Colin Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Seaforth
Encyclopedia
Colin Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Seaforth
(1596/7-1633), was a Highland
clan
chief and Scottish
nobleman, possessed of vast estates and wealth.
by his first wife, Ann, daughter of George Ross of Balnagown
. 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
.
, the “Tutor of Kintail
”. Upon Lord Mackenzie’s death, Neil Macleod and other members of the Macleods of Lewis
, whom Lord Mackenzie had recently subdued, rose in rebellion in Lewis. A number of commissions against them were granted between 1611 and 1616 to the Tutor of Kintail, Colin Mackenzie of Killin
, Murdo Mackenzie of Kernsary, Alexander Mackenzie of Coul and Kenneth Mackenze of Davochmaluag
, while neighbouring chiefs (Donald Gorm Macdonald of Sleat
, Roderick Macleod of Harris, Hugh Mackay of Farr
and his son, and MacNeill of Barra
) were forbidden to assist the rebels. Neil Macleod himself was captured and executed in Edinburgh
in April 1613, but the turbulence continued. By a special commission from the king
dated 14 September 1614, the Mackenzies were exempted by reason of their involvement in Lewis from engaging in the resolution of a dispute between two factions of the Clan Cameron
(acting as proxies for the Marquis of Huntly
and the Earl of Argyll
). Once it had again eventually been brought under control, Lewis remained in the possession of the Mackenzies of Kintail until it was sold to Sir James Matheson
in 1844.
with the heritable Stewartry of the Isle of Skye, and the superiority of Raasay
and other islands. The Earl of Cromartie
said: "This Colin was a noble person of virtuous endowments, beloved of all good men, especially his Prince
. He acquired and settled the right of the superiority of Moidart
and Arisaig
, the Captain of Clandonald's lands, which his father, Lord Kenneth, formerly claimed right to but lived not to accomplish it. Thus, all the Highlands and Islands
from Ardnamurchan
to Strathnaver
were either Mackenzie's property, or under his vassalage, some few excepted, and all about him were tied to his family by very strict bonds of friendship or vassalage, which, as it did beget respect from many it be got envy in others, especially his equals."
Such wealth was not easily acquired: both the Tutor of Kintail and, in due course, Colin were criticized for imposing high entries and rents on Colin’s Kintail and West Coast tenants. Indeed a Gaelic proverb in common currency was “There are two things worse than the Tutor of Kintail: frost in spring and mist in the dog-days
”.
dividing Lewis from Harris) and Viscountcy of Fortrose
. On his last visit to London (at which the king also complimented him on being the best archer in Britain), Mackenzie was disturbed to be told by the king that his loyalty had been called into question by an anonymous source. However, the king’s confidence in him remained apparently unshaken.
. The Reverend John Macrae (d. 1704) recorded that he "lived most of his time at Chanonry in great state and very magnificently. He annually imported his wines from the Continent, and kept a store for his wines, beers, and other liquors, from which he replenished his fleet on his voyages round the West Coast and the Lewis, when he made a circular voyage every year or at least every two years round his own estates … It is scarcely credible what allowance was made for his table of Scotch and French wines during these trips amongst his people … I have heard my grandfather, Mr Farquhar MacRa (then Constable of the Castle
) say that the Earl never came to his house with less than 300 and sometimes 500 men.”
, Lochcarron
, Lochbroom, and Gairloch
(of all of which he was patron), with valuable books from London, the works of the latest and best authors. He also laid the foundation for a church in Strathconan and Strathbran. He mortified 4000 merks for the Grammar School of Chanonry, and had several works of piety in his view to perform if his death had not prevented it.
, the Lord Chancellor of Scotland
. Their only son, Alexander, died of smallpox at Chanonry on 3 June 1629. Margaret died at Edinburgh on 20 February 1631, after which Mackenzie contracted a lingering sickness which confined him to his chamber for some time before his death. He died at Chanonry on 15 April 1633 and was succeeded in his title and estates by his brother, George
.
He was survived by two daughters. Anne (d. 1705) married, first, Alexander Lindsay
, later first Earl of Balcarres
, and, secondly, Archibald Campbell
, 9th Earl of Argyll. Jean married, first, John Sinclair, Master of Berriedale
, and secondly, Alexander Sutherland, first Lord Duffus
.
