Clan MacKintosh is a Scottish clan from Inverness with strong Jacobite ties. The MacKintoshes share a common history with the Chattan Confederation.
History
Origins of the Clan
Shaw, son of Duncan Macduff, accompanied King Malcolm IV of Scotland to Morayshire to suppress rebellion in 1160. In 1163 he was granted land in the Findhorn valley and made constable of Inverness Castle. Upon Shaw's death in 1179, his son, Shaw the second became chief and was confirmed by William I of Scotland the Lion. Probably the earliest authentic history of MacKintosh is traceable to Shaw or Search Macduff, a cadet son of the third Earl of Fife. The son of Macduff, for his support of King Malcolm IV of Scotland, was awarded the lands of Petty and Breachley in Invernesshire and was appointed Constable of the Castle thereto. Assuming the name "Mac-an-Toisch", which means "Son of the Thane or Chief", he became the progenitor of his own clan.
Scottish-Norwegian War
In 1263 the Clan MacKintosh fought at the Battle of Largs in support of King Alexander III of Scotland against King Haakon IV of Norway. The fifth Chief of the Clan MacKintosh was killed that day, he was called Farquhar MacKintosh. Other Accounts state that he was killed in a duel in 1265 leaving his infant son Angus as Chief of the clan. [1] In 1291, Angus, sixth chief of MacKintoch, married Eve, the heiress of Chattan Confederation. This marriage brought the Chattan lands of Glenloy and Loch Arkaig under MacKintosh control. Since this time, the Chattan Confederation has been led by the MacKintoshes, although this has been challenged unsuccessfully by the MacPhersons.
Wars of Scottish Independence
Chief Angus MacKintosh later supported Robert I of Scotland during the Wars of Scottish Independence. He led the Clan MacKintosh at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 where the English were defeated. He is placed second in the list of chiefs given by General Stewart of Garth as present in this battle.
14th Century & Clan Conflicts
Clan Mackintosh were involved in many clan battles mostly against Clan Cameron with whom they had an extensive feud which lasted over 350 years:
- Battle of Drumlui, 1337, A dispute between the clan Mackintosh and Clan Cameron over land at Glenlui and Loch Arkaig. The lands had previously been undisputidly owned by the Camerons for many years until they were demanded by William Mackintosh, son of Angus, 6th Chief of Clan Mackintosh. The Mackintoshes appealed to the sword and a battle was fought at Drumlui. The Camerons were defeated under the leadership of Donald Alin Mhic. This battle led to a very long lasting feud with the two clans constantly attacking each other. [2]
- Battle of Invernahoven, 1370. The Clan Cameron numbering approximately 400 men were returning home with the booty they had acquired after a raid at Badenoch. They were overtaken at Invernahavon by a body of Chattan Confederation led by Lachlan, Laird of Macintosh. The Chattan Confederation forces consisted of the Mackintoshes, Davidsons and Macphersons. As a result of a disagreement as to whether the Davidsons or Macphersons would occupy the right wing, which was the post of honour, the Macphersons withdrew in disgust from the army. The combined numbers of the Clan Chattan confederation had outnumbered the Camerons but with the loss of the Macphersons the Camerons now had a greater number. The battle resulted in a defeat for the Clan Chatton confederation (MacKintosh and Davidson). It is said that an ally of Cameron known as Charles MacGilony led the clan into battle and is believed to have changed the outcome of the day with his uncanny ability as an archer. At this point, possibly the next morning the Macphersons changed their minds and decided to rejoin the Chatton confederation, attacking the Camerons with such vigour that they changed the victory into defeat, and put the Camerons "to flight" towards Drumouchter, skirting the end of Loch Ericht, and then westwards in the direction of the River Treig. The Mackintoshes later claimed that the Macphersons were coaxed into the battle by a man from clan Mackintosh who turned up at Macphersons camp pretending to be from Clan Cameron and calling the Macphersons cowards. The Macphersons then attacked the Camerons camp making a dreadful slaughter of them, even killing the Cameron's uncanny archer Charles MacGilony at a place now called Charles's Valley, or in Gailic Coire Thearlaich. [3]
