View source for Source:Proceedings (Saint Maelrubha)

{{Book section
|book=Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (vol. 3)
|source_type=
|section=Saint Maelrubha : His History And Churches
|transcription= <center>II.</center>
<center style="margin:15px">SAINT MAELRUBHA : HIS HISTORY AND CHURCHES. By [[William Reeves (bishop)|WILLIAM REEVES]], D.D., M.B., {{smallcaps|Vice-Pres}}. R.I.A., {{smallcaps|Hon. Memb. Soc. Antiq. Scotland, and Antiq. Soc. of Zurich}}.<sup>1</sup></center>

Next to St Columcille, there is no ecclesiastic of the ancient Scottish 
Church whose commemorations are more numerous in the West of Scotland<ref name="Proceedings vol. 3 p. 258" />

<small>
# In July 1849, the writer of the following paper made a [[Source:Irish Ecclesiastical (Ancient Irish Missionaries)|communication]] to the “[[Irish Ecclesiastical Journal (vol. 5)|Irish Ecclesiastical Journal]],” which appeared in the 108th number of that publication (vol. v. p. 299). Previously to that date, nothing had been done towards the identification of St Maelrubha or his church of Apercrossan; and in his note on the passage of the Four Masters at 671, which makes mention of them, the learned Dr O'Donovan declared his inability to ascertain the modern name of the saint's church in Scotland. In the appendix, however, to the second volume (p. 1191), the author refers to the article in the “Irish Ecclesiastical Journal” as affording the desired information. Since that period, the present writer has had opportunity to visit many of the scenes of St Maelrubha's labours, and to extend his acquaintance with Scottish works bearing upon the individual or his age; and the result of all is here collected in a memoir, in the compilation of which accuracy has been principally aimed at. Should this effort to embody in a connected view the ''disjecta membra'' of Irish and Scottish reminiscences of the saint be deemed worthy of the notice of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, the writer will consider that he has received tenfold remuneration for the time and pains bestowed upon the task.—{{smallcaps|The Vicarage, Lusk}}, ''April'' 20, 1859. 
</small>


than [[Máel Ruba|St Maelrubha]], or whose history is marked with greater exactness 
in the main particulars of his life. He was born on the 3d of 
January, in the year of our Lord 642, as we learn from the accurate 
annalist Tighernach, who, in recording the saint's obit, determines his 
age to the very day. On his father's side, he was eighth in descent from 
[[Niall of the Nine Hostages]], Sovereign of Ireland, through that branch 
of his house called the [[Cinel Eoghain]] ;<sup>1</sup> subordinately, through the family 
styled the Cinel Binnigh,<sup>2</sup> which clan early obtained a settlement in, 
and gave name to, a district in the south-eastern part of the present 
county of Londonderry, where, among his kindred, we may reasonably 
presume our saint was born. On his mother's side he was akin to St 
Comgall, the great abbot of Bangor in the county of Down, who was of 
the Cruithne, or Irish Picts, being of the race of Fiacha Araidhe, the 
founder of the Dal-Araidhe of Ulster. His paternal descent is recited 
among the pedigrees of the Irish saints preserved in the venerable manuscripts 
in the collection of the Royal Irish Academy, called the Book of 
Lecan, and the Book of Ballymote.<sup>3</sup> It is also found in the more modern 
compilation of Duald MacFirbis.<sup>4</sup> All these authorities agree in setting 
him forth as Maelrubha, son of Elganach, son of Garbh, son of Ollarbach, 
son of Cuboirenn, son of Cremthann, son of Binnigh, son of Eoghan (who 
died, according to Tigernach, in 465), son of Niall of the Nine Hostages.{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/259/mode/1up 259]}} 

<small>
# The Cinel Eoghain were the descendants of Eoghan, son of Niall, and their territory was called ''Tir-Eoghain'', i,e. Terra Eugenii, subsequently and still known as ''Tyrone''; and ''Inis Eoghain, i.e''. Insula Eugenii, the peninsular portion of the northeast of the county of Donegal, now known as the barony of ''Inishowen. 
# The Cinel Binny were the descendants of Eochaidh Binnigh, a son of Eoghan above mentioned. Their territory was a subdivision of Tyrone, extending to Tullaghoge on the south, and comprehending all the modern barony of Loughinsholin on the west of the River Bann, which, though now in the county of Londonderry, was in Tyrone until 1591. It gave name to a rural deanery in the diocese of Derry, called ''Bynnagh'' or ''Bennagh'', See Beeves's “Colton's Visitation,” p. 74. 
# “Book of Lecan,” fol. 87 ''bc''. 
# “Book of Ballymoto,” fol. 119 ''ba''. 
</small>


In the tract on the Mothers of the saints of Ireland, preserved in the 
manuscripts above mentioned,<sup>1</sup> two names are assigned to his mother—
<span class="insular">Su&#xf200;ibsech m&#xf200;&#xa787;&#x0307;ir M&#xf200;olru&#x1e03;&#xf200; mec &#xf10a;lgon&#xf200;ig</span>, “Suaibsech, mother of 
Maolruhha, son of Elgonach;” and again, <span class="insular">Subt&#xf200;n ingen Setn&#xf200; siur Chomg&#xf200;ill m&#xf200;&#xa787;&#x0307;ir M&#xf200;olru&#x1e03;&#xf200;</span>, “Subtan, daughter of Setna, sister of 
Comgall, mother of Maolrubha.” With the latter statement agrees the 
note on the Feilire of Ængus the Culdee, at the 21st of April; but it is 
attended with the chronological difficulty that S. Comgall, Subtan's brother, 
died at an advanced age in 602; whereas Maelrubha was not born till 642. 

The following table exhibits at a view the double descent of our 
saint:—

{{Tree chart/start|align=center}}
{{Tree chart|border=0| | | | | | | | | | | | | }}
{{Tree chart|border=0| |NI   | | | | | | | |LU   | | NI={{smallcaps|Niall ix. Hostages}}<br><br>|LU={{smallcaps|Lughaidh}}<br><small>(Cujus atavus flor. {{smallcaps|a.d.}} 236.)</small>  }}
{{Tree chart| | |!| | | | | | | | | |!| | | }}
{{Tree chart|border=0| |EO   | | | | | | | |CR   | |EO={{smallcaps|Eoghan}} <small>(ob. 465)</small>|CR={{smallcaps|Crimthann}}  }}
{{Tree chart| | |!| | | | | | | | | |!| | | }}
{{Tree chart|border=0| |EO   | | | | | | | |ER   | |EO={{smallcaps|Eochaidh Binnigh}}<br><small>(a quo ''Cinel Binnigh''.)</small>|ER={{smallcaps|Ernan}}<br><br>  }}
{{Tree chart| | |!| | | | | | | | | |!| | | }}
{{Tree chart|border=0| |CR   | | | | | | | |FO   | | CR={{smallcaps|Crimthann}}|FO={{smallcaps|Forgo}} }}
{{Tree chart| | |!| | | | | | | | | |!| | | }}
{{Tree chart|border=0| |CU   | | | | | | | |BR   | |CU={{smallcaps|Cuboirenn}}|BR={{smallcaps|Brian}}  }}
{{Tree chart| | |!| | | | | | | | | |!| | | }}
{{Tree chart|border=0| |OL   | | | | | | | |EO   | |OL={{smallcaps|Ollarbach}}|EO={{smallcaps|Eochaidh}}  }}
{{Tree chart| | |!| | | | | | | | | |!| | | }}
{{Tree chart|border=0| |GA   | | | | | | | |SE   | |GA={{smallcaps|Garbh}}|SE={{smallcaps|Sedna}}  }}
{{Tree chart|border=0| | |`|-|-|.| | | |,|-|-|'| | | }}
{{Tree chart|border=0| | | | |EL   |~|SU   | | | | | |EL={{smallcaps|Elganach}}|SU={{smallcaps|Subtan}}|eq=== }}
{{Tree chart|border=0| | | | | | | |!| | | | | }}
{{Tree chart|border=0| | | | | | |MA   | | | | | |MA={{smallcaps|Maelrubha.}} }}
{{Tree chart|border=0| | | | | | | | | | | | | }}
{{Tree chart/end}}