Earl of Seaforth
Earl of Seaforth was a title in the Peerage of Scotland and Peerage of Great Britain. It was held by the family of Mackenzie from 1623 to 1716, and again from 1771 to 1781....
(1596/7-1633), 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...
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, possessed of vast estates and wealth.
Origins
Mackenzie, nicknamed “Ruadh” (i.e. “Red”), was the eldest 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...
by his first wife, Ann, daughter of George Ross of Balnagown
Clan Ross
Clan Ross is a Highland Scottish clan. The original chiefs of the clan were the original Earls of Ross.-Origins:Clan Ross is a Highland Scottish clan first named as such by King Malcolm IV of Scotland in 1160...
. 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...
.
The final subjection of Lewis
Mackenzie was only 14 when his father died in 1611, and the clan territories were therefore entrusted to his uncle, Sir Roderick Mackenzie of CoigachCoigach
Coigach today refers to the peninsula "beyond the big rock" north of Ullapool, in Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. Anciently till changes in civil registration districts in 1857 the Barony also included Isle Martin, the lands down to Corrie beyond Ullapool, the various farms of...
, the “Tutor of Kintail
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...
”. Upon Lord Mackenzie’s death, Neil Macleod and other members of the Macleods of Lewis
Clan MacLeod of Lewis
Clan Macleod of The Lewes, commonly known as Clan MacLeod of Lewis, is a Highland Scottish clan, which at its height held extensive lands in the Western Isles and west coast of Scotland. From the 14th century up until the beginning of the 17th century there were two branches of Macleods: the...
, whom Lord Mackenzie had recently subdued, rose in rebellion in Lewis. A number of commissions against them were granted between 1611 and 1616 to the Tutor of Kintail, Colin Mackenzie of Killin
Killin
Killin is a village situated at the western head of Loch Tay in Stirling , Scotland....
, Murdo Mackenzie of Kernsary, Alexander Mackenzie of Coul and Kenneth Mackenze of Davochmaluag
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...
, while neighbouring chiefs (Donald Gorm Macdonald of Sleat
Sleat
Sleat is a peninsula on the island of Skye in the Highland council area of Scotland, known as "the garden of Skye". It is the home of the clan MacDonald of Sleat...
, Roderick Macleod of Harris, Hugh Mackay of Farr
Strathnaver
Strathnaver or Strath Naver is the fertile strath of the River Naver, a famous salmon river that flows from Loch Naver to the north coast of Scotland...
and his son, and MacNeill of Barra
Barra
The island of Barra is a predominantly Gaelic-speaking island, and apart from the adjacent island of Vatersay, to which it is connected by a causeway, is the southernmost inhabited island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland.-Geography:The 2001 census showed that the resident population was 1,078...
) were forbidden to assist the rebels. Neil Macleod himself was captured and executed 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...
in April 1613, but the turbulence continued. By a special commission from the king
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
dated 14 September 1614, the Mackenzies were exempted by reason of their involvement in Lewis from engaging in the resolution of a dispute between two factions of the Clan Cameron
Clan Cameron
Clan Cameron is a West Highland Scottish clan, with one main branch Lochiel, and numerous cadet branches. The Clan Cameron lands are in Lochaber and within their lands is the mountain Ben Nevis which is the highest mountain in the British Isles. The chief of the clan is customarily referred to as...
(acting as proxies for the Marquis of Huntly
George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly
George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly was a Scottish nobleman who took a leading role in the political and military life of Scotland in the late 16th century and around the time of the Union of the Crowns.-Biography:...
and the Earl of Argyll
Archibald Campbell, 7th Earl of Argyll
Archibald Campbell, 7th Earl of Argyll , also called "Gillesbuig Grumach", was a Scottish politician and military leader.-Biography:...
). Once it had again eventually been brought under control, Lewis remained in the possession of the Mackenzies of Kintail until it was sold to Sir James Matheson
James Matheson
Sir James Nicolas Sutherland Matheson, 1st Baronet , born in Shiness, Lairg, Sutherland, Scotland, was the son of Captain Donald Matheson, a Scottish trader in India...
in 1844.
