Individual Details
Alexander "Lord of Lochaber" MacDonald
(Abt 1365 - Abt 1440)
[[Category:Clan MacDonald]][[Category:Laird of Keppoch]][[Category:Battle of Harlaw]][[Category: Battle of Inverlochy (1431)]]
}
== Biography ==
}}}Alexander (Alexander of Yle, Allisdair Carrach) was the fourth son of [[Macdonald-91|John Macdonald]], Lord of the Isles, and [[Stewart-556|Margaret Stewart]], daughter of Robert II.. It is worth pointing out that there are differences in the genealogical record between the various family historians. For example he is noticed in Mackenzie's work[[#S-1]] Mackenzie; page 479 as being the third son of the parents. Balfour Paul notes him as the fourth[[#S-4]] Balfour Paul; Vol 5, page 40 thus followed here. There is a page on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alistair_Carragh_Macdonald wikipedia] although not particularly informative. Although his date of birth is not provided in source material it can be presumed to be about 1365. His parents married 1350 and he was the fourth son (there were six sons and two daughters) from this marriage. He was certainly of age in 1394. He appears, as the fourth son, in The clan Donald, by Rev. Macdonald from Vol 2, page 601.Macdonald, Rev. A. and Macdonald Rev. A. (1896). The Clan Donald: Volume 2. Inverness, Scotland. Northern CountiesPublishing Company Ltd. pp. 601-671 http://archive.org/stream/clandonald02macd#page/n653/mode/2up
His father, John, provided him with the Lordship of Lochaber. The date is not provided and legend suggests that he was offered lands on Skye but chose Lochaber instead. [[#S-2]] Macdonald; Vol 2, page 603 We can only presume that this was on his coming of age but certainly before 1394. The source mentions that the lands on Skye belonged to the Earl of Ross who at the time was [[Ross-1119|Euphemia Leslie]], Countess of Ross, but held by her estranged husband [[Stewart-1007|Alexander Stewart]], "The Wolf of Badenoch." It was clearly not in his interests to take the lands on Skye. This was also the time of the MacDonald expansion, by Donald, to which Alastair would have been aware of but lands to which they had not then acquired.
He was the founder of the Keppoch MacDonalds and progenitor of the MacDonalds of Gellovy. The descendants of Alexander settled chiefly in the districts of Badenoch and Lochaber.
He appears, as Alexander of the Isles (de Insulis), Lord of Lochaber, on 5 Sep 1394 in a contract with Thomas Dunbar, Earl of Moray, where they agree to support each other for a period of seventeen years. The record, provided by Rev. Macdonald[[#S-2]] Macdonald; Vol 2, page 604 suggests that Macdonald became bound to Dunbar, save his allegiance to "the King, the Earl of Fife (afterwards the Regent Albany), and the Lord of the Isles only excepted", while Dunbar, provided "only the King, the Earl of Fife, Malcolm Drummond, Earl of Mar, and Alexander Lesley, heir of the Earldom of Ross" excepted. Rev. Macdonald provides some discussion regarding this "treaty" but it is generally viewed by modern historians as blackmail and is discussed in more detail on wikipedia under [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Dunbar,_5th_Earl_of_Moray Thomas Dunbar], 5th Earl of Moray and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domhnall_of_Islay,_Lord_of_the_Isles Domhnall of Islay], Lord of the Isles, his brother. Although Rev. Macdonald suggests it was part of an invasion of Ross it had nothing to do with Ross; the two brothers attacked the wealthy lands of Moray in 1394 breaking the agreement signed just months before. They took Urquhart Castle before the end of 1395 and had given Duart castle to MacLean. Alexander of Lochaber had been using his role as "protector" to further his own lordship, including granting episcopal lands to his military followers.
In 1398, Robert Stewart (now Duke of Albany) was called upon to take action, but the well-prepared expedition in the end came to nothing.
Lochaber continued his activities, and in a raid of 1402 burned the burgh of Elgin along with the manses of the canons belonging to Elgin Cathedral. For this he was excommunicated by William Spynie, bishop of Moray. Later that year Alexander visited Spynie to seek forgiveness.
