!SOURCE: Sir Robert Douglas of Glenbervie, Bart., THE PEERAGE OF
SCOTLAND, Vol. 2, Second Edition, John Philip Wood, Esq., Editor,
Edinburgh, 1813, pp. 10-11.
X. John, eleventh Earl of Ross, and Lord of the Isles, succeeded his
father; was one of the guarantees of a truce with England, 1449, 1451,
1457, and 1459, and one of the wardens of the marches 1457. He entered
into a confederacy with the Earls of Douglas and Crawford, 1451, the
power of which was superior to the Royal authroity; but did not engage
in the rebellion fo the Douglasses 1454. After the death of James II. he
entered into a negotiation with King Edward IV. in 1462. A treaty was
concluded, 8th February that year, betwixt Edward and John, Earl of
Ross, by which it was agreed, that the Earl of Ross, Donald Balagh, and
John de Yle, son and heir apparent of the said Donald, and all their
subjects, men, people, and inhabitants of the earldom of Ross and the
Isles, should become liegemen of Edward IV., do homage, and remain for
ever subjects of the Kings of England,a nd assist them against all
enemies. Edward agreed to give the Earl, during life, a yearly pension of
100 marks sterling in time of peace, and of L 200 sterling in time of
war; and if Scotland was vanquished in consequence of that alliance,
that part to the north of Forth should be bestowed on the Earl; and in
case of a final peace betwixt the two kingdoms, England should not agree
with Scotland without getting the Earl and his associates comprehended
in it. This agreement was not discovered till 1478, when a treaty being
concluded with England, without comprehending the Earl, and containing
a clause that the respective Kings should renounce all former
engagements made agaisnt each other, this conventions was brought to
light. A summons of treason was executed at the castle of Dingwall
16th October 1475, against John, Earl of Ross and Lord of the Isles, for
communing with the King''s enemies of England, for leagues and bands
made with King Edward, for communing made with Sir James of Douglas,
somtime Earl of Douglas, for help, onsel, favour, and supply given to the
same, and leagues and bands made with him against th eKing, for giving
of safe conducts to his Majesty''s enemies of England, for usurpation of
the King''s authority in making his bastard son a lieuteant to him, for
convocation of the ;lieges, besieging the castle of Rothsay, in Bute, and
wasing and destoying the lands in Bute. He was forfeited, in absence, in
parliament, 1st December 1475; a force was collected to execute the
sentence of confiscation of his possessions; but the Earl made his
submission, and was rehabilitated in parliament, 10th July 1476. That
dya he surrendered to the King the earldom of Ross, the lands of Knapdale
and Kintyre, with their pertinents, and the offices of sherifship of
INverness and Nairn, to remain with the crown for ever. The King
ratified to Elisabeth, Countess of Ross, the grants of lands with the
earldom of Ross, made by his Majesty to her, and created John de Isla,
Lord of the Isles, a baron banrent, the lord of parliament; and, on the
same day, the earldom of Ross was unalienably annexed to the crown by
act of parliament, with power, nevertheless, to the King and his
successors, to bestow the same on a second son of the royal family.
A charter passed the great seal, 15th July 1476, rescinding the
forfeiture of the Earl of Ross, in parliament, creating him a lord of
parliament, and granting to him Morvarne, Garmorveane, the lordhips of
Lochaber, Durwan, and Glentoill, in the county of Inverness; Kinnedward,
in Aberdeenshire; Grenan, in Carrick; and all the lands he possessed
before his forfeiture, excepting the earldom of Ross, the lordship of
Kintyre, and the offices of sheriffship of Inverness and Nairn, "which we
reserve in memory of his offence and transgressions," to him and the
heirs male of his body; which failing, to Angus de Ile, his natural son,
and John de Ile, also his naturel son. John, Lord of the Isles, had another
charter of the same, 16th december 1478, to himself and the heirs male
of his body; which failing, to angus de Ila, his natural son, and the heirs
male of his body; which failing, to the legitimate heirs of John, Lord of
the Isles; this indicates that John, his other natural son, was then dead.
John de Ila, Lord of the Isles, granted a charter, 22d December 1478, of
the barony of Kynnedward, to Alexander Lesly of Wrdes; and he had a
charter, 11th August 1481, of Killewnane, and other lands, in Kintyre,
and Knapdale, to him for life.
He now appears to have renewed his treasonable practices with
England, as on the 22d of July 1481, King Edward IV. issued a
commission for treating with our dearest cousin, the Lord of the Isles,
and Earl of Ross, and with his cousins and counselors, and Donald Gorme,
for their assistance. These treasonable practices being discovered, the
Lord of the Isles was again outlawed and forfeited, as appears form
several charters under the great seal, in 1498, granting to the Macleans
of Dowart, and Lochbuy, the Macleods of Harris, the Macranalds and
Macallans, their lands which formerly held the Lords of the Isles, and
were then in the King''s hadns by his forfeiture. John, Lord of the Isles,
died 1498.
He married Elisabeth, eldest daughter of James, Lord Livinston, great
chamberlain of Scotland. She had charters to Elisabeth, Countess of
Ross, wife of John, formerly Earl of Ross, for her life, of Grenan, in
Ayrshire; Kynneward, in Aberdeenshire; Rew and Ewyl, in the earldom of
Ross, 8th February 1475-6; to Elisabeth de Levyngston, wife of John,
formerly Earl of Ross, of certain annualrents for the honourable
sustentation of her person, 14th December 1476; of Polquhois,
Garreffes, and Garclaithie, in Ayrshire, 29th October 1490; and she
occurs in the records of parliament, 1494. By her the Earl of Ross had no
issue. His natural son, Angus, married Lady Mary Campbell, fifth
daughter of Colin, first Earl of Agyll, but does not appear to have had any
issue by her. In the parliament, 5th March 1503, it was found that
Lauchlan M''Clane of Dowrd had committed treason, in the treasonable
maintaining, fortifying, and supplying of Donald, bastard, and unlawfull
son of umquile Anguss of the Yles, bastard sone to umquhile John of the
Ilis, in the causing of the said Donald to usurp our sovereign Lord''s
authority royal to that effect, that the said Donald should be Lord of the
Ylis, usurping upon our sovereign lord''s authority, and for the causation
of our sovereign lord''s lieges to obey to the said Donald as Lord of Ylis,
which is our sovereign lord''s prperty, usurping our sovereign lord''s
authority thereby.