Series 5 > Campbell Letters 1559-1583

112
CLAN CAMPBELL LETTERS
and keip this uther point concerning Makgregor secret becaus weray few
knawis the same.
52 Ranald Og MacDonald of Keppoch to Glenorchy
GDI 12/39/5/21
c. 26 September 15651
To ane rycht honorabill man Collyn Campbell Lard of Glenurquhay
...Jesus2
Rycht honorabill Sir I commend my service hartlie to yow ...31 resavit
your writyng informand that the Lordis hef writin to yow anentis the
Clan Gregor4 and thair ag{rians}. As to this ye know I can nocht be
discontent of ane thing that is profeit or {honour} to yow in thir causis so
that I haifane gudpart of it conform {as} I haifofyow {in my} assidatioun5
and band and quhair ye dissayre me evir instantle to yow ye sail ...Thair is
ane newe harschipe and sclachtor meid on puir men that partinet me in
the Bra of Badyenoch be the Clanranald quhilk I fortuk the harschipe
and brocht it agan and the Clanranald hes tan part of my cuntra geir agan
for that and bostis me heirfor to tak meir of my geir.6 Moirovir ye sail wit
that the King and the Quein hes send thair haratis7 with chargis to all the
northe and to me amangis the leif commandand ws to be in Lorin with
all our puar the xxviii day of this instant munet with xx dayis furnising
efter our being thair. And as thai say this is thair get8 to Lorin gif thai ga.
Bot gif thai ga I sail advertiss yow and my Lord of Argyll as thai ryis
thairofis. Bot I se thai do no thing bot giffis gud taik for this and sayis that
thai sail do conform to the charge for thir caussis ye knawe. I may nocht
ga out of my avyn rowmis instande without ye haid mekill ado that ye
mycht nocht forbeir one quhilk an [it] wor I salbe redde at your command.9
And als to the Clancamron thai gadderit to revenge this last harschipe
This letter mentions the proclamation by Henry and Mary ordering a muster in
Lorn on the 28th of the month. There were a series of orders concerning troop
movements in Aug. and Sept. 1565 and this probably refers to the order of 22 or 24
Aug. 1565, RPC, i, 355-7, 359-60. This letter was placed in Sept. 1565 in John
MacGregor’s collection, GD50/187/1. Readings from GD50/116/199.
A superscript line above the salutation but illegible with the water damage, probably
a blessing, as in 10.
Ellipses represent damage to MS.
24 Aug. 1565 (46). Keppoch* had been employed against the MacGregors, 1 Feb.
1565 (30).
MacDonald of Clanranald had raided Keppoch’s people in the Brae of Badenoch
and, although Keppoch had recovered the goods, others were taken and threats issued
about further raids.
Heralds.
Meaning ‘gate’ in the sense of route.
This probably means Keppoch would not come immediately, unless there was
something urgent which could not wait a week.