Alastair Carrach is said to have joined his brother at the [[:Category:Battle of Harlaw|Battle of Harlaw]], Jul 1411.[[#S-2]] Macdonald; Vol 2, page 607 While this must be presumed to be correct it may not be the case. The Collectanea de rebus albanicis provides that an Alastair Carrach, said to be a son of Donald and too young to be involved was left out of the battle at the rear. Donald does have a son Alexander who would have been young at the battle but this Alastair, at about 50, would not be described as too young to fight.
In 1427, at the Pacification of the Highland on the return of James I, Alexander Macdonald, Lord of the Isles, led an army against James. Alastair Carrach, with a large following of his dependants, was part of that force which included Camerons and Mackintosh. From Lochaber the army marched to Inverness, burnt the town, and wasted all the Crown lands in the neighbourhood. Havingfailed to take the castle of Inverness, they retired to Lochaber. The King followed closely behind. The Camerons and Mackintoshes deserted the Macdonald. The affair ended in humiliation for Macdonald. When Alexander Macdonald was imprisoned the clan rose again under Donald Balloch. He was supported by Alastair Carrach, known to have led 200 archers at the Battle of Inverlochy in early 1431, where they inflicted a severe defeat upon a royal army under the leadership of the Earls of Mar and Caithness.
As a result of his actions his lands at Lochaber were forfeit, some being granted to Mackintosh, who had fought with the King.
The historian mentions that, at this point, Alastair Carrach falls from the record.[[#S-2]] Macdonald; Vol 2, page 609 He is suggested to have lived to an old age, although by now, 1431, he must be nearly 70. In Volume 3 of the works on the family[[#S-3]] Macdonald; Vol 3, page 418; http://archive.org/stream/clandonald03macd#page/418/mode/2up he is stated to have died in 1440, which is included here. His son, Angus, is on record in 1463 where he witnesses, at Dingwall, a Charter of John, Earl of Ross, his nephew. He is stated to be "Angus Alexandri de Insulis". Neither of the authors of "The clan Donald" are particularly forthcoming regarding his family but Mackenzie[[#S-1]] Mackenzie; page 480 provides that he married a daughter of Earl Malcolm of Lennox, and by her had a son who succeeded (and a daughter who
married Mackay of Strathnaver).
He is also known to have had another son, Alexander MacAlastair, later the primogeniture of Clan MacAlistair who was born b. 1420. The latter's mother is not noted in source.
== Footnotes ==
== Sources ==
* Source S-1}
* Source S-2}
* Source S-3}
* Source S-4}
* Source S-5}
Macdonald, Rev. A. and Macdonald Rev. A. (1896). The Clan Donald: Volume 3. Inverness, Scotland. Northern CountiesPublishing Company Ltd. p. 418. http://archive.org/stream/clandonald03macd#page/418/mode/2up
MacDonald, Norman H. The Clan Ranald of Lochaber: the MacDonalds or MacDonells of Keppoch. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1983).
http://www.thepeerage.com/p10807.htm#i108066
-- MERGED NOTE ------------
[[Category:Declaration of Arbroath, Stewart Family Worklist]]
[[Category:Laird of Keppoch]]
[[Category:Battle of Harlaw]]
[[Category: Battle of Inverlochy (1431)]]
}
----
}
==Biography ==
}Alexander (Alexander of Yle, Allisdair Carrach) was the fourth son of [[Macdonald-91|John Macdonald]], Lord of the Isles, and [[Stewart-556|Margaret Stewart]], daughter of Robert II.. It is worth pointing out that there are differences in the genealogical record between the various family historians. For example he is noticed in Mackenzie's work[[#S-1]] Mackenzie; page 479 as being the third son of the parents. Balfour Paul notes him as the fourth[[#S-4]] Balfour Paul; Vol 5, page 40 thus followed here. There is a page on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alistair_Carragh_Macdonald wikipedia] although not particularly informative. Although his date of birth is not provided in source material it can be presumed to be about 1365. His parents married 1350 and he was the fourth son (there were six sons and two daughters) from this marriage. He was certainly of age in 1394. He appears, as the fourth son, in The clan Donald, by Rev. Macdonald from Vol 2, page 601.Macdonald, Rev. A. and Macdonald Rev. A. (1896). The Clan Donald: Volume 2. Inverness, Scotland. Northern CountiesPublishing Company Ltd. pp. 601-671 http://archive.org/stream/clandonald02macd#page/n653/mode/2up
His father, John, provided him with the Lordship of Lochaber. The date is not provided and legend suggests that he was offered lands on Skye but chose Lochaber instead. [[#S-2]] Macdonald; Vol 2, page 603 We can only presume that this was on his coming of age but certainly before 1394. The source mentions that the lands on Skye belonged to the Earl of Ross who at the time was [[Ross-1119|Euphemia Leslie]], Countess of Ross, but held by her estranged husband [[Stewart-1007|Alexander Stewart]], "The Wolf of Badenoch." It was clearly not in his interests to take the lands on Skye. This was also the time of the MacDonald expansion, by Donald, to which Alastair would have been aware of but lands to which they had not then acquired.
