Iye Du MacKay, 12th of Strathnaver

xii. Iye Du xii. 1550-72

IYE DU MACKAY as we showed already took part in the affair of Solway Moss (November 1542), and being captured was carried prisoner into England, along with the greater part of the other Scottish leaders present in the engagement. King Henry VIII., keenly set upon a union of the two kingdoms, sought to promote this object by a marriage between his son Edward and the infant Mary, Queen of Scots. He treated the Scottish prisoners with great cordiality, offered them liberty to go back to Scotland without the usual ransom money, provided they promise to advance the proposed marriage in the northern kingdom ; but in case of failure they were to return to England as on parole. The prisoners acquiesced in this proposal, which found support not only among the Scottish refugees political and religious sheltering in England, but from many across the border who hoped thereby to promote a reformation of religion in Scotland. It was about this time that John Elder, a Caitlmessman in holy orders, addressed to King Henry VIII. that curious document printed in Collectanea de rebus Albanicis, advocating a union of the two kingdoms by the marriage of Edward of England to Mary of Scotland.

Many of the Scottish prisoners in fulfilment of their promise went north during the spring of 1543, but having failed in their object, owing to the opposition of the Queen-mother and the Romish party, they returned to England according to parole. Meantime the Earl of Arran was made Governor of Scotland by the said party, but Glencairn, Angus, Lennox, etc., some in Scotland and others exiles in England, formed a strong league, and attacking Arran on Glasgow Muir in 1544 were defeated with considerable loss. Among those who took part in the conflict at Glasgow was "Y McKy de Far" and, presumably, nineteen of his followers, as is shown by the remission1 which lye Du afterwards obtained from the Regent Arran for this offence, dated 10th March, 1554, shortly before the latter was elbowed out of office by the Guise party and joined the other faction. After the failure at Glasgow Mackay again returned into England, where he remained for three more years in the military service of that country, along with many of his compatriots.

In May 1546, the exasperated reformers, in revenge for the burning of Wishart, assassinated Cardinal Beaton ; and in the following year an English army advancing into Scotland to force the marriage of Edward and Mary fought a pitched battle at Pinkie, where the Scots were overthrown and Huntly taken prisoner. It is very probable that Mackay took part along with other Scots in assisting the English that day, but certain it is that he took a prominent part under Lord Grey in the capture and fortification of Haddington during the spring of 1548. For the offence committed at Haddington in supporting the English, Mary granted a pardon to Mackay fourteen years thereafter, when he helped her in bringing Huntly to book, as shall be more fully described later. Sir Robert Gordon states that about this time lye Du " served divers tymes in Avars upon the borders, against the English : in which service he behaved himself valiantly." The records show that he fought not against but with the English. The personal valour and military skill with which Sir Robert credits him was no doubt acquired in the service of England, while fighting against the ruling party in Scotland, but in so doing he was helping directly and indirectly to promote the cause of reformed religion in his own country. In the cruel conflict which lay before him he had need of skill and valour to preserve the interests of his house, which in weaker hands would have gone to pieces. For twenty long years after this he had to fight against the combined power of the Gordon Earls of Sutherland and Huntly, with one hand practically tied behind his back, for he could get no legal title to his father's lands.

On the death of his father in 1550, lye Du returned to Strathnaver to secure the estate, but this was not an easy matter owing to his past conduct and to the influence which his opponents, Sutherland and Huntly, had with the governing party. The unbridled power of Huntly, in particular, was becoming a source of danger in the north. Lauchlan chief of Macintosh was executed at Aberdeen, during the summer of that year, on a trumped up charge of disloyalty to Huntly, as if the latter were a petty monarch. The sou and heir of the Macintosh, a boy seven years old, " having many enemies, was privately carried over to the laird of MacKay, namely, Aoidh mac Donald vie Ky (who was of kin to this Macintosh by his mother, and was a chief favourite of the Macintosh family)." The boy, however, was intercepted on the way north by some Mackenzies who fostered him very kindly in Gairloch. That same year the Queen-mother accompanied by Huntly, Sutherland, the Bishop of Caithness, etc., went over to France to intrigue against the Regent Arrau, and returned in 1551 when a meeting of Parliament was held. At that meeting the Earls of Sutherland and Huntly had their first innings against Mackay, who had made himself obnoxious to the Guise party by his late support of the English claims. The deceased Donald Mackay of Strathnaver was declared to have died illegitimate, his son lye Du was disinherited and his lands bestowed upon Bishop Reid of Orkney. Of course, Bishop Reid was a mere tulchan ; the milk was intended to be drawn by others. In 1552 the Queen-mother and Regent Arran held a court at Inverness to which John of Moidart, the Earl of Caithness, Mackay, etc., were summoned, but all the three refused to put in an appearance. Mackay knew that Inverness meant irons, and wisely stayed at home. On the 13th September, 1553, a complaint was laid before the Privy Council that Mackay and Caithness caused slaughters, spoils, etc., in the north, and Caithness was again summoned to appear at Inverness before Huntly, " Lieutenant General of these parts." The following year Huntly received a commission to apprehend John of Moidart, but failed in the enterprise, and by a strange turn of the wheel Huntly found himself flung into prison by his opponents. About the same time Sutherland was empowered to apprehend Mackay. and to this end made great preparations. While Sutherland marched with a large force of northern levies, Kennedy of Girvanmains was sent from Leith with a fleet to co-operate by sea. Kennedy sailed during the month of August, 1554, on board the ship " Lion," laden with cannon taken from Leith, and manned by 50 marines and 20 men-at-arms. The principal point of attack was Mackay's stronghold, Borve Castle, on a promontory of the Aird of Farr. When Mackay found Borve beseiged and battered by artillery both ashore and afloat, he left the castle iu charge of his cousin, Rory mac-Ean mor, and quietly slipping away made for the heights of Strathnaver, whence with a body of Aberachs he made a dash into Sutherland and set the country a-blazing, as Sir Gobert Gordon informs us. Skilful captain though he was, the odds against Mackay were too great. Borve Castle was broken down after a sanguinary seige, Mackay was at last captured and imprisoned in Dumbarton Castle, where he lay from 1st February to 20th October, 1555.

