History Of The Mackenzies [195]
He has been already noticed at considerable length at pp. 113 to 132 in his capacity as Tutor or Guardian to his nephew, John of Killin, IX. of Kintail, but he played such a prominent part in the history of his time that it will be necessary to give his history at much greater length under this head. It has been conclusively shown that Kenneth a' Bhlair, VII. of Kintail, died in 1491, and that his only son by his first wife, Kenneth Og, killed in thc Torwood by the Laird of Buchanan in 1497, outlived his father and became one of the Barons of Kintail, although there is no record of his having been served heir to the family estates. It has been said that Duncan of Hilton, Kenneth a Bhlair's eldest brother, predeceased him, and that consequently Hector Roy succeeded, as a matter of course to the legal guardianship of his nephew, Kenneth Og, VIII. of Kintail, he being the eldest surviving brother of the late Chief, who died in 1491. But this has not been sufficiently established, although it is quite true that Duncan's name does not appear after his brother's death in 1491, in any of the manuscript histories of the clan, or in any known official document. The author of the Ardintoul MS. states distinctly that Duncan was dead, and that Hector, John of Kuhn's younger uncle, "meddled with the estate." The Earl of Cromarty says that "Hector Roy, being a man of courage and prudence, was left Tutor by his brother to Sir Kenneth, his own brother-uterine, Duncan being of better hands than head. This Hector, hearing of Sir Kenneth's death, and finding himself in possession of an estate, to which those only now had title whose birthright was debateable, namely, the children begot by Kenneth the third, on the Lord Lovat's daughter, with whom he did at first so irregularly and unlawfully cohabit." The objection of illegitimacy could not apply to Duncan, or to his son Allan, and it is difficult to understand on what ground hector attempted to obtain personal possession of the estates, unless it be true, as confirmed to some extent hereafter, that he was himself joint-heir of Kintail; for it is undoubted that Allan, Duncan's eldest son, who was entitled to succeed before Hector, was then alive. There is no official evidence that Hector Roy was at any time appointed Tutor to John of Kuhn until an arrangement was made between themselves, in terms of which Hector was to act as such, and to keep the estates in his own bands until his nephew came of age.
There is no doubt that Hector was in possession of extensive estates of his own at this period. When the Lords of the Association, a factious party of the nobility, took up arms against James III., Alexander of Kintail despatched his sons, Kenneth and Hector, with a retinue of 500, to join the Royal standard; but Kenneth, hearing of the death of his father on his arrival at Perth, returned home at the request of the Earl of Huntly; and the clan was led by Hector Roy to the battle of Sauchieburn, near Stirling but after the defeat of the Royal forces, and the death there in 1488 of the King himself, Hector, who narrowly escaped, returned to Ross-shire and took the stronghold of Redcastle, then held for the rebels by Rose of Kilravock, and placed a garrison in it. He then joined the Earl of Huntly and the clans in the north who were rising to avenge the death of His Majesty but meanwhile orders came from the youthful King James IV., who had been at the head of the conspirators, ordering the Northern chiefs to lay down their arms, and to submit to the powers that be.
Thereupon Hector, yielding to necessity, submitted with the rest, and he was "not only received with favour, but to reward his previous fidelity and also to engage him for the future the young King, who at last saw his error, and wanted to reconcile to him those who had been the friends of his father, made him a present of the Barony of Gairloch in the western circuit of Ross-shire by knight-service after the manner of that age. He likewise gave him Brahan in the Low Country,
There is no doubt that Hector was in possession of extensive estates of his own at this period. When the Lords of the Association, a factious party of the nobility, took up arms against James III., Alexander of Kintail despatched his sons, Kenneth and Hector, with a retinue of 500, to join the Royal standard; but Kenneth, hearing of the death of his father on his arrival at Perth, returned home at the request of the Earl of Huntly; and the clan was led by Hector Roy to the battle of Sauchieburn, near Stirling but after the defeat of the Royal forces, and the death there in 1488 of the King himself, Hector, who narrowly escaped, returned to Ross-shire and took the stronghold of Redcastle, then held for the rebels by Rose of Kilravock, and placed a garrison in it. He then joined the Earl of Huntly and the clans in the north who were rising to avenge the death of His Majesty but meanwhile orders came from the youthful King James IV., who had been at the head of the conspirators, ordering the Northern chiefs to lay down their arms, and to submit to the powers that be.
Thereupon Hector, yielding to necessity, submitted with the rest, and he was "not only received with favour, but to reward his previous fidelity and also to engage him for the future the young King, who at last saw his error, and wanted to reconcile to him those who had been the friends of his father, made him a present of the Barony of Gairloch in the western circuit of Ross-shire by knight-service after the manner of that age. He likewise gave him Brahan in the Low Country,