Hector Roy MackenzieHector 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:...
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...
, had been appointed tutor to Mackenzie's brother, Kenneth Mackenzie, 8th of Kintail, and on Kenneth's death was left in possession of the greater part of the clan lands. He challenged John's succession on the grounds of his illegitimacy, but was eventually compelled to come to terms with him. The traditional account records that John's men surrounded and set fire to Hector's house at Fairburn. More prosaically, Gregory’s History of the Western Highlands and Isles of Scotland states that:
- "Hector Roy Mackenzie, progenitor of the House of Gairloch, had, since the death of Kenneth Og Mackenzie of Kintail, in 1497, and during the minority of John, the brother and heir of Kenneth, exercised the command of that clan, nominally as guardian to the young chief. Under his rule the Clan Mackenzie became involved in feuds with the Munroes and other clans, and Hector Roy himself became obnoxious to Government as a disturber of the public peace. His intentions towards the young Laird of Kintail were considered very dubious; and the apprehensions of the latter having been roused, Hector was compelled by law to yield up the estate and the command of the tribe to the proper heir.”
Some traces of this dispute are to be found in public records of the time. An Act of the Lords of Council on 7 April 1511 described a summons issued by John against Hector Roy:
- "...for the wrongous intromitting, uptaking, and withholding from him of the mails 'fermez', profits, and duties of all and whole the lands of Kintail, with the pertinents lying in the Sherrifdom of Inverness, for the space of seven years together, beginning in the year of God 1501, and also for the space of two years, last bye-past, and for the masterful withholding from the said John Mackenzie of his house and castle of Eilan Donan..."
The Act continues:
- "The Lords of Council decree and deliver, that the said Hector has forfeited the keeping and constabulary of the said castle of Eilean Donan, together with the fees granted therefor... and the said John Mackenzie to have free ingress and entry to the said castle..."
Although John and Hector Roy appear ultimately to have made their peace, hostilities flared up again in the next generation. Hector Roy's son, John Glassich Mackenzie, is said to have renewed his father's claim to some or all of the clan's lands and died in mysterious circumstances in Eilean Donan. In 1551, John Mackenzie (9th of Kintail) and his son received a remission for his imprisonment.
Estates
In April 1500 Mackenzie obtained a precept of clare constat (a feudal superior's confirmation of his vassal's entitlement to an estate) for Kintail and other lands from James Stewart, Duke of RossJames Stewart, Duke of Ross
James Stewart, Duke of Ross was the son of King James III of Scotland and Margaret of Denmark.-Titles and Offices:He was made Marquess of Ormond at his baptism...
. In 1504 he asserted an hereditary right to Meyne, Escadell [Eskadale] and other lands in 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...
. He is recorded also as having been a tenant of Kynellane [Kinellan], Scatell Mekill [Greater Scatwell], Scatell Beg [Lesser Scatwell], Kilquilladrum and Mylne of Coulle [mill of Coul]. On 25 February 1508/9 he had a charter of Kintail, 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...
and other lands, incorporated in a free barony of Eilean Donan.
There is plentiful documentary evidence of Mackenzie's success over the years in expanding his estates. In 1526 he was infeft
Enfeoffment
Under the European feudal system, enfeoffment was the deed by which a person was given land in exchange for a pledge of service. This mechanism was later used to avoid restrictions on the passage of title in land by a system in which a landowner would give land to one person for the use of another...
with his wife in the lands of Fothirte
Fodderty
Fodderty 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...
, Strathgarvy and Killyn [Killin]. He had charters of Killequhildrum on 25 September 1528, of Fotherty [Fodderty] on 25 May 1532, of Kinlochbanquhorie on 30 August 1538, of Laggan on 12 December 1540, of Meklebrawane
Brahan Castle
Brahan Castle was situated south-west of Dingwall, in Easter Ross, Scotland. The castle belonged to the Earls of Seaforth, chiefs of the Clan Mackenzie, who dominated the area.-History:...
on 15 September 1541, of Monare on 22 October 1542 and of Lochbryne (with his wife, in excambion
Excambion
-Definition:Excambion : The exchange of land. The deed whereby this is effected is termed "Contract of Excambion".There is an implied real warranty in this contract, so that if one portion is evicted or taken away on a superior title, the...
for Fodderty) in 1543.
In 1544 he acquired half of Culteleod [Castle Leod] and Drynie from Magnus Mowat and Patrick Mowat of Bugholly and in January 1547 he acquired a wadset of the other half of those lands from Denoon of Davidston. In 1556 he acquired the heritage of Culteleod and Drynie from Denoon, which was confirmed to him by Queen Mary on 13 July 1556.
A number of grants were also made during his life to his son and heir, Kenneth.
Public career
These territorial accretions reflected both the travails of Mackenzie's competitors and the full part played by him in the public life of his time. He fought at the Battle of Flodden FieldBattle of Flodden Field
The Battle of Flodden or Flodden Field or occasionally Battle of Branxton was fought in the county of Northumberland in northern England on 9 September 1513, between an invading Scots army under King James IV and an English army commanded by the Earl of Surrey...
on 9 September 1513 and is said in the traditional account to have been taken prisoner and to have subsequently escaped.
Be that as it may, Mackenzie was soon after appointed a lieutenant or guardian of Wester Ross
Wester Ross
is a western area of Ross and Cromarty in Scotland, notably containing the villages on the west coast such as:* Lochcarron* Applecross* Shieldaig* Torridon* Kinlochewe * * * Aultbea* Laide* Ullapool* Achiltibuie...
in response to Sir Donald Macdonald of Lochalsh's arrogation 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...
. In 1515, he seized the royal castle at Dingwall, but professed his willingness to surrender it to anyone appointed by the Regent, the Duke of Albany. In 1532, he was included in a commission by James V
James V of Scotland
James V was King of Scots from 9 September 1513 until his death, which followed the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss...
for suppressing disorder among the Clan Mackintosh
Clan MacKintosh
Clan Mackintosh is a Scottish clan from Inverness with strong Jacobite ties. The Mackintoshes were also chiefs of the Chattan Confederation.-Origins:...
.
On 13 December 1545, at Dingwall, the Earl of Sutherland
Earl 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...
entered into a bond of manrent
Manrent
Manrent refers to a Scottish mid 15th century to the early 17th century type of contract, usually military in nature and involving Scottish clans...
with Mackenzie for mutual defence against all enemies, reserving only their allegiance to Queen Mary. Two years later, although by then an old man, he joined the muster called by the Earl of Arran at Musselburgh
Musselburgh
Musselburgh is the largest settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth, six miles east of Edinburgh city centre.-History:...
for the Queen's protection and took part in the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh
Battle of Pinkie Cleugh
The Battle of Pinkie Cleugh, on the banks of the River Esk near Musselburgh, Scotland on 10 September 1547, was part of the War of the Rough Wooing. It was the last pitched battle between Scottish and English armies, and is seen as the first modern battle in the British Isles...
, where he was again captured - and on this occasion released, after the payment of a considerable ransom.
Mackenzie died in 1561 and was buried at 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...
.
Family
Mackenzie married Elizabeth, said to have been a daughter of John Grant, 2nd of Freuchie. By her, he had a son, his successor, Kenneth Mackenzie, 10th of KintailKenneth Mackenzie, 10th of Kintail
Kenneth Mackenzie , traditionally reckoned 10th of Kintail and nicknamed Coinneach na Cuirc , was a Highland chief, head of the Clan Mackenzie, who flourished in the turbulent Scottish politics of the mid-16th century.-Origins:Kenneth was the only son of John Mackenzie, 9th of Kintail and...
.