![Macaulay of Lewis map](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Macaulay_of_Lewis_map.png)
The Macaulay family of Uig in Lewis, known in Scottish Gaelic as ''Clann mhic Amhlaigh'',
were a small
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
located around
Uig on 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
Outer Hebrides
The Outer Hebrides () or Western Isles ( gd, Na h-Eileanan Siar or or ("islands of the strangers"); sco, Waster Isles), sometimes known as the Long Isle/Long Island ( gd, An t-Eilean Fada, links=no), is an island chain off the west coast ...
of
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. There is no connection between the Macaulays of Lewis and
Clan MacAulay
Clan MacAulay ( gd, Clann Amhlaoibh, ), also spelt Macaulay or Macauley is a Scottish clan. The clan was historically centred on the lands of Ardincaple, which are today consumed by the little village of Rhu and burgh of Helensburgh in Argyll ...
which was centred in the
Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond (; gd, Loch Laomainn - 'Lake of the Elms'Richens, R. J. (1984) ''Elm'', Cambridge University Press.) is a freshwater Scottish loch which crosses the Highland Boundary Fault, often considered the boundary between the lowlands of Ce ...
area, bordering the
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands ( sco, the Hielands; gd, a’ Ghàidhealtachd , 'the place of the Gaels') is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Sco ...
and
Scottish Lowlands
The Lowlands ( sco, Lallans or ; gd, a' Ghalldachd, , place of the foreigners, ) is a cultural and historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Lowlands and the Highlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowl ...
. The Macaulays of Lewis are generally said to be of
Norse origin because of the
etymology
Etymology ()The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the Phonological chan ...
of their surname and also because of the islands'
Viking Age
The Viking Age () was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period and the Ger ...
past. However, a recent analysis of the
Y-DNA
The Y chromosome is one of two sex chromosomes (allosomes) in therian mammals, including humans, and many other animals. The other is the X chromosome. Y is normally the sex-determining chromosome in many species, since it is the presence or abse ...
of men with
Scottish surnames
Scottish surnames are surnames currently found in Scotland, or surnames that have a historical connection with the country.
History
The earliest surnames found in Scotland occur during the reign of David I of Scotland, David I, King of Scots (11 ...
has shown that a large number of Hebridean Macaulays are of Irish origin. In the 17th century, however, tradition gave the Macaulays an
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
(or
Gael
The Gaels ( ; ga, Na Gaeil ; gd, Na Gàidheil ; gv, Ny Gaeil ) are an ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man in the British Isles. They are associated with the Gaelic languages: a branch of the Celtic languag ...
ic) origin. By the end of the 16th century the dominant clan on Lewis was
Clan Macleod of The Lewes
Clan MacLeod of The Lewes, commonly known as Clan MacLeod of Lewis ( gd, Clann Mhic Leòid Leòdhais), 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 ...
. Other notable Lewis clans were the somewhat smaller
Morrisons of Ness
Clan Morrison is a Scottish clan. The Highland Clan Morrison is traditionally associated with the Isle of Lewis and Harris (Leòdhas) around Ness (Nis), Dun Pabbay, and Barvas (Barabhas), lands in Sutherland around Durness, and in North Uist. ...
and the even less numerous Macaulays of Uig. The Macaulays were centred in the area surrounding Uig on the western coast of Lewis, and had a deadly, long-standing
feud
A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one part ...
with the Morrisons, whose lands were located on the northern coast around
Ness. Today the Lewis surname ''Macaulay'' is considered to be a
sept
A sept is a division of a family, especially of a Scottish or Irish family. The term is used in both Scotland and Ireland, where it may be translated as ''sliocht'', meaning "progeny" or "seed", which may indicate the descendants of a person ( ...
name of the Macleods of Lewis. There are two other nearby clans of Macaulays who may, or may not, be connected to the Lewis clan—the
Wester Ross Macaulays, and the
Uist MacAulays.
Origins
Etymology of the name and the persistence of Norse in Lewis
![UigChessKing rightfront (rotated, cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/UigChessKing_rightfront_%28rotated%2C_cropped%29.jpg)
The surname ''
Macaulay'', when found in the
Scottish Hebrides
The Hebrides (; gd, Innse Gall, ; non, Suðreyjar, "southern isles") are an archipelago off the west coast of the Scottish mainland. The islands fall into two main groups, based on their proximity to the mainland: the Inner and Outer Hebride ...
, is thought to be derived from the
Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...
''MacAmhlaidh'', which is a
patronymic
A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor.
Patronymics are still in use, including mandatory use, in many countries worldwide, alt ...
form of the ''
Amhlaidh
Aulay is a Scottish masculine given name. It is an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic ''Amhladh'', ''Amhlaidh'', ''Amhlaigh'', and ''Amhlaibh''. The standard Irish Gaelic form of these names is ''Amhlaoibh'' (pronounced "ow-liv", and "owl-lee"); ...
'' / ''
Amhladh
Aulay is a Scottish masculine given name. It is an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic ''Amhladh'', ''Amhlaidh'', ''Amhlaigh'', and ''Amhlaibh''. The standard Irish Gaelic form of these names is ''Amhlaoibh'' (pronounced "ow-liv", and "owl-lee"); ...
''. These names are ultimately derived from Gaelic forms of the
Old Norse
Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...
personal-name ''Áleifr'' and ''
Óláfr''. The personal name ''Óláfr'' is derived from the Old Norse ''anu'', meaning "ancestor"; and ''liefr'', meaning "heir", "descendant".
[ Hanks; Hodges 2006: p. 393.] The name was popular among the Norsemen and is common in the mediaeval Icelandic manuscripts: the ''
Flateyjarbók
''Flateyjarbók'' (; "Book of Flatey") is an important medieval Icelandic manuscript. It is also known as GkS 1005 fol. and by the Latin name ''Codex Flateyensis''. It was commissioned by Jón Hákonarson and produced by the priests and scribes ...
'' and also the ''
Landnámabók
(, "Book of Settlements"), often shortened to , is a medieval Icelandic written work which describes in considerable detail the settlement () of Iceland by the Norse in the 9th and 10th centuries CE.
is divided into five parts and over ...
'' which details the original
Norse settlement of Iceland in the 9th and 10th centuries.
It was the name of
Saint Olaf
Olaf II Haraldsson ( – 29 July 1030), later known as Saint Olaf (and traditionally as St. Olave), was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. Son of Harald Grenske, a petty king in Vestfold, Norway, he was posthumously given the title ''Rex Perpet ...
(995–1030), an early
king of Norway
The Norwegian monarch is the head of state of Norway, which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system. The Norwegian monarchy can trace its line back to the reign of Harald Fairhair and the previous petty kingdoms ...
who encouraged the spread of Christianity
within his kingdom.
The name was also a royal name among the mediaeval
kings of Mann and the Isles.
[ Moore 1890: pp. 84–85.]
The use of personal-names and place-names may hint at the level of Norse control in the islands and coasts of Scotland. From the
Viking Age
The Viking Age () was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period and the Ger ...
on, the
Hebrides
The Hebrides (; gd, Innse Gall, ; non, Suðreyjar, "southern isles") are an archipelago off the west coast of the Scottish mainland. The islands fall into two main groups, based on their proximity to the mainland: the Inner and Outer Hebrid ...
were known to the
Gaels
The Gaels ( ; ga, Na Gaeil ; gd, Na Gàidheil ; gv, Ny Gaeil ) are an ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man in the British Isles. They are associated with the Gaelic languages: a branch of the Celtic langu ...
as ''Innse Gall'', meaning the "Isles of the
Foreigners". The analysis of the Norse place-names containing settlement elements, within the Hebrides, shows that they most often occur in
Lewis
Lewis may refer to:
Names
* Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name
* Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname
Music
* Lewis (musician), Canadian singer
* "Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohead ...
and
Skye
The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye (; gd, An t-Eilean Sgitheanach or ; sco, Isle o Skye), is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated b ...
. About 79 percent of the village-names in Lewis are considered to be purely Norse and in Skye it is about 66 percent. The frequency of such names diminishes dramatically in the lands and islands to the south. According to
archaeologist
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
Iain Crawford, the use of Norse personal-names and patronymic-names on Lewis,
Harris
Harris may refer to:
Places Canada
* Harris, Ontario
* Northland Pyrite Mine (also known as Harris Mine)
* Harris, Saskatchewan
* Rural Municipality of Harris No. 316, Saskatchewan
Scotland
* Harris, Outer Hebrides (sometimes called the Isle o ...
, Skye and the adjacent mainland may also hint at the level of influence, or persistence of the language. Crawford noted that the use of such 'Norse' names in these areas was in complete contrast to the adjacent islands and lands to the south. He added that this pattern seems to be echoed by the distribution of Norse
loan-words
A loanword (also loan word or loan-word) is a word at least partly assimilated from one language (the donor language) into another language. This is in contrast to cognates, which are words in two or more languages that are similar because the ...
in Gaelic. In consequence, Crawford has argued that the use of Norse may have persisted in Lewis and Harris, in some form, until the 15th century.
A recent analysis of
Y-DNA
The Y chromosome is one of two sex chromosomes (allosomes) in therian mammals, including humans, and many other animals. The other is the X chromosome. Y is normally the sex-determining chromosome in many species, since it is the presence or abse ...
of men with
Scottish surnames
Scottish surnames are surnames currently found in Scotland, or surnames that have a historical connection with the country.
History
The earliest surnames found in Scotland occur during the reign of David I of Scotland, David I, King of Scots (11 ...
has revealed that a large genetic lineage of men with the surname ''Macaulay'', many of whom are from
Lewis and Harris
Lewis and Harris ( gd, Leòdhas agus na Hearadh, sco, Lewis an Harris), or Lewis with Harris, is a single Scottish island in the Outer Hebrides, divided by mountains. It is the largest island in Scotland and the third largest in the British ...
