THE STRATHY MACKAYS

See Pedigree Table F

I. John Mackay, son of XIII Huistean Du of Strathnaver by his wife, Lady Jane Gordon, was the first of this branch. He had a disposition from his brother, the 1st Lord Reay, of the lands of Braegall in Caithness, viz., Dilred, Cattack, Dalniore, Knockdhu, Dalnachrach, Dalreith, etc., 23rd Sep 1626, which was duly confirmed by charter afterwards (Blk. MS.). The said Lord Reay also granted to the said John Mackay of Dilred in life-rent, and to Hugh Mackay his eldest son in fee and heritage, the lands of Strathy, Armadale, Portskerray, and Glen of Kinloch-Strathy with fishings of the river, 2nd May 1631.
He married in 1618 Agnes, daughter of Sir James Sinclair of Murkle, and died in 1645 leaving the following five children: -

1. Hugh
2. John of Skerray
3. James of Kirtomy
4. Elizabeth, married (contract 20th Feb 1640) Patrick Sinclair, eldest son of John Sinclair of Brims, and had issue;
5. Jane, married William Mackay III of Bighouse

III. John Mackay, married Elizabeth, daughter of John Sinclair of Brims, Caithness, issue the following four sons all mentioned in a heritable bond by the 2nd Lord Reay, on which he had sasine reg. 1st Jul 1702: -

1. Hugh
2. George, married (contract 20th Sep 1710) Barbara, daughter of William Sinclair of Thrumster, with issue Hugh of Dalangdale who died without issue.
3. John, became major of Benticks' Foot, 24th Dec 1755 (Scots Magazine).
4. William, witnessed a sasine of Strathy reg. 30th Aug 1717.
   In the House of Mackay he is said to have married a daughter of John Mackay of Kirtomy, who bore him a son Hugh, who had a son John - the latter a solicitor in Inverness, 1829.

1. John who succeeded
2. George
3. Patrick
4. James
5. Hugh

V. John Mackay, married Janet (who died at Strathy, 19th May 1775), daughter of William Sinclair of Scotscalder, issue four children. In 1779 he disponed the estate of Strathy to his grandson William Honeyman, and died at Geise, near Thurso, 29th Sep 1783 (Blk. MS.).
His children were: -

1. Hugh, had sasine of Armadale, 28th Sep 1752, and died soon after (Blk. MS.).
2. Captain John, of the Earl of Sutherland's Highlanders, 1760, died at Strathy, 6th Sep 1772 (Scots Magazine).
3. Margaret, married Patrick Honeyman of Graemsay, Orkney, issue: -
   1. Janet
   2. Barbara
   3. William Honeyman, appointed one of the senators of the College of Justice, 5th Jan 1797, was created a baronet 12th May, 1804 (Blk. MS.).
      Sir William Honeyman sold the estate of Strathy to the Marquis of Stafford, 23rd Feb 1813, for £25,000.
4. Barbara, married Major John Scobie of the Reay Fencibles (son of the Rev. William Scobie, Assynt), tacksman of Melness, and died at Keoldale, 1818, issue four children: -
   1. Captain Mackay John Scobie of the H.E.I.C., married Bessie, daughter of Major Donald Mackay of Eriboll, with issue
   2. Captain Kenneth Scobie of the Royal Marines
   3. Janet Scobie, married Lieut. John Mackenzie, Badnahay, with issue: - Lieut. Robert Mackenzie, Borgie; and Louisa (See Excursus below)
   4. Jane Scobie, married Captain Angus Mackay, Rogart, issue: - John S. Mackay, died in Jamaica; and Barbara, married Robert Leith, Culgower.

1. John, died without issue before 1679
2. Hector
3. Donald, a notary public in Skerray, Strathan-Tongue, and afterwards in Ribigill, had a wadset of Kinnisid in 1702, and married Margaret Munro, with known issue two sons: -
   1. Hugh, elder son, who inherited the wadset of Kinnisid (Reay Papers)
   2. John, merchant in Inverness, married 5th Dec 1717, Jean, daughter of John Barbour of Aldowry, issue nine children - one of whom was Donald Mackay, born 1730, tacksman of Dorrery, Halkirk, married Barbara Macpherson with issue: -
      1. Robert in Brawlbin, born 1764, and died 1810, married first, Elspat Macdonald, issue three daughters., viz.,
         1. Katherine, married Alexander Brims, solicitor, Thurso
         2. Barbara (Mrs. Alexander Jack, Thurso)
         3. Elspat
         He married secondly, Isabel Gunn, with issue: -
         4. Anne, died unmarried
         5. John, died young
         6. Donald, married Christina Falconer (whose children Robert; William; David; John; Isabella; Christina; Katherine; and Barbara all emigrated to New Zealand)
         7. Robert, died unmarried
         8. David, merchant, Thurso, who died in 1876, married Christiana Brims, and left issue: -
            1. Alexander, solicitor and banker, Thurso
            2. Robert, died without issue
            3. David, in San Francisco
            4. Katherine (Mrs. Donald Swanson, South Africa)
            5. Isabel
            6. Christina
            7. Anne
            8. Jane
      2. Donald, born 1765, died in America
      3. Roderick, in Watten, born 1770, married Margaret Mackay with issue
         1. Donald
         2. Robert, whose only daughter Margaret is now (1905) married to the Rev. Donald Brims, U.F., Keiss
         3. David
         4. Barbara
         5. Elspat
4. Hugh of Cairnloch

