Paul Mactire
Encyclopedia
Paul Mactire, also known as Paul MacTyre, and Paul M'Tyre, was a 14th century Scotsman who lived in the north of Scotland. He appears in several contemporary records, as well as in a 15th century genealogy which records his supposed ancestry. He is known to have married a niece of the brother of the Earl of Ross
. According to later tradition, he was a notorious robber, or freebooter in the north of Scotland; and, according to local tradition, he was the builder of a now ruinous fortress in Sutherland
. He is said to be the ancestor of several Scottish families
. According to some sources Paul Mactire's father was Leod Macgilleandrais
.
, Earl of Ross
, granted to the lands of "Tutumtarvok", "Turnok", "Amot", and "Langville", in "Strathokel
", to Paul and his wife, "Mariot of Graham", and their lineal descendants. Paul's wife was the niece of Hugh. The next year, William, Earl of Ross, granted the lands of Gairloch
to Paul and his heirs by "Mary of Grahame", with remainder to the lawful heirs of Paul, for the annual payment of a silver penny in name of blench ferme
, in lieu of all services, except forinsee service to the king if required. In 1372, the grant was confirmed by Robert II
.
, as a descendant of Clan Gillanders
. Skene's transcription, and translation, of the genealogy of the clan is as follows:
The MS 1467 records that Paul's great-great-grandfather was Gillanders, who was in turn eight generations in descent from Gilleoin of the Aird, who is also recorded within the manuscript as the progenitor of the Mackenzies
and the Mathesons
. Gilleoin of the Aird is thought to have flourished around 1140, and is thought to have governed a large expanse of land in the north of Scotland, independent of the 12th century mormaers of Moray. According to Alexander Grant, he is likely to have filled the vacuum in southern Ross, left by the reduction of Norse power in the later part of the 11th century.
According to Skene, this manuscript shows that Paul descended from a brother of Fearchar, Earl of Ross
. W. D. H. Sellar pointed out that there are too many generations between Paul and Gilleoin of the Aird. Sellar considered that the genealogy combined the descendants of Gilleoin of the Aird with the ancestors of Paul; thus, that the genealogy should actually start with the Paul who appears in the manuscript as Gillander's grandfather. However, according to William Matheson, it is possible that this Paul is Páll Bálkason
, a 13th century sheriff of Skye
. Matheson considered that Páll Bálkason's father was an ancestor of the MacPhails, MacKillops, and the MacLeods.
According to the 19th century historian Alexander Mackenzie
, Paul's name Mactire stands for the Gaelic Mac an t'Oighre, meaning "son of the Heir"; although the 20th century etymologist George Fraser Black thought this a "wild statement". According to early 20th century Gaelic scholar Alexander Macbain
, the Tyre in Paul's name does not mean "Paul, son of Tyre", but rather "Paul the Wolf". Macbain stated that the Gaelic name Mac'ic-tire was a common one during Paul's era, and that the stories of his harrying of Caithness may have contributed to his bearing such a name. Black gave the name's derivation from the Irish mac tire, meaning "son of the soil (wolf)". Later, William Matheson also considered Mactire to be a byname; although, Sellar stated that it was unclear whether it was a byname or a patronymic name.
of Balnagown states that a King of Denmark had three sons who came to the north of Scotland
: "Gwine", "Loid", and "Leandres". The manuscript states that Gwine conquered the braes of Caithness
; Loid
conquered Lewis
, and was the progenitor of the MacLeods
; and Leandres conquered "Braychat". The 19th century antiquary F. W. L. Thomas
noted that Braychat referred to Strathcarron
. Thomas considered the "King of Denmark" to be mythological, and proposed that the king likely refers to Sveinn Ásleifarson
, a prominent character in the mediaeval Orkneyinga saga
. Thomas noted that in the saga, Sveinn's brother as named Gunni; Sveinn's son was named Andreas. Thomas also noted that in the saga, Sveinn was the friend of a man named Ljótólfr, from Lewis
; and Thomas considered Ljótólfr
to have been an ancestor of the MacLeods. According to W. F. Skene, Gwine was probably meant to refer to the eponymous ancestor of Clan Gunn
. According to Sellar, Denmark should not be taken literally: in this context, Denmark likely stands for Scandinavia
.
