John Williamson MacKay of Achness, 4th Chieftain of Aebrach

About this time, John Mackay of Achness, the chieftain, died, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Niel, a man of great personal and mental powers, second to none in the north of Scotland in his time pg. 145 HISTORY THE HOUSE AND CLAN MACKAY,BY ROBERT MACKAY, 1829

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THE CLAN-ABRACH BRANCH OF MACKAYS

John married a daughter of Donald Mackay of Strathnaver, (see page 121.) by
whom he had an only son

• Niel, who in the foregoing work is termed Niel-Mack-Ean-Mack-William. This Niel Mackay of Achness, the chieftain, married a daughter of Hector Munro of Contalich

 Pg. 558  HISTORY THE HOUSE AND CLAN MACKAY,BY ROBERT MACKAY, 1829

IV. John Williamson, and nine others were summoned to appear before the Lords of Justice (Huntly, chiefly) at Inverness in 1538 "for alleged reset and iutercommuning with Donald and William Caldochson, rebels, accused of the slaughter of umquhill Donald Henryson and others" {Appendix No. 17). In 1548 "John Willemson in Auchindes " witnessed a sasine of Langwell (William Gray's Protocol Book). He married the " umquhile Donald M'Kay's dochtir of Farr" (Orig. Par. Scot., II., ii, 713), in other words the dau. of Donald XI. of Strathnaver and Farr, , and had known issue a son and a daughter.

i. Neil MacEan MacWilliam, of whom follows.

ii. Margaret, married 2nd May, 1562, William Sutherland or Hectorson, in Langwell, receiving as her " tocher thrie skoir of greit ky." She had known issue :—John Sutherland " alias Aberach " killed at Syre in February, 1587, evidently for the part which he took at the Durness conflict. Hugh of Strathnaver and Donald Balloch of Scoury obtained the king's pardon for the slaughter of the said John Sutherland, 1st January, 1598 (Reg. Mag. Sig.)

pg. 245

THE BOOK OF MACKAY BY ANGUS MACKAY, M.A. (St. Andrews University) Minister at Westerdale, Caithness EDINBURGH : NORMAN MACLEOD, -25 GEORGE IV. BRIDGE CANADA : EDWARD MACKAY, ST. PETER'S MANSE, MADOC,

ONT. M DCCCC VI

Notes

Donald Mackay, who died towards the close of 1550, married Helen, daughter of Alexander Sinclair of Stemster, son of William, second Earl of Caithness, to whom he gave certain lands in liferent soon after he had obtained a legal right to his property, and by her had issue :

• 1. Iye du, of whom follows.
• 2. a daughter, married to John, fourth chieftain of the Aberach Mackays, with issue.'
• 3. Florence, married to Neil Macleod of Assynt, with issue.