'MacDonald01'Index links to: Lead / Letter
Families covered: MacDonald of the Isles, MacDonald of Lochalsh, MacDonald of MacDonald, MacDonald of Ross, Macruairi of Garmorran

                               
Mackenzie (p4+) reports that the origin of the famous Somerled "is involved with obscurity and surrounded with considerable difficulty." Mackenzie (supported by TSP) refers to one tradition that asserts that he was of Scoto-Irish descent (being 6th in descent from Godfrey MacFergus aka 'Toshach of the Isles", with some suggesting a descent "from the celebrated Irish King, Conn nan Cend Cath, or Conn of the Hundred Battles") but mentions that "Others have maintained that he was undoubtedly a Scandinavian by male descent."
Orila Dumnan or Gilledomnan
1. Gillebride
  A. Somerled, King of the Northern Isles, 'Lord of the Isles' (b c1113, d Renfrew 1164)§A
  Some sources report that Somerled had more than one wife/mistress.TSP just mentions Somerled's marriage to Ragnhilda. Mackenzie suggests that he had an earlier wife.
  m1. ??
  i. Gillecallum/Malcolm (d Renfrew 1164)
  a. Somerled, Thane of Argyle
  (1) John ancestor of the MacEwans of Ardnamurchan
(2) Maolmory
  ii.+ other issue - Olave, Gall Macsgillin
  m2. (1140) Ragnhilda (b c1117, dau of Olaf the Red, King of Man and the Isles)
  v/vi. Reginald (Ranald), King/Lord of the Isles, Lord of Argyll and Kintyre (d 1207)
  m. Fonia (dau of Randulph, sister of Thomas (Randolph), Earl of Moray)
That a daughter of Randulph may have been a wife of Reginald is given in TSP (Moray). It is not known if she was mother of ...
  a. Donald of the Isles (d 1250)
  Mackenzie does not name Donald's wife but identifies her father as Gillies (father of Callum Alin). TSP identifies her as ...
  m. ?? Stewart (dau of Walter Stewart, 3rd Hereditary/High Steward of Scotland)
(1) Angus Mor MacDonald, Lord of the Isles (d c1296/1300)
  m. ?? Campbell (dau of Sir Colin Campbell of Lochow)
  (A) Alexander MacDonald, Lord of the Isles (d 1303) estates forfeited
m. Juliana MacDougall of Lorn (dau of Ewen MacDougall, 3rd of Dunollie and of Lorn)
  (i) John (Ian) Dubh MacDonald ## see here ##
  (ii)+ other issue - Reginald, Somerled, Angus, Godfrey, Charles
  (B) Angus Og MacDonald, Lord of the Isles (d 1329-30)
  m. Agnes or Margaret O'Cathan (dau of Guy O'Cathan of Ulster)
  (i) John MacDonald, Lord of the Isles (d 1387)
  m1. (c1337) Amie Macruairi (dau of Ruairi Macruairi of Garmorran) @@ below
  (a) John MacDonald (dvp)
m. Ellen Campbell
  ((1)) Angus MacDonald (a 1369, dsp)
  (b)/(c) Reginald (Ranald) MacDonald, 1st of Clanranald and Glengarry (d 1386)
  The following comes from 'History of the Macdonalds' (p298) which suggests that Reginald d 1419 ("a very old man"), which appears to be confusion with his son, and makes the dubious suggestion that his wife was ...
  m. ?? Stewart (dau of Walter Stewart, Earl of Athol, brother of King Robert II ??)
  ((1)) Allan MacDonald, 2nd of Clanranald and Moidart (d 1419)
  m. _ Stewart (dau of Sir John Stewart of Invermeat & Lorn)
  ((2)) Donald MacDonald, 2nd of Glengarry (d 1420) shown by Mackenzie as the eldest son
  m1. Laleve MacIver
  m2. _ Fraser (dau of _ Fraser of Lovat)
  ((3)) John Dall MacDonald ancestor of the MacDonalds of Bornish
  ((A)) John MacDonald
((4))+ other issue - Angus Riabhach, Dougall of Sunart, Mora
  (c)/(b) Godfrey MacDonald, Lord of Uist & Garmoran
  The following comes from 'History of the Macdonalds' (p289+).
  ((1)) Alexander MacDonald of Garmoran (d 1427)
  ((A)) Alexander MacDonald (d 1460)
((2)) Angus MacDonald probably of this generation
  m. (1401) Margaret Chisholme (dau of Alexander de Chisholme)
  m2. (c1350) Margaret Stewart (dau of Robert Stewart, King Robert II of Scots)
  (d) Donald 'of Harlaw' MacDonald, Lord of the Isles (b c1379, d 1423)
  m. Margaret (or Mary) Leslie (dau of Sir Walter Leslie, Earl of Ross)
  ((1)) Alexander MacDonald, Lord of the Isles, Earl of Ross (d 08.05.1448/07.05.1449)
  Mackenzie shows just one wife & mother of Alexander's children whilst TSP shows as follows.