The name Maelrubha is compounded of ''Mael'' “a servant,” and ''Rubha'', 
which signifies either “patience”<sup>2</sup> or a “promontory;”<sup>3</sup> and it is occasionally 
met with in Irish records. Maelrubha, of the race of Conall 
Gulban, was great-grandfather of St Moabba.<sup>4</sup> Two of the name are{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/260/mode/1up 260]}} 

<small>
# “MacFirbis' Genealogical M.S.,” p. 701 ''b''. 
# Ruba <span class="insular">.i. ful&#xf200;ng</span> (“patience”). “MacFirbis' Gloss.” 
# Of frequent occurrence in the topography of Scotland, as a point of land, in words beginning with ''Ru'' or ''Rue''. 
# See the genealogical table in “Reeves's St Columba,” at p. 842; “Book of Lecan,” fol. 41 ''ba''. 
</small>


found among the descendants of King Laeghaire;<sup>1</sup> and the Four Masters, 
in their Annals, at the years 715, 771, 823, and 992, record the deaths 
of other individuals so called. 

Our saint, following the national usage of family association, became 
a member of St Comgall's society at Bangor. The Four Masters, led by 
the gloss in the Calendar of Marian, state expressly that he was abbot of 
that monastery; but for this assertion there is no authority in the earlier 
records, and, indeed, there is negative proof to the contrary, as his name 
is not found in the catalogue of abbots recited in the Antiphonary of 
Bangor.<sup>2</sup> His connection with this place seems, however, to have been 
kept up even after he fixed his seat in Scotland, and his principal church 
in that country was regarded as an affiliation of Bangor; for we find, at 
the year 802, mention made of the death of an abbot of Bangor, who took 
his designation from Apurcrossan; and it is probable that Failbhe, abbot 
of Apurcrossan, who was lost at sea, with twenty-two members of his 
fraternity, in 737, was on his way to or from a chapter of his order 
in the parent institution.<sup>3</sup> 

In the year 671, Maelrubha, being now twenty-nine years old, withdrew 
from his native country to Alba, following in the wake of St 
Columba and others of his nation. This we learn from the Annals of 
Tighernach and of Ulster, at the years 671 and 670 respectively, in 
the entry, ''Maelruba'' in ''Britanniam navigat''. Two years expired before 
he obtained a permanent settlement; but in 673,<sup>4</sup> as Tighernach again 
relates, ''Maelruba fundavit ecclesiam Aporcrosan'', The Four Masters, at 
the year 671, combine the two entries, omitting any notice of the interval, 
and state that in that year <span class="insular">M&#xf200;olru&#x1e03;&#xf200; &#xf200;bb Bendċ&#xf200;ir do dul i n&#xf201;lb&#xf200;in go ro fo&#xa787;&#x0307;&#xf200;ig eccl&#xf200;s &#xf201;porcros&#xf200;n</span>, “Maelrubha, abbot of Benchar,{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/261/mode/1up 261]}} 

<small>
# “Book of Lecan,” fol. 41 ''bb''; “MacFirbis' Geneal. MS.,” p. 192. “The Annals of Ulster,” at 716, render Maelrubha ''Filius Rubai''; and at 992 by ''Rubai''. 
# See Muratori Anecd. tom. iv. p. 158; “Opere,” tom, undec. pt. iii. p. 251; “O'Conor, Rer. Hib. Script.” vol. i., Ep. Nuncup., pp. 168, ''sqq''.; Peyron, “Ciceronis Orat. Fragm.,” pp. 224-26 (Stuttgarde, 1824); especially “Ulster Journal of Archæology,” vol. i. pp. 177-79. 
# See such a case recorded by Adamnan, ii. 45, and the note, p. 178, in Reeves's edition. 
# “Annal. Ult.” 672; “The Annals of Clonmacnois” have ''Moyle-Rovaie founded the church of Aporcorossan'' an. 669. 
</small>


went to Alba, and founded the church of Aporcrossan.”<sup>1</sup> Here he 
continued to exercise his abbatial office for fifty-one years, during which 
time he founded a church on an island in a lake of Ross-shire, which takes 
its name of ''Loch Maree'' from him; and he acquired so great a reputation 
for sanctity, that he was regarded as the patron saint of this part of Scotland, 
whence he extended his influence both in islands and on the mainland. 
In 722 he closed his labours; and his obit is thus circumstantially 
recorded by Tighernach: ''Maelruba in Apercrossan, anno'' lxxx. ''etatis sue, et tribus mensibus, et'' xix. ''diehus peractis, in'' xi. ''Kal, Maii tertie ferie die, pausat''. 
The parallel entry in the Annals of Ulster, at 721, is less explicit: 
''Maelrubai in Apurcrosson, anno'' lxxx. ''etatis sue'' [''obiit'']. Tighernach, 
indeed, subjects his accuracy to a severe test; for he gives the 
year, 722; the day of the month, 21st of April; and the day of the week, 
Tuesday. Let us try him on his own telling: 

The current letter of April 21 is F; therefore, supposing it to be 
Tuesday, as he states, the Sunday-letter will be D. We turn to the 
''L'Art de Verifier les Dates'' for a year to answer this note; and 722 exhibits 
the desired symbol. 

April 21 being established as the day of his death, we refer to the 
Irish calendars, where we find the following interesting notices. And 
first, the Feilire or Festival-book of Aengus the Culdee,<sup>2</sup> a writer who 
flourished in the early part of the ninth century:—

::::<span class="insular">In &#xf201;lp&#xf200;in co ngl&#xf200;ine</span><br>
::::<span class="insular">I&#xf200;r lecud cech sub&#xf200;</span><br>
::::<span class="insular">Luid u&#xf200;inn con&#xf200; m&#xf200;th&#xf200;ir </span><br>
::::<span class="insular">&#xf201;r mbr&#xf200;th&#xf200;in Moelrub&#xf200;.</span><br>
:
::::“In Alba, in purity. <br>
::::After abandoning all happiness, <br>
::::Hath gone from us to his mother, <br>
::::Our brother Maelrubha.”{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/262/mode/1up 262]}}<br>

<small>
# “Annals of the Four Masters,” vol. i. p. 282., ed. O'Donovan. 
# This most venerable, curious, and important poem has never, to the disgrace of Ireland, been printed. Ancient copies exist in MS. in the Bodleian library (Rawl. 505, vell.); the Royal Irish Acad.; and the O'Clery collection in the Burgundian library at Brussels. The finest and best annotated copy known is that in the Leabhar Breac, fol. 28. (Library of the R. Irish Academy.) 
</small>


