Iye Roy Mackay, 10th of Strathnaver

X. Iye Roy 1486-1517.

SOON after the slaughter of Angus Roy at Tarbet, the Mackays under the command of John Riavach Mackay and William Du mac Ean Aberieh, the latter chieftain of the Aberach Mackays, assisted by some friends invaded Strathcarron of Ross in force. They met the Rosses and their confederates at Aldicharrish on the 11th July, 1487, where, according to Sir Robert Gordon who bases his account upon the Fern Abbey MS., " the inhabitants of Ross being unable to endure the enemies force were utterly disbanded and put to flight." He proceeds, "Alexander Ross, laird of Balnagown, was there slain with seventeen other landed gentlemen of the province of Ross, besides a great number of common soldiers." From Strathoikel eastwards towards Tain the Mackays left the country blazing and returned home laden with spoil. With blood, fire, and pillage they both punished and avenged the combined sacrilege and slaughter at Tarbet church in such a thorough fashion, that the neglect or incapacity of the proper authorities was more than compensated. Nay more, five years afterwards they invaded the same district again and took much spoil a second time, as we shall see.

Sir Robert Gordon, who never forgets his self-imposed task of magnifying the house of Sutherland, calmly informs us that John Mackay, with a view to the invasion of Ross, came to the Earl of Sutherland " upon whom he depended, and desired, he said, to revenge his father's death ; whereuuto Earl John yielded and presently sent his uncle, Robert Sutherland, with a company of chosen men to assist him." In the first place, Mackay in noway "depended" upon the Earl of Sutherland. The feudal superiority of Sutherland over Mackay, which Sir Robert is continually harping upon, nowhere existed save in his own fertile imagination. In the second place, it is most unlikely that Earl John, who was handfastcd if not married to a daughter of Balnagown, would assist to crush his father-in-law. It is possible, but not at all probable. And in the third place, when the raid was judicially enquired into there was no mention of the Sutherlands. " A remission to John McKeye " was granted by the king at Banff, between October and November 1494. A courier passed from Aberdeen with an " estreat of a justiceayre to Macintoshe, David Ross of Ballochgowne. and to McKeye," 8th November, 1494. When the quarrel came before the justiciar at Aberdeen the principals were Mackay, Macintosh, and Ross. Evidently Sir Robert dragged in the other "uncle Robert" in order to snatch the credit of the victory at Aldicharrish from the Mackays, but facts are against him. In 1490 King James IV., as tutor to his brother James, Duke of Ross, granted in heritage to David Ross, nephew and apparent heir of John Ross, and grandsou of John Ross of Balnagown, the lands of Strathoikel and Strathcarron, which formerly belonged1 to Morgan Neilson Mackay. That is to say, as soon as possible after the accession of James IV. to the throne, the Rosses of Balnagown took steps to secure by royal charter some of the lands in dispute between them and the Mackays. Nor did the Mackays lag far behind. On the 15th March, 1504, lye Roy Mackay secured from the king the nonentry of the lands of Ferencostrig, Strath- halladale, Creichmore, Assent, Coigach, Gruids, Strathflete, etc. On the 15th February, 1506, he caused the charter granted by Donald Lord of the Isles in 1415, and by which the Mackays laid claim to these lands, to be recorded in the books of the Lords of Council. And sometime thereafter he laid claim, as a test case evidently, to the lands and barony of Coigach in Ross. On this latter claim the Lords of Council pronounced a decree, the 9th March, 1512, finding that the lands of Coigach belonged to the umql. Eupham, Countess of Ross, but as she had resigned the earldom of Ross into the hands of Robert, Duke of Albany, and had taken a new charter " to herself and the heirs of her body, whom failing to the king's progenitors, kings of Scotland, in fee and heritage," and as the said countess had left no heirs of her body these lands had become the property of the Crown.