- Battle of the North Inch, 1396, In the aftermath of the battle of Invernahoven the Camerons did not wait long to take their revenge on the MacKintoshes and the Chattan Confederation. The feud between them had become so fierce and bloody that the King Robert III was made aware of it. The King brought the two rival chiefs of Clan Cameron and Clan MacKintosh together and decided it would be resolved by the sword. The king ordered part of the river near the city of Perth to be enclosed with a deep ditch in the form of an amphitheatre with seats and benches for the spectators. His majesty himself sitting as the judge on the field. Crowds and combatants appeared. The clans chose thirty of their best warriors each to take part. Four of the MacKintoshes survived the battle but they were all mortally wounded. One Cameron survived and escaped by swimming across the River Tay. The MacKintoshes regained all their lands that had been taken from them. [4]
15th Century & Clan Conflicts
- Battle of Harlaw, 1411, The Clan MacKintosh fought in support of Domhnall of Islay, Lord of the Isles, chief of Clan Donald. Other clans of the Chattan Confederation fought under the standard and command of the MacKintosh chief.
- 1424. Feud with the Clan Comyn; It was in the time of this chief that the Mackintoshes finished their feud with the Comyns. During the lawless times under Murdoch, Duke of Albany, Alexander Comyn is said to have seized and hanged certain young men of the Mackintoshes on a hillock near the castle of Rait. Mackintosh replied by surprising and slaying a number of the Comyns in the castle of Nairn. Next the Comyns invaded the Mackintosh country, besieged the chief and his followers in their castle in Loch Moy, and proceeded to raise the waters of the loch by means of a dam, in order to drown out the garrison. One of the latter, however, in the night-time managed to break the dam, when the waters rushed out, and swept away a large part of Comyn’s besieging force encamped in the hollow below. Thus foiled, the Comyns planned a more crafty revenge. Pretending a desire for peace, they invited the chief men of the Mackintoshes to a feast at Rait Castle. The tradition is that the Comyn chief made each of his followers swear secrecy as to his design. It happened, however, that his own daughter had a Mackintosh lover, and she took the opportunity to tell the plot to a certain grey stone, when she knew her lover was waiting for her on the other side of it. As a result the Mackintoshes came to the feast, where each one found himself seated with a Comyn on his right hand. All went well till the moment for the murderous attack by the Comyns was all but reached, when Mackintosh suddenly took the initiative, and gave his own signal, whereupon each Mackintosh at the board drew his dirk and stabbed the Comyn next him to the heart. The Comyn chief, it is said, escaped from the table, and, guessing that the secret had been revealed by his daughter, rushed, weapon in hand, to her apartment. The girl sought escape by the window, but, as she hung from the sill, her father appeared above, and with a sweep of his sword severed her hands, whereupon she fell into the arms of her Mackintosh lover below. Whatever were the details of the final overthrow of the Comyns, the Mackintosh chief in 1442 established his right to the lands of which his family had so long been deprived, and secured a charter of them from Alexander de Seton, Lord of Gordon.
