!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, pp. 19, 20, 21.
This second Norman was the son of Alexander, fourth son of Iain a''Chuil
Bhain, and was the only male of Sliochd Iain Mhic Leoid who escaped
death on the fateful night on which Norman MacLeod of Dunvegan (12th
Chief) had hoped to exterminate this race forever. The story of young
Norman''s flight from death is given with great circumstantiality in the
BANNATYNE MANUSCRIPT. Norman, as a child, had been sent to the home
of Finlay Morrison and his wife, Beathag (Rebecca) Morrison [Beathag''s
patronymic is given as Beathan nighean Choinnich Mac Aonghuis Mhic
Gillemhoire (Rebecca, daughter of Kenneth, son of Angus Morrison) in the
BANNATYNE MANUSCRIPT], in the Island of Taransay, Harris, to be nursed.
Both Finlay and Beathag were closely related to Norman''s mother,
Marsaline Morrison. Finlay was one of the men who had taken the oath to
Norman MacLeod of Dunvegan to extirpate the Sliochd Iain Mhic Leoid, but
in his heart he was a friend of the doomed race. The age-long Gaelic
sentiment that a foster-child had a better right to the love, care and
protection of his foster-parents than their own off-spring, weighed
heavily on Finlay Morrison''s heart, and so on the night on which he was
expected to murder his foster-child, he was greatly depressed. When
little Norman climbed on his knee to kiss him, Finlay gave vent to his
feeling in tears an sobs, and in great agony of heart he cried to his wife:
''Fly and save him''. She udnerstood and at once took the boy, and asked
two of her sons to ferry her immediately to the mainland of Harris.
Having got her feet on the mainland, she hurried across the hilss to
Stockinish, where she encountered one of the murderers returning from
Shellibost after murdering in cold blood Allan MacLeod and his family.
Beathag asked him to ferry her across the Minch to Skye, offering him as
a reward a large silver brooch, which, however, he refused, and which
was long preserved as a family heirloom among her descendants
[According to the BANNATYNE MANUSCRIPT (shorter version), the last
person known to possess the heirloom, was Marsaline Morrison in
Edinburgh, a descendant of Beathag nighean Choinnich mac Aonghuis mhic
Ghillemoire.]. Beathag landed safely in Skye, and, after being nearly
captured by some of Norman MacLeod''s followers, she arrived at
Duntuilm Castle, where she laid her foster-child in the arms of Donald
Gormson of Sleat, who was closely related to Norman''s father through
his mother, saying: "This is the only surviving male of Sliochd Iain Mhic
Leoid. To your protection I resign him''. MacDonald of Sleat most
humanely and generously reared and educated young Norman, and gave
him, when he came of age, the lands of Kingsburgh, which he and his
family held until they returned to the MacLeod ''country'' after Sir
Roderick Mor MacLeod succeeded to the chiefship of the Clan.
Norman MacLeod married Catherine, daughter of James MacDonald of
Castle Camus, Sleat (and granddaughter of Alasdair Crotach MacLeod of
MacLeod) who was the progenitor of the historic family of Kingsburgh,
with issue.
Norman MacLeod, 4th of the MacLeods of Waternish, died and was
succeeded in the representation of the family by his eldest son.
!MENTION: BURKE''S LANDED GENTRY, Eighteenth Edition, Vol. II, London,
1969, pp. 417, 418.
!SOURCE: Rev. Donald MacKinnon, THE MACLEODS OF ARNISDALE, Migration
Project Publications Series Number 1, Clan MacLeod Society, USA, 1984,
p. 8.
As noted above, Norman alone of the "Sliochd Iain MhicLeoid" escaped
the fate of his kindred. He married Catherine, daughter of James
MacDonald, fourth son of Donald MacDonald, IV of Sleat, and progenitor
of the MacDonalds of Kingsburgh [Clan Donald, Vol. III, p. 469; "History of
the MacDonald," by MacKenzie, p. 262.] To Norman MacLeod and Catherine
MacDonald was born a family of three sons and several daughters. The
sons were William, Donald, and Alexander.