Upon which is written the following note by an early hand:<sup>1</sup>—

{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}<span class="insular">.i. do ċenel &#xf10a;og&#xf200;in do, ocus i n&#xf201;lp&#xf200;in &#xf200;t&#xf200; .i. in Conpur Cross&#xf200;n ocus feil &#xf200; eitsecht&#xf200; so. Subt&#xf200;n ingen Setn&#xf200;i ocus siur Chomg&#xf200;ill Bendchuir &#xf200; m&#xf200;th&#xf200;ir ocus in &#xf201;bur Chresen<sup>2</sup> &#xf200;t&#xf200; &#xf200; chell. </span>
{{col-break}}“''i.e.'', he was of the Cinel Eoghain, and it is in Alba he is, ''i.e''., in Conpur<sup>2</sup> Crossan; and this the festival of his death. Subtan, daughter of Setna, and sister of Comgall of Bennchar, was his mother; and in Aburchresen his church is.” {{col-end}}

Next in order is the Martyrology of Tamlacht, an ancient calendar, 
which simply gives under each day the name of the saint and his principal 
church. At the 21st of April it has the commemoration, 
<center><span class="insular">M&#xf200;elrub&#xf200;ch Bench&#xf200;ir,</span></center> 
<center>“Of Maelrubha of Bangor.” </center>
The Calendar of Marian Gorman, compiled about the year 1167, commemorates, 
at same day, 
<center><span class="insular">M&#xf200;elrub&#xf200; n&#xf200;em, </span></center> 
<center>“Maelruba the holy.” </center>
Upon which is the gloss, <span class="insular">&#xf201;bb Bench&#xf200;ir</span>, “Abbot of Benchar.” 

Lastly, the Calendar of Donegall, collected from ancient authorities, 
by the O'Clerys, in the early part of the seventeenth century, thus notices 
the saint:—

{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
<span class="insular">M&#xf200;elru&#x1e03;&#xf200; m&#xf200;c &#xf10a;&#xf200;lg&#xf200;n&#xf200;iġ do ċenel &#xf10a;oġ&#xf200;in mic Neill, &#xf200;bb Bennch&#xf200;ir &#xf200;gus ro benn&#xf200;igh fos in &#xf201;lb&#xf200;in .i. in &#xf201;pur Cross&#xf200;n, &#xf200;nno Domini 721, octmog&#xf200;t bli&#xf200;d&#xf200;n &#xf200; &#xf200;eir &#xf200;n t&#xf200;n ro f&#xf200;id &#xf200; spir&#xf200;t. Su&#xf200;i&#x1e03;se&#xf200;ch &#xf200;inm &#xf200; m&#xf200;&#xa787;&#x0307;&#xf200;ir. No gomb&#xf200; i Su&#x1e03;&#xa787;&#x0307;&#xf200;in inġen Sedn&#xf200; siur Coṁg&#xf200;ill &#xf200; m&#xf200;&#xa787;&#x0307;&#xf200;ir.</span>
{{col-break}}
“Maelrubha, son of Elganach, of the race of Eoghan, son of Niall, abbot of Benchar; and he blessed also [a place] in Scotland, ''i.e''., in Apur Crossan, {{smallcaps|a.d}}. 721. Eighty years was his age when he resigned his spirit. Suaibhsech the name of{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/263/mode/1up 263]}} his mother. Or, it was Subtan, daughter of Sedna, sister of Comgall, was his mother.”
{{col-end}}

<small>
# The notes on the Feilire are ascribed by Colgan to Cathal Magnire, a canon of Armagh, who died in 1498. The present gloss is cited in Dr Todd's “Introduction to the Book of Obits of Christ Church,” p. 58. 
# ''Conpur'' seems to be an error for ''Apur'', as the contraction O, which represents ''con'', may easily have been mistaken for ''a''. 
# <span class="insular">Cresen</span> might mean “devout,” or “righteons man.” But it is more likely that ''Crossan'' was the ancient name of the Applecross river. 
</small>


From the above, it may be seen that all the Irish authorities, both 
Annals and Calendars, are unanimous in referring his death to the 21st 
of April. 

The following is a connected summary of the preceding observations:—
St Maelrubha, son of Elgana and Subtan, descended on his father's side 
from Niall the Great, through the Cinel Owen race; and by his mother, 
from the Dalaradian stock, and, through her, nearly related to St Comgall, 
was born on the 3d of January 642. He received his early training at 
his kinsman's famous monastery of Bangor, where he rose so much in 
esteem that, according to some authorities, he became the abbot, or what 
is more probable, was appointed to the subordinate station of prior. In 
671, having attained his twenty-ninth year, he left his native country 
and withdrew to Scotland. Two years, which were probably spent in 
choosing a place of abode, having elapsed, he settled in 673, at Apurcrossan, 
on the north-west coast of Scotland, where he founded a church, 
which became the nucleus of a conventual establishment, following the 
order of Bangor, and for a long period affiliated to that monastery. 
After a presidency of fifty-one years, during which time he enjoyed a 
character of great sanctity, he died a natural death at Apurcrossan, on 
Tuesday, the 21st day of April 722, at the age of eighty years, three 
months, and nineteen days. 

Such is the Irish statement of his history, and it is too circumstantial 
and too well attested to admit of its being called in question. Scottish 
authorities, while they agree with the Irish in coupling the name and 
memory of the saint with Applecross, as his principal church, differ very 
materially from them as to his date, history, and festival. Indeed, it is 
difficult to avoid the alternative of supposing that they have confounded 
the acts of two saints, or, that a good deal of what is set down to Maelrubha 
by them, is gathered from comparatively recent and debased tradition. 
I shall adduce these writers in their order of age, premising that 
the day which all Scottish calendars and writers, with one exception, 
have chosen for the saint's festival, is the 27th of August.{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/264/mode/1up 264]}} 


The [[Aberdeen Breviary|Breviary of Aberdeen]] in its calendar, at the vi, kal. Sept., notices 
''Maelrubii abbatis, medice lectiones de sancto Rupho, novem lectones''. In the 
Proprium Sanctorum, at same day, we find an office of nine lessons, the 
middle three of which are devoted to St Ruffas of the Roman Martyrology. 
The compiler of the principal legend of the day evidently was in 
the dark as regarded the history of St Malrubius, and records, as will 
presently be shown, no more authentic matter in the narrative than a 
peasant could at this day collect in the regions where the saint's memory 
is preserved. 

