!MENTION: Rev. Dr. Donald MacKinnon and Alick Morrison, THE MACLEODS
-- THE GENEALOGY OF A CLAN, Section III, "MacLeod Cadet Families",
Edinburgh, The Clan MacLeod Society, 1970, p. 16.
In the TALISKER MANUSCRIPT John MacLeod (or to give him the name by
which he is known in the traditions of the family -- Iain a''Chuil Bhain)
[In the BANNATYNE MANUSCRIPT John MacLeod is named Iain a''Chuail
Bhain, but the late Rev. Kenneth MacLeod, D.D., who was himself a
descendant, told the compiler that in the traditions of the family he was
always known as Iain a''Chil Bhain.] is described as a ''grandson'' of
Norman, son of Iain Borb, and not as a ''great-grandson'' as in the
BANNATYNE MANUSCRIPT, but the latter is unreliable. He is mentioned
several times in official records, and dates show that he was a younger
contemporary of Alasdair Crotach, 8th Chief. Iain a''Chuil Bhain was,
without doubt, the most outstanding man of the Waternish family. Tall
and handsome, his fair hair clubbed, a fashion not in vogue at that time
among the gentlemen of the Isles, and a capable man of affairs, he was
popular with his fellow-clansmen, and earned the respect and gratitude
of his Chief, Alasdair Crotach, whom he supported in his quarrels and
feuds with his neighbours. In 1533 he and Alasdair Crotach entered into
a bond of mutual protection with Sir John Campbell of Cawdor. In the
Crown Charter of 1542 Iain a''Chuil Bhain is named as next in the
succession after Alasdair Crotach''s sons: William, Donald and Norman,
who were afterwards 9th, 11th and 12th Chiefs respectively.
Chief William died in 1551, leaving an only child, Mary, and his two
brothers, Donald and Norman, were away from the Isles, and the MacLeod
clansmen knew not whether they were dead or alive. After William''s
funeral at Rodel, the customary Funeral Feast was held. The BANNATYNE
MANUSCRIPT gives us a most interesting account of what took place
thereafter. As was the custom, the family bard, Roderick Morrison,
rehearsed the genealog the departed Chief, praised his achievements and
lamented his loss. Having done this, he ''expressed the hope and
expectations of the clan in the virtue and valour of the next chief, whose
duty it was to stand in his place and demand his father''s or
predeccessor''s sword which was always placed in his hand by the first
man of the clan''. In the absence of the last Chief''s two brothers, Iain
a''Chuil Bhain was the nearest male relative present. When Roderick
Morrison went on to address the clansmen, each head of a family drew
his sword and held it naked before him. Then the bard recited Iain
a''Chuil Bhain''s descent, claiming that his grandfather, Norman, was the
elder and not the second son of Chief Iain Borb. Even the BANNATYNE
MANUSCRIPT, though highly biased in favour of the family of Waternish,
says that the bard''s statement took the assembled clansmen by surprise.
As Islanders, they were born genealogists, and knew full well that
Morrison''s assertion was not true. The bard hailed Iain a''Chuil Bhain as
Chief by right of blood, and when Norman, Iain a''Chuil Bhain''s eldest son,
stood up, holding Iain Borb''s sword [Probably this is the sword which
hangs in the Portrait Gallery in Dunvegan Castle, and known as Iain
Borb''s sword.] by the point, he offered it to his father, who, upstanding,
amidst some commotion, accepted it. This colorful story of the
inauguration of Iain a''Chuil Bhain as Chief of the Clan MacLeod is not
given in any other known MacLeod manuscript.
Iain a''Chuil Bhain knew very well that the chiefship was hereditary, not
elective, and probably accepted the dignity to which he was elected by
the majority of the clansmen at Rodel as being merely a pro-Tutorship of
MacLeod or leadership [LYON COURT DECREE, MACLEOD OF GLENDALE, 19TH
MAY 1958] of the clan until such time as one or other of the deceased
Chief William''s brothers would return to claim the MacLeod estates and
chiefship. That this was his position seems to find support from his
conduct after the return in 1557 of Donald, the younger brother of Chief
William. Iain a''Chuil Bhain immediately denuded himself of the office in
which he had been installed at Rodel six years previously and summoned
the MacLeods of Siol tormoid and Siol Torcuil to a meeting to be held at
Lynedale to discuss Donald''s claim to the chiefship. The meeting of the
clansmen was duly held in March 1557, and, althoug we do not knwo what
exactly happened at the meeting, we can reasonably conclude from what
took place afterwards that Donald''s claim was recognised by the
clansmen as it was based on right of blood. Iain a''Chuil Bhain''s eldest
surviving son, Iain Dubh (Norman was dead by this time and his son was a
minor), was appointed to go to Kingsburgh where Donald was anxiously
waiting to hear the result of the discussion at Lynedale. Iain Dubh
undertook the mission to Kingsburgh with fatal results for Donald, who
was treacherously murdured, either at Kingsburgh or Lyndale. It is very
significant that for this foul deed Iain Dubh was outlawed by the Clan.
In the circumstances Iain a''Chuil Bhain was re-invested in his
pro-Tutorship or leadership, but he only survived the Lynedale meeting
for a few months.
He married Shiela (or Florence), daughter of Archibald MacDonald of
Knock (son of Donald Gruamach, 4th Baron of Sleat), with issue, ten sons
and four daughters.
John MacLeod (Iain a''Chuil Bhain) passed away in 1557, and was
succeeded in the representation of the MacLeods of Waternish by his
grandson.
!SOURCE: THE MACLEODS OF ARNISDALE, compiled by Rev. Donald
MacKinnon, Portree, Skye, Scotland, 1929, reprinted by The Clan MacLeod
Society USA, Migration Project Publications Series, Number 1, 1984, p.
8.
He was known as "Iain a Chuail Bhan" (John, of the Fair Hair). On the
death of William, ninth Chief of Dunvegan, this John''s family claimed the
Chiefship, and their claim is said to have been acknowledged by the Clan
on two distinct occasions. The history of the claim for the MacLeod
Estates and Chiefship of the Clan is given in full in MacKenzie''s "History
of the MacLeods" (pp. 30, 202), and in Canon MacLeod''s recent book on the
MacLeod Chiefs (pp. 94-101). John of the Fair Hair married Sheila,
daughter of Archibald MacDonald of Knock, Sleat, Skye, with issue, ten
sons and four daughters. The fourth son was Alexander, who carried on
the representation of the family.