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During the reign of King James VI of Scotland, and prior to his becoming James I of Great Britain in 1603, in addition to his usual preoccupation with religious unrest, unrest on the borders, unrest among his nobles and unrest among the Clans and Chiefs of the Highlands and Islands, he was bedevilled constantly by a shortage of money to finance the expenditure of his government and his own personal profligacy.
To address this shortfall the Scottish Parliament in December 1597 passed three Acts that were destined to cause a degree of resentment amongst the nobles and totally miffed the Island Chiefs.
The first Act authorised the levying taxes on the lieges, lords and nobles of the realm. The sum to be raised was 200,000 merks. The Act spelled out in great detail how the sums to be raised were to be apportioned between the highest and the lowest, how they were to be collected and in what time period. The penalties for not paying and not being diligent in the collecting were also spelled out in detail.
This Act in itself may or may not have caused consternation or hardship for those who were in the habit of paying taxes and any levies imposed on them on a regular basis, but the Highland Chiefs would treat it like all other demands for payments or dues, they would simply ignore it.
However, the other two Acts were more personal, they were an indication that His Majesty and his parliament were intending to get tough, he was threatening the Chiefs with forfeiture of their holdings if they failed to comply. In addition he was casting aspersions on their civility, dignity, manners and humanity, and even that they were in possession of their lands on false pretences. The effrontery of the man, up with this the Chiefs were not going to put.
The reader may judge for her/himself the audaciousness of this second Act:
The inhabitants of the isles and highlands should show their holdings
Our sovereign lord, with advice of the estates of this present parliament, considering that the inhabitants of the highlands and isles of this realm, which are for the most part of his highness's annexed property, have not only frustrated his majesty of the yearly payment of his proper rents and due service properly indebted by them to his majesty out of the said lands, but that they have likewise through their barbarous inhumanity made and presently makes the said highlands and isles, which are most commodious in themselves, as well as by the fertility of the ground as by rich fishings by sea, altogether unprofitable both to themselves and to all others of his highness's lieges within this realm, they neither maintaining any civil or honest society amongst themselves, neither yet admit others of his highness's lieges to traffick within their bounds with safety of their lives and goods. For remedy whereof, and that the said inhabitants of the said highlands and isles may the better be reduced to a godly, honest and civil manner of living, it is statute and ordained that all landlords, chieftains and leaders and clans, principal houses and householders, heritors and other possessors or pretending right to any lands within the said highlands and isles shall between this and 15 May next to come compear before the lords of his highness's exchequer at Edinburgh, or where it shall happen them to sit for the time, and there bring and produce with them all their infeftments, rights and titles whatsoever whereby they claim right and title to any part of the lands or fishings within the bounds foresaid, and then find sufficient caution acted in the books of exchequer for yearly and thankful payment to his majesty of his rents, yearly duty and service indebted by them out of the lands possessed and occupied by them or any in their names; and that they themselves, men, tenants, servants and dependants shall be answerable to his highness's laws and justices, and that they nor none of them shall do injury to any others of his highness's lieges in their persons or goods who shall happen to repair and travel within the said bounds for their lawful traffick within the same; and that they and every one of them shall make redress to all parties damaged and hurt or to be damaged and hurt by them in time coming under such pains as it shall please the said lords of exchequer to modify by reparation of the damage to the parties that sustained the same. With certification to them and each one of them if they fail in the premises or to compear and find caution in manner and within the space foresaid, that they and every one of them who fails shall be discerned, likewise by this present act they are discerned to forfeit and lose all pretended infeftments and other right and title they have or may pretend to have to any lands whatsoever they have held or pretends to hold of his majesty either in property or superiority, which their pretended infeftments and titles thereof in case of failure foresaid are now as then and then as now declared by this present parliament to be null and of no value, force nor effect in themselves, and that the nullity thereof shall be received and admitted in all judgements by way of exception or reply, except any process, action or declaration of reduction to be given thereupon.
The King well knew that the Chiefs would find it difficult to comply with those demands. The required documents had been lost, displaced or stolen in most cases, if it ever existed at all. Keeping records was not a priority in those parts at the time. This is why it can be fairly said that those Acts of Parliament were ‘conceived in guile and drafted with duplicity’.
The third Act went even farther and no decent Chief could sit back and succumb quietly. The King is telling them, irrespective of the outcome of the above, that he intends to ‘plant’ boroughs on their lands and colonise the Isles with Lowlanders. Not only was he asking them not to obstruct this, he was telling them they must do everything they can to enable it and assist those to whom he chooses to give their lands.
