!SOURCE: William Matheson, "The MacLeods of Lewis," TRANSACTIONS OF
THE GAELIC SOCIETY OF INVERNESS, Vol. LI (1978-1980), Inverness,
Scotland, 1981, pp. 320-337 (327-328).
Roderick (Ruaidhri Mór). According to the Sleat historian, together
with his cousin, John MacLeod of Dunvegan, he fought at Harlaw in the
main battle, which was under the personal command of Donald of the
Isles. Roderick MacLeod, presumable of Lewis, witnesses a charter from
thesame Donald of the Isles to Angus Mackay of Strathnaver and his son
Neil, dated 8th October 1415. He is also on record in the Vatican
archives, where we find that "the nobleman Roderic MacLeord [sic], baron
of Leows" is granted an indult, dated 9th June 1405, to have a portable
altar. A few years earlier, in a papal document dated 27th May 1403, it
is stated that "the nobleman Roderic Macleord had formerly been
betrothed to Anna, daughter of the nobleman William Macleord" of Sodor
diocese. And it was probably in response to a supplication from him that
the Pope granted an indulgence, of the same date in 1403, to visitors to
"the church of St Mary in Barwas in the isle of Lewis" on certain feast
days and those who should contribute to its reparation. According to one
account, Roderick married Margaret, daughter ofthe Lord of the Isles, and
to another, a daughter of John MacLeod of Harris, but in both cases
documentation seems to be lacking.
!BIOGRAPHY: Sir Robert Douglas of Glenbervie, Baronet, THE BARONAGE
OF SCOTLAND, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1798, p. 384.
"V. Roderick MacLeod, fifth baron of Lewes, who married Margaret
MacDonald, daughter of the lord of the isles, by whom he had a son,
"Torquil, his heir, ---and a daughter,
"Margaret, married to William MacIntosh of that ilk, captain of the Clan
Chattan.
"He died in the end of the reign of king James I, and was succeeded by
his son."
!BIOGRAPHY: John Burke, Esq., HISTORY OF THE COMMONERS OF GREAT
BRITAIN AND IRELAND, Vol. IV, Baltimore, Genealogical Publishing Co.,
1977, pp. 584-592.
Roderick, fifth Baron of Lewis. He m. Margaret Macdonald, daughter of
the Lord of the Isles, by whom he had two sons and a daughter,
Torquil, his heir.
Norman, to whom his father gave the lands of Assynt, in vassalage, and
who was ancestor of the Macleods of Assynt.
Margaret, married to William Mackintosh, of that Ilk.
He died in the reign of James I, and was succeeded by his son, Torquil.
!SOURCE: Alick Morrison, THE MACLEODS: THE GENEALOGY OF A CLAN,
Section IV, "The MacLeods of Lewis", Edinburgh, Associated Clan MacLeod
Societies, 1974, pp. 2, 3.
Roderick MacLeod VI of Lewis is a shadowy figure. We do know that in
1449, he did witness a charter of John, Lord of the Isles. We are told
that he married Margaret, daughter of the Lord of the Isles, with issue.
Roderick died at an advanced age and was succeeded by his eldest son,
Torquil.
!REVISION: The preceding references have Roderick MacLeod of Lewis as
the son of Malcolm Gille-caluim Beag, who was killed in 1406 at the
battle of Tuiteam Tarbhach in Sutherland. The following revision has
him as the brother of Malcolm Gille-caluim Beag, and son of Torquil, IV
of Lewis.
!SOURCE: Alick Morrison, THE MACLEODS: THE GENEALOGY OF A CLAN,
Section IV, Revised Edition, "The MacLeods of Lewis", Edinburgh,
Associated Clan MacLeod Societies, 1990, pp. 2, 3.
The clan tradition says that Roderick fought at the Battle of Harlaw
(1411), together with his cousin, John of Dunvegan, under the personal
command of Donald of the Isles. This same Donald granted a charter to
Angus MacKay of Strathnaver and his son on 8th October 1415 [Notarial
copy in the Reay papers (A. MacKay (1906) p. 376). There is confusion
about the date, but Matheson (TGSI (LI) p. 333, n. 46) thinks 1415 is
correct.] which was witnessed by Roderick. He appears twice in papal
correspondence of the time. First, in a document dated 27th May 1403,
[F. McGurk (1976) p. 103.} he is described as the "nobleman Roderick
MacLeord (2ho) had formerly been betrothed to Anna, daughter of the
nobleman William Macleord" of Sodor diocese. This last reference is
doubtless to William MacLeod (Uilleam Cleireach) of Dunvegan. Secondly,
from the same archives, we learn that the "nobleman Roderic MacLeord,
baron of Leows" is granted an indult of 9th June 1405 to have a portable
altar. [Ibid., p. 139.] Probably about 1415 he granted a charter of
Assynto his second son, Norman, reserving the legal superiority to
himself. [Sir R. Gordon (1813) p. 262; J. T. Clark (1900) (I) pp. 169, 183.]
The sources differ about his marriage. Sir Robert Douglas of Glenbervie
[Sir. R. Douglas (1798) p. 384, see above] allots him to Margaret,
daughter of the Lord of the Isles; Canon R. C. MacLeod to a daughter of
John MacLeod of Dunvegan. [R. C. MacLeod (1927) p. 67.]