The Council's decree appears to us utterly unjust, and in keeping with many another legal transaction of the same body at this and other periods. Whatever documents Eupham the nun may have signed at the instigation of the notoriously unscrupulous Albany, it is undoubted that Donald, Lord of the Isles, secured and retained the earldom of Ross in spite of them. The said earldom with all its rights passed successively to his son Alexander and thereafter to his grandson John, both Lords of the Isles and Earls of Ross. It is true that John lost the earldom by reason of rebellion, but that should in noway invalidate the legality of the charter granted by his grandfather to the Mackays in 1415. As a brother of King James IY. was, however, created Duke of Ross, it was found convenient to rest his title to the lands of the earldom upon the resignation of Eupham, ignoring the MacDonald possession altogether. This was clearly sharp practice, to say the least of it. The counter claims of Mackay and Balnagown to parts of the lands held before 1430 by Mackay of Creich, who held them of his cousin of Strathnaver in consequence of the hitter's charter from Donald, Lord of the Isles, serve to show the origin of the friction between the Rosses and Mackays which resulted in such an explosion at Aldicharrish.

We saw that John Mackay got a remission from the king in 1494, but this did not quench the embers of strife. It is evident that more blood was shed, for David Ross of Balnagown and lye Roy of Strathnaver were summoned to appear before the Earl of Argyle, then Lord High Chancellor of Scotland, and on the 4th October, 1496, each £ CT i 9?0M- CoNof them became bound, by extending his hand to Argyle in the king's name, to keep the peace towards each other, and that their " folkis sal be harmeless and skaithles," under a penalty of 500 merks in case of failure. Notwithstanding the apparent reconciliation of the parties above mentioned, " David Ross of Balngovvan and Hucheon Ross his brother, procurators for Giles Sutherland, spouse of umql. Alexander Ross, and Isabella, Margaret, and Marion Ross, daughters," brought an action before the Lords of Council against the Mackays for spoils taken out of the lands of " Langcll, Invercarron, Grewnard, Kincardin, Invercarsley and others within the Duchery of Ross." The spoils were : —

"Twelve hundred ky, the price of the piece 20s, with the profits of the same for eight years by-gane, extending yearly till the sum of 300 ibid. merks ; ane hundred horse and mares, the price of the piece over head 40s, with the profits thereof extending yearly he the said space till £4~) ;
and ane thousand sheep and goats, the price of the piece 2s, with their profit yearly be the said space extending till 100 merks." In this action the Eosses prevailed and decree was accordingly pronounced against the Mackays, who did not put in an appearance at all, dated 27th July, 1501. Roughly speaking, the damages amounted to about 6000 merks, a very large sum in those days ; but what portion of this if any the Rosses were able to recover we have no means of knowing.

According to the above decreet the spoliation complained of took place eight years earlier, or in 1493, while that in connection with Aldicharrish happened during the summer of 1487, as was recorded in the Fern Abbey 3IS. Evidently there were two great raids by the Mackays into Ross separated by an interval of five years. Of the first raid the authorities took no notice ; it was apparently considered justified by the code of revenge common then ; but the second raid resulted in an action at law. It is very evident the Rosses had no reason to congratulate themselves upon the burning of Angus Roy Mackay in Tarbet church .
To reward with gifts of land or otherwise Highland chieftains and headmen, who brought offenders to justice and assisted in the maintenance of order, was part of the settled policy which King James IV. adopted in the north. He seems to have been in regular communication with the Mackintosh, Huntly, Cameron, Grant, Mackay, as the national records abundantly show. It was in pursuance of this policy that, on the 18th July, 1496, he bestowed £20 yearly out of " our lordship of Murray .... for gud and treu service doun to us be our lowit squyr Y McKy of Straithnaver," to continue until " we provide ane leving and fee of land for the said Y McKy in ane competent place lyand near the boundis of Straithnaver." The king in this document expressly addresses Mackay as " of Strathnaver,' and holds out the prospect of other lands in the neighbourhood when the opportunity presents itself. It did so speedily.