Regarding the building of burgh towns in the isles and highlands
Our sovereign lord, with advice of the estates of this present parliament, for the better maintenance 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 commodious parts fit for the same, namely: one in Kintyre, one other in Lochaber, and the third in the Lewis, to the which burghs and inhabitants thereof our sovereign lord and estates foresaid shall grant and by this act grants all privileges which his highness or predecessors have granted to any other burghs or inhabitants thereof within this realm. And that it shall be permissible to our sovereign lord, by the advice of the lords of his majesty's exchequer, to give, grant and convey to every one of the said burghs so much land and ground out of his highness's annexed property as may serve to build the said towns upon the same with so much land and fishings next adjacent thereto in common good to every one of the said three towns as may sustain the common charges thereof, to be held in free burgage of his highness in such form and manner as his majesty's most noble progenitors of worthy memory has granted of old to the erection of other burghs of this realm.
Within six months, in June 1598, the Privy Council at Edinburgh ratified a contract between the King and twelve Lowland nobles authorising them“to plant policy and civilisation in the hitherto most barbarous Isle of Lewis……and to develop the extraordinary rich resources of the same for the public good and the King’s profit” These nobles, thus armed with a licence to commit legalised robbery, deportations and murder, are better known to history as the Fife Adventurers.
In the contract the King emphasises the difficulties experienced in reducing the Island to obedience ‘by reason of the evil disposition and barbarity of the inhabitants who, from time to time, have directly opposed the introduction of any policy or civility among them’.
He further gives assurances that he ‘perfectly understands that the lands are by special providence and the blessing of God enriched with an incredible fertility of corns and store of fishings and other necessities surpassing by far the plenty of any part of the inland’.
'And yet, nevertheless, the same are possessed by inhabitants who are void of any knowledge of God or His religion, and naturally abhorring all kind of civility, who have given themselves over to all kinds of barbarity and inhumanity, occupying in the meantime and violently possessing His Highness’s proper lands without payment of dues'.
For their part, the Adventurers, agree to “advance and set forward the Glory of God, build four parish churches on Lewis, honour of their native country and His Majesty’s service, pay the necessary duties diligently.” No land was to be fued or otherwise given to any but Lowlanders. They were given full powers and authority over the Islanders, to use them or abuse them in whatever way they saw fit. All the requirements necessary to establish a borough was covered and planned for. They were to teach the Lewismen religion and humanity by deporting to the mainland or exterminating them. They had an army of 600 mercenaries at their disposal to ensure their safety from attack and enforce their will. They insisted on and received assurance that they would not be held to account for any action taken against the Lewismen.
Papers were drawn up to disinherit the Island Chiefs. They were ordered to destroy their boats and build no more so as not to be a threat on the seas. A commission of Lieutenancy was given to the Duke of Lennox empowering him to issue proclamations all over the North for assistance if the natives of the Isles put up any resistance against the Fifers.
Meanwhile, as all those preparations were being made in the South, back on the Isles fresh feuds erupted between the Clans, and old ones re-erupted. The King determined to stamp out those disturbances and obstacles to his plans ordered his nobles to mobilise and attend him at Dumbarton. All the shipping round Glasgow, Ayr and Irvine were pressed into service and nothing less than a full scale invasion of the Islands was intended. The expedition was called off before it got very far. It was felt to be too dangerous or risky.
By December 1598 the Fifers were ready to go and under the overall command of the Duke of Lennox the twelve Adventurers, accompanied by other prospectors, various trades-people and the detachment of 500/600 mercenaries set off.
A defence of the Island was put up but as the two Macleod brothers, who were Chiefs of Lewis at the time, were not on good terms themselves, so the Fifers managed to take Stornoway and its Castle. One of the brothers, Murdoch, said to have been distrustful of his followers, left the Island.
Inclement weather, shortage of supplies, constant raids on their livestock and stores by the Macleods, all served to make life difficult for the Fifers. They sent a ship under the command of the Laird of Balcomie back to the mainland for more supplies. This ship was attacked and taken by Murdoch and some of his followers. Balcomie and several others were taken and held for ransom and most of the crew were killed. He was released on payment of the ransom but died of a fever on his way back to Fife.
Other Highland Chiefs, including Mackenzie of Kintail who had designs on Lewis for himself, were not as supportive of the Fife Adventurers as the King would have wished. It was even suggested that they were actively involved in efforts to ensure that the venture failed. After all, they surmised, if the venture succeeded, their lands could be next for ‘planting’ by Lowland land-grabbers.
On hearing of their ship being taken the Fifers in Stornoway sent a stronger force back for the supplies that Balcomie failed to procure. This left them in a weaker position which Neil Macleod exploited. Raids were stepped up and many were killed, more livestock was taken and the work that had been done thus far was wrecked.
