applecrosschronology

671 Maelrubha left Ireland and went to Alba  (according to the ‘Four Masters’ an Irish

chronicle)

672 The Hebrides were ‘devastated’ possibly by followers of new Pictish king (Annals of

Ulster)

673  Maelrubha founded the church of Aporcrossan [Applecross]  (Tighernach chronicle)

722  Tuesday 21 April Maelrubha died at Aporcrossan aged 80 years 3 months 19 days

(Tighernach) (Annals of Ulster say 721)

737 Failbe Mac Guaire, successor to Maelrubha, drowned in the deep sea with the crew

               his ship numbering 22 (Tighernach) (736 according to A of Ulster; 732 Four Masters)

?c800  ?Applecross attacked by Vikings who later sank and drowned in a tranquil sea

    (according to Breviary of Aberdeen)

801  Mac Oigi of Aporcrossan, Abbot of Bangor died.

?9th century ?Irish O’Beolan family, related to Maelrubha, became ‘herenachs’ of Applecross –  hereditary lay farmers of abbey lands (according to speculation by Skene/Reeves).

c930  Helgi son of Ottar, an Icelandic Viking, raided in Scotland and seized Nidbiorg,

daughter of King Biolan (O’Beolan??) and Kadlin. (Landnamabok Chronicle)

1215 Fearchar (?O’Beolan of Applecross) Mac-an-tsagairt, suppressed a rebellion against the  King of Scotland.

1226 Fearchar Mac-an-tsagairt created Earl of Ross by King Alexander III of Scotland.

c1251 Fearchar died, buried in Fearn Abbey, Easter Ross, (?succeeded as abbot of Applecross by his son Malcolm.)

c1300  ?Malcolm succeeded by his son, known only as the ‘Green Abbot’, who was

succeeded by his son Ruaridh, who was succeeded by his son Gillaphadrick

c1400  Daughter of Gillaphadrick married Alexander, Lord of the Isles who became Earl of

Ross

1411 Death of Gillaphadrick (Abbey lands of Applecross passed to crown?)

1515-1561 The Crown appointed various chaplains ‘of St Malrubha in Applecross’, divided into two chaplainries, recorded in the Register of the Privy Seal

1569 Sir William Stewart, holder of both chaplainries of Applecross, granted one of them,

with half the lands of Applecross, to Roderick Mackenzie. [1567 Rorie McAlester [McAllister] McKennycht [McKenzie] of Booradill [Borrodale] witness to a marriage contract for Kintail’s daughter],

Roderick MacKenzie died soon after, his half of Applecross passed to Colin ‘Cam’ MacKenzie, who granted it to Dougal MacKenzie of Killin.

1575 Sir Murdoch Johnson appointed to the ‘parsonage and vicarage’ of Applecross – the

first minister following the Reformation.

1576 Sir William Stewart died. His chaplainry (half of Applecross) passed to the Crown and was used at least twice to pay for the bursary for sons of gentlemen to study at university.

c1581 Dougal MacKenzie, Colin Cam’s uncle, resident in Applecross, killed at  Kishorn (?or Glen Shieldaig) by Matheson clan

?c1590  Alexander MacKenzie of Coul bought Sir William Stewart’s half of Applecross,

which had subsequently passed to the Crown

1594 Colin ‘Cam’, owner of half of Applecross, along with many other lands, died

succeeded by son Kenneth MacKenzie

1597 Kenneth McKenze [McKenzie] of Bodrowdill [?Borrodale] a witness to a bond of friendship between Kintail & Lachlan McIntosche of Dunnachtan [Dunachton]

c1602  Violation of sanctuary at Toscaig by Alasdair MacGorrie

1611 Kenneth, Colin Cam’s son died, succeeded by Colin MacKenzie, 1st Earl of

Seaforth, who therefore owned half of Applecross

1622 John MacKenzie of Lochslin, brother of Seaforth, living in Applecross, married Isobel daughter of Alexander MacKenzie of Gairloch. Marriage settlement included setting the Applecross-Gairloch boundary at Diabeg.

?c1625  The half of Applecross owned by Seaforth and Lochslin was purchased by Alexander

MacKenzie of Coul, already owner of the other half. Applecross became one.

?c1630  Roderick MacKenzie, son of Alexander of Coul, held Applecross, but probably

didn’t live there.

1646 Roderick died, succeed by his son John MacKenzie (Iain Molach)

1650 John MacKenzie (Iain Molach) of Applecross confessed to being involved in the rebellion on behalf of the King against the Covenanters and asked to be admitted to the Covenant (Presbytery of Dingwall).