At a circuit court held at Inverness this same year (1555), the Queen-mother rewarded the Earl of Sutherland by a pension of 1000 merks, which was to cease " when the queen was able to confer on him wards and marriages, or on some friends such a benefice as should be equal to that amount. At the same time she conferred on him the care of the earldom of Ross, and appointed him bailie of the lands of Farr." Thus Sutherland was enabled, by the assistance of a fleet from Leith and levies of men throughout the north, not only to capture his neighbour, Mackay, who was fighting for his rightful patrimony, but to get Mackay's lands in stewartship and to earn a yearly pension of 1000 merks to boot. The capture of Mackay must have been considered or represented as a great exploit in view of these rewards. While Mackay was lying in Dumbarton Castle his clansmen did not let the grass grow under their feet. His cousin John Mor entered Sutherland " with a company of the best and most resolute men in all Strathnaver, spoiling and wasting the east corner of the province of Sutherland," says Sir Robert. During this raid the Mackays had a fierce fight at Garvary in the Berriedale hills, and are declared defeated by Sir Robert, as a matter of course!

Francis the husband of Queen Mary died in December, 1560 ; the following year the widowed queen returned to Scotland, and in 1562 resolved to visit Elizabeth, Queen of England. Letters, dated May, 1562, were sent to Mackay commanding an escort to accompany Mary on her journey south, but the project was suddenly abandoned, The queen not having gone to England, as she intended, set out on a tour towards Inverness by way of Aberdeen in August of that year. The Guises had flattered Huntly with the prospect of the widowed queen's hand for his second son, Sir John Gordon, but Mary would have none of it. A few days after her arrival in Aberdeen, such was the queen's resentment towards Huntly for his political duplicity, that she refused to go three miles out of her way to visit his house, notwithstanding a pressing invitation. When Inverness was reached Mary resolved to lodge in the castle, but was refused admission by the governor, a Gordon, who held the castle as the representative of Lord Gordon. This was lording it rather too much for Mary's taste. The neighbouring clans were immediately summoned to her standard, and next day the Macintoshes, Grants, and Frasers having joined the royal escort took the castle and hanged the governor. After a few days stay at Inverness, Mary set out for Aberdeen on her return journey, and as an attack from Huntly was anticipated the assembled clansmen escorted her safely all the way. At Aberdeen, on the 5th October, the queen granted lye Mackay a full remission for joining the English at Haddington and for all other acts against the Government, as was already shown. On the 17th October, Huntly was put to the horn and commanded to deliver up his house of Strathbogie, but he refused to do so and strengthened himself in Badenoch. The clans who were at feud with Huntly were given a free hand to deal with him, and among his most vehement opponents were the Macintoshes, Mackays, and Forbeses, who were no doubt glad to get such ail opportunity. Huntly, game to the last, advanced to meet them, but was completely overpowered and slain in battle at Corrichie. His second son, Sir John Gordon, Avas taken prisoner and soon thereafter executed at Aberdeen. On the 28th May of the following year, the embalmed body of Huntly was arraigned in the presence of Mary at the bar of Parliament —
"the coffin was sette upright, as if the Earle stoode upon his feet" when he was duly found guilty of treason, his lands escheated to the Crown, his dignity extinguished, his arms cancelled, and his posterity declared henceforward incapable of bearing office within the realm of Scotland ! On the same day the Earl of Sutherland, who had meantime fled the country, was also condemned to death by Parliament for art and part in Huntly's treason, but this latter sentence was never carried into execution, and four years thereafter it was reduced, when Sutherland was permitted to return to Scotland. These dreadful sentences give some idea of the way in which the law was administered in those rude, unsettled days. The irony of the situation appears when it is remembered that within four years thereafter, Mary in her distress had to lean for support upon the son and heir of the very Huntly, whose dead body she dragged to the bar of Parliament!