The King went ballistic. The Marquis of Huntly along with the Duke of Lennox was granted a commission of lieutenancy with the Earl of Errol, the Earl Marischal, Lord Forbes and others to assist. A full indemnity is given for any “slaughter, mutilation, fire-raising or other inconveniences” which Lennox’s forces might commit in the execution of their duties. The Act of commission was full of the usual derogatory language referring to “the frequent villainies and barbarous cruelties of the wicked and rebellious inhabitants of the Isles who are void of all fear or knowledge of God, destitute of reverence for prince, law or justice, and guilty of treason, murders, and intolerable actions, very often every one of them batheing themselves in the blood of others.” Things calmed down for a while.
Murdoch Macleod was seized, taken to Aberdeen, tried, found guilty and hung, drawn and quartered.
The Parliament of 1600 ratified the holding of the Fife Adventurers, ensuring that the usual niceties accusing the Islanders of, “the most detestable, damnable, and odious murders, firings, ravishings of women, witchcraft and depredations made amongst themselves, extended most mercilessly to all sorts of persons, without any pity or mercy for either young or old” The document also sets out how the settlers had conquered the land and that they had set an example that others would do well to emulate. More honours were heaped on them, and more grants of land.
There was a period of respite for the Fifers when Neil Macleod appeared to have mellowed in his animosity towards them and both natives and newcomers seemed to have settled down. This was not to last though, some minor difference escalated into a major confrontation and it wasn’t long before hostilities recommenced.
While things had been quiet Mackenzie of Kintail had not been well pleased, he was not interested in seeing the venture succeed. He arranged for another Macleod Chief, Tormod, to be released from custody. Tormod was senior to Neil and was not ready to entertain foreigners on Macleod territory. Neil and the Clan would follow him. The ferocity of the raids intensified. Before long most of the Fifers were dead and the remainder surrendered unconditionally.
Tormod agreed to release them on three conditions:
1. They should ‘purchase’ from the king a remission for all offences, present and past, for himself and his followers.
2. They should resign to him their rights in Lewis.
3. Two senior hostages were to remain in Lewis until the first two conditions were met.
The conditions were accepted and once they were met the last of the Fife Adventurers sailed away from Lewis, probably glad to be going, certainly lucky to be going in one peace.
So ended the first attempt by the Fife Adventurers to colonise the Western Isles. Was that the end of it? Find out in the next exciting episode.
To address this shortfall the Scottish Parliament in December 1597 passed three Acts that were destined to cause a degree of resentment amongst the nobles and totally miffed the Island Chiefs.
The first Act authorised the levying taxes on the lieges, lords and nobles of the realm. The sum to be raised was 200,000 merks. The Act spelled out in great detail how the sums to be raised were to be apportioned between the highest and the lowest, how they were to be collected and in what time period. The penalties for not paying and not being diligent in the collecting were also spelled out in detail.
This Act in itself may or may not have caused consternation or hardship for those who were in the habit of paying taxes and any levies imposed on them on a regular basis, but the Highland Chiefs would treat it like all other demands for payments or dues, they would simply ignore it.
However, the other two Acts were more personal, they were an indication that His Majesty and his parliament were intending to get tough, he was threatening the Chiefs with forfeiture of their holdings if they failed to comply. In addition he was casting aspersions on their civility, dignity, manners and humanity, and even that they were in possession of their lands on false pretences. The effrontery of the man, up with this the Chiefs were not going to put.
