History Of The Mackenzies [202]
which pertained to the umquhile Achinroy Mackenzie." He was succeeded by his eldest lawful son,
II. JOHN GLASSICH MACKENZIE, who, from the above quoted document, appears to have been a minor at his father's death. His retour of service cannot be found, but an instrument of sasine, dated the 24th of June, 1536, in his favour, is in the Gairloch charter chest, wherein he is designated "John Hector-son," and in which he is said to be the heir, served and retoured, of his father, Hector Roy Mackenzie, in the lands of Gairloch, and the grazings of Glasletter and Coirre-nan-Cuilean. He is said to have objected to his father's liberality during his life in granting, at the expense of his successors, to his nephew, John of Kuhn, so much of his patrimonial possessions. According to the Gairloch MS. already quoted Hector gave him his own half of Kintail, as well as Kinellan, Fairburn, Wester Brahan, and "other possessions in the Low Country besides." John thought these donations far too exorbitant, and he "sought to retrench them by recovering in part what with so much profusion his father had given away, and for that, a feud having ensued betwixt him and his Chief, he was surprised in his house by night, according to the barbarous manner of the times, and sent prisoner to Iland Downan, and there taken away by poison in A.D. l550. His brother Dugal, who sided with him, and John (Beg), his natural brother, were both slain in the same quarrel." [Gairloch MS. Another MS. says that his other brother, John Tuach, was assassinated the same night.]
A bond, dated 1544, has been preserved, to which John Glassich's name, along with others, is adhibited, undertaking to keep the peace, and promising obedience to Kenneth, younger of Kintail (Kenneth na Cuirc), as the Queen's Lieutenant. [Spalding Club Miscellany, vol. iv. p.213.]
John's obedience does not appear, however, to have been very complete.
Kintail having, according to another authority, received information of John Glassich's intention to recover if possible part of the property given away by his father, sent for him to Brahan, where he went, accompanied by a single attendant, John Gearr. The chief charged him with these designs against him, and John's denials proving unsatisfactory, Kintail caused him to be apprehended. John Gearr, seeing this, and feeling that his master had been treacherously dealt with, drew his two handed sword and made a fierce onslaught on the chief who sat at the head of the table, but smartly bowed his head under it, or it would have been cloven asunder. John Gearr was instantly seized by Mackenzie's guards, who threatened to tear him to pieces, but the chief, admiring his fidelity, charged them not to touch him. John Gearr, on being questioned why he had struck at Mackenzie and took no notice of those who apprehended his master, boldly replied that he "saw no one else present whose life was a worthy exchange for that of his own chief." John's sword made a deep gash in the table, and the mark, which was deep enough to admit of a hand being placed edgeways in it, remained until Colin, first Earl of Seaforth, caused the piece to be cut off, saying that "he loved no such remembrance of the quarrels of his relations."
John Glassich, it would appear, was not unduly circumspect at home, or a very dutiful and loyal subject to his King. In 1547 his estate was forfeited for refusing to join the Royal Standard, and the escheat thereof granted to the Earl of Sutherland, as will be seen by the following letter in favour of that nobleman:--
"A letter made to John, Earl of Sutherland, his heirs, assigns, one or more, the gift of all goods moveable and unmoveable, debts, tacks, steadings, corns, and obligations, sums of money, gold, silver, coined and uncoined, and other goods whatsoever which pertained to John Hectors--son of Gairloch, and now pertaining to our Sovereign Lady by reason of escheat through the said John's remaining and biding at home from the `oist' and army devised to convene at Peebles,
II. JOHN GLASSICH MACKENZIE, who, from the above quoted document, appears to have been a minor at his father's death. His retour of service cannot be found, but an instrument of sasine, dated the 24th of June, 1536, in his favour, is in the Gairloch charter chest, wherein he is designated "John Hector-son," and in which he is said to be the heir, served and retoured, of his father, Hector Roy Mackenzie, in the lands of Gairloch, and the grazings of Glasletter and Coirre-nan-Cuilean. He is said to have objected to his father's liberality during his life in granting, at the expense of his successors, to his nephew, John of Kuhn, so much of his patrimonial possessions. According to the Gairloch MS. already quoted Hector gave him his own half of Kintail, as well as Kinellan, Fairburn, Wester Brahan, and "other possessions in the Low Country besides." John thought these donations far too exorbitant, and he "sought to retrench them by recovering in part what with so much profusion his father had given away, and for that, a feud having ensued betwixt him and his Chief, he was surprised in his house by night, according to the barbarous manner of the times, and sent prisoner to Iland Downan, and there taken away by poison in A.D. l550. His brother Dugal, who sided with him, and John (Beg), his natural brother, were both slain in the same quarrel." [Gairloch MS. Another MS. says that his other brother, John Tuach, was assassinated the same night.]
A bond, dated 1544, has been preserved, to which John Glassich's name, along with others, is adhibited, undertaking to keep the peace, and promising obedience to Kenneth, younger of Kintail (Kenneth na Cuirc), as the Queen's Lieutenant. [Spalding Club Miscellany, vol. iv. p.213.]
John's obedience does not appear, however, to have been very complete.
Kintail having, according to another authority, received information of John Glassich's intention to recover if possible part of the property given away by his father, sent for him to Brahan, where he went, accompanied by a single attendant, John Gearr. The chief charged him with these designs against him, and John's denials proving unsatisfactory, Kintail caused him to be apprehended. John Gearr, seeing this, and feeling that his master had been treacherously dealt with, drew his two handed sword and made a fierce onslaught on the chief who sat at the head of the table, but smartly bowed his head under it, or it would have been cloven asunder. John Gearr was instantly seized by Mackenzie's guards, who threatened to tear him to pieces, but the chief, admiring his fidelity, charged them not to touch him. John Gearr, on being questioned why he had struck at Mackenzie and took no notice of those who apprehended his master, boldly replied that he "saw no one else present whose life was a worthy exchange for that of his own chief." John's sword made a deep gash in the table, and the mark, which was deep enough to admit of a hand being placed edgeways in it, remained until Colin, first Earl of Seaforth, caused the piece to be cut off, saying that "he loved no such remembrance of the quarrels of his relations."
John Glassich, it would appear, was not unduly circumspect at home, or a very dutiful and loyal subject to his King. In 1547 his estate was forfeited for refusing to join the Royal Standard, and the escheat thereof granted to the Earl of Sutherland, as will be seen by the following letter in favour of that nobleman:--
"A letter made to John, Earl of Sutherland, his heirs, assigns, one or more, the gift of all goods moveable and unmoveable, debts, tacks, steadings, corns, and obligations, sums of money, gold, silver, coined and uncoined, and other goods whatsoever which pertained to John Hectors--son of Gairloch, and now pertaining to our Sovereign Lady by reason of escheat through the said John's remaining and biding at home from the `oist' and army devised to convene at Peebles,