Sutherland of Dirlot, who was pursued for some debts by Sir James Dunbar of Cumnock, murdered his relative, Alexander Dunbar, step-father of John Earl of Sutherland, and was in consequence put to the horn. lye Roy Mackay, who was already bound to the king's service for the maintenance of order, received a commission to apprehend Dirlot and did so. Mackay was rewarded by a charter under the Great Seal, dated 4th November, 1499, of the escheated lands of Dirlot, viz., Farr, Armadale, Strathy, Rennivie, Davach Lochnaver, and Davach Eriboll, all in Strathnaver, of Kinald, Golspie, and Kilcolumkill in Sutherland, and of Dirlot, Cattack, Bronach, and two pennylands of Stroma in Caithness. As Dirlot was a nephew of Mackay the apprehension seems somewhat heartless, but there were extenuating circumstances. Dirlot or his father managed to get possession by some means of Strathnaver lands which formerly belonged to the family of Mackay. Of this there can be no doubt. In the sasine which Donald, son of lye Roy Mackay, took of the lands on 16th February, 1540, it is expressly stated that the said Ibid. no. h. lands pertained to " the late Odo McKy alias Y McKy, father of the foresaid Donald McKy, and his predecessors held of our deceased illustrious predecessors" (quondam Odamus McKy alias Y McKy, pater prefati Donaldi McKy, ejusque predecessores per quondam nobilissimos predecessores nostras). Looked at in this light, Mackay's temptation to acquire ancestral lands, which in some way came into the possession of Sutherland, overbore any natural affection which he might be expected to cherish towards his nephew. And besides this, Dirlot on the father's side was a representative of Nicolas Sutherland, with whom and with whose successors the Mackays waged such a prolonged and fierce feud.

The closing years of the fifteenth and the opening years of the sixteenth century witnessed a great upheaval in the western isles, where the people continued to cherish a hankering after the re-establishment of the ancient lordship of the isles. The king, irritated at the misconduct of the Hebrideans, unwisely cancelled the charters of some of the leading families, and practically goaded them into revolt. Almost at the same moment Donald Du, grandson of John, Lord of the Isles, escaped from his long confinement in the castle of Inchconnal, fled to the Lews, and put himself at the head of the discontented confederates. It took three expeditions, in 1503, 1505, and 1506, respectively, to quell the tumult; and in all these expeditions lye Roy Mackay did most effective work at the head of his clansmen. In the Parliament of 1505 Torquil of the Lews, who persistently refused to put in an appearance, was found guilty of treason and put to the horn. Huntly was commissioned to proceed with the northern Highlanders across the Minch and capture the recalcitrant Macleod. To this end ships were collected, cannon brought by sea from Edinburgh Castle, and every nerve strained to make the expedition a success. In 1506 Huntly, Mackay, and others appeared before Stornoway Castle, and after battering it with artillery took Torquil prisoner.

As a reward for his services in helping to crush the Hebridea insurrections, the king " gevis and grantis to our lovit Y McKay " the nonentry of the lands in Straithnaver, Slichchilis, Strathhalladale, Creichraore, Assent, Coigeach, Gruids-davach, Edderachilis, the Little Isles of Strathnaver, and a part of the lauds of Stratliflete, dated 15th March, 1504. The Strathnaver lands in nonentry at this time were evidently those pertaining to the lineal heir of Farquhar, " the king's physician "—a Mackay who obtained the lands of Melness, Hope, and the Little Isles of Strathnaver from King Robert II., as we saw. On the 30th September, 1511, lye Roy and his son, John Mackay, purchased the lands of Melness and Hope from Donald McCorrichie, Farquhar's heir, and thus secured them in heritable right, but the Little Isles did not come into the possession of the family until they were purchased by Donald, 1st Lord Reay. It is very evident from these transactions that the Mackays held a great amount of lauded estate at this period, not only in Strathnaver but in Sutherland and Ross, and that they must have been able to put a large force into the field.

King James IV. having resolved upon an invasion of England summoned his subjects capable of bearing arms, and had a most loyal response from both Highlands and Lowlands. According to the Blk. 31S., lye Roy Mackay accompanied by his brother John Riavach, at the head of a contingent from Strathnaver, joined the royal standard and took part in the battle of Flodden in 1513. lye Roy escaped with his life from the fatal field, but John Riavach and a number of clansmen fell that day. Among the slain from the far north were both the Bishop and the Earl of Caithness.

