John MacLeod ( Scottish Gaelic: Iain MacLeòid) was chieftain of the

Isle of Lewis The Isle of Lewis ( gd, Eilean Leòdhais) or simply Lewis ( gd, Leòdhas, ) is the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides archipelago in Scotland. The two parts are frequently referred to as ...

in the 1520s and 1530s. He is mentioned in 1528.

Clan ancestry

John was the son of

Torquil MacLeod Torquil MacLeod (Scottish Gaelic: Torcall mac Murchaidh, and Torcall MacLeòid) ('' fl.'' 14th century) was a Hebridean lord and is today considered to be the founder of the MacLeods of Lewis, who are known in Gaelic as ''Sìol Torcaill'' ("seed ...

, the deposed chief of Clan MacLeod of Lewis, whom the king had forfeited in 1506. John's uncle Malcolm had managed to reacquire the ancestral island. Malcolm's death, and the minority of his son Rory, enabled John to seize the entire island of

Lewes Lewes () is the county town of East Sussex, England. It is the police and judicial centre for all of Sussex and is home to Sussex Police, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, Lewes Crown Court and HMP Lewes. The civil parish is the centre of ...

and its dominions.

Legacy

John was the chief ally of Domhnall 'gruamach', laird of

Sleat Sleat is a peninsula and civil parish 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''. The name comes from the Scottish Gaelic , which in turn comes ...

. They warred against the MacLeods of Harris and Dunvegan. Together they expelled the MacLeods from Trotternish and prevented them from taking possession of Sleat and North Uist.

Family

John's daughter and heiress married Domhnall 'gorme' of Sleat, the son and successor of Domhnall 'gruamach'.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Macleod, John Chiefs of Clan MacLeod of Lewis