Sir_Roderick Ruairidh_Mor MACLEOD (XV Chief)

Father: Tormod [Norman] MACLEOD
Mother: Giles Julia MACLEAN

Family 1: Isabel MACDONALD
  1. John Iain Mor MACLEOD
  2. Sir_Roderick MACLEOD
  3. Sir Norman MACLEOD
  4. William MACLEOD
  5. Donald MACLEOD
  6. Margaret MACLEOD
  7. Mary MACLEOD
  8. Marion MACLEOD
  9. Janet MACLEOD
  10. Florence MACLEOD
  11. Isabel MACLEOD 
                                                                                          _John Iain_Borb MACLEOD _
                                                                  _William Dubh MACLEOD _|_Margaret DOUGLAS _______
                            _Alexander Alisdair_Crotach MACLEOD _|
                           |                                     |                        _John MACLAINE __________
                           |                                     |_[Daughter] MACLAINE __|_________________________
 _Tormod [Norman] MACLEOD _|
|                          |                                                              _________________________
|                          |                                      _______________________|_________________________
|                          |_[youngest_dau] CAMERON _____________|
|                                                                |                        _________________________
|                                                                |_______________________|_________________________
|
|--Sir_Roderick Ruairidh_Mor MACLEOD 
|
|                                                                                         _________________________
|                                                                 _______________________|_________________________
|                           _Hector Mor MACLEAN _________________|
|                          |                                     |                        _________________________
|                          |                                     |_______________________|_________________________
|_Giles Julia MACLEAN _____|
                           |                                                              _________________________
                           |                                      _______________________|_________________________
                           |_____________________________________|
                                                                 |                        _________________________
                                                                 |_______________________|_________________________
INDEX

Notes

!BIOGRAPHY: Sir Robert Douglas of Glenbervie, Baronet, THE BARONAGE OF SCOTLAND, Edinburgh, 1798, p. 378. XIV. Sir Roderick Macleod of that ilk, commonly called Rory More, of Great Roderick. He was man of a noble spirit, and much esteemed by king James VI, who conferred the honour of knighthood upon him. He was infeft in the whole estate of the family, as heir to his brother William, upon a precept from the chancery, dated in September 1596. In December 1597, an act of parliament was passed, whereby all the chieftains and landholders in the highlands were ordered to produce their title-deeds before the lords of exchequer, under the pain of forfeiture, &c. Sir Roderick did not think proper to comply, for which reason a gift of his estate was granted to James lord Balmerino, Sir James Spens of Woolmerston, and sir George Hay, afterwards viscount duplin, whereupon they took infeftment accordingly; but sir Roderick being a man of great address, as well as of excellent parts, "accommodated matters with all his neighbors, and entered into bonds of friendship with the Macdonalds of Slate and clan Ronald, Mackinnon of that ilk, &c. &c. and at last obtained a remission from the king, dated 4th May 1610. In July thereafter, he purchased from Kenneth Mackenzie, 12th baron of Kintail, the lands and barony of Vaterness, which had been given off as a patrimony to Torquil, progenitor of the Macleods of Lewes, and which afterwards came to the Mackenzies by their forfeiture, as will be more particularly observed in the memoirs of that family. And in part payment of the price thereof he disponed to the baron of Kintail, the two-penny land of Troterness, with the office of bailiary thereof: Also, on the 19th of said July, he acquired right to the foresaid gift of his estate, and thereon, and his own resignation, obtained a new charter under the great seal, containing an entail of the whole lands and barony of Dunvegan, Glenelg, &c. in Inverness-shire, to and in favors of himself and the heirs-male of his body, remainder to Alexander Macleod of Meginish his brother-german, and the heirsmale of his body; remainder, to William alias Macwilliam Macleod of Meidle, heir-male of Tormod, second son of John, No. X. of these memoirs, before-mentioned, and the heirs-male of his body; whom all failing, to his own nearest lawful heirs-male whatever. This charter is dated 4th April 1611; upon which he was infeft 22d October thereafter. Sir Roderick was likewise, upon the 11th February 1614, in virtue of a precept from the chancer, infeft in the lands of Slate, Troterness, &c. as heir to his uncle William, and in February 1618, he disponed these lands to sir Donald Macdonald of Slate, &c. The king's favour for him continued as long as he lived, as appears from several kind and friendly letters to him from his majesty, which are still preserved in the family. He had also, under his majesty's hand and privy seal, a particular license to come up to England to court at any time he pleased, without trouble or molestation, dated 16th June 1616. He married Isabel, daughter of ______ Macdonald of Glengary, by whom he had five sons and six daughters. 1. John, his heir. 2. Roderick, afterwards sir Roderick, progenitor of the Macleods of Talisker. 3. Norman, afterwards sir Norman, of whom the Macleods of Bernera, Muiravenside, &c. are descended. 4. William Macleod, of Hammer, &c. 5. Donald Macleod of Grisernish, &c. [As there are descendants still subsisting of all these four younger brothers, we shall give an account of them in their proper order, under their separate titles, immediately after this.] Sir Roderick's 1st daughter, Margaret, was married to Eachin More, eldest son and apparent heir of Eachin-Oig Maclean of Dowart, without issue. 2. Mary, married to sir Lauchlan Maclean of Morven. 3. Moire, or More-Voire, married to John Mudortach captain of clan Ranald. 4. Janet, married to John Macleod of Rasay, known by the appellation of John Garve. 5. Florence, married to Donald MacSween. 6. ______, married to Lauchlan Maclean of Coll, and had issue. Sir Roderick died in the beginning of the year 1626, and was succeeded by his eldest son, John Macleod.

!BIOGRAPHY: Rev. Dr. Donald MacKinnon, and Alick Morrison, MACLEOD CHIEFS OF HARRIS AND DUNVEGAN, Edinburgh, The Clan MacLeod Society, 1969, pp. 23-24. Alick Morrison, THE CHIEFS OF CLAN MACLEOD, East Kilbride, Scotland, 1986. He was known as Ruaridh Mor, 'not so much from his size or stature of his body--which was not remarkably large--as from the strength of his parts', [BANNATYNE MANUSCRIPT] and was probably the most distinguished Highland Chief of his time. He was in London, seeing King James, in 1613, and was knighted. He married, probably about 1598, Isabel, daughter of Donald MacDonald, 7th of the MacDonalds of Glengary, by his second wife, Margaret, daughter of Allan MacDonald, 9th of Clanranald, [CLAN DONALD, III, pp. 310-11] with issue. It is probably her effigy which stands in the courtyard of Dunvegan Castle. By Isabel, Sir Roderick had a family of five sons, known as Coignear Mhac Uasal Iseabail (Isabel's five noble sons), and six daughters. Isabel herself before her marriage had been one of the maids of honour to Anne of Denmark, Queen of James VI, and was known in Skye as Iseabail Mhor Nighean Mhic 'ic Alasdair. [CLAN DONALD, III, pp. 310-11] Sir Roderick provided for his sons by giving them land for 'two lives'. Canon Roderick MacLeod writes that Sir Roderick was a 'clear-sighted statesman', and as such 'stands out preeminent among the distinguished Chiefs who have ruled over the clan'. [THE MACLEODS OF DUNVEGAN, p. 140] He died in 1626 at Fortrose, where he was buried, having had issue.... As already stated, Sir Roderick Mor MacLeod died in 1626, and was succeeded by his eldest son.

!BIOGRAPHY: Sir Robert Douglas of Glenbervie, Baronet, THE BARONAGE OF SCOTLAND, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1798, p. 386.

Created by Sparrowhawk 1.0 (4/17/1996) on Mon Apr 2 10:50:51 2001