After the fall of the king at Flodden, the islanders made insurrection again under the leadership of Sir Donald MacDonald of Lochalsh, commonly called Donald Galda. John, Duke of Albany, and Colin, Earl of Argyle, were entrusted with the task of suppressing the disturbance in 1515, and were in a measure successful. But Donald Galda managed to renew the conflict in 1517, and gave much trouble to the Earl of Argyle, who had been appointed Lieutenant of the Isles shortly before. When Argyle petitioned the Government for assistance against Sir Donald, letters were ordered to .be directed in name of the king to the head-men of the north, "as the act. dom. con. Lord Lovat, Macintosh, Grant, MacKenzie, McKy, McCIod, tha parts, to pursue the said Sir Donald and his accomplices," dated May 1517- What response the Mackays made to this appeal we cannot say, but the affair soon thereafter terminated with the death of Sir Donald.

lye Roy shortly before his death joined in a band of friendship with Adam Gordon, Earl of Sutherland, on the 31st July 1517. Of course, Sir Robert Gordon makes this to appear as the act of a vassal towards his superior. It was nothing of the kind, as the document itself shows. To the extent of the lands of Strathilete and others, within the earldom of Sutherland (which was separate from Strathnaver), Earl Adam was the feudal overlord of Mackay, but no further. Sir William Fraser, discussing Sir Robert's reference to this transaction, writes :—" He also describes it as if it were granted by an inferior to a superior, which is not the case. The agreement, except for the acknowledged fact that Earl Adam was Mackay's overlord in certain lands, is a transaction between equals." It was not a case of the Earl of Sutherland calling Mackay to heel, as Sir Robert Gordon misrepresents it, but a case of the Earl of Sutherland soliciting the much-needed support of Mackay in an hour of great need, as shall appear afterwards. So much meantime for Sir Robert's fireworks.

lye Roy Mackay, who died towards the close of 1517, married a celebrated beauty, a daughter of Norman, son of Patrick O'Beolan of Carloway in Lewis, as is stated in the Knock MS., or as Sir Robert calls her, "a woman of the western isles." O'Beolan was the lineal descendant of the well-known priestly family of Applecross, whose progenitor was St. Maolrubha. This marriage was not in conformity with canon law, but lye Roy duly secured from King James IV., 8th August, 1511, a precept of legitimation for his two surviving sons, John and Donald. By the unscrupulous conduct of the Earls of Huntly and Sutherland, lye Du Mackay, the grandson of lye Roy, got into much trouble in consequence of this marriage notwithstanding the royal precept of 1511, as shall appear. The issue of this marriage was three sons and two daughters :—

i. John, who succeeded his father in 1517.

ii. Donald, who succeeded his brother John in 1529.

Hi. Angus, who fell fighting against the Eosses, near Tain, before 1511.

iv. A daughter, who married Hugh Macleod of Assynt, and had known issue Neil and Helen. Helen Macleod married her first cousin, lye Du of Strathnaver, to whom she bore Donald Balloch Mackay of Scoury and John Beg, the former becoming the progenitor of the Scoury Mackays.

v. A daughter, who married the Honl. Alexander Sutherland, son of John, Earl of Sutherland, by his second marriage.

pg. 70-78

THE BOOK OF MACKAY BY ANGUS MACKAY, M.A. (St. Andrews University) Minister at Westerdale, Caithness EDINBURGH : NORMAN MACLEOD, -25 GEORGE IV. BRIDGE CANADA : EDWARD MACKAY, ST. PETER'S MANSE, MADOC, ONT. M DCCCC VI

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Some writers have supposed, not only that all the lands mentioned in the charter, had previously belonged to Alexander of Dirlet, but that all of Mackay's lands had formerly belonged to the Earl of Sutherland, which Sir Robert Gordon himself never alleges. Scolstarvet, in his Collections,says, " In 1499, November 4t11, James granted the lands of Far, and others in the north-west extremity of Scotland, to Odo alias Y-Mackay,in Strathnaver, for taking Alexander Sutherland and ten other rebels."

There is no mention in the charter, of the lands of Far, and Mackay is not designed in, but of Strathnaver ; and Douglas, who is not more correct in this particular, states in his Peerage, that "the lands had belonged to Sutherland, and laid the foundation of the power of the Mackays."

That foundation was laid, and their power was well known, and many ways felt, for some centuries before.