- Battle of Split Allegiances, 1429, This conflict was between forces led by Alexander of Islay, Earl of Ross, 3rd Lord of the Isles and the Royalist army of King James I of Scotland. It is believed that Donald Dubh, XI Captain and Chief of Clan Cameron, rose in support of the Lord of the Isles, and that Cameron clansmen joined a "large force" (recorded as being 10,000 men) in sacking the town of Inverness and surrounding crown lands. On the return of their army to Lochaber they were intercepted by King James I with his large army. Donald Dubh Cameron, finding himself opposed to his Sovereign, led his men in deserting the Lord of the Isles and joined forces with the King. The MacKintoshes are said to have done likewise and the Lord of the Isles army was defeated/sued for peace, with Alexander submitting to the King and being imprisoned afterwards. [5]
- Battle of Palm Sunday, 1429; On this day which is traditionally reserved for Christian worship, an incident took place in Lochaber that lives on in infamy. The Chattan Confederation, including the Clan MacKintosh, attacked the Clan Cameron, which was assembled in a church, to which they set fire "and nearly destroyed the whole clan." The incident probably took place between those members of Clan Cameron and Clan Chattan which separated from the Lord of the Isles, or perhaps just a portion of the clan as a whole. This conflict, which might be referred to as "The Massacre of Palm Sunday" is not the focus of this narrative. Many accounts make mention of a battle which was also fought on this date, between these same clans. While it is unknown whether this action took place in the near vicinity of the church massacre, it is probable. History relates that during the engagement most of the Mackintoshes and almost the whole tribe of Camerons were "cut to pieces." It is unclear exactly which tribe of Clan Cameron this would have been. Some authorities believe that these disputed lands at one time made up the official demesne of the "Old Toisech," or head of the tribe which controlled early Lochaber. [6]
- Battle of Inverlochy (1431), the Clan MacKintosh together with their old enemies the Clan Cameron fought against the Clan Donald whose chief Alexander of Islay, Earl of Ross had been imprisoned by the King. The MacDonalds were led by Alexander's nephew, Donald Balloch, and they defeated the army led by the Earl of Mar.
- Battle of Craig Cailloch, 1441, Clan Mackintosh, at the instigation of Alexander, Lord of the Isles, began to invade and raid the Clan Cameron lands. A sanguinary conflict took place in this year at Craig Cailloch between the Camerons and the Mackintoshes in which MacKintosh's second son, Lachlan "Badenoch" was wounded and Gillichallum, his brother, killed. [7]
- Battle of Clachnaharry, 1454, John Munro of Milntown, uncle of Foulis, took the clan on a private raid into Perthshire, Clan MacKenzie country. On their way home with their captured cattle the Munros had to pass through Clan MacKintosh country and an amount of 'road collop' or passage money was demanded. There was a dispute over the amount and the Munros sent their spoils on ahead hotly pursued by the Mackintoshes who overtook them at Clachnaharry. In the ensuing fight it is said that the chief of Clan MacKintosh was killed and John Munro was left for dead on the battlefield. John is said to have been found by an old woman after the battle and nursed back to health before being handed over to the Frasers of Lovat who returned him to his own people.
- Raid on Ross-shire 1491, Ewen Cameron XIII Chief of Clan Cameron and a large body of Camerons, joined by Alexander MacDonald of Lochalsh, Clan Ranald of Garmoran and Lochaber and the Chattan Confederation - who they must have made peace with on a raid into the county of Ross-shire. During the raid they clashed with the Clan MacKenzie of Kintail. They then advanced from Lochaber to Badennoch where they were even joined by the Clan MacKintosh. They then proceeded to Inverness where they stormed the Inverness Castle and MacKintosh placed a garrison in it. The Lords of Lochalsh appear at this time to have had strong claims upon the Camerons to follow them in the field. They were superiors under the Lord of the Isles of the lands of Lochiel in Lochaber, in addition to the claims of a close marriage alliance (Ewen married a daughter of Celestine of Lochalsh). This would serve to explain the quite unusual mutual participation under a common banner between the Camerons and Mackintoshes in this raid. [8]
16th century and clan conflicts
- Battle of Bun Garbhain, 1570, Donald Dubh Cameron, XV Chief of Clan Cameron, had died, leaving an infant son at the head of the clan. The Chief of Clan MacKintosh, at the head of 200 men, invaded the Cameron lands near Loch Arkaig. The Mackintoshes had approached by Lochielside where, meeting no resistance, they made camp for the night. The following day MacKintosh led his men past Beinn an t-sneachda and approached Loch Arkaig from the south. Baring their way, with a strong position on a hillside, were the men of Clan Cameron. A bloody battle ensued. Though outnumbered, the Camerons had the high ground and soon the field was littered with Macintoshes both dead and injured. The remainder of their army was put to flight. Mackintosh led his men in retreat around the head of Loch Eil to the Ardgour shore and rallied his men. The Camerons were in swift pursuit and a second engagement took place, with similar results as the first. In the midst of this action the Chief of Mackintosh is believed to have been killed when a fearsome Lochaber axe felled him to the ground. His followers took their stricken chief and fell back to Bun Garbhain (Bun Garvan). Both sides met once again for an indeterminate time, before disengaging for the night. The Mackintoshes made camp in a small hollow called Cuil nan Cuileag, and thought that they were safe. However, the Camerons were not done with his mortal enemies, stormed the encampment and fell upon them. Not a single Mackintosh would leave that hollow and the Cameron victory was absolute. Interestingly the mother of the infant chief of Clan Cameron was in fact a MacKintosh. After the battle she was banished from Lochaber forever. [9]
- In 1592 the Clan MacKintosh captured and destroyed Auchindoun Castle in Auchindoun near Dufftown which then belonged to the Clan Cochrane. The castle later passed to the Clan Ogilvy.
