History Of The Mackenzies [210]
and pursued them with tire and sword, reft and spuilzied their whole goods, among whom his Majesty, understanding that his Highness's lovites and true and obedient subjects, John Mackenzie of Gairloch, Alexander, Kenneth, Duncan, and William Mackenzie, his sons, dwelling within the Highlands most `ewest' the Isles of Skye and Lewis, who many and sundry times before his Majesty's going to England, has been most cruelly invaded and pursued with tire and sword by sundry of the said vagabonds and broken men dwelling and resorting in the Skye and Lewis and other bounds of the Highlands where they dwell, and has there-through sustained many and great slaughters, depredations and heirschips, so that in the very action of the said invasions and hostilities pursued against them, the said persons in defence of their own lives, their wives' and children's, and of their goods, have slain sundry of the said invaders and limmers, taken others of them and thereafter put them to death, to the great comfort of his Majesty's good, honest, and true subjects who were subject to the like inroads, invasions and tyrannies of the said vagabonds and fugitives, and settling of his Majesty's peace within the bounds and his Majesty being noways willing that the said John Mackenzie of Gairloch and his said sons' forawardness in their own defence, and withstanding of the foresaid open and violent hostilities and tyrannies of the said broken men which has produced so much and good benefit to his Majesty's distressed subjects, shall suffer any hurt, prejudice, or inconvenience against the said John Mackenzie of Gairloch and his said sons, which his Highness by these letters decrees and declares to have been good and acceptable service done to his Highness and the country : Therefore, his Majesty, of his special grace, mercy, and favour, ordains a letter to be made under his Highness's Great Seal in due form to the said John Mackenzie of Gairloch, Alexander, Kenneth, Duncan, and William Mackenzie, his sons, remitting and forgiving them and everyone of them all rancour, hatred, action, and crime whatsoever that his Majesty had, has, or anywise may lay to the charge of the said John Mackenzie or his said sons, or any of them, for the alleged taking and apprehending, slaying or mutilating of the said vagabonds and broken men, or any of them, or for art and part thereof, or for raising of tire against them, in the taking and apprehending of them, or any of them, at any time preceding his Majesty's going to England and of all that has passed or that may pass thereupon, and of every circumstance thereanent and suchlike. His Majesty, of his especial grace, taking knowledge and proper motive, remits and forgives the said persons, and everyone of them, all slaughters, mutilations, and other capital crimes whatsoever, art and part thereof committed by them, or any of them, preceding the day and date hereof (treason in our said Sovereign Lord's own most noble person only excepted), with all pains and executions that ought and should be executed against them, or any of them for the same, exonerating, absolving, and relieving the said John and his said sons, and all of them of all action and challenge criminal and civil that may be moved thereupon to their prejudice for ever: Discharging hereby all judges, officers, magistrates, administrators of his Majesty's laws, from granting of any proofs, criminal or civil, in any action or causes to be moved or pursued against the said John Mackenzie or his sons foresaid for anything concerning the execution of the premises: Discharging them thereof and their officers in that employed by them, and that the said letter he extended in the best form with ill clauses needful and the precepts he directed orderly thereupon in form as effeirs. Given at Theobald's, the second day of April, the year of God, 1614 years. [Original in the Gairloch Charter Chest.]
John Roy purchased or rented the tithes of his lands, which appear to have led him into no end of disputes. The Rev. Alexander
John Roy purchased or rented the tithes of his lands, which appear to have led him into no end of disputes. The Rev. Alexander