Geographical Illustrations of Scottish History; Containing the Names of Places Mentioned in Chronicles, Histories, Records, &C., with Corrections of the Corrupted Names, and Explanations of the Difficult and Disputed Points, in the Historical Geography of (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1796 Excerpt: ...there were often several princes or chiefs at the same time invested with the title of king of the Isles, independent of each other, but still acknowledging the supremacy of Norway till 1266, when the king of Norway transferred their allegiance to the crown of Scotland for a sum of money paid to him by Alexander III. The I L I S. The calamities, which ensued on the death of that good king, gave the English an opportunity to wrest the isle of Mann from Scotland, v. Mann. After the loss of Mann the kings of the race of Sumerled extended their sway over She and the Lang land: but it is perhaps impossible to ascertain by what means or at what time they obtained those additions. They also added to their territories on the main land the great earldom of Ross with its dependencies; and a younger branch of them acquired large possessions in Ireland. They were thus powerful enough to be very desirable allies to the kings of England, who frequently enticed them to withdraw their allegiance from Scotland, to which indeed they could never be said to be truely subject till 1535. Though it had been stipulated in the treaty of 1266, that the people of the isles should be governed by the Scottish laws, yet they do not appear to have been connected with any shirrefdom, or amenable to any courts of justice, but those of their own kings or chiefs, till 1503, when the people of the North isles were appointed by act of parliament to receive justice at Invirness or Dingwall, and those of the South isles at Kilkerran. It is probable that little regard was paid to this regulation, till king JamesV in 1535 made an expedition through the islands; when by carrying with him some of the chiefs, and taking hostages from others, he gave the islanders the first knowledge of a power ...