The manuscript states that the son of Leandres was "Tyre", whose son was "Paul M'Tyre", and that this Paul M'Tyre was the founder of "Clan Lendres" because his daughter, "Catharene", married the laird
of Balnagown, Walter Ross. As earlier as the 17th century, the Rosses were stated to be known in Ross as 'Clan Gillanders'. The manuscript states that Caithness paid Paul M'Tyre blackmail
, and that it was said that he took annually 180 cattle. According to the manuscript, Paul had two sons, "Murthow Reoche", and "Gillespik". It relates how Murthow Reoche was slain at "Spittalhill", between Yule
and Candlemas, while on a trip to Caithness to collect the blackmail; when Gillespik heard of his brother's death, he returned home to Ross
.
of Clan Ross
held the title of Earl of Ross
, starting with Fearchar. On the death of the fifth chief, William III, Earl of Ross (d.1372), the title passed through an heiress
to a member
of Clan Leslie
. With the extinction of the man line in the fifth earl, the leadership of the Rosses passed into the line of the Rosses of Balnagown. From studying the MS 1467, Skene believed that Paul became chief of Clan Ross immediately following the death of the fifth chief. Mackenzie noted that the Rosses were long known in Gaelic as "Clann Gille Ainnrais" (Clan Gillanders), and that the MS 1467 shows that Paul was the chief of this clan; in consequence, Mackenzie like Skene before him, considered that Paul's clan in the manuscript referred to the Rosses. Mackenzie stated that the tradition of Paul taking leadership of the Clan Ross was also collaborated by the charter he received from William III, in which Paul is styled as the earl's cousin
. According to Skene, the MS 1467 shows that Clan Gillanders descended from a brother of Fearchar, and Mackenzie stated that Fearchar was the son of Gillanders, eponymous ancestor of the clan. Skene noted that the traditional ancestry of the Rosses of Balnagown stated that they descended from Paul through his daughter. However, according to Skene, "when a family is led by circumstances to believe in a descent different from the real one, we invariably find that they assert a marriage between their ancestor and the heiress
of the family from which they are in reality descended".
naturalist
Thomas Pennant
, toured the north of Scotland and wrote of his travels. Included within his description of the parish of Creich
, in Sutherland
, Pennant wrote of a tradition concerning Paul, and the marriage of his daughter.
In the mid 19th century, Alexander Pope translated Þormóður Torfason's 17th century Latin
history of Orkney. A figure who is portrayed in Þormóður Torfason's account is a violent character named "Aulver Rosta". Pope postulated that this character was the man who married the daughter of Paul Mactire.
. Gordonstoun stated that Paul built the fortress with a hard mortar
which could not be identified even at the time of his writing, in the 17th century. Gordonstoun stated that, while Paul built the fortress, he heard of the news of the killing of his only son in Caithness. At the time of his death, Paul's son had been in the company of an outlaw named "Murthow Raewick". Upon learning of his son's death, Paul ceased the building of Dun Creich. Gordonstoun also noted that there were many things 'fabulously reported among the vulgar people
' that he did not relate to. John Jamieson, writing in the early 19th century, stated that this account of the construction of Dun Creich should not be taken seriously. Jamieson proposed that this tradition may be the earliest one to attempt to explain its construction, and that the hard mortar supposedly used by Paul, was an attempt to explain a vitrified fort
. Jamieson proposed that the memory of Paul in the area, may have led the locals to connect him to the fortress, and attempt to explain its unfinished state.
