Alasdair Avonach MACLEOD

BIRTH: BEF 1616

Father: William MACLEOD
Mother: Lady_of DINGWALL

Family 1:

                                                                                      _William Dubh MACLEOD _
                                                _Alexander Alisdair_Crotach MACLEOD _|_[Daughter] MACLAINE __
                     _Tormod [Norman] MACLEOD _|
                    |                          |                                      _______________________
                    |                          |_[youngest_dau] CAMERON _____________|_______________________
 _William MACLEOD __|
|                   |                                                                 _______________________
|                   |                           _Hector Mor MACLEAN _________________|_______________________
|                   |_Giles Julia MACLEAN _____|
|                                              |                                      _______________________
|                                              |_____________________________________|_______________________
|
|--Alasdair Avonach MACLEOD 
|
|                                                                                     _______________________
|                                               _____________________________________|_______________________
|                    __________________________|
|                   |                          |                                      _______________________
|                   |                          |_____________________________________|_______________________
|_Lady_of DINGWALL _|
                    |                                                                 _______________________
                    |                           _____________________________________|_______________________
                    |__________________________|
                                               |                                      _______________________
                                               |_____________________________________|_______________________

INDEX

Notes

!SOURCE: Rev. Dr. Donald MacKinnon, and Alick Morrison, THE MACLEODS -- THE GENEALOGY OF A CLAN, Section III, "MacLeod Cadet Families", Edinburgh, The Clan MacLeod Society, 1970, pp. 1, 2. In the saga of the Clan MacLeod, the BANNATYNE MANUSCRIPT, we come across a curious story, obviously based on some old tradition among the MacLeods. It details how William Cleireach 5th Chief of the Clan, and Donald, Lord of the Isles, paid visits to a young lady on an island in the vicinity of the Castle of Dingwall. In the course of time, the young lady gave birth to twin boys, one of whom had black hair and the other red hair. The child with the red hair became known as Alasdair Aranach, from the circumstance that he was brought up in the island of Arran. The child with the black hair was called Alasdair Avonach to denote the district in which he spent his youth. More curious still, Donald of the Isles who had red hair, decided to adopt Alasdair Avonach. William, the MacLeod, Chief, who had black hair, adopted Alasdair Aranach. When the twin boys grew to manhood, they were intensely attached to each other and exceptionally brave so that they were regarded as the Castor and Pollux of the Isles. Tradition has no dates and exhibits itself often in various guises. Usually a substratum of historical truth may be discovered in it and this seems to be the case in the story of Alasdair Avonach. Three observations may be legitimately be made. (1) We have no evidence that Alasdair Aranach existed or that his race (sliochd) ever lived in the domains of MacLeod. (2) Bannatyne is certainly in error in believing that Alasdair Avonach was the son of William Cleireach 5th Chief of the MacLeods, who flourished at the beginning of the 15th century. (3) Alasdair Avonach certainly existed and may indeed have been the illegitimate son of a William, Chief of the Clan MacLeod, with this provision that it could not be William 5th but was probably William 13th Chief of the Clan. As such, Alasdair Avonach was a nephew of Sir Ruairidh Mor MacLeod of Harris and Dunvegan. As a result, he was entitled to be included among the chief men of the Clan, due to be exhibited before the Privy Council by Sir Ruairidh Mor in 1616 "to the effect that by their comeing heir yeirlie thay may be reducit to civilitie and maid to acknowledge thair obedyence to his Majestie and his laws". Hence in 1622, Sir Rory McCleud exhibited "Allaster Avenaugh and Rory McTormont, tua of the persons, whome he is oblist to exhibite yeirlie . . . and the saidis personis being demanded yf thay had fulfillit the remanent conditionis specifet in thair actis of cautionarie, they declairit that they had fulfillit the same". Confirmation that Alasdair Avonach was the son of William 13th Chief is found in an unsigned letter written from Kilbride on the 29th July 1843 to a certain Mr. Nicolson, giving some details on the genealogy of the MacLeods of Crackinish. It proceeds, "I suppose Cousin F. cannot go so far back as you expected or could wish. After profound cogitation, she finds she can go no further than three steps beyond your grandmother, so that the stem of my tree, will be John MacLeod, supposed to be a grandson of one of the MacLeods of Dunvegan." This John MacLeod appears as "Ean mc Allister vic Williame" in 1683-1784 and "Johne McAllister" in 1686. Where Alasdair Avonach resided is not stated. There is a tradition that he lived in Glenelg, but at least his immediate descendants are found in North and South Caipebhal in South Harris and also in Skye. Alasdair was married with issue.

Created by Sparrowhawk 1.0 (4/17/1996) on Mon Apr 2 10:50:47 2001