[139] “The seniority of Roderick, son of Reginald, has not been universally admitted, some authors making Donald the elder by birth. But the point is of little moment, seeing that the direct and legitimate line of Roderick, who, with his immediate progeny, held a large portion of the Isles, terminated in a female in the third generation, when the succession of the house of Somerled fell indisputably to the descendants of Donald, second grandson of Somerled, and head of the entire and potent clan of the Macdonalds.”—Smibert, p. 20.
[140] In the list of the Barons who assembled at Scone in 1284 to declare Margaret, the Maid of Norway, heiress to the crown, he appears under the name of Allangus filius Roderici.
[141] “The Lordship of Garmoran (also called Garbh-chrioch) comprehends the districts of Moidart, Arisaig, Morar, and Knoydart.”—Gregory, p. 27.
[142] The properties of Moidart, Arisaig, Morar, and Knoidart, on the mainland, and the isles of Uist, Barra, Rum, Egg, and Harris, were assigned and confirmed to him and his heirs by charter dated at Scone March 9, 1371–2.
[143] For details, see vol. i., p. 69, et seq.
[144] See vol. i. p. 73.
[145] “The authority of Mr Skene is usually to be received as of no common weight, but the account given by him of this portion of the Macdonald annals does not consist with unquestionable facts. As such, the statements in the national collections of Foedera (Treaties), and the Records of Parliament, ought certainly to be regarded; and a preference must be given to their testimony over the counter-assertions of ancient private annalists. Some of the latter parties seem to assert that John II., who had no children by Elizabeth Livingston (daughter of Lord Livingston), had yet ‘a natural son begotten of Macduffie of Colonsay’s daughter, and Angus Og, his legitimate son, by the Earl of Angus’s daughter.’ No mention of this Angus’ marriage occurs in any one public document relating to the Lords of the Isles, or to the Douglases, then Earls of Angus. On the other hand, the acknowledged wife of John of the Isles, Elizabeth Livingston, was certainly alive in 1475, at which date he, among other charges, is accused of making ‘his bastard son’ a lieutenant to him in ‘insurrectionary convocations of the lieges;’ and Angus could therefore come of no second marriage. He indubitably is the same party still more distinctly named in subsequent Parliamentary Records as ‘Angus of the Isles, bastard son to umquhile John of the Isles.’ The attribution of noble and legitimate birth to Angus took its origin, without doubt, in the circumstance of John’s want of children by marriage having raised his natural son to a high degree of power in the clan, which the active character of Angus well fitted him to use as he willed.”—Smibert’s Clans pp. 23, 24.
[146] Gregory (p. 52) says this combat was fought in a bay in the Isle of Mull, near Tobermory.
[147] See Gregory’s Highlands, p. 54.
[148] Gregory, p. 581.