Norman MacLeod (The Wicked Man)
Encyclopedia
Norman MacLeod (1705-1772), also known in his own time and within clan
tradition as The Wicked Man (Scottish Gaelic: An Droch Dhuine), was an 18th century politician, and a clan chief
of Clan MacLeod
. In the 20th century, one chief of Clan MacLeod
attempted to have his nickname
changed from The Wicked Man, to The Red Man. Today he is regarded as the 22nd Chief of Clan MacLeod.
during the years 1741-1754. He matriculated arms
, and supporters
, at Lyon Office, on 12 January 1753. He supported the Government cause in the Jacobite Rising, and was an absentee chief as he seldom lived at his ancestors' traditional seat
of Dunvegan Castle
.
reached Scotland, he is known to have been working against the Jacobite cause. He raised several independent companies for the Government in 1745. In December, MacLeod was ordered to march his troops and engage Lord Lewis Gordon. MacLeod left Inverness on 10 December, with about 700 men. On the night of 23 December he was defeated by a superior force commanded by Gordon. About 70 of MacLeod's men were killed, wounded, or captured.
MacLeod, and his clan, did not take part in the Battle of Culloden
, instead they and the Macdonalds of Sleat
remained on Skye
. On 22 April, following the battle, William, Duke of Cumberland
ordered John Campbell
, Earl of Loudon, to march all his men into the Highlands and devastate the lands of the men who supported the rebellion. Loudon crossed into the mainland with about 500 of his men; he was followed by Macdonald of Sleat, and MacLeod, who together had about 1,200 men between them. Several days later the combined force laid waste to the lands of Grant of Glenmoriston. MacLeod's men also raided the nearby island of Raasay
, in the aftermath of the Jacobite failure. The island was the home of the MacLeods of Raasay, who had supported the Jacobite cause, and who had been present at Culloden. MacLeod's men killed 280 cows, 700 sheep, and 20 horses; they destroyed 32 boats, and razed 300 houses.
affair, and the ill treatment to his first wife. In the 20th century, Dame
Flora MacLeod of MacLeod
, chief of Clan MacLeod, tried to have his unflattering nickname changed to "The Red Man", because of the colour of the tartan he wears in the portrait painted by Allan Ramsay
(pictured).
. By 1733, the couple were separated, and remained apart from one another for 7 years. In 1740, Duncan Forbes of Culloden
was able to negotiate a reconciliation between the pair, and she then lived with Norman until her death in 1743. According to tradition, Norman brought about Janet's death by locking her in the dungeon of Dunvegan Castle
, and leaving her to starve there. Through this marriage, the couple had one son, and two daughters: John, Emilia, and Ann. Five years after Janet's death, MacLeod married Ann, daughter of William Martin of Inchfure. Ann died in 1802. The couple had three daughters: Elizabeth, Ann, and Mary. MacLeod also had two illegitimate sons, Alexander, and Norman.
, in St Andrews
. He was succeeded by his grandson, Norman MacLeod.
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...
tradition as The Wicked Man (Scottish Gaelic: An Droch Dhuine), was an 18th century politician, and a clan 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 Clan MacLeod
Clan 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...
. In the 20th century, one chief of Clan MacLeod
Chiefs of Clan MacLeod
The Chiefs of Clan MacLeod claim descent from Leod, a high-born Norse-Gael who is thought to have lived in the 13th century, but whose ancestors are known from multiple pedigrees at least into the early 12th or late 11th centuries...
attempted to have his nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
changed from The Wicked Man, to The Red Man. Today he is regarded as the 22nd Chief of Clan MacLeod.
Background
Norman MacLeod was the younger son of Norman MacLeod, chief of Clan MacLeod. The elder Norman MacLeod died in 1706, leaving two young sons. The elder son, John, died in infancy in 1707. MacLeod was the Member of Parliament for Inverness-shireInverness-shire (UK Parliament constituency)
Inverness-shire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 until 1918....
during the years 1741-1754. He matriculated arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
, and supporters
Supporters
In heraldry, supporters are figures usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up. These figures may be real or imaginary animals, human figures, and in rare cases plants or inanimate objects...