The reader may judge for her/himself the audaciousness of this second Act:
The inhabitants of the isles and highlands should show their holdings
Our sovereign lord, with advice of the estates of this present parliament, considering that the inhabitants of the highlands and isles of this realm, which are for the most part of his highness's annexed property, have not only frustrated his majesty of the yearly payment of his proper rents and due service properly indebted by them to his majesty out of the said lands, but that they have likewise through their barbarous inhumanity made and presently makes the said highlands and isles, which are most commodious in themselves, as well as by the fertility of the ground as by rich fishings by sea, altogether unprofitable both to themselves and to all others of his highness's lieges within this realm, they neither maintaining any civil or honest society amongst themselves, neither yet admit others of his highness's lieges to traffick within their bounds with safety of their lives and goods. For remedy whereof, and that the said inhabitants of the said highlands and isles may the better be reduced to a godly, honest and civil manner of living, it is statute and ordained that all landlords, chieftains and leaders and clans, principal houses and householders, heritors and other possessors or pretending right to any lands within the said highlands and isles shall between this and 15 May next to come compear before the lords of his highness's exchequer at Edinburgh, or where it shall happen them to sit for the time, and there bring and produce with them all their infeftments, rights and titles whatsoever whereby they claim right and title to any part of the lands or fishings within the bounds foresaid, and then find sufficient caution acted in the books of exchequer for yearly and thankful payment to his majesty of his rents, yearly duty and service indebted by them out of the lands possessed and occupied by them or any in their names; and that they themselves, men, tenants, servants and dependants shall be answerable to his highness's laws and justices, and that they nor none of them shall do injury to any others of his highness's lieges in their persons or goods who shall happen to repair and travel within the said bounds for their lawful traffick within the same; and that they and every one of them shall make redress to all parties damaged and hurt or to be damaged and hurt by them in time coming under such pains as it shall please the said lords of exchequer to modify by reparation of the damage to the parties that sustained the same. With certification to them and each one of them if they fail in the premises or to compear and find caution in manner and within the space foresaid, that they and every one of them who fails shall be discerned, likewise by this present act they are discerned to forfeit and lose all pretended infeftments and other right and title they have or may pretend to have to any lands whatsoever they have held or pretends to hold of his majesty either in property or superiority, which their pretended infeftments and titles thereof in case of failure foresaid are now as then and then as now declared by this present parliament to be null and of no value, force nor effect in themselves, and that the nullity thereof shall be received and admitted in all judgements by way of exception or reply, except any process, action or declaration of reduction to be given thereupon.
The King well knew that the Chiefs would find it difficult to comply with those demands. The required documents had been lost, displaced or stolen in most cases, if it ever existed at all. Keeping records was not a priority in those parts at the time. This is why it can be fairly said that those Acts of Parliament were ‘conceived in guile and drafted with duplicity’.
The third Act went even farther and no decent Chief could sit back and succumb quietly. The King is telling them, irrespective of the outcome of the above, that he intends to ‘plant’ boroughs on their lands and colonise the Isles with Lowlanders. Not only was he asking them not to obstruct this, he was telling them they must do everything they can to enable it and assist those to whom he chooses to give their lands.
Regarding the building of burgh towns in the isles and highlands
Our sovereign lord, with advice of the estates of this present parliament, for the better maintenance 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 commodious parts fit for the same, namely: one in Kintyre, one other in Lochaber, and the third in the Lewis, to the which burghs and inhabitants thereof our sovereign lord and estates foresaid shall grant and by this act grants all privileges which his highness or predecessors have granted to any other burghs or inhabitants thereof within this realm. And that it shall be permissible to our sovereign lord, by the advice of the lords of his majesty's exchequer, to give, grant and convey to every one of the said burghs so much land and ground out of his highness's annexed property as may serve to build the said towns upon the same with so much land and fishings next adjacent thereto in common good to every one of the said three towns as may sustain the common charges thereof, to be held in free burgage of his highness in such form and manner as his majesty's most noble progenitors of worthy memory has granted of old to the erection of other burghs of this realm.
Within six months, in June 1598, the Privy Council at Edinburgh ratified a contract between the King and twelve Lowland nobles authorising them“to plant policy and civilisation in the hitherto most barbarous Isle of Lewis……and to develop the extraordinary rich resources of the same for the public good and the King’s profit” These nobles, thus armed with a licence to commit legalised robbery, deportations and murder, are better known to history as the Fife Adventurers.
In the contract the King emphasises the difficulties experienced in reducing the Island to obedience ‘by reason of the evil disposition and barbarity of the inhabitants who, from time to time, have directly opposed the introduction of any policy or civility among them’.
He further gives assurances that he ‘perfectly understands that the lands are by special providence and the blessing of God enriched with an incredible fertility of corns and store of fishings and other necessities surpassing by far the plenty of any part of the inland’.
'And yet, nevertheless, the same are possessed by inhabitants who are void of any knowledge of God or His religion, and naturally abhorring all kind of civility, who have given themselves over to all kinds of barbarity and inhumanity, occupying in the meantime and violently possessing His Highness’s proper lands without payment of dues'.
For their part, the Adventurers, agree to “advance and set forward the Glory of God, build four parish churches on Lewis, honour of their native country and His Majesty’s service, pay the necessary duties diligently.” No land was to be fued or otherwise given to any but Lowlanders. They were given full powers and authority over the Islanders, to use them or abuse them in whatever way they saw fit. All the requirements necessary to establish a borough was covered and planned for. They were to teach the Lewismen religion and humanity by deporting to the mainland or exterminating them. They had an army of 600 mercenaries at their disposal to ensure their safety from attack and enforce their will. They insisted on and received assurance that they would not be held to account for any action taken against the Lewismen.
