Blair Collection > Celtic magazine > Volume 12

History of the Maeleods. 455
a body, of which his accuser, Mackenzie, formed one, and
who at the time had great influence with his brother members.
Torquil Dubh was in consequence formally denounced a rebel ;
and, having shortly after been seized, with many of his principal
followers, at the instigation of Mackenzie and Torquil Conanach,
by Hucheon Morrison, the Celtic Judge of the Lewis, they were
delivered over to Torquil Conanach, by whom, in July, 1597,
they were executed at Coigeach without further ceremony. This
severity only irritated Torquil's surviving followers and adherents,
amongst whom the most conspicuous and able was his bastard
brother, Neil, who at once, supported by the Macleans of Duart
and the Maeleods of Harris, determined to maintain what he
considered the legitimate rights of his nephews, Torquil Dubh's
three youthful sons. In their name and interest Neil
assumed command of the Lewis, and by his prowess and deter-
mination Torquil Conanach's ultimate success, though he was
stoutly supported by the Mackenzies, was, to all appearance, as
far off as ever.
In this year, 1597, an Act of Parliament was passed, by which
every one claiming lands in the Highlands and Isles had to
produce their titles on or before the 15th of May following, at
Edinburgh, or wherever the Lords of the Exchequer might be
sitting, or suffer the penalty of forfeiture. Torquil Dubh was
one of those who did not put in an appearance ; and it does not
seem that he had any written titles to produce, the Lewis charters
having some time before been removed by his rival, Torquil
Conanach, and given to Mackenzie of Kintail. The island was
in consequence declared to be at the King's disposal.
On the i6th of December, 1597, an Act was passed for the
erection of three royal burghs in the Highlands, one of which was
to be in the Lewis. This Act, modernised, is in the following
terms : —
Our Sovereign Lord, with advice of the Estates of this present
Parliament, for the better entertaining and continuing of civility
and policy within the Highlands and Isles, has statute and
ordained, that there be erected and built within the bounds thereof
three burghs and burgh towns, in the most convenient and com-
modious parts meet for the same ; to wit, one in Kintyre, another
in Lochaber, and the third in the Lewis : to the which burghs