Celestine Macdonald of Lochalsh

By another marriage with a daughter of Macphee of Lochaber [5], Alexander MacDonald, Lord of the Isles, Earl of Ross (d 1449) had : —

2. Celestine of Lochalsh. His father bestowed upon him the lands of Lochalsh, Lochcarron, and Lochbroom, in Wester Ross. His brother John confirmed him in these lands in 1463, and added others in Sutherland. This grant was afterwards confirmed by King James in. Celestine, who was Sheriff of Inverness and Keeper of Redcastle, died in 1476.

Series 4 > Acts of the lords of the Isles, 1336-1493 (1986) page 303 <link>

2. Celestine. Called Celestinus in Latin charters, otherwise Gillespie or Archibald (ER, vi, 124; vii, 417; C, 211; HP, i, 53n); MacVurich says his mother was a daughter of Macphee of Lochaber (C, 213), while Sleat seanachie mistakenly calls him earl John’s ‘base son by Macduffie of Colonsay’s daughter’ (S, 47, 53-54); presumably of age when named ‘Celestine de Insulis our natural son’ in father’s charter of 13 Nov. 1447 (no.47; for use of‘naturalis’ and ‘carnalis’ not implying illegitimacy, see William Hay’s Lectures on Marriage, ed. J. C. Barry, 235, and Sellar ‘ Marriage ’, 464-5); he must have been older than his half-brother John, and probably also senior to Hugh of Sleat, being named first when the two brothers witness John’s charters in 1466 and 1470 (nos.73, 98). Celestine received the lands of Lochalsh, Lochcarron, etc., presumably from his father as earl of Ross (S, 54), and was designated ‘of Lochalsh’ by 1457 (no. 128)

Series 4 > Acts of the lords of the Isles, 1336-1493 (1986) page 305 <Link>

Celestine married Finvola daughter of Lachlan MacLean of Duart, although within the forbidden degrees of affinity and consanguinity, and later had papal dispensation in 1454 (nos.B40, 76, 80, 82; Macfarlane, Gen. Coll., i, 127); but according to one tradition ‘he got Alexander by his father’s brother’s daughter, and finding no clergyman to marry them, he cohabited with her all his lifetime against the consent of all his friends’ (S, 54).

Issue:

3. Alexander. Led expeditions into Ross in 1490s, including battles of Park and Drumchatt (Gregory, History, 55-57, 59, 92), apparently in an attempt to secure the earldom (C, 113; S, 54-56); associated with uncle John, lord of the Isles, in 1492 charter to John MacLean of Lochbuie, styling himself lord of Lochalsh and also of Lochiel (nos.123, 124); appears to have been knighted and given a promise by the king about the liberties of all free tenants of the lordship of the Isles (ADC, i, 359; nos.A54, A55); killed at Oronsay 14 October 1494, when Irish chronicles call him ‘fer inaid MicDomnaill’ or deputy of MacDonald (AU, iii, 343; AFM, ii, 1213; C, 165; Gregory, History, 92-93). Alexander may have married a daughter of the earl of Moray (C, 165), but Donald Gallda and three daughters are said to be by marriage with a daughter of Hugh Fraser, lord Lovat (S, 54, 64).

Acts of the lords of the Isles, 1336-1493 Page 307. <link>

10. Finvola. Had papal dispensation granted in 1465 (No. B42) to marry Kennacius Alexandri Kennaci, for whom see Kenneth MacKenzie of Kintail, page 244 in app. C. <link>

11. Marcella. Had papal dispensation (no.B41) on the same day as her sister to marry Rodericus Macloide, for whom see Roderick MacLeod of Lewis in app. C. page 244 in app. C. <link> See also note 23 below.

12. Name uncertain (CD, iii, 465 calls her Margaret), married Ewen MacAllan Alanson of Lochiel, captain of clan Cameron, whose mother Mariota was daughter of Angus of the clan Ranald ofLochaber (see table 3/31, and app. C).

13. Margaret. Sister of Sir Alexander, stated in 1507 to be subject to Donald Makcarle Maclauchlane Doue, who assisted Torquil MacLeod of Lewis in rebellion (RSS, i, 1532); but cf. note 9 above.

Celestine is also said to have had two other daughters, one married to Chisholm of Strathglass, and the other to Robert, son of the earl of Sutherland (S, 54).

comments

Date and place of death have also been erroneously reported to be 1478 at an unspecified location.

• Series 4 > Acts of the lords of the Isles, 1336-1493 (1986) page 304-307. <Link>. page 244 in app. C. <link>
• Paul, James Balfour, Sir, 1846-1931 : The Scots Peerage : Founded On Wood's Ed. Of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage Of Scotland; Containing An Historical And Genealogical Account Of The Nobility Of That Kingdom : Free Download, Borrow, And Streaming : Internet Archive". 2021. Internet Archive.>Celestine MacDonald, Vol V, pg 44. <Archive.Org>
• 5 MacVurich in Book of Clanranald.
• 6. Acts and Decrects, ccccxxxviii. ff. 188-190; cf. Origines Parochiales, ii. part 2.
• https://www.stirnet.com/genie/data/british/mac/macdonald01.php#link3
• Reference: WikiTree Genealogy - SmartCopy: Jul 18 2017, 22:26:36 UTC