, have their genetic origins in the south-west of Ireland. The specific Y-DNA marker borne by these men appears to be extremely rare in Scotland, where it is only found in the Western Isles, and the
Northern Isles
The Northern Isles ( sco, Northren Isles; gd, Na h-Eileanan a Tuath; non, Norðreyjar; nrn, Nordøjar) are a pair of archipelagos off the north coast of mainland Scotland, comprising Orkney and Shetland. They are part of Scotland, as are th ...
. One hypothesis, suggested by
population geneticist
Population genetics is a subfield of genetics that deals with genetic differences within and between populations, and is a part of evolutionary biology. Studies in this branch of biology examine such phenomena as adaptation, speciation, and popu ...
Jim Wilson and author
Alistair Moffat
Alistair Murray Moffat (born 16 June 1950, Kelso, Scotland) is a Scottish writer and journalist, former director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and former Rector of the University of St Andrews.
Education
Moffat graduated from the Universi ...
, is that this marker may represent Irish
slave
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
s brought to Scotland by the Vikings. According to Wilson, this may explain why such a distinctive Irish marker is found areas where Vikings were once active, and why it is borne by Scots with surnames of Norse origin. Scottish radio presenter
Fred MacAulay
Frederick MacAulay (born 29 December 1956) is a Scottish comedian. For 18 years, until March 2015, he presented a daily BBC Scotland radio programme '' MacAulay and Co''. He has appeared on numerous TV shows.
Background
Born in Perth, MacAula ...
is one of the men who has been found to bear this marker. According to Moffat, there is a larger and unrelated genetic lineage of men with the same surname. The
genetic marker A genetic marker is a gene or DNA sequence with a known location on a chromosome that can be used to identify individuals or species. It can be described as a variation (which may arise due to mutation or alteration in the genomic loci) that can be ...
of these men suggests that they descend from Vikings.
Traditional origins of the clan
According to Rev. William Matheson, the
eponymous
An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''.
Usage of the word
The term ''epon ...
ancestors of most west highland clans first appear in around the 13th century. At the beginning of the 13th century Lewis was under Norse control. The mediaeval manuscript known as the ''
Chronicles of Mann
The ''Chronicles of the Kings of Mann and the Isles''
– British Library ( la, Chron ...
'' shows that at least one eminent ''Óláfr'' had connections with Lewis at this time—
Olaf the Black
Óláfr Guðrøðarson (died 1237) (Scottish Gaelic: ''Amhlaibh Dubh''), also known as Olaf the Black, was a thirteenth-century King of the Isles, and a member of the Crovan dynasty. He was a son of Guðrøðr Óláfsson, King of the Isles and ...
—who would later become
King of Man and the Isles.
Today the Macaulays of Lewis are generally said to be of Norse descent, and in consequence a favourite modern tradition of theirs is a descent from Olaf the Black. However, according to Matheson, there is no real evidence for any descendants of Olaf the Black to have lived on Lewis. A tradition of the Macaulays of Uig was that they descended from "Magnus, King of Norway"; the family of the
Victorian era
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...
historian and politician,
Lord Macaulay
Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay, (; 25 October 1800 – 28 December 1859) was a British historian and Whig politician, who served as the Secretary at War between 1839 and 1841, and as the Paymaster-General between 1846 and 1 ...
(also descendants of the Macaulays of Uig) termed him "Olaus Magnus, King of Norway". Matheson was of the opinion that the name ''
Magnus
Magnus, meaning "Great" in Latin, was used as cognomen of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in the first century BC. The best-known use of the name during the Roman Empire is for the fourth-century Western Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus. The name gained wid ...
'' may possibly be significant because Olaf the Black had
a son so named.
The 19th-century historian,
Thomas
Thomas may refer to:
People
* List of people with given name Thomas
* Thomas (name)
* Thomas (surname)
* Saint Thomas (disambiguation)
* Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church
* Thomas the Ap ...
, wrote that there was no real tradition among the Macaulays of Lewis as to their eponymous ancestor. Thomas maintained that the claim of descent from Olaf, King of Mann was an example of "historical induction": where a historical figure is grafted on to a tradition. Thomas also showed that in the 17th century the belief on Lewis was that the Macaulays descended from an Irishman. Olaf the Black has also been claimed as ancestor of the Macleods and Morrisons of Lewis, as well.
Origins according to the 'Indweller' of Lewis
In the late 17th century, the origin of the clan was documented within an historical account of Lewis written by John Morrison of
Bragar
Bragar ( gd, Bràgar, ) is a village on the west side of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, from the island's only town, Stornoway. Bragar is within the parish of Barvas, and is situated on the A858 between Carloway and Barv ...
, 'Indweller' of Lewis. According to Matheson, the Indweller's own mother was a Macaulay.
The Indweller wrote this account sometime between about 1678 and 1688 and stated that the early inhabitants of Lewis were three men from three separate races.
The name which the Indweller gave as ''Iskair'' is rendered in Scottish Gaelic as ''Sgàire''.
This traditional
masculine Gaelic name has been
Anglicised
Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influen ...
in various forms of the
Biblical name
Names play a variety of roles in the Bible. They sometimes relate to the nominee's role in a biblical narrative
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in C ...
''
Zechariah''.
[ Mackenzie 1903: p. 60.] This Gaelic name is peculiar to the Macaulays of Lewis, and to this day it, and its Anglicised forms, are still used by the clan.
The Hebridean genealogist Bill Lawson stated that as far as he was aware, the
Bernera branch of the Lewis Macaulays was the only branch to still use the name ''Sgàire''. There is, however, little known about this Gaelic name; it is thought to be of Norse origin, however there is no known Norse personal-name that would correspond to ''Sgàire''.
One possible origin of the name is the Old Norse ''skári'', meaning "
sea mew",
[ Hanks; Hodges 2006: p. 409.] "young sea mew"
(from this Old Norse word comes the Scottish Gaelic ''sgàireag'', which has a similar meaning).
[ Macbain; Watson 1922: p. 111–112.] Alexander Macbain and
William J. Watson
William John Watson FRSE LLD (1865 – 9 March 1948) was a toponymist, one of the greatest Scottish scholars of the 20th century, and was the first scholar to place the study of Scottish place names on a firm linguistic basis.
Life
Watson ...
stated that the Norse word was also used as a
byname
An epithet (, ), also byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) known for accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, di ...
;
later Matheson speculated that the Gaelic personal name ''Sgàire'' could have begun as a nickname for an individual. This Gaelic name appears in that of an old (possibly pre-
Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
) chapel—Cill Sgaire—in Bragar.
A form of it may also appear on North Uist, in the place-names of Loch Scarie and Dun Scarie, near Hoghagearraidh.
The Indweller's account made no mention of a royal ancestry to the Macaulays, but instead gave them an Irish ancestry.
When noting this and the name ''Iskair'', the 19th-century historian William C. Mackenzie pointed out that the
Icelandic ''Irskar'' means "Irish"
(in fact, the Old Norse ''írskr'' means "Irish", and it has recently been concluded that this term could be used in Old Norse sources to refer to not only the native Irish, but also to Scandinavians from Ireland). Matheson, however, made no note of this when he stated that he considered it was possible that the Indweller gave an Irish descent to the Macaulays because there are numerous clans in Ireland with Gaelic names which can equate to ''Macaulay'' (see ''
Mac Amhlaoibh and Mac Amhalghaidh''). Matheson also noted that the Indweller's account may reveal the two earliest names in the Macaulay's traditional genealogy—"Awlay" and "Iskair".
Thomas took the Indweller less literally than Matheson; and considered that when the Indweller wrote "Irish" and "Irishman" in the 17th century, these terms would equate to "Gaelic" and "
Gael
The Gaels ( ; ga, Na Gaeil ; gd, Na Gàidheil ; gv, Ny Gaeil ) are an ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man in the British Isles. They are associated with the Gaelic languages: a branch of the Celtic languag ...
" in more modern times.
Earliest attested Macaulays
It has been said that the first Macaulay of Lewis on record is Dòmhnall Cam, in 1610. However, there appear to be two Macaulays recorded as witnessing a 1572 record of
sasine
Sasine in Scots law is the delivery of feudal property, typically land.
Feudal property means immovable property, and includes everything that naturally goes with the property. For land, that would include such things as buildings, trees, and unde ...
, following a grant of land to Torcail Conanach Macleod. The document, unknown to Matheson, records the names of "Johanno roy
cRore
A crore (; abbreviated cr) denotes ten million (10,000,000 or 107 in scientific notation) and is equal to 100 lakh in the Indian numbering system. It is written as 1,00,00,000 with the local 2,2,3 style of digit group separators (one lakh is e ...
mcLachlayne McOler", and "Murdo mcRorie mcLachlayne". According to Aonghas MacCoinnich, the name ''McOler'' would appear to be ''Macaulay'', likely meaning that these were Uig Macaulays. The Lewis traditions, gathered by Thomas in the 19th century, had an Iain Ruadh, as grandfather to the Macaulay hero Dòmhnall Cam (''see sections below''). However, Dòmhnall Cam is on record in 1610 ("Donald Cam McCoull and Mulcallum McCoull"), and Thomas's traditional genealogy implausibly puts his grandfather in the 1450s. MacCoinnich noted that the traditions noted by Thomas seemed to link the Macaulays of Lewis to
Wester Ross
Wester Ross () is an area of the Northwest Highlands of Scotland in the council area of Highland. The area is loosely defined, and has never been used as a formal administrative region in its own right, but is generally regarded as lying to the ...
and Loch Broom; and although any real connection may have been forgotten by tradition, the Macleod trans-
Minch lordship would have made such connection quite possible.
[ MacCoinnich 2007: pp. 7–32. Note: this chapter can be viewed online, in ]pdf format
Portable Document Format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe Systems, Adobe in 1992 to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, Computer hardware, ...
at the following web page: See ''
Wester Ross Macaulays'' below, for more info on the Wester Ross Macaulays.
