Tormod / Norman MacLeod, 2nd Chief

Extensive citations at http://macleodgenealogy.com/ACMS/D0021/I1.html and http://macleodgenealogy.com/ACMS/D0022/I2.html

http://www.thepeerage.com/p64457.htm#i644563

Information from the Bannatyne MS is not reliable; it is very late, dating from the early 19th century, is the only source for children that should otherwise have been included in earlier sources, and ignores known children. According to the BANNATYNE MANUSCRIPT, this family is descended from Murdo, the third son of Malcolm, the 3rd Chief of the MacLeods of Harris. "He received as his patrimony the MacLeod half of Glenelg, which his family held for generations. The race became known as the MacLeods of Gesto, and the "head of the family was always known as Mac vic Tormod".

We are fortunate to possess the Gesto pedigree compiled by Captain Neil MacLeod (c. 1754-1836), the last of the family to hold the ancestral tack, and he had apparently received it from the family bard. A cursory glance at the document leaves no doubt that it is far from complete. At least 4 members of Captain Neil MacLeod's ancestors are omitted. Murdo, the progenitor of the Clann mac mhic Tharmaid must have been born about 1332. Captain Neil MacLeod of Gesto was born about 1754. Between these dates there is a span of some 422 years, and if we represent a generation on the average as 32 years, there should be 14 and not 11 "mac mhic Tharmaids' in the pedigree list.

The BANNATYNE MANUSCRIPT gives a good clue that the first blunder in the genealogy occurred at the very beginning. The MANUSCRIPT states quite clearly that Tarmad Caol, a notable warrior in his day, was the son of Murdo MacLeod the progenitor of the family. Yet he is strangely omitted from the Gesto pedigree, where he has obviously been confused with Tormod, the 2nd Chief of the Clan MacLeod. It will be noted that Tormod in the Gesto pedigree had a son Malcolm, who is also presumed to be the Chief of the Clan.

We know that Malcolm the 3rd Chief was married (1) to a daughter of Sir Neil Campbell of Loch Awe and (2) to Martha, daughter of Donald, Earl of Mar. Yet Malcolm, who appears in the Gesto pedigree married a daughter of Gillies, a great Skye chief. This proves that he was not Malcolm, the Clan Chief, but a member of the Clann mhic Tharmaid or Gesto family. Malcolm, in turn had a son, Murdo, whom the Gesto pedigrees assumes to be the progenitor of the race. Our previous deductions make this impossible for he was a son of Malcolm 3rd of the Clann mac mhic Tharmaid. Instead of being Murdo 1st, he would be Murdo 4th. His pedigree should read as follows: Murdo son of Malcolm son of Norman son of Murdo son of Malcolm 3rd Chief son of Norman 2nd Chief. Here the first group of three names is identical with the second group of three names, which probably led to the confusion of the early members of the Clannmhic Tharmaid with the chiefs of the Clan MacLeod as shown in the Gesto Pedigree of Captain Neil MacLeod. The discovery of these early missing members of the Clann mac mhic Tharmaid will go far to enable us to compile a full pedigree of this ancient race.

1. Murdo MacLeod (c. 1332 - c. ) Murdo was the third son of Malcolm 3rd Chief of the Clan MacLeod of Harris, probably by the daughter of Sir Neil Campbell of Loch Awe. He was granted the MacLeod half of Glenelg, which his father had secured by Royal Charter in 1342, although the area had been possessed by the MacLeods for generations. Murdo was married and had issue, Tarmad Caol (Norman, the slender), who succeeded him.

Family 1:

1.Norman MACLEOD(II of Gesto) BIRTH: ABT 1364

http://www.linneberg.com/skye/gesto.html

http://www.clanmacfarlanegenealogy.info/genealogy/TNGWebsite/getper...

Tormod (Norman) MacLeod, 1st of Dunvegan, 2nd Chief[1, 2, 3]

1250 - 1280

   Suffix  	1st of Dunvegan, 2nd Chief 

   Birth  	1250  [1, 4] 

   Gender  	Male 

   Died  	Bef 1280  	Pabbay Castle, Pabbay, Scotland Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2, 4] 

   Alt. Death  	1320  	Pabbay Castle, Pabbay, Scotland Find all individuals with events at this location  [4] 

   Name  	Tormod MacLeod  [2, 4] 

   Buried  	Isle Of Iona, Kilfinichen & Kilvickeon, Argyllshire, Scotland Find all individuals with events at this location  [3] 

Father Leod Olafson, of Harris and Man, 1st Chief, b. Abt 1200

   Mother  	dau. (NicArmuin) MacRaild 

Family 1 Fionghuala MacCrotan

   Married  	Abt 1220  [1, 2, 3] 

   Children  	

   >	1. Gilliecoluim (Malcolm) MacLeod, 3rd of Dunvegan, 3rd Chief, b. 1296

   >	2. Murchadh (Murdoch ) MacLeod, 1st of Lewis, b. Bef 1343

Family 2 Christina Fraser

   Married  	Y  [2, 3, 4] 

   Children  	

    	1. Leod MacLeod

    	2. Godfrey MacLeod

Sources

       [S67] Macdonald genealogy, Roddy Macdonald of the Clan Donald Society of Edinburgh, (http://www.clandonald.org.uk/genealogy.htm), genealogy/d0001/g0000055.html#I1246 (Reliability: 3)

[S6] Stirnet Genealogy, Peter Barns-Graham, MacLeod01 (Reliability: 3)
[S88] MacLeod genealogy, ("!SOURCE: THE ASSOCIATED CLAN MACLEOD SOCIETIES GENEALOGICAL RESOURCES, The Associated Clan MacLeod Societies, Edinburgh, Scotland, 2000."), http://www.macleodgenealogy.org/ACMS/D0022/I2.html (Reliability: 3)
[S67] Macdonald genealogy, Roddy Macdonald of the Clan Donald Society of Edinburgh, (http://www.clandonald.org.uk/genealogy.htm), genealogy/d0006/g0000054.html#I1244 (Reliability: 3)
[S12] Burkes Peerage 107th Ed, (107th Edition pub 2003/4), 2 - MacLeod of the Lewes p2530 (Reliability: 3)
== Sources ==

• * W. D. H. Sellar, "Ancestry of the MacLeods Reconsidered" in Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness, Vol. LV, 1997-1998, The Gaelic Society of Inverness, 2000, pp. 233-258.