Lords Mackenzie of Kintail (1609)

1^st Lord Mackenzie, Kenneth Mackenzie, b.c.1569, a.1609, d.1611

The Mackenzie Clan came to prominence following the loss of power suffered by the Lord of the Isles. Colin Mackenzie, the Clan Chief, swore an oath of allegiance to the King in 1574, and was rewarded by being made Lieutenant of the North. His son Kenneth Mackenzie was elected as a Privy Counsellor, though his dealings were not completely unblemished as he spent a short time in prison. When the Scottish Parliament met for the first time in 1609, he was raised to the peerage as 1^st Lord Mackenzie of Kintail. The Mackenzies used the legitimacy of their position with Parliament to expand their control over the Highlands and Islands, conducting feuds against the Macleods, the macneils and most notably the Macdonells of Glengarry.

2^nd Lord Mackenzie, Colin Mackenzie, b.1596-1597, a.1611, d.1633

Son of the 1^st Lord and Anne Ross. He continued the Mackenzie persecution of the Macleods of Lewis, eventually taking control of the whole island, and was a favourite of the King, becoming 1^st Earl of Seaforth and 1^st Viscount of Fortrose in 1623, and a Privy Counsellor in 1628.

Earls of Seaforth (1623)

1^st Earl of Seaforth, Colin Mackenzie, as above

Owing to the provisions of his uncle Roderick Mackenzie, a very astute manager of land, men and money, the new earl was financially powerful, and extravagant in his building of castles and endowment of churches. His son and heir died of smallpox while young.

2^nd Earl of Seaforth, George Mackenzie, b.?, a.1633, d.1651

Younger half-brother of the 1^st Earl, being the son of the 1^st Lord Mackenzie and his second wife Isabel Ogilvy. He was made a Privy Counsellor in 1637 but originally took the Covenanter stance. After being on the receiving end of Montrose on several occasions, he was encouraged to switch sides in 1646, and led troops in the King’s name until Charles I surrendered himself to the Scottish Parliament, whereupon Seaforth made peace with the Committee of Estates, undergoing a public humiliation as part of the agreement. However, in 1649 he left Scotland to join Charles II in exile. He died shortly after hearing of the defeat of the Battle of Worcester.

3^rd Earl of Seaforth, Kenneth Mackenzie, b.?, a.1633, d.1678

Son of the 2^nd Earl and Barbara Forbes, daughter of Arthur Forbes, 10^th Lord Forbes. He remained in Scotland after his father left for Holland and fought at the Battle of Worcester. Exempt from the Act of Grace, he was made forfeit in 1654 and was imprisoned until the Restoration. On his release he was made Sheriff of Ross and was made a Privy Counsellor in 1674.

4^th Earl of Seaforth, Kenneth Mackenzie, b.1661, a.1678, d.1700-1701

Son of the 3^rd Earl and Isabel Mackenzie, daughter of Sir John Mackenzie, 1^st Baronet Mackenzie of Tarbat (the father of George Mackenzie, 1^st Earl of Cromartie). He was made a Privy Counsellor in 1686 and was a founding Knight of the Thistle in 1687. He accompanied James VII into exile in 1688 and was present at the siege of Londonderry in 1689, returning to Scotland in 1690 to attempt a Jacobite uprising in the North, but was captured and held captive until 1696-1697. He was created 1^st Marquess of Seaforth and 1^st Earl of Fortrose in the Jacobite Peerage.

5^th Earl of Seaforth, William Mackenzie, b.?, a.1700-1701, d.1740

Son of the 4^th Earl and Lady Frances Herbert, daughter of William Herbert, 1^st Marquess of Powis. Raised in France, he was part the Jacobite uprising in 1715, raising his Clan and joining the Earl of Mar at Perth. After the disaster at Sheriffmuir, he fled back to France, attainted by Act of Parliament. However, Government failed to take possession of the forfeited estates, and in fact the rents continued to be collected and remitted to the forfeited earl. The Mackenzie vassals continued to turn a deaf ear to the state until 1725, when they arranged for a ritual laying down of arms to General Wade in exchange for his intercession on behalf of the earl to the King. In 1726, George I lifted any threat of punishment, allowing him to return to Scotland, and George II later allowed him to keep the arrears of rent, although the titles remained forfeit. Seaforth’s son and heir, Kenneth Mackenzie (b.1717, d.1761), was known as Lord Fortrose, although this was actually a title in the Jacobite Peerage. He became an MP for Inverness-shire, and during the Jacobite uprising of 1745 he refused to take part.

