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Sgian Dubh
In the 14th Century King David II granted to Torquil MacLeod a charter of the barony of Assynt in Sutherland. Isle of Lewis was given to Torquil by his father, Leod of Norway - descent. MacLeods had been held as vassals of the MacDonalds, and with the acquisition of other lands in Raasay, Waternish and Gairloch, the Siol Torquil rivaled the Siol Tormod in importance and disputed the chiefship of the clan. Torquil,had enough clan members to become his own Clan Chief, and he did so. There was no animosity between the brother Clans' and both were Chief's of their own respective Clan.
Tormod became MacLeod of Harris, Torquil became MacLeod of Lewis.
Torquil, who was chief of the Lewes or Lewis MacLeods, had his estate forfeited in 1506 for assisting Donald Dubh MacDonald in his rebellion to obtain the forfeited Lordship of the Isles. The forfeited estate of Lewis was restored to Malcolm, brother of the attainted Torquil in 1511. In the 16th Century the history of the Siol Torquil became a succession of feuds, not only with other clans, but between members of their own clans, and when the main lines of the Lewis MacLeods became extinct (due to war Scottish War),in the early 17th century, the chiefship of this branch passed to the MacLeods of Rassay, and Assynt, and afterwards to the MacLeods of Cadboil, who are the oldest cadets of the MacLeods of Assynt.
So, to sum it up a bit, Torquil MacLeod owned lands not only on Lewis, but also on the Isle of Skye, (several areas), in addition to the sites on western mainland of Scotland -- the Rassay area, the Waternish,Gairloch, and Assynt.
The King of Scotland forfeited Torquils land for helping Donald Dubh MacDonald defend his land from takeover by the Scottish king, James, but..... it was restored to Malcolm, brother of the 'attainted' Torquil in 1511. After the Torquil lines became extinct in the early 17th century, due to the wars against MacDonald of the Isles, for which the Lewis branch fought, the chiefship passed to MacLeods of Rassay, then to MacLeods of Assynt. MacLeods of Harris, had begged off the war because they had lost most of their clan in the preceeding war. The MacDonalds agreed.
These were warlike Norse who were related to Olaf the Black, founder of the Gunn Clan of Caithness and the Orkney. Olaf the Black was the father to Leod of MacLeod and and grandfather to Tormod and Torquil. [Thus the Gunn, MacLeod of Lewis connection.] All Norse, all ferocious, intermarried with the Celts and Picts to form a formidable clan.
Septs of the Clan: Clan MacLeod of Harris: Beaton, Bethune, Beton, Beaton, Grimmond, Harold, MacCaig, MacClure, MacCrimmon, MacGuiag, MacHarold, Macraild, MacWilliam and Norman. Clan MacLeod of Lewis: Callum, Lewis, MacAskill, MacAulay, MacCallum, MacCAskill, MacCorkindale, MacCorquodale, MacLewis, MacNicol, Malcolmson, Nicholl, Nicol, Nicoll, Nicholson, Nicolson, Tolmie. |
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