In the late 19th century, William Taylor stated that a spot near Tain
, on the shores of Fendom, was known as Paul MacTyre's Hill. Taylor noted that the place had been washed away by the sea in the previous century. The 20th century Scottish toponymist William J. Watson
noted that there was a place, located near Plaids (near Tain), where there was said to have been a court-hill of Paul. Watson stated that Lochan Phòil, meaning "Paul's lochlet", is probably named after Paul, who held the surrounding lands.
of Balnagown (in the female line). According to Macbain, the surname Polson was in the Creich area sometime before the year 1430; and listed two instances of the surname in the area in the mid 16th century. Macbain noted that the 19th century antiquary Cosmo Innes
stated that this family was descended from Paul, who is recorded as acquiring the lands by charter, in 1365. However, Black stated that Paul is wrongly assumed to have been the ancestor of the Polsons. Sellar noted that some of the descendants of Paul took the surname Fraser
, and became the barons of Moniack
. Sellar noted that it was said that some of these Frasers later took the surname Barron and lived in the district of Aird
.
Earl of Ross
The Mormaer or Earl of Ross was the leader of a medieval Gaelic lordship in northern Scotland, roughly between the River Oykel and the River Beauly.-Origins and transfers:...
. According to later tradition, he was a notorious robber, or freebooter in the north of Scotland; and, according to local tradition, he was the builder of a now ruinous fortress in Sutherland
Sutherland
Sutherland is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic administrative county of Scotland. It is now within the Highland local government area. In Gaelic the area is referred to according to its traditional areas: Dùthaich 'IcAoidh , Asainte , and Cataibh...
. He is said to be the ancestor of several Scottish families
Scottish clan
Scottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...
. According to some sources Paul Mactire's father was Leod Macgilleandrais
Leod Macgilleandrais
Leod Macgilleandrais is purported to have been a 14th century Scotsman, who lived in the north-west of Scotland. He is known from clan traditions, which date to the late 17th century. According to these traditions, Leod was a follower of the Earl of Ross, and that he was an enemy of the Mackenzies...
.
Contemporary records
In 1365, Hugh of Ross, Lord of Fylorth, the brother of William IIIUilleam III, Earl of Ross
Uilleam III of Ross was the fourth successor of Ferchar mac in tSagairt, as Mormaer of Ross .Uilleam came into his inheritance at a torrid time, his father Aodh dying at the Battle of Halidon Hill. Uilleam temporarily lost many of his lands. However, he returned from Norway in 1336 and regained them...
, Earl of Ross
Earl of Ross
The Mormaer or Earl of Ross was the leader of a medieval Gaelic lordship in northern Scotland, roughly between the River Oykel and the River Beauly.-Origins and transfers:...
, granted to the lands of "Tutumtarvok", "Turnok", "Amot", and "Langville", in "Strathokel
River Oykel
The River Oykel is a major river in northern Scotland that is famous for its salmon fishing. It rises on Ben More Assynt, a few miles from Ullapool on the west coast of Scotland, and drains into the North Sea via the Kyle of Sutherland...
", to Paul and his wife, "Mariot of Graham", and their lineal descendants. Paul's wife was the niece of Hugh. The next year, William, Earl of Ross, granted the lands of Gairloch
Gairloch
Gairloch is a village, civil parish and community on the shores of Loch Gairloch on the northwest coast of Scotland. A popular tourist destination in the summer months, Gairloch has a golf course, a small museum, several hotels, a community centre, a leisure centre with sports facilities, a local...
to Paul and his heirs by "Mary of Grahame", with remainder to the lawful heirs of Paul, for the annual payment of a silver penny in name of blench ferme
Feu
Feu was previously the most common form of land tenure in Scotland, as conveyancing in Scots law was dominated by feudalism until the Scottish Parliament passed the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. Act 2000...
, in lieu of all services, except forinsee service to the king if required. In 1372, the grant was confirmed by Robert II
Robert II of Scotland
Robert II became King of Scots in 1371 as the first monarch of the House of Stewart. He was the son of Walter Stewart, hereditary High Steward of Scotland and of Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert I and of his first wife Isabella of Mar...
.
MS 1467
Paul appears in the 15th century MS 1467MS 1467
MS 1467, earlier known as MS 1450, is a mediaeval Gaelic manuscript which contains numerous pedigrees for many prominent Scottish individuals and clans. Transcriptions of the genealogies within the text were first published in the early 19th century and have ever since been used by writers on the...