1. Donald
2. John of Clashneach, factor for the 3rd Lord Reay, and a large dealer. He married Catherine, daughter of William Mackay of Strathan-Melness, and had known issue four children: -
   1. Colonel Hugh, planter in Jamaica, afterwards tacksman of Balnakiel, married first, Francis de la Rue, issue: - Isabella, married Hugh, son of Robert Mackay, tutor of Farr. Colonel Hugh married secondly, Janet Sutherland, issue a large family, but the only one who left issue was Caroline, who married Captain John Mackay VIc. of Borgie, and afterwards of Skerray.
   2. John, witnessed a sasine of Rennivie, 30th Aug 1757
   3. Isobel, married John, son of Kenneth Sutherland of Keoldale, issue: - Harriot.
   4. Mary, married Donald Mackay, Clashneach, with issue
3. Angus, "third lawful son", tacksman of Kinloch
4. George
5. Barbara, married John Munro, Skinit
6. Ann, married Angus Mackay of Rennivie

IIIb. Hugh Mackay of Cairnloch, as "Hugh Mackay lawful son of John Mackay of Skerray", witnessed a deed by Hector his brother, 22nd Feb 1686.
He is said to have married first, Christina, daughter of Robert Aberach Mackay, and secondly, Margaret, daughter of Patrick Sinclair of Ulbster.
[The Blk. MS. is our authority for the descent from Hugh down to circa 1840]

He removed to Caithness, and had issue as follows: -

1. John, married Mrs. Janet Ross, and had an only daughter: - Elizabeth, married Captain John Sutherland of the Caithness Horse, and died at Dunbeath in 1822.
2. James, died unmarried at Dun, Watten, 1754
3. Robert
4. Francis, in Bruan, married Catherine, daughter of James Calder of Lynegar, Watten, with issue: -
   1. Francis, married May, daughter of the Rev. David Dunbar, Olrig, no issue
   2. Robert, whose son Robert was married in Bristol, 1806
   3. Anne, married William Heron, merchant, Glasgow

1. John
2. Janet, married David Geddes, Occumster, no issue

1. Robert, died unmarried, 1792
2. John, in Edinburgh, married Jane Dunlop, and died in 1840 leaving issue:
   1. Dr. John, died unmarried, 1854
   2. Lieut. Walter of the H.E.I.C, died 1827
   3. Robert, died 1884
   4. James, married Elizabeth Lewis, but died without issue
   5. Janet, married Thomas Plews, chemist, York, and died in 1838 leaving four sons
   6. Agnes, married Francis Stainsford, merchant, Newcastle, with issue
   7. Jane, married William Forester, a medical officer of the H.E.I.C, Madras
3. Francis
4. James, died unmarried in 1837
5. Alexander of Blackcastle, F.S.A.S., purchased Blackcastle, near Edinburgh, 1823, married in 1799 Isabella, daughter of William Curor, Ettrickbank, and by her had an only son, of whom follows: -
   John Alexander Mackay, married in 1833 Penelope, daughter of John Macmillan Macneil of Carskey, Argyle, and left issue: -
   1. Colonel Forbes Mackay of Carskey, married in 1865 Margaret Isabella, daughter of Prof. Cosmo Innes, with issue (Ian; Cosmo; Malcolm; Hugh Rose; Ian; Alister; and Frank);
   2. Jane Martha, married Douglas John, son of the Rev. Douglas Macdonald, Sanda, with issue;
   3. Penelope Ann, married Rev. Colin Campbell, D.D., Dundee, no issue.
6. Ann, married in 1785 Alexander Sutherland, merchant, Edinburgh, and had issue a son John.
7. Janet, married in 1794 James Macgregor of Fonab, Perthshire, head of the family of Roro, no issue.

1. Francis, died young
2. John
3. James, wholesale chemist, died at Edinburgh unmarried, 1890
4. Robert, in the civil employment of the H.E.I.C., died unmarried, 1846
5. Elizabeth died unmarried
6. Jane died unmarried

1. John
2. James of Borgiemore, had a wadset of Borgiemore of which he took sasine, 15th Sep 1705.
   He married Elizabeth, daughter of Rev. D. Munro, Reay, and had issue: -
   Margaret, heiress of Borgie, who married her cousin, Ensign James Mackay, younger of Kirtomy, as will appear.
3. Madeline, married John Fearn, Balchladich

1. James, Ensign of Cunningham's regiment, married his cousin, Margaret Mackay of Borgie, 8th Dec 1724, and died without issue soon after.
2. John
3. George, a writer in Thurso, had a son William, whose son Robert rose to the rank of lieut.-general in the H.E.I.C. The said general retired from the army in 1823, and died at Honfleur, France, 10th Sep 1833, leaving a widow and family (Ben Reay Notes)
4. Catherine, married Rev. John Mackay, Lairg
5. Mary, first wife of Alexander Gunn of Badinloch and Wester Helmsdale, chieftain of Gunn. They had a daughter Mary, who married Major Hugh Mackay of Rearchar, Dornoch (See Sandwood Mackays).
6. Elizabeth, married Rev. Alexander Sutherland, Halkirk, and had issue
7. Jane, married at Badinloch, 18th Mar 1731, Rev. William Scobie, Assynt, issue: -
   1. Kenneth Scobie, Achimore
   2. Rev. William Scobie, Wick
   3. Major John Scobie, Melness, of the Reay Fencibles
8. Janet, married Robert Mackay, tutor of Farr, with issue (See Sandwood Mackays),