!SOURCE: George Crawfurd, Esq., THE PEERAGE OF SCOTLAND,
Edinburgh, 1716, p. 229ff.
John of Isle, Lord of the Isles who being a very powerful and
well deserving Person, stood in so great favour King Robert II.
especially for his loyal Deportment toward him in the beginning
of his Reign, that he gave him the Lady Margaret his Daughter
in Marriage (There are three distinct Charters in the Rolls of
King Robert II. to this John Lord of the Isles, and Margaret
his Wife the King''s Daughter in the 1376.), which produc''d
three Sons and two Daughters, viz. Donald Lord of the Isles,
John of Isle Donald Lord of the Isles, John of Isle the 2d was
first of the Branch of Duniveg and Glins (I have several
Documents to prove this Descent of Dunniveg.), Ancestor to the
Earl of Antrim of the Kingdom of Ireland, Alexander the 3d
Progenitor of the Mackdonald of Keppoch (Sir George Mackenzie''s
Collections MS.), in Vic. de Inverness.
!BIOGRAPHY: Sir Robert Douglas of Glenbervie, Bart., THE
PEERAGE OF SCOTLAND, Vol. 2, Second Edition, John Philip Wood,
Esq., Editor, Edinburgh, 1813, pp. 6-8.
VII. John, Lord of the Isles, who succeeded him, and is
designed John, Lord of the Isles, son of Angus, in a grant of
two marks of land, called Lefenmarg, he made to the monastery
of Sadale. In the minority of David II., the extent of his
territory, and its remoteness, enabled him to remain in a state
of dubious allegiance. Baliol, by mighty offers of advantage,
won him over, in 1335, to acknowledge himself the vassal of
Scotland. A contract, in form of indenture, was executed, 12th
December 1335, between Baliol and the Lord of the Isles. By it
Baliol, as far as in him lay, hielded to John, Lord of the
Isles, his heirs and assigns, the islands of Mull, Sky, Ila,
and Gigha, the lands of Kintyre and Knapdale, with other
islands and territories; and also the wardship of the heir of
th eEalr of Atholl, at that ime a child of three years old. On
account of which concessions, the Lord of th eIsles bound
himself, and his heirs, to be the liegement of Baliol, and his
heirs, and to aid them, at all times, to the unmost, against
all their enemies. Thus did Baliol, in order to secure the
fidelity of the Lord of the Isles, increase his power and
influence, and extend it even unto Atholl, the centre of
Scotland. John of the Isles was received into the protection
of the English King, 3d December 1337, and a safe conduct
granted for his coming into England to treat with Edward III.
The Lord of the Isles appears to have submitted to David II.,
on his return home from France, as he obtained from David a
charter, dated at Air, 12th June 1344, reciting, quod super
finali concordia inter nos et Johannem de Yle, consanguineum
nostrum carissimum, habito prius diligenti tractatu communique
utilitate reul nostri, ac tranquillitate ejusdem previsis,
granting and confirming to the said John, pro homagio et
servitio suo, the island called Yle, the islands of Geday,
Jura, Colinsey, Tiryad, Colla, and Lewes, with all the small
islands to them belonging, the lands of Morimare, Louchabre,
durdomon, and glenchomyr, and the keeping of the King''s castles
of Kernoborgh, Iseleborgh, and Dunchonall, with the lands and
small islands thereto belonging, to be held by the said John,
and his heirs, in fee and heritage. Edward III. issued a
commission to Walter de Berminham, Justiciary of Ireland, to
treat with John de Insulis, to come in the King''s peace, 3d
November 1346. In the treaty entered into at Newcastle, 13th
July 1354, the Steward of Scotland, the Lord of Douglas, Thomas
de Murref, and Johan des Yles, were the principal persons named
for its observance. John, Lord of the Isles, in 1354, entered
into an indenture with John of Lord, Lord of Argyll, by which
John of Lorn gave up to John of the Isles, all claim to all
the lands and castles following, of which John of the Isles had
obtained charters from King David II. or his father King Robert
I., namely, the castles of Kerneburcch and Hystylburch, with
all their islands and rights, the whole island of Mule, the
castle of Dunconill, with all its pertinents and island in the
superior part of Duray, the Island of Tereyd, &c. Edward III.
issued another commission for treating with John of the Isles,
31st March 1356; and in the treaty for the liberation of King
David II., 3d October 1357, an inviolable truce, for ten years,
betwixt England and Scotland, was agreed on, in which truce
were to be included Edward Baliol and John of the Isles, and
all other allies and adherents of the King of England.
John of the Isles obtained a confirmation of all donations and
concessions made by whomsoever to him of whatsoever lands,
tenements,annualrents, and possessions, 4th July 1362; and John
of Yle, Lord of the Isles, signed an instrument at Inverness,
15th November 1369, by which, in consideration of the pardon of
his former transgressions, granted by King David II., he became
bound to make sitaifaction for all injuries or damages done by
him to the King''s subjects, to give obedience to the laws
himself, and to oblige his sons, and his vassals, and all the
inhabitants of his estates, to do the same, and to answer
readily to the King''s officers for all taxes and contributions
imposed or to be imposed. For fulfilling the premises, he
engaged to deliver, as hostages, within the castle of
Dunbarton, his son, by a daughter of the Steward of Scotland,
named Donald; a grandson, named Angus, being the son of his
deceased son, John; together with a natural son of his own,
named Donald. And further, the Earl of Strathern, Steward of
Scotland, became surety for him, and appended his seal to the
instrument, along with the seal of the said John, Lord of the
Isles. King Robert II, his father-in-law, now asended the
throne of Scotland, granted a charter, dated at Scone in the
time of the parliament held there, 9th March 1371-2, to our
beloved son, John del Yle, all the lands of 300 marks, wich
were of the deceased Alan, the son of Roderick, within his
kingdom, namely, the lands of Modoworth, Arrassag, Moreovyr,
Knodeworte, Oviste, Barrech, Rume, Eggeth, and Heryce. He also
granted three charters, 6th June 1376, to our beloved son, John
del Yle, of the island of Colowsay, and lands of Lochaber, on
John''s resignation, and of the King''s lands of Kintyr and half
of Knapdale, to be held by the said John, and Margaret, our
beloved daughter, his wife. He died in 1387-8. He married
Margaret, fourth daughter of King Robert II., by whom he had a
son, Donald, and two daughters.