, as a descendant of Clan Gillanders
Clan Gillanders
Gillanders is a personal name and a surname. It is an Anglicised form of a Gaelic name meaning "the servant of Andrew". The surname can be represented in Scottish Gaelic as MacGill-Andreis and NicGill-Andreis ; GillAndrais and GhillAndrais ; Mac'Ill'Anndrais and Nic'Ill'Anndrais ; and...
. Skene's transcription, and translation, of the genealogy of the clan is as follows:
| Skene's mid 19th century transcription of the Gaelic | Skene's mid 19th century translation into English |
|---|---|
| Pal ic Tire ic Eogan ic Muiredaigh ic Poil ic Gilleanris ic Martain ic Poil ic Cainig ic Cranin ic Eogan ic Cainig ic Cranin mc Gilleeoin ha hairde ic Eirc ic Loirn ic Fearchar mc Cormac ic Airbertaig ic Feradaig. | Paul son of Tire son of Ewen son of Murdoch son of Paul son of Gilleanrias son of Martin son of Paul son of Kenneth son of Crinan son of Ewen son of Kenneth son of Crinan son of Gilleoin of the Aird son of Erc son of Lorn son of Ferchar son of Cormac son of Oibertaigh son of Feradach. |
| Skene's late 19th century transcription of the Gaelic | Skene's late 19th century translation into English |
| Pal mac Tire mhic Eogain mhic Muredaig mhic Poil mhic Gilleainnrias mhic Martain mhic Poil mhic Cainnig mhic Cristin mhic Eogain mhic Cainnig mhic Cristin mhic Gillaeoin na hairde mhic Eirc mhic Loairn mhic Cormac mhic Airbertaigh mhic Fearadhach. | Paul son of Tire son of Ewen son of Muredach son of Paul son of Gillandres son of Martin son of Paul son of Kenneth son of Cristin son of Ewen son of Kenneth son of Cristin son of Gillaeoin of the Aird son of Erc son of Lorn son of Ferchard son of Cormac son of Airbertach son of Feradach. |
The MS 1467 records that Paul's great-great-grandfather was Gillanders, who was in turn eight generations in descent from Gilleoin of the Aird, who is also recorded within the manuscript as the progenitor of the Mackenzies
Clan MacKenzie
Clan Mackenzie is a Highland Scottish clan, traditionally associated with Kintail and lands in Ross-shire.-Origins:The Mackenzies, a powerful clan of Celtic stock, were not among the clans that originated from Norman ancestry. Descendants of the long defunct royal Cenél Loairn of Dál Riata, they...
and the Mathesons
Clan Matheson
Clan Matheson is a Highland Scottish clan.-Origins of the clan:The name Matheson has been attributed to the Gaelic words Mic Mhathghamhuin which means Son of the Bear or Son of the Heroes...
. Gilleoin of the Aird is thought to have flourished around 1140, and is thought to have governed a large expanse of land in the north of Scotland, independent of the 12th century mormaers of Moray. According to Alexander Grant, he is likely to have filled the vacuum in southern Ross, left by the reduction of Norse power in the later part of the 11th century.
According to Skene, this manuscript shows that Paul descended from a brother of Fearchar, Earl of Ross
Fearchar, Earl of Ross
Fearchar of Ross or Ferchar mac in tSagairt , was the first Mormaer or Earl of Ross we know of from the thirteenth century, whose career brought Ross into the fold of the Scottish kings for the first time, and who is remembered as the founder of the Earldom of Ross.-Origins:The traditional...
. W. D. H. Sellar pointed out that there are too many generations between Paul and Gilleoin of the Aird. Sellar considered that the genealogy combined the descendants of Gilleoin of the Aird with the ancestors of Paul; thus, that the genealogy should actually start with the Paul who appears in the manuscript as Gillander's grandfather. However, according to William Matheson, it is possible that this Paul is Páll Bálkason
Páll Bálkason
Páll, son of Bálki, or Paal Baalkeson, was a 13th century Hebridean lord who was an ally of Olaf the Black, king of Mann and the Isles. He was long remembered in Gaelic tradition and is traditionally the progenitor of certain families with roots in the Hebrides...
