!SOURCE: Rev. Dr. Donald MacKinnon, THE MACLEODS: THE GENEALOGY OF
CLAN, Section III, "Cadet Families", Edinburgh, The Clan MacLeod Society,
1970, p. 131. [See post The MacLeods of Gesto.]
!SOURCE: Rev. Dr. Donald MacKinnon and Alick Morrison, THE MACLEODS:
THE GENEALOGY OF A CLAN, Section III, "Cadet Families", Edinburgh, The
Clan MacLeod Society, 1970, p. 268.
Alias Ean mor mc ean vic urchie in the rentals of 1683-86, who
succeeded.
!SOURCE: Rev. Dr. Donald MacKinnon and Alick Morrison, THE MACLEODS:
THE GENEALOGY OF A CLAN, Section III, "Cadet Families", Edinburgh, The
Clan MacLeod Society, 1970, pp. 270-272.
He succeeded his father at Gesto, but for some unaccountable reason, he
is omitted from Captain Neil MacLeod''s Pedigree of his family. Of his
existence, there can be no question: He appears as ''John MacLeod'' in
Gesto and ''Ean mor mc ean vic urchie'' in Glenbracadale in the Skye
Rentals of 1683-86. Further, in a letter by John MacLeod 14th of Gesto
to his cousin Col. John MacLeod of the Netherlands, there is a reference
to the loss of some Gesto territory as a result of the slaughter of
Macaskill of Ebost between 1616 and 1619 by John MacLeod 9th of Gesto,
"Our great-great-grandfather, who forfeited ye lands we had of ye
family". This could only refer to John MacLeod 9th, "the bold and violent
man" who was the great-great-grandfather of both correspondents and
not their great-grandfather as Captain Neil''s Pedigree would have us
believe. From this, it is clear that the Gesto Pedigree has omitted a
leading member of the family of ''mac mhic Tharmid''. The omitted person
is John MacLeod 10th of Gesto, who appears to have received the first
written tack of the farm. He was obviously a man of considerable
substance for the time, when he could make a loan of 4000 merks to Iain
Breac 18th Chief of the Clan to relieve him from the unwelcomed
attention of importunate creditors.
There is also another problem connected with the Gesto tack in 1664. It
is claimed that there existed a list of MacLeod tenants for that year and
that the tack was held by a certain Donald MaLeod. The list is supposed
to have disappeared but a copy was made of it and it is alleged it has
survived in Dunvegan Castle. This is an error, which can be traced to
Lachlan MacDonald of Skeabost. The earliest list of tenants is found in
the Sky Rentals from 1683-86. There exists however a list of tenants
not in 1664 but sixty years later, in 1724. This came about as the result
of a Judicial Enquiry set on foot by Norman 22nd Chief, who was under
the impression that the administration of his estate during his
''pupillarity'', by John MaLeod of Contullich, and his son Roderick MacLeod
of Duart, was dishonest. In order to prove the point he took the sworn
evidence of the tacksmen at the time and failing them, that of
chamberlains and factors known to possess such knowledge as far back
as the time of Iain Breac, who was chief of the clan from 1664 to 1693.
Very few of the deponents in 1724 were born in 1664. Thus the evidence
of Roderick MacLeod of Duart was taken and he was born in 1688. It
seems that Lachlan MacDonald of Skeabost was under the impression
that these tacksmen (of 1724) had been tacksmen in 1664 and his
blunder has caused considerable confusion among those who interested
themselves in the genealogy of the MacLeods of Gesto. MacDonald of
Skeabost noticed that a certain Donald MacLeod gave evidence of the
Gesto tack. For some unknown reason, this was the evidence of Donald
MacLeod of Talisker, who was chamberlain at the time. It is true that
there existed a Donald MacLeod of the Gesto family in 1664. This was
Donald vic Ean vic Urchie, but he was not the tenant of Gesto. As already
noticed, he was a younger member of the family and held the tack of
Summerdale. the tenant of Gesto was Ean mor mac ean vic urchie, a
prosperous tenant, probably due to the increasing trade in black cattle.
Thus in 1674 when Iain Breac, his Chief, was so pressed by his creditors
that he asked for the protection of the Scottish Privy Council, Iain Mor
of Gesto came to his assistance and gave him a loan of 4000 merks. In
return he received a tack of lands of Gesto as well as Boust, Coillore and
Fearran na Caillich; ''as presently possessed by him'', for his own lifetime
and thereafter to his eldest son and heir Murdo for 21 years at an annual
rent of 360 merks. The interest on the loan was £160 Scots annualy
(i.e., 6%) and this was to be deducted annually from the rent. Power was
given to Gesto to ''input'' and ''output'' sub-tenants and to charge whatever
dues and services he required to avoid eviction. This of course does not
say that he used these powers, which were legally his. Living in MacLeod
territory, he was wise enought to realize that those living on his estate
were more than subtenants: they were clansmen. The strict letter of
feudal law was not operating fully yet. On the evidence of Roderick
MacLeod of Contullich, his father the tutor of MacLeod administered the
Estate not so much by feudal law as by custom and ancient usage.
Lowland law and pratice howeer were beginning to intrude into the
Highlands and the Gesto tack is really a wadset, which was common
practice in the South. The wadset enabled tenants, after giving a loan to
secure favourable formal agreements. These put the wadsetter in a
strong position for he could not be evicted until the loan was fully paid
and in addition he secured a greater legal power over his subtenants.
The loan was almost repaid in full by 1708, when the full rent was
charged on the Gesto tack. John MacLeod was married to Margaret
MacLeod of Drynoch, with issue.