Papers were drawn up to disinherit the Island Chiefs. They were ordered to destroy their boats and build no more so as not to be a threat on the seas. A commission of Lieutenancy was given to the Duke of Lennox empowering him to issue proclamations all over the North for assistance if the natives of the Isles put up any resistance against the Fifers.
Meanwhile, as all those preparations were being made in the South, back on the Isles fresh feuds erupted between the Clans, and old ones re-erupted. The King determined to stamp out those disturbances and obstacles to his plans ordered his nobles to mobilise and attend him at Dumbarton. All the shipping round Glasgow, Ayr and Irvine were pressed into service and nothing less than a full scale invasion of the Islands was intended. The expedition was called off before it got very far. It was felt to be too dangerous or risky.
By December 1598 the Fifers were ready to go and under the overall command of the Duke of Lennox the twelve Adventurers, accompanied by other prospectors, various trades-people and the detachment of 500/600 mercenaries set off.
A defence of the Island was put up but as the two Macleod brothers, who were Chiefs of Lewis at the time, were not on good terms themselves, so the Fifers managed to take Stornoway and its Castle. One of the brothers, Murdoch, said to have been distrustful of his followers, left the Island.
Inclement weather, shortage of supplies, constant raids on their livestock and stores by the Macleods, all served to make life difficult for the Fifers. They sent a ship under the command of the Laird of Balcomie back to the mainland for more supplies. This ship was attacked and taken by Murdoch and some of his followers. Balcomie and several others were taken and held for ransom and most of the crew were killed. He was released on payment of the ransom but died of a fever on his way back to Fife.
Other Highland Chiefs, including Mackenzie of Kintail who had designs on Lewis for himself, were not as supportive of the Fife Adventurers as the King would have wished. It was even suggested that they were actively involved in efforts to ensure that the venture failed. After all, they surmised, if the venture succeeded, their lands could be next for ‘planting’ by Lowland land-grabbers.
On hearing of their ship being taken the Fifers in Stornoway sent a stronger force back for the supplies that Balcomie failed to procure. This left them in a weaker position which Neil Macleod exploited. Raids were stepped up and many were killed, more livestock was taken and the work that had been done thus far was wrecked.
The King went ballistic. The Marquis of Huntly along with the Duke of Lennox was granted a commission of lieutenancy with the Earl of Errol, the Earl Marischal, Lord Forbes and others to assist. A full indemnity is given for any “slaughter, mutilation, fire-raising or other inconveniences” which Lennox’s forces might commit in the execution of their duties. The Act of commission was full of the usual derogatory language referring to “the frequent villainies and barbarous cruelties of the wicked and rebellious inhabitants of the Isles who are void of all fear or knowledge of God, destitute of reverence for prince, law or justice, and guilty of treason, murders, and intolerable actions, very often every one of them batheing themselves in the blood of others.” Things calmed down for a while.
Murdoch Macleod was seized, taken to Aberdeen, tried, found guilty and hung, drawn and quartered.
The Parliament of 1600 ratified the holding of the Fife Adventurers, ensuring that the usual niceties accusing the Islanders of, “the most detestable, damnable, and odious murders, firings, ravishings of women, witchcraft and depredations made amongst themselves, extended most mercilessly to all sorts of persons, without any pity or mercy for either young or old” The document also sets out how the settlers had conquered the land and that they had set an example that others would do well to emulate. More honours were heaped on them, and more grants of land.
There was a period of respite for the Fifers when Neil Macleod appeared to have mellowed in his animosity towards them and both natives and newcomers seemed to have settled down. This was not to last though, some minor difference escalated into a major confrontation and it wasn’t long before hostilities recommenced.
While things had been quiet Mackenzie of Kintail had not been well pleased, he was not interested in seeing the venture succeed. He arranged for another Macleod Chief, Tormod, to be released from custody. Tormod was senior to Neil and was not ready to entertain foreigners on Macleod territory. Neil and the Clan would follow him. The ferocity of the raids intensified. Before long most of the Fifers were dead and the remainder surrendered unconditionally.
Tormod agreed to release them on three conditions:
1. They should ‘purchase’ from the king a remission for all offences, present and past, for himself and his followers.
2. They should resign to him their rights in Lewis.
3. Two senior hostages were to remain in Lewis until the first two conditions were met.
The conditions were accepted and once they were met the last of the Fife Adventurers sailed away from Lewis, probably glad to be going, certainly lucky to be going in one peace.
So ended the first attempt by the Fife Adventurers to colonise the Western Isles. Was that the end of it? Find out in the next exciting episode.