''Lec. i''. “Malrubii martyris Christi transitum de mnndo celebraturi 
dignis cum laudibus ejus commemoracionem in hymnis psallendo et canticis 
transigemus et obDei reverenciam diem presentemdiligenter decorare 
studebimus Nee vestras subterfugiat sanctitates hunc quem colimus virum 
sub regula et habitu monachali longos vite sue in calamitate et miseria 
trivisse dies. Fidei incredulos ac gentilium paganos suis doctrina et predicacione 
ad religionem quam profitemur christianam convertendo. ''Lec. ii''. 
Sed ne dies predara ilia de qua locuti fuimus absque miraculorum per Dei 
virum gestorum narracionis [''recte'' narratione transeat] ea paucis taxando 
ubi plurima quam tempus patitur augustia fuerint [''recte'' plurima temporis 
non patitur angustia] declarabimus. Nam cum nonnulli malarum cogitacionum 
viri de Norvagii regniculo navigio Rossie confinibus applicarent: 
beatum audientes Malrubium alienam ab eorum gentilitate fidem predicantem 
sanguinolentas in Dei unctum intulerunt manus ac gladios de 
vaginis extrahentes funestos beatum Dei virum tanquam agnum mansuetum 
et pium pro Christi nomine pacientem crudelius quam enarrari posset 
percuBserunt et vulneraverunt: et tanquam mortuum in campis silvestribus 
canibus et avibus devorandum reliquerunt. ''Lec, iii''. Beatum itaque corpusculum 
per triduum semivivum incognitum populo jacebat Attamen 
per angeloB Dei oontinua consolaoione et visitacione a multis visum est 
associatum. Locus tamen ubi corpus exanime incubuit fulgore nimio coruscare 
pluribus apparuit qui illic venientes beatum Malrubium in agone 
laborantem reperierunt sed eo sanguine et corpore Jesu Christi immaculati 
agni participati [''recte'' participate] dominum laudando cum sancta 
pacientia et senectute bona in fata decessit corpusque ad basilicam que a 
vulgo dicitur Appillcroce transferri et ibidem tradi sepulture mandavit. 
At ne sanguis beati martyris preoiosus in terram effusus absque veneracione{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/265/mode/1up 265]}} 


relinqueretur Illo in loco in honore martyris noBtri sacratissimi ex 
inciso robore satis reverenter eztructa est capella que postea in parrochialem 
erigitur ecclesiam que in presens Urqubard ab illius terre incolis 
vocitatur. (''Tres medie Lectiones de sancto Rupho martyre''). ''Lec. vii'', Interim 
populo alia qiiamplurima contingebant fieri miracula Dani adversus insulanes 
bella moventes ad prefatam ecclesiam de Appilcroce navigio terram 
illam vi et armis expngnandam et depredandam arripnerunt: verum quia 
terre circumvicinei per sena a dicta ecclesia miliaria immunitatis beati viri 
meritis gaudet privilegio eandem a quibuscunque minus juste depredari 
minime permittit Dani vero de premissis cerciorati Dei vindictam non formidantes 
in beati Malrubii contemptum sacerdotibus et aliis ecclesie ministris 
in obprobrium datis victualia et animalia cum quibus sese sustentare 
deberent yi et palam abstulerunt et rapuerunt atque licet ciborum inedia 
astricti fuerant (justo Dei judicio) suis cum rapinis navibus festinarunt 
Nam cum tanta prohibuit mora quod illo in territorio manducare nee bibere 
potuerantvelisque extensis mare minime agitato ventis sed tranquillo prospero 
ut apparuit cursu navigantes videntibus cunctis eosdem mare omnes 
simul consumpsit et exsorbuit.{{NoteTag|Here Reeves shares the original Latin version of the lessons of St Malrubius from the [[w:Roman Breviary#Proprium Sanctorum|Proprium Sanctorum]]. Lec. ii tells the story of the men of the kingdom of Norway drawing swords from their sheaths and killing Malrubia. And in Lec. vii, Reeves gets this idea that, "in after-times the lands of Applecross, in a radius of six miles from the saint's church, enjoyed the rights of sanctuary and immunity."<br><br>

The actual text, though, appears to be less specific. From [[Google Translate]]:
:Lec. vii. The Danes, having waged war against the islanders, took that land by force and arms to the aforesaid church of Appilcroce by boat, to seize and plunder it: but since the surrounding land, by the fence of the said church, enjoys the privilege of miles of immunity by virtue of the merits of the blessed man, he does not at all allow it to be plundered by any less justly.}} ''Lec. viij''. Debinc dum prefati insulani 
contra Rossenses quosdam veteres excitarent inimicitias cogitayerunt qualiter 
in eos vindicarent inito eorum consilio in magna virorum copia congregati 
ignorantibus Bossiisqui cum in ecclesia beati Malrubii de Contan 
annuam sanctiviri celebrarent solemnitatem insulani clam noctis sub silencio 
eosdem insidiarunt atque igne ecclesiam prefatam incenderunt in qua 
plusquam centeni cbristiani viri et mulieres ferro et igne extincti sunt quod 
facinus Deus ipse gloriosus qui sanguinis innocencium aspersionis est 
ultor impunitum non permisit. Nam cum quibusdam illorum occisorum 
parentibus beatus vir apparuisset in somnis Bossii in brevi aggregati sunt 
numero verum quamquam insulani illis forciores et pociores fuerint 
nicbilominus Dei et beati viri freti auxilio Bossii insulanos illos ita compescu[er]unt 
et gladio perdomuerunt quod de quincentis armatis triginta 
vix viri evaserant qui etiam servi bostium et dediticii efifecti immo 
omnes tanquam non videntes stupore formidinis perculsi sunt et a pluribus 
adversariis beatus vir baculum gestans manu visus est. ''Lec. ix''. 
Sacerdos quidam parrocbialis inter divina celebranda solemnitatem beati 
martyris Malrubii suis parrocbianis a servilibus observandam serviciis{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/266/mode/1up 266]}} 

<small>
# See the Gaelic name ''Comrich'', infra; and the Saxon ''Girth'', infra. 
</small>


precepit parrochiani autem illi quia autumnas instabat grana usque ad 
vesperam non obstante metebant pauloque ante singule domus meteucium 
sponte igne accense sunt verum quidam devotus diem martyris 
solemniter celebrabat in divinis. Ita contigit quod singule domus incendio 
consumpte sunt illius devoti yiri dome que aliis domibus contigua fuerat 
tantum excepta. Et cum illi messores domesticas suas res de eisdem 
domibus adversus ventum extraherent sicut fecerat iste devotus 
Ventus yero in aliam versus est regionem: et res ille que premitus 
a vento salve fuerint igne adversante similiter exhauste sunt Bebus illius 
viri aliis in medio admixtis integre permanentibus.<sup>1</sup> 

The purport of this narrative is, that a body of pagan Norwegians, 
landing on the eastern shores of Ross, slew Malrubius, and dragged his 
body into the thickets to be devoured by wild beasts. That his martyrdom 
occurred at Urquhard, and that on the spot where he suffered, a 
wooden chapel was at first constructed, which was subsequently superseded 
by the parish church of Urquhart or Ferintosh. That his body 
was removed from this place and carried to Applecross, where it was 
solemnly interred. That in after-times the lands of Applecross, in a 
radius of six miles from the saint's church, enjoyed the rights of sanctuary 
and immunity; but the Danes, who invaded the district, despising 
the privilege, plundered the priests and ministers of the monastery, and 
carried the booty to their ships. Yet the vengeance of Providence overtook 
them, for they perished in the tranquil sea. On another occasion 
the Islanders surprised the Rossmen who were assembled in St Malrubius's 
church of Contan, keeping the saint's festival, and burned the 
church with above a hundred men and women in it. But the Rossmen 
assembling and suddenly attacking the invaders, overthrew them so 
signally, that of five hundred scarcely thirty survived. Lastly, it happened 
that one year some people, anxious to anticipate the advancing 
autumn, neglected to observe the saint's festival, being busily occupied 
in reaping, for which their houses took fire and were consumed, while 
one adjoining house, belonging to a man who respected the saint and 
kept his holiday, was miraculously left intact.{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/267/mode/1up 267]}} 

<small>
# Breviarii Aberdonensis, Part. Estiv., Propr. Sanct. foll. 89 ''bb''—91 ''aa'' (Reprint). 
</small>


The next authority is an Aberdeen martyrology preserved in the 
University Library of Edinburgh: “vi. Kal. Sept. In Scotia sancti 
Malrubii martyris sepultus apud Appilhorss, Rossensis dyocesis. Cujus 
tanto sperabatur in partibus illis beatitudo in patria quanto ejusdem 
miranda apud illam indomitam gentem comprobatur probitas et 
patientia.”<sup>1</sup> 

Adam King's Calendar at the 27th of August has: “S. Malrube 
heremeit and mart. be ye daneis at mame in scot. vnder king malcolme 2. 
—1024.” 