He was the founder of the Keppoch MacDonalds and progenitor of the MacDonalds of Gellovy. The descendants of Alexander settled chiefly in the districts of Badenoch and Lochaber.
He appears, as Alexander of the Isles (de Insulis), Lord of Lochaber, on 5 Sep 1394 in a contract with Thomas Dunbar, Earl of Moray, where they agree to support each other for a period of seventeen years. The record, provided by Rev. Macdonald[[#S-2]] Macdonald; Vol 2, page 604 suggests that Macdonald became bound to Dunbar, save his allegiance to "the King, the Earl of Fife (afterwards the Regent Albany), and the Lord of the Isles only excepted", while Dunbar, provided "only the King, the Earl of Fife, Malcolm Drummond, Earl of Mar, and Alexander Lesley, heir of the Earldom of Ross" excepted. Rev. Macdonald provides some discussion regarding this "treaty" but it is generally viewed by modern historians as blackmail and is discussed in more detail on wikipedia under [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Dunbar,_5th_Earl_of_Moray Thomas Dunbar], 5th Earl of Moray and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domhnall_of_Islay,_Lord_of_the_Isles Domhnall of Islay], Lord of the Isles, his brother. Although Rev. Macdonald suggests it was part of an invasion of Ross it had nothing to do with Ross; the two brothers attacked the wealthy lands of Moray in 1394 breaking the agreement signed just months before. They took Urquhart Castle before the end of 1395 and had given Duart castle to MacLean. Alexander of Lochaber had been using his role as "protector" to further his own lordship, including granting episcopal lands to his military followers.
In 1398, Robert Stewart (now Duke of Albany) was called upon to take action, but the well-prepared expedition in the end came to nothing.
Lochaber continued his activities, and in a raid of 1402 burned the burgh of Elgin along with the manses of the canons belonging to Elgin Cathedral. For this he was excommunicated by William Spynie, bishop of Moray. Later that year Alexander visited Spynie to seek forgiveness.
Alastair Carrach is said to have joined his brother at the [[:Category:Battle of Harlaw|Battle of Harlaw]], Jul 1411.[[#S-2]] Macdonald; Vol 2, page 607 While this must be presumed to be correct it may not be the case. The Collectanea de rebus albanicis provides that an Alastair Carrach, said to be a son of Donald and too young to be involved was left out of the battle at the rear. Donald does have a son Alexander who would have been young at the battle but this Alastair, at about 50, would not be described as too young to fight.
In 1427, at the Pacification of the Highland on the return of James I, Alexander Macdonald, Lord of the Isles, led an army against James. Alastair Carrach, with a large following of his dependants, was part of that force which included Camerons and Mackintosh. From Lochaber the army marched to Inverness, burnt the town, and wasted all the Crown lands in the neighbourhood. Havingfailed to take the castle of Inverness, they retired to Lochaber. The King followed closely behind. The Camerons and Mackintoshes deserted the Macdonald. The affair ended in humiliation for Macdonald. When Alexander Macdonald was imprisoned the clan rose again under Donald Balloch. He was supported by Alastair Carrach, known to have led 200 archers at the Battle of Inverlochy in early 1431, where they inflicted a severe defeat upon a royal army under the leadership of the Earls of Mar and Caithness.
As a result of his actions his lands at Lochaber were forfeit, some being granted to Mackintosh, who had fought with the King.