, at Lyon Office, on 12 January 1753. He supported the Government cause in the Jacobite Rising, and was an absentee chief as he seldom lived at his ancestors' traditional seat
Family seat
A seat or family seat is the principal residence of a family. The residence usually denotes the social, economic, political, or historic connection of the family within a given area. Some families took their dynasty name from their family seat , or named their family seat after their own dynasty...
of Dunvegan Castle
Dunvegan Castle
Dunvegan Castle is a castle a mile and a half to the North of Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye, situated off the west coast of Scotland. It is the seat of the MacLeod of MacLeod, chief of the Clan MacLeod. Dunvegan Castle is the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland and has been the...
.
Jacobite Rising
Norman MacLeod, and his clan, supported the Government during the 1745 Jacobite Rising. Originally MacLeod had pledged his support for the cause, but as soon as Charles Edward StuartCharles Edward Stuart
Prince Charles Edward Louis John Casimir Sylvester Severino Maria Stuart commonly known as Bonnie Prince Charlie or The Young Pretender was the second Jacobite pretender to the thrones of Great Britain , and Ireland...
reached Scotland, he is known to have been working against the Jacobite cause. He raised several independent companies for the Government in 1745. In December, MacLeod was ordered to march his troops and engage Lord Lewis Gordon. MacLeod left Inverness on 10 December, with about 700 men. On the night of 23 December he was defeated by a superior force commanded by Gordon. About 70 of MacLeod's men were killed, wounded, or captured.
MacLeod, and his clan, did not take part in the Battle of Culloden
Battle of Culloden
The Battle of Culloden was the final confrontation of the 1745 Jacobite Rising. Taking place on 16 April 1746, the battle pitted the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart against an army commanded by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, loyal to the British government...
, instead they and the Macdonalds of Sleat
Clan MacDonald of Sleat
Clan Macdonald of Sleat, sometimes known as Clan Donald North and in Gaelic Clann Ùisdein , is a Scottish clan and a branch of Clan Donald — one of the largest Scottish clans. The founder of the Macdonalds of Sleat is Ùisdean, 6th great-grandson of Somhairle, a 12th century Rì Innse Gall...
remained on Skye
Skye
Skye or the Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills...
. On 22 April, following the battle, William, Duke of Cumberland
Duke of Cumberland
Duke of Cumberland is a peerage title that was conferred upon junior members of the British Royal Family, named after the county of Cumberland.-History:...
ordered John Campbell
John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun
Major-General John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun was a British nobleman and army officer.-Early career:Campbell inherited the peerage on the death of his father in 1731, becoming Lord Loudoun. The earl raised a regiment of infantry that took part in the Jacobite Rising of 1745 on the side of the...
, Earl of Loudon, to march all his men into the Highlands and devastate the lands of the men who supported the rebellion. Loudon crossed into the mainland with about 500 of his men; he was followed by Macdonald of Sleat, and MacLeod, who together had about 1,200 men between them. Several days later the combined force laid waste to the lands of Grant of Glenmoriston. MacLeod's men also raided the nearby island of Raasay
Raasay
Raasay is an island between the Isle of Skye and the mainland of Scotland. It is separated from Skye by the Sound of Raasay and from Applecross by the Inner Sound. It is most famous for being the birthplace of the poet Sorley MacLean, an important figure in the Scottish literary renaissance...
, in the aftermath of the Jacobite failure. The island was the home of the MacLeods of Raasay, who had supported the Jacobite cause, and who had been present at Culloden. MacLeod's men killed 280 cows, 700 sheep, and 20 horses; they destroyed 32 boats, and razed 300 houses.