Whom Camerarius follows: Aug. 27. “S. Malrubius Martyr a Noruegis. Celebris habetur in Mernia.”<sup>2</sup>

Dempster, in his Menologium, has: “Julius xxvii. Marnæ Malrubi 
Eremitæ et martyris a Danis interfecti.” And again, “Augustus xxvii. 
In Scotia Malrubi Eremitæ.”<sup>3</sup> In his larger work he is more explicit: 
“S. Malrubus erėmiticam vitam sanctissime professus Danis sub Malcolmo 
II. Scotiam ferocissime incursantibus ad Marnam, quam toties 
optavit, martyrii palmam tandem recepit. Apices tantum operum invenio 
cum ea perierint. scripserat autem—

<center>De imitatione Sanctorum, Lib. i. </center>
<center>De Christiaiia perfectione, Lib. i. </center>

Vixit anno {{smallcaps|mxxiv}}. Recolitur ejus memoria die xxvij Augusti.”<sup>4</sup> 

Bishop Keith copies the entry in Adam King, but unhappily turns 
''Marne'' into ''Nairn''.<sup>5</sup> 

The Bollandists, following Dempster, notice the saint under the 27th 
of July,<sup>6</sup> but they refer to the 27th of August for his acts. Under the 
latter day they cite the lessons of the Breviary of Aberdeen, but fall into{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/268/mode/1up 268]}} 

<small>
# Proceedings of the Society of Antiqaaries of Scotland, vol, ii. p. 267. 
# De Scotoram Fortitudine, p. 176 (Paris, 1681). 
# Tho. Dempsteri Menologii, pp. 18, 21 (Bonon. 1622). 
# Tho. Dempsteri Hist. Eccles. Gent. Sector.; vol. ii. p. 450* (Repr. 1829.) 
# Histor. Catal. of Bishops, p. 878 (Edinb. 1824). 
# Acta Sanctorum, Julii, tom. vi. p. 352 ''b''. 
</small>


the error of making the place of his martyrdom to be Marnia or Mernis;<sup>1</sup> 
while Patrick Ninian Wemyss, cited by them, fixes it “penes Nairnam 
non procul ab Invernesso.” They are again in error in taking exception 
to the supposed identity of Malrubius and Rufus:—“Undo censemus, 
non satis cum vero consentire, quæ scribit Wemyssius antea allegatus; 
Suspicor hunc Malrubium eundem esse cum famoso illo Rossensium eremita, 
de quo mira narrantur, quem illi Melrigam vocant: quia narravit 
mihi P. Macra noster, eis in oris missionarius, et amicus meus, Rossos 
suum eremitam latinè Rufum dicere: jam Malrubius et Rufus non multum discrepant.”<sup>2</sup> 

Alban Butler, in deference to both Scottish and Irish, notices two Malrubii; 
the one at April 21, whom he represents as “of Abur-Crossain, 
in the county of Ross in Ireland,” who was slain by Norway pirates in 
721; having “his festival in Connaught.”<sup>3</sup> The other, as leading an 
eremitical life in Scotland, and murdered by the Norwegians about the 
year 1040. The note adds, that “he is not to be confounded with St 
Malrubius who is honoured on the 21st of April.”<sup>4</sup> Thus this amiable 
writer makes confusion doubly confounded. 

The sagacious Thomas Innes, however, was not to be misled by the 
conjectural dates of Adam King, nor even by his native calendars: 
“About the same time lived among the Picts, S. Maolrubius or Mulruy, 
a religious man of great sanctity of life, who being slain by the Danes 
or Norwegians in an invasion they made into Ross, a.d. 721, was buried 
at Apercross, and his memory celebrated as a Martyr upon 21st of 
April.”<sup>5</sup> Here it is to be observed that he borrows the day and year 
from the Irish authorities, but introduces the Scottish tradition of the 
martyrdom, which is not borne out by any ancient record. It is also 
open to the serious objection, that the Northmen had not commenced 
their recorded ravages of North Britain so early as the year 721.<sup>6</sup>{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/269/mode/1up 269]}} 

<small>
# ''Marnia'', alias The Mearns, was an old name of Kincardineshire. But may not Marnia have been a name for the district about Urqnhart also ? 
# Acta Sanctor. Ang., tom. vi. pp. 181, 182. 
# Lives of the Saints, April 21. 
# Ibid. Aug. 27. 
# Civil and Eccles. Hist. of Scotland, p. 819 (Spalding Club). He is styled ''martyr'' in the legal records of 1548, 1549, in Appendix ''infra''. 
# The first inroad of the Danes on England was {{smallcaps|a.d}}. 787 (Saxon Chron.); the first in Ireland in 795. In 794 and 798 the island of Britain was ravaged by them; and in 802 and 806 Hy was plundered by them; and these appear to have been the earliest ecclesiastical spoliations. Hence we may pronounce a Danish or Norse descent on Ross in 721 to be a fable. </small>


We can easily suppose this story of S. Malrubha's martyrdom by the 
Danes to have been invented, or borrowed from some later ecclesiastic's 
history, but it is not so easy to account for the discrepancy regarding 
the saint's festival in Ireland, April 21, in Scotland August 27. The 
best solution seems to be afforded by the partial coincidence in sound of 
the name Mal-''rubius'' with ''Rufus''. St Ruphus or Rufus, of Capua, was a 
follower of St Apollinaris, an alleged disciple of St Peter. His day in 
the Roman Calendar is August 27th; and he is thence transferred into 
the Irish and Scottish Calendars. Marian Gorman has ''Ruffus'' at this 
day, and the Feilire of Ængus devotes a quatrain to him: 

::::<span class="insular">Drong in m&#xf200;rtir gl&#xf200;nb&#xf200;i </span><br>
::::<span class="insular">Ruphin c&#xf200;in combinde </span><br>
::::<span class="insular">Co rig nel noem ndoe </span><br>
::::<span class="insular">Luid tre roe rinde. </span><br>

::::ʻThe party of that pure martyr, <br>
::::Ruphin the gentle and sweet: <br>
::::To the king of the limitless clouds <br>
::::He went through a field of spears.ʼ <br>

The Scottish calendar in like manner notices him together with Maelrubha, 
and inserts his lessons in the body of the other saint's. Therefore 
it is possible that the early compilers of the Scottish calendar, finding 
''Ruphus'' fixed through Christendom to this day, grafted on the name the 
memory of Mael-''Rubha'': and in support of this hypothesis, it may be 
mentioned that an island off Applecross, now called Croulin Beg, was 
formerly styled ''St Ruphus's Island'', and that in a native authority our 
saint is called “St Rice or Rufus.”<sup>1</sup> In the case of three or four other 
churches,<sup>2</sup> the patron St Rufus seems to be none other than our Maelrubha. 
Or, it may be that the observance of the festival of the ''Translation'',{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/270/mode/1up 270]}}

<small>
# Collectanea de Rebus Albanicis, p. 304. 
# See the list of churches ''ifra'', under Harris, Keith, Crail. Rafford, in Elgin, was anciently ''Ecclesia de Ruffus'',-0ld Stat. Ac. xvi. 338. 
</small>


or of some such ceremony, instead of the ''dies natalis'', as has occasionally 
happened, may in this case have given rise to the different 
usages of the two sister churches. Indeed the gloss on the Feilire of 
Ængus already cited, seems to imply another commemoration, when at 
the 21st of April it significantly observes, “this is the festival of his 
death.” Even Dempster wavers between July 27 and August 27. 

