Finegand 8

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Finegand 8

As already mentioned, John's wife is stated by the family historian to have been Elizabeth Campbell, of a family at Easter Denhead which had struck out from the Argyll family a few generations before. The statement is to some extent borne out by the initials I.M. and E.C., with the date 1660, on a stone which was taken from the old house of Crandart erected by John and is built into the present farm steading.

The family of John McIntosh and Elizabeth appears to have consisted of seven sons and at least one daughter, who is mentioned in the Justiciary Court proceedings. The sons were John, Alexander, James, Robert, Thomas, Angus, and Donald. (1) John, killed in the feud with the Farquharsons, as " son and apparent heir to John M. of Forter " acts as attorney for Jean Guthrie (Kinblethmont), wife of James Farquharson in Pitlochrie (of the Craigniety family) in taking sasine in part of Glenmarkie in November 1655. Forfar Sas. v. 17. He joins with his father in giving a bond for $1000 at Edinburgh 19 Ap. 1660. Reg. Deeds (Mack.) vol. 3. Apparently he was not married.

(2) Alexander is described as " second lawful son" in the sasine of I Nov. 1655. already quoted, in portions Innerquharitie to himself in fee and his father in liferent. Previously to this, in 1651 as already mentioned, he had obtained the-fee, also subject to his father's liferent, of Wester Deltiacabock (now called Doldy), some distance below Inverarity on the left bank of the Isla; but apparently this was not retained as Colin Campbell of Lindie, the superior, grants new feu charter to Robert Farquharson of Brouchdearg on 13 Oct. 1664, in which mention is made of its having already been held by Robert's father. Reg Deeds vol. 615; Forfar Sas. 3 May 1670. Alexander is also described as "second lawful son" in a deed dated at Alyth 30 May 1676 by which his brother Thomas "corroborates" certain bonds, including on of 1664 to which Alexander had been cautioner.

It is not clear why Alexander, as second son, did not succeed to Forter on his father's death, but perhaps he was considered to be adequately provided for by the Inverarity feu. In the bond given by him and his elder brother on 2 Jan. 1669 to Brouchdearg, for their father's release he is described as, in Aughaven," or Achavan, in Glenisla, about a mile to the north Crandart; and afterwards he seems to have had an interest in Kirkhillocks, which continued after his death to his son Alexander until 1695, when the land were adjudged from the young Alexander and his uncle Thomas.

Besides this son Alexander the younger, of whom nothing is known, Alexander the senior had a daughter, Elizabeth, who married Duncan Mackintosh, a brother of Brigadier William Mackintosh of Borlum of the " Fifteen " and himself a captain in the Rising. She died in October 1728, and her testament was confirmed at Inverness 17 June 1730.

The late Charles Fraser Mackintosh a descendant of the Brigadier states in his Minor Septs of Clan Chattan (p. 176) that Elizabeth came to her husband's home accompanied by some of her name from the south who settled chiefly on the high ground near Borlum, and whose descendants, though officially Mackintoshes were known among themselves and their neighbours as McOmies or the "Sons of Thomas".

See also the Wm Mackintosh of Borlum page of this site.

Alexander died in October 1687, and his testament was confirmed at Brechin on the 16th of February following. In the confirmation his sister-in-law, Isobel Ogilvy, is mentioned.

Is this the Alexander who brought forth the McIntosh line of Dunkled and Moulin Parish? Mackintosh of Dunkeld

(3) James, who succeeded to Forter, and of whom here-after.

(4) Robert, killed in the affray with the Farquharsons near Forfar in 1673, was a portioner of Cambok, near Auchenlish on the right bank of the Isla, and is described as such in his sasine in 1665 in the four acres of E. Denhead above mentioned. The family historian says that he " had doubtless inherited this land from his mother's family," but it was really a wadset for 1000 merks, transferred to him under an obligation by David Ogilvy of Newton dated 1 June 1665, and ultimately redeemed from his brother Thomas on 16 Feb. 1677. Perth Sas. 2nd S. iii. 60; vii. 64. He had also a heritable right to the lands of Kirkhillocks, which adjoin those of Cambok and which, as will be remembered, were violated by a force of the Farquharsons in May 1669. Robert also died without issue.

(5) Thomas, who succeeded his brother James in Forter, and of whom hereafter.

(6) Angus usually appears as " Mr. Angus,". the prefix pointing to his having taken a University degree. This was in all probability at St. Andrews, where among the students incorporated into St. Leonard's College on 25 February 1663 occurs the name "Angusianus Mcintoshe"; but no record of his graduation, assuming that it took place, is found. He was included with his father in the indictment by the Farquharsons on 9 June 1673 as having been of the party who went to Tombea, on 2 Jan. 1669 * and as art and part in some of the subsequent proceedings, but the charges were not insisted on. He is found several times from 1668 as a witness to bonds and deeds by his brothers, and was a consenter to the alienation of the Forter lands by his brother in 1681, but no indication appears as to his profession or residence, nor is any definite information forthcoming as to his career.