The historian mentions that, at this point, Alastair Carrach falls from the record.[[#S-2]] Macdonald; Vol 2, page 609 He is suggested to have lived to an old age, although by now, 1431, he must be nearly 70. In Volume 3 of the works on the family[[#S-3]] Macdonald; Vol 3, page 418; http://archive.org/stream/clandonald03macd#page/418/mode/2up he is stated to have died in 1440, which is included here. His son, Angus, is on record in 1463 where he witnesses, at Dingwall, a Charter of John, Earl of Ross, his nephew. He is stated to be "Angus Alexandri de Insulis". Neither of the authors of "The clan Donald" are particularly forthcoming regarding his family but Mackenzie[[#S-1]] Mackenzie; page 480 provides that he married a daughter of Earl Malcolm of Lennox, and by her had a son who succeeded (and a daughter who
married Mackay of Strathnaver).
He is also known to have had another son, Alexander MacAlastair, later the primogeniture of Clan MacAlistair who was born b. 1420. The latter's mother is not noted in source.
== Footnotes ==
== Sources ==
* Source S-1}
* Source S-2}
* Source S-3}
* Source S-4}
* Source S-5}
*Macdonald, Rev. A. and Macdonald Rev. A. (1896). The Clan Donald: Volume 3. Inverness, Scotland. Northern CountiesPublishing Company Ltd. p. 418. http://archive.org/stream/clandonald03macd#page/418/mode/2up
*MacDonald, Norman H. The Clan Ranald of Lochaber: the MacDonalds or MacDonells of Keppoch. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1983).
*http://www.thepeerage.com/p10807.htm#i108066
}
== Biography ==
}}}Alexander (Alexander of Yle, Allisdair Carrach) was the fourth son of [[Macdonald-91|John Macdonald]], Lord of the Isles, and [[Stewart-556|Margaret Stewart]], daughter of Robert II.. It is worth pointing out that there are differences in the genealogical record between the various family historians. For example he is noticed in Mackenzie's work[[#S-1]] Mackenzie; page 479 as being the third son of the parents. Balfour Paul notes him as the fourth[[#S-4]] Balfour Paul; Vol 5, page 40 thus followed here. There is a page on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alistair_Carragh_Macdonald wikipedia] although not particularly informative. Although his date of birth is not provided in source material it can be presumed to be about 1365. His parents married 1350 and he was the fourth son (there were six sons and two daughters) from this marriage. He was certainly of age in 1394. He appears, as the fourth son, in The clan Donald, by Rev. Macdonald from Vol 2, page 601.Macdonald, Rev. A. and Macdonald Rev. A. (1896). The Clan Donald: Volume 2. Inverness, Scotland. Northern CountiesPublishing Company Ltd. pp. 601-671 http://archive.org/stream/clandonald02macd#page/n653/mode/2up
His father, John, provided him with the Lordship of Lochaber. The date is not provided and legend suggests that he was offered lands on Skye but chose Lochaber instead. [[#S-2]] Macdonald; Vol 2, page 603 We can only presume that this was on his coming of age but certainly before 1394. The source mentions that the lands on Skye belonged to the Earl of Ross who at the time was [[Ross-1119|Euphemia Leslie]], Countess of Ross, but held by her estranged husband [[Stewart-1007|Alexander Stewart]], "The Wolf of Badenoch." It was clearly not in his interests to take the lands on Skye. This was also the time of the MacDonald expansion, by Donald, to which Alastair would have been aware of but lands to which they had not then acquired.
He was the founder of the Keppoch MacDonalds and progenitor of the MacDonalds of Gellovy. The descendants of Alexander settled chiefly in the districts of Badenoch and Lochaber.
He appears, as Alexander of the Isles (de Insulis), Lord of Lochaber, on 5 Sep 1394 in a contract with Thomas Dunbar, Earl of Moray, where they agree to support each other for a period of seventeen years. The record, provided by Rev. Macdonald[[#S-2]] Macdonald; Vol 2, page 604 suggests that Macdonald became bound to Dunbar, save his allegiance to "the King, the Earl of Fife (afterwards the Regent Albany), and the Lord of the Isles only excepted", while Dunbar, provided "only the King, the Earl of Fife, Malcolm Drummond, Earl of Mar, and Alexander Lesley, heir of the Earldom of Ross" excepted. Rev. Macdonald provides some discussion regarding this "treaty" but it is generally viewed by modern historians as blackmail and is discussed in more detail on wikipedia under [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Dunbar,_5th_Earl_of_Moray Thomas Dunbar], 5th Earl of Moray and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domhnall_of_Islay,_Lord_of_the_Isles Domhnall of Islay], Lord of the Isles, his brother. Although Rev. Macdonald suggests it was part of an invasion of Ross it had nothing to do with Ross; the two brothers attacked the wealthy lands of Moray in 1394 breaking the agreement signed just months before. They took Urquhart Castle before the end of 1395 and had given Duart castle to MacLean. Alexander of Lochaber had been using his role as "protector" to further his own lordship, including granting episcopal lands to his military followers.
