history of the mackenzies-第5部分

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There　is　one　other　fact　which　alone　would　be　almost　conclusive　against　the　Fitzgerald　theory。　　Not　a　single　man　of　the　name　Colin　is　　found；　either　among　the　chiefs　or　members　of　the　clan　from　their　first　　appearance　in　history　until　we　come　to　Colin　cam　Mackenzie　XI。　of　　Kintail；　who　succeeded　in　June；　1568a　period　of　three　hundred　years　　after　the　alleged　date　of　the　reputed　charter　to　Colin　Fitzgerald。　　Colin　Cam　was　a　second　son；　his　eldest　brother；　Murdoch；　having　died　during　　his　father's　life　and　before　he　attained　majority；　when　Colin　became　heir　to　the　estates。　　It　was　then；　as　now；　a　common　custom　to　name　the　second　　son　after　some　prominent　member　of　his　mother's　family；　and　this　was；　no　　doubt；　what　was　done　in　the　case　of　Colin　Cam；　the　first　Colin　who　　appearsas　late　as　the　middle　of　the　sixteenth　centuryin　the　genealogy　of　the　Mackenzies。　　His　mother　was　Lady　Elizabeth　Stewart；　daughter　of　John；　Earl　of　Atholl；　by　Lady　Mary　Campbell；　daughter　of　Archibald；　second；　and　sister　of　Colin；　third　Earl　of　Argyll。　　Colin　Cam　Mackenzie　　XI。　of　Kintail；　and　the　first　of　the　name　in　the　family　genealogy；　was　thus　　called　Colin　by　his　mother；　Lady　Elizabeth　Stewart；　after　her　uncle　Colin；　　third　Earl　of　Argyll。　　It　scarcely　needs　to　be　pointed　out　how　very　improbable　it　is　that；　　had　Colin　Fitzgerald　been　really　the　progenitor　of　the　Mackenzies；　his　　name　would　have　been　so　completely　ignored　as　a　family　name　for　more　than　　three　　hundred　years　in　face　of　the　invariable　custom　among　all　other　　notable　Highland　houses　of　honouring　their　direct　ancestors　by　continuing　their　names　as　the　leading　names　in　the　family　genealogy。

It　is　believed　that　no　one　who　brings　an　　independent；　　unprejudiced。　mind　to　bear　upon　the　question　discussed　in　the　preceding　　pages　can　help　coming　to　the　conclusion　that　the　Colin　Fitzgerald　theory　is　completely　disposed　of。　　It　is　indeed　extremely　doubtful　whether　such　a　　person　ever　existed；　but　in　any　case　it　has　been　conclusively　proved　by　the　　evidence　of　those　who　claim　him　as　their　ancestor　that　he　never　could　　have　been　what　they　allegethe　progenitor　of　the　Mackenzies；　whom　all　　the　best　authorities　now　maintain　to　be　of　purely　native　Celtic　origin。　　And　　if　this　be　so；　is　it　not　unpatriotic　in　the　highest　degree　for　the　heads　of　our　　principal　Mackenzie　families　to　persist　in　supplying　Burke；　Foster；　and　　other　authors　of　Peerages；　Baronet　ages；　and　County　Families；　with　the　details　of　an　alien　Irish　origin　like　the　impossible　Fitzgerald　myth　upon　which　they　have；　in　entire　error；　been　feeding　their　vanity　since　its　　invention　by　the　first　Earl　of　Cromartie　little　more　than　two　hundred　years　　ago。　　　For　be　it　remembered　that　all　these　Norman　and　Florentine　　pedigrees　and　　descents　are　supplied　to　the　compilers　of　such　genealogical　　works　as　those　by　members　of　the　respective　families　themselves；　and　that　the　editors　are　not　personally　responsible　for　nor　do　they　in　any　way　　guarantee　their　accuracy。　　　It　is　really　difficult　to　understand　the　feeling　　that　has　so　long　prompted　most　of　our　leading　Highlanders　to　show　such　an　unnatural　and　unpatriotic　preference　for　alien　progenitorsclaiming　the　Norman　enemies　and　conquerers　of　their　country；　or　mythical　Irish　adventurers；　as　ancestors　to　be　proud　of。　　Writing　of　the　clans　who　claim　this　alien　origin　the　late　Dr　W。　F。　Skene；　Historiographer　Royal　for　　Scotland；　says

