!SOURCE: Sir Robert Douglas of Glenbervie, Baronet, THE BARONAGE OF
SCOTLAND, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1798, pp. 384, 387.
"I. Norman MacLeod, second son of Torquil fourth baron of Lewes,
obtained from his father in patrimony, the barony of Assynt in property,
but reserved the superiority to himself, and his heirs, barons of Lewes.
"He died in the reign of King James I. and left a son."
!SOURCE: John Burke, Esq., A GENEALOGICAL AND HERADIC HISTORY OF
THE COMMONERS OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, Vol. II, Baltimore,
Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1977, pp. 175-178.
!SOURCE: BURKE''S LANDED GENTRY, Eighteenth Edition, Vol. II, London,
Burke''s Peerage Limited, 1969, pp. 416-417.
This source disagrees with Sir Robert Douglas (see above), in that
Burke has Tormod/Norman as the son of Roderick, Vth of Lewes, while
Douglas has him as son of Torquil, IVth of the Lewes.
!SOURCE: Alick Morrison, THE MACLEODS: THE GENEALOGY OF A CLAN,
Section IV, "The MacLeods of Lewis", Edinburgh, Associated Clan MacLeod
Societies, 1974, p. 2.
Norman, to whom his father gave the barony of Assynt and from whom
therefore are descended the MacLeod families of Assynt, Geanies and
Cadboll, of whom later.
!SOURCE: Alick Morrison, THE MACLEODS: THE GENEALOGY OF A CLAN,
Section V, "the MacLeods of Assynt", Edinburgh, Associated Clan MacLeod
Societies, 1976, p. 16.
The oldest genealogical account we possess of teh MacLeods of Assynt
is based on a Geanies Papers written about the end of the 17ty century.
Its antiquity deserves some respect and it provides interesting detail on
teh progenitor of the Assynt MacLeods and his immediate family. It
records that Norman I of Assynt was fostered in the Reay country by a
certain Call (probably Cathal) Kerr, a descendant of the Kerr family, who
held the lands of Assynt under the Murrays of Culbin. When Norman came
of age he refused to return to his native island of Lewis and his
predilection for the mainlyand of Scotland, no doubt, induces father
"Rorie Mor" MacLeod of Lewis to bestow Assynt and Cooigeach uon him,
reserving to himself and his heirs the superiority of these areas.
According to the Assynt Manuscript, Norman was "a fine gentlemand of
penetrating sense and good behaviour". It also states that Norman was
married twice (1) to an Irish lady of Danish extraction with the rather
unlikely name of "Sinee nein Clyann na Gayell" (probably Jean, daughter
of Clann nan Gaidheal), with issue,, John Reach McCormat (John Riabhach
mac Thormaid) who became the progenitor of the Coigeach family. This
family disputed teh superiority of their relatives, the family of Angus
Mor, in Assynt. All the other Assynt Manuscirpts, except this early one,
deny that Norman I of Assynt was married twice. They claim, probably
correctly, that Norman was married once, to a Katherine Matheson, only
daughter of the Laird of Lochalsh with issue, three sons.
!SOURCE: Alick Morrison, THE MACLEODS: THE GENEALOGY OF A CLAN,
Section V, "The MacLeods of Assynt", Edinburgh, Associated Clan MacLeod
Societies, 1976, pp. 15ff.
Assynt is an area of Sutherland stretching from the River Oykell in the
east to the shores of the Minch on the west. Its southern boundary forms
the border between the shires of Sutherland and Ross: its northern limt
stretches as far as Kylesku. This area, wild in aspect, contains some of
the grandest scenery in all Scotland, with such peaks as Suilven, Canisp,
Ben More Assynt and Quinaig, rising superbly from their bare plateau of
rocks and many lochs. Loch Assynt runs roughly east and west through
the erea.
MacLeod tradition claims that the lands of Assynt came peacefully into
their possession through the marriage of an heiress, Margaret MacNicol
(or Nicolson) to Torquil IV of Lewis. About 1343; a certain Torquil
MacLeod (whose designation is not given) received a Charter from King
David II. This Charter had a very interesting history. It was one of the
documents seized by Oliver Cromwell''s regime, when Scotland was
overrun from 1651 to 1654. Along with 4 other Highland Charters, this
document was taken to London in a package. While in England, someone
went to the trouble of copying the Charters into a "Black Buik", but the
task was not completed before the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660.
After this event, all the precious documents were sent back to Scotland
in two ships. Unfortunately one of them was sunk and the Royal Charter
of Assynt was aboard. The "Black Buik" however survived in London ans
was discovered in 1793 in the State Papers Office: in it were
discovered, wholly or partly Scottish documtnes, including the Charter
of David II of the lands of Assynt to "Torkile MacLode". He was to
receive from teh King the four davoch lands of Assynkte" with the
fortified isle of the same for the service of a ship of 20 oars. Since it
took 3 men to man the oars of a galley, Torquil and his heirs were
required to provide 60 skilled mariners in addition to the birlinn, and
they had to be fully accoutred for war at sea and no doubt also on land.
This Charter was to last "as long as a cow gives milk and waves dash
upon a rock".
Roderick VI of Lewis gave the lands of Assynt to his second son,
Norman, reserving the superiority to himself and his heirs and
successors in Lewis.
!CAVEAT: We have some discrepancies in data here. First, Morrison here
states that it was Roderick "VI" who gave the lands of Assynt to his
"second son, Norman." However, according to Morrison in Section IV
("The MacLeods of Lewis", p. 3), it was Roderick "V" (c. 1350 to ???) who
gave these lands to his second son, Norman. The "VI of Lewis" was
Torquil (c. 1380 to ???)