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St$,. SHS. IS& SCOTTISH HISTORY SOCIETY FOURTH SERIES VOLUME 22 Acts of the Lords of the Isles Acts of the Lords of the Isles 1336-1493 edited by Jean Munro, PH.D and R. W. Munro EDINBURGH printed for the Scottish History Society by BLACKWOOD, PILLANS & WILSON 1986 © Scottish History Society 1986 ISBN o 906245 07 9 Printed in Great Britain ^ a PREFACE We could not have considered embarking on this task without the initial encouragement and the promise of continued support from Professor G. W. S. Barrow and Dr Grant G. Simpson, who were chairman of council and hon. secretary of the Scottish History Society when a volume on the charters of the lords of the Isles was added to the list of prospective publications. Over the years they have richly fulfilled this promise, and we thank them most warmly for the great help they have given us from their wealth of knowledge and experience. We have been fortunate to be working at a time when there has been a great upsurge of interest in the history of the later Middle Ages in Scotland. Discussions in the Conference of Scottish Medievalists and the Baronial Research Group have been of great benefit to us, and we are grateful to our fellow members, and especially to Dr Alexander Grant and Dr Jenny Wormald, for many helpful comments. Mr W. D. H. Sellar has shared with us his exact knowledge of manuscript sources on West Highland families, and given sound advice often at short notice. Recent work on the Vatican Archives has produced much new information, and our thanks go to Professor Ian B. Cowan for providing access to the transcripts at Glasgow University, and for guiding us in their use. At the same time the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland have been busy in Argyll, and we have had the opportunity to exchange ideas and information with members of their staff. We have benefited from the recent work of Dr J. W. M. Bannerman and the Rev. William Matheson, and from their patience in answering our questions on Gaelic matters. The staff of the Scottish Record Office have over the years taken a kindly as well as a professional interest in our work, and we are grateful to all of them. From the staff of the National Library of Scotland (including the Map Room), and from the Scottish Library staff in the Central Public Library, Edinburgh, we have always had efficient service. For his forbearance and a vi ACTS OF THE LORDS OF THE ISLES keen eye for detail we would like to thank Dr T. I. Rae, the society’s hon. publication secretary. Finally, it is a pleasant duty to thank the following owners of documents who have readily made them available for the purposes of this book: The Duke of Atholl, the Marquess of Graham, the Earl Cawdor, the Earl of Cromartie, the Earl of Dundee, the Countess of Sutherland, the Lady Saltoun; Sir William Gordon Gumming, Bt.; Ninian Brodie of Brodie, Lieut.-Commander Lachlan Mackintosh of Mackintosh, A. M. H. Matheson (Brahan), Captain Patrick Munro ofFoulis, Michael Nightingale of Cromarty, Miss Elizabeth Rose of Kilravock, and Alexander Urquhart of Craigston; the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland; Messrs Anderson, Shaw & Gilbert, solicitors, Inverness; and Messrs Lindsays, W.S., Edinburgh. Crown copyright material in the Scottish Record Office and the Public Record Office is reproduced with permission of the Controller of HM Stationery Office, and transcripts of docu- ments held on deposit in the sro appear with the approval of the Keeper of the Records of Scotland. Material in libraries, subject where appropriate to the permission of owners, have been published by permission of the Librarian of Aberdeen Univer- sity Library, the Trustees of the British Library, and the Trustees of the National Library of Scotland. JEAN MUNRO R. W. MUNRO Edinburgh April, 1986 CONTENTS Preface v Table of Abbreviations ix Introduction xix Map Ixxxviii ACTS OF THE LORDS OF THE ISLES I. JOHN, 1336-1387 I II. DONALD, I387-C.I423 13 III. ALEXANDER, C.I423-I449 34 IV. JOHN, I449-I493 77 APPENDICES A. Royal grants of Lordship lands 207 B. The Lordship and the Papacy 239 C. Witnesses, Office-holders, etc. 245 D. The family of the Isles and its branches 278 E. Seals of the Lords of the Isles 316 index 323 CENTENARY ADDRESS 357 by Professor Emeritus Gordon Donaldson Historiographer Royal for Scotland Generous contributions from the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland Glencoe Foundation Inc. Lilburne Memorial Trust and Howard Dorris Ltd towards the cost of producing this volume are gratefully acknowledged by the Council of the Society TABLE OF ABBREVIATIONS Aberdeen-Banff Coll. Collectionsfor a History of the Shires of Aberdeen and Banff (Spalding Club, 1843). Aberdeen-Banff III. Illustrations of the Topography and Antiquities of the Shires of Aberdeen and Banjf (Spalding Club, 1847^ Abdn. Reg. Registrum1869). Episcopatus Aberdoniensis (Spalding Club, 1845). Acta Concilii Acta Dominorum Concilii, 1501-3, ed. J. A. Clyde (Stair Society, 1943)- Acts of the Lords Auditors The-Acts of the Lords Auditors of Causes and Complaints, ed. T. Thomson (Edinburgh, 1839). ADC The Arts of the Lords of Council in Civil Causes, edd. T. Thomson and others (Edinburgh, 1839 and 1918- ). ADCP Acts of the Lords of Council in Public Affairs, 1501- 1554, ed. R. K. Hannay (Edinburgh, 1932). AFM Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters, ed. J. O’Donovan (Dublin, 1851). Alexander, PNA W. M. Alexander, The Place-Names of Aberdeen- shire (Spalding Club, 1952). Anderson, Early Sources Early Sources of Scottish History, 500 to 1286, ed. A. O. Anderson (Edinburgh, 1922). Anderson, Gigha R. S. G. Anderson, The Antiquities of Gigha, 2nd edn. (Newton Stewart, 1939). Annals of Loch Ce The Annals of Loch Ce, ed. W. M. Hennessy (London, 1871). Ant. Notes C. Eraser-Mackintosh, Antiquarian Notes (Inver- ness, 1865). APS The Acts of the Parliament of Scotland, edd. T. Thomson and C. Innes (Edinburgh, 1814-75). Argyll Inv. Argyll, an Inventory of the Ancient Monuments (RCAHMS, 1971- ). Asloan MS. The Asloan Manuscript, ed. W. A. Craigie (STS, ASPA Vatican1923). Archives: Acta Sacra Penitentiariae Apostolica. AT Argyll Transcripts, made by 10th Duke of Argyll (photostat copies of extracts in the Department of Scottish History, University of Glasgow). AU Annals of Ulster, edd. W. M. Hennessy and B. MacCarthy (Dublin, 1887-1901). AUL Aberdeen University Library. Balfour, Annales Sir James Balfour, The Annales of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1824). Balfour-Melville, James / E. W. M. Balfour-Melville, fames I (London, Bannatyne Misc. 1936).The Bannatyne Miscellany (Bannatyne Club, 1827-55)- ACTS OF THE LORDS OF THE ISLES Barrow, Bruce G. W. S. Barrow, Robert Bruce and the Community of the Realm of Scotland (London, 1965). Barrow, Kingdom G. W. S. Barrow, The Kingdom of the Scots (London, 1973)- Barrow, Kingship G. W. S. Barrow, Kingship and Unity (London, 1981). Benedict XIII Letters Calendar of Papal Letters to Scotland of Benedict XIII of Avignon, 1394-1419, ed. F. McGurk (SHS, 1976). Beveridge, Abers and Invers E. Beveridge, The Abers and Invers of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1923). Beveridge, Coll and Tiree E. Beveridge, Coll and Tiree (Edinburgh, 1903). Beveridge, North Uist E. Beveridge, North Uist (Edinburgh, 1911). BL British Library. Black, Surnames G. F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York, 1946). Blaeu, Atlas J. Blaeu, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, part v (Amsterdam, 1654). Book of the Dean of Lismore Scottish Verse from the Book of the Dean of Lismore, ed. W.J. Watson (SGTS, 1937). Buchanan, Historia G.(Edinburgh, Buchanan, 1582). Rerum Scoticarum Historia Budge, Jura D. Budge, Jura (Edinburgh, i960). C (app. D only) see below Clanranald Book. Calder, Caithness J. T. Calder, Sketch of the Civil and Traditional History of Caithness, 2ndedn. (Wick, 1887). Cal. Close Rolls Calendar of Close Rolls, edd. C. Trice Martin and others (London, 1902- ). Cal. Docs. Scot. Calendar of Documents relating to Scotland, ed. J. Bain (Edinburgh, 1881-8). Cal. Pat. Rolls Calendar of Patent Rolls, edd. J. G. Black and others (London, 1901- ). Cameron, Apostolic Camera The Apostolic Camera and Scottish Benefices, ed. A. I. Cameron (Oxford, 1934). Cameron, Celtic Law J. Cameron, Celtic Law (London, 1937). Cawdor Book The Book of the Thanes of Cawdor (Spalding Club, 1859). CD (app. D only) see below Clan Donald. Chron. Bower Joannis de Fordun Scotochronicon cum Supplementis et Continuatione Walteri Boweri, ed. W. Goodall (Edinburgh, 1759). Chron. Fordun Johannis de Fordun, Chronica Gentis Scotorum, ed. W. F. Skene (Edinburgh, 1871-2). Chron. Frasers Chronicles of the Frasers: The Wardlaw MS. (SHS, 1905). Chron. Ross Ane breve Cronicle of the Earlis of Ross (Edinburgh, 1850). Chron. IVyntoun (Laing) Andrew of Wyntoun, The Orygynale Cronykil of Scotland, ed. D. Laing (Edinburgh, 1872-9). Clan Donald A. and A. Macdonald, The Clan Donald, 3 vols. (Inverness, 1896-1904). TABLE OF ABBREVIATIONS xi ‘The Book of Clanranald’ in A. Cameron Reli- Clanranald Book quiae Celticae, edd. A. Macbain and J. Kennedy (Inverness, 1892-4). Calendar of Papal Letters to Scotland of Clement VII Clement VII Letters of Avignon, 1378-1394, ed. C. Burns (SHS, 1976). Coll, de Rebus Alban. Collectanea de Rebus Albanicis (Iona Club, 1847). Cowan, Parishes I. B. Cowan, The Parishes of Medieval Scotland (SRS, 1967). Cowan and Easson, Religious D. E. Easson, Medieval Religious Houses: Scotland, 2nd edn. by I. B. Cowan (London, 1976). CPL Calendar of Entries in the Papal Registers relating to BlissGreat and Britain others and (London,Ireland: Papal 1893- Letters, ). edd. W. H. Calendar of Entries in the Papal Registers relating to CPP Great Britain and Ireland: Petitions to the Pope, ed.