DEATH OF SEAFORTH IN LEWIS. 425 



respect of the fishing grounds a hundred and seventy years 

 ago, is not without interest at the present day.* 



William, Earl of Seaforth, died in Lewis in 1740, and is 



said to have been buried in the Church of Ui, the ancient 



burial-ground of the Macleods.f He was succeeded by his 



son, Kenneth, who bore, during his lifetime, the courtesy 



title of Lord Fortrose, one of the subordinate titles of his 



father. The Act of Attainder of Earl William omits all 



mention of the original title of " Lord Kintail " ; and it 



I appears to be doubtful whether the Act affected the barony 



of Kintail. The question was not raised by Earl William's 



son. By his intimates, he was called " Lord Fortrose," and 



occasionally, even " Seafort," but he, himself, signed his name, 



I plain "Kenneth Mackenzie." There is ample evidence 



that he was a level-headed, prudent man, who entertained 



! no false notions either about himself, or about the " Divine 



Right " of kings or chiefs to misgovern their people. No 



sooner had he succeeded to the estates than he entered 



upon public life. In 1741, he was elected Member of Par- 



I liament for the Burgh of Inverness ; and in 1747, he sat 



for the County of Ross, being re-elected seven years later. 



In the interval between his first appearance as a Member 



I of Parliament, and his election for Ross-shire, events of 



supreme importance had taken place in the Highlands, 



which now call for notice. 



* It may be observed that in 1737, the salary of the Collector of Customs at 

 Stornoway was 30 per annum. The officers who were stationed there seem 

 to have been dismissed from the service pretty frequently. 



f His wife died in France, in August, 1739, when on her way to Scotland. 

 (Gentleman's Magazine, Vol. IX.) 



