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Post by pureginius on Jun 25, 2009 11:05:59 GMT -6
EARLY HISTORY
∙ The earliest contemporary record of a Mackenzie is of Alexander Mackenzie of Kintail (Alexandro McKennye de Kintaill) who is listed as a witness to a charter by John of Islay, Earl of Ross, and Lord of the Isles on November 4, 1471. The earliest known likeness of a Mackenzie is that of Sir Kenneth Mackenzie (d. February 7, 1491/1492), whose effigy can be seen at Beauly Priory. He is the first Mackenzie to be buried at Beauly Priory. It has been attested that previous members of his family were buried at Iona, however there is no actual evidence in proof of this.
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Post by pureginius on Jun 25, 2009 11:10:31 GMT -6
15TH CENTURY AND CLAN CONFLICTS
∙ Battle of Bealach nam Broig, 1452, Fought north-west of Ben Wyvis between a force of Munros and Dingwalls against a force of western tribes loyal to Mackenzie of Kintail who had taken hostage the Earl of Ross's son. The Munros and their allies rescued the Ross hostage and exterminated their enemies but with the loss of their chiefs, George Munro of Foulis and William Dingwall of Kildun.
∙ Battle of Blàr-na-Pairc, 1477, Fought between the Clan Mackenzie and Clan MacDonald. The MacDonalds were defeated.
∙ Battle of Sauchieburn, 1488 the Clan Mackenzie fought under Hector Roy Mackenzie on the side of King James III of Scotland against an army of Scottish nobles who favored the King's then-15-year-old son, Prince James.
∙ Raid on Ross 1491, a conflict that took place in 1491 in the Scottish Highlands. It was fought between the Clan Mackenzie against clans including the Clan MacDonald of Lochalsh, Clan MacDonald of Clanranald the Clan Cameron and the Chattan Confederation of Clan Mackintosh.
∙ Battle of Drumchatt, 1497, In 1495 King James assembled an army at Glasgow. Then on May 18 many of the Highland Chiefs made their submissions to him, including the Mackenzies and Munros. Soon after this Alexander MacDonald of Lochalsh and his clan rebelled against the King. He invaded the fertile lands of Ross-shire where he was defeated in battle by the Munros and Mackenzies at a place called Drumchatt where he was driven out of Ross-shire. He escaped southward amongst the Isles but was caught on the island of Oransay, by Mac Iain of Ardnamurchan, and put to death.
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Post by pureginius on Jun 25, 2009 11:17:41 GMT -6
16TH CENTURY AND CLAN CONFLICTS
∙ During the Anglo-Scottish Wars chief John Mackenzie led the clan at the Battle of Flodden Field in 1513 and the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh in 1547 where he was captured by the English. The Mackenzies paid a ransom for his release. The growing importance of the Clan Mackenzie was vividly demonstrated in 1544 when the Earl of Huntly, the Lieutenant of the North, commanded John Mackenzie of Killin to raise his clan against Clan Ranald of Moidart. The Mackenzie chief refused and Huntly's supporters, the Clan Grant, Clan Ross and Clan Mackintosh declined to attack the Mackenzies. From that time the Mackenzies were recognised as a separate and superior force in the north-west.
∙ On 13 December 1545 at Dingwall, the Earl of Sutherland entered into a bond of manrent with John Mackenzie of Kintail for mutual defense against all enemies, reserving only their allegiance to their youthful Queen, Mary Stuart.
∙ Battle of Langside, 1568, Clan Mackenzie fought on the side of Mary Queen of Scots against the forces of her half-brother James Stewart, Earl of Moray. Chief Kenneth Mackenzie is killed.
∙ Fortrose 1569, With the Munros the Mackenzies were often at feud, and Andrew Munro of Milntown defended and held, for three years, the Castle Chanonry of Ross, which he had received from the Regent Moray who died in 1569, against the Clan Mackenzie, at the expense of many lives on both sides. The feud was settled when the castle was handed over to the Mackenzies peacefully as the Mackenzies had gained more legal right to own the castle.
∙ Battle of Logiebride, 1597, A fight broke out at a fair in Logiebride between clansmen from the Clan Bane, Clan Munro and the Mackenzies. |
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Post by pureginius on Jun 25, 2009 11:22:22 GMT -6
17TH CENTURY AND CIVIL WAR
∙ Battle of Morar, 1602, fought between the Clan Mackenzie and Clan MacDonell of Glengarry.
∙ In 1623, the clan chief was made Earl of Seaforth, a title in the peerage of Scotland taking his title from a sea loch on the island of Lewis. In 1645, Lord Seaforth led a large force of Scottish Covenanters. They fought against James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose who was the commander of the Royalist forces in Scotland at the Battle of Auldearn in 1645.