The queen created Darnley Lord of Ardmanach and Earl of Ross on the 15th May, 1565, on the 18th June she bestowed upon him the lands of Strathuaver, and on the 29th June she married him. The union was a short and unhappy one. On the 29th February, 1567, Darnley was blown up at Kirk 0' Fields, and it is generally supposed that Bothwell and George Gordon, now restored to the earldom of Huntly, bore some guilt in this affair. On the 3rd May of the same year Lady Jane Gordon, Huntly's sister, divorced her husband, Bothwell, in order to facilitate, as many suppose, his projected marriage with Queen Mary which took place about a fortnight afterwards. That there was collusion between Bothwell, his wife, her brother Huntly, and the queen in connection with the shameless divorce proceedings, appears very likely. Huntly's feelings, however, were salved by the queens gift of Mackay's escheated lands of Strathuaver, which Parliament ratified on the 19th April at a packed meeting, attended by very few members owing to the deplorable misconduct of the queen at this period. To round off the shameless imbroglio, Alexander, Earl of Sutherland, discarded his wife, Lady Barbara Sinclair, and married by a dispensation of the Pope, Lady Jane Gordon, the lately divorced Lady Bothwell. Sir Robert Gordon, the historian, who took such a pleasure in bastardizing his neighbours, was a son of this marriage by dispensation. No doubt the marriage was an astute move on the part of Sutherland to get some share of Mackay's escheated lands. At anyrate it so turned out, for Huntly eventually passed them over to Sutherland. We shall now consider the plea upon which Mackay's lands were escheated and given to Huntly. It was asserted that Donald Mackay, the father of lye Du, was a bastard, and consequently debarred by law from inheriting his father's estate ; but bastard or riot he held the said lands on a charter under the Great Seal granted to him by King James V., and added considerably to the estate by purchase and otherwise. Donald's father did contract an irregular marriage, a common enough practice in those days, but he obtained a precept of legitimation from the king for his two sons, John and Donald, dated 8th August, 151 It seems most unjust to punish the grandson for a slight flaw in his grandfather's marriage—a flaw which was afterwards remedied—especially seeing that the son of the said marriage duly succeeded to the inheritance. There was a flaw in Queen Mary's own marriage with Darnley, and the issue, James VI., was a bastard according to the very canon law by which lye Du Mackay was disinherited. Father Pollen shows conclusively that the necessary dispensation to legalise the marriage of Mary and Darnley, which took place on the 20th June, 1565, was not issued by the Pope till the 24th September of that year, for a marriage which had by law to be contracted thereafter. Mary in her haste married before the dispensation was issued, and her marriage was at fault in consequence. Nay more, the English Catholic exiles, who were opposed to James VI.'s succession to the throne of England in the event of Elizabeth's death, objected to James' legitimacy because there was no proper dispensation given for the marriage of his father and mother. In the light of these facts lye Mackay must appear as a badly used man. It was no wonder although Mackay became furious when he heard what had taken place. Realizing that the ultimate gainer in this transaction must be the Earl of Sutherland, as Huntly was too distant to make use of the Strathnaver lands, he burst into Sutherland, wasted the barony of Skibo and set the town of Dornoch on fire. That same year he returned again and made havoc on Strathflete, according to Sir Robert Gordon. Huntly raised the matter in Parliament, and had the following notice entered on the minutes :—

"26 December, 1567, Item, be quhat means may all Scotland be

brocht to universal obedience, and how may McKy be dantonit." This question was doubtless raised to terrorize Mackay ; but we do not find that any action was taken, for the pendulum of influence began to swing the other way. Mary was now in disgrace, and Moray, the friend of Mackay and the opponent of Huntly, was Regent. If the Regent Moray had not fallen prematurely at the hands of an assassin it is probable that Mackay would have come to his own.

Huntly conscious of the uncertainty of the times found it prudent to arrange a settlement with Mackay, which the latter accepted with a wry face upon the advice of his friend Lord Forbes. An agreement was concluded at Aberdeen, 29th July, 1570, between Huntly, Sutherland, and Mackay, by which Huntly alienated all the Strathnaver lands to Mackay for the paltry sum of 3000 merks, retaining the feudal superiority however. This small sum, which was about sufficient to cover the legal expenses of the transaction, tells its own tale. To acknowledge the superiority of Huntly, however, must have been a bitter pill to Mackay, but it could not be helped. Some years thereafter, the son and heir of Huntly disponed the said superiority to the Earl of Sutherland, and then for the first time the house of Sutherland became the superior of the house of Mackay ; but that matter shall be discussed and exposed in the proper place. Suffice it to say, meantime, that Mackay had sasine of the lands of Strathnaver the 20th April, 1571, on a charter of alienation by Huntly.

Few men could have fought so successfully and for such a length of time as did lye Du Mackay, against the combined power of the Gordons in the north at this period. If he came out of the twenty years' conflict winged, small wonder ; it was not a fair fight. Sword in hand he could hold his own with the best of them : after ransacking the north for levies, the Gordons must needs bring a fleet from Leith at the expenses of the Governmeut to capture him. No, it was a foul pen in a corrupt court that did the dirty deed to Mackay. If this were the place, we could show that about the same period Huntly secured superiority over other Highland chieftains by somewhat similar left-handed means.