Nickname
Norman MacLeod was known in his own time by the nickname "The Wicked Man" (Scottish Gaelic: An Droch Dhuine). This may be partly because, during his minority he went through £60,000 and left his estate in £50,000 in debt. In consequence of this debt, the ancestral clan lands of Harris and Glenelg were lost. Another reason for the name is from his part in the Lady GrangeRachel Chiesley, Lady Grange
Rachel Chiesley, usually known as Lady Grange , was the wife of James Erskine, Lord Grange, a Scottish lawyer with Jacobite sympathies. After 25 years of marriage and 9 children, the Granges had an acrimonious separation...
affair, and the ill treatment to his first wife. In the 20th century, Dame
Dame (title)
The title of Dame is the female equivalent of the honour of knighthood in the British honours system . It is also the equivalent form address to 'Sir' for a knight...
Flora MacLeod of MacLeod
Flora MacLeod of MacLeod
Dame Flora MacLeod of MacLeod, DBE was the 28th chief of Clan MacLeod. Dunvegan Castle in Skye is the 800 year old MacLeod family seat.-Early years:...
, chief of Clan MacLeod, tried to have his unflattering nickname changed to "The Red Man", because of the colour of the tartan he wears in the portrait painted by Allan Ramsay
Allan Ramsay
Allan Ramsay may refer to:*Allan Ramsay , also known as Allan Ramsay the Elder, Scottish poet*Allan Ramsay , also known as Allan Ramsay the Younger, Scottish portrait painter...
(pictured).
Family
Norman MacLeod's first marriage was to Janet, daughter of Sir Donald Macdonald of Sleat, 4th Baronet, in December 1724. MacLeod had his wife live with her mother-in-law and several sisters-in-law at Castle LeodCastle Leod
Castle Leod is located near Strathpeffer in the east of Ross-shire in the Scottish Highlands. It is currently the seat of the Chief of the Clan MacKenzie, although the lands belonged to the Chief of the Clan MacLeod of Lewis until the 17th century...
. By 1733, the couple were separated, and remained apart from one another for 7 years. In 1740, Duncan Forbes of Culloden
Duncan Forbes of Culloden
Duncan Forbes was a Scottish politician, and supporter of the House of Hanover.-Life:Born and educated in Inverness. His father owned the estate of Culloden and was MP for Nairnshire....
was able to negotiate a reconciliation between the pair, and she then lived with Norman until her death in 1743. According to tradition, Norman brought about Janet's death by locking her in the dungeon of Dunvegan Castle
Dunvegan Castle
Dunvegan Castle is a castle a mile and a half to the North of Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye, situated off the west coast of Scotland. It is the seat of the MacLeod of MacLeod, chief of the Clan MacLeod. Dunvegan Castle is the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland and has been the...
, and leaving her to starve there. Through this marriage, the couple had one son, and two daughters: John, Emilia, and Ann. Five years after Janet's death, MacLeod married Ann, daughter of William Martin of Inchfure. Ann died in 1802. The couple had three daughters: Elizabeth, Ann, and Mary. MacLeod also had two illegitimate sons, Alexander, and Norman.
Death
Norman MacLeod died on 21 July 1772, and was in the kirkyard of St Andrew's CathedralSt Andrew's Cathedral, St Andrews
The Cathedral of St Andrew is a historical church in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, which was the seat of the Bishops of St Andrews from its foundation in 1158 until it fell into disuse after the Reformation. It is currently a ruined monument in the custody of Historic Scotland...
, in St Andrews
St Andrews
St Andrews is a university town and former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland. The town is named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife....
. He was succeeded by his grandson, Norman MacLeod.
Ancestors
| Norman MacLeod | Father Norman MacLeod |
Paternal Grandfather: John MacLeod |
| Paternal Grandmother: Florence, daughter of Sir James Macdonald of Sleat, 2nd Bt. |
||
| Mother: Anne Fraser |
Maternal Grandfather: Hugh Fraser, 9th Lord Lovat Lord Lovat Lord Lovat is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1458 for Hugh Fraser. The title descended in a direct line for nine sequential generations until the death of the ninth Lord in 1696. He was succeeded by his great-uncle, the tenth Lord... |
|
| Maternal Grandmother: Amelia Murray |