1654 Iain Molach part of Earl of Seaforth’s forces in attack on the lands of Neil MacLeod of Assynt

1655 (January) Iain Molach named in treaty of surrender of Mackenzies to the forces of the Protectorate under General Monck

1656 People of Applecross found to be sacrificing bulls to St Mourie and other

superstitious activities

1656 MacKenzie of Applecross declared his willingness to the Presbytery of Dingwall to

help the minister restraining the people in their superstitious practices.

1665  Alexander (to be 3rd laird) born

1667 Iain Molach wrote manuscript ‘Genealogy of the surname of M’Kenzie’.

1685 Iain Molach died, succeeded in Applecross by his son Alexander (3rd laird).

1715 Alexander joined Jacobite rebellion, fought at Battle of Sheriffmuir, lost all his

lands and fled to France.

1724  Applecross bought back from the Government by Alexander’s son Roderick (4th

laird) for £3,777.

1726 Reverend Aneas Sage minister of Loch Carron and Applecross

1731 Reverend Aneas MacAulay appointed minister of Applecross.

c1732  Roderick MacKenzie of Applecross succeeded by his son John (5th laird) (by Ann

daughter of MacDonnell of Glengarry).

1732 Complaints from father of ‘minister in the new erected parish of Aplecross’ about costs including ‘charges of a mason and wreight brought at a great distance to estimat soums for building kirk and manse’

Also ‘Letter from John Mackenzie on differences between Mr Macaulay, minister at Applecross, and writer; defends his own conduct in the matter of providing a glebe; `I can assure you that Mr Macaulay loses the affection of his congregation by his behaviour and instead of catechising in his parish, which he never did, preaches to the people what he'll doe to the heritors and that he'll make them pay 7 or 8000 merks, which give the commons such a fearfull idea of him, that they'll hear as soon of old nick as him'; Coul, 11 May 1732 [both from Records of the General Assembly, NAS]

1754 Rev Sage accuses Rev MacAulay of buying alcohol from a smuggler and selling it. ‘and of preaching a sermon in November 1753 which gave offence to the complainer [Aeneas Sage]’

1758 Sage’s accusation of MacAulay of preaching heresy in a sermon of 1753 – case dismissed by the General Assembly.

1774 John MacKenzie of Applecross died, Applecross passed to his sister’s son Thomas

Mackenzie of Highfield (6th laird).

1789 Smallpox outbreak  - inoculation introduced

1792 ‘First Statistical Account of Scotland’ minister of Applecross John MacQueen –

‘neither public road nor bridge in the parish … black cattle the main produce …

church a ruin’

1796 Manse built at Clachan

1798  ‘Voluntary contribution’ list - donations include money from Thomas MacKenzie of

Applecross, Captain Donald MacKenzie of Hartfield, Roderick MacKenzie senior Tacksman Achvanie

1809 John MacKenzie, 7th Laird of Applecross says he has the right to destroy the bridge

over the river, rebuilt by the parishioners, if he wants.

c1810  ?Completion of the Farm after mass evictions.

1810  John died, succeeded by his son Thomas 8th laird

1817 New church built at Clachan

1818  Thomas MacKenzie, 8th Laird, elected MP for Ross-shire

1822 Thomas died, succeeded by his son sister Elizabeth (9th laird?).

1825 Elizabeth died, succeeded by cousin 10th laird Thomas MacKenzie of Inverinate, grandson of 6th laird

1826 Road over the Bealach Na Ba built.

1827 Mass emigrations from Applecross to Nova Scotia in Canada.

1831 ‘Seaforth's removing of Torridon tenants who had been poaching deer on  Applecross’ [NAS]

1831 Rev John MacQueen died, replaced by Roderick MacRae of Shieldaig

1836 More emigrations to Nova Scotia

‘New Statistical Account of Scotland’ – complaints in Applecross of rents raised during the Napoleonic Wars and never reduced; no bridge over the river.

1837 Thomas MacKenzie became MP for Ross-shire

c1840  Road extended to Camusterrach.

1843 Most people in Applecross join the new Free Church.

1848 Potato blight and famine in the Highlands - MacKenzie of Applecross praised in the Scotsman newspaper for famine relief efforts.

1857 Thomas MacKenzie sold Applecross to Duke of Leeds

c1860  Stone pillar with carvings destroyed at Camusterrach.

1864 Applecross bought by Henry, Lord Middleton.

1904 Lord Percy letter – ‘have come all the way from Newcastle up the west coast by Dalmally Glencoe & Applecross - & now I am on my way to try for a salmon at Elchies - Aberlour. No other motor has yet crossed the Bealloch - (2000 ft above sea level) so I feel quite proud’. [NAS]

Notes:

NAS = National Archives of Scotland