Hebridean feuds
Massacre of the Macaulays
There are traditions on Lewis which tell how the Macaulays were
massacre
A massacre is the killing of a large number of people or animals, especially those who are not involved in any fighting or have no way of defending themselves. A massacre is generally considered to be morally unacceptable, especially when per ...
d by the Macleods sometime in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Macaulays held farms at Reef,
Valtos and
Kneep
Kneep ( gd, Cnìp) is a village on the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Kneep is within the parish of Uig.
Various archaeological discoveries have been made at Kneep, including a Viking cemetery and a number of Viking burials, ...
in Uig, which were next to farms held by Tormod Mòr, brother of Ruaidhri chief of Lewis.
Tormod Mòr's son, Tormod Oig, was said to have held the farm of Baile na Cille, also in Uig.
According to Thomas, the chief of Lewis allowed all the rent collected from Uig go to the upkeep of Tormod Mòr and his family (known on Lewis as ''Clann Thormoid'').
When a dispute over cattle arose Tormod Mòr was injured and in revenge his sons led the Macleod clansmen to murder almost every Macaulay they could get their hands on.
Tradition has it that the only survivors of the Macaulays were the chief's youngest son Iain Ruadh and his illegitimate half-brother.
According to Matheson, this tradition may be a muddled account of the
Earl of Huntly
Marquess of Huntly (traditionally spelled Marquis in Scotland; Scottish Gaelic: ''Coileach Strath Bhalgaidh'') is a title in the Peerage of Scotland that was created on 17 April 1599 for George Gordon, 6th Earl of Huntly. It is the oldest existing ...
's expedition to Lewis in 1506. In that year Huntly invaded the island to suppress the rebellion of the
Lord of the Isles
The Lord of the Isles or King of the Isles
( gd, Triath nan Eilean or ) is a title of Scottish nobility with historical roots that go back beyond the Kingdom of Scotland. It began with Somerled in the 12th century and thereafter the title w ...
claimant
Donald Dubh
Domhnall Dubh (died 1545) was a Scottish nobleman. He was the son of Aonghas Óg, chief of Clan Donald (Clann Domhnaill), and claimant to the Lordship of the Isles, which had been held by his grandfather John of Islay, Earl of Ross (Eoin MacD ...
who had been under the protection of Torquil Macleod of Lewis. During the conflict ''Clann Thormoid'' and the Morrisons of Ness seem to have sided with the invaders against the Lewismen (which both clans did again when the Mackenzies invaded and conquered Lewis about 100 years later; see ''
Conquest of Lewis'' section below).
The continuous feuding between the Macaulays and Morrisons are a large part of Lewis tradition. One great clan battle is said to have been fought between the clans near
Barvas
Barvas (Scottish Gaelic: ''Barabhas'' or ''Barbhas'', ) is a settlement, community and civil parish on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. It developed around a road junction. The A857 and A858 meet at the southern end of Barvas. North is the road ...
, and there commemorated
[ Mackenzie 1903: p. 63–64.] by the
tall standing stone
Clach an Trushal
Clach an Trushal ( gd, Clach an Truiseil, , translated to English "Stone of Compassion") is said to be the tallest standing stone in Scotland. Above ground it stands approximately tall, is wide and at its thickest point is thick, with a girth a ...
. According to tradition, it was erected by the Morrisons to mark their victory over the hereditary foes; however, the 19th-century historian, William C. Mackenzie, dismissed this part of the tradition as being unlikely.
The stone is thought to have formed part of a
stone circle
A stone circle is a ring of standing stones. Most are found in Northwestern Europe – especially in Britain, Ireland, and Brittany – and typically date from the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age, with most being built from 3000 BC. The be ...
, possibly like the nearby
Callanish Stones
The Callanish Stones (or "Callanish I": gd, Clachan Chalanais or ) are an arrangement of standing stones placed in a cruciform pattern with a central stone circle. They were erected in the late Neolithic era, and were a focus for ritual activity ...
.
According to a 19th-century Lewis
senachie, the 14th-century Lewis chieftain
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 ...
, acted as a
conciliator between the Macaulays and Morrisons, following a battle fought between them near Barvas.
Prophecy of the Brahan Seer
Coinneach Odhar, more famously known as the
Brahan Seer
The Brahan Seer, known in his native Scottish Gaelic as Coinneach Odhar ("Dark Kenneth"), and Kenneth Mackenzie, was, according to legend, a predictor of the future who lived in the 17th century.
The Brahan Seer is regarded by some to be the cre ...
was a, possibly
legend
A legend is a Folklore genre, genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human valu ...
ary, Highland seer who is well known for his prophecies across the Highlands. One possible historical Coinneach Odhar is the ''Keanoch Owir'' who appears in a Commission of Justice in 1577, as being charged with "diabolical practices of magic, enchantment, murder, homicide and other offences",
[ Sutherland 1985: p. 223.] in
Ross-shire
Ross-shire (; gd, Siorrachd Rois) is a historic county in the Scottish Highlands. The county borders Sutherland to the north and Inverness-shire to the south, as well as having a complex border with Cromartyshire – a county consisting of ...
. Though according to popular tradition, Coinneach Odhar was born in Baile na Cille, within the Lewis parish of
Uig (the heartland of the Lewis Macaulays) and lived during the early 17th century. Tradition stated that Coinneach Odhar was eventually burnt to death by Isabel, the wife of
Kenneth Mor Mackenzie, 3rd
Earl of Seaforth
Earl of Seaforth was a title in the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of Ireland. It was held by the family of Mackenzie from 1623 to 1716, and again from 1771 to 1781.
History
The Mackenzies trace their descent to Colin of Kintail (died 1278) ...
. One of the many predictions, today attributed to Coinneach Odhar, involves the Macaulays of Lewis (''shown right'').
Matheson proposed that this prophecy may describe a battle in which the Macaulays were massacred by the Macleods, on the road between Stornoway and Uig (''see above''). Iain Ruadh (who survived the massacre) was the grandfather of Dòmhnall Cam, placing this instance in the early 16th century.
Matheson theorised that it is possibly that the legends of a historical Coinneach Odhar in Ross-shire were brought to Lewis by a Mackenzie who was made
tacksman
A tacksman ( gd, Fear-Taic, meaning "supporting man"; most common Scots spelling: ''takisman'') was a landholder of intermediate legal and social status in Scottish Highland society.
Tenant and landlord
Although a tacksman generally paid a year ...
of Baile na Cille, in Uig. Some speculate that through this Mackenzie's mother, who had connections in Ross-shire, that the legend of Coinneach Odhar may have grown in Lewis and incorporated other tales that had been originally been attributed to others.
[ Sutherland 1985: pp. 232–233.]
Dòmhnall Cam
![Clach An Trushal (photo)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Clach_An_Trushal_%28photo%29.jpg)
The most notable of the Macaulays was Dòmhnall Cam (also known as Donald Cam) (c. 1560 – c. 1640) who appears frequently in Lewis lore as the subject of many stories told today in Uig. The Gaelic byname ''cam'' commonly means "squint" or "blind in one eye"; and according to tradition Dòmhnall Cam lost his eye in a quarrel with Gobha Ban (the
smith
Smith may refer to:
People
* Metalsmith, or simply smith, a craftsman fashioning tools or works of art out of various metals
* Smith (given name)
* Smith (surname), a family name originating in England, Scotland and Ireland
** List of people wi ...
of
Kneep
Kneep ( gd, Cnìp) is a village on the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Kneep is within the parish of Uig.
Various archaeological discoveries have been made at Kneep, including a Viking cemetery and a number of Viking burials, ...
) who put out his eye with a
red-hot poker
Poker is a family of comparing card games in which players wager over which hand is best according to that specific game's rules. It is played worldwide, however in some places the rules may vary. While the earliest known form of the game w ...
. There are several Lewis places named after him. One such place is a
shieling
A shieling is a hut or collection of huts on a seasonal pasture high in the hills, once common in wild or sparsely populated places in Scotland. Usually rectangular with a doorway on the south side and few or no windows, they were often cons ...
in the parish of Lochs, possibly suggesting a site where his cattle grazed. Another is the
stack
Stack may refer to:
Places
* Stack Island, an island game reserve in Bass Strait, south-eastern Australia, in Tasmania’s Hunter Island Group
* Blue Stack Mountains, in Co. Donegal, Ireland
People
* Stack (surname) (including a list of people ...
at Mangersta, where he is said to have hidden from authorities.
According to Matheson, tradition current in the 1970s stated that Dòmhnall Cam was the least formidable of his brothers, but what he lacked in physical strength he made up in grim determination.
He often appears in stories as being a fierce fighter with a short temper.
Tradition states Dòmhnall Cam fought in Ireland as a mercenary during the Irish wars, and that on an expedition to
Derry
Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...
he made a name for himself. It is said that he was challenged to a duel by "the Great McBane", a champion of an opposing army. Dòmhnall Cam's victory in the duel is said to have been commemorated in a song called ''Ceann na Drochaid'', however no such song by that name now exists. According to Matheson, the song may actually be a
pibroch
Pibroch, or is an art music genre associated primarily with the Scottish Highlands that is characterised by extended compositions with a melodic theme and elaborate formal variations. Strictly meaning "piping" in Scottish Gaelic, has for some f ...
. There are two known pibrochs with similar titles, ''Ceann na Drochaide Mòire'', and ''Ceann na Drochaide Bige'', however both of these relate to the Macdonalds and not the Macaulays. According to F. W. L. Thomas, the tradition of Dòmhnall Cam's exploits in Ireland was based upon the confusion of an Irish battle fought at a place called ''Beul na Drochaid'', in 1495. One of the leaders in the battle was a
Sligo
Sligo ( ; ga, Sligeach , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2016, it is the List of urban areas ...
chief named Dòmhnall Càm Mac Donnachadha. Even so, Matheson thought that it was possible that Dòmhnall Cam could have taken part in an expedition to Ireland because in 1545 the Macleods of Lewis were one of the Hebridean clans who entered into the service of
Shane O'Neill, who was then in rebellion against
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is ...
