Mackay Genealogy Page
Hosted by Seanachaidh
Ken Bain
Take me to
This Month's History Lesson
Fifty Generations of Ancestry Found
Ken was able to trace her ancestry all the way back to Duncan I, in 1003AD. She said her grandmother always said they were related to Scottish royalty. Now she knows it's true. She is also directly related to Malcom III, King of Scots in 1030 AD and to all the early Mackay Chiefs.
Cathrine and her family were extremely happy to get proof of their ancestry. Ken says, “that this type of thing only happens once in a while, but he has been able to help other members trace their ancestry back many generations.”
Any member interested in contributing to the Clan
Mackay U.S.A. master data base should send their 6
generation pedigree chart with as much information
as they have to Ken and let him work on it.
They might also find long lost ancestors.
Cheers,
Ken Bain SEANACHAIDH / GENEALOGIST
Seanachaidh Ken Bain presents an
impressive pedigree chart
to Cathrine Long.
When you have completed the chart, forward it to
Ken Bain, Seanachaidh, 7395 N. Benedict,
Fresno, CA 93711-02121.
Donald, Chief of Mackay (1529-1550)
Issue 1 Spring 2009.
As you may recall, John Mackay II died in
1529, leaving no lawful son, and thus was succeeded by his brother
Donald who was nearly middle aged by that time. The early years of
Donald’s chieftainship were not particularly noteworthy,
there being relative peace in Strathnaver and Sutherland. After the
tragedy of the battle of Solway-Moss on 24 Nov. 1542 much changed
rapidly. In that battle, the flower of Scottish nobility along with
thousands of commoners were slain by the English. This resulted in the
death on 14 Dec 1542 (some say he willed his own death) of King James V,
leaving his new born daughter, Mary (later Queen of Scots) to succeed
him. This caused a terrible power struggle over who would rule Scotland
as regent until Mary could reach maturity. The dowager queen, Mary of
Guise, was not able to procure the regency for herself at that time.
Thus Donald’s story is partly the story of the political turmoil which
took place in the years following 1542.
Clan Mackay and Donald had fought at Solway-Moss and appears to have
been a favorite of King James V, who thought
of him as “A politic and wise gentleman, a good soldier and valiant
captain”. He was also on friendly terms with George, Earl of Caithness,
which as we will see, eventually aligned him against the Gordons (John,
Earl of Sutherland and the Early of Huntly) again. After the death of
James V, Donald no longer had favor.
Front and Back of Sir Donald Mackay’s Targe from
Hunterian Museum - Glasgow
Donald, like his father Iye,
was diligent in suppressing disorders in the North of Scotland. Since there was much enmity between John Gordon, Earl of Sutherland and George, Earl of Caithness, and since Donald was aligned with Caithness, there was constant contention between Mackay and Sutherland.Two men, James Hamilton, Earl of Arran and Mathew Stuart, Earl of Lennox were in contention over who should hold
sway as regent and governor of Scotland during the minority of Mary (Later Queen of Scots). Arran and Huntly were allied and Arran was declared governor since he held the title of “Tutor of the queen” and was an heir presumptive of the crown himself. Matthew Stuart, Earl of Lennox (also in line for the throne) was forced to flee to England (Henry VIII).
Lennox’s brother, Robert Stuart was bishop of Caithness, but when he went to England with his brother Lennox, John Gordon, Earl of Sutherland, gave the bishopric to his son Alexander. Bishop Robert had left the bishopric in the care of
Donald Mackay and the Earl of Caithness. Donald Mackay, being allied with George, Earl of Caithness then invaded Sutherland to “Protect that portion of the Bishop of Caithness’s lands and rents located in Sutherland.
Reproduction Targe of Donald Mackay from Targe Maker Joe Linsley at www.targemaker.co.uk
He then took the castle of Skibo, leaving his kinsman Neil
MacWilliam (Aberach) to keep it. The Earls of Huntly and Sutherland subsequently dispatched one Capt. James Cullen (an infamous rogue) with troops and artillery to besiege the castle. This happened with such surprise and rapidity that Neil Mac William did not have time to summon relief from Donald in Strathnaver (some 60 miles away), and so he and his men fled to Strathnaver to keep his men and the castle from destruction.
Next to the Macintoshes and Clan Chattan, the Mackays were the greatest bar to the ambitions of the Gordons (Huntly and Sutherland) in the North of Scotland, and since they had not been able to ruin Donald by other means, they tried to
“Bastardize” him by asserting that he was illegitimate. This came to naught, as Donald Mackay had a royal charter of his lands in right of his father, which proved him to have been a lawful son. Donald Mackay was twice married, first to a daughter of MacLean by whom he had a son, Iye, who succeeded him. He had no children by his second wife, Helen Sinclair. Donald died at an advanced age in 1550.
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