Stories of the Clans

A row broke out in Lewis which was caused by Torquil Connaldagh of the Cogigh who claimed the right to the possessions of Roderick MacLeod of Lewis, reputed to be his father.
MacLeod had married severl times. By his first wife, Barbara, he had a son named Torquil-Ire who grew into a somewhat violent man.
After Barbara died, Roderick then married a daughter of the Lord of Kintail but subsequently divorced her for adultery.
He next married a daughter of Maclean by whom he had 2 sons, Torquil Dubh and Tormaid.
His first born son, Torquil-Ire, died at sea.
A boy child named Torquil Cannaldagh was born out of the adulterous relationship between Rodericks second wife and the Breve of Lewis, while she was still married to Roderick and Roderick refused to accept this child as his own.
When he grew up, this child, Torquil Connaldagh married a sister of the MacKenzie chief of Glengarry and took up arms against Roderick, trying to assert his claim as the legitimate son of Roderick MacLeod.
Three other illegitimate sons of MacLeod plotted woth Torquil and they captured the old man and held him captive for four years, saying they would only release him when he acknowledged Torquil Connaldagh as his legitimate son and heir.
Now the other illegitimate sons of MacLeod began to quarrel and Donald MacLeod killed his brother Tormaid.
Connaldagh then took Donald prisoner, but Donald escaped and fled into lewis.
A dreadful in fighting then began with one bastard son capturing another, until eventually Conaldagh captured old Roderick once again, killing all his men and removing all the charters and title deeds of lewis, which he gave to MacKenzie for safe-keeping.
By this time, Connaldagh had a son named John MacLeod, and he now sent him to take charge of the castle on Stornoway where old Roderick was imprisoned.
Now having command of Lewis, Connaldagh began expelling his half brothers from the island, but two of these, Ruraidh-Og and Donald, attacked John MacLeod at the castle in Stornoway and killed him, after which they released old Roderick.
After the death of old Roderick, his legitimate son, Torquil Dubh succeeded him and he in turn excluded his half brother Connaldagh from the MacLeod succession.
The clan MacKenzie, now began to scheme to take over the island as Connaldagh's daughter was now married to Roderick MacKenzie, brother of the Lord of Kintail.
They captured Torquil Dubh and some of his men and they were all beheaded by the Lord of Kintail in 1597.
Meantime, a number of gentlemen from Fife had got together and managed to obtain the island of Lewis as a gift from the King, with the intention of starting up a new colony there..
The MacKenzies were now thawrted and despaired of ever gaining control of Lewis as the new settlers were now in the way.
A quarrel then broke out on the island between the newcomers and Neil Macleod, and the Lord of Kintail decided that this was a good time to attack the settlers and get rid of them, and he sent Tormaid MacNeill to do this.
Tormaid attacked the settlers and killed many of them, those they took captive were only released on their word that they would leave the island
Now Tormaid macNeill had control of Lewis and more fighting erupted among all the MacLeod half brothers.
Tormaid now released Connaldagh from his prison and allowed him to leave the island against the wishes of his followers, and the Breve of Lewis was killed, along with five of his men in a conflict with John MacDonald-MacHutcheon.
After some time had passed, the Lord of Kintail was given the island of Lewis as a gift, but the Fife adventurers complained to the King and the King forced Kintail to give up his rights to the island and put Lewis in the care of Lord Balmerino, at that time, Secretary of Sotland.
Balmerino was later convicted of high treason and executed and eventually Kintail took possession of the island.
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