'Chraobh a's mor onair, Is boidhche cum' agus snuadh. XIV. Na faiceam t' fhearann gun oighre, Fear an ionad an athar, 'S gach aon rathail ri bheo. XV. 'S truagh nach b'urrainn mi innse Na tha 'm inntinn gu leir Mu gach buaidh a tha fàs ort Ann an abhachd 'san ceill. Tha gach math ort ri innse, 5th DECEMBER, 1894. At this meeting the Secretary intimated the receipt of £5 from Mr John Mackay, C.E,, Hereford, and a copy of "Eachdraidh Beatha Chriosd" from the author, Rev. John Macrury, Snizort, as a donation towards the Society's Library. On the motion of Mr Alex. Mackenzie, seconded by Mr John Macdonald, the meeting unanimously agreed to record the Society's loss and deep regret at the death of the Rev. A. D. Mackenzie, Free Church minister of Kilmorack, and the Rev. Charles Macdonald, Moidart—both valuable members of the Society. Thereafter the Secretary read a paper contributed by Mr Charles Fraser-Mackintosh of Drummond, entitled "Minor Highland Families, No. 8--The Macgillivrays of Dunmaglass." Mr Mackintosh's paper was as follows: : MINOR HIGHLAND FAMILIES, No. VIII. THE MACGILLIVRAYS OF DUNMAGLASS. Of old the Clan Chattan were reckoned under two classes, the first, nine in number, sprung of the Chief's own house, and the second, those who had incorporated or attached themselves though of other names than that of Mackintosh, being sixteen in number. Amongst the latter class the Macgillivrays stood the first and oldest, for according to the Croy M.S. history, compiled by the Rev. Andrew Macphail, who, it is understood, died minister of Boleskine, 1608, it is said that about the year 1268 "Gillivray, the progenitor of the Clan vic Gillivray, took protection and dependence for himself and posterity of this Farquhard Mackintosh" (5th of Mackintosh, who was killed in 1274, aged 36). Sir Eneas Mackintosh in his manuscript, privately printed in 1892 by the present 28th of Mackintosh, gives the date as 1271. The origin of the name may be looked for in the fourth or last part of Macgillivray, for invariably in Gaelic, and in my younger days, elderly people of good position put the weight on this last portion, and not, as is now invariably done in English, on the second. Betwixt this first and Duncan (whom I placed as 1st of Dunmaglass), who lived about 1500, is a long step, and it is not the purpose of these papers to do other, as a rule, than deal with facts. It may be taken for granted that the Macgillivrays came from the West, and have been settled at Dunmaglass, in the braes of Strathnairn, and along the valley of Nairn, long before we know their authentic history. The descent of the Dunmaglass family was reckoned very good in the Highlands, and the late John Lachlan the 10th, who was exceedingly proud, and in his later days a very reserved man, used in his cups to declare "he was descended of kings." Dunmaglass, at least one half of it, belonged to the old Thanes of Kalder, and is first mentioned in the service of Donald as heir to his father, Andrew, in the lands in the year 1414. The other half belonged to a family named Menzies in Aberdeenshire, was bargained to be disposed of in 1419 to the above Donald Kalder, who in 1421 gets a disposition of them, described as lying within the barony of Kerdale. This was one of the extensive baronies belonging to the old estate and earldom of Moray, but the estate having been broken up, the barony has been long in desuetude. The estate of Dunmaglass proper, now in one, was of considerable value, being rated as a four pound land of old extent, equivalent t two freeholds, and is generally found described in connection with the lands of Invermarkie in Badenoch. It is worth while for a moment referring to the lands of Invermarkie. Like the adjoining lands to the south of Kinrara and Dalnavert, these lands belonged in superiority to the old Earls of Ross, afterwards to the Lords of the Isles, Earls of Ross. Invermarkie came to the Kalders through the marriage of William, apparent of Kalder, with Mariotta-de-Sutherland about 1458. The peculiarity about Invermarkie is this, that to this day it has never dropped out of the Cawdor titles, though it has ceased to be possessed by the family for over 300 years. In 1619 the then Campbell of Calder was either anxious to reclaim it, or desired to know how matters stood with the Marquis of Huntly, Lord of Badenoch, and requested his agent in Edinburgh, Mr John Mowatt, to look into the matter, who on 4th April says to Calder in reply "I have spoken my Lord Enzie, who assures me that bis predecessors has the lands of Innermarkie by your predecessors' resignation, and promised to let me see the rights thereof." Again, when Angus Macpherson of the "Sliochd Gillies" got his first charter of any lands from George, Marquis Huntly, with consent of Lady Anna Campbell, his spouse, and George, Lord Gordon, his son, by disposition and feu contract, dated 22nd October, 1627, there was included "the lands of Innermarkie (a davoch of land) with the mill thereof comprehending the lauds of Achnisuchan, alias Aultguisachan, with the mill croft of Innermarkie," and from that date Innermarkie has been possessed by the Invereshies, first under the family of Huntly, and now under the Crown. There is evidence of a Farquhar-vic-Couchie styled "of Dunmaglass" in the year 1547. I purpose beginning with his father— I. DUNCAN MACGILLIVRAY, born say about 1500--his son II. FARQUHAR, found in 1547-his son III. ALLISTER MORE, designated as "Allister-vic-Farquhar-vicCouquhe of Dunmaglass," is found on 28th May, 1578, having some connection with a William-vic-Farquhar and