∙ In 1646 during the Civil War the Clan Mackenzie was still in possession of the Castle Chanonry of Ross, however John Middleton, 1st Earl of Middleton laid siege to the castle and took it from the Mackenzies after a siege of four days. The Mackenzies retook the castle again in 1649.
∙ In 1649 Thomas Mackenzie of Pluscardine led a force that included Colonel John Munro of Lemlair, Colonel Hugh Fraser and Sir Thomas Urquhart of Cromarty in taking Inverness Castle. They were all opposed to the authority of the current parliament. However on the approach of the parliamentary forces led by General David Leslie all of the clans retreated back into Ross-shire, apart from the Mackenzies who left a garrison of men in Inverness Castle and Leslie withdrew to deal with a rising in the south. During the year skirmishes took place between these parties. The Mackenzies retook the Castle Chanonry of Ross from the Parliamentary forces. However, the Parliamentary forces, led by a Colonel Kerr soon after took the Mackenzie's Redcastle and hanged the garrison.
∙ Battle of Mulroy, 1668, Fought between the Clan Mackenzie and Clan Mackintosh against the Clan MacDonald and Clan Cameron.
∙ In 1672 Ardvreck Castle was attacked and captured by the Mackenzies, who took control of the Assynt lands. In 1726 they constructed a more modern manor house nearby, Calda House, which takes its name from the Calda burn beside which it stands. The house burned down under mysterious circumstances one night in 1737 and both Calda House and Ardvreck Castle stand as ruins today.
∙ During the Williamite War in Ireland the Clan MacKenzie led by their Chief Kenneth the Earl of Seaforth are believed to have supported King James at the siege of Derry and the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. |
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Post by pureginius on Jun 25, 2009 11:28:05 GMT -6
18TH CENTURY AND JACOBITE RISINGS
∙ 1715 to 1719 Jacobite Rising∙ In 1715 the Earl of Seaforth, chief of Mackenzie led a force of 3000 men headed by the Clan Mackenzie which also included men from the Clan MacDonald, Clan MacKinnon, Clan MacRae and the Clan Chisholm. He was opposed by Colonel Col. Robert Munro of Foulis who had formed a camp at the Bridge of Alness with 600 men including men from Clan Ross. Munro was soon joined by the Earl of Sutherland and the chief of Clan MacKay who both brought with them only a portion of their clans and expected support from the Clan Grant did not arrive. The Earl of Seaforth's forces advanced on the Sutherland's camp who made a quick retreat to avoid contact with their more powerful foe. It is said that the Earl of Seaforth himself said that they made a wise move. Soon after a council of war was held between the two sides and the Sutherlanders and MacKays peacefully moved back north to their own territory, while much of the Ross's and Munro's lands were ravaged.[24]
∙ Inverness 1715, During the early Jacobite Uprising the Mackenzie Jacobite garrison at Inverness were trapped by the Clan Fraser. The Clan MacDonald of Keppoch did attempt to relieve the Mackenzies, but their path was blocked by the Frasers, and Keppoch was forced to retreat. Inverness was surrendered to Simon Fraser of Lovat upon the very day when the Battle of Sheriffmuir was fought and another Jacobite force was defeated at the Battle of Preston. Soon after this 31 year old Colonel Robert Munro of Foulis marched into the town of Inverness with 400 Munros and took over control as governor from Fraser. Government troops arrived in Inverness towards the end of February, and for some months the process of disarming the rebels went on, helped by a Munro detachment under George Munro of Culcairn.
∙ The clan rivalries which had erupted in rebellion were finding an outlet in local politics. The Mackenzie's position as Earl of Seaforth came to an end in 1716, and it seems to have been arranged that while the Clan Ross held the county seat the Munros would represent the Tain Burghs. To secure the burghs, control of three out of the five was necessary. Ross ascendancy was secure in Tain, and from 1716 to 1745 the Munros controlled Dingwall.
∙ The Clan Mackenzie under their chief supported the Jacobites during the uprisings. Many men from the clan fought at the Battle of Glen Shiel in 1719 where they were defeated by Government forces and where the Mackenzie chief was wounded. He afterwards escaped to France.
∙ In 1720 a force of men from the Clan Ross, led by chief William Ross 6th of the Pitcalnie line and his brother Robert went on a rent collecting expedition into the lands of the Mackenzies. They were confronted by a force of 300 men from the Clan Mackenzie and Clan MacRae, led by a Colonel Donald Murchison. The Rosses were outnumbered and after a short battle some discussion took place between the two sides and the Rosses withdrew realising that further resistance was useless. The next day chief William Ross died of his wounds.
-- a.d. 1742 begins now -- |
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