〃As　the　identity　of　the　false　aspect　which　the　true　tradition；　assumes　in　all　these　cases　implies　that　the　case　was　the　same　all；　we　may　assume　that　wherever　these　two　circumstances　are　to　he　found　combined；　　of　a　clan　claiming　a　foreign　origin　and　asserting　a　marriage　with　the　　heiress　of　a　Highland　family　whose　estates　they　possessed　and　whose　　followers　they　led；　they　must　invariably　have　been　the　oldest　cadet　of　that　　family；　who；　by　usurpation　or　otherwise；　had　become　de　facto　chief　of　the　clan；　and　who　covered　their　defect　by　right　of　blood　by　denying　their　　descent　from　the　clan；　and　asserting　that　the　founder　had　married　the　　heiress　of　its　chief。〃　＇Highlands　and　Highlanders。＇

In　his　later　and　more　important　work　the　same　learned　historian　discusses　this　question　at　great　length。　　He　analyses　all　the　doubtful　　pedigrees　and　origins　claimed　by　the　leading　clans。　Regarding　the　　Fitzgerald　theory　he　says；　〃But　the　most　remarkable　of　these　spurious　　origins　is　that　claimed　by　the　Mackenzies。　　It　appears　to　have　been　first　put　forward　by　Sir　George　Mackenzie；　first　Earl　of　Cromarty；〃　who；　in　his　first　manuscript；　made　Colin　a　son　of　the　Earl　of　Kildare；　but　in　a　later　edition；　written　in　1669；　〃finding　that　there　was　no　Earl　of　Kildare　until　　1290；　he　corrects　it　by　making　him　son　of　John　Fitz…Thomas；　chief　of　the　Geraldines　in　Ireland；　and　father　of　John；　first　Earl　of　Kildare；　who　was　slain　in　1261。〃　　Dr　Skene　then　summarises　the　story　already　known　at　　　length　to　the　reader；　quotes　the　Record　of　Icolmkill　and　the　forged　charter；　　and　concludes　

〃The　same　mistake　is　here　committed　as　is　usual　in　manufacturing　these　pedigree　charters；　by　making　it　a　crown　charter　erecting　the　lands　　into　a　barony。　　Kintail　could　not　have　been　a　barony　at　that　time；　and　the　　Earl　of　Ross　and　not　the　king　was　superior；　for　in　1342　the　Earl　of　Ross　　grants　the　ten　davochs　of　the　lands　of　Kintail　to　Reginald；　son　of　Roderick　　of　the　Isles；　and　we　find　that　the　Mackenzies　held　their　lands　of　the　Earls　　of　Ross　and　afterwards　of　the　Duke　of　Ross　till　1508；　when　they　were　all　erected　into　a　barony　by　King　James　the　Fourth；　who　gave　them　a　crown　　charter。　　An　examination　of　the　witnesses　usually　detects　these　spurious　　charters；　and　in　this　case　it　is　conclusive　against　the　charter。　　Andrew　was　　bishop　of　Moray　from　1223　to　1242　and　there　was　no　bishop　of　that　name　　in　the　reign　of　Alexander　the　Third。　　Henry　de　Baliol　was　chamberlain　in　　the　reign　of　Alexander　the　Second；　and　not　of　Alexander　the　Third。　　　Thomas　Hostarius　belongs　to　the　same　reign；　and　has　been　succeeded　by　　his　son　Alan　long　before　the　date　of　this　charter。〃

Dr　Skene　adds　that　if　the　Earl　of　Cromartie　was　not　himself　the　actual　inventor　of　the　whole　story；　it　must　have　taken　its　rise　not　very　long　　before　his　day；　for；　he　says；　〃no　trace　of　it　is　to　be　found　in　the　Irish　MSS。；　　the　history　of　the　Geraldine　family　knows　nothing　of　it；　and　MacVureach；　　who　must　have　been　acquainted　with　the　popular　history　of　the　western　　clans；　was　equally　unacquainted　with　it。〃　＇Celtic　Scotland；　Vol。　III。；　pp。　　351…354。＇

