William Cleireach MacLeod

William Cleireach MacLeod (Scottish Gaelic: Uilleam Cléireach MacLeòid; 1365 – c. 1402) is considered to be 5th Chief of Clan MacLeod. He was a younger son of chief Iain Ciar and was originally intended to enter the church, as his nickname shows; however, on the death of his elder brother, William Cleireach became the heir to the chiefship. As chief of the clan, he led his followers in attacks against the Frasers and defended his lands against the MacDonalds. He did not live a long life and was said to have been buried on the isle of Iona with his predecessors.

Life The Bannatyne manuscript states that William Cleireach was the second son of Iain Ciar, fourth chief of Clan MacLeod. William Cleireach was originally bred for the church, having been educated in a monastery abroad. For this reason, he was known as "the clerk". His elder brother was killed at a feast and upon his death, William Cleireach returned home. As Iain Ciar's only surviving son and that William Cleireach succeeded his father upon his death, in 1392. The Bannatyne manuscript records that at the time of William Cleireach's succession, the MacLeods and Frasers were quarrelling as they had been for years previous; in consequence, William invaded the Fraser controlled lands of Aird. The MacLeods were successful in this particular venture and carried off much loot from their invasion.

Issue The Bannatyne manuscript describes William Cleireach as being much beloved by his followers. He was said to have had many illegitimate children whose descendants were still alive when the manuscript was written . The manuscript described two of his twin sons as the "Castor and Pollux of the islanders". According to the manuscript, William Cleireach married a daughter of MacLean of Duart (chief of Clan MacLean). However, A.M. Sinclair, another late 19th-century historian, stated that William Cleireach married a daughter of Murdoch MacLaine of Lochbuie (second chief of his clan). The manuscript relates how William and his wife had three sons—John, his heir; Tormod; and George. The manuscript states that from Tormod descended the "Mac Vic Williams"; it notes that the only living descendants were the sons of Capt. William MacLeod of Borline then existed (in about the 1830s), though it also noted that some of the family lived in North Carolina. The manuscript mentions another family, called "Mac Vic Alastair Ruaidh", which was descended from Tormod's second son. The head of this family lived on St Kilda and a notable member of this family was the poet Mairi nighean Alasdair Ruaidh. The manuscript states that William's third son, George, went abroad and settled in Lorraine. An account of the George's descendants was sent to a MacLeod in Britain in the year 1758. The manuscript states that this account professed that descendants of George were known on the continent as "de Leod" and "Von Leod"; that some of them were landowners before the French Revolution.