Maggie Kar, spouse of Provost William Cuthbert of Inverness. By 1609, when the great bond of union among the Clan Chattan was signed, Allister, was dead, and his son Farquhar, a minor, for those who signed for the clan Vic-Gillivray were Malcolm-vic-Bean in Dalcrombie, Ewen vic-Ewen in Aberchalder, and Duncan-vic-Farquhar in Dunmaglass. It would also seem that the clan was at this time pretty numerous and influential,, and the leader Malcolm, son of Bean Macgillivray in Dalcrombie. In 1593 mention is made of Duncan Macgillivray in Dunmaglass. IV. FARQUHAR. By the year 1620, and probably at a much earlier period, Dunmaglass had been wadsetted by the family of Calder to the Macgillivrays for 1000 merks. In that year Calder was much pinched, and on Dunmaglass was to be raised other 2000 merks, or sold for 5000 merks. The first alternative was meantime adopted, 2000 merks eiked in 1622, but the pecuniary pressure still continuing, the estate was feued to Dunmaglass. It may here be noted that, though lying in the centre almost of Inverness-shire, these lands were by an arbitrary exercise of power by the Scottish Parliament, annexed at Calder's instance, to the County of Nairn. By feu contract dated at Inverness 4th April, 1626, John Campbell, fiar of Calder, with consent of Sir John Campbell, liferenter of Calder, his father, feued to Farquhard Mackallister of Downmaglasch, his heirs male and assignees whomsoever, "All and singular the lands and towns of Downmaglasch, extending to a four pound land of old extent, with the mill, multures, mill lands, and sequels of the same, together with houses, biggings, tofts, crofts, woods, fishings, sheallings, grazings, parts pendicles, and pertinents thereof, lying within the Barony of Calder and Sheriffdom of Nairn." The feu-duty is £16 Scots, with obligation when required to appear and accompany at his own expense the lairds of Calder in their progress and journey between Calder and Innerlochie or Rannoch; to assemble in all lawful conventions, armings, and royal combats, and attend three Head Baron Courts to be held in the Castle of Calder. This destination to heirs male was kept up, and under it Neil, the 12th laird, succeeded to Dunmaglass. Dunmaglass, the earliest possession of the family, is a fine estate of some 17,000 acres, with a great mass of tableland on the summit, from whence the waters run eastward to the Findhorn, and westward to the Farigaig. The old mansion house was built towards the close of the seventeenth century, and is picturesquely situated on a level ground, the western sides dropping rapidly to the river. I have transversed the estate, but though it is impossible to forget this fact, I can hardly say I saw it, from an unlucky losing of our way. Some 30 years ago, accompanied by a youth, now a respected solicitor in a northern city, we started from Dunachton in Badenoch, not too early in the day. We had no proper guide, and in place of ascending from Newtonmore, went or up the Guynack, and to avoid the precipitous heads which guard the sources of the Dulnan river, kept to the south and west, undergoing many obstacles before we reached the north Findhorn watershed. Then, thinking we had gone too far south or west, we kept to the right, and got into the deep and precipitous valley, through which runs the Crodach, after being strengthened by the waters of Elrick, which we had much difficulty in crossing. By the time we reached the Findhorn it was getting late, and we were pretty well used up. A guide here met us by appointment, who hurried us up a stream, but by the time we reached the table-land it was dark; the wind rose, and there having been dry weather for some time, the gigantic scoops of the many peat bogs had also become dry, and sent forth quantities of dust. Our guide, wishing to make a bee line, went apparently straight on through the vast table-land, broken up by deep dry bogs-the real "Mona-liath❞—and on coming to the head of a streamlet we thought we were all right, and joyfully descended. Our guide soon discovered that it was not the stream intended, but we had descended very considerably before he became satisfied we were going backwards to the Findhorn. Nothing for it but to re-ascend, cross dry bog after bog, while the wind rushing along in severe gusts, shaking the bog sides, raising quantities of peat dust, and roaring like thunder, was enough with our extreme fatigue to depress us to the lowest. At length we came to a stream undoubtedly going in the right direction, and the guide being now sure of his ground, kindled a fire, round which we lay. My companion and I could go no further, so the guide said he would leave us, and go to Mr Angus Macgillivray of the Mains of Dunmaglass for assistance, but we were on no account to sleep. In a couple of hours assistance came, and we were helped to a point where a cart was waiting, driven as far over the dry moor as was possible, in which we were ingloriously carried, more dead than alive, to the old house of Dunmaglass about 2 A.M. Mr Angus's kindness I will never forget, nor the grin which generally pervaded his honest face when we happened to meet occasionally in after years, and he remembered my first and last visit to Dunmaglass. Farquhar-vic-Allister also acquired the half of the lands of Culclachie from the Earl of Moray, and was infeft 20th December, 1631. He had one sister, Catherine, married to William Mackintosh in Elrig, who is infeft therein 28th September, 1638. have not observed to whom Farquhar was himself married, but he had a numerous issue—Alexander, Donald, William, Bean, I |