. This Lewis Macleod adventure was however an inglorious one, and they soon returned home to Scotland. Matheson also conceded that there is no connection between the Lewis Macleod's expedition and Derry where the Lewis tradition ties Dòmhnall Cam to.
![Dun Carloway](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Dun_Carloway.jpg)
On his supposed return to Lewis, tradition states Dòmhnall Cam took part in the violent feuds with the Morrisons, and later the Mackenzies. His involvement in the 1605 siege of Stornoway Castle drew the attention of authorities, which resulted in an attempt to expel all Macaulays from their lands in Uig. Dòmhnall Cam is traditionally thought to have been buried in Baile na Cille graveyard.
Donald played a significant part in the Macaulays' feuds with the Morrisons. One notable Macaulay and Morrison tradition is of a raid conducted by the Morrisons of Ness into Macaulay territory. When the Morrisons drove off cattle belonging to the Macaulays, Dòmhnall Cam, Big Smith and a force of Macaulays pursued the Morrisons into the night, across
Loch Roag
''Loch'' () is the Scottish Gaelic, Scots and Irish word for a lake or sea inlet. It is cognate with the Manx lough, Cornish logh, and one of the Welsh words for lake, llwch.
In English English and Hiberno-English, the anglicised spelling ...
and finally to
Dun Carloway
Dun Carloway ( gd, Dùn Chàrlabhaigh) is a broch situated in the district of Carloway, on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis, Scotland (). It is a remarkably well preserved broch – on the east side parts of the old wall still reach to 9 met ...
. After killing the sentry, and with his men blocking any exit, Dòmhnall Cam scaled the walls of the
broch
A broch is an Iron Age drystone hollow-walled structure found in Scotland. Brochs belong to the classification "complex Atlantic roundhouse" devised by Scottish archaeologists in the 1980s. Their origin is a matter of some controversy.
Origin ...
, aided by two
dirk
A dirk is a long bladed thrusting dagger.Chisholm, Hugh (ed.), ''Dagger'', The Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th ed., Vol. VII, New York, NY: Cambridge University Press (1910), p. 729 Historically, it gained its name from the Highland Dirk (Scot ...
s which he slipped between crevices in the stone wall. Once atop the tower Dòmhnall Cam ordered his men to gather large bundles of
heather, which he then threw down inside the broch on top of the Morrisons. Dòmhnall Cam then set the heather alight, which smothered and burned the Morrisons to death and in the process also destroyed Dun Carloway.
Conquest of Lewis
Up until the beginning of the 17th century the Outer Hebrides, and particularly Lewis, were considered backward and in a state of anarchy by the rest of Scotland. An official account of Lewis described the inhabitants to have "given themselves over to all kynd of barbaritic and inhumanitie" and who were "voyd of ony knawledge of God or His religion".
[ Thompson 1968: pp. 42–44.] James VI
James is a common English language surname and given name:
*James (name), the typically masculine first name James
* James (surname), various people with the last name James
James or James City may also refer to:
People
* King James (disambiguat ...
encouraged a ''Syndicate of Adventurers'' to undertake the colonisation of Lewis, in the hopes of making the island profitable to Scotland. The syndicate were for the most part
laird
Laird () is the owner of a large, long-established Scottish estate. In the traditional Scottish order of precedence, a laird ranked below a baron and above a gentleman. This rank was held only by those lairds holding official recognition in ...
s from
Fife
Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...
and the colonists themselves lowlanders. The "
Fife Adventurers
The Gentleman Adventurers of Fife or Fife Adventurers were a group of 11 noblemen-colonists, largely from eastern Fife, awarded rights from King James VI to colonise the Isle of Lewis in 1598.
Background
In 1597, the MacLeod clan chiefs were s ...
" made three unsuccessful attempts at colonisation lasting from October 1598 to December 1601, August 1605 to October 1606, and for a brief time in 1609. During this period of invasions the islanders rallied and resisted the lowlanders, in time driving out the invaders.
![Stac Dhomhnuill Chaim](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Stac_Dhomhnuill_Chaim.jpg)
In 1607 the Macleods of Harris landed in Lewis and captured Stornoway Castle and other "fortalices" from the Lowlander colonists. In August of that year the Government ordered the fortresses delivered back into the hands of the colonists. Not long afterwards
Stornoway
Stornoway (; gd, Steòrnabhagh; sco, Stornowa) is the main town of the Western Isles and the capital of Lewis and Harris in Scotland.
The town's population is around 6,953, making it by far the largest town in the Outer Hebrides, as well a ...
was again captured, this time by Lewismen, led by Neil Macleod and Dòmhnall Cam. It was during the fray that Donald's brother was killed on South Beach by a shot from the castle.
[ Mackenzie 1903: pp. 234–235.]
In 1610, in light of the collapse of the third colonisation attempt, the syndicate of Adventurers sold their charter rights to
Kenneth Mackenzie of Kintail
Kenneth is an English given name and surname. The name is an Anglicised form of two entirely different Gaelic personal names: ''Cainnech'' and '' Cináed''. The modern Gaelic form of ''Cainnech'' is ''Coinneach''; the name was derived from a byna ...
. Within two years the Mackenzies of Kintail had succeeded where the lowlanders could not, and reduced the island to submission.
In the years of the Mackenzie conquest the Macaulays fought alongside the Macleods of Lewis against the invaders who had the aid of ''Clann Thormoid''.
Although eventually the Mackenzies gained control of Lewis some islanders still resisted, notably Neil MacLeod and Dòmhnall Cam. Around this time tradition has it that Dòmhnall Cam fortified himself on a high promontory of jagged rock on the sea-coast near Mangursta (or Mangersta, Scottish Gaelic: ''Mangarstadh''). Today the stack still bears his name: ''
Stac Dhòmhnaill Chaim''. Tradition has it that Dòmhnall Cam's daughter, Anna Mhòr ("Big Anne") carried water to her father on her head, as she needed her hands to climb the cliffs.
17th century: Auldearn and the last clan battle between Macaulays and Morrisons
![Scottish soldiers in service of Gustavus Adolphus, 1631-cropped-2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Scottish_soldiers_in_service_of_Gustavus_Adolphus%2C_1631-cropped-2.jpg)
Following
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose (1612 – 21 May 1650) was a Scottish nobleman, poet and soldier, Lord Lieutenant, lord lieutenant and later viceroy and captain general of Scotland. Montrose initially joined the Covenanters in the Wa ...
's victory at the
Battle of Inverlochy in February 1645,
George Mackenzie, 2nd Marquess of Seaforth briefly supported the
Royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governme ...
cause in the
Wars of the Three Kingdoms
The Wars of the Three Kingdoms were a series of related conflicts fought between 1639 and 1653 in the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland and Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland, then separate entities united in a pers ...
. Seaforth, however, later switched sides and joined the forces of the
Covenanters
Covenanters ( gd, Cùmhnantaich) were members of a 17th-century Scottish religious and political movement, who supported a Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and the primacy of its leaders in religious affairs. The name is derived from ''Covenan ...
. Following Seaforth were his own clansmen, the Mackenzies, as well as the
Macraes
Macraes, formerly known as Macraes Flat, and known in Māori language, Māori as Ōtī,Place names'' on Kāti Huirapa Runaka ki Puketeraki website, viewed 2012-01-04 is a town in the Waitaki District in Otago, New Zealand. It is known as a mini ...
,
MacLennans and the Macaulays of Lewis. In May 1645, the Covenanter forces vastly outnumbered Montrose and the Royalists at the
Battle of Auldearn
The Battle of Auldearn was an engagement of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It took place on 9 May 1645, in and around the village of Auldearn in Nairnshire. It resulted in a victory for the royalists, led by the Marquess of Montrose and Ala ...
, yet suffered a crushing defeat and heavy casualties (almost half their entire force). According to Lewis tradition, the eldest son of Donald Cam, Angus (''Aonghas Beag''; ''Fear Bhrèinis'', "the
tacksman
A tacksman ( gd, Fear-Taic, meaning "supporting man"; most common Scots spelling: ''takisman'') was a landholder of intermediate legal and social status in Scottish Highland society.
Tenant and landlord
Although a tacksman generally paid a year ...
of
Brenish
Brenish ( gd, Brèinis) is a small village situated on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis, which is part of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Brenish is within the parish of Uig. The name of the village is sometimes spelt Breanish (which is ge ...
"), did not, at first, intend to join the Lewis contingent. However, tradition states that his scornful wife shamed him into joining the Lewismen and that he fell in battle with them. Of the 300 Lewismen who set off for battle only 3 returned; of these 300, 60 were from Uig which was the heartland of the Macaulays. The lone Uig survivor was John Macaulay (''Iain Ruadh''), tacksman of Kneep, and another son of Donald Cam.
According to tradition, in his escape from the rout, John wounded a chasing enemy; years later, a blind beggar came to John's house and when asked how he lost his sight, the beggar replied that he lost it at the battle while chasing down a fleeing enemy.
Donald Cam's youngest son, William was one of the killed. William was tacksman of Islivig; tradition states that he was
ambidextrous
Ambidexterity is the ability to use both the right and left hand equally well. When referring to objects, the term indicates that the object is equally suitable for right-handed and left-handed people. When referring to humans, it indicates that ...
, and could fight with a sword in each hand. He was cornered against a wall and fought off his attackers until another climbed into a
loft
A loft is a building's upper storey or elevated area in a room directly under the roof (American usage), or just an attic: a storage space under the roof usually accessed by a ladder (primarily British usage). A loft apartment refers to large ...
above him and slew him.
[ Lawson 2008: p. 229.]
According to local lore, on Lewis, the last great clan battle between the Macaulays and Morrisons took place in 1654.
Local tradition gives several possible locations for the battle: two at Shader, one at Barvas, and one at
Brue
Brue ( gd, Brù) is a village on the Isle of Lewis in the West Side district, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. It is a crofting township and it is composed of two areas: Am Baile Staigh, which is nearer the coast, and Pàirc Bhrù, which runs ...
