William Mackintosh, 15th of Mackintosh

William Mackintosh, 15th of Mackintosh (died 1550) was the chief of the Clan Mackintosh, a Scottish clan of the Scottish Highlands. He was also chief of the confederation of clans that was known as the Clan Chattan.

Early life

William Mackintosh, 15th of Mackintosh was the son of Lachlan Beg Mackintosh, 14th of Mackintosh and his wife Jean Gordon, daughter of Sir Alexander Gordon of Lochinvar. His father, Lachlan Beg Mackintosh, had been murdered in 1524 when William was just three years old. Therefore, Hector Mackintosh, natural son of Ferquhard Mackintosh, 12th chief was chosen as his tutor and temporary leader of the clan. Hector's leadership was not universally acknowledged by the clan and as a result the Earl of Moray who was also a relation of William had him and his mother removed to his own house. He also arranged for William's mother to re-marry to Margaret Ogilvie, sister of James Ogilvie of Cardell.

The newly elected leader of the Clan Mackintosh and Clan Chattan, Hector, with the support of the clan saw the Earl's actions as an insult to themselves to use their young chief for his own designs. The removal of their chief was resented so much that the clan invaded the Earl of Moray's lands and during the year 1527 the Earl's tenants were in a perpetual state of alarm constantly having their crops in flames and their cattle lifted. Subsequently, a royal mandate was issued on 9 November 1528 for the extermination of the invading Clan Chattan, during the reign of James V of Scotland. It was addressed to the sheriffs of Kincardine, Aberdeen, Banff, Elgin, Forres, Nairn and Inverness and to the Earl of Moray himself, who was lieutenant general of the north. It was also issued to the Earls of Sutherland and Caithness, John Lord Forbes, Hugh Fraser, 3rd Lord Lovat, John Grant of Freuchy, Ewen the Captain of Clan Cameron and John Mackenzie, 9th of Kintail, all to attack and kill the Clan Chattan. Hector escaped and remained for some time in hiding. Upon the advice of Dunbar, Dean of Moray, Hector surrendered himself to the king who forgave him for past offences and placed him in royal favour and this may have been because at the time the king was dissatisfied with the Earl of Moray. It was said that Elizabeth Keith, Countess of Huntly gave the order.

There are other accounts, including that by William Forbes Skene, that state that William Mackintosh had burned Huntly's Auchindoun Castle which is why Huntly had him executed, but Alexander Mackintosh-Shaw states that this story is entirely fictitious. Huntly had made the traitor, Lachlan, Sheriff-depute of Inverness, jointly with Munro of Foulis. However, Lachlan the traitor was killed one year later in his house by some indignant clansmen. Parliament later held an inquiry into Huntly's actions and found that his execution of William Mackintosh was illegal and he had to compensate the Mackintosh family. In 1554, Huntly, along with the Earl of Argyll were ordered to exterminate the Clan Macdonald of Clanranald, but both failed in their objectives; Huntly, because the Highlanders were so much exasperated against him for having executed William Mackintosh in 1550, that he declined to face Clan Ranald with such an army, disbanding his forces.

Family

William Mackintosh, 15th of Mackintosh married Margaret, daughter of Alexander Ogilvie, 1st Baron Findlater. Their children were:

Margaret Mackintosh, who was married successively to the lairds of Grant, Abergeldie, Pitsligo and William Sutherland, 9th of Duffus. William Mackintosh, who died young. Lachlan Mor Mackintosh, 16th of Mackintosh, heir and successor as chief of the Clan Mackintosh and Clan Chattan.