One point more deserves to be noticed before I treat in detail of the 
churches where St Maelrubha is venerated, namely, the endless variety 
under which his name is presented, both simply and in combination. 

Preserving the radical letters, we find it in the forms—
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
Mulruby, <br>
Mulrew, 
{{col-break}}
Malruf, <br>
Malrew, 
{{col-break}}
Malrou, <br>
Mulruy, 
{{col-break}}
Molroy, <br>
Melriga. 
{{col-end}}
Dropping the ''l'' from ''maol'', we observe it contracting into— 
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
Marow, <br>
Morew, 
{{col-break}}
Marrow, <br>
Morow, 
{{col-break}}
Maro, <br>
Murruy, 
{{col-break}}
Maroy, <br>
Mareve, 
{{col-end}}
And by a further process becoming—
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
Măree, 
{{col-break}}
Mărie, 
{{col-break}}
Măry, 
{{col-break}}
Mury, 
{{col-end}}
which is the prevalent pronunciation of the name in Rosshire and 
Argyle, and in speaking is sufficiently distinct from Māry the female 
name, though on paper it is apt to be confounded with it, and has in 
many instances caused the patronage of ancient churches under Celtic 
foundation to be transferred to the Virgin Mary<sup>1</sup> instead of St Maelrubha, 
thereby assigning her a distinction which was very sparingly, if 
ever, accorded to her in the early Scotic Church, whose favourite practice 
was to adopt the founder's name, and limit the honour to native merit. 

Again, another process drops the initial letter of the names in composition, and thus we get—
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
Arrow, 
{{col-break}}
Erew, 
{{col-break}}
Errew, 
{{col-break}}
Olrou. 
{{col-end}}
A further retrenchment discards the first element of the compound 
name, which gives us—
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
Rice, 
{{col-break}}
Ro, 
{{col-break}}
Row, 
{{col-break}}
Ru, 
{{col-break}}
Rufus, 
{{col-break}}
Ruvius,{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/271/mode/1up 271]}}
{{col-end}}

<small>
# An accomplished Irish antiquary, Charles Haliday, Esq., states that in no case was there an ancient Irish dedication to the Virgin Mary—St Brigid being the female of highest honour; but that the Danes discarded her, adopting Mary instead, and even changing some existing churches to her invocation. A favourite title for St Brigid was “the Mary of the Irish.” See Dr Todd's “Liber Hymnorum,” part i. p. 64. 
</small>


And, to crown all, by an inverse process, the natives on the east side of 
Scotland, less inclined to hurry off the honoured sound, combine both 
name and title, running ''Saint Malrubhe'' into the euphonistic form of 
''Summereve'', and this again diverging into the local varieties of—
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
Summaruff, <br>
Samarvis, 
{{col-break}}
Samarive, <br>
Samervis, 
{{col-break}}
Samarevis, <br>
Smarevis, 
{{col-break}}
Samerivis, <br>
Smarivis. 
{{col-end}}


<center>{{smallcaps|Chapter II.—Local Commemorations}}. </center>

<center>{{smallcaps|i. applecross.}}</center>

{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
<div><span class="insular" style="text-weight:bold;">&#xf201;porcros&#xf200;n</span> [Tigh. 673; </div>
<div style="padding-left:150px;">iv. Mast. 671, 797]</div>
<div><span class="insular" style="text-weight:bold;">&#xf201;porcross&#xf200;n</span> [Tigh. 722; </div>
<div style="padding-left:150px;">An. Ult. 672] </div>
<div><span class="insular" style="text-weight:bold;">&#xf201;puor cros&#xf200;n</span> [Ib. 737] </div>
<div><span class="insular" style="text-weight:bold;">&#xf201;purcros&#xf200;n</span> [An. Ult. 801; </div>
<div style="padding-left:150px;">iv. Mast. 721]</div> 
<div><span class="insular" style="text-weight:bold;">&#xf201;purcrosson</span> [An. Ult. 721] </div>
<div><span class="insular" style="text-weight:bold;">Cros&#xf200;n</span> [An. Ult. 736] </div>
{{col-break}}
<div><span class="insular" style="text-weight:bold;">&#xf201;bur Chresen</span> [Gloss. Feilire] </div>
<div><span class="insular" style="text-weight:bold;">&#xf201;purcross&#xf200;n</span> [Mar. Gorm.; </div>
<div style="padding-left:150px;">Cal. Doneg. 21 Apr.] </div>
<div>Appilcroce [Brev. Aberd.] </div>
<div>Appillcroce [Ibid.] </div>
<div>Appilhors [Mart. Aberd.] </div>
<div>Apilcroce [Reg. Sec. Sig. </div>
<div style="padding-left:150px;">1540, 1583] </div>
<div>Abilcors [Ib. 1548, 1549] </div>
<div>Apelcroce [Retour, 1662] </div>
<div>Apilgirth [MS. 1640]<ref name="Map images 2022 f209">{{cite map |author = |title = [A map of Scotland, north of Loch Linnhe and the River Dee and west of the River Deveron] |date = c. 1640 |url = https://maps.nls.uk/view/00000185#zoom=7&lat=2653&lon=753&layers=BT|scale = |series = |publisher = |cartography = Robert Gordon|location =  |id =Adv.MS.70.2.10 (Gordon 3) |via=[[National Library of Scotland]]|access-date = 21 Feb 2024}}</ref></div>
{{col-end}}

This name in its original form, as supplied by early Irish records, is 
manifestly compounded of ''Apur'' or ''Apor'',<sup>1</sup> the old form of the British 
''Aber'', which signifies “the mouth of a river;” and ''Crossan'' the name of 
the stream which flows into the bay a little west of the church. This old 
name of the river is locally forgotten, and, instead of it, they use the 
borrowed designation ''Abhuin Mareee, i.e.'' “Maree's River,” or the ''Applecross''{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/272/mode/1up 272]}}

<small>
# This word is unknown in Ireland, and does not exist among the Irish branch of the Celtic race. ''Inver'' is the term commonly employed in Ireland, as it is on the west side of Scotland. ''Aber'' prevails on the east side. The existence of an ''Aber'' in the eighth century, on the west side of Ross-shire, indicates a Pictish occupation of the district previously to that time. See Adamnan's account of the Pict who was ferried over to Skye to be baptized by St Columba. Vit. i. 88 (p. 62, ed. Reeves). 
</small>


''River'', as it is marked on the county maps. In all the Irish authorities 
which notice the place, the word is found in its correct form; but 
in all existing Scottish records, and in the language of the Gaelic-speaking 
natives, it is called Appilcross or Applecross. We have no means of 
ascertaining at what period the ''apur'' passed into ''apil'', and ''crossan'' into 
''cross'', but the change probably arose from a tendency to facilitate the 
utterance of the compound. 