. One location, said to have been the battle-site is Druim nan Carnan ("the ridge of the
cairn
A cairn is a man-made pile (or stack) of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word ''cairn'' comes from the gd, càrn (plural ).
Cairns have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes. In prehis ...
s"), near
Barvas
Barvas (Scottish Gaelic: ''Barabhas'' or ''Barbhas'', ) is a settlement, community and civil parish on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. It developed around a road junction. The A857 and A858 meet at the southern end of Barvas. North is the road ...
. The conflict is said to have arisen after a group of Uig Macaulays raided cattle from Ness Morrisons. The Macaulays were only able to escape with their plunder as far as Barvas, where the two sides took to battle. It is not known how many died in the conflict, though tradition states that the fallen were buried in the area, and that their graves were marked by cairns which have now since disappeared. In June 2009, it was reported that one of the traditional sites of the battle, and possibly the graves of the fallen, may be damaged by a proposed plan to erect three
wind turbines
A wind turbine is a device that converts the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy. Hundreds of thousands of large turbines, in installations known as wind farms, now generate over 650 gigawatts of power, with 60 GW added each year. ...
in the area.
18th century: Jacobite rebellions
As tenants of the Earl of Seaforth, the native clans of Lewis followed Clan Mackenzie. For example, an account of Lewis, written in about 1750 states: "the common inhabitants of Lewis are Morisons, McAulays and McKivers, but when they go from home, all who live under Seaforth call themselves Mackenzies".
William Mackenzie, 5th Earl of Seaforth
William Mackenzie, 5th Earl of Seaforth (died 1740), and 2nd titular Marquess of Seaforth (in the Jacobite Peerage), also known as Uilleam Dubh, or Black William, was a Scottish peer and head of Clan Mackenzie. Educated in France and brought up ...
decided to support the
Jacobites
Jacobite means follower of Jacob or James. Jacobite may refer to:
Religion
* Jacobites, followers of Saint Jacob Baradaeus (died 578). Churches in the Jacobite tradition and sometimes called Jacobite include:
** Syriac Orthodox Church, sometime ...
forces in the
1715 Jacobite rising
The Jacobite rising of 1715 ( gd, Bliadhna Sheumais ;
or 'the Fifteen') was the attempt by James Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender) to regain the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland for the exiled Stuarts.
At Braemar, Aberdeenshire, lo ...
. William C. Mackenzie stated that Seaforth drew up a list of officers to command his troops; upon this list there were 16 Lewismen: four captains, four lieutenants, and four ensigns. Of these a considerable proportion were Macaulays:
aptainDonald Macaulay;
ieutenantJ. Macaulay, Bragar;
ieutenantJohn Macaulay, Kirkibost;
ieutenantJohn Macaulay. The failed rebellion cost Seaforth his title and his tenants suffered dearly. In April 1716, the Countess Dowager wrote to
Cadogan "the tenants and country are now impoverished that i can expect nothing from them". A year later, Zachary Macaulay,
Chamberlain
Chamberlain may refer to:
Profession
*Chamberlain (office), the officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or other noble figure
People
*Chamberlain (surname)
**Houston Stewart Chamberlain (1855–1927), German-British philosop ...
of Lewis (who was a
great-grandson
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideall ...
of Dòmhnall Cam) wrote that the people of Lewis were in a deplorable condition.
Like the clans Mackenzie and Macleod, the Lewis Macaulays did not support the Jacobites during the conflicts of the 1745–46 rebellion. According to Matheson, Donald Òg son of the tacksman of Brenish, and great-grandson of Dòmhnall Cam, was said to have fought for the Government at the
Battle of Culloden
The Battle of Culloden (; gd, Blàr Chùil Lodair) was the final confrontation of the Jacobite rising of 1745. On 16 April 1746, the Jacobite army of Charles Edward Stuart was decisively defeated by a British government force under Prince Wi ...
. Matheson however thought this unlikely, and stated that the Independent Company raised on Lewis for service to
the Crown
The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has different ...
never joined the others under the command of the
Earl of Loudoun
Earl of Loudoun (pronounced "loud-on" ), named after Loudoun in Ayrshire, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1633 for John Campbell, 2nd Lord Campbell of Loudoun, along with the subsidiary title Lord Tarrinzean and Mauchline ...
. One Lewis tradition in explanation for this was that when the
mustered Lewismen sailed across
The Minch
The Minch ( gd, An Cuan Sgitheanach, ', ', '), also called North Minch, is a strait in north-west Scotland, separating the north-west Scottish Highlands, Highlands and the northern Inner Hebrides from Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides. It ...
they were waved back at
Poolewe
Poolewe ( gd, Poll Iù) is a small village in Wester Ross in the North West Highlands of Scotland, about northwest of Inverness, by Loch Ewe. The River Ewe, one of the shortest in Scotland, joins the sea less than from Inverewe Garden, renowned ...
by the Earl of Seaforth. According to the tradition, Seaforth used a sheep's jawbone to wave back the Lewismen, and in the process supposedly fulfilled a prophecy of the Brahan Seer.
Following the Jacobite defeat at the Battle of Culloden,
Charles Edward Stuart
Charles Edward Louis John Sylvester Maria Casimir Stuart (20 December 1720 – 30 January 1788) was the elder son of James Francis Edward Stuart, grandson of James II and VII, and the Stuart claimant to the thrones of England, Scotland and ...
fled to the Hebrides in the hope to sail to France. During his time in the Hebrides several Lewis Macaulays are noted as supporting the Government cause in attempting to apprehend Stuart. On 27 April 1746, Rev. John Macaulay, a
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
minister, was having dinner with the chief of
Clanranald in
Benbecula
Benbecula (; gd, Beinn nam Fadhla or ) is an island of the Outer Hebrides in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Scotland. In the 2011 census, it had a resident population of 1,283 with a sizable percentage of Roman Catholics. It is in a ...
when Stuart secretly landed on the island. When Clanranald heard the news he secretly advised Stuart to make for Stornoway on Lewis, where he could find a ship to take him to France. The Rev. John discovered the identity of Stuart and his plans, and immediately sent warning to his father, Rev. Aulay Macaulay, who was parish minister on
Harris
Harris may refer to:
Places Canada
* Harris, Ontario
* Northland Pyrite Mine (also known as Harris Mine)
* Harris, Saskatchewan
* Rural Municipality of Harris No. 316, Saskatchewan
Scotland
* Harris, Outer Hebrides (sometimes called the Isle o ...
and a staunch
Hanover
Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
ian. Rev. Aulay just narrowly failed to capture the fugitive Stuart on the small island of
Scalpay near Harris, before sending warning to another minister on Lewis. When no help was to be found in support of the prince on Lewis, the fugitives made their way back south into the largely
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, Clanranald territories of Benbecula and
South Uist
South Uist ( gd, Uibhist a Deas, ; sco, Sooth Uist) is the second-largest island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. At the 2011 census, it had a usually resident population of 1,754: a decrease of 64 since 2001. The island, in common with the ...
.
An accomplice of Charles Edward Stuart afterwards exclaimed it was "a devil of a minister who did us a' the mischief"—Rev. John Macaulay.
19th century: evictions, clearances, and emigration
Although the Lewis evictions were not on the same scale as those elsewhere in the Highlands, the mass evictions, and deserted villages within the parish of Uig, were a testament to the
Highland Clearances
The Highland Clearances ( gd, Fuadaichean nan Gàidheal , the "eviction of the Gaels") were the evictions of a significant number of tenants in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, mostly in two phases from 1750 to 1860.
The first phase resulte ...
.
[ Macdonald 1979: pp. 160–164.] In 1793,
Francis Humberston Mackenzie
Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom), Lieutenant-General Francis Humberston Mackenzie, 1st Baron Seaforth, (9 June 1754 – 11 January 1815) was a British politician, soldier, and botanist. He was Chief of the Scottish Highlands, Highland Clan ...
advertised the whole parish as a sheep farm; later in 1796 he issued 133 summonses of removal to its tenants.
[ Richards 2007: p. 53.] By the 1820s, the Earl of Seaforth attempted to evict up to 1,000 people from the parishes of Uig and Lochs. Seaforth planned to re-settle the tenants in Stornoway and Barvas, and encourage them to take up work in his proposed fishery. Tenants in Loch Roag, were removed from their homes to newly lotted settlements on the coast; one of these new settlements was later cleared for a sheep farm and its tenants were shipped away to North America.
In 1825, the Uig evictions began when Kirkibost and
Little Bernera
Little Bernera ( gd, Beàrnaraigh Beag) is a small island situated off the west coast of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.
Little Bernera lies between the sea lochs of West and East Loch Roag, immediately to the north of Great Bernera. ...
were cleared to make way for Linshader Farm. Between the years 1825–1828, the tenants of Uig were deprived of
moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat found in upland areas in temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands and montane grasslands and shrublands biomes, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils. Moorland, nowadays, generally ...
pasture
Pasture (from the Latin ''pastus'', past participle of ''pascere'', "to feed") is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep, or swine ...
land, as well as their wintering islands. The houses of the inhabitants of
Timsgarry
Timsgarry ( gd, Tuimisgearraidh) is a village on the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Timsgarry is home to the Baile na Cille Church and the Uig Museum, noted for its giant Chessmen, discovered in the sands in 1831.
Geography
T ...
were "rased out" to make room for the
glebe
Glebe (; also known as church furlong, rectory manor or parson's close(s))McGurk 1970, p. 17 is an area of land within an ecclesiastical parish used to support a parish priest. The land may be owned by the church, or its profits may be reserved ...
of Rev. Alexander Macleod. In 1838,
Mealista
Mealista ( gd, Mealasta) was a township in the west of the Isle of Lewis. It is currently largely uninhabited due to the Highland Clearances, which occurred there in 1838. The beach is a visitor attraction.
History
Mealista is a name of Nors ...
, the largest township in West Uig, was cleared and the majority of the former inhabitants went to Canada.