Acquisition of further territory and wealth
At the death of Lord Mackenzie, his estates were very heavily burdened in consequence of the feud with Clan MacDonell of Glengarry and various family difficulties and debts. The Tutor of Kintail completed the compromise of the disputes with Glengarry that had been commenced by Lord Mackenzie and otherwise devoted himself to his nephew’s affairs to such effect that the estates were freed before Colin came of age, leaving him “master of an opulent fortune and of great [feudal] superiorities”. In particular, he acquired the superiority of TrotternishTrotternish
Trotternish or Tròndairnis is the northernmost peninsula of the Isle of Skye, in Scotland.One of its more well-known features is the Trotternish landslip, a massive landslide that runs almost the full length of the peninsula, some...
with the heritable Stewartry of the Isle of Skye, and the superiority 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...
and other islands. The Earl of Cromartie
George Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Cromartie
George Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Cromartie FRS , known as Sir George Mackenzie, 2nd Baronet from 1654 to 1685 and as The Viscount of Tarbat from 1685 to 1703, was a Scottish statesman....
said: "This Colin was a noble person of virtuous endowments, beloved of all good men, especially his Prince
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
. He acquired and settled the right of the superiority of Moidart
Moidart
Moidart is a district in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland.Moidart lies to the west of Fort William and is very remote. Loch Shiel cuts off the south-east boundary of the district. Moidart includes the townships of Dorlin, Mingarry, Kinlochmoidart and Glenuig. At Dorlin is located the ancient fortress...
and Arisaig
Arisaig
Arisaig is a village in Lochaber, Invernessshire, on the west coast of the Scottish Highlands.-History:On 20 September 1746 Bonnie Prince Charlie left Scotland for France from a place near the village following the failure of the Jacobite Rising. The site of his departure is marked by the Prince's...
, the Captain of Clandonald's lands, which his father, Lord Kenneth, formerly claimed right to but lived not to accomplish it. Thus, all the Highlands and Islands
Highlands and Islands
The Highlands and Islands of Scotland are broadly the Scottish Highlands plus Orkney, Shetland and the Hebrides.The Highlands and Islands are sometimes defined as the area to which the Crofters' Act of 1886 applied...
from Ardnamurchan
Ardnamurchan
Ardnamurchan is a peninsula in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, noted for being very unspoilt and undisturbed. Its remoteness is accentuated by the main access route being a single track road for much of its length.-Geography:...
to Strathnaver
Strathnaver
Strathnaver or Strath Naver is the fertile strath of the River Naver, a famous salmon river that flows from Loch Naver to the north coast of Scotland...
were either Mackenzie's property, or under his vassalage, some few excepted, and all about him were tied to his family by very strict bonds of friendship or vassalage, which, as it did beget respect from many it be got envy in others, especially his equals."
Such wealth was not easily acquired: both the Tutor of Kintail and, in due course, Colin were criticized for imposing high entries and rents on Colin’s Kintail and West Coast tenants. Indeed a Gaelic proverb in common currency was “There are two things worse than the Tutor of Kintail: frost in spring and mist in the dog-days
Dog Days
"Dog Days" are the hottest, most sultry days of summer. In the Northern Hemisphere, the dog days of summer are most commonly experienced in the months of July and August, which typically observe the warmest summer temperatures. In the Southern Hemisphere, they typically occur in January and...
”.
Royal favour
Mackenzie’s favour with King James, as referred to by the Earl of Cromartie, is well demonstrated by his elevation in 1623 to the Earldom of Seaforth (the name of the sea lochLoch Seaforth
Loch Seaforth is sea loch in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. It forms the boundary between Lewis and Harris and formerly was the boundary between the traditional counties of Ross and Cromarty and Inverness-shire....
dividing Lewis from Harris) and Viscountcy of Fortrose
Fortrose
Fortrose is a burgh in the Scottish Highlands, located on the Moray Firth, approximately ten kilometres north east of Inverness. The town is known for its ruined 13th century cathedral, and as the home of the Brahan Seer. In the Middle Ages it was the seat of the bishopric of Ross...