In the modern etymology of the name, we have a striking example of 
the literary loss which a country sustains in the destruction of her primitive 
records, and of the childish extravagance into which even men of 
sense and education may run, when they have no other guide in etymology 
than untutored conjecture. “Applecross,” says the Rev. John 
M'Queen, a clergyman who knew Gaelic as well as English, “is a fanciful 
designation assumed by one of the proprietors of that part of the parish, 
from which it derives its name. In commemoration of this, five apple  
trees were planted cross-ways, and have since, in form, been perpetuated 
by his successors.”<sup>1</sup> This was written in or before the year 1792; but 
the derivation seemed too good to be abandoned, and so late as 1836, 
the Rev. Roderick M'Rae, impressed with the same idea, states that “the 
modern name Applecross was given to the parish by the gentleman who 
was proprietor of the ''Comaraiek'' estate, at the time of the erection: in 
commemoration of which event, five apple trees had been planted crossways 
in the proprietor's garden.”<sup>2</sup> 

When the writer of the present paper visited Applecross, in 1854, he 
was informed by the then minister that the cross trees which yielded 
the name were ''chesnut'' instead of ''apple !'' A communication lately 
received from the spot suggests a solution by supposing '' a cross of trees 
with a crab-apple in the centre.” Another and more ecclesiastical 
version of the etymology is, that every apple which grew in the monks' 
garden was marked with the sign of the cross.' 

Nay, the tendency which exists in the Celtic mind for quasi and fanciful 
etymologies will not allow even the common Gaelic designation of the 
sanctuary-land to escape. The Breviary of Aberdeen states, that the{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/273/mode/1up 273]}} 

<small>
# Old Statistical Account of Scotland, vol. iii. p. 869. 
# New Statistical Account of Scotland, vol. xi7. (Ross-shire), p. 100. 
# Anderson's Guide Book, p. 481. 
</small>


privileged territory of this church extended six miles from it in all 
directions. This tract was vernacularly called ''Comrich'' or ''Comaraigh'', 
which is equivalent to ''Girth'' or ''Sanctuary'',<sup>1</sup> and is rightly interpreted by 
the contributors to both Statistical Accounts. Yet local etymology suggests ''Comchris'', “a belly-belt,” because the man who first landed pulled 
off his bellyband, and flung it before him on the shore, crying out, ''Mo'' 
''chomchris ort'', “My belly-belt upon you.” The place where he landed is 
still marked by four trees on the side of the bay, about a hundred yards 
south of the well!

====<center style="font-family:"IM Fell DW Pica";font-size:16.1px;font-style:italic;">''Abbots and Ministers.''</center>====

[[Máel Ruba|Maelrubha]] the founder, of whom we have already treated, was succeeded 
in [[St. Maelrubha's monastery at Aporcrosan|Apurcrossan]] by Failbhe, son of Gruaire, who perished at sea in 737, as 
is thus recorded by the annalist Tighernach:—''Failbe mac Guaire,'' ''
''Maeleirebai eiris'' [rectè ''Maelertihai Heres''], i. e. ''Apuorcrosain, in profundo ''
''pelagi dimersus est cum suis nautis numero xxii''.<sup>2</sup><ref name="Tigernach T737.2" /> Or, as the Annals of 
Ulster, at 736, ''Faelbe filius Guaire Maelrubii, heres Crosain, in profundo'' 
''pelagi dimersus est cum suis nautis numero xxii''.<sup>3</sup><ref name="Annals of Ulster U737.2" /> Or, as the Four Masters, 
at 732: <span class="insular">F&#xf200;il&#x1e03;e m&#xf200;c &#xa77d;u&#xf200;ipe coṁ&#xf200;rb&#xf200; M&#xf200;oileru&#x1e03;&#xf200; do &#x1e03;&#xf200;&#xa787;&#x0307;&#xf200;d go bfoirinn &#xf200; luinge amaille fris. Dias ar fiċit allion.</span> “Failbhe, son of 
Guaire, successor of Maelrubha, was drowned, and the crew of his ship 
together with him. Two and twenty their number.”<sup>4</sup><ref name="Masters M732.5" /> These twenty-two 
were probably brethren of the community of Applecross, who, like 
the congregation of Hy, were trained to a seafaring as well as agricultural life. 

In the course of the same century, a member of the family of Apurcrossan 
became abbot of Bangor in the Ards of Ulster, the institution of 
which, as has been already observed, St Maelrubha had originally been a 
member. His obit is thus recorded by the Annals of Ulster, {{smallcaps|a.g.}} 801: 
''Mac Oigi Apuirchrosan ab Benchair feliciter vitam in pace finivit'',<sup>5</sup><ref name="Annals of Ulster U802.5" /> Of 
this MacOigi we hear nothing further; but the writer of this paper is{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/274/mode/1up 274]}} 

<small>
# Styled ''Refugium lie Girth'', in Append., No. viii., ''infra''. 
# O'Conor, Rer. Hib. Script., vol. ii. p. 241. 
# ''Ibid'', vol. iv. p. 86. 
# Vol. i. p. 829 (ed. O'Donovan). ''Vid''. Colgani Acta Sanctor., p. 576 <span class="insular" style="text-weight:bold;">g</span>, n. 8. See Reeves's Columba, p. 885. 
# O'Conor, Rer. Hib. SS., vol. iv. p. 198. So the Four Masters at 797. 
</small>


strongly of opinion that he is the individual familiarly known at Applecross 
as Ruaidhri mor MacCaoigan, whose tombstone the slab bearing 
the incised cross (certainly the monument of an ecclesiastic) is said to be. 
MacCaoigan may, without any straining, be traced to MacOigi, the last 
letter of the ''mac'' being attracted to the following vowel.<sup>1</sup> 

This is the last reference to the place in the Irish Annals, and, it may 
be said, in all existing records, until it makes its appearance as “ane 
commoun kirk of the bischoprik of Ros.”<sup>2</sup><ref name="Reg Sec Sig vol. 7 p. 39" />{{NoteTag|Reeves makes a very important statement here. The last reference to Maelrubha's monastery was made in the Irish Annals in the year 801. We do not have surviving records from the monastery itself. For over 700 years, there is no mention of Maelrubha's monastery.

He quotes here ''[[Origines parochiales Scotiae (vol. 2)|Origines parochiales Scotiae]]'' which states, “In 1574 Murquho or Murdoch Johnnestoun was reader at Apilcroce, and in 1575 he was presented by King James VI. to the parsonage and vicarage of Apilcroce, 'being ane commoun kirk of the bischoprik of Ros.'”{{sfn|Innes|1854|p=[https://archive.org/details/originesparoc97a02unknuoft/page/403/mode/1up 403]}}

It's interesting that Reeves says that this is its next appearance. Reeves himself includes in this paper [[#appendix|transcriptions]] of several “Presentations to the church of Applecross copied from the [[The Register of the Privy Seal]].”