, a 13th century sheriff of Skye
Skye
Skye or the Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills...
. Matheson considered that Páll Bálkason's father was an ancestor of the MacPhails, MacKillops, and the MacLeods.
According to the 19th century historian Alexander Mackenzie
Alexander Mackenzie (historian)
Alexander Mackenzie, FSA Scot was a Scottish historian, author, magazine editor and politician. He was born on a croft, in Gairloch. In 1869 he settled in Inverness, where he later became an editor and publisher of the Celtic Magazine, and the Scottish Highlander. Mackenzie wrote numerous clan...
, Paul's name Mactire stands for the Gaelic Mac an t'Oighre, meaning "son of the Heir"; although the 20th century etymologist George Fraser Black thought this a "wild statement". According to early 20th century Gaelic scholar Alexander Macbain
Alexander Macbain
Alexander Macbain was a Scottish philologist, best known today for An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language .-Early life and education:...
, the Tyre in Paul's name does not mean "Paul, son of Tyre", but rather "Paul the Wolf". Macbain stated that the Gaelic name Mac'ic-tire was a common one during Paul's era, and that the stories of his harrying of Caithness may have contributed to his bearing such a name. Black gave the name's derivation from the Irish mac tire, meaning "son of the soil (wolf)". Later, William Matheson also considered Mactire to be a byname; although, Sellar stated that it was unclear whether it was a byname or a patronymic name.
Manuscript history of the Rosses of Balnagown
The manuscript history of the RossesClan Ross
Clan Ross is a Highland Scottish clan. The original chiefs of the clan were the original Earls of Ross.-Origins:Clan Ross is a Highland Scottish clan first named as such by King Malcolm IV of Scotland in 1160...
of Balnagown states that a King of Denmark had three sons who came to the north of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
: "Gwine", "Loid", and "Leandres". The manuscript states that Gwine conquered the braes of Caithness
Caithness
Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
; Loid
Leod
Leod is considered the eponymous ancestor and founder of Clan MacLeod and Clan MacLeod of Lewis. Almost nothing is known about him and he does not appear in any contemporary records. Tradition dating to the late 18th century made him a son of Olaf the Black who was King of Man...
conquered Lewis
Lewis
Lewis is the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The total area of Lewis is ....
, and was the progenitor of the MacLeods
Clan MacLeod
Clan MacLeod is a Highland Scottish clan associated with the Isle of Skye. There are two main branches of the clan: the Macleods of Harris and Dunvegan, whose chief is Macleod of Macleod, are known in Gaelic as Sìol Tormoid ; the Macleods of Lewis, whose chief is Macleod of The Lewes, are known in...
; and Leandres conquered "Braychat". The 19th century antiquary F. W. L. Thomas
F. W. L. Thomas
Captain F. W. L. Thomas, c.1812-1885, RN, FSA was a naval officer, photographer, and historian. Thomas was a captain in the Royal Navy, a hydrographer working for the Admiralty , charting the waters around the Northern and Western isles of Scotland. He sailed with Captain Otter, on the HMS...
noted that Braychat referred to Strathcarron
River Carron, Sutherland
The River Carron is a river in Sutherland, in the Highlands of Scotland.It begins as the Abhainn a' Ghlinne Mhoir, which joins with the Alladale River to form the River Carron...
. Thomas considered the "King of Denmark" to be mythological, and proposed that the king likely refers to Sveinn Ásleifarson
Sweyn Asleifsson
Sweyn Asleifsson was twelfth century Viking who appeared in the Orkneyinga Saga.-Early career:Sweyn was born in Caithness in the early twelfth century, to Olaf Hrolfsson and his wife Åsleik. According to the Orkneyinga Saga, he came to prominence when he murdered Earl Paul of Orkney's cup-bearer c...
, a prominent character in the mediaeval Orkneyinga saga
Orkneyinga saga
The Orkneyinga saga is a historical narrative of the history of the Orkney Islands, from their capture by the Norwegian king in the ninth century onwards until about 1200...