This　fully　corroborates　all　that　was　said　in　the　preceding　　pages　regarding　the　Fitzgerald…Irish　origin　of　the　Mackenzies　and　which　every　　intelligent　clansman；　however　biassed；　must　now　admit　in　his　inner　　consciousness　to　be　fully　and　finally　disposed　of。　　Having；　however；　quoted　Skene's　earlier　views　on　the　general　　claim　by　the　Highland　chiefs　for　alien　progenitors　it　may　be　well　to　give　here　his　more　mature　conclusions　from　his　later　and　greater　work；　especially　as　some　people；　who　have　not　taken　the　trouble　to　read　what　he　writes；　have　　been　　saying　that　the　great　Celtic　historian　had　seen　cause　to　　change　his　views　on　these　important　points　in　Highland　genealogy　since　　he　wrote　his　Highlands　and　Highlanders　in　1839。　　After　examining　them　　all　very　closely　and　exhaustively　in　a　long　and　learned　chapter　of　some　　forty　pages；　he　says　

〃The　conclusion；　then；　to　which　this　analysis　of　the　clan　pedigrees　which　have　been　popularly　accepted　at　different　times　has　brought　us；　is　　that；　so　far　as　they　profess　to　show　the　origin　of　the　different　clans；　they　　are　entirely　artificial　and　untrustworthy；　but　that　the　older　genealogies　may　be　accepted　as　showingthe　descent　of　the　clan　from　its　eponymus　　or　founder；　and　within　reasonable　limits　for　some　generations　beyond　him；　while　the　later　spurious　pedigrees　must　be　rejected　altogether。　　It　may　　seem　surprising　that　such　spurious　and　fabulous　origins　should　be　so　　readily　credited　by　the　clan　families　as　genuine　traditions；　and　receive　　such　prompt　acceptance　as　the　true　fount　from　which　they　sprung；　　but　we　　must　recollect　that　the　fabulous　history　of　Hector　Boece　was　as　rapidly　and　universally　adopted　as　the　genuine　annals　of　the　national　history；　and　　became　rooted　in　those　parts　of　the　country　to　which　its　fictitious　events　　related　as　local　traditions。〃　＇Celtic　Scotland；　Vol。　III。；　p。　364。＇

The　final　decision　to　which　Dr　Skene　comes　in　his　great　work　is　that　the　clans；　properly　so　called；　were　of　native　origin；　and　that　the　　surnames　adopted　by　them　were　partly　of　native　and　partly　of　foreign　　descent。　　Among　these　native　Highland　clans　he　unhesitatingly　classes　the　Mackenzies；　the　clan　Gillie…Andres　or　Rosses；　and　　the　Mathesons；　all　of　　whom　belong；　he　says；　to　the　tribe　of　Ross。　　In　his　first　work　on　the　　Highlands　and　Highland　Clans　he　draws　the　general　deduction；　based　on　　all　our　existing　MS。　genealogies；　that　the　clans　were　divided　into　several　　great　tribes；　descended　from　a　common　ancestor；　but　he　at　the　same　time　　makes　a　marked　distinction　between　the　different　tribes　which；　by　indica…tions　traceable　in　each；　can　be　identified　with　the　earldoms　or　　maormorships　into　which　the　North　of　Scotland　was　originally　divided。　　　By　the　aid　of　the　old　genealogies　he　divides　the　clans　into　five　different　tribes　in　the　following　order：（1）　The　descendants　of　Conn　of　the　Hundred　Battles；　（2）　of　Ferchar　Fata　Mac　Feradaig；　（3）　of　Cormaig　Mac　　Obertaig；　（4）　of　Fergus　Leith　Dearg；　and　（5）　of　Krycul。　　In　the　third　of　　these　divisions　he　includes　the　old　Earls　of　Ross；　the　Mackenzies；　the　　Mathesons；　and　several　other　clans；　and　to　this　classification　he　adheres；　　after　the　　most　mature　consideration；　in　his　later　and　greater　work；　the　　History　of　Celtic　Scotland。


THE　　REAL　　CELTIC　　ORIGIN。


It　is　now　most　interesting　to　know　who　the　ancient　Earls　of　Ross；　from　whom　the　Mackenzies　are　really　descended；　were。　　The　first　of　these　　earls　of　whom　we　have　any　record　is　Malcolm　Mac　Heth　to　whom　Malcolm　IV。　gave　Ross　in　1157；　with　the　title　of　Earl　of　Ross；　but　the　　inhabitants　rose　against　him　and　drove　him　out　of　the　district。　Wyntoun　　mentions　an　Earl　〃Gillandrys；〃　a　name　which　we　believe　is　derived　from　　the　common　ancestor　of　the　Mackenzies　and　Rosses；　〃Gilleoin…Ard…Rois；〃　　as　one