Neil Neilson Mackay, II

Neil Neilson also married a daughter of the said Angus Moray, and obtained from King James I. in 1430 a charter of the lands of Creich, Gairloch, etc., escheated from his deceased brother, Thomas. The sons of Neil Neilson were :—John Bain who settled in Caithness and became the progenitor of the Bains in that county ; Angus progenitor of the Siol-Angus ; and Paul who became progenitor of the Poisons and some MacPhails.

In connection with the signature of a Hugh Poison to a grant of the lands of Thorboll. dated 1472, it is suggested in the Origines Parochiales Scotia?, Vol. II., part ii., p. 686, that the Poisons were descended of a Paul Mactyre who flourished in Creich about a hundred years before that. This suggestion has been accepted n., no. 538. by many, but we dispute it. The surname Mactyre continued in use by the family in 1472 and after it. A William McTeyr protested that he was not bound to give attendance at the head courts for the lands of Achnaplad, on 27th Feb. 1483. Achnaplad Ave take to be Plads near Dornoch. Marsella McTyre had sasine of the lands of Inverathy, as heir to her father, William Maktyre, on 6th July 1489.

Not only do we maintain that the Poisons are descended of MacKay, but we also maintain that a section at least of the MacPhails sprang from the same root. A cursory examination of the list of tenants on the Reay estates about 1678, printed in our Appendix, will show what a number of MacPhauls there were among them. pg 50-51

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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"Angus Murray, for the performance of his engaged promise made to Niel and Morgan, gave them his two daughters in marriage; then gathering a company of Sutherland-men, with Earl Robert his attollerance, he went on with these two brethren into Strathnaver, to invade the same. Angus-Dow Mackay hearing of their approach, convened llis countrymen, aud because he was unable himself in person to resist his enemies, he made his son, John Aberigh, commander of his host. When they were ready to encounter, some two miles from Tongue, at a place called Drum-ne-coub, Angus-Dow Mackay sent message unto his cousin-germans, Niel and Morgan, offering them all his lands and possessions, except that which is called Kintail in Strathnaver; which offer they did refuse, whereupon there ensued a cruel and sharp conflict, valiantly fought a long time with great slaughter on either side; Niel and Morgan trusting to their forces, John Aberigh reposing his confidence in the equity of his cause, encouraged his men to assault their enemies afresh, who, with the like manhood, made stout resistance ; by reason whereof there ensued such a cruel fight between them, that there remained, in the end, very few alive on either side. John Aberigh seemed to have the victory, because he escaped with his life, yet very sore wounded, and mutilate by the loss of one of his arms. His father, Angus-Dow Mackay, being carried thither to view the place of the conflict, and searching for the corpse of his unkind cousins, was there slain with an arrow, after the conflict, by a Sutherland-man that was lurking in a bush hard by. Niel and Morgan, with their father-in-law Angus Murray, were slain ; and as they had undertaken this enterprise upon an evil ground, so they perished therein accordingly." pg. 66-7 HISTORY THE HOUSE AND CLAN MACKAY,BY ROBERT MACKAY, 1829

This writer proceeds, In this Earl of Sutherland his time, the cruel conflict of Drumnacoub was fought, in the year I427, or, as some do write, 1429. Niel Mackay, who assisted to fight the battle of Tuttim-Tarwach, had three sons, as I have already shewn,

• Thomas,
• Morgan, and
• Niel.

Thomas MacNiel, that is, the son of Niel, possessed the lands of Creich, Spanizcdale, and Palrossie in Suthwland. pg. 58

Neil Mackay , slain at Drimnacoub, says Sir Robert, had three sons,

• Angus,
  
• John Bain], and
  
• Paul
  

From Agnus the MackNeils in Sutherland are descended : but that distinctive name, is now lost in that of Mackay.

John Bain, or fair, was ancestor of the Bains of Caithness, who multiplied, and held lands there for some centuries; and many of them retain the name to the present day, both in Caithness and the Reay country; only that in the latter district they are Bain alias Mackay; and such of them as leave the country, take the name Mackay alone.

Another branch of these Bains flourished long in Ross, and there were of the in Lairds and Knights of Tulloch, until they were in the last century succeeded by the Davidsons.

From Paul, the MacPhails and Polsons are sprung, many of whom are still in these northern counties.

They appear to have originated in Ross, where Paul obtained the lands of his uncle Thomas, from Alexander of the Isles, as before noticed; and which afterwards fell to the Grays by marriage, who were descended from a second son of Lord Gray of Foulis, named John ; who having killed the constable of Dundee about the year 1456, for some 17iolence done to Lord Gray, had fled to Ross for his safety. sons also had lands in Sutherland. 73-74 HISTORY THE HOUSE AND CLAN MACKAY,BY ROBERT MACKAY, 1829

  This [Donald Mackay, of Skinit & Ribigill Donald] had three sons, 

• Angus, who succeeded him, and
  
• Hugh and
  
• Niel who fought the bloody battle of Tuttim-Tarwagh. Niel, the son of Donald, had three sons
  

• lst, Thomas Mackay of Spinnidale, Creigh, Pulrossie,&c. who was ancestor of the Shil-Thomas Mackays
  
• 2nd, Morgan ; and
  
• 3d, Niel. This Niel had three sons,
  

• 1st, Angus, of whom the Slighd-Angus Mackays descended;
  
• 2nd, John Bain or Fair, ancestor of the Bains or Baynes of Caithness, Ross, &c.; he has also been listed as a son of Niel-Wass Mackay
  
• 3d Paul, ancestor of the Shil-Phaul or Macphauls, and Polsons. The branches, Shil-Thomas, Shil-Niel, Slighd-Angus, and Shil-Phaul, multiplied chiefly in Sutherland pg. 558 THE HOUSE AND CLAN MACKAY
  

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1. Donald, murdered at Dingwall along with his father [Iye], left issue :

• (4) Neil, who had a son
  

• Neil , whose son
  

• Paul became progenitor of the Poison Mackays.
  

Scottish Peerage Vol. 7 pg. 159