Earls of Cromartie > [NSLBLANK]

THE TARBAT OR CROMARTIE BRANCH.
SIR ROEIE MACKENZIE OF COIGEACH, KNIGHT, GRANDFATHER
OF THE FIRST EARL OF CROMARTIE, 1574-1626.
QjIR Roderick, or Sir Rorie Mackenzie, the first of Coigeach, was the
^-' second son of Colin Mackenzie of Kintail, and next brother of Kenneth
first Lord Mackenzie of Kintail. The mother of Sir Roderick was Barbara
Grant, daughter of John Grant of that Ilk and of Freuchie. From having
acted for his nephew Colin, the second Lord, in his minority, Sir Roderick
was commonly called the Tutor of Kintail, under which designation he is
still well remembered in Ross- shire, and better known in history than by
any of his territorial designations. He was successively designated of
Culteleod, now Castleleod, Coigeach, and Tarbat.
Sir Rorie Mackenzie was the founder of the Tarbat branch of the
Mackenzie family, afterwards Earls of Cromartie. The landed estates
which he acquired still form the principal properties of the representative
of the Cromartie family. On that account, and also on account of the main
line of the ancient race of Macleod of Lewis being represented by Sir Rorie,
and a large portion of their estates inherited by him through his marriage
with the heiress of the Lewis, it is thought necessary to give some detail of
the personal history of Sir Rorie himself, and of the family of Macleod.
Sir Rorie was probably born in or about the year 1574, as it is stated by
d