Mr. McCombie Smith, in his Families of McCombie and Thoms (pp. 96, 167 ) says that " after leaving Crandart he settled at Collairnie in the parish of Dunbog, Fifeshire," under the name of McThomas, and that from him descended the family of Thoms of Aberlemno, Forfarshire, the name " McThomas " being in the time of his son Robert shortened to " Thomas," and again in a later generation to " Thoms." *

Mr. McCombie Smith incorrectly speaks of Angus as " of Forter " and as having restored that property to the Airlie family. He was certainly not the holder of the property, and was merely a consenter to its renunciation by his brother Thomas, as will be seen later.

{7) Donald. The only authority for Donald's inclusion among the sons of John Mackintosh appears to be the family tradition of the Aberdeenshire McCombies, as set forth in Mr. McCombie Smith's book. This tradition makes John's youngest son migrate from Glenisla as a young man, and identifies him with a Donald Mackomie or McKomy who is found in the Aberdeenshire Poll Book of 1696 (i. 420-2) settled as a tenant at Edindurno in the parish of Tough, married to Jane Shires and following the trade of a smith, and who was undoubtedly the ancestor of the well-know Aberdeenshire family of McCombie.

There is nothing inherenty improbable in such a migration and identification; indeed the former would be only in accord with a common practice in Highland families at that period, and would be specially likely to occur in the case of the Forter family in its embarrassed condition after tile Restoration. It may, however, be regarded as strange, or even as militating against the traditionary story, that if Donald was a son of that family he is not mentioned either in connection with the Farquharson feud in 1669-74 or as joining with his brothers Alexander and Angus in giving consent to the sale of the Forter feu. in 1681 (see p. 73) ; but the absence of his name in these connections seems scarcely so important as might at first sight appear. It may perhaps be explained in the one case by Donald's youth at the time, and in the other by his being cut off from his family by distance or otherwise: in the latter case, indeed, the concurrence of Alexander and Angus in the sale was not necessarily due to or connected with their relationship to the seller, who in ordinary circumstances could have dispensed with any consent whatever; it was probably required by the purchaser in consequence of some outstanding money question between the two and their elder brother, and in order to have some safeguard against possible future claims by them.

On the other hand, it must be observed in favour of the tradition that the name of Donald is one which might be expected among the sons of Elizabeth Campbell, in whose family that name had been prominent for some generations, while it is worthy of note that the immediate descendants of Donald McKomy of the Poll Book bore names which bad been prominent among the Mackintoshes in Glenisla, his son being Robert, and four of his seven grandsons being respectively Alexander, Robert, John, and Thomas. Further, there seems no doubt that Donald McKomy's descendants had traditions of their connection with the Farquharson feud and with Glenisla as far back as the middle of the 18th century, long before the recorded history of the feud became accessible and at a period when oral tradition was still crisp and pure.

On the whole, therefore, no reason appears for questioning the accuracy or the authenticity of the. tradition, or for doubting that the McCombies are, as they claim to be, the direct descendants and representatives of the Mackintoshes once of Finegand and Forter. Donald appears to have dropped the name of Mackintosh in favour of the alternative family name, which in a few generations assumed its present form of McCombie. According to the family historian this form dates from about the end of the 18th century, but it should pointed out that in the report of the Justiciary trials in 1670-4 the name is usually McCombie, as at present.

Donald died at Mains of Tonley, of which he was tenant, on the 9th of June 1714, and his gravestone may still be seen in the churchyard of Tough, one the oldest there. The history of his descendants full of interest, but it has already been given to public, and to pursue it here would be beyond the scope of this book and its title. Suffice it to say that those descendants have left their mark on the history of their age and country in various walks of life, more particularly in agriculture, and by their integrity, genius, and perseverance have made the name of McCombie one of the most respected and honoured of Scottish surnames.

(VI.) JAMES, third son of John, who succeeded his father in Forter, was on 12 Jan. 1676 served heir male of tail an provision to " Robert Mackintosh, portioner of Cambok, his immediate younger brother" (Rctours), and on 24 March, on precept of 26 Feb. by Mr. John Campbell of Easter Denhead he took sasinc in four arable acres of Easter Denhead, with pertinents, of which Robert had held a wadset. It will be remembered that he and his brother Alexander had been declared fugitives in June 1673, but that on standing their trial a year afterwards they were pronounced " clean " from the crimes charged against them. James appears to have had very short tenure of the Glenisla lands, being mentioned a " deceased " in a bond of 30 May 1676 by his brother Thomas to be afterwards noticed. He left no issue

