Plantation and Civility in the North Atlantic World

Aonghas MacCoinnich, Ph. D (2005), is a researcher at the University of Glasgow. He has published a number of articles on aspects of the history, culture and language of the early modern Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

• ContentsAcknowledgements xiList of Illustrations xivList of Maps xvAbbreviations xviConventions xx1 The Conditions for Plantation. The Scottish Context Pre 1598 1Introduction 1Highlands and Lowlands – Cultural and Linguistic Divergence 3From Barbarity to Civility 11Hume et al & Civility 16Winning Hearts and Minds 17Tribalism vs Civility? The Example of the Adventurers 19Personal Qualities 20Civilitie and the Mackenzie Clan 23Fisheries 25Conclusion 272 The Lordship of the Macleods of Lewis 30Introduction 30Macleod’s Family 32The Ewill Trowbles of the Lewis 34The Macleods of Lewis and the Old Order 37Rebellion, 1502–1538 45The Extension of Royal Control and its Consequences 47A Dysfunctional Family? Three Torcaills, 1566 and all that 57The Wars of the ‘Bastards’? The ‘Ewill Trowbles’ of Lewis 65The Macleods of Lewis and the Wider World 71Trained for War? The Irish Dimension 74Forfeiture and Plantation 80Niall Odhar, the Brieves, Forts and Duin 83Duin – Contexts 87Conclusion 903 The Fife Adventurers and the Plantation of Lewis, 1598–1609 91Introduction 91The Lead-up to Plantation: From 1587 to 1598 95‘Natives’ and their Relations with the Planters 106‘Articlis to be Contracted amongst the Societie of the Lewis’ 108Ministers, Religion and the Sabbath 112Building a Civil Town 118Buildings and Fortifications in the Plantation 1241607–1609, Highland Policy & the Third Attempt 132The Planters and the Mackenzies 137The Working Plantation: The Potential for Success 141Victuals, Grain and the Vulnerable Supply Line 145Agricultural Potential 149Relations with the Natives: Divide and Rule? 151The Aftermath for the Planters 164Plantation: Transferrable Skills 170Participation, Identity and Casualty Rates? 171Conclusion 1744 The Mackenzies and Their Plantation of Lewis 176Introduction 176Civility, Plantation, Royal Policy and Clan Mackenzie 176The Acquisition of Lewis 185The Wider Gaelic World and the Broader Hebridean Context 188The Mackenzies and the Settlement of the Northern Hebrides 194The Financial Implications of Plantation 202The Costs of Accommodation with the New Regime 209The Last of the Free 213Fir Innse Gall 214Backs to the Wall – The End of the Macleods of Lewis 218The New Order 224Handling the Land 229Building a Plantation 236The Church 238Winning Hearts and Minds? 244Eirthir nan Iasg – the Mackenzies in Lewis after 1610 248Conclusion 2545 The Mackenzie and the Dutch, 1628–1631 258Introduction 258Highland Contacts and Networks 260Mackenzie Commercial Initiatives & Dutch Contacts 262Scottish Opposition to Seaforth’s Dutch Enclave 279Lord Lorne and Scottish Opposition to Seaforth’s Schemes 283Conclusion 2876 The English in the Isles and the British Fishery Company 290Introduction 290English Antecedence in the Hebrides 291King James and English in the Isles, 1603–1610 294Monson, Mason and their Early Experiences in the Hebrides 298Captain Mason and the Assize Fishing of the North Isles 299Mason’s Career: Piracy, Plantation and Naval Procurement 302Building a Fleet: Timber and Iron 308The Emergence of the English interest and the British Fishery 310Mare Liberum? 310Ideology or Prejudice? Sir William Monson and Civility 312English Mercantile Connections with the Netherlands? 316English Plantation in Stornoway: Maps and Descriptions 321The Earls of Seaforth and the English 327Anglo-Scottish Tension in the Hebrides from 1634 329Conclusion 3347 Conclusion 336Appendices 365A1 A Description of the Lewis Fisheries, c. 1631 (Part 1) 365A2 A Description of the Lewis Fisheries, 1631 (Part 2) 367B1 Some Siol Torcaill Family Relationships, 1572 369C1 The Principal Adventurers in Lewis, 1598–1609 370C2 The Minister’s Account of the Plantation of Lewis, c. 1607 370C3 Contract Signed by the Portioners of Lewis, 1600 381C4 Non-‘Native’ Persons, Stornoway, 1598–1609 386C5 The Known un-Knowns in Lewis, 1598–1609 399C6 Some Financial Transactions of the Forrets of Fingask,1598–1609 401C7 Associates of and Witnesses for the Forrets of Fingask,1598–1609 403C8 Some Financial Transactions of James Spens of Wormiston,1598–1609 405C9 Witnesses and Sureties for James Spens of Wormiston,1598–1609 407C10 Some Debts Owed by the Learmonths of Balcomie,1599–1606 409C11 Some Debts of Robert Lumsden of Airdrie, 1599–1606 410C12 Some Debts Owed by the Anstruther Family, 1598–1609 412C13 Fish and the Economy of ‘Cost Syde’ Towns of Fife, 1569–1599 413D1 Gaelic Poem by Alasdair mac Mhurchaidh, c. 1636 × 1643 415D2 The Merchants and Fishers of Lewis 1632–34 420D3 Table – Fishermen & Merchants in Lewis, 1634 421D4 Some References to Lewis Trade in the Aberdeen Shore WorkAccounts, 1623–37 422D5 Land and People in Lewis, 1610–1718 424D6 Fishermen, Merchants and Visitors to Lewis, 1609–1669 447D7 Merchants, Burgesses & Lewis Contacts, 1620–1642 452D8 The Penny Lands of Lewis, c. 1754 455E1 Commission of Factory, Seaforth to Hamilton, 1628 461E2 Memorandum, for Dutch Negotiations, c.1628–29 462E3 Contract, Seaforth and the Zeeland Merchants, 1629 464E4 Dutch Fishermen in Lewis, 1629 469E5 Conditions for the Hollanders. No Date, 1629 × 1630 470E6 Memorandum anent the Hollanders. No Date, 1629 × 1630 473E7 Mr Bernard Mackenzie & the Lewis Company, 1631 475F1 Englishmen Present in Lewis, 1630–42 480F2 Raising Stock for the Company of Lewis, n.d., c.1629–31 485F3 The Appointment of Captain Mason, n.d., c.1629–31 487F4 The Projected Costs of a Fishing Bus Fleet, n.d., c.1629–31 487F5 Calculations of Profit and Loss, the Fishing Fleet, n.d.,c.1629–31 489F6 ‘Plantation of Fishing on the Islands of Scotland’ n.d.,c.1629–31 489F7 Memorandum Regarding English Strategic Interest in the Fisheries,n.d., c.1629–31 494F8 Description of the Island of Lewis, November 1629 497F9 Anglo-Scottish Tension at Stornoway, 1634–35 500F10 Shareholders in the British Fishery Company, 1635 502G1 Note on Language Choice & Nomenclature 505G2 Glossary of Scots Gaelic and Scots Terms 507G3 Gaelic Personal Names and their English Alias 509Bibliography 511Unpublished Primary Sources 511Published Primary Sources 515Published Secondary Sources 525Unpublished Dissertations 549Works of Reference 549Index 551