In the transactions regarding the lands of Strathnaver between Huntly and Mackay, Lord Forbes did the kinsman's part to the latter, as various documents among the Beay Papers show. The warrant granted by Huntly, dated 23rd February, 1570, was in favour of Lord Forbes and lye Mackay, the former to retain the charter of infeftment, post dated, until the latter handed over the money to Huntly. Again, when full payment was made in July of that year the witnesses were Alexander Dridmont of Medoc, William Cidney, notar, burgess of Inverness, Patrick Forbes servitor to Win. Lord Forbes, and Mr James Forbes servitor to Mr Donald Forbes of Menynmsk. These facts serve to show how closely knit together the Mackays and Forbeses were at this time. About 1529 we saw Donald Mackay assisting Forbes, and now we find the Forbeses assisting the son of Donald Mackay. There must be truth in the statement of later writers, that the Mackays and Forbeses believed they sprang from -a common stock.

Meantime Mackay vigorously maintained his alliance with George, Earl of Caithness, who held the earldom of Sutherland in ward in consequence of the youth of Alexander, Earl of Sutherland, and was also Justiciar of Caithness, Strathnaver, and Sutherland. Although Sutherland escaped to his brother-in-law Huntly, Caithness held to his rights of wardship and found a willing ally in Mackay. For so doing Sir Robert Gordon draws the character of the Earl of Caithness in lurid colours, but he was not by any means so black as the chronicler would have us believe. Modern popular writers, who make Sir Robert their historical vade mecum, describe Caithness as " Earl George the wicked." There is very little reason to believe that the Justiciar was much worse than his contemporaries. During the years 1571-2, while Hnntly, with the assistance of the escaped Earl of Sutherland, assailed the Forbeses in Aberdeenshire with considerable success, Caithness and Mackay swept everything before them in Sutherland. Caithness took and occupied Dunrobih Castle, while Mackay and the Master of Caithness went up and down the country hustling the Earl of Sutherland's followers, until scarce one man of standing remained to oppose them. Murray of Aberscross fled to Strathbogie, Gordon of Drummuie to Orkney, Gray of Skibo to St. Andrews, and the chieftain of Clan Gunn to Glengarry. During these peregrinations of Mackay and Sinclair they spoiled Dornoch ; and as some of the Murrays fled to the cathedral and kept up a shower of arrows from the steeple, the sacred edifice was given to the flames. In all these warlike demonstrations Mackay seems to have acted as leader, in consequence of his military experience. If Mackay's court influence had in anyway equalled his skill with the sword, Huntly would never have wrung from him the agreement of 1570.

We conclude that Mackay was a man of more than ordinary strength and of iron endurance, for two years before the close of his life, and when an old man, he was overtaken by a snowstorm of such severity, while crossing the Crask in the dead of winter, that 18 of his company perished and only two or three of the stoutest managed to push on along with him. This was more than an ordinary feat for a man of about 70 years of age. The cruel misrepresentations of Sir Robert Gordon have led some to conclude that lye Du lived a wild, turbulent life. Of fighting he certainly did more than his share ; but much of it was on the side of civil liberty and for the reformation of religion in Scotland, which is more than cau be said for the " virtuous " paragons before whom Sir Robert would have us fall down. lye Mackay died in November 15/2, as appears from a document among the Sutherland Papers, according to Mr Mackay of Blackcastle. His first wife was his first cousin, Helen, daughter of Hugh Macleod of Assint, who bore him two sous. As the marriage of first cousins then required a dispensation of the Pope to make it legal, and as Mackay neglected to secure this, the children were debarred from the succession by canon law. The children of this marriage were : —
i. John Beg, who was killed in a skirmish at Bal naked, Durness, 1579.

ii. Donald Balloch, who became progenitor of the Scoury Mackays, and whose descendants are given in our account of that family.

The second wife of lye Du was Christian, daughter of John Sinclair of Dun, Caithness, by whom he had two sons and three daughters : -----

iii.. Huistean Du, who succeeded his father, and of whom an account follows.

iv. William of Bighouse, who became the progenitor of the Bighouse Mackays, and whose descendants are given in our account of that family.

v. Eleanor, who married Donald Banc Macleod of Assint.

vi. Jane, who married Alexander Sutherland of Berridale.

vii. Barbara, who married Alexander Macdavid, chieftain of the clan Gunn. The eldest son of this marriage was William Macallister, chieftain of Gunn, who succeeded to the lands of Killernan 19th February, 1614, as is recorded in a document at Dunrobin of which an extract is given in the Blh. MS. pg. 94--106

THE BOOK OF MACKAY BY ANGUS MACKAY, M.A. (St. Andrews University) Minister at Westerdale, Caithness EDINBURGH : NORMAN MACLEOD, -25 GEORGE IV. BRIDGE CANADA : EDWARD MACKAY, ST. PETER'S MANSE, MADOC, ONT. M DCCCC VI

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Iye Mackay as twice married, first to his cousin, a daughter of Hugh Macleod of Assint, by whom he had two sons, Donald Mackay of Scoury, and John-Beg Mackay ; and secondly, to Christian Sinclair, daughter of the laird of Dun, by whom he had two sons and three daughters." His sons were, Hugh, who succeeded him, and William of Bighouse ; his eldest daughter, Ellenora, married Donald-Bane Macleod, laird of Assint ; the second married Alexander Sutherland of Berridale ; and the third married Alexander, chief of the clan Gun.