In 1398, Robert Stewart (now Duke of Albany) was called upon to take action, but the well-prepared expedition in the end came to nothing.
Lochaber continued his activities, and in a raid of 1402 burned the burgh of Elgin along with the manses of the canons belonging to Elgin Cathedral. For this he was excommunicated by William Spynie, bishop of Moray. Later that year Alexander visited Spynie to seek forgiveness.
Alastair Carrach is said to have joined his brother at the [[:Category:Battle of Harlaw|Battle of Harlaw]], Jul 1411.[[#S-2]] Macdonald; Vol 2, page 607 While this must be presumed to be correct it may not be the case. The Collectanea de rebus albanicis provides that an Alastair Carrach, said to be a son of Donald and too young to be involved was left out of the battle at the rear. Donald does have a son Alexander who would have been young at the battle but this Alastair, at about 50, would not be described as too young to fight.
In 1427, at the Pacification of the Highland on the return of James I, Alexander Macdonald, Lord of the Isles, led an army against James. Alastair Carrach, with a large following of his dependants, was part of that force which included Camerons and Mackintosh. From Lochaber the army marched to Inverness, burnt the town, and wasted all the Crown lands in the neighbourhood. Havingfailed to take the castle of Inverness, they retired to Lochaber. The King followed closely behind. The Camerons and Mackintoshes deserted the Macdonald. The affair ended in humiliation for Macdonald. When Alexander Macdonald was imprisoned the clan rose again under Donald Balloch. He was supported by Alastair Carrach, known to have led 200 archers at the Battle of Inverlochy in early 1431, where they inflicted a severe defeat upon a royal army under the leadership of the Earls of Mar and Caithness.
As a result of his actions his lands at Lochaber were forfeit, some being granted to Mackintosh, who had fought with the King.
The historian mentions that, at this point, Alastair Carrach falls from the record.[[#S-2]] Macdonald; Vol 2, page 609 He is suggested to have lived to an old age, although by now, 1431, he must be nearly 70. In Volume 3 of the works on the family[[#S-3]] Macdonald; Vol 3, page 418; http://archive.org/stream/clandonald03macd#page/418/mode/2up he is stated to have died in 1440, which is included here. His son, Angus, is on record in 1463 where he witnesses, at Dingwall, a Charter of John, Earl of Ross, his nephew. He is stated to be "Angus Alexandri de Insulis". Neither of the authors of "The clan Donald" are particularly forthcoming regarding his family but Mackenzie[[#S-1]] Mackenzie; page 480 provides that he married a daughter of Earl Malcolm of Lennox, and by her had a son who succeeded (and a daughter who
married Mackay of Strathnaver).
He is also known to have had another son, Alexander MacAlastair, later the primogeniture of Clan MacAlistair who was born b. 1420. The latter's mother is not noted in source.
== Footnotes ==
== Sources ==
* Source S-1}
* Source S-2}
* Source S-3}
* Source S-4}
* Source S-5}
Macdonald, Rev. A. and Macdonald Rev. A. (1896). The Clan Donald: Volume 3. Inverness, Scotland. Northern CountiesPublishing Company Ltd. p. 418. http://archive.org/stream/clandonald03macd#page/418/mode/2up
MacDonald, Norman H. The Clan Ranald of Lochaber: the MacDonalds or MacDonells of Keppoch. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1983).
