EARLS OF ROSS AND LORDS OF THE ISLES. 71 



to England, had wasted the writer's lands and slain his 

 people. The letter further states that Roderick and 

 Ranald MacAllan had invaded the King's lands of " Sky " 

 and " Leogus," and committed great depredations therein. 

 They killed, so it asserts, " the men living in those islands 

 and oppressed the women with violence, and caused the 

 ships in the King's service under immunities of the Church 

 to be burnt. And the said islands were so devastated by 

 the aforesaid (Roderick and Ranald) that the King could 

 get little or nothing from them on his demand."* Edward 

 was therefore begged by the writer to command the nobles 

 of Argyll and Ross to aid him in keeping the peace. 

 Macdougall successfully replied to the charges made against 

 him, and was again received into favour by the English 

 King. Roderick MacAllan (" Rodric Mac Rogri") was 

 captured by Alexander Macdonald, but he subsequently 

 escaped, or was released. 



In 1301, fresh trouble was brewing in the Isles, and an 

 expedition, commanded by Hugh Bisset, with the co- 

 operation of Angus Og Macdonald, and John (jilins 

 Suffne) of Knapdale, was despatched to bring the 

 islanders under subjection to England. Alexander Mac- 

 dougall was at that time regarded with suspicion, and 

 Edward was asked for his advice as to the treatment of 

 the suspect, and for his help, if Macdougall had to be 

 proceeded against as an enemy. There are no further 

 details of this expedition, except that Angus Og, while 

 awaiting orders for his fleet at Bute or Kintyre, begged 

 the King's favour for the sons of Roderick MacAllan who 

 were in his power, stating, as the grounds of his request 

 for a "native fee," that they had been friendly to the 

 English cause. 



The correspondence between Edward of England and 

 Pope Boniface, which followed the defeat at Falkirk of the 

 heroic William Wallace, was concurrent with a remarkable 

 commission which the English King sent to the Hebrides 



* Letter in the Public Record Office (Stevenson, Vol. II., p. 188). 