![MacLeod tartan (Vestiarium Scoticum)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/MacLeod_tartan_%28Vestiarium_Scoticum%29.png)
In 1833, the ''
New Statistical Account of Scotland
The ''Statistical Accounts of Scotland'' are a series of documentary publications, related in subject matter though published at different times, covering life in Scotland in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.
The ''Old (or First) Statistical Ac ...
'' declared that Lewis was "a full century behind other parts of Scotland, in agricultural and domestic improvements, the town and inhabitants of Stornoway excepted, and a few tacksmen".
[ Little 1991: pp. 15–16.] In 1828, provisions were scarce in Uig. The spring of 1835 was wet and cold; the potato crop of 1837 was a complete failure. It was estimated that 1,000 bolls of meal were needed to relieve the distress of the inhabitants of Uig. In 1845,
the potato crop failed; the next year was even worse.
[ Macdonald 1979: pp. 125–129.] In 1850, there were 12,892 people living off charity. The new owner of Lewis, Sir
James Matheson
Sir James Nicolas Sutherland Matheson, 1st Baronet, FRS (17 November 179631 December 1878), was a Scottish Tai-Pan. Born in Shiness, Lairg, Sutherland, Scotland, he was the son of Captain Donald Matheson. He attended Edinburgh's Royal High Sch ...
, offered to pay the passage of the destitute to the
Canadian provinces
Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North ...
of
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
and
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
. Many Lewis folk took advantage of the offer and settled in Quebec, around
Sherbrooke
Sherbrooke ( ; ) is a city in southern Quebec, Canada. It is at the confluence of the Saint-François and Magog rivers in the heart of the Estrie administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a territory equivalent to a regional count ...
, in what came to be known as "Scotch County".
[ Macdonald 1979: pp. 165–167.] According to Hebridean
genealogist
Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinsh ...
Bill Lawson, emigrants from Uig tended to
migrate to the St Francis district in
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
. Donald Macdonald noted that a Lewis Macaulay was among the three most notorious Lewis
tacksmen
A tacksman ( gd, Fear-Taic, meaning "supporting man"; most common Scots spelling: ''takisman'') was a landholder of intermediate legal and social status in Scottish Highland society.
Tenant and landlord
Although a tacksman generally paid a year ...
, who aggressively evicted their tenants—Dr. Donald Macaulay of Linshader, "a land grabber and oppressor with an insatiable appetite".
Notable descendants
Several notable members of the clan trace their descent from the Uig folk-hero Donald Cam, who is known to have had at least three sons—Angus of Brenish, John of Kneep, and William of Islivig.
[ Lawson 2008: pp. 172–173.]
*Angus was killed at the Battle of Auldearn, in 1645. He was the first tacksman of Brenish, and had four sons: Zachary, who was killed in the last clan-battle with the Morrisons; Dugald, who was tacksman of Brenish; Murdo, who was tacksman of Valtos; and Donald, who was tacksman of Carnish. Dugald's son was Donald, tacksman of Brenish (''fl.''1754); and of one of Donald's sons was Rev. John, minister in
Barra
Barra (; gd, Barraigh or ; sco, Barra) is an island in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, and the second southernmost inhabited island there, after the adjacent island of Vatersay to which it is connected by a short causeway. The island is na ...
and later
South Uist
South Uist ( gd, Uibhist a Deas, ; sco, Sooth Uist) is the second-largest island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. At the 2011 census, it had a usually resident population of 1,754: a decrease of 64 since 2001. The island, in common with the ...
.
[ Lawson 2008: pp. 232–235.] Rev. John and one of his sons, Rev. Aulay (b.1720) were noted anti-Jacobite ministers; another of John's sons was the
East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
Army General,
Colin Macaulay
Colin Macaulay (13 April 1760 – 20 February 1836), was a Scottish general, biblical scholar and key activist in the campaign to abolish slavery.
Early life
Macaulay was a son of the Rev. John Macaulay (1720–1789), minister in the Church of ...
; and another son was the colonial governor and
slavery abolitionist,
Zachary Macaulay
Zachary Macaulay ( gd, Sgàire MacAmhlaoibh; 2 May 1768 – 13 May 1838) was a Scottish statistician and abolitionist who was a founder of London University and of the Society for the Suppression of Vice, and a Governor of British Sierra Leone.
...
(1768–1838). One of Zachary's sons was the historian, and
Whig politician,
Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay
Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay, (; 25 October 1800 – 28 December 1859) was a British historian and Whig politician, who served as the Secretary at War between 1839 and 1841, and as the Paymaster-General between 1846 and 184 ...
, who was sixth in descent from Angus (d.1645). Another son of Rev. John, son of Donald, was Rev. Aulay Macaulay (1758–1819), who was
tutor
TUTOR, also known as PLATO Author Language, is a programming language developed for use on the PLATO system at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign beginning in roughly 1965. TUTOR was initially designed by Paul Tenczar for use in co ...
to
Queen Charlotte
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Sophia Charlotte; 19 May 1744 – 17 November 1818) was Queen of Great Britain and of Ireland as the wife of King George III from their marriage on 8 September 1761 until the union of the two kingdoms ...
.
His eldest son was John Heyrick Macaulay (1799–1840), whose son was Rev. Samuel Herrick Macaulay, whose son was
George Campbell Macaulay
George Campbell Macaulay (6 August 1852 – 6 July 1915), also known as G. C. Macaulay, was a noted English classical scholar. His daughter was the fiction writer Rose Macaulay.
Family
Macaulay was born on 6 August 1852, in Hodnet, Shropshire, ...
(1852–1915), a noted
Classical scholar
Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...
.
[ Venn 1951: p. 252.] A daughter of George Campbell Macaulay was
Dame
''Dame'' is an honorific title and the feminine form of address for the honour of damehood in many Christian chivalric orders, as well as the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system and those of several oth ...
Rose Macaulay
Dame Emilie Rose Macaulay, (1 August 1881 – 30 October 1958) was an English writer, most noted for her award-winning novel ''The Towers of Trebizond'', about a small Anglo-Catholic group crossing Turkey by camel. The story is seen as a spiritua ...
(1881–1958), a noted English writer.
[ Crawford 1995: pp. 16–17.] One of the sons of Murdo, son of Angus (d.1645), was Zachary,
factor
Factor, a Latin word meaning "who/which acts", may refer to:
Commerce
* Factor (agent), a person who acts for, notably a mercantile and colonial agent
* Factor (Scotland), a person or firm managing a Scottish estate
* Factors of production, suc ...
to Seaforth in the early 18th century. Another son of Murdo, John Roy, was remembered in Lewis tradition as a noted hunter, who drowned in
Loch Langavat
Loch Langavat ( gd, Langabhat) is the name of several freshwater lochs in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The name is a Gaelic rendition of Old Norse ''lang'' "long" and ''vatn'', meaning "lake".
Most of these lochs are on the island of Lewis an ...
. Another son of Murdo was Donald, the last tacksman of Valtos. His son was Murdo; whose son was Kenneth Macaulay;
whose son,
Robertson Macaulay (1833–1915), emigrated to Canada and became president of the
Sun Life
Sun Life Financial Inc. is a Canadian financial services company. It is primarily known as a life insurance company.
Sun Life has a presence in investment management with over CAD$1.3 trillion in assets under management operating in a number ...
; whose son,
Thomas Bassett Macaulay, was chairman of Sun Life and a philanthropist who donated funds to institutions on Lewis.
[ Lawson 2008: pp. 202–205.]
*John, tacksman of Kneep, was the lone Uig survivor, and one of three surviving Lewismen, at the Battle of Auldearn.
[ Lawson 2008: pp. 196–197.]
*William, tacksman of Islivig was killed at the Battle of Auldearn. He was the youngest of Donald Cam's known sons.
*
Captain Murdo Stewart MacDonald, known as last of the Sea-Barons was a direct descendant of Donald Cam.
[Notes of Family History](_blank)
/ref>
Nearby Macaulay clans
Uist MacAulays
There are MacAulays on the Uists that may descend from the Macaulays of Lewis. There are, however, others that claim no kinship with their namesakes on Lewis. According to tradition, these MacAulays originally came to the Uist from ''Na h-Eileanan Tarsainn'' (Matheson translated this as "the Athwart Islands"), which may refer to the isles of Rum
Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is usually aged in oak barrels. Rum is produced in nearly every sugar-producing region of the world, such as the Ph ...
, Eigg
Eigg (; gd, Eige; sco, Eigg) is one of the Small Isles in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. It lies to the south of the Isle of Skye and to the north of the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Eigg is long from north to south, and east to west. With an a ...
and Canna (also known as the Small Isles
The Small Isles ('' gd, Na h-Eileanan Tarsainn'') are a small archipelago of islands in the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland. They lie south of Skye and north of Mull and Ardnamurchan – the most westerly point of mainla ...
). It has been claimed that these MacAulays may have ultimately originated in the Lennox area, around Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond (; gd, Loch Laomainn - 'Lake of the Elms'Richens, R. J. (1984) ''Elm'', Cambridge University Press.) is a freshwater Scottish loch which crosses the Highland Boundary Fault, often considered the boundary between the lowlands of Ce ...
; and that their name is derived from the Gaelic '' Amhalgaigh'', rather than a Gaelicised
Gaelicisation, or Gaelicization, is the act or process of making something Gaelic, or gaining characteristics of the ''Gaels'', a sub-branch of celticisation. The Gaels are an ethno-linguistic group, traditionally viewed as having spread from Irel ...
Norse name.[ Lawson 2004: pp. 197–198.] If there is truth to the claim, this could make them related to the MacAulays of Ardincaple. Matheson, however, proposed that the Uist MacAulays originated on the Inner Hebridean island of Coll
Coll (; gd, Cola; sco, Coll)Mac an Tàilleir (2003) p. 31 is an island located west of the Isle of Mull in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Coll is known for its sandy beaches, which rise to form large sand dunes, for its corncrakes, and ...
