!SOURCE: Rev. Thomas Whyte, AN HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL
ACOCUNT OF THE BETHUNES OF THE ISLAND OF SKYE, Edinburgh, 1778,
reprinted London, 1893, by Alfred A. Bethune-Baker, reprinted by
ScotsPress, p. 32.
!SOURCE: Rev. Thomas Whyte, AN HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL
ACCOUNT OF THE BETHUNES OF THE ISLAND OF SKYE, Edinburgh, 1778,
reprinted London, 1893, by Alfred A. Bethune-Baker, reprinted by
ScotsPress, pp. 11, 12, 23.
Ferquhard the eldest son, was a well looked courageous man, and yet of
a quiet and peaceable temper. No less than seven hundred from Sky, were
engaged at the unfortunate battle of Worcester, September 3, 1651, who
were almost all killed or taken prisoners. Here Ferquhard just now
mentioned, behaved gallantly and procured great fame. On which account
Sir Norman M''Leod of Bernera, third son of Sir Roderick M''Leod of that
Ilk, who had the command of the regiment from that island, conceived
such an high opinion of him, as made him continue alwasy friendly to
him, and his son after him.
His relations advised him, to go in suit of a daughter of M''Lean of Coll;
but in his way to wait on her, seeing a young gentlewoman of the
surname of Cuy, whose father was then one of the principal men under
M''Leod of Glenelg, he fancied her rather than Coll''s daughter, for in his
opinion she was the most pretty and handsomest of the two. This choice
greatly disobliged his friends and relations; and the reason was, they
judged he would have fewer friends by ther than the other, though
indeed, she had considerable connexions, and had several of her kindred,
principal and leading men in the town of Inverness [Manuscript History of
the Bethunes of the Island of Sky].
Soon after this, he left Sky, and got a lease of some lands, from the
Earl of Seaforth, on the continent of Kintail. This very much chagrined
his relations and kindred, and the M''Donalds opposed it with all their
might. But he paid no regard to them, and declared openly, he inclined
that neither himself, nor any of his posterity, should ever return to live
in Sky. After he came to the continent, he was greatly turmoiled, and
harrassed by the M''Donalds, who took often the opportunity of the silence
of the night, and conveyed over to Sky, the cattle belonging to him and
his dependents; but he did not tamely submit to these depredations, nor
suffer the authors of them to excape unpunished; he as often collected
all the men he could, went to Sky, and made sufficient reprisals. In this
way they continued some considerable time, until both parties were
heartily wearied, and then they mutually agreed, that every one should
enjoy his own peaceably, without any disturbance or molestation.
[Manuscript History of the Bethunes of the Island of Sky].
About this time, he had a son born unto him called Kenneth, who soon
after his birth lost his mother. He fearing, lest the M''Donalds, who,
notwithstanding all their pretences, were not cordially reconciled to
him, might take an opportunity to take the child back to Sky, sent him to
be nursed at Castledownie, under the protections of Hugh tenth Lord
fraser of Lovat. His Lordship was pleased to cause take good care of him
while he was on the breast, afterwards brought him to his own house,
and kept him until he was twenty-one years of age, during which period,
none of his relations kndw what was become of him, except those who
were let into the knowledge of it, by the Lord Lovat, whom we just now
spoke of.
The father, after the death of his first wife, married a gentlewoman of
the M''Leods of Lewis, a family descended of the same ancestor with that
of M''Leod of that Ilk, and consequently as ancient. They made a great
figure for many centuries, and possessed many lands [Douglas''s
Baronage]. Betwixt these two families, there were various severe and
bloody contests, concerning the precedency and chiefship.
By her he had a son, whose name was Angus, who lived until he was
near eighty years of age, but never married.
Ferquhard, the eldest son of the second Dr. Angus, and sixth descendent
in a male-line from John Bethune fifth laird of Balfour; and Marjory,
third daughter of David Boswel of Balmuto, was reckoned a wise and
judicious man. One of the reasons he gave why he did not study physic
was, That his father had studied that science for 27 years: That he
himself would have spent the best part of his life before he appeared as
a physician; and that afterwards, when he settled in such a remote
corner as Sky, he would not find encouragement proportionalbe to his
pains and improvement.
He had six sons, Angus, Peter, Ewan or Eugene, Kenneth, Neil, and John.