. Thomas noted that in the saga, Sveinn's brother as named Gunni; Sveinn's son was named Andreas. Thomas also noted that in the saga, Sveinn was the friend of a man named Ljótólfr, from Lewis
Lewis
Lewis is the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The total area of Lewis is ....
; and Thomas considered Ljótólfr
Ljótólfr
Ljótólfr is a minor character in the mediaeval Orkneyinga saga, who is purported to have flourished in the mid-12th century. The Orkneyinga saga was compiled in about 1200, and documents the reigns of the earls of Orkney. It depicts Ljótólfr as a nobleman who lived on the Outer Hebridean island of...
to have been an ancestor of the MacLeods. According to W. F. Skene, Gwine was probably meant to refer to the eponymous ancestor of Clan Gunn
Clan Gunn
Clan Gunn is a Scottish clan associated with northeastern Scotland, including Caithness and Sutherland as well as the Orkney Islands.The clan's origins stretch over the sea to Norway, and the Clan Gunn themselves claim descent from the legendary viking Sweyn Asleifsson, the progenitor of the clan,...
. According to Sellar, Denmark should not be taken literally: in this context, Denmark likely stands for Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
.
The manuscript states that the son of Leandres was "Tyre", whose son was "Paul M'Tyre", and that this Paul M'Tyre was the founder of "Clan Lendres" because his daughter, "Catharene", married the laird
Laird
A Laird is a member of the gentry and is a heritable title in Scotland. In the non-peerage table of precedence, a Laird ranks below a Baron and above an Esquire.-Etymology:...
of Balnagown, Walter Ross. As earlier as the 17th century, the Rosses were stated to be known in Ross as 'Clan Gillanders'. The manuscript states that Caithness paid Paul M'Tyre blackmail
Blackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
, and that it was said that he took annually 180 cattle. According to the manuscript, Paul had two sons, "Murthow Reoche", and "Gillespik". It relates how Murthow Reoche was slain at "Spittalhill", between Yule
Yule
Yule or Yuletide is a winter festival that was initially celebrated by the historical Germanic people as a pagan religious festival, though it was later absorbed into, and equated with, the Christian festival of Christmas. The festival was originally celebrated from late December to early January...
and Candlemas, while on a trip to Caithness to collect the blackmail; when Gillespik heard of his brother's death, he returned home to Ross
Ross
Ross is a region of Scotland and a former mormaerdom, earldom, sheriffdom and county. The name Ross allegedly derives from a Gaelic word meaning a headland - perhaps a reference to the Black Isle. The Norse word for Orkney - Hrossay meaning horse island - is another possible origin. The area...
.
Chief of Clan Ross
It is thought that the first five chiefsScottish clan chief
The Scottish Gaelic word clann means children. In early times, and possibly even today, clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the Scottish clan. From its perceived founder a clan takes its name. The clan chief is the representative of this founder, and...
of Clan Ross
Clan Ross
Clan Ross is a Highland Scottish clan. The original chiefs of the clan were the original Earls of Ross.-Origins:Clan Ross is a Highland Scottish clan first named as such by King Malcolm IV of Scotland in 1160...
held the title of Earl of Ross
Earl of Ross
The Mormaer or Earl of Ross was the leader of a medieval Gaelic lordship in northern Scotland, roughly between the River Oykel and the River Beauly.-Origins and transfers:...
, starting with Fearchar. On the death of the fifth chief, William III, Earl of Ross (d.1372), the title passed through an heiress
Euphemia I, Countess of Ross
Euphemia I , also called Euphemia of Ross and Euphemia Ross, and sometimes incorrectly styled Euphemia Leslie and Euphemia Stewart , was a Countess of Ross in her own right.Euphemia was the elder daughter of Uilleam III, Mormaer of Ross...
to a member
Alexander Leslie, Earl of Ross
Alexander Leslie, Earl of Ross was a Scottish nobleman. Born between 1367 and 1382, he was the son of Walter Leslie, Lord of Ross and Euphemia I, Countess of Ross. In around 1394 he became Earl of Ross and sometime before 1398 he married Isabel Stewart, daughter of Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany....
of Clan Leslie
Clan Leslie
Clan Leslie is a Lowland Scottish clan.-Origins:The family name comes from the Leslie lands of Aberdeenshire and was to become famous in Germany, Poland, France and Russia...