. On his last visit to London (at which the king also complimented him on being the best archer in Britain), Mackenzie was disturbed to be told by the king that his loyalty had been called into question by an anonymous source. However, the king’s confidence in him remained apparently unshaken.
Extravagance
Mackenzie did not aim at economy and spent vast sums in securing his superiority over Moidart and Arisaig in a legal dispute with the Earl of Argyll. He added greatly to the castle of Chanonry and also built Brahan CastleBrahan 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:...
. The Reverend John Macrae (d. 1704) recorded that he "lived most of his time at Chanonry in great state and very magnificently. He annually imported his wines from the Continent, and kept a store for his wines, beers, and other liquors, from which he replenished his fleet on his voyages round the West Coast and the Lewis, when he made a circular voyage every year or at least every two years round his own estates … It is scarcely credible what allowance was made for his table of Scotch and French wines during these trips amongst his people … I have heard my grandfather, Mr Farquhar MacRa (then Constable of the Castle
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...
) say that the Earl never came to his house with less than 300 and sometimes 500 men.”
Piety
Mackenzie and his wife had reputations for personal piety. They went yearly to take the sacrament from the Rev. Thomas Campbell, minister of Carmichael, South Lanarkshire, and usually had more than one chaplain in their house. Mackenzie provided the kirks of Lewis without being obliged to do so, as also the five kirks of Kintail, Loch AlshLoch 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...
, 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:...
, Lochbroom, and 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...
(of all of which he was patron), with valuable books from London, the works of the latest and best authors. He also laid the foundation for a church in Strathconan and Strathbran. He mortified 4000 merks for the Grammar School of Chanonry, and had several works of piety in his view to perform if his death had not prevented it.
Family and posterity
Mackenzie married Margaret Seton, the daughter of Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of DunfermlineAlexander Seton, 1st Earl of Dunfermline
Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Dunfermline was a Scottish lawyer, judge and politician. He was Lord President of the Court of Session from 1598 to 1604 and Lord Chancellor of Scotland from 1604 to 1622....
, the Lord Chancellor of Scotland
Lord Chancellor of Scotland
The Lord Chancellor of Scotland was a Great Officer of State in pre-Union Scotland.Holders of the office are known from 1123 onwards, but its duties were occasionally performed by an official of lower status with the title of Keeper of the Great Seal...
. Their only son, Alexander, died of smallpox at Chanonry on 3 June 1629. Margaret died at Edinburgh on 20 February 1631, after which Mackenzie contracted a lingering sickness which confined him to his chamber for some time before his death. He died at Chanonry on 15 April 1633 and was succeeded in his title and estates by his brother, George
George Mackenzie, 2nd Earl of Seaforth
George Mackenzie, 2nd Earl of Seaforth was a Highland clan chief and Scottish nobleman, who played an equivocating role in Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.-Origins:...
.
He was survived by two daughters. Anne (d. 1705) married, first, Alexander Lindsay
Alexander Lindsay, 1st Earl of Balcarres
Alexander Lindsay, 2nd Lord Balcarres and 1st Earl of Balcarres was a Scottish nobleman.The eldest son of David Lindsay, 1st Lord Balcarres, and grandson of John Lindsay, Lord Menmuir....
, later first Earl of Balcarres
Earl of Balcarres
The title Earl of Balcarres was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1651 for Alexander Lindsay, 2nd Lord Balcarres. The title has descended since in the Lindsay family....
, and, secondly, Archibald Campbell
Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll
Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll was a Scottish peer.He was born in 1629 in Dalkeith, Scotland, the son of Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll....
, 9th Earl of Argyll. Jean married, first, John Sinclair, Master of Berriedale
Earl of Caithness
Earl of Caithness is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland, and has a very complex history. Its first grant, in the modern sense as to have been counted in strict lists of peerages, is now generally held to have taken place in favor of Maol Íosa V, Earl of...
, and secondly, Alexander Sutherland, first Lord Duffus
Lord Duffus
The title Lord Duffus was created by Charles II in the Peerage of Scotland on 8 December 1650 for Alexander Sutherland. He was a descendant of the 4th Earl of Sutherland, who fell in battle in 1333. The title is now extinct, although there may be male-line Sutherlands descended from earlier lairds...
.