Earls of Seaforth (1771)

1st Earl of Seaforth, Kenneth Mackenzie, b.c.1744, a.1771, d.1781

Grandson of the forfeited 5^th Earl and Mary Kennet, and son of the above mentioned Kenneth Mackenzie (b.1717, d.1761) and Lady Mary Stewart (b.1720, d.1751), daughter of Sir Alexander Stewart, 6^th Earl of Galloway. In 1745 he was created 1^st Viscount Fortrose and 1^st Baron Adelve in the Peerage of Ireland, mainly as a reward for his father’s refusal to join the Uprising. He was further rewarded by being created 1^st Earl of Seaforth in the Peerage of Ireland in 1771. That year he raised a regiment of Highlanders, initially the 78^th Foot, which later became the Seaforth Highlanders. He died of scurvy on board the ship taking his regiment to India, and his titles became extinct.

Lords Seaforth (1797)

1^st Lord Seaforth, Francis Humberston Mackenzie, b.1754, a.1797, d.1815

In 1779, being heavily in debt, the 1^st Earl mentioned above sold his estates to his cousin Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Mackenzie-Humberston (b.1754, d.1783), great-grandson of the 4^th Earl, grandson of Colonel Alexander Mackenzie and Elizabeth Paterson, and son of Major William Mackenzie (b.?, d.1770) and Mary Humberston. Thomas joined the Seaforth Highlanders and reached the rank of Captain, prior to purchasing the Seaforth estates. After the death of the 1^st Earl, Thomas accompanied the regiment to India as the new Lieutenant-Colonel, and performed with distinction out there. He was aboard another ship sailing from Bombay which was attacked by ships of the Mahratta (or Maratha) Empire. All officers on board were killed. His estates transferred to his brother Francis, who had been deaf and almost dumb as a result of scarlet fever from a young age. This impairment did not halt his career, and he was an MP for Ross-shire from 1784 to 1790. He made several offers to raise a new regiment out of his own estates, and in 1793 was granted permission to do so. The existing regiment created by the 1^st Earl had been renumbered as the 72^nd, and this new force was called the 78^th. In 1796, a second battalion was added, known as the Ross-shire Buffs. Much later, in 1881, the 72^nd and 78^th were amalgamated as the Seaforth Highlanders. In 1797 he was created 1^st Lord Seaforth and 1^st Baron Mackenzie of Kintail in the Peerage of Great Britain. In 1798, he was appointed Colonel of the Ross-shire Regiment of Militia. He was Governor of Barbados from 1800 to 1806, reaching the rank of Major-General in 1802 and Lieutenant-General in 1808. He had a large family, but all of his sons died before him.

Lords Seaforth (1921)

1^st Lord Seaforth, James Alexander Francis Humberston Stewart-Mackenzie, b.1847, a.1921, d.1923

Great-grandson of the previous 1^st Lord Seaforth and Mary Proby, grandson of Mary Frederica Elizabeth Mackenzie (b.1783, d.1862) and James Alexander Stewart (b.1784, d.1843) (himself a grandson of Sir Alexander Stewart, 6^th Earl of Galloway), and son of Keith William Stewart Mackenzie (b.1818, d.1881) and Hannah Charlotte Hope-Vere (b.c.1816, d.1868) (a descendant of several different earls or greater). Educated at Glenalmond, Harrow and Sandhurst, he was a distinguished soldier, serving with the 9^th Lancers all over the world, becoming regimental Colonel in 1891. He was created 1^st Baron Seaforth of Brahan in the 1921 New Year Honours List. Having no children, this title became extinct at his death.

(Last updated: 21/09/2009)