Old Rory

Roderick MacLeod (Modern Scottish Gaelic: Ruaraidh MacLeòid, Norse: Rörek Melkolmson), also known as Old Rory, was the chief of Clan MacLeod of Lewis in the later half of the 1500s.

The island of Lewis had a medieval Norse culture and language, and the ruling dynasty of its magnates (descended from Torkil branch of the Ljot/Leod dynasty) held those traditions still in the 16th century.

Roderick was the son and heir of Malcolm, chieftain of Lewes, himself younger brother of the forfeited chieftain Torquil, whom the Scottish king had deposed in 1506.

Malcolm had re-acquired the ancestral dominions from the king in 1511, but when he died, his son Roderick was still under-age, and Torquil's son John -with the assistance of Domhnall 'gruamach' of Sleat- to seize the whole Lewes inheritance.

John's daughter and heiress Mari had married Domhnall 'gorme' of Sleat. Roderick in the other hand claimed the succession as male heir, many regarding him as the lawful possessor of the Ljotson dynasty's heritage. An agreement was reached between Domhnall 'gorme' and Roderick Melkolmson, whereby Roderick was allowed to enter into possession of the island, and in return Roderick became bound to assist in putting Domhnall 'gorme' in possession of Trotternish, and help against all the efforts of the chief of Harris-Dunvegan.

The powerful fleet of James V arrived at the isle of Lewis in c1540 which collapsed the resistance there. The claimant Domhnall Dubh, last male scion of the main line of the MacDonald princes, died in 1545.

Upon the collapse of the rebellion, Roderick was pardoned for his treasonable part by the king. However it is clear he and his clan continued to act independently of the Scottish Government. In 1554 Letters of Fire and Sword were issued for the extermination of Roderick of The Lewes, John Moydertach of Clan Ranald and Donald Gormson MacDonald of Sleat after they all refused to attend Parliament at Inverness.

The fall of the clan in Lewes, the extinction of the original line of chiefs, and loss of the Isle of Lewis, began with Roderick's sordid marital story and the disastrous feuds he incurred against other clans.

His first wife was Siobhan, a daughter of Iain Mackenzie of Kintail. This woman had produced a son named Torcuil 'connanach' (named after his residence among the Mackenzies in Strathconnan). Roderick disowned Torcuil Connanach on account of the alleged adultery between his wife and the Morrison brieve of Lewis. Roderick's first wife (Siobhan) later abandoned him and eloped with a cousin of his, John MacGillechallum of Raasay, after which Roderick divorced her. In that way, Roderick gave pretext for a deadly feud with the Mackenzies, which ended only with the destruction of his whole family.

Roderick took for his second wife, in 1541, the widowed Barbara Stewart from Orkneys, daughter of Andrew, Lord Avondale, and by this lady had a son, likewise named Torquil, and surnamed Oighre (the Heir, to distinguish him from the disowned Torcuil). About 1566, the legitimate son the young heir Torquil, with sixty attendants, was drowned in a tempest, when sailing from Lewis to Skye across the Minch.

The disinherited stepbrother Torcuil Connanach immediately took up arms to vindicate what he conceived to be his rights. In his pretensions he was supported by the Mackenzies. he captured his supposed father, the old lord Roderick, and for the next four years kept him as prisoner under dreadful conditions within the castle of Stornoway. Roderick was only released from captivity by agreeing to recognise Torcuil Connanach as his lawful heir. In 1572 Ruairi was then brought before the Privy Council where he was forced to resign to the Crown his lands of Lewis, Assynt, Coigach and Waternish. These lands were then granted to Torcuil Connanach as his lawful heir, and he only received them back in life-rent. When Roderick had returned back to Lewis he revoked all he had agreed to on the grounds of coercion on 2 June 1572. Later in 1576, Regent Morton was successful in reconciling Roderick and Connanach, where Connanach was again made lawful heir and also received charter to the lands of Coigach.

The old chief Roderick took for his third wife, a sister of Lauchlan Maclean of Dowart, and had by her two sons, named Torquil 'dubh' and Tormod. Torquil Dubh was made his heir. Having again disinherited Torcuil Connanach, that chieftain and claimant once again took up arms, and was supported by two illegitimate sons of Roderick. He apprehended the old chief, Roderick, and killed a number of his men. All the charters and title deeds of the Lewis were carried off by Connanach, and handed over to the Mackenzies. The charge of the castle of Stornaway, with the chief, a prisoner in it, was committed to Iain, the son of Connanach, but he was attacked by the Lewes troops and killed. Roderick was thusly released, and possessed the island in peace during the remainder of his life.

On his death Roderick was succeeded by his son Torquil 'dubh', who married a sister of knight Rhuaidhri mhicLeoidh of Harris. In 1596 Torquil Dubh, with a force of seven or eight hundred men, devastated Torcuil Connanach's lands of Coigach and the Mackenzie lands of Lochbroom. In consequence, Torquil Dubh was summoned to appear before the Privy Council and was declared a rebel when he failed to appear. Torquil dubh was by stratagem apprehended by the breve of Lewis, chief of the Morrisons of Ness, and carried to the lands of the Mackenzies, into the presence of Lord Kintail, who ordered Torquil 'dubh' and his companions to be beheaded. This took place in July 1597. The dissensions in the Lewis, followed by the forfeiture of that island, in consequence of the non-production of the title-deeds, as required by the act of the Estates of 1597, afforded the king an opportunity of trying to carry into effect his abortive project of colonisation of Lewes. Because the Mackenzies now held the title deeds of Lewis, the island was forfeited by the Act of Estates in 1597, which gave the Scottish Government an excuse to attempt the colonisation the island. The colonists were at last compelled to abandon their enterprise.

After the death of Roderick, the Sleat chieftains, heirs to Mari the daughter of John, regarded themselves heirs of the deceased chiefs of Lewis and invaded the island pursuing their claim - although Torkid dubh had left legitimate sons. It was not until after causing much destruction that the MacDonald of Sleat chief was driven off the island by the Lewismen.

References

[1] in Genealogics