http://www.thepeerage.com/p10807.htm#i108066
-- MERGED NOTE ------------
[[Category:Declaration of Arbroath, Stewart Family Worklist]]
[[Category:Laird of Keppoch]]
[[Category:Battle of Harlaw]]
[[Category: Battle of Inverlochy (1431)]]
}
----
}
==Biography ==
}Alexander (Alexander of Yle, Allisdair Carrach) was the fourth son of [[Macdonald-91|John Macdonald]], Lord of the Isles, and [[Stewart-556|Margaret Stewart]], daughter of Robert II.. It is worth pointing out that there are differences in the genealogical record between the various family historians. For example he is noticed in Mackenzie's work[[#S-1]] Mackenzie; page 479 as being the third son of the parents. Balfour Paul notes him as the fourth[[#S-4]] Balfour Paul; Vol 5, page 40 thus followed here. There is a page on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alistair_Carragh_Macdonald wikipedia] although not particularly informative. Although his date of birth is not provided in source material it can be presumed to be about 1365. His parents married 1350 and he was the fourth son (there were six sons and two daughters) from this marriage. He was certainly of age in 1394. He appears, as the fourth son, in The clan Donald, by Rev. Macdonald from Vol 2, page 601.Macdonald, Rev. A. and Macdonald Rev. A. (1896). The Clan Donald: Volume 2. Inverness, Scotland. Northern CountiesPublishing Company Ltd. pp. 601-671 http://archive.org/stream/clandonald02macd#page/n653/mode/2up
His father, John, provided him with the Lordship of Lochaber. The date is not provided and legend suggests that he was offered lands on Skye but chose Lochaber instead. [[#S-2]] Macdonald; Vol 2, page 603 We can only presume that this was on his coming of age but certainly before 1394. The source mentions that the lands on Skye belonged to the Earl of Ross who at the time was [[Ross-1119|Euphemia Leslie]], Countess of Ross, but held by her estranged husband [[Stewart-1007|Alexander Stewart]], "The Wolf of Badenoch." It was clearly not in his interests to take the lands on Skye. This was also the time of the MacDonald expansion, by Donald, to which Alastair would have been aware of but lands to which they had not then acquired.
He was the founder of the Keppoch MacDonalds and progenitor of the MacDonalds of Gellovy. The descendants of Alexander settled chiefly in the districts of Badenoch and Lochaber.
He appears, as Alexander of the Isles (de Insulis), Lord of Lochaber, on 5 Sep 1394 in a contract with Thomas Dunbar, Earl of Moray, where they agree to support each other for a period of seventeen years. The record, provided by Rev. Macdonald[[#S-2]] Macdonald; Vol 2, page 604 suggests that Macdonald became bound to Dunbar, save his allegiance to "the King, the Earl of Fife (afterwards the Regent Albany), and the Lord of the Isles only excepted", while Dunbar, provided "only the King, the Earl of Fife, Malcolm Drummond, Earl of Mar, and Alexander Lesley, heir of the Earldom of Ross" excepted. Rev. Macdonald provides some discussion regarding this "treaty" but it is generally viewed by modern historians as blackmail and is discussed in more detail on wikipedia under [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Dunbar,_5th_Earl_of_Moray Thomas Dunbar], 5th Earl of Moray and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domhnall_of_Islay,_Lord_of_the_Isles Domhnall of Islay], Lord of the Isles, his brother. Although Rev. Macdonald suggests it was part of an invasion of Ross it had nothing to do with Ross; the two brothers attacked the wealthy lands of Moray in 1394 breaking the agreement signed just months before. They took Urquhart Castle before the end of 1395 and had given Duart castle to MacLean. Alexander of Lochaber had been using his role as "protector" to further his own lordship, including granting episcopal lands to his military followers.
In 1398, Robert Stewart (now Duke of Albany) was called upon to take action, but the well-prepared expedition in the end came to nothing.
Lochaber continued his activities, and in a raid of 1402 burned the burgh of Elgin along with the manses of the canons belonging to Elgin Cathedral. For this he was excommunicated by William Spynie, bishop of Moray. Later that year Alexander visited Spynie to seek forgiveness.
Alastair Carrach is said to have joined his brother at the [[:Category:Battle of Harlaw|Battle of Harlaw]], Jul 1411.[[#S-2]] Macdonald; Vol 2, page 607 While this must be presumed to be correct it may not be the case. The Collectanea de rebus albanicis provides that an Alastair Carrach, said to be a son of Donald and too young to be involved was left out of the battle at the rear. Donald does have a son Alexander who would have been young at the battle but this Alastair, at about 50, would not be described as too young to fight.
