William MACLEOD (I of Millivaig)

Father: Alasdair Ban MACLEOD

Family 1:
  1. Norman MACLEOD

                                                                                                 _Mac Alasdair Ruaidh MACLEOD _
                                                             _mac_mhic Alasdair Ruaidh MACLEOD _|______________________________
                         _Alexander Alasdair Ruadh MACLEOD _|
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 _Alasdair Ban MACLEOD _|
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|--William MACLEOD 
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INDEX

Notes

!SOURCE: Alick Morrison, THE MACLEODS -- THE GENEALOGY OF A CLAN, Section V, "Appendix: The MacLeods of Trumpan and Millivaig", Edinburgh, The Associated Clan MacLeod Societies, 1976, pp. 9, 17, 18. Millivaig is in the Glendale section of Skye, and lies in the middle prominence of the Duirinish Peninsula, pointing towards America. Lying between Dunvegan Head and Idrigill Point, it is near to Neist Point and overlooks Loch Pooltiel. Although the area has been long associated with the MacLeods of Glendale, at some point, probably during the 18th Century, a family from Waternish moved to Millivaig for reasons unknown. From this family developed a line of famous bards, the best known of whom was "Donald of the Poems", whose work was published in 1811. The discoveries leading to the delineation of the previously presented MacLeods of Trumpan have also indicated that this family was a branch of the MacLeods of Trumpan, and they are here presentin in that light. In his pedigree, Roderick MacLeod of Edinburgh states "My mother's family were a branch of the same family as my father's family, natives of Waternish, Skye". His mother was Marion MacLeod, daughter of Neil MacLeod, farmer in Upper Millivaig. Her brother was "Donald of the Poems", and in one of his earliest recorded poems, Donald refers to the new house of his relative, Roderick, in Stein in Waternish. This gives further evidence concerning the connection of the Millivaig and Waternish families. Her father was known for his bardic tendencies and several of her own children and the children of her brother Donald were bards. Among the papers of Roderick's son, the late A. M. MacLeod, who was Vice-President of the Clan MacLeod Society, is found the following statement: "Marion, grandfather's wife, daughter of Neil MacLeod, son of Angus MacLeod, son of Alexander, related to Gesto Family." Roderick MacLeod's statement clearly indicates that his mother's family were the MacLeods of Trumpan. The relationship to the Gesto family noted by A. M. MacLeod would indicate a distaff connection to that family, rather than a direct male line. We have seen, in the presentation of the MacLeods of Trumpan, that there were several MacLeods in the Trumpan section of Waternish, both at the time of the Judicial Enquiry of 1724 and in the 1684 Rentals. There was an Angus MacLeod, son of John, the Shoemaker. This, then, would not be the same Angus MacLeod, named as the father of Neil. There was an Alexander MacLeod listed in the 1724 Records. This most likely is the grandfather of Neil MacLeod. In the 1684 Rentals, we have seen that there was a Norman MacLeod, son of William. It is likely that the Alexander MacLeod of the 1724 Record is the son of this Norman having succeeded his father to the Rental in the 40 year extension. It is also quite likely that the John MacLeod also listed in the 1724 Record is the son of Norman. This William MacLeod, father of Norman, was probably the younger brother of Donald, son of Alasdair Ban, from whom descended the MacLeods of Trumpan. There has been a tradition in the family of a Murdoch MacLeod who emigrated in 1802 to North Carolina, that the father of Murdoch was William and that he was Clan bard. There is on record as tacksman of Millivaig in 1800, a William MacLeod. It is likely that he is the older brother of Neil, father of Donald of the Poems. In 1774, Alexander MacLeod of Glendale, illegitimate son of Norman XXII of Dunvegan, emigrated to North Carolina and settled in Moore County. After the War of Independence, he returned to Skye. He undoubtedly know his neighbours, the MacLeods of Millivaig, well, and communicated with them upon his return to North Carolina. It is quite likely that it was through this communication that the interest in emigration was sparked which led to the removal of William's son, Murdoch, and his family to North Carolina, subsequently. In 1829, Donald of the Poems emigrated briefly to America. It is quite likely that he visited his ocusin, Murdoch, at that time. It is likely that this visit provided the stimulus for the tradition among descendants of Murdoch concerning the bardic strain. Further, Mrs. Flora MacPhee, a descendant of Donald of the Poems, who lives in Harlosh, Skye, has verbally confirmed the connection between these families and Kenneth Macleod of Harlosh. There is a traditional saying in Gaelic, which translated reads "There is a straight step between Mary MacLeod and Neil MacLeod the Bard". This refers to Mary, the Bardess of the St. Kilda Family and Neil, the son of Donald, the famous bard. This saying is confirmed by the fact that the connections now demonstrated indicate that she was the niece of the great-great-great-great-great-grandfather of Neil MacLeod. Both were direct descentants of William V Chief, through the younger son, Alasdair Ruadh, of his second son, Norman. The first of this family was William, younger son of Alasdair Ban I of Trumpan.


Created by Sparrowhawk 1.0 (4/17/1996) on Mon Apr 2 10:51:01 2001