" In Douglas' Peerage it is stated that he married Lady Elizabeth Sinclair, daughter of George, fourth Earl of Caithness. But the father is there mistaken for the son, who married that lady.

pg. 149 HISTORY THE HOUSE AND CLAN MACKAY, FOR CONNECTION AND ELUCIDATION, BESIDES ACCOUNTS OF MANY OTHER SCOTTISH FAMILIES, A VARIETY OF MORE PARTICULARLY 01: TIIOSE RELATING TO THE NORTHERN DIVISION OF SCOTLAND DURING THE MOST CRITICAL AND INTERESTING PERIODS; WITH A GENEALOGICAL TABLE OF THE CLAN. BY ROBERT MACKAT, WRITER, THURSO.EDINBURGH

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Some years before his father's death, he appears to have joined with the best men in the kingdom to accomplish the union with England, proposed by King Henry, by a marriage between Prince Edward and Queen Mary. This union was much desired at that time, not only to put an end to those wars that had been so detrimental to both kingdoms, but also as a mean to promote the interests of the reformation, which had then been begun in England. But that measure, after the
national faith had been pledged for its completion, was frustrated by the influence of the Queen-Dowager, Huntly, and others, who were in the French interest, and by Cardinal Beaton and all the popish clergy: which was followed by invasions, plunderings, and conflicts in succession, until the battle of Pinkie, loth September 1547, when 30,000 Scots were shamefully defeated by the English

It was alleged, and for fourteen years after retained against Iye Mackay as a treasonable crime, that he had conducted the English army to Haddington, and assisted them with horse and foot. This crime, whether pretended or real, was remitted in the year 1562, as shall be seen.

Soon after his father's death, the ruin of Iye Mackay was projected. Robert Reid, bishop of Orkney, one of Queen Mary's tutors, who was a great politician, highly in favour with the regent Arran, and Queen-Dowager, and an extraordinary lover and hoarder up of money, obtained gifts of the whole lands belonging to Iye Mackay, under pretence his father and he were illgitimate, and that the former had made no legal conveyance of his property pg. 123

He says, that on that occasion, Iye Mackay burnt the church at Loth, but mentions no cause. It rests on his authority that he did so at all : but if he did so, it must have been in order to redress himself of the enemy who had taken sanctuary there : but stones and timber were then beginning to be less held in veneration than formerly.

Some time thereafter, Iye Mackay having left his country and affairs under the management of his cousin, John-More Mackay, took his journey to Edinburgh, and gave himself up to the regent, to take his trial, in reference to any crimes that might be charged against him. It is said that she was much taken with his appearance, and felt inclined to befriend him. She had also many upright men of her council at that time, such as the Earls of Cassilis, Glencairn, and Argyle, Lord James Stuart, afterwards Earl of Murray, and others. It does not appear that he was brought to any trial, but kept in confinement for some time : which seems to imply a conviction on the part of the regent and her council, that he had been injured, and that the complaints brought against him, had been either groundless or greatly exaggerated : and perhaps his not answering the summons to Inverness, was found to be the greatest, or only crime of which he was guilty : while at the same time he had to plead in defence, that other circumstances, and not any contempt of authority, prevented him. Sir Robert himself does not allege that any thing farther was done to him than that "he remained in captivity a long space." pg. 128

Iye Mackay was then very powerful of himself, and was allied to the Earl of Caithness, having married his cousin, Christian Sinclair, daughter 'of William Sinclair, laird of Dun : and Sir Robert himself allows, that that - earl and he were on friendly terms. This goes far to disprove his statements, that the Mackays were quarrelsome or troublesome neighbours ;

Iye Mackay was twice married, first to his cousin, a daughter of Hugh Macleod of Assint, by whom he had two sons

• Donald Mackay of Scoury, and
• John-Beg Mackay

and secondly, to Christiain Sinclair, daughter of the laird of Dun, by whom he had two sons and three daughters." His sons were,

• Hugh, who succeeded him, and
• William of Bighouse ; his eldest daughter,
• Ellenora, married Donald-Bane Macleod, laird of Assint ;
• the second married Alexander Sutherland of Rerridale ; and
• the third married Alexander, chief of the clan Gun.

HISTORY THE HOUSE AND CLAN MACKAY...;ROBERT MACKAY; 1829.

============================================== THE PRINCIPAL BRANCH CONTINUED.

 Iye Mackay was twice married; lst, to his cousin, a daughter of Hugh Macleod, baron of Assint, by whom he had two sons,

• Donald Mackay of Scowry, and
• John-Beg ; he married, 2ndly, Christian, daughter of William Sinclair of Dun, by whom he had two sons,
• Hugh, who succeeded him, and
• William, ancestor of the family of Bighouse ; and three daughters,
• 1st, Ellenora, who married Donald-Bane Macleod, baron of ,Assint; the
• 2nd married Alexander Sutherland of Berridale ; and the
• 3d married Alexander, chieftain of the clan-Gun.

Pg. 562 HISTORY THE HOUSE AND CLAN MACKAY,BY ROBERT MACKAY, 1829

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Iye du was taken prisoner at the battle of Solway Moss (1542), and carried Mnto England, where he joined the party of Scots refugees and prisoners in favour of the marriage of the Prince of Wales to the infant Queen Mary. In pursuance of this object he took part in the attack upon the Regent Arrau at Glasgow in 1544, and assisted the English under Lord Grey ' in the capture and fortification of Haddington in 1548.

