THE STORNOWAY CHARTER. 291 



Macdonald where he died. His two brothers, Ruari and 

 William, were afterwards captured by Sir Ruari Mackenzie, 

 and executed. 



On 23rd December, 1623, Lord Kintail was created 

 Earl of Seaforth and Viscount Fortrose, taking the former 

 title from Loch Seaforth in Lewis.* In 1625, he took 

 part with Macleod of Harris, Donald Gorm, and the 

 Captain of Clanranald, in subduing the rebellion of the 

 Macians of Ardnamurchan, who, despairing of obtaining 

 justice against the powerful House of Argyll, were driven 

 to a career of piracy. Macleod and his son-in-law, Clan- 

 ranald, were severely reprimanded by the Privy Council 

 for their want of energy in pursuing the outlaws, but 

 Macleod subsequently received a handsome apology for 

 the strictures passed upon him, after he had contributed 

 to the final defeat and dispersion of the Macians. Soon 

 afterwards, the chequered career of Rory Mor came to an 

 end by his death. His public acts were not always credit- 

 able, but his private character, if judged by the testimony 

 of MacVurich and the Lament of MacCrimmon, his famous 

 piper, was that of a hospitable Highland chief, to whom 

 his clansmen were greatly attached. 



In 1625, Colin, Lord Seaforth, received from the Privy 

 Council a commission of justiciaryship within his own 

 bounds, but without prejudice to the hereditary rights of 

 jurisdiction possessed by the Argyll family over the Isles. 

 In 1628, a spirited controversy took place between Lord 

 Lome, as representing the House of Argyll, and the chiefs 

 of the North Isles, headed by Seaforth, touching the 

 location of the Courts of Justiciary in the Hebrides, these 

 being kept distinct from the Justice Ayres recently re- 

 organised in Scotland by Charles I. While the discussion 

 was proceeding, Lord Lome secured a charter, ratifying 

 previous grants of the office of Justiciary over the Hebrides ;f 

 and in 1629, he was authorised to hold his Courts for the 



* The original name was "Seafort " (Seafiord), and the chiefs of the Clan 

 Kenneth so signed their names down to the eighteenth century. 



t Hist. MSS. Com., Report IV., pp. 486-7 ; App. to Report VI., pp. 624-5. 



