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78
THE CLAN OF MATHESON.
War Cry: "Dail Achadh 'n da thearnaidh" ("The Field of the two Declivities").
name is probably of Norse extraction, as above one hundred so called are now in
the city of Christiania.
I HIS
John Matheson of Lochalsh, eldest son of Alister MacRuari, was constituted by
John MacKenzie of Kintail, who fought at Flodden, Captain of the Castle of Ellan-
donan (of which MacKenzie got a charter in 1508), and in defending that fortalice
Sr against Donald Gorm MacDonald of Slate in 1537 he was killed.
By his marriage with the widow of Dugald MacKenzie, tutor of Kintail, he had a
son named Dngald of Lochalsh, known as Dugald Roy, who died at Invergarry on
the banks of Loch Oich, leaving a son, Murdoch Mathebon of Lochalsh, who had two
sons, Roderick and Dugald.
Roderick became the progenitor of the Mathesons of Burnetsfield. Dugald
inherited Balmacan, and had three sons, the eldest of whom, John Gig, married a
daughter of MacKenzie of Hilton; and was succeeded by his eldest son, Alexander Matheson, who
married Christian, daughter of Farquhar MacRae of Inverinate.
Their son, designated as of Fernaig, married, firstly, a daughter of Murchisson of Auchetertyre,
by whom he had no issue ; and secondly, Mary, daughter of MacRay Arigugon, by whom he had,
first, John, his heir; second, Kenneth, killed with Wolfe at the battle of Quebec ; third, Alexander ;
fourth, Farquhar Matheson, who obtained the lands of Courthill.
The third son, Alexander, became proprietor of Attadale, and married Catherine, daughter of
Matheson of Balmacan, and had issue.
In 1851 Mr Matheson acquired by purchase his forefathers' ancient patrimony of Lochalsh,
which had been forfeited in 1427 for being concerned in the outrage for which Alister MacRuari was
executed at Inverness, and which Balfour records thus in his Annals :
"1427, Januarij, this zeir, K James goes to Innernesse, to suppresse the rebellione of Ihone
Campbell, John MacKarture, and Alexander Mackrorey, quho had willanously killed Ihone, Lord of
the Isles. These three the King caused hange on ane tall ocke."
In the same year another of the same name suffered in the famous conflict at Drum-na-coup, in
Tongue. It was fought between the MacKays and the Sutherland.-,, and so sharply that, according
to the "Conflicts of the Clans" (written in 1620), "in the end there remained few alive of either
side."
The MacKays obtained a complete, though mournful, victory, for their aged chief was accidently
slain by lomhor MacMhathan (or Matheson).
Matheson's head was struck from his shoulders and placed on a pole, planted on a knoll, called
to this day Cnocan an Ceann, or the " Hillock of the Head."