Norman Tormod_Mor MACLEOD

DEATH: ABT 1497

Father: Torquil MACLEOD
Mother: Catharine CAMPBELL

Family 1: MACDONALD

                                                                              _Murdoch Murchadh MACLEOD _
                                                        _Torquil Og MACLEOD _|_[Daughter] NICOLSON ______
                       _Roderick Ruaidhri Mor MACLEOD _|
                      |                                |                      ___________________________
                      |                                |_Margaret NICOLSON __|___________________________
 _Torquil MACLEOD ____|
|                     |                                                       ___________________________
|                     |                                 _Alastair MACDONALD _|___________________________
|                     |_Margaret MACDONALD ____________|
|                                                      |                      ___________________________
|                                                      |_____________________|___________________________
|
|--Norman Tormod_Mor MACLEOD 
|
|                                                                             ___________________________
|                                                       _____________________|___________________________
|                      ________________________________|
|                     |                                |                      ___________________________
|                     |                                |_____________________|___________________________
|_Catharine CAMPBELL _|
                      |                                                       ___________________________
                      |                                 _____________________|___________________________
                      |________________________________|
                                                       |                      ___________________________
                                                       |_____________________|___________________________

INDEX

Notes

!SOURCE: William Matheson, "The MacLeods of Lewis," TRANSACTIONS OF THE GAELIC SOCIETY OF INVERNESS, Vol. LI (1978-1980), Inverness, Scotland, 1981, pp. 320-337 (328-329). Norman (?). According to the Morrison MSS, he flourished at the beginning of the sixteenth century, and was brother to the chief of the MacLeods of Lewis. As his sons were grown men in 1506, it would seem that the chief in question was Roderick (VII), an account of whom follows. Norman and members of his family are said to have occupied the lands of Hacklete in Bernera, Earshader on the mainland opposite, Pabbay and Baile na Cille. It is also said that his wife belonged to Skye and that he had the following sons: (a) Norman (Tormod Og) in Baile na Cille, (b) Torquil (c) William (d) Allan (e) and Ranald. Two generations later Hacklete had as tenant a MacLeod known as Tormod mac Dhonnchaidh an t-Srňim (Norman son of Duncan of Strome), who may have been a descendant, but material is lacking for a connected genealogy. However, there are many families sitll in Lewis, formerly distinguished as Clann Thormoid, who claim descent from Norman MacLeod. There is reason to believe that John MacLeod of Colbecks, planter in Jamaica, was a descendant, despite his own account of his ancestry, when matriculating arms as chief of the Lewis MacLeods in 1762. He was a son of Donald, son of John MacLeod (Iain mac Thorcaill), tacksman of Hacklete. Donald had a brother Murcoch (Murchadh mac Iain mhic Thorcaill), born in 1690, and the MacLeods now in Lewis whose ancestry can be trace back to this family are descendants of Murdochąs son Malcolm, tacksman of Scaliscro, Little Loch Roag. There are other families, particularly in the Carloway area, who are of Clann Thormoid, though not descended from John MacLeod (Iain mac Thorcaill), tacksman of Hacklete. This branch of the MacLeods, for reasons unknown, seem to have been constantly at variance with the rest of the clan in Lewis. There is evidence that, like the Morison of Ness, they sided with the invading army of the Earl of Huntly in 1506, and this patter of behaviour was apprently repeated a century laterwhen the role of invaders was assumed by the MacKenzies. They had their reward in being allowed to retain their status as tacksmen under thenew dispensation, the only MacLeods to do so except the MacLeods of Garrabost, who seem to have been closely related.

!SOURCE: Alick Morrison, THE MACLEODS: THE GENEALOGY OF A CLAN, Section IV, Revised Edition, "The MacLeods of Lewis", Edinburgh, Associated Clan MacLeod Societies, 1990, p. 4. He figures in the Morrison MSS [Morrison MSS vol. 1.] He held lands in Hacklete, Earshader, Pabbay and Baille na Cille. His wife came from Skye and they had issue. Later generations are confused, but many Macleod families in Lewis claim descent from the Clann Thormoid. John Macleod of Colbecks who sought to matriculate arms as chief of the Macleods of Lewis in 1762 belonged to this family; he was a son of Donald, son of John, son of Torquil, tacksman of Hacklete. [Matheson, TGSI (LI) p. 329, nn. 65-70.] Another branch descends from Malcolm, son of Murdo, tacksman of Scaliscro. [Ibid.] For some unclear reason Norman's family was always at odds with the chiefly line. Like the Morrisons, they supported the Earl of Huntley's invading army in 1506. They sided with MacKenzie a century later, which perhaps explains their survival in such numbers.

!SOURCE: Ibid., p. 15. Clann Thormoid was the former description of many still extant families in Lewis who claimed descent from Old Norman MacLeod (also known as Tormod Mor) [Matheson, TGSI (XLVIII) p. 417 & p. 432 n. 76.] of the island of Pabbay in Loch Roag. It is claimed that Old Norman rceived a tack of this island from his brother, the chief of Lewis, who has sometimes been identified with Old Rory/Roderick MacLeod, X of Lewis. However, the traditions concerning Old Norman's family have led the Rev. William Matheson to identify the chief, with great probability, as Roderick Macleod, VII of Lewis. Although much information exists relevant to the genealogy of the Clann Thormoid, an authentic pedigree linking Old Norman to his present-day descendants does not seem to have been preserved. This is unfortunate since it leaves uncertain the relative seniority of the various families within this group, and there is a strong tradition that, given the extinction of the legitimate descendants of Old Rory of Lewis, the Clann Thormoid represents the chiefly line of the MacLeods of Lewis. This claim has to face the opposition fo the MacLeod Chiefs of Raasay, the present representative of which, Torquil Roderick Macleod, was recently recognised by Lord Lyon as Chief and Baronial Head of the House of Macleod of the Lewes. Before dealing with some of the families descended from the Clann Thormoid it seems appropriate to give an account of the immediate family of Old Norman himself. I. Old Norman Old Norman, also known as Tormod Mor, was the brother of the Chief of Lewis, probably Roderick, VII of Lewis, [Matheson, TGSI (LI) pp. 328-329.] who died c. 1497. According to tradition the Chief "allowed the whole rental of the parish ofUig for the support of his brother Norman and his family". [Thomas, PSAS (XIV) p. 388.] Norman resided on the island of Pabbay in Loch Roag, and other members of his family are associated with Baile na Cille (on the shore of Camas Uig), the lands of Hacklete in teh island of Great Bernera (in Loch Roag) and Barshader on the opposite mainland. [Matheson, TGSI (LI) p. 329; Thomas, PSAS (XIV) p. 388.] Old Norman's wife is said to have been a MacDonald from Skye [MGC (IV), 1st Edition, p. 19; Thomas, PSAS (XIV) p. 396.] and is traditionally blamed for inciting her sons to massacre the sons of Dugald MacAulay, who owned the farms of Berry (or Reef), Valtos and Kneep, in revenge for an unjury done to their father. Old Norman had at least six sons [Thomas, PSAS (IXV) pp. 395-396 & p. 396 n. 1.], but tradtion has preserved the names of only five of them. Tradition would have us believe that Old Norman was spared by John Roy MacAulay and thus outlived his sons. If so, the succession would have passed to the family of his eldest son, Norman Og.

Created by Sparrowhawk 1.0 (4/17/1996) on Mon Apr 2 10:48:55 2001