  m1. Elizabeth Seton (dau of Sir Alexander de Seton, Lord Gordon)
  ((A)) John MacDonald, Lord of the Isles, Earl of Ross (d 1498)
m. (before 08.02.1475-6) Elizabeth Livingstone (dau of James, Lord Livingstone)
  partner(s) unknown
  ((i)) John MacDonald (dvpsp)
  ((ii)) Angus MacDonald (dvp c1485/1490)
  m. Mary (probably not Margaret) Campbell (dau of Colin, 1st Earl of Argyll)
  ((a)) Donald Dubh MacDonald (d 1545)
  (((1))) son
m2. _ Macphee (dau of _ Macphee of Lochaber)
  ((B)) Celestine MacDonald of Lochalsh, Sheriff of Inverness (d 1476)
  m. Finvola Maclean (dau of Lachlan Maclean of Duart)
  ((i)) (Sir) Alexander MacDonald of Lochalsh
  ((a)) Sir Donald MacDonald of Lochalsh (dsp)
  ((b)) Margaret MacDonald of Lochalsh
  m. Alexander Macdonald, 6th of Glengarry (d 1560)
  ((c)) Janet MacDonald
  m. _ Dingwell of Kildun
  ((ii)) daughter
  m. Ewen Cameron of Lochiel, 13th Chief (d 1547)
p. daughter of Gillepatrick Roy
  ((C)) Hugh MacDonald, 1st of Sleat (d 1498)
  m/p1. Fynvola MacIan (dau of MacIan of Ardnamurchan)
  m/p2. dau of Gun, Cruineir Ghall (Crowner of Caithness)
  Not known by which wife (or partner) was ...
  ((D)) Margaret Macdonald --
  m. John Sutherland, 8th Earl of Sutherland (d 1508) --
((E)) Florence MacDonald
  m. Duncan Mackintosh of Mackintosh
  ((2)) Angus MacDonald, Bishop of the Isles
  ((3)) son (monk)
((4)) Anna MacDonald
  m. (c1397) Robert 'Duncan Maclagmayn'
  ((5)) Mariotta MacDonald --
  m. Alexander Sutherland of Dunbeath (d after 15.11.1456) --
  ((6)) daughter
  m. Dugald Campbell, 1st Captain of Dunstaffnage Castle
  (e) John Mhor ('Iain Mhor Tanistair') MacDonald of Duniveg and Glyns (d 1427)
  m. Margery Bisset (dau of Sir Hugh Bisset of the Glyns)
  (f) Angus MacDonald (dsp)
  (g) Alexander ('Alastair Carrach') MacDonald, 1st of Keppoch (a 1431)
m. ?? (dau of Earl Malcolm of Lennox)
  (h) Hugh MacDonald of Glentilt (dsp)
  (i) Marcus MacDonald ancestor of MacDonalds of Cnocancluith
  (j) Mary MacDonald shown by Mackenzie as of the 1st marriage
  m1. (before 05.1367) Lachlan Lubanach Maclean of Dowart (d c1405)
m2. _ Maclean of Coll
  (k) Elizabeth MacDonald
  m. (before 08.10.1415) Angus Dubh Mackay of Strathnaver (d 1433)
  (l) Christiana MacDonald apparently of this generation, of this marriage
m. (c1391) Sir Robert Savage in Ulster (a 1389, 1433)
  Probably dau of John, but by which wife is unknown, was ...
  (m) Agnes MacDonald --
  m. Sir John Montgomery of Ardrossan, Eglinton and Eaglesham (b 1360, d by 1429) --
  partner unknown
  (n) Donald MacDonald
  (ii) Mary MacDonald --
  m. William, 5th Earl of Ross, Lord of Skye (d 09.02.1371-2) --
  (iii) Fingola MacDonald
m. John Stewart
  p. ?? (dau/heir of Dougall MacHenry)
  (iv) John (Iain Fraoch) MacDonald (d 1358)
  John was ancestor of the MacDonald of whom, according to Mackenzie (p524), "The legitimate male-heirs are said to have entirely died out."
  (C) John MacDonald (Iain Sprangach) (d c1340) ancestor of the MacDonalds of Ardnamurchan
  (2) Alexander ('Alastair or Alasdair Mor') MacDonald (a 1284)
b. Ruairi (Roderick) (d 1268)
  (1) Alan Macruairi of Garmorran (d(spl) c1285)
  (A) Ruairi Macruairi of Garmorran (d c1325, 3rd son)
  (i) Ranald Macruairi
  (ii) Amie Macruairi
  m. (c1337) John MacDonald, Lord of the Isles (d 1380) @@ above
  (iii) Alan Macruairi
  (B) Christina Macruairi
  m. Duncan of Mar
  (C)+ other issue - Ranald, Lachlan (d 1318)
  (2) Dugall Macruairi (dsp 1268)
  c. daughter HJY
  m. Alan, Lord of Galloway, Constable (d 1234) HJY
vi/vii. Dugall of Lorn, Mull and Jura, 1st of Dunollie --
  viii. Angus, Lord of Bute and Arran (d 1210)
  a. James Macrory of Bute and Arran (d 1210)
  (1) Jean Macrory J
  m. Alexander Stewart, 4th High Steward of Scotland (d 1283) J
  b. daughter possibly of this generation --
  m. Malcolm (d by 1235, son of Farquhar) --
  c.+ 2 other sons (both d 1210)
  ix. Beatrix (prioress of Iona) possibly of the 1st marriage
  B. daughter
  m. Malcolm, Earl of Ross
  i. Donald
  ii. Grelod / Gornflaeth of Ross JRY
  m. Harald Maddadson, Earl of Orkney and Caithness (b 1134, d 1206) JRY

Main source(s):
(1) TSP ('Lord of the Isles'), BP1999 ('MacDonald')
(2) 'History of the Macdonalds and Lords of the Isles' by Alexander Mackenzie (1885, p17+)
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