History Of The Mackenzies [132]
his side in a level country. He therefore moved rapidly up through the valley of Strathglass, crossed to Loch-Ness, and passed through Stratherrick in the direction of the river Spey. Meanwhile Middleton advanced to Fortrose and laid siege to the castle, which was at the time under the charge of Lady Seaforth. She surrendered after a siege of four days; and having removed a considerable quantity of stores and ammunition, sent by Queen Henrietta for the use of Montrose on his arrival there, Middleton gave the Countess, whom he treated with the greatest civility and respect, possession of the stronghold.
The Committee on Public Affairs, which, throughout the contest, acted in opposition to the Royal authority, and held sederunts at Aberdeen and Dundee as well as at Edinburgh, gratified their malignity, after Montrose gave up the fight in 1646, by fining the loyalists in enormous amounts of money, and decerning them to "lend" to the committee such sums--in many cases exorbitant--as they thought proper. Sir Robert Farquhar, formerly a Bailie of Aberdeen, was treasurer, and in the sederunt held in that city, the committee threw a comprehensive net over the clan Mackenzie. Sixteen of the name were decerned to lend the large sum of ?8,666 13s 4d Scots; but from the other side of the balance sheet it is found that they declined to lend a penny; and Sir Robert credits himself as treasurer thus:--"Item of the loan moneys above set down there is yet resting unpaid, and wherefore no payment can be gotten, as follows--viz.--Be the name of Mackenzie, sixteen persons, the sum of ?8,666 13s 4d Scots." The following are the names and sums decerned against each of them:--Thomas Mackenzie of Pluscardine, ?000; Alexander Mackenzie of Kilcoy, ?000; Roderick Mackenzie of Redcastle, ?000; Alexander Mackenzie of Coul, ?000; Kenneth Mackenzie of Gairloch, ?333 6s 8d; Hector Mackenzie of Scotsburn, ?000; Roderick Mackenzie of Davochmaluag, ?333 6s 8d; John Mackenzie of Dawach-Cairn, ?333 6s 8d; William Mackenzie of Multavie, ?000; Kenneth Mackenzie of Scatwell, ?000; Thomas Mackenzie of Inverlael, ?333 6s 8d; Colin Mackenzie of Mullochie, ?66 13s 4d; Donald Mackenzie of Logie, ?66 13s 4d; Kenneth Mackenzie of Assint, ?000; Colin Mackenzie of Kincraig, ?000; Alexander Mackenzie of Suddie, ?000. Among the other sums decerned is one of ?666 13s 4d against William Robertson in Kindeace, and his son Gilbert Robertson," and in Inverness and Ross the loan amounted to the respectable sum of ?4,783 6s 8d, of which the treasurer was allowed to retain ?5,000 in his own hands. The sum, with large amounts of disbursements by the committee, show that they were more fortunate with others than with the Clan Mackenzie. [Antiquarian Notes, pp. 307-308-309.]
The Earl of Seaforth taking advantage of being on opposite sides to the Earl of Sutherland, now asserted some old claims against Donald Ban Mor Macleod, IX. of Assynt, a follower of the house of Sutherland, who afterwards became notorious as the captor of the great Montrose himself. In May, 1646, Mackenzie laid siege to his castle, on the Isle of Assynt.
A document written by a friend of the family of Assynt, in 1738, for Norman Macleod, XIX. of Macleod, who, in that year, in virtue of a disposition of all his estates made by Neil Macleod of Assynt to John Breac Macleod, XVI. of Macleod, dated the 24th of November, 1681, commenced a process against Mackenzie, gives a most interesting account of the proceedings, from the Macleod point of view, by which Seaforth obtained possession of the lands of Assynt. This document or "Information" came into the possession of Simon Lord Lovat, with whose papers it found its way to the Rev. Donald Fraser, minister of Killearnan, and is now the property of that gentleman's grandson, the Rev. Hector Fraser, Halkirk. It was read by Mr William Mackay, solicitor, Inverness, before the Gaelic Society there on the 19th of March, 1890, and is published at length in their Transactions for that year, vol. XVI. pp. 197-207.
The Committee on Public Affairs, which, throughout the contest, acted in opposition to the Royal authority, and held sederunts at Aberdeen and Dundee as well as at Edinburgh, gratified their malignity, after Montrose gave up the fight in 1646, by fining the loyalists in enormous amounts of money, and decerning them to "lend" to the committee such sums--in many cases exorbitant--as they thought proper. Sir Robert Farquhar, formerly a Bailie of Aberdeen, was treasurer, and in the sederunt held in that city, the committee threw a comprehensive net over the clan Mackenzie. Sixteen of the name were decerned to lend the large sum of ?8,666 13s 4d Scots; but from the other side of the balance sheet it is found that they declined to lend a penny; and Sir Robert credits himself as treasurer thus:--"Item of the loan moneys above set down there is yet resting unpaid, and wherefore no payment can be gotten, as follows--viz.--Be the name of Mackenzie, sixteen persons, the sum of ?8,666 13s 4d Scots." The following are the names and sums decerned against each of them:--Thomas Mackenzie of Pluscardine, ?000; Alexander Mackenzie of Kilcoy, ?000; Roderick Mackenzie of Redcastle, ?000; Alexander Mackenzie of Coul, ?000; Kenneth Mackenzie of Gairloch, ?333 6s 8d; Hector Mackenzie of Scotsburn, ?000; Roderick Mackenzie of Davochmaluag, ?333 6s 8d; John Mackenzie of Dawach-Cairn, ?333 6s 8d; William Mackenzie of Multavie, ?000; Kenneth Mackenzie of Scatwell, ?000; Thomas Mackenzie of Inverlael, ?333 6s 8d; Colin Mackenzie of Mullochie, ?66 13s 4d; Donald Mackenzie of Logie, ?66 13s 4d; Kenneth Mackenzie of Assint, ?000; Colin Mackenzie of Kincraig, ?000; Alexander Mackenzie of Suddie, ?000. Among the other sums decerned is one of ?666 13s 4d against William Robertson in Kindeace, and his son Gilbert Robertson," and in Inverness and Ross the loan amounted to the respectable sum of ?4,783 6s 8d, of which the treasurer was allowed to retain ?5,000 in his own hands. The sum, with large amounts of disbursements by the committee, show that they were more fortunate with others than with the Clan Mackenzie. [Antiquarian Notes, pp. 307-308-309.]
The Earl of Seaforth taking advantage of being on opposite sides to the Earl of Sutherland, now asserted some old claims against Donald Ban Mor Macleod, IX. of Assynt, a follower of the house of Sutherland, who afterwards became notorious as the captor of the great Montrose himself. In May, 1646, Mackenzie laid siege to his castle, on the Isle of Assynt.
A document written by a friend of the family of Assynt, in 1738, for Norman Macleod, XIX. of Macleod, who, in that year, in virtue of a disposition of all his estates made by Neil Macleod of Assynt to John Breac Macleod, XVI. of Macleod, dated the 24th of November, 1681, commenced a process against Mackenzie, gives a most interesting account of the proceedings, from the Macleod point of view, by which Seaforth obtained possession of the lands of Assynt. This document or "Information" came into the possession of Simon Lord Lovat, with whose papers it found its way to the Rev. Donald Fraser, minister of Killearnan, and is now the property of that gentleman's grandson, the Rev. Hector Fraser, Halkirk. It was read by Mr William Mackay, solicitor, Inverness, before the Gaelic Society there on the 19th of March, 1890, and is published at length in their Transactions for that year, vol. XVI. pp. 197-207.