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Finegand Cont.


(I) ROBERT. The head of the family at this period was presumably the " Robert McColme of the Tom in Glensche " who in 1595 concurred with Duncan McRyche of Dalmunzie and some of the Farquharsons in the band of manrent to the Mackintosh chief which has already been noticed (p. 8 ante). Robert is three times mentioned in the Privy Council Register; on 8 Aug. 1594 Robert McComie in Glenshee is denounced rebel for non appearance on a charge of having with his neighbour of Dalmunzie seized the lands of Spital situated between the Tom and Dalmunzie; on 10 June 1597 Robert McComeis of Thome in Glenshee is one of several who obtain law burrows against Duncan Robertson in Duncavane; and on 11 Oct. following, as Robert McComie in Thome, he is sentenced to committal to the castle of Blackness, with several of his neighbours including Dalmunzie, Ashintully, Brouchdearg, Straloch, and a certain Donald McEan Molick vcComie in Wery (perhaps a relative) for contumacy in an action relative to the teind sheaves of Strathardle and Glenshee. P.C. Beg. v. 162, 416, 683). According to Records of Invercauld (p. 218) he and his wife obtained a wadset for $300 of the lands of Tliom from David Wemyss of Wemyss on 31 Jan. 1550 [? 1590], and by charter of 27 Nov. 1599 (sas. 25 Dec.) his holding was converted into feu by John Wemyss.

In the wadset he is Robert " Malcolm " the descendants of a Thomas Mackenzie, illegitimate son of Kenneth Og Mackenzie (son of Kenneth of Kintail by, Margaret, sister of Donald of the Isles), who in 1502 was killed after making his escape from Edinburgh Castle with his cousin Ferquhard Mackintosh, chief of his clan. Macfarlane's Geneal. Collect. i. 61, 203 ; Gregory's Highlands and Islands, 91-3 ; Mackintoshes and C. Chattan, 93.

The Mackenzie Genealogy of 1669 by " A Person of Quality " (Macfarlane's Collections) states simply that " of a natural son of this Kenneth Oig are descended the Mackenzies in the Brae of Mar," but an " Ancient MS. " quoted in a note on p. 81 of Alex. Maekenzie's History of the Mackenzies [Inverness 1875] is more precise, and speaks of Kenneth's son as "Thomas . . . of whom descended the Mackenzies in Brae Mar called Slighk Homash vic Choinnich " ; while in the text on the same page the author says that Kenneth's son was " by the daughter of a gentleman in Cromar," and that from him "are descended the Sliochd Thomais in Crornar and Genshiel, Braemar (sic) the principal families of which are those of Dalmore and Renoway." Unfortunately Mr. Mackenzie does not give his authority for these particulars, and no doubt his want of local knowledge led to his topographlical blunders in the last quotation. Representatives of Mackenzie families with the alias McComas belonging to Glenshee, Dalmore, and Glengairn appear together in a sasine entry of 15 July 1637 relating to Thome (Tom) in Glenshee. (i.e. McColm), and in the feu charter Robert "McIntosh."' He died soon afterwards, * as in October 1603 his widow is described as wife of Alexander Farquharson in some proceedings before the Privy Council connected with a controversy between the Mackintoshes of Cams and Thom on the one side and the Spaldings of Ashintillie on the other, each party finding caution to keep the peace to the other. Caution in 500 merks each for " Barbara Rattray, relict of Robert McComie of Thome, and Alexander Farquharson now her spouse " is found by Alexander Rattray fiar of Dalrulzion presumably .Barbara's brother. P.C. Beg. vi. 805. Alexander Farquharson, who as cautioner for the Mackintoshes of Cams is styled of Thome," was a grandson of Finla Mor Farquharson and first of the Allanaquoich family; his marriage to Barbara Rattray is recorded in the Brouchdearg MS. " Alexander of Allanquoich, Donald MacFheanly's third son, married for his first wife Barbara Rattray daughter to Dalrilzian, widow of Tom." The only issue of the marriage of Robert Mackintosh seems to have been a daughter, Elspet, who became the first wife of John Farquharson 1st of Tullycairn, ! a younger brother of her stepfather. She was infeft in Thome as heir to her father on 8 Aug. 1616, and on the same date, with her husband's consent, she transferred the feu to her stepfather. Rec. Inverc. p. 218.

(II) JOHN. On Robert's death the chieftainship of the sept seems to have passed to the family which had settled at Finegand, on the Shee a few miles below the Tom, perhaps some forty years before. The head of this family, probably a brother of Robert of Tom was John McComy Woir in 1568-71, when as has been mentioned charter rights were obtained by him and his wife and son to the "four merk lands of Finegand " and the shealings of Garmell and Cronaherrich.
Among the witnesses to the charter of 9 Sept. 1571 are John Rattray of Dalrulzion (father of John McComy's wife) an 11 Robert Makryche [Mackintosh] in Glenshee." On 15 Jun 1569 " John McComie elder and younger " are parties to a agreement relative to the march between the Finegand an Dalrulzion. shealings in Glenbeg.

This agreement is mentioned in a " Tolerance " of 18 May 1637 among the Dalrulzion Writs, and is of interest as showing the distance to which the Rattrays of Dalrulzion had to go for their summer shealing, practically the whole length of Glenshee. Mr. McCombie Smith (pp. 18, 199) gives some particular of an Instrument of Tolerance for pasturing on the lands of Torridon or Corrydon, adjoining Finegand on the west, which was executed by Alexander Maxwell of Teilling, with consent of his son and apparent heir, at Finegand 11 Nov. 1577 in presence of George Drummond of Blair, John Rattray of Dalrulzion, George Maxwell, son of Teilling, John Farquharson in Craignestie, and Donald Farquharson in Castleton (of Braemar). In this, according to Mr. Smith, the grantee is called Makcomas instead of McComie (see note on p. 41 It gives " tollerance, licence, and previlege to the said Johnne Makcomas and his airis linialy to descend of his body to pasture their guddis, wyne and leid away fewall furth of ony pairt of the bordis of the saidis landis of Torrydon under wrytten in the marches and meithis efter specifiet," on a count of " the gude will service and thankfulness done to [the granters] by Johnne Makcomas fewar of Fynekand an his bairnes." From the last word it may perhaps be assume that John McComie younger was not the only son of his father.