Donald Mackay, 1st Lord Reay facts for kids
Donald Mackay, born in March 1591, was an important Scottish soldier and a member of the Scottish Parliament. He was known as the 1st Lord Reay and was the 14th chief of Clan Mackay, a Highland clan from Scotland. Donald Mackay played a big part in a major European conflict called the Thirty Years' War. He even gathered a group of 3,000 soldiers who fought for both Denmark and Sweden. Later in his life, he was also involved with a group called the Covenanters, though he didn't really want to be. He passed away in February 1649.
Contents
Early Life
Donald Mackay was the oldest son of Huistean Du Mackay, 13th of Strathnaver, who was the 13th chief of Strathnaver. His mother was Lady Jane Gordon. Her father was Alexander Gordon, 12th Earl of Sutherland.
Military Adventures
Clan Disputes in Scotland
Donald Mackay was involved in some local disputes between Scottish clans. One time, a chief named Allan Cameron had problems with the powerful Earl of Argyll and the Earl of Huntly. Allan Cameron first supported Huntly, but then switched to Argyll.
The Scottish government, called the Privy Council of Scotland, asked Donald Mackay and his uncle, Sir Robert Gordon, 1st Baronet, to help capture Allan Cameron. In 1612 and 1613, Donald Mackay led 300 to 450 men into areas like Inverness and Lochaber. However, Allan Cameron, with help from the Earl of Argyll, managed to avoid capture.
In April 1616, Donald Mackay traveled to London with his uncle, Sir Robert Gordon. There, the king made him a knight. This was a special honor.
Later, in 1623, Sir Donald Mackay was made a Justice of the Peace for Sutherland and Strathnaver. This meant he helped keep law and order in those areas. People in Strathnaver even asked him to help them keep their firearms for defense, as they were not allowed to carry them at the time.
Fighting in the Thirty Years' War
In 1626, Sir Donald Mackay took 3,000 Scottish soldiers from Cromarty to fight in the Thirty Years' War. This was a huge war happening across Europe. His soldiers fought for the king of Denmark.
In 1627, Sir Donald Mackay received another special title: he became a Baronet of Nova Scotia. The next year, in 1628, he was given an even higher title and became Lord Reay.
In 1630, Lord Reay and his soldiers went to Germany. They helped capture important cities like Stettin and Colberg. The next year, in 1631, King Charles I of England asked Lord Reay to gather even more soldiers to help Gustavus Adolphus, the king of Sweden.
Lord Reay had a disagreement with another person, David Ramsay, at the English Court. They planned to fight a duel, but the king stopped them and sent them both to the Tower of London to prevent trouble. In 1632, King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden was killed in battle. Lord Reay was owed a lot of money by the king, which he never got back.
The English Civil War
In 1638, some important Scottish leaders, including James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose, asked Donald Mackay, 1st Lord Reay, to join them. They wanted him to sign the Covenant, a document about religious freedom. Lord Reay signed it, but he wasn't happy about it because he was very loyal to King Charles I.
However, in 1644, Lord Reay changed his mind and decided to support King Charles I in the English Civil War. He helped defend the city of Newcastle against the Scottish army for several months. When the city was captured, Lord Reay was taken prisoner and sent to Edinburgh Castle.
In 1645, after a victory by Montrose, Lord Reay was set free and went home. In January 1649, King Charles I was executed. Donald Mackay, 1st Lord Reay, who had fought for the king, was supposed to be made an Earl, but this never happened. He went to live in Denmark and died there in February 1649.
Family Life
Donald Mackay, 1st Lord Reay, was married three times and had several children.
His first marriage was in 1610 to Barbara Mackenzie. They had children including:
- John Mackay, who later became the 2nd Lord Reay and took over from his father.
- Lieutenant-Colonel Angus Mackay, who started a new branch of the clan.
- Jane Mackay and Mary Mackay, who both married into other important families.
His second marriage was to Elizabeth Thomson. They had one daughter:
- Ann Mackay, who married Alexander Macdonald.
His third marriage was to a daughter of Francis Sinclair. They had children including:
- William Mackay and Charles Mackay.
- Margaret Mackay and Christian Mackay.
Donald Mackay also had another marriage that was later canceled.
See also
| Peerage of Scotland | ||
|---|---|---|
| New creation | Lord Reay 1628–1649 |
Succeeded by John Mackay |
| Baronetage of Nova Scotia | ||
| New creation | Baronet (of Strathnaver) 1627–1649 |
Succeeded by John Mackay |