. Within the centre of the island are the remains of a stone fort—Dùn Anlaimh
Dùn Anlaimh, also known as Dùn Amhlaidh, and Eilean nan Cinneachan, is a crannog (an artificial island), located within Loch nan Cinneachan on the Inner Hebridean island of Coll. Upon the crannog there are the remains of walls and several build ...
—and loch
''Loch'' () is the Scottish Gaelic, Scots language, Scots and Irish language, Irish word for a lake or sea inlet. It is Cognate, cognate with the Manx language, Manx lough, Cornish language, Cornish logh, and one of the Welsh language, Welsh w ...
—Loch Anlaimh—named after Amhlaidh Mór. According to Coll tradition, Amhlaidh Mór was a Norse chieftain who was ultimately defeated by an ancestor of the Macleans
''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian perspe ...
of Coll. Matheson considered that it was possible that Amhlaidh Mór was the progenitor
In genealogy, the progenitor (rarer: primogenitor; german: Stammvater or ''Ahnherr'') is the – sometimes legendary – founder of a family, line of descent, clan or tribe, noble house, or ethnic group..
Ebenda''Ahnherr:''"Stammvater eines G ...
of the Uist MacAulays.[ Campbell 2005: p. 368.]
Wester Ross Macaulays
According to the traditions of the Mackenzies, there were once Macaulays located in Wester Ross
Wester Ross () is an area of the Northwest Highlands of Scotland in the council area of Highland. The area is loosely defined, and has never been used as a formal administrative region in its own right, but is generally regarded as lying to the ...
(across The Minch from Lewis). In the 17th century, Dr. George Mackenzie, nephew of Kenneth Mackenzie, 3rd Earl of Seaforth, wrote a manuscript history of the Mackenzies. Within this history, he wrote that the Macaulays, MacIvers, MacBeolans, and Clan Tarlich were the ancient inhabitants of Kintail;[ Mackenzie 1894: p. 79.] and that these families were of Norwegian origin.[ Thomas 1879–80: pp. 371–372.] The history goes on to claim that the Macaulays descended from an Olaus, who was a kinsman to the king of Man; and that Olaus had been granted lands in the area of Loch Broom
Loch Broom ( gd, Lochbraon, "loch of rain showers") is a sea loch located in northwestern Ross and Cromarty, in the former parish of Lochbroom, on the west coast of Scotland. The small town of Ullapool lies on the eastern shore of the loch.
L ...
by "King Alexander". G. Mackenzie's history continues that Olaus's son and successor, Duncan, married the daughter of MacIvor in Kintail; and that Duncan's son and successor, Murdoch, married Isabel who was of the Macaulays of Lewis. Rev. Roderick Morrison wrote the description of the parish of Kintail, in '' The (Old) Statistical Account of Scotland''. Within this account, Morrison stated that the Macaulays inhabited Kintail before the Macraes
Macraes, formerly known as Macraes Flat, and known in Māori language, Māori as Ōtī,Place names'' on Kāti Huirapa Runaka ki Puketeraki website, viewed 2012-01-04 is a town in the Waitaki District in Otago, New Zealand. It is known as a mini ...
settled in the area; however, he noted that at the time of writing (the late 18th century) there was no trace of these Macaulays.
Thomas considered the etymology of Ullapool
Ullapool (; gd, Ulapul ) is a village and port located in Northern Scotland. Ullapool has a population of around 1,500 inhabitants. It is located around northwest of Inverness in Ross and Cromarty, Scottish Highlands. Despite its modest size, ...
(Scottish Gaelic: ''Ulapul'') as confirmation of the Macaulay's presence in the area. Thomas and Herbert Maxwell
Sir Herbert Eustace Maxwell, 7th Baronet, (8 January 1845 – 30 October 1937) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, artist, antiquarian, horticulturalist, prominent salmon angler and author of books on angling and Conservative politician who ...
stated that the place-name of this small town, located on the eastern shore of Loch Broom, was derived from the Old Norse ''Olafr bólstaðr'' ("the homestead of Olaf"). The 20th scholar William J. Watson
William John Watson FRSE LLD (1865 – 9 March 1948) was a toponymist, one of the greatest Scottish scholars of the 20th century, and was the first scholar to place the study of Scottish place names on a firm linguistic basis.
Life
Watson ...
derived the place-name from the Old Norse ''Ullibólstaðr'' ("Ulli's stead").[ Watson 1904: p. 254.] More recently Iain Mac an Tàilleir gave two Old Norse etymologies: possibly meaning "wool farm", or "Ulli's farm". Scholars J. Graham-Campbell and C. E. Batey have also noted that Ullapool, which contains the Norse elements ''ból'' or ''bólstaðir'', is one of the few examples of a Norse settlement name on the west coast of Scotland.
Alexander Mackenzie mentioned the Wester Ross Macaulays in his 19th-century history of Clan Mackenzie
Clan Mackenzie ( gd, Clann Choinnich ) is a Scottish clan, traditionally associated with Kintail and lands in Ross-shire in the Scottish Highlands. Traditional genealogies trace the ancestors of the Mackenzie chiefs to the 12th century. However ...
. He stated that the predecessors of the Macaulays had been granted the lands of Loch Broom and Coigeach by Alexander II.[ Mackenzie 1894: p. 58.] A. Mackenzie stated that during the 13th century, Uilleam I, Earl of Ross
William I, Earl of Ross (Gaelic: ''Uilleam''; d. 1274) was ruler of the province of Ross in northern Scotland.
William appears as early as 1232, witnessing a charter as the son of Ferquhard, Earl of Ross. He succeeded his father as Earl around ...
was an instrumental force in regaining control from the Norse; and that he was naturally desirous to gain control of Eilean Donan to aid his cause. During this time, however, the fortress was under the control of Coinneach, the eponymous ancestor of Clan Mackenzie, who refused to hand over the fortress to the king. A. Mackenzie stated that Coinneach was supported by the natives of the district, including the Macaulays of Loch Broom.[ Mackenzie 1894: pp. 44–46.] Much later the third chief of the Mackenzies, Coinneach, was captured by Leod Macgilleandrais, a relative and vassal
A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain. W ...
of the Earl of Ross
The Earl or Mormaer of Ross was the ruler of the province of Ross in northern Scotland.
Origins and transfers
In the early Middle Ages, Ross was part of the vast earldom of Moray. It seems to have been made a separate earldom in the mid 12th ...
. The Mackenzie chief was then executed at Inverness
Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histori ...
in 1346; and the lands of Kinlochewe
Kinlochewe ( gd, Ceann Loch Iù or ) is a village in Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. It is in the parish of Gairloch, the community of Torridon and Kinlochewe and the Highland council area. It lies near the head of Loch Maree ...
were handed over to Macgilleandrais as reward.[ Mackenzie 1894: pp. 51–52.] A. Mackenzie stated that the son of the executed Mackenzie chief, Murchadh Dubh, was a close friend of Duncan Macaulay who possessed the lands of Loch Broom, and who also commanded Eilean Donan. According to A. Mackenzie, because Ross was determined to capture the young Mackenzie, Macaulay sent both Mackenzie and his own son to the protection of Mackenzie's relative, Macdougall of Lorne. Ross, however, was successful in capturing Macaulay's son, and had him put to death for Macaulay's part in holding Eilean Donan. A. Mackenzie stated that the actual killer of Macaulay's son was Macgilleandrais; and that Ross granted the lands of Loch Broom and Coigeach as reward for this deed.[ Mackenzie 1894: pp. 53–54.] According to A. Mackenzie, Macgilleandrais's seat at Kinlochewe was situated in a convenient location for his military operations; as it lies exactly between Kintail and Loch Broom. A. Mackenzie continued that Macaulay managed to hold onto Eilean Donan despite several attacks. When Murchadh had grown and returned to his lands, he married Macaulay's daughter, and through her the Macaulays' lands ultimately passed into the hands of the Mackenzies.
The Macaulays have also been connected to the Battle of Bealach nam Brog (battle of "the pass of the brogue"), fought between various north-western highland clans from the lands of Ross Ross or ROSS may refer to:
People
* Clan Ross, a Highland Scottish clan
* Ross (name), including a list of people with the surname or given name Ross, as well as the meaning
* Earl of Ross, a peerage of Scotland
Places
* RoSS, the Republic of Sou ...
, against the followers of the Earl of Ross.[ Thomas 1879–80: p. 381.] Today the date of the battle is generally given at about 1452. Robert Gordon of Gordonstoun
Sir Robert Gordon of Gordonstoun (14 May 1580 – 1656) was a Scottish politician and courtier, known as the historian of the noble house of Sutherland.
Early life
Born at Dunrobin Castle, Golspie, Sutherland, on 14 May 1580, he was the fourth ...
, writing in the early 17th century, stated that the Ross clans consisted of "Clan-juer", "Clantalvigh", and "Clan-leajwe". Thomas translated these as " Clan-iver", "Clan-t-aluigh, i.e., Clan-Aulay", and "Clan-leaive, i.e., Clan-Leay". According to Gordon, a force of Munros
A Munro () is defined as a mountain in Scotland with a height over , and which is on the Scottish Mountaineering Club (SMC) official list of Munros; there is no explicit topographical prominence requirement. The best known Munro is Ben Nevis ...
and Dingwalls
Dingwalls was a live music and comedy venue adjacent to Camden Lock, Camden, London, England. The building itself is one of many industrial Victorian buildings that were put to new use in the 20th century. The original owner of the building, ...
overtook the mentioned clans and fought them at "Bealligh-ne-Broig", between Ferrin-Donald and Loch Broom. Gordon stated that "Clan-Iver", "Clantalvich" and "Clan Laive" were "utterlie extinguished and slain".
