Genealogy Wylie » Alexander MacDonald , Lord of Isles, Earl of Ross (± 1398-1449)

Personal data Alexander MacDonald , Lord of Isles, Earl of Ross 

• Also known as Alexander MacDonald 9th Lord of the /Isles/.
• He was born about 1398 in Tulloch Castle, Dingwall, Ross-shire, Scotland.
• He died on May 8, 1449 in Tulloch Castle, Dingwall, Ross-shire, Scotland.Sources 3, 4
• A child of Donald MacDonald and Mary (Mariota) Leslie
• This information was last updated on June 6, 2009.

Household of Alexander MacDonald , Lord of Isles, Earl of Ross

(1) He is married to Elizabeth Seton.

They got married at 1st husband.Source 5

(2) He is married to Elizabeth Haliburton.

They got married at 1st of 2 wives (I would say 2nd wife).Source 3

Notes about Alexander MacDonald , Lord of Isles, Earl of Ross

Alexander MacDonald, 10th Earl of Ross and Lord of the Isles, as both ofwhich apparently recognised by James I on latter's release by English1424; nevertheless ordered by James to attend a meeting with otherHighland chiefs at Inverness 1427 and placed under virtual house arrestas a permanent "guest" of James at his court; later fled or was let go,gathered an army of men of the Isles and Ross and put Inverness and itsenvirons to fire and the sword, but was defeated by James at Lochaber 23June 1429; after pleading for mercy in penitential garb he was confinedfor a while in Tantallon Castle; recognised again as Earl of Ross by Jan1435/6; Justiciar North of Forth 1438; married (as his 1st(?) of twowives(?)) Elizabeth Halyburton; probably of Dirletoun (died in or afterDec 1444). [Burke's Peerage]

Note Burke's Peerage, page 328 (above text) does not mention ElizabethSeton as a wife, although the question marks indicate doubt as to thenumber and order of wives. Elizabeth Seton is mentioned on page 1480 ashis wife. Alexander had a son with Elizabeth Halyburton named John (b.c1435), 11th and last Earl of Ross and last Lord of the Isles, who doesnot appear to be the same son that I have for Alexander and ElizabethSeton, which is John Ross of Halkhead. Due to the fact that John ofHalkhead was born c1425 (some say 1415), I would say Elizabeth Seton was1st wife and Elizabeth Halyburton is 2nd.

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LORD OF THE ISLES (IX)

Alexander (MacDonald), Lord of the Isles, son and heir, in right of hismother, though apparently in her lifetime, was recognised as Earl ofRoss. He d. May 1449. [Complete Peerage]

Note: CP cites a son of Alexander, John MacDonald Earl of Ross who wasrecognised as the 1st member of the family who was of the Peerage (asEarl of Ross, not as Lord of the Isles). This son John dspm legit in1498. Perhaps the two sons named John had something to do with the twodifferent wives, possibly, even, he was not married to both and John ofHalkhead was illegitimate?

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The following e-mail, 9 Jan 2004, from Doug Hickling supports theElizabeth Haliburton marriage, probably in place of the Elizabeth Setonmarriage, although the John he mentions is the 11th and last Earl of Rossmentioned above, who is not the John of Halkhead. I find that when a manhas two sons named the same, there are almost always two wives (or one isillegitimate):

Dear Jim:

You seem to be the only person with an online GEDCOM who lists ElizabethHaliburton as a wife of Alexander Macdonald, Lord of the Isles and laterearl of Ross.

I think that there is good evidence which supports your view. In ACTS OFTHE LORDS OF THE ISLES 1336-1493, edited by Jean Munro and R. W. Munro,published in 1986 by the Scottish History Society, at page 63 is a noteof a discharge by Elizabeth Haliburton, countess of Ross to Sir JohnScrymgeour on 10 December 1443. The Munros comment that "the above seemsto be the only notice of a contemporary document in which Elizabeth isgiven a surname, and it casts doubt on the supposed Seton marriage . . .."

In their notes on page 302-303, the Munros point to an indult of 19October 1433 by Pope Eugenius iv to Alexander and his wife, therein namedJacobella. His son John seems to have been born c. 1434. The Munros goon to repeat their belief that Alexander's wife was a Haliburton, not aSeton, and assert that John was their son. They attribute the widelyheld view that Elizabeth was a Seton to an undocumented claim in a 16thcentury Gordon genealogy by John Ferrerius. I would accept the Munros'scholarship over that claimed by Burkes any day!

I am a 70 year old retired California attorney. I write occasionalarticles on Scottish ancestry, some of which may be read on HamishMaclaren's GEDCOM. I will no doubt be getting around to sending him anote on the above subject.

Doug Hickling
Dhhic AT aol.com

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Timeline Alexander MacDonald , Lord of Isles, Earl of Ross

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