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Am Bratach No. 200
History file In July 1765 the factor for the estate of Coigach in the parish of Lochbroom reported that several of the tenants had lost cows, horses, sheep and goats during the previous winter. It was “strongly suspected they have been stole by certain persons residing in that part of the Country”. The factor had looked into the matter but the tenants were “afraid to express themselves freely on account of the threatnings used by the Suspected persons”. Five months later the factor reported that warrants two men from Coigach had been apprehended, examined and had confessed. Their testimony pointed to one John McLeod, the “head of theivish Gang” and a son of the tenant at Drumrunie. He too had been captured and it was suggested that all three should be brought to trial. The three men, however, had already escaped from Dingwall prison on September 18 1765 by “boring or breaking through the Door & forcing off the Lock, and by breaking or Cutting through the Staple to which the Padlock was fixed.” They failed to appear before the justiciary court in Inverness in May 1766 and were declared outlaws. MacLeod remained at large until captured by a party led by Lieutenant John Mackenzie, a former army officer who had retired on half-pay to Ullapool. They had set out on January 6 in “one of the most severe Storms of snow that has fallen in Coygach for many years”. Having “searched every suspected place and Divided their Party in Order to guard Passes”, they had eventually found MacLeod on the night of January 8 “playing at Cards in a House upon the Confines of Assint in Company with eight young fellows who attended him as a guard”. After some resistance, MacLeod
was captured and taken back “after twelve at Night back
to Coigach in which Attempt they were all like to perish by the
Storm”. After guarding him night and day, they had taken
him down to the “Low Country” and had not parted with
him until he had been handed over to the magistrates of Inverness
on January 20. One of the party had been “frost bit and
left at Glascharnich for four Days”. After escaping from Dingwall, he had been “at pains to Tract and recover the said horses and with difficulty and much Trouble he found one of the said horses with one Hector MacDonald Tenant in Badichrow of Sutherland Shyre, that another of these horses is Still in the possession of the said Hector Macdonald”. MacLeod appeared before the circuit court in Inverness on 26 May 1767. As neither he nor most of the witnesses could understand English, the proceedings were conducted through a Gaelic interpreter. The assize consisted of a number of northern landlords and tacksmen, including Lieutenant Charles Gordon of Skelpick. Hugh MacLeod, a son to Roderick MacLeod, the tacksman of Ledmore in Assynt, aged about thirty-five and unmarried, testified that “about the beginning of Harvest two or three years ago” he was sold a colt for which he paid eighteen shillings [90 pence]. About an hour afterwards he sold the colt to “John McDonald & David Nicoll in the parish of Lairg”. The colt, however, had been stolen from Achindrean or Strath Kanaird. Norman Kerr, a married man, “aged fifty and upwards” from Knockan in Assynt, testified that “there was a Black mare about five years old Stoln from near his house belonging to him in harvest” 1765. He had met with MacLeod “Some time in June last in the Hills of Coygach” and MacLeod had acknowledged that he had carried off the mare and sold her for seven or eight shillings [35 to 40p] to man from Achall near Ullapool. The mare “had the left Ear Cropt”. Lieutenant Simon Mackenzie of
Langwall in Coigach testified that since 1763 MacLeod had been
“habite and repute in the Country a Man of bad Character
and a Theife”. The following day the assize found MacLeod
guilty and he was sentenced to be executed by hanging. |