Iye Roy Mackay, 10th of Strathnaver facts for kids
Iye Roy Mackay (died 1517) was the tenth leader, or chief, of the ancient Clan Mackay. This was a powerful Scottish clan from the Scottish Highlands. He lived during a time of many conflicts and changes in Scotland.
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Early Life of Iye Roy Mackay
Iye Roy Mackay, the 10th Chief of Strathnaver, was the oldest son of Angus Roy Mackay, 9th of Strathnaver. His mother was a daughter of the Mackenzie chief of Clan Mackenzie.
Battles with the Rosses
Iye Roy Mackay's father, Angus Roy Mackay, was killed in 1486. This happened during a fight over land with the Clan Ross at the Battle of Tarbat. Soon after, the Mackays fought back. John Rivach Mackay (Iye Roy's younger brother) and William Mackay led the clan. They invaded Ross and defeated the Clan Ross at the Battle of Aldy Charrish in 1487. The leader of the Rosses, Alexander Ross of Balnagown, was killed in this battle.
Some historians, like Sir Robert Gordon, claimed the Mackays had help from the Earl of Sutherland. However, historian Angus Mackay disagrees. He says the Earl of Sutherland was married to a daughter of Ross of Balnagown, so he probably wouldn't have helped against his own father-in-law. Also, a royal pardon for John Rivach Mackay in 1494 does not mention the Earl of Sutherland. This suggests the Mackays won this battle on their own.
In 1490, King James IV of Scotland gave some lands to David Ross, a relative of the killed Ross chief. These lands had once belonged to a Mackay. Later, in 1504, Iye Roy Mackay got royal permission for lands like Strathhalladale and Assent. He tried to prove the Mackays had an old claim to these lands. But the Scottish Lords of Council decided the lands belonged to Euphemia II, Countess of Ross.
The fighting with the Rosses continued. In 1496, Iye Roy Mackay and David Ross of Balnagown were called before the Duke of Argyll. They had to promise to keep the peace and not harm each other's people. If they broke this promise, they would have to pay a large fine. Even after this promise, the Rosses tried to get back things the Mackays had taken from their lands years earlier.
Capturing Sutherland of Dirlot
Iye Roy Mackay's nephew, Sutherland of Dirlot, was in trouble for debts. He then murdered Alexander Dunbar, who was the stepfather of the Earl of Sutherland. Because of this crime, Sutherland of Dirlot was declared an outlaw.
Iye Roy Mackay was already working for the king to keep order. He received a special order to capture Sutherland of Dirlot, and he succeeded. As a reward, King James IV gave Mackay a special document in 1499. This document gave him many lands in Strathnaver, Sutherland, and Caithness. Historian Angus Mackay noted that it seemed harsh for Iye Roy to capture his own nephew. However, he explained that Sutherland of Dirlot had taken lands in Strathnaver that rightfully belonged to the Mackay family.
The Rebellion of Donald Dubh
Around the late 1400s and early 1500s, the King of Scotland was upset with the people of the Hebrides (islands off Scotland's west coast). He took away many land rights from their leading families, which caused them to rebel.
At the same time, Donald Dubh escaped from prison. He was the grandson of John of Islay, a powerful former Lord of the Isles. Donald Dubh became the leader of the unhappy rebels. It took three royal expeditions in 1503, 1505, and 1506 to stop the rebellion.
Historian Angus Mackay says that Iye Roy Mackay and his clan helped a lot in these expeditions. They even captured Torquil, the chief of the Clan MacLeod of Lewis, who was found guilty of treason. Mackay and others attacked Stornoway Castle with cannons, and MacLeod was taken prisoner. The king rewarded Iye Roy Mackay with more lands in 1504 for helping to crush the rebellion. However, some stories say that the Clan Cameron defeated a combined force of Mackays and Munros in 1505. The Cameron chief had supported Donald Dubh's rebellion.
Fighting at Flodden
According to old family records, Iye Roy Mackay and his brother John Rivach Mackay fought in the Battle of Flodden in 1513. This was a major battle where King James IV of Scotland decided to invade England. Iye Roy Mackay survived the battle, but his brother John and many other clan members were killed.
Working with the Earl of Sutherland
Shortly before his death, Iye Roy Mackay made a friendship agreement with Adam Gordon, the Earl of Sutherland. This agreement was signed on July 31, 1517. Some historians, like Sir Robert Gordon, tried to make it seem like Mackay was a servant to the Earl. However, historian Sir William Fraser states that this was not true. He says the agreement was between two equals, even though the Earl was recognized as the overlord for some of Mackay's lands.
Family Life
Iye Roy Mackay, the 10th Chief of Strathnaver, married a very beautiful woman. She was the daughter of Norman O’Beolan from the Isle of Lewis. This marriage did not follow church rules at the time. However, Iye Roy Mackay got a special document from King James IV of Scotland to make his two surviving sons, John and Donald, legitimate.
Iye Roy Mackay and his wife had the following children:
- John Mackay, 11th of Strathnaver, who became chief after his father died in 1517.
- Donald Mackay, 11th of Strathnaver, who became chief after his brother John in 1529.
- Angus Mackay, who was killed fighting the Rosses near Tain before 1511.
- A daughter, who married Hugh MacLeod of Assynt. They had two children: Neil and Helen. Helen MacLeod married her cousin, Iye Du Mackay, 12th of Strathnaver. They had two sons, Donald Balloch Mackay and John Beg Mackay.
- A daughter, who married Alexander Sutherland of Killipheder, a son of the Earl of Sutherland.
Iye Roy Mackay, the 10th Chief of Strathnaver, died towards the end of 1517.
See also
- Chiefs of Clan Mackay
- Clan Mackay
- Earl of Sutherland
- Clan Ross
- Donald Dubh