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	Clan of the Cat \| home Finegand Cont. \| Finegand 3 \| Finegand 4 \| Finegand 5 \| Finegand 6 \| Finegand 7 \| Finegand 8 \| Finegand 9 Site Index Finegand 8 As already mentioned, John's wife is stated by the family historian to have been Elizabeth Campbell, of a family at Easter Denhead which had struck out from the Argyll family a few generations before. The statement is to some extent borne out by the initials I.M. and E.C., with the date 1660, on a stone which was taken from the old house of Crandart erected by John and is built into the present farm steading. The family of John McIntosh and Elizabeth appears to have consisted of seven sons and at least one daughter, who is mentioned in the Justiciary Court proceedings. The sons were John, Alexander, James, Robert, Thomas, Angus, and Donald. (1) John, killed in the feud with the Farquharsons, as " son and apparent heir to John M. of Forter " acts as attorney for Jean Guthrie (Kinblethmont), wife of James Farquharson in Pitlochrie (of the Craigniety family) in taking sasine in part of Glenmarkie in November 1655. Forfar Sas. v. 17. He joins with his father in giving a bond for $1000 at Edinburgh 19 Ap. 1660. Reg. Deeds (Mack.) vol. 3. Apparently he was not married. (2) Alexander is described as " second lawful son" in the sasine of I Nov. 1655. already quoted, in portions Innerquharitie to himself in fee and his father in liferent. Previously to this, in 1651 as already mentioned, he had obtained the-fee, also subject to his father's liferent, of Wester Deltiacabock (now called Doldy), some distance below Inverarity on the left bank of the Isla; but apparently this was not retained as Colin Campbell of Lindie, the superior, grants new feu charter to Robert Farquharson of Brouchdearg on 13 Oct. 1664, in which mention is made of its having already been held by Robert's father. Reg Deeds vol. 615; Forfar Sas. 3 May 1670. Alexander is also described as "second lawful son" in a deed dated at Alyth 30 May 1676 by which his brother Thomas "corroborates" certain bonds, including on of 1664 to which Alexander had been cautioner. It is not clear why Alexander, as second son, did not succeed to Forter on his father's death, but perhaps he was considered to be adequately provided for by the Inverarity feu. In the bond given by him and his elder brother on 2 Jan. 1669 to Brouchdearg, for their father's release he is described as, in Aughaven," or Achavan, in Glenisla, about a mile to the north Crandart; and afterwards he seems to have had an interest in Kirkhillocks, which continued after his death to his son Alexander until 1695, when the land were adjudged from the young Alexander and his uncle Thomas. Besides this son Alexander the younger, of whom nothing is known, Alexander the senior had a daughter, Elizabeth, who married Duncan Mackintosh, a brother of Brigadier William Mackintosh of Borlum of the " Fifteen " and himself a captain in the Rising. She died in October 1728, and her testament was confirmed at Inverness 17 June 1730. The late Charles Fraser Mackintosh a descendant of the Brigadier states in his Minor Septs of Clan Chattan (p. 176) that Elizabeth came to her husband's home accompanied by some of her name from the south who settled chiefly on the high ground near Borlum, and whose descendants, though officially Mackintoshes were known among themselves and their neighbours as McOmies or the "Sons of Thomas". See also the Wm Mackintosh of Borlum page of this site. Alexander died in October 1687, and his testament was confirmed at Brechin on the 16th of February following. In the confirmation his sister-in-law, Isobel Ogilvy, is mentioned. Is this the Alexander who brought forth the McIntosh line of Dunkled and Moulin Parish? Mackintosh of Dunkeld (3) James, who succeeded to Forter, and of whom here-after. (4) Robert, killed in the affray with the Farquharsons near Forfar in 1673, was a portioner of Cambok, near Auchenlish on the right bank of the Isla, and is described as such in his sasine in 1665 in the four acres of E. Denhead above mentioned. The family historian says that he " had doubtless inherited this land from his mother's family," but it was really a wadset for 1000 merks, transferred to him under an obligation by David Ogilvy of Newton dated 1 June 1665, and ultimately redeemed from his brother Thomas on 16 Feb. 1677. Perth Sas. 2nd S. iii. 60; vii. 64. He had also a heritable right to the lands of Kirkhillocks, which adjoin those of Cambok and which, as will be remembered, were violated by a force of the Farquharsons in May 1669. Robert also died without issue. (5) Thomas, who succeeded his brother James in Forter, and of whom hereafter. (6) Angus usually appears as " Mr. Angus,". the prefix pointing to his having taken a University degree. This was in all probability at St. Andrews, where among the students incorporated into St. Leonard's College on 25 February 1663 occurs the name "Angusianus Mcintoshe"; but no record of his graduation, assuming that it took place, is found. He was included with his father in the indictment by the Farquharsons on 9 June 1673 as having been of the party who went to Tombea, on 2 Jan. 1669 * and as art and part in some of the subsequent proceedings, but the charges were not insisted on. He is found several times from 1668 as a witness to bonds and deeds by his brothers, and was a consenter to the alienation of the Forter lands by his brother in 1681, but no indication appears as to his profession or residence, nor is any