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V. DONALD

killed 1370

Donald was murdered in 1370, along with his father, in Dingwall Castle by Nicolas Sutherland, as already described. His known issue was four sons: -

  1. VI Angus, who succeeded his grandfather IV Iye, and of whom an account follows
  2. Huistean Du, who became tutor to Angus Du, son of his elder brother Angus, during his nephew's minority
  3. Martin, of whom nothing is known save that he settled in Galloway, according to Sir Robert Gordon
  4. Neil, who seems to have settled in Creich, for his three sons, Thomas, Morgan, and Neil had lands there, and in the neighbourhood.
    1. Thomas Neilson held the lands of Creich, etc., of his cousin VII Angus Du, and was executed at Inverness, probably in 1426, for the slaughter of Mowat of Bucholly.
    2. Morgan Neilson married a daughter of Angus Moray of Cubin and seems to have settled in Brae-Chat.
    3. Neil Neilson also married a daughter of the said Angus Moray, and obtained from King James I in 1430 a charter of the lands of Creich, Gairloch, etc., escheated from his deceased brother, Thomas [Origines Parochiales Scotia, Vol II, part ii, page 636].
      The sons of Neil Neilson were: -
      1. John Bain who settled in Caithness and became the progenitor of the Bains in that county
      2. Angus progenitor of Siol-Angus [Earldom of Sutherland page 65]
      3. Paul who became progenitor of the Polsons and some MacPhails [Earldom of Sutherland page 203]
In connection with the signature of a Hugh Polson to a grant of the lands of Thorboll dated 1472, it is suggested in the Orig. Par. Scot., Vol II, part ii, page 686, that the Polsons were descended of a Paul Mactyre who flourished in Creich about a hundred years before that [Cromartie Book Vol II No. 538]. This suggestion has been accepted by many, but we dispute it. The surname Mactyre continued in use by the family in 1472 and after it. A William McTeyr protested that he was not bound to give attendance at the head courts for the lands of Achnaplad, on 27th Feb 1483. Achnaplad we take to be Plads near Dornoch. Marsella McTyre had sasine of the lands of Inverathy, as heir to her father, William Maktyre, on 6th Jul 1489 [Cromartie Book Vol II No. 541].

Not only do we maintain that the Polsons are descended of MacKay, but we also maintain that a section at least of the MacPhails sprang from the same root. A cursory examination of the list of tenants on the Reay estates about 1678, printed in our Appendix No 63, will show what a number of MacPhauls there were among them.

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