!SOURCE: Alick Morrison, THE MACLEODS: THE GENEALOGY OF A CLAN,
Section IV, Revised Edition, "The MacLeods of Lewis", Edinburgh,
Associated Clan MacLeod Societies, 1990, pp. 17-18.
Hacklete is to be found in the south-west of Great Bernera, the island
which effectively splits Loch Roag into a western and an easter half. It
has already been mentioned that Hacklete formed part of the lands of the
Clann Thormoid. The next glimpse we have of Macleods in Hacklete is
again traditional, being some surviving stories about a certain Tormod,
son of Duncan of Strome, a notable warrior whose exploits are
associated with the time of the third marriage of Old Rory Macleod of
Lewis and with the early years of the MacKenzie fule in Lewis. This
dating makes it possible for Tormod to have been a great great-grandson
of Old Norman of Pabbay although a connected pedigree is lacking. Indeed
the actual association of Tormod, son of Duncan with the Clann Thormoid
is uncertain, although it is made more likely by the tradition that
Tormod was a close relative of the Chief of Lewis: if the suggestion
that Old Norman was the brother of that Roderick of Lewis who died c.
1497 is correct, then Tormod mac Dhonnchaidh an t-sroim may have been
Old Rory''s second cousin once removed.
For the eighteenth century we are able to add information from
historical sources to our account. Around 1700 one of the two leading
Macleods in Lewis was the tacksman of Hacklete, [Matheson, (ed.) (1970)
pp. 218 & 234.] John Macleod, known as Iain mac Thorcaill. There are
families in Lewis today who can trace their descent from John via his
son Murdoch, [Matheson, TGSI (LI) p. 329.] but is likely that he also had
other sons for he is identifiable with the grandfather of John Macleod I
of Colbecks.
In his matriculation of arms (on 17th March 1762) John of Colbecks
stated that he was "the eldest son of Donald M''Leod in the Island of
Lewis, who was eldest son to John M''Leod of the said Island of Lewis,
who was eldest son of Torquil M''Leod, who was only son of John M''Leod,
which John was only brother German to Roderick M''Leod, last Baron of
the Island of Lewis"l, and thus he was "nearest heir mail of the said
Roderick M''Leod, who survived all the male issue of his own body". The
connection with Old Rory of Lewis, which is extremely unlikely on
chronological grounds alone, may be dismissed as merely an attempt to
combine John of Colbecks''s knowledge of his own pedigree (which only
extended back for four generations) with a tradition that his family
represented the heirs-male of the Macleods of Lewis. Taking the
pedigree on its own it is clearly compatible with the suggestion [W.M.,
CMM No. 16, p. 32, and Matheson, TGSI (LI) p. 329.] that John of Colbeck''s
father Donald was the brother of Murchadh mac Iain mhic Thorcaill, born
c. 1690, and thus son of John Macleod of Hacklete on record in 1726.
Acknowledging the genealogical "ifs" involved, an account of the
Macleods of Hacklete and Colbecks may be given as follows [recorded in
this database].
Tradition remembers [Duncan of Strome] only as the father of Tormod
mac Dhonnchaidh an t-Sroim (Norman son of Duncan of Strome). He may
have been the grandson of Old Norman of Pabbay, possibly via Old
Norman''s eldest son, Norman Og. Duncan had at least one son, Norman.