definite information forthcoming as to his career. Mr. McCombie Smith, in his Families of McCombie and Thoms (pp. 96, 167 ) says that " after leaving Crandart he settled at Collairnie in the parish of Dunbog, Fifeshire," under the name of McThomas, and that from him descended the family of Thoms of Aberlemno, Forfarshire, the name " McThomas " being in the time of his son Robert shortened to " Thomas," and again in a later generation to " Thoms." * Mr. McCombie Smith incorrectly speaks of Angus as " of Forter " and as having restored that property to the Airlie family. He was certainly not the holder of the property, and was merely a consenter to its renunciation by his brother Thomas, as will be seen later. {7) Donald. The only authority for Donald's inclusion among the sons of John Mackintosh appears to be the family tradition of the Aberdeenshire McCombies, as set forth in Mr. McCombie Smith's book. This tradition makes John's youngest son migrate from Glenisla as a young man, and identifies him with a Donald Mackomie or McKomy who is found in the Aberdeenshire Poll Book of 1696 (i. 420-2) settled as a tenant at Edindurno in the parish of Tough, married to Jane Shires and following the trade of a smith, and who was undoubtedly the ancestor of the well-know Aberdeenshire family of McCombie. There is nothing inherenty improbable in such a migration and identification; indeed the former would be only in accord with a common practice in Highland families at that period, and would be specially likely to occur in the case of the Forter family in its embarrassed condition after tile Restoration. It may, however, be regarded as strange, or even as militating against the traditionary story, that if Donald was a son of that family he is not mentioned either in connection with the Farquharson feud in 1669-74 or as joining with his brothers Alexander and Angus in giving consent to the sale of the Forter feu. in 1681 (see p. 73) ; but the absence of his name in these connections seems scarcely so important as might at first sight appear. It may perhaps be explained in the one case by Donald's youth at the time, and in the other by his being cut off from his family by distance or otherwise: in the latter case, indeed, the concurrence of Alexander and Angus in the sale was not necessarily due to or connected with their relationship to the seller, who in ordinary circumstances could have dispensed with any consent whatever; it was probably required by the purchaser in consequence of some outstanding money question between the two and their elder brother, and in order to have some safeguard against possible future claims by them. On the other hand, it must be observed in favour of the tradition that the name of Donald is one which might be expected among the sons of Elizabeth Campbell, in whose family that name had been prominent for some generations, while it is worthy of note that the immediate descendants of Donald McKomy of the Poll Book bore names which bad been prominent among the Mackintoshes in Glenisla, his son being Robert, and four of his seven grandsons being respectively Alexander, Robert, John, and Thomas. Further, there seems no doubt that Donald McKomy's descendants had traditions of their connection with the Farquharson feud and with Glenisla as far back as the middle of the 18th century, long before the recorded history of the feud became accessible and at a period when oral tradition was still crisp and pure. On the whole, therefore, no reason appears for questioning the accuracy or the authenticity of the. tradition, or for doubting that the McCombies are, as they claim to be, the direct descendants and representatives of the Mackintoshes once of Finegand and Forter. Donald appears to have dropped the name of Mackintosh in favour of the alternative family name, which in a few generations assumed its present form of McCombie. According to the family historian this form dates from about the end of the 18th century, but it should pointed out that in the report of the Justiciary trials in 1670-4 the name is usually McCombie, as at present. Donald died at Mains of Tonley, of which he was tenant, on the 9th of June 1714, and his gravestone may still be seen in the churchyard of Tough, one the oldest there. The history of his descendants full of interest, but it has already been given to public, and to pursue it here would be beyond the scope of this book and its title. Suffice it to say that those descendants have left their mark on the history of their age and country in various walks of life, more particularly in agriculture, and by their integrity, genius, and perseverance have made the name of McCombie one of the most respected and honoured of Scottish surnames. (VI.) JAMES, third son of John, who succeeded his father in Forter, was on 12 Jan. 1676 served heir male of tail an provision to " Robert Mackintosh, portioner of Cambok, his immediate younger brother" (Rctours), and on 24 March, on precept of 26 Feb. by Mr. John Campbell of Easter Denhead he took sasinc in four arable acres of Easter Denhead, with pertinents, of which Robert had held a wadset. It will be remembered that he and his brother Alexander had been declared fugitives in June 1673, but that on standing their trial a year afterwards they were pronounced " clean " from the crimes charged against them. James appears to have had very short tenure of the Glenisla lands, being mentioned a " deceased " in a bond of 30 May 1676 by his brother Thomas to be afterwards noticed. He left no issue On to : Finegand 9