- Battle of Glenlivet, 1594 the Clan MacKintosh and Chattan Confederation fought on the side of the Earl of Argyll along with Clan Campbell, Clan Stewart of Atholl and Clan Forbes. They were defeated by the Earl of Huntly's forces which consisted of Clan Gordon, Clan Comyn and Clan Cameron. [10]
17th century and civil war
- During the Civil War of the 17th century the Clan MacKintosh were staunch royalist supporters of the King. They fought in the royalist army which was commanded by James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose.
- Stand-off at the Fords of Arkaig 1665, the Clan Chiefs of Clan MacKintosh and Clan Cameron were ordered by the Privy Court to end the dispute over the lands near Loch Arkaig once and for all. While MacKintosh was declared to have the legal right Cameron was declared to be the owner. Cameron was ordered to pay MacKintosh a large sum of money for the land but MacKintosh refused this. soon after Clan MacKinosh along with the Chattan Confederation assembled an army of 1500 men. Camerons had raised a force of approximately 1000 men who took up a defensive stance at Achnacarry. Camerons biographer records that there were 900 men armed with guns and broadswords and a further 300 men armed with bows. It seemed the battle to end all battles between these two ancient adversaries was about to commence. However, just as Clan Cameron commenced their attack the powerful Clan Campbell and Chief appeared on the scene. John Campbell, Chief of Campbells brought with him 300 men and declared that he would fight against whichever side initiated the impending battle. The Cameron Chief Ewen soon withdraw all his troops. As a result one of the bloodiest feuds in Scottish history came to an end after 360 years. On September 20th 1665 a contract was signed by both Chiefs of Cameron and MacKintosh with Cameron agreeing to buy the lands from MacKintosh. Then at a place called Clunes around 24 men from each side met face to face and shook hands for the first time in generations. Here they exchanged swords as a token of reconciliation and drank together. [11]
- Battle of Mulroy, 1668, Clan Cameron and Clan MacKintosh were at peace and Cameron Chief Sir Ewen was responsible for keeping the peace between his men and their former enemies. However, when the Chief Sir Ewen Cameron was away in London a feud broke out between Clan MacDonald of Keppoch and their enemies Clan MacKintosh and Clan MacKenzie. As the Cameron Chief was away he was not able to hold back his clan and the combined forces of Cameron and MacDonald defeated the MacKintoshes and MacKenzies. [12]
18th century and the Jacobite uprisings
During the 18th century the Clan MacKintosh supported the Jacobite cause and the House of Stewart. On the 15th September 1715 the Clan MacKintosh fought as Jacobites at the Battle of Sherrifmuir where the Jacobites were defeated by British government forces. [13]
Lady Anne Farquharson-MacKintosh
By the time of the 1745 rebellion the chief of Clan MacKintosh had become a commander in the British Black Watch regiment, he had been captured commanding British forces at the Battle of Prestonpans but was later released. Despite this while he was away on duty his wife, Lady Anne Farquharson-MacKintosh rallied together the Clan MacKintosh and Chattan Confederation and ensured that they fought on the side of the Jacobites at the Battle of Culloden in April 1746. Rout of Moy The night before the Battle of Culloden, Bonnie Prince