In 1427, at the Pacification of the Highland on the return of James I, Alexander Macdonald, Lord of the Isles, led an army against James. Alastair Carrach, with a large following of his dependants, was part of that force which included Camerons and Mackintosh. From Lochaber the army marched to Inverness, burnt the town, and wasted all the Crown lands in the neighbourhood. Havingfailed to take the castle of Inverness, they retired to Lochaber. The King followed closely behind. The Camerons and Mackintoshes deserted the Macdonald. The affair ended in humiliation for Macdonald. When Alexander Macdonald was imprisoned the clan rose again under Donald Balloch. He was supported by Alastair Carrach, known to have led 200 archers at the Battle of Inverlochy in early 1431, where they inflicted a severe defeat upon a royal army under the leadership of the Earls of Mar and Caithness.
As a result of his actions his lands at Lochaber were forfeit, some being granted to Mackintosh, who had fought with the King.
The historian mentions that, at this point, Alastair Carrach falls from the record.[[#S-2]] Macdonald; Vol 2, page 609 He is suggested to have lived to an old age, although by now, 1431, he must be nearly 70. In Volume 3 of the works on the family[[#S-3]] Macdonald; Vol 3, page 418; http://archive.org/stream/clandonald03macd#page/418/mode/2up he is stated to have died in 1440, which is included here. His son, Angus, is on record in 1463 where he witnesses, at Dingwall, a Charter of John, Earl of Ross, his nephew. He is stated to be "Angus Alexandri de Insulis". Neither of the authors of "The clan Donald" are particularly forthcoming regarding his family but Mackenzie[[#S-1]] Mackenzie; page 480 provides that he married a daughter of Earl Malcolm of Lennox, and by her had a son who succeeded (and a daughter who
married Mackay of Strathnaver).
He is also known to have had another son, Alexander MacAlastair, later the primogeniture of Clan MacAlistair who was born b. 1420. The latter's mother is not noted in source.
== Footnotes ==
== Sources ==
* Source S-1}
* Source S-2}
* Source S-3}
* Source S-4}
* Source S-5}
*Macdonald, Rev. A. and Macdonald Rev. A. (1896). The Clan Donald: Volume 3. Inverness, Scotland. Northern CountiesPublishing Company Ltd. p. 418. http://archive.org/stream/clandonald03macd#page/418/mode/2up
*MacDonald, Norman H. The Clan Ranald of Lochaber: the MacDonalds or MacDonells of Keppoch. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1983).
*http://www.thepeerage.com/p10807.htm#i108066
Events
| Birth | Abt 1365 | Islay, Inner Hebrides, Scotland | |||
| Marriage | 1385 | Mary Lennox | |||
| Death | Abt 1440 | Lochaber, Inverness-shire, Scotland | |||
| Reference No | 497908 | ||||
| Reference No | 514314 | ||||
| Reference No | 60 |
Families
| Spouse | Mary Lennox (1375 - ) |
| Child | Angus "Aonghas na Fearste" MacDonald (1390 - 1484) |
| Child | Unknown MacDonald of Keppoch (1390 - 1430) |
| Child | Alexander MacAlister (1380 - ) |
| Child | Lady Unknown MacDonald (1411 - 1475) |
| Father | John "Iain mac Aonghais MacDhòmhnaill, Eoin MacDomhnaill" Macdonald (1319 - 1387) |
| Mother | Princess Margaret "Lady Of Galloway" Stewart (1342 - 1410) |
| Sibling | Mary MacDonald (1350 - ) |
| Sibling | Margaret Macdonald (1340 - 1400) |
| Sibling | Marcus MacDonnell ( - 1397) |
| Sibling | Donald "Donald of Harlaw" Macdonald (1359 - 1423) |
| Sibling | Margaret Macdonald (1350 - 1400) |
| Sibling | Angus "Angus MacIain" MacDonald (1367 - 1369) |
| Sibling | John Mor Tanister "Eòin Mòr Tànaiste or Iain MacDhòmhnaill" MacDonald (1371 - 1427) |
| Sibling | Hugh Macdonald (1371 - ) |
| Sibling | Elizabeth Macdonald (1377 - 1416) |