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Torquil MacLeod (
Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...
: Torcall mac Murchaidh, and Torcall MacLeòid) (''
fl. ''Floruit'' ( ; usually abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for 'flourished') denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indic ...
'' 14th century) was a
Hebridean The Hebrides ( ; , ; ) are the largest archipelago in the United Kingdom, 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 Hebrides. These isla ...
lord and is today considered to be the founder of the
MacLeods of Lewis Clan MacLeod of The Lewes, commonly known as Clan MacLeod of Lewis (), is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan, which at its height held extensive lands in the Western Isles and west coast of Scotland. From the 14th century up until the be ...
, who are known in Gaelic as ''Sìol Torcaill'' ("seed of Torcall"). He was the son of Murdoch MacLeod, and a great-grandson of
Leod Leod (Scottish Gaelic: Leòd; Old Norse: Ljótr) ( 1200 – 1280) was the eponymous ancestor and founder of Clan MacLeod and Clan MacLeod of Lewis. Almost nothing is known about him and he does not appear in any contemporary records. Tradition ...
,
eponymous An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...
ancestor of the MacLeods.


Background

According to MacLeod tradition, Torquil was a son of
Leod Leod (Scottish Gaelic: Leòd; Old Norse: Ljótr) ( 1200 – 1280) was the eponymous ancestor and founder of Clan MacLeod and Clan MacLeod of Lewis. Almost nothing is known about him and he does not appear in any contemporary records. Tradition ...
, founder of
Clan MacLeod Clan MacLeod ( ; ) is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan associated with the Isle of Skye. There are two main branches of the clan: the MacLeods of Harris, Outer Hebrides, Harris and Dunvegan, known in Gaelic as ' ("seed of Tormod") an ...
. Clan traditions made Torquil the brother of Tormod, and stated that the two brothers founded the main branches of the clan— one branch being ''
Sìol Tormoid Clan MacLeod ( ; ) is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan associated with the Isle of Skye. There are two main branches of the clan: the MacLeods of Harris, Outer Hebrides, Harris and Dunvegan, known in Gaelic as ' ("seed of Tormod") an ...
'' ("seed of Tormod"), the MacLeods of Harris and Dunvegan; the other branch being '' Sìol Torcaill'' ("seed of Torcall"), the MacLeods of Lewis. This traditional story is no longer taken seriously by historians, and Torquil is now considered to have been the son of Murdoch, who was a grandson of Leod. The late 20th-century historian William Matheson stated that the name '' Torquil'' was not a common one. Matheson noted that it occurs in the old genealogies of the MacNicols. Traditions linked the MacNicols with Lewis, as well as Assynt across the Minch; before being supplanted by the MacLeods who married a MacNicol heiress. Matheson stated that the name was not used by the MacLeods of Harris and Dunvegan; that the first MacLeod to bear the name was Torquil, son of Murdoch. In consequence, Matheson proposed that it must have been Torquil's father who married a MacNicol heiress and then gave their son the MacNicol name of ''Torquil''. Matheson noted that a 19th-century Lewis senachie recalled a tradition that "the year after Torquil became chief of the Lews, he and the MacNaughtons acNicolswere proceeding in their birlins, or large boats, to
Stornoway Stornoway (; ) is the main town, and by far the largest, of the Outer Hebrides (or Western Isles), and the capital of Lewis and Harris in Scotland. The town's population is around 6,953, making it the third-largest island town in Scotlan ...
, when MacLeod ran the boat of MacNaughton acNicoldown in the Sound of Jaunt /nowiki>Sound of Shiant">Shiant.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Sound of Shiant">/nowiki>Sound of Shiant/nowiki>, and allowed the whole crew to drown". Matheson speculated that Murdoch married a MacNicol heiress, and that their son, Torquil, became heir to the MacNicol lands after their MacNicol rivals were eliminated in a conflict at sea.


Life

Torquil and his uncle, Malcolm, are the first MacLeods chiefs to appear in contemporary records. Their names are recorded as "Torkyll M'Cloyd", and "Malcolme, son to Tormode M'Cloyde", in a royal charter of 1343, during the reign of David II of Scotland, David II (r. 1329–1371), which grants Torquil the lands of Assynt. The eminent 19th-century Scottish scholar W.F. Skene noted that Torquil was not designated "of Lewis" in the charter, nor any other designation. Another 19th-century historian,
Donald Gregory Donald Gregory (1803–1836) was a Scottish historian and antiquarian, who published a valuable history of the Western Highlands and Isles of Scotland. Origins Gregory was a younger son of Dr James Gregory (1753–1821), a leading Scottish phy ...
, stated that during this era, Torquil would have held Lewis, not from the
kings of Scots The monarch of Scotland was the head of state of the Kingdom of Scotland. According to tradition, Kenneth I MacAlpin () was the founder and first King of the Kingdom of Scotland (although he never held the title historically, being King of th ...
, but from the
lords of the Isles Lord of the Isles or King of the Isles ( or ; ) is a title of nobility in the Baronage of Scotland with historical roots that go back beyond the Kingdom of Scotland. It began with Somerled in the 12th century and thereafter the title was ...
. According to the 19th century Lewis senachie already mentioned, Torquil was a councillor between the Macaulays and
Morrisons Wm Morrison Supermarkets Limited, trading as Morrisons, is the List of supermarket chains in the United Kingdom, fifth largest supermarket chain in the United Kingdom. As of 2021, the company had 497 supermarkets across England, Wales and Sco ...
—two bitter rival clans—after a battle fought by them 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 ...
.


Family

Torquil is said to have married Margaret, a MacNicol heiress of Assynt. Torquil was succeeded by his son, Roderick.


Heraldry

According to W.D.H. Sellar, the
coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...
of the MacLeods of Lewis, which contains ''a black burning mountain on a gold field'', probably passed into the possession of the MacLeods through the marriage of a MacNicol heiress. Sellar considered the possibility that the arms may represent the MacNicols' subordinate duty as coast watchers for the early Norse kings in the Isles. The early MacLeod of Lewis arms pictured right was recorded in the mid 15th century and is
blazoned In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct an accurate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visual d ...
'' Or, a rock
azure Azure may refer to: Color * Azure (color), a hue of blue ** Azure (heraldry) ** Shades of azure, shades and variations Arts and media * ''Azure'' (Art Farmer and Fritz Pauer album), 1987 * Azure (Gary Peacock and Marilyn Crispell album), 2013 * ...
in flames
gules In heraldry, gules () is the tincture with the colour red. It is one of the class of five dark tinctures called "colours", the others being azure (blue), sable (black), vert (green) and purpure (purple). Gules is portrayed in heraldic hatch ...
''.


Notes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Macleod, Torquil 14th-century Scottish people Chiefs of Clan MacLeod of Lewis Isle of Lewis