The following articles are contained in an inventory of the Duffus titles recorded in the Sheriff-court books of Caithness: "Charter by Thomas Kinnaird of Colbuy to Odo Blackay of Strathnavel; of the lands of Muchell, &c. dated 3d April 1505." Charter by Angus Murray of Pangadell, in favour of Odo Mackay of Strathnaver, of the lands of Skelbo," date not mentioned.

Iye Mackay was in great favour with King James IV. who reposed weat confidence in him. pg. 89

Iye Mackay was twice married, first to Margaret, daughter of Thomas fourth Lord Lovat," by whom he had two daughters, one of whom married Angus Macleod, laird of Assint, and the other married Alexander, the heir of Sutherland.

Second, having had two natural sons, John and Donald, by one whom Sir Robert designs "a woman of the western isles," he married her in order to legitimate his sons; and afterwards obtained from the king, a precept of legitimation in their favour the tenor of which warrants the conclusion, that their parents were married ; for they are designed "sons of Odo Makky of Strathnavern," and not
natural sons or bastards, as was usual, where the parents were not married. Some years before the date of that precept, Adam Gordon had been forming his plans to secure the earldom and estate of Sutherland to himself; and finding that lye Mackay was opposed to his measures, he applied to his brother Niel- Naverach, promising to support his claim to the succession, as John and Donald were accounted illegitimate : which Iye Mackay having discovered, he banished his brother Niel and his family from his country; and as Adam was also courting the friendship of Caithness, Niel went thither to reside. It is highly probable, that it was after his discovery of the plot laid between Adam and Niel, that Iye Mackay procured the precept from the king.

Iye Mackay died about the year 1516, and was succeeded by his eldest son, John. pg. 99-100

Iye-Roy was twice married, (see p. 99, and had two sons, and two daughters. His sons were,

• 1st, John, who succeeded him, and died without lawful male issue ; and,

John had two daughters,

• one of whom married Hugh Murray of Shiberscross, and the
  
• other married Gilbert Murray of Pulrossie. Donald was twice married, (see p. 121).
  

• 2nd, Donald, who succeeded his brother.
• One of his daughters married Angus Macleod, baron of Assint, and
• the other married Alexander Sutherland, heir of the estate and earldom of Sutherland, [see pp. 99-105). - pg. 561

HISTORY THE HOUSE AND CLAN MACKAY,BY ROBERT MACKAY, 1829

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lYE Roy obtained a terminable annuity of £20 Scots; from King James IV, to be paid out of the lordship of Moray, ' for gud and treu service,' 18 July 1496.

And on 4 October 1496 he and David Ross of Balnagown became bound to keep the peace, each extending his hand in token of sincerity to the Lord High Chancellor of Scotland." For capturing Alexander Sutherland of Dirlot, accused of treason, he obtained from the King the lands of Dirlot, Strathy, etc., 4 November 1499 ; and also secured from the King the non-entry of lands in Strathnaver, Creich, Assint, etc., 15 March 1504.

He purchased the lands of Melness, Hope, etc., from Donald M'Donachy on a procuratory of resignation to himself and to his son John, 30 September 1511.

He took part in three expeditions to the Hebrides (1503-6) to put down insurrection there, and was present at the battle of Flodden, where his brother John fell. He joined in a bond of friendship with Adam Gordon, Earl of Sutherland, 31 July 1517, and died the same year.

According to the Knock MS.,' he married a daughter of Norman, son of Patrick O'Beolan of Carloway, Lewis, a very beautiful woman ; and Gordonston describes her as 'a woman of the West Yles.' The marriage was, however, not canonical, for he had a precept of legitimation for his two surviving sons, John and Donald, 8 August 1511.

He had issue :

• 1. John.
• 2. Donald, who succeeded his brother John.
• 3. Angus, who fell near Tain, fighting against the Rosses, before 1511.
• 4. a daughter, married to Hugh Macleod of Assynt,with known issue Neil and Helen, the latter of whom was married to her cousin, lye Du of Farr, ut infra.
• 5. a daughter, said to have been married to Alexander Sutherland, son of John, eighth Earl of

Sutherland. 

Scottish peerage Vol. 7 pg. 101-102