The earliest, dated November 23, 1515, mentions the two chaplaincies lying and founded below the parish church of Abilcros under the diocese of Ross.<ref name="Reg Sec Sig vol. 1 p. 409" />

The next, dated May 28, 1539, pertains to “the chaplaincy of the chapel of Saint Mulrubi in Apilcors”, indicating that Maelrubha's association with the area was still known in the 16th century.<ref name="Reg Sec Sig vol. 2 p. 450" />

Reeves's point still stands, though. There is no mention in the records of Maelrubha or a church or monastery at Applecross for over 700 years. When it does appear again, it is, as he points out, a common kirk in the bishopric of Ross.

All of the statements Reeves proceeds to make regarding an O'Beollan family that inherited and cared for the monastery after Maelrubha's time are, therefore, complete speculation, pieced together from very few tidbits found in documents produced many centuries after the lifetimes of the people concerned.}} There exists, indeed, a vivid 
tradition of an individual styled the ''Red Priest of Applecross'', who is said 
to have conveyed to his daughter the rich estates with which this church 
was endowed,<ref name="Old Stat Acc vol. 3 p. 379" /> and which, down to his time, had been enjoyed by his predecessors in office.<sup>3</sup>{{NoteTag|This idea of a "[[#tradition|vivid tradition]]" appears to have come from stories told to Reeves by the minister of Lochcarron. Reeves references here, though, the ''[[Source:Old Statistical Accounts (Applecross)|Old Statistical Accounts of Scotland]]'' published in 1792. It says that, in the parish of Applecross, "Close by the parish church, are the remains of an old religious house, where the standard and soles of crucifixes are still to be seen. It was richly endowed with landed property, which tradition relates to have been conveyed, by the last Popish missionary, in the place known by the designation of the ''Red Priest of Applecross'', to his daughter."{{sfn|McQueen|1792|p=[https://archive.org/details/b21365799_003/page/379/mode/1up 379]}} He appears to take directly from the ''Old Statistical Account'' this idea that a ''Red Priest of Applecross'' was the last in a long line of caretakers.<br><br>

Reeves translates the name Maelrubha to ''Mael'' “a servant” and Rubha “patience” or “promontory”. What he seems to be missing, though, is that Maelrubha also came to be known in some contexts as Sagart Ruadh or ''Red Priest''.{{sfn|Scott|1909|p=[https://archive.org/details/scottishhistoric06edinuoft/page/260/mode/1up 260]}}<ref name="Pictish Trail">{{cite web | title=The Red Priest’s Stone | website=Highland Pictish Trail | date=13 Oct 2021 | url=https://highlandpictishtrail.co.uk/project/red-priests-stone/ | access-date=11 Nov 2023}}</ref> Therefore, this same passage can also be read as the last Popish missionary who lived in the place known by the designation of the ''Red Priest of Applecross'', or Máel Ruba's monastery at Applecross, conveyed the richly endowed lands of the old religious house to his daughter.}} 

It would seem that the office of ''herenach'', or hereditary farmer of 
abbey-lands, which was originally, both in Ireland and Scotland, of a 
clerico-secular character, was, in the case of this church, early vested in 
the family of O'Beollan.<sup>4</sup>{{NoteTag|In the footnote here, Reeves mentions the [[Irish Ó Beólláin]] family who were herenachs of St Columba's church of Drumcliff, near Sligo.<ref>{{cite web | last=Woulfe | first=Patrick | title=Ó Beólláin | website=Irish Names and Surnames | date=1923 | url=https://www.libraryireland.com/names/ob/o-beollain.php | access-date=9 Nov 2023}}</ref> Comgall, who was an uncle or grand-uncle of Maelrubha,  was an associate, or possibly disciple, of Columba.{{sfn|Archer|1887|loc=[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/s:Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Comgall Comgall]}}<br><br>

Reeves finds in a 17th century manuscript a Patrick Obeolan, surnamed the Red. The manuscript states that, “This surname Obeolan was the surnames of the Earls of Ross, till Farquar, born in Ross, was created earl by King Alexander, and so carried the name of Ross since, as best answering the English tongue. This Obeolan had its descent of the ancient tribe of the Manapii; of this tribe is also St Rice or Rufus.”<ref name="Collectanea p. 304" /> <br><br>

Reeves takes this St Rice or Rufus to be Maelrubha and Patrick Obeolan to be the Red Priest of Applecross, which allows him to make the leap that this Scottish surname Obeolan is of the same family as the Irish Ó Beólláins. The similarity of these two names was the extent of the evidence he had to conclude that Irish Ó Beólláin family of St Columba's church were the ancestors of a hereditary family of Maelrubha's monastery.}} They were of Irish extraction, and of the 
same stock as St Maelrubha, the founder, although their exact descent 
is forgotten. In the present instance, as in the richly-endowed churches 
of Dull and Glendochart in Scotland,<sup>5</sup> and of Armagh and Bangor in 
Ireland, the secular functions of the herenach in process of time gained 
upon the clerical; and the transmission of the estates, which was originally 
by election in the founder's kin at large, became limited in direct 
succession, marriage on the part of the tenants being both allowed and 
practised. In this manner the church-lands of Applecross became an 
heirloom in one family, which family, namely O'Beollain, furnished the 
recipient of the first-created earldom of Ross.{{NoteTag|Here Reeves becomes the first to directly claim a connection between {{Fearchar}}, Earl of Ross, and the monastery at Applecross. The validity of this statement hinges entirely on Reeves's assumption that the Red Priest of Applecross was the same man as Patrick Obeolan, surnamed the Red, of the [[Source:Collectanea (Fragment)|Macdonald manuscript]]. The evidence discussed by Reeves's in the remainder of this section does not bear out this conclusion. See ''[[#Discussion|Disscussion]]''.}} The legendary history of 
the MacDonalds, published by the [[Iona Club]], states that “this surname 
Obeolan was the surname of the Earls of Ross, till Farquhar, born in{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/275/mode/1up 275]}} 

<small>
# Thus in Ireland, Mac Artain becomes ''Mac Carton''; Mao Aengusa, ''Mac Gennis''; Loch Oirbsen, ''Loch Corrib''. 
# Orig. Par. Scot., vol. ii. p. 403. 
# Old Stat. Account, vol. iii. p. 379. 
# In Ireland, the [[Irish Ó Beólláin|O'Beollans]] were herenachs of St Columba's church of Drumcliff, near Sligo. (See Reeves's Columba, pp. 279, 400.) 
# See Mr C. Innes's Preface to the Black Book of Taymouth, p. 84; Mr J. Robertson's admirable researches in the Miscellany of the Spalding Club, vol. v. pp. 60, 74 New Stat. Ac, x. p. 765. 
</small>


Ross, was created earl by King Alexander, and so carried the name of 
Ross since, as best answering the English tongue. This Obeolan had 
his descent from the ancient tribe of the Menapii;{{NoteTag|The [[Source:Collectanea (Fragment)|original manuscript]] uses the word [[Manapii]]. The Manapii were an Irish tribe thought, potentially, to be descended from the [[w:Belgae|Belgic]] [[w:Menapii|Menapii]].}} of this tribe is also 
St Rice or Rufus.”<sup>1</sup><ref name="Collectanea p. 304" />{{NoteTag|Here Reeves references directly the [[Source:Collectanea (Fragment)|Macdonald manuscript]] written in the 1660s, but first published in 1847 by the [[Iona Club]]. It is clear that Reeves used this statement about St. Rufus, another name for Maelrubha, to draw a connection between the Red Priest of Applecross and the other Obeolan mentioned in this manuscript, Patrick the Red.<br><br>

What Reeves fails to mention, though, is that the next