Charles Edward Stewart spent the night at the Mackintosh home on Loch Moy. To prevent the troops from Inverness descending on the estate in surprise during the night, Lady Anne Farquharson-Mackintosh sent her youngest son, along with the blacksmith and two other retainers, to watch the road from Inverness. Sure enough, during the night English troops were witnessed marching down the road. The Mackintosh defenders started beating their swords on rocks, jumping from place to place and shouting the war cries of dozens of different clans in the Chattan Confederation. Thinking that they had been ambushed the English troops turned tail and ran back to Inverness. There was only one casualty of this incident. The piper for the English troops, possibly a famous McCrimmon, was killed. From this incident, Lady Anne earned the name Colonel Anne. Culloden At Culloden, the Mackintosh Clan was the first to charge the English troops. They broke through the first two ranks of the English army, but then found themselves trapped behind the lines. Almost all of the Mackintosh warriors were killed. Legend has it that one man had both of his legs blown off by a cannonball, but he was still standing on a pile of bodies yelling for someone to fight him. The grave at Culloden is bounded by three stones and is approximately 77 feet long.
Castles
- Moy Hall is the current seat of the chief of Clan MacKintosh.
- Moy Castle on Moy Island, on Loch Moy was the original seat of the chief of Clan MacKintosh.
Clan profile
- Gaelic Name: Mac-an-Toiseach
- Origin: Gaelic 'Toiseach' - leader, chief or captain. According to clan historians, the first chief of the clan was Shaw, second son of Duncan MacDuff, Earl of Fife, Royal house of Dalriada. The name therefore has been thought to mean 'son of the chief'.
- Crest: A cat-a-mountain salient guardant Proper
- Mottos: Touch not the Cat bot a Glove ("Touch not the cat without a glove") & Loch Moigh - Rallying Cry
- Arms: The Arms in the hoist and of two tracts Or and Gules, upon which is depicted the Crest in the first compartment, and a sprig of red whortleberry in the second and third compartments, along with the Slughorn ‘Loch Moigh’ in letters Or upon two transverse bands Azur.
Clan chief
The current Chief is John MacKintosh of MacKintosh. He has been chief since 1995 and is a teacher at Nanyang Girls' High School in Singapore.
Septs of Clan MacKintosh
Adamson, Ayson, Clark, Combie, Crerar, Dallas, Doles, Elder, Easson, Eason, Esson, Glen, Glennie, Hardie, Hardy, MacAndrew, MacAy, MacCardney, McCombie, McFall, McIntosh, MacCombie, MacCombe, MacComie, M'Conchy, McGlashan, Machardie, Machardy, MacHay, Mackeggie, M'Killican, MacNiven, MacOmie, Macritchie, MacThomas, Niven, Noble, Paul, Ritchie, Seawright, Siveright, Shand, Shaw, Tarrill, Tosh, Toshach.
External links and References
- ^ http://www.highlandtraveller.com/clans/macintosh.html
- ^ http://www.clan-cameron.org/battles/1337.html
- ^ http://www.clan-cameron.org/battles/1370.html
- ^ http://www.clan-cameron.org/battles/1396.html
- ^ http://www.clan-cameron.org/battles/1429.html
- ^ http://www.clan-cameron.org/battles/1429_b.html
- ^ http://www.clan-cameron.org/battles/1441.html
- ^ http://www.clan-cameron.org/battles/1491.html
- ^ http://www.clan-cameron.org/battles/1570.html
- ^ http://www.clan-cameron.org/battles/1594.html
- ^ http://www.clan-cameron.org/battles/1665.html
- ^ http://www.clan-cameron.org/battles/1688.html
- ^ http://a2fister2000.tripod.com/id52.htm