For so acting the Guise party took their revenge in 1551 by disinheriting him after his father's death, on the plea that said father died an intestate bastard and by giving at the same time the barony of Farr to the Bishop of Orkney. This plea was far from being true, but it served its purpose at the time. In 1554 the Earl of Sutherland, who was commissioned to raise levies in the north for the purpose, and with whom Kennedy of Girvanmains co-operated in command of a fleet
from Leith, captured Mackay, and sent him a prisoner to Dumbarton Oastle, where he lay for some months.

Shortly after the death of Darnley, Queen Mary bestowed the lands of Parr in heritage on the Earl of Huntly in 1567, to secure his much-needed support on the eve of her approaching marriage with Bothwell, and on 30 April 1570

Huntly disponed the lands of Farr (but reserved the superiority) to lye Mackay, who had sasine of the same 20 April 1571.

lye Du, who died toward the end of 1572, married Christina/ daughter of Sinclair of Dun, and had issue :

• 1. HUISTEAN Du, of whom follows.
• 2. William who had a charter of the lands of Bighouse 18 December 1598, married Isabella, daughter of Rorie Mackenzie of Ardfalie, with issue. He became progenitor of the Bighouse Mackays.
• 3. Eleanor, married to Donald Bane Macleod of Assynt.
• 4. Jane, married to Alexander Sutherland of Beridale.
• 5. Barbara, married to Alexander Macdavid, of the Clan Gunn, to whom she bore an elder son William Macalister, who succeeded to the lands of Killearnan 19 February 1614.

lye Du, before his marriage with Christina Sinclair, was united in wedlock to his first cousin Helen Macleod (see p. 162), but as this union was within the degree forbidden by canon law, and as he did not get a dispensation, theissue was not strictly legitimate. By her he had

• John Beg, killed at Durness 1579, and
• Donald Balloch Mackay, progenitor of the Scourie Mackays, who had a charter ' of the lands of Scourie, hereditarily from his brother Huistean Du, 31 December 1605, and married Euphemia, daughter of Hugh Munro of Assint, brother of Robert Munro of Fowlis, with issue.

Scottish Peerage pg.164-165

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lye Mackay died in November 15/2, as appears from a document among the Sutherland Papers, according to Mr Mackay of Blackcastle.

His first wife was his first cousin, Helen, daughter of Hugh Macleod of Assint, who bore him two sous. As the marriage of first cousins then required a dispensation of the Pope to make it legal, and as Mackay neglected to secure this, the children were debarred from the succession by canon law. The children of this marriage were :

• i. John Beg, who was killed in a skirmish at Bal naked, Durness, 1579.
• it. Donald Balloch, who became progenitor of the Scoury Mackays, and whose descendants are given in our account of that family.

The second wife of lye Du was Christian, daughter of John Sinclair of Dun, Caithness, by whom he had two sons and three daughters :

• i. Huistean Du, who succeeded his father, and of whom an account follows.
• iv. William of Bighouse, who became the progenitor of the Bighouse Mackays, and whose descendants are given in our account of that family.
• v. Eleanor, who married Donald Banc Macleod of Assint.
• vi. Jane, who married Alexander Sutherland of Berridale.
• vii. Barbara, who married Alexander Macdavid, chieftain of the clan Gunn. The eldest son of this marriage was William Macallister, chieftain of Gunn, who succeeded to the lands of Killernan 19th February, 1614, as is recorded in a document at Dunrobin of which an extract is given in the Blh. MS.

pg. 105-106 THE BOOK OF MACKAY BY ANGUS MACKAY, M.A. (St. Andrews University) Minister at Westerdale, Caithness EDINBURGH : NORMAN MACLEOD, -25 GEORGE IV. BRIDGE CANADA : EDWARD MACKAY, ST. PETER'S MANSE, MADOC, ONT. M DCCCC VI

Iye MacKay, 1500 - 1572 Iye MacKay 15001572 Iye MacKay was born in 1500, at birth place, to Donald MacKay and Lady Helen aka Elinor (true) MacKay of Strathnaver, 11th Chief Mackay (born Sinclair MacKay Baroness Ogilvy). Donald was born in 1490, in Strathnaver, Sutherland, Scotland. Lady was born in April 1495, in Newburgh, Foveran, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Iye had one sister: Florence MacKay. Iye married Helen (Iye Du MacKay's cousin) Mackay (12th of Strathnaver) (born MacLeod MacKay) in 1550, at age 50 at marriage place. Helen was born in January 1500, in Assynt, Sutherland, Scotland. They had 4 children: John Beg Mackay and 3 other children. Iye married Christian MACKAY (born Sinclair) at marriage place. Christian was born in 1534, in Assint, Ross And Cromarty, SCOTLAND. They had one son: Donald Balloch Mackay. Iye passed away in month 1572, at age 72 at death place.