. With the extinction of the man line in the fifth earl, the leadership of the Rosses passed into the line of the Rosses of Balnagown. From studying the MS 1467, Skene believed that Paul became chief of Clan Ross immediately following the death of the fifth chief. Mackenzie noted that the Rosses were long known in Gaelic as "Clann Gille Ainnrais" (Clan Gillanders), and that the MS 1467 shows that Paul was the chief of this clan; in consequence, Mackenzie like Skene before him, considered that Paul's clan in the manuscript referred to the Rosses. Mackenzie stated that the tradition of Paul taking leadership of the Clan Ross was also collaborated by the charter he received from William III, in which Paul is styled as the earl's cousin
Cousin
In kinship terminology, a cousin is a relative with whom one shares one or more common ancestors. The term is rarely used when referring to a relative in one's immediate family where there is a more specific term . The term "blood relative" can be used synonymously and establishes the existence of...
. According to Skene, the MS 1467 shows that Clan Gillanders descended from a brother of Fearchar, and Mackenzie stated that Fearchar was the son of Gillanders, eponymous ancestor of the clan. Skene noted that the traditional ancestry of the Rosses of Balnagown stated that they descended from Paul through his daughter. However, according to Skene, "when a family is led by circumstances to believe in a descent different from the real one, we invariably find that they assert a marriage between their ancestor and the heiress
Inheritance
Inheritance is the practice of passing on property, titles, debts, rights and obligations upon the death of an individual. It has long played an important role in human societies...
of the family from which they are in reality descended".
Other traditions concerning Paul and his daughter
In the late 18th century, the WelshWelsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
Thomas Pennant
Thomas Pennant
Thomas Pennant was a Welsh naturalist and antiquary.The Pennants were a Welsh gentry family from the parish of Whitford, Flintshire, who had built up a modest estate at Bychton by the seventeenth century...
, toured the north of Scotland and wrote of his travels. Included within his description of the parish of Creich
Creich
Creich is located near Bonar Bridge, in Sutherland, in Scotland.There is a church and graveyard for the Parish of Creich. Creich Mains farm is located here....
, in Sutherland
Sutherland
Sutherland is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic administrative county of Scotland. It is now within the Highland local government area. In Gaelic the area is referred to according to its traditional areas: Dùthaich 'IcAoidh , Asainte , and Cataibh...
, Pennant wrote of a tradition concerning Paul, and the marriage of his daughter.
In the mid 19th century, Alexander Pope translated Þormóður Torfason's 17th century Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
history of Orkney. A figure who is portrayed in Þormóður Torfason's account is a violent character named "Aulver Rosta". Pope postulated that this character was the man who married the daughter of Paul Mactire.
Places associated with Paul
Sometime before 1630, Sir Robert Gordon of Gordonstoun wrote an historical account which mentioned Paul. Gordonstoun wrote that the ruinous fortress of Dun Creich was built by Paul, who possessed the lands of CreichCreich
Creich is located near Bonar Bridge, in Sutherland, in Scotland.There is a church and graveyard for the Parish of Creich. Creich Mains farm is located here....
. Gordonstoun stated that Paul built the fortress with a hard mortar
Mortar (masonry)
Mortar is a workable paste used to bind construction blocks together and fill the gaps between them. The blocks may be stone, brick, cinder blocks, etc. Mortar becomes hard when it sets, resulting in a rigid aggregate structure. Modern mortars are typically made from a mixture of sand, a binder...
which could not be identified even at the time of his writing, in the 17th century. Gordonstoun stated that, while Paul built the fortress, he heard of the news of the killing of his only son in Caithness. At the time of his death, Paul's son had been in the company of an outlaw named "Murthow Raewick". Upon learning of his son's death, Paul ceased the building of Dun Creich. Gordonstoun also noted that there were many things 'fabulously reported among the vulgar people
VULGAR
Vulgar is the fourth studio album released by Dir En Grey on September 10, 2003 in Japan and on February 21, 2006 in Europe. A limited edition containing an additional DVD was also released. It featured the video of the song "Obscure", albeit a censored version...
