Malise mac Gilleain, 2nd Chief of Clan Maclean

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malise_mac_Gilleain

Malise mac Gilleain (circa 1250 - 1300) was the second chief of Clan Maclean. He was loyal to Alexander III of Scotland and assisted in the expulsion of Haakon IV of Norway from Scotland.

He was the son of Gillean of the Battle Axe, and was variously called Maoliosa, or Maol-Iosa, or Gille-Iosa, which means the servant of Jesus.

From the Norwegian account Alexander III of Scotland sent an ambassador to Haakon IV of Norway, demanding that he give up the territories in the Hebrides, which Magnus III of Norway had unjustly wrested from Malcolm IV of Scotland. Haakon IV of Norway refused and then the ambassador offered to purchase the territory and this was also refused. In 1263, Haakon IV of Norway assembled an expeditionary force, declaring the expedition was intended against that part of Scotland which bordered the western seas, and the object was to revenge certain inroads made by the Scotch into his dominions. The expedition was commanded by Haakon IV of Norway in person. The armament is described as mighty and splendid; the ships being many, large, and well-appointed. When the expedition arrived at the island of Kerrera, it was joined by King Dugal, predecessor of the MacDougalls of Dunolly, with other Hebrideans. This increased the armament to one hundred vessels, for the most part large, and well provided with both men and arms. There the forces were divided, fifty ships being sent south to the Mull of Kintyre to plunder. Haakon IV of Norway then sailed south to Gigha, where he anchored, but soon after proceeded to the Mull of Kintyre. The Norwegians committed great depredations, both in the islands and on the mainland. The Scottish monarch, however, was not idle. He assembled his forces, and proceeded against the invaders. The two armies met at Largs, on the coast of Ayrshire, on October 2, 1263. The Norwegian army, although very large, could not all be brought into action, because a violent tempest arose, which prevented the greater part of the army from being brought ashore. In the Scottish army was a body of fifteen hundred horsemen, mounted on Spanish horses, armed, both horse and man, from head to heel, in complete mail. The foot soldiers were well-accoutered, and in addition to the long spears of the Saxons, they carried the Norman bow. This memorable engagement was commenced by the Scots. The right wing, composed of the men of Argyle, Lennox, Athole, and Galloway, was commanded by Alexander Stewart, 4th High Steward of Scotland, while Patrick III, Earl of Dunbar, commanded the left, composed of the men of Fife, Stirling, Berwick, and Lothian. The king, in person, commanded the center, which was composed of the men from Ross, Perth, Angus, Mar, Mearns, Moray, Inverness, and Caithness. Haco also commanded his center, which brought the kings close together in combat. The High Steward turned the enemy's left, and by an adroit maneuver wheeled back on the rear of Haakon IV of Norway's center, which forced Haakon to retreat from the field, leaving from sixteen to twenty-four thousand of his men on the field, while the Scottish loss did not exceed five thousand. Malise son of Gilleain, must have performed prodigies of valor in this action, for he has received honorable mention.

He died in the year 1300, and was succeeded by his son, Malcolm Maclean, 3rd Clan Chief.

Information added to Geni by; HRH Prince Kieren de Muire von Drakenberg

He was the the first known owner of the land which contained Blairhoyle (previously Leitchtown) and Leckie in Stirlingshire, near Gargunnock, and dating from the 13th century.

He is said to have been a certain "Malise de Leggie", who acquired the land during the invasion of Edward I of England in to Scotland in 1296, but he is a rather mythical personage, and besides, at that period, owners more usually took their surname from the lands than the lands from their owners. [1]

In this case the town and the land seems to have taken its name from the very old family name, le leche, or using old Scots Phonetic spelling "le Leckie"/"le leggie".

The lands of Leckie were Crown property till the reign of Robert the Bruce, who granted the west half nearest Boquhan, to Malcolm, fifth Earl of Lennox, in recompense for the lordship of a carcucate, or ploughland, of Cardross, in Dumbartonshire, where the King erected a castle in which he died in 1329. The terms of the original charter of Wester Leckie are repeated in a charter granted by David II in favour of Malcolm, son of Duncan, and grandson of Murdoch, who was second son of Corc, one of the younger sons of Alwyn, second Earl of Lennox. This charter, dated 31st March 1352, narrates the excambion above referred to, and states that the lands were surrendered by Donald, Earl of Lennox.

[1] The Lairds of Leckie, by W. B. Cook Reprinted from the Stirling Sentinel Stirling Cook & Wylie, 9 Barnton Street