The ''Letterfearn manuscript'', written in the late 17th century, contains a bardic
In Celtic cultures, a bard is a professional story teller, verse-maker, music composer, oral historian and genealogist, employed by a patron (such as a monarch or chieftain) to commemorate one or more of the patron's ancestors and to praise t ...
story concerning the "battle of the brogues". The story runs that Euphame of Ross wished to marry Mackenzie, despite his refusals. Her followers imprisoned him and torture
Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons such as punishment, extracting a confession, interrogation for information, or intimidating third parties. Some definitions are restricted to acts c ...
d his servant, who stated that Eilean Donan would never be surrendered by its constable, Macaulay, except to the one who wore Mackenzie's ring. The ring was then taken from Mackenzie, and used to deceive Macaulay into handing over the castle as a pledge that Mackenzie would not break his alleged engagement
An engagement or betrothal is the period of time between the declaration of acceptance of a marriage proposal and the marriage itself (which is typically but not always commenced with a wedding). During this period, a couple is said to be ''fi ...
to the countess. When Macaulay learned that he was tricked snuck into Dingwall Castle
Dingwall Castle was a medieval fort and royal castle in the town of Dingwall, eastern Ross-shire, Scotland.
The castle is believed to have been established by Norse settlers in the area in the 11th century.
Wars of Scottish Independence
During t ...
, and communicated with Mackenzie who devised a plan to kidnap the countess' uncle. When the deed was carried out, Macaulay was then pursued by Munros and Dingwalls. When he and his followers were about to be overtaken he sent his prisoner and two men to continue while he stood to defend a pass. The pass, the story says, has since then been known as the 'pass of the brogue', because the pursuers were forced to cover their chests with their brogues to defend themselves against the arrows of the defenders. In time, Macaulay was forced to quit the pass and retreated towards Kintail. Along the way he surprised a party of Rosses
The Rosses (officially known by its Irish language name, ''Na Rosa''; in the genitive case ''Na Rosann'') is a geographical and social region in the west of County Donegal, Ireland, with a population of over 7,000 centred on the town of Dungloe, ...
who were carrying provisions to Eilean Donan. Macaulay and his followers then arrived at the castle, passing as the Rosses with provisions, and re-took the castle. Macaulay prepared for a long siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition warfare, attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity con ...
and sent word that he would hang
Hang or Hanging may refer to:
People
* Choe Hang (disambiguation), various people
* Luciano Hang (born 1962/1963), Brazilian billionaire businessman
* Ren Hang (disambiguation), various people
Law
* Hanging, a form of capital punishment
Arts, e ...
his prisoner, the Laird of Balnagowan, unless his master, Mackenzie, was set free—and so Mackenzie was freed.[ Thomas 1879–80: pp. 383–384.]
From then on the history of the Macaulays has been entwined with that of the Mackenzies. Thomas stated that there is no more record of them, and considered that they had amalgamated
Amalgamation is the process of combining or uniting multiple entities into one form.
Amalgamation, amalgam, and other derivatives may refer to:
Mathematics and science
* Amalgam (chemistry), the combination of mercury with another metal
**Pan ama ...
directly or indirectly with the Mackenzies. On 16 August 1725, George Wade
Field Marshal George Wade (1673 – 14 March 1748) was a British Army officer who served in the Nine Years' War, War of the Spanish Succession, Jacobite rising of 1715 and War of the Quadruple Alliance before leading the construction of barra ...
, who was Commander in Chief of His Majesty's forces, castles, forts and barracks in North Britain, by power of the Disarming Act
The Disarming Act (1 George 1 session 2 C.26) was an 18th-century Act of Parliament of Great Britain that was enacted to curtail Jacobitism among the Scottish clans in the Scottish Highlands after the Jacobite rising of 1715. The new law, which ca ...
, ordered the disarmament of all highlanders who lived within the lands of the former Earl of Seaforth
Earl of Seaforth was a title in the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of Ireland. It was held by the family of Mackenzie from 1623 to 1716, and again from 1771 to 1781.
History
The Mackenzies trace their descent to Colin of Kintail (died 1278) ...
. William Mackenzie, 5th Earl of Seaforth
William Mackenzie, 5th Earl of Seaforth (died 1740), and 2nd titular Marquess of Seaforth (in the Jacobite Peerage), also known as Uilleam Dubh, or Black William, was a Scottish peer and head of Clan Mackenzie. Educated in France and brought up ...
had forfeited his lands by joining the Jacobite rebellion of 1715
The Jacobite rising of 1715 ( gd, Bliadhna Sheumais ;
or 'the Fifteen') was the attempt by James Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender) to regain the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland for the exiled Stuarts.
At Braemar, Aberdeenshire ...
. Included among the men living on Seaforth's estates were the Macaulays. The highlanders listed in the summons (''see below''), were ordered to turn in their " Broad Swords, Targe
Targe (from Old Franconian ' 'shield', Proto-Germanic ' 'border') was a general word for shield in late Old English. Its diminutive, ''target'', came to mean an object to be aimed at in the 18th century.
The term refers to various types of shie ...
ts, Poynards, Whingars, or Durks, Side-pistol, or Pistols, Guns, or any other warlike weapons" at Brahan Castle by 28 August 1725.[ Burt 1822: pp. 322–323.]
Population of Hebridean and Wester Ross Macaulays
In 1861 Lewis had a population of 21,059 with almost one fifth of the island being a ''Macleod
MacLeod, McLeod and Macleod ( ) which cited: are surnames in the English language.
Generally, the names are considered to be Anglicised forms of the Scottish Gaelic ', meaning "son of '".
One of the earliest occurrences of the surname is of Gi ...
''. Half the population of the island (10,430) consisted of a combination of the surnames ''Macleod'', '' Macdonald'', ''Mackenzie
Mackenzie, Mckenzie, MacKenzie, or McKenzie may refer to:
People
* Mackenzie (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name)
* Mackenzie (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name)
* Clan Mackenzie, a Sco ...
'', ''Morrison Morrison may refer to:
People
* Morrison (surname), people with the Scottish surname Morrison
* Morrison Heady (1829–1915), American poet
* Morrison Mann MacBride (1877–1938), Canadian merchant
Places in the United States
* Morrison, Colorad ...
'' and '' Macivor''. Another quarter of the population (4,598) consisted of the names ''Maclean
MacLean, also spelt Maclean and McLean, is a Gaelic surname Mac Gille Eathain, or, Mac Giolla Eóin in Irish Gaelic), Eóin being a Gaelic form of Johannes (John). The clan surname is an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic "Mac Gille Eathai ...
'', ''Mackay Mackay may refer to:
*Clan Mackay, the Scottish clan from which the surname "MacKay" derives
Mackay may also refer to:
Places Australia
* Mackay Region, a local government area
** Mackay, Queensland, a city in the above region
*** Mackay Airpor ...
'', ''Smith
Smith may refer to:
People
* Metalsmith, or simply smith, a craftsman fashioning tools or works of art out of various metals
* Smith (given name)
* Smith (surname), a family name originating in England, Scotland and Ireland
** List of people wi ...
'', ''Macaulay'', ''Murray
Murray may refer to:
Businesses
* Murray (bicycle company), an American manufacturer of low-cost bicycles
* Murrays, an Australian bus company
* Murray International Trust, a Scottish investment trust
* D. & W. Murray Limited, an Australian who ...
'' and ''Campbell Campbell may refer to:
People Surname
* Campbell (surname), includes a list of people with surname Campbell
Given name
* Campbell Brown (footballer), an Australian rules footballer
* Campbell Brown (journalist) (born 1968), American television ne ...
''; all with at least 400 instances recorded.[ Thomas 1874–76: pp. 505–506.] The most common surname was ''Macleod'' (3,838); ''Morrison'' (1,402) ranked fourth; and ''Macaulay'' (727) ranked as the ninth most common surname. The same year, on Harris (excluding Bernera and St Kilda), there were only 64 people surnamed ''Macaulay'' out of a population of 3,764; there were 646 recorded as ''Macleod'' and 530 as ''Morrison''. At this time, North Uist
North Uist ( gd, Uibhist a Tuath; sco, North Uise) is an island and community in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.
Etymology
In Donald Munro's ''A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland Called Hybrides'' of 1549, North Uist, Benbecula and ...
then had a population of 3,939; ''Macaulay'' was the third most common surname with 165, following the names ''Macdonald'' with 1,064, and ''Maclean'' with 392. By 1961 ''Macaulay'' was the eleventh ranked surname on Lewis, with about 500. The Macleods were ranked first with just over 3,000 and the Macaulays' old rivals, the Morrisons, were ranked third with about 950.[ Thompson 1968: p. 156.]
In 1901, the parish of Gairloch
Gairloch ( ; gd, Geàrrloch , meaning "Short Loch") is a village, civil parish and community on the shores of Loch Gairloch in Wester Ross, in the North-West Highlands of Scotland. A tourist destination in the summer months, Gairloch has a go ...
, in Wester Ross, had a population of 4,181; 553 of whom were recorded on the Parliamentary roll. The most common 'clan surname' on the roll was ''Mackenzie'' with 159; there were 14 with ''Macleod'' and 5 with ''Macaulay''.[ Mackay 1904: p. 100.]
See also
* Mac Amhlaoibh and Mac Amhalghaidh, several Irish clans named after two Gaelic patronymic names that can both be Anglicised as ''Macaulay''
* Macaulay, list of Wikipedia articles on people, places and things named ''Macaulay'', ''MacAulay'', ''McAulay''
* Olvir Rosta, a character in the ''Orkneyinga saga'', possibly associated with the Lewis Macaulays, or the MacLeods
Notes
Sources
Footnotes
References
* Cited by Ancestry.com
Ancestry.com LLC is an American genealogy company based in Lehi, Utah. The largest for-profit genealogy company in the world, it operates a network of genealogical, historical records, and related genetic genealogy websites.
In November 2018, ...
as its source for etymologies listed on the following web page
*
* Originally pub. by: W. & A. K. Johnston Ltd., Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
and London, 1944
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Macaulay family of Lewis
Isle of Lewis
Norse-Gaels
Ross and Cromarty
Scottish families
Uist
Gaelic families of Norse descent
Scottish clans