' that he did not relate to. John Jamieson, writing in the early 19th century, stated that this account of the construction of Dun Creich should not be taken seriously. Jamieson proposed that this tradition may be the earliest one to attempt to explain its construction, and that the hard mortar supposedly used by Paul, was an attempt to explain a vitrified fort
Vitrified fort
Vitrified fort is the name given to certain crude stone enclosures whose walls have been subjected in a greater or lesser degree to the action of fire. They are generally situated on hills offering strong defensive positions. Their form seems to have been determined by the contour of the flat...
. Jamieson proposed that the memory of Paul in the area, may have led the locals to connect him to the fortress, and attempt to explain its unfinished state.
In the late 19th century, William Taylor stated that a spot near Tain
Tain
Tain is a royal burgh and post town in the committee area of Ross and Cromarty, in the Highland area of Scotland.-Etymology:...
, on the shores of Fendom, was known as Paul MacTyre's Hill. Taylor noted that the place had been washed away by the sea in the previous century. The 20th century Scottish toponymist William J. Watson
William J. Watson
Professor William J. Watson was a toponymist, one of the greatest Scottish scholars of the 20th century, and was the first scholar to place the study of Scottish place names on a firm linguistic basis....
noted that there was a place, located near Plaids (near Tain), where there was said to have been a court-hill of Paul. Watson stated that Lochan Phòil, meaning "Paul's lochlet", is probably named after Paul, who held the surrounding lands.
Supposed descendants
According to tradition, Paul was an ancestor of the RossesClan Ross
Clan Ross is a Highland Scottish clan. The original chiefs of the clan were the original Earls of Ross.-Origins:Clan Ross is a Highland Scottish clan first named as such by King Malcolm IV of Scotland in 1160...
of Balnagown (in the female line). According to Macbain, the surname Polson was in the Creich area sometime before the year 1430; and listed two instances of the surname in the area in the mid 16th century. Macbain noted that the 19th century antiquary Cosmo Innes
Cosmo Innes
Cosmo Nelson Innes was a Scottish historian and antiquary.Innes was educated at Edinburgh High School, at Aberdeen and Glasgow Universities, and at Balliol College, Oxford. He was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1822, and was appointed Professor of Constitutional Law and History in the...
stated that this family was descended from Paul, who is recorded as acquiring the lands by charter, in 1365. However, Black stated that Paul is wrongly assumed to have been the ancestor of the Polsons. Sellar noted that some of the descendants of Paul took the surname Fraser
Fraser (surname)
Fraser is a surname, of Scottish origin , and may refer to many people..-A:* Alec Garden Fraser , Scottish Reverend and educationalist* Alex Fraser , Canadian politician* Alex Fraser , British scientist...
, and became the barons of Moniack
Moniack Castle
Moniack Castle is a 16th-century tower house located west of Inverness, and just south of Beauly in Highland, Scotland. The castle was built in 1580 by members of the Clan Fraser. Today the castle grounds comprise a winery, which is still owned and operated by Frasers...
. Sellar noted that it was said that some of these Frasers later took the surname Barron and lived in the district of Aird
Aird, Inverness
The Aird is an area of the County of Inverness, to the west of the City of Inverness. It is situated to the south of the River Beauly and the Beauly Firth, and to the north of Glenurquhart and the northern end of Loch Ness....
.
See also
- Leod MacgilleandraisLeod MacgilleandraisLeod Macgilleandrais is purported to have been a 14th century Scotsman, who lived in the north-west of Scotland. He is known from clan traditions, which date to the late 17th century. According to these traditions, Leod was a follower of the Earl of Ross, and that he was an enemy of the Mackenzies...
, said to have been the father of Paul Mactire in the late 19th, and early 20th centuries