Sir Rory MacLeod, 15th Chief of MacLeod (c1559–1626), also known as Roderick Macleod (
Scots Gaelic: Ruairidh Mór 'Rory the Great'), was the 15th
Chief of
Clan MacLeod
Clan MacLeod (; gd, Clann Mac Leòid ) is a Highland Scottish clan associated with the Isle of Skye. There are two main branches of the clan: the MacLeods of Harris and Dunvegan, whose chief is MacLeod of MacLeod, are known in Gaelic as ' ("se ...
and one of the most famed and notorious chiefs of that clan.
Biography
Roderick MacLeod of MacLeod, also known as "Rory Mor" or "Ruairidh Mor", was born in
Dunvegan
Dunvegan ( gd, Dùn Bheagain) is a village on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It is famous for Dunvegan Castle, seat of the chief of Clan MacLeod. Dunvegan is within the parish of Duirinish, and Duirinish Parish Church is at Dunvegan. In 2011 i ...
, Scotland in 1573 and was the 15th chief of the
Clan MacLeod
Clan MacLeod (; gd, Clann Mac Leòid ) is a Highland Scottish clan associated with the Isle of Skye. There are two main branches of the clan: the MacLeods of Harris and Dunvegan, whose chief is MacLeod of MacLeod, are known in Gaelic as ' ("se ...
. He was the second son of Norman MacLeod of MacLeod (c. 1516-1585) the 12th chief of the Clan MacLeod. He became chief upon the death of his young nephew in 1595. He married Elizabeth MacDonald, daughter of the 8th Chief of
Clan MacDonald of Glengarry
Clan MacDonnell of Glengarry ( gd, Clann Dòmhnaill Ghlinne Garaidh) is a Scottish clan and is a branch of the larger Clan Donald.Way, George and Squire, Romily. ''Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia''. (Foreword by The Rt Hon. The Earl ...
circa 1598. Together they had 11 children, 5 sons and 6 daughters including:
* Margaret MacLeod of Macleod, who married
Hector Mor Maclean, 16th Chief of
Clan Maclean;
* Mary MacLeod of Macleod who married
Sir Lachlan Maclean, 1st Baronet
Sir Lachlan Maclean, 1st Baronet of Morvern, (c. 1600 – 18 April 1649) the 17th Clan Chief of Clan Maclean. Lachlan was granted his Baronet title by Charles I and he became the Clan Chief on the death of his brother in 1626. He fought as a ...
and 17th Chief of Clan Maclean;
* Ian Mor Macleod of Macleod, 16th Chief (died 1649), who married Sybella Mackenzie, daughter of
Kenneth Mackenzie, 1st Lord Mackenzie of Kintail
Kenneth Mackenzie, the first Lord Mackenzie of Kintail (–1611), was a Highland clan chief who secured for himself and his heirs the entirety of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides and successfully pursued a bloody feud with the Macdonell ...
and Anne Ross;
* Sir Norman MacLeod, 1st Lord of Berneray, 4th Chief of Waternish, who married Katherine Macdonald, daughter of
Sir James Mor Macdonald, 9th Laird of Sleat
Sir James Mor Macdonald, 9th Laird of Sleat and 2nd Baronet (1605 – 8 December 1678) was a Scottish nobleman and soldier.
Born the eldest son of Sir Donald Gorme Og Macdonald, he inherited his father's titles aged around 38 upon his death in ...
, 2nd Baronet and Margaret Mackenzie. He was knighted by King
James VI of Scotland in 1613.
Death
Sir Roderick MacLeod of MacLeod died in 1626 and was buried at the Fortrose Abbey just north of Inverness, Scotland.
Upon his death, his oldest son John "Iain/Ian Mor Macleod of Macleod, 16th Chief (c. 1600-1649) became chief of the
Clan MacLeod
Clan MacLeod (; gd, Clann Mac Leòid ) is a Highland Scottish clan associated with the Isle of Skye. There are two main branches of the clan: the MacLeods of Harris and Dunvegan, whose chief is MacLeod of MacLeod, are known in Gaelic as ' ("se ...
.
Notable Battles
Sir Roderick went to
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
with 500 of his clan to assist
Hugh Roe O'Donnell's war against the English. Upon his return he became involved in a feud with his
brother-in-law
A sibling-in-law is the spouse of one's sibling, or the sibling of one's spouse, or the person who is married to the sibling of one's spouse.Cambridge Dictionaries Online.Family: non-blood relations.
More commonly, a sibling-in-law is referre ...
Donald Gorm Og MacDonald, who was chief of the powerful
Clan MacDonald of Sleat
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship
and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clans may claim descent from founding member or apical ancestor. Clans, in indigenous societies, tend to be endogamous, meanin ...
. The two clans had fought together in Ireland and had now become enemies when for some reason MacDonald rejected his wife, Sir Roderick's sister, and became very hostile towards his old allies. After a year of feuding, the two clans finally met in the
Battle of Coire Na Creiche and the MacLeods were defeated. This was the last clan battle on the
Isle of Skye.
In December 1597, an act of the Estates was passed that required that all the Chieftains and Landlords of the
Highlands
Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau.
Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to:
Places Albania
* Dukagjin Highlands
Armenia
* Armenian Highlands
Australia
*Sou ...
and the
Western Isles
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 ...
to produce their title-deeds under pain of forfeiture. Sir Roderick ignored the act and a gift of his estates were given to a number of
Fife gentlemen for the purpose of colonisation. After these attempts were dealt with, he was ultimately successful in getting a remission from King
James VI of Scotland dated 4 May 1610 for his lands of
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 of ...
,
Dunvegan
Dunvegan ( gd, Dùn Bheagain) is a village on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It is famous for Dunvegan Castle, seat of the chief of Clan MacLeod. Dunvegan is within the parish of Duirinish, and Duirinish Parish Church is at Dunvegan. In 2011 i ...
, and
Glenelg.
Rory Mor's Horn
One of the prize possessions of the Clan MacLeod is
Sir Rory Mor’s Horn. It is kept at Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Sir Rory Mor's Horn is a
drinking horn
A drinking horn is the horn of a bovid used as a drinking vessel. Drinking horns are known from Classical Antiquity, especially the Balkans, and remained in use for ceremonial purposes throughout the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period in ...
, made of an
ox's horn, tipped in
silver
Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...
. The rim around the mouth of the horn is thick and on this there are imprinted seven medallions. On three of the medallions are beasts, on three others are patterns, and on the seventh and joining medallion is both a pattern and a beast. R. C. MacLeod considered the work to be Norse, and declared the horn to date from the 10th century.
Notes
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Macleod, Roderick
Roderick
Roderick, Rodrick or Roderic (Proto-Germanic ''* Hrōþirīks'', from ''* hrōþiz'' "fame, glory" + ''* ríks'' "king, ruler") is a Germanic name, recorded from the 8th century onward.Förstemann, ''Altdeutsches Namenbuch'' (1856)740 Its Old Hi ...
16th-century births
1626 deaths