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Iye Du Mackay, 12th of Strathnaver was the chief of the Clan Mackay, a Highland Scottish clan, from 1550 to 1572.[1]

Early life

Iye Du Mackay was the eldest son of Donald Mackay, 11th of Strathnaver, chief of Clan Mackay and Helen Sinclair, daughter of Alexander Sinclair of Stempster who was in turn the second son of William Sinclair, Earl of Caithness and chief of the Clan Sinclair.[2] Iye Du Mackay succeeded his father Donald who died towards the end of 1550.[2] Military career

Iye Du Mackay was taken prisoner by the English for having taken part in the Battle of Solway Moss in 1542.[1] However, Henry VIII of England was keen on a union between Scotland and England, by marrying his son Edward to the infant Mary, Queen of Scots. He treated the Scottish prisoners well and allowed them to return to Scotland without the usual ransom, on the condition that they supported his proposal, and if they did not support his proposal that they would return to England on parole.[1]

In 1544 Iye Du Mackay and nineteen of his followers took part in the Battle of Glasgow.[3] The Earl of Arran had been made Governor of Scotland but the earls of Glencairn, Angus and Lennox had formed a strong alliance which attacked Arran in 1544 at Glasgow Muir, but were defeated by Arran with considerable loss.[3] A letter of remission was granted to Mackay and nineteen of his followers.[3] Mackay then returned to England where he remained in the military service of the English for three years.[3]

It is certain that Mackay took part in the Siege of Haddington in 1548.[3] 17th century historian, Sir Robert Gordon, writes of Iye Du Mackay: "served divers tymes in wars upon the borders, against the English: in which service he behaved himself valiantly".[4] However, 19th century historian Angus Mackay states that records show that Iye Du Mackay actually fought for the English and not against them.[5]

Upon the death of his father Donald, Iye Du Mackay returned to Strathnaver to secure the estates, but for twenty years he had to fight against the combined power of George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly and John Gordon, 11th Earl of Sutherland, as he could get no legal title to his father’s lands.[5] In 1551 a Parliament took place in which both the Earl of Huntly and the Earl of Sutherland had their first innings against Iye Du Mackay, who had already made himself obnoxious to the party of Mary of Guise.[6] In 1552 Mary of Guise held a court at Inverness and invited Mackay, John MacDonald of Moidart and the Earl of Caithness, but all refused to appear.[6] According to historian Angus Mackay, Iye Du Mackay knew that attending would mean being clapped in irons and so wisely stayed at home.[6] In September 1553 a complaint was made to the Privy Council and Mackay and the Earl of Caithness were again summoned to Inverness to appear before the Earl of Huntly who was "Lieutenant General of these parts".[6] The Earl of Huntly failed to capture John of Moidart, and was put in prison by his opponents.[6] The Earl of Sutherland was empowered to apprehend Mackay and laid siege to him in Borve Castle.[6] The Earl of Sutherland was joined by Kennedy of Grivanmains who set sail from Leith in a ship called the Lion that was armed with cannon.[6] Iye Du Mackay, finding himself besieged by cannon both from land and sea, slipped away, leaving his cousin, Rory mac-Ean mor Mackay, in charge of the castle.[6] Borve Castle was ultimately broken and Iye Du Mackay was later captured and imprisoned in Dumbarton Castle from 1 February to 20 October 1555.[6] 17th century historian Sir Robert Gordon states that in Iye Du's absence his cousin, John Mor Mackay, entered into and spoiled Sutherland with the "best and most resolute" men of Strathnaver but were defeated at the Battle of Garbharry by the Clan Sutherland.[7]

On 5 October 1562 Mary, Queen of Scots granted full remission to Iye Du Mackay for having supported the English at Haddington in 1548.[8] On 28 October 1562 the Clan Mackay were amongst those who defeated the Earl of Huntly at the Battle of Corrichie.[8] Huntly was killed in battle and his son, Sir John Gordon, was captured and later executed in Aberdeen.[8] At the parliament held on 28 May 1563, the Earl of Sutherland, who had fled the country, was also condemned to death.[8] This sentence was reduced four years later, when he was allowed to return to Scotland.[8] Disputed lands

On 19 April 1567, Parliament ratified the gift from the queen to the newly restored George Gordon, 5th Earl of Huntly, Mackay's lands of Strathnaver.[9] Huntly later passed ownership of the lands to his cousin, the Earl of Sutherland.[9] It was claimed that Mackay's father, Donald, was a bastard, and he was consequently barred by law from inheriting his father’s estates.[10] Bastard or not, Donald Mackay had held the lands by a charter under the Great Seal that had been granted to him by James V of Scotland.[11] Finally on 29 July 1570 an agreement was made between Huntly, Sutherland and Mackay in which Huntly would alienate the Strathnaver lands to Mackay for 3000 merks but would keep the feudal superiority.[12] Huntly later disponed the superiority over to the Earl of Sutherland.[12] However, by 20 April 1571 Mackay had sasine of the lands of Strathnaver by charter.[12] Later feuds

During the years 1570 – 1571 the Gordon Earl of Huntly with the assistance of his cousin, the Gordon Earl of Sutherland assailed the Clan Forbes in Aberdeen with much success.[13] However, in the meantime Mackay and the Earl of Caithness swept into Sutherland taking and occupying Dunrobin Castle with many of the Earl of Sutherland’s followers failing to oppose them: Murray of Aberscross fled to Strathbogie (Huntly), Gordon of Drummuie to Orkney and Gray of Skibo Castle to St Andrews.[13] Family

Iye Du Mackay died in November 1572.[14] He had married firstly his cousin Helen, daughter of Hugh MacLeod of Assint.[14] However, as he and his wife were first cousins, their children would be barred by canon law from succeeding their father. They had two sons:

   John Beg Mackay. (Killed in a skirmish in 1579 at Balnakeil, parish of Durness).[14]

   Donald Balloch Mackay (Progenitor of the Mackay of Scoury branch of the clan.[14] He fought at the Battle of Clynetradwell in 1590 and was ancestor of the famous General Hugh Mackay of Scoury).

Iye Du Mackay married secondly, Christian, daughter of John Sinclair of Duns, Caithness.[14] They had two sons and three daughters:

   Huistean Du Mackay, 13th of Strathnaver, who succeeded his father.[14]

   William Mackay, 1st of Bighouse. (Progenitor of the Mackay of Bighouse branch of the clan).[14]

   Eleanor Mackay, who married Donald Bane MacLeod of Assint.[14]

   Jane Mackay, who married Alexander Sutherland of Berriedale.[14]

   Barbara Mackay, who married Alexander Macdavid, chieftain of the Clan Gunn.[14]

See also

   Chiefs of Clan Mackay

   Clan Mackay

   Earl of Huntly

   Clan Gordon

   Earl of Sutherland

   Clan Sutherland

   Earl of Caithness

   Clan Sinclair

References

   Mackay, Angus. (1906). pp. 94.

   Mackay, Angus. (1906). pp. 93.

   Mackay, Angus. (1906). pp. 95.

   Mackay, Angus. (1906). pp. 96. Quoting: Gordon, Sir Robert. (1580 – 1657). A Genealogical History of the Earldom of Sutherland. Originally written in 1630, republished in 1813. pp. 136

   Mackay, Angus. (1906). pp. 96.

   Mackay, Angus. (1906). pp. 96 - 98.

   Mackay, Angus. (1906). pp. 99. Quoting: Gordon, Sir Robert. (1580 - 1657). A Genealogical History of the Earldom of Sutherland.

   Mackay, Angus. (1906). pp. 100.

   Mackay, Angus. (1906). pp. 101.

   Mackay, Angus. (1906). pp. 101 - 102.

   Mackay, Angus. (1906). pp. 102.

   Mackay, Angus. (1906). pp. 103.

   Mackay, Angus. (1906). pp. 104 - 105.

   Mackay, Angus. (1906). pp. 105 - 106.

Bibliography

   Gordon, Sir Robert. (1580 - 1657). A Genealogical History of the Earldom of Sutherland. Originally written in 1630, republished in 1813.

   Mackay, Angus. (1906). The Book of Mackay. (St Andrew’s University). Printed by William Rae, Wick.

http://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Iye%20Du%20Mackay,%2012th%2...

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• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Apr 15 2017, 1:11:22 UTC

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https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mackay-563

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Life Sketch

The Book of Mackays, pg 105: "We conclude that Mackay [Iye] was a man of more than ordinary strength and of iron endurance, for two years before the close of his life, and when an old man, he was overtaken by a snowstorm of such severity, while crossing the Crask in the dead of winter, that 18 of his company perished and only two or three of the stoutest managed to push on along with him. This was more than an ordinary feat for a man of about 70 years of age."

Blackcastle Manuscript pg 32 states: "Hugh Mackay of Strathnaver, who as we have already mentioned was taken prisoner at Solway Moss. He remained in the hands of the English till the end of that year, when upon the death of King James V and a proposal having been made for unitiing the two kingdoms by marrying Queen Mary to Edward Prince of Wales, the Nobles and heads of Clans then prisoners in England, on promising to forward the measure were sumptuously entertained by King Henry VIII the third day of Christmas 1542 and released without ransom money...They took to arms and falling in with the Regent, attacked him [Mackay] on Glasgow muir in 1544, when Mackay and 'Nineteen of his men were made prisoners.' He soon thereafter made his escape and retired to England where he remained till 1547 when he accompanied the English Army that marched for Scotland..." [Reg. Secreti Sigilli Lib xxvii fol. 24.]

Blackcastle Manuscript Pg 36 states: "Huntly first applied to the Queen at Stirling and got a Gift from her Majesty in December 1566 of Mackay's whole lands, on the allegation of his illegitimacy...The Chancellor at this time, 19th April 1567, produced the Queen's Gift of Mackay's lands and had it ratified by Parliament and the Lands bestowed on himself. [Records of Parliament A.D. 1567.]..on the Journals: '26th December 1567. Item be quhat means may all Scotland be brocht to universal obedience and how may Mcky be dantonit.'...Huntly...seeing that he was not to be supported by Parliament, agreed to resign the whole lands ....in favour of Mackay and his heirs upon receiving a small fine." [The sum he received was only L2000 Scots - a sum so small in comparison to the value of the Lands that probably it was only the amount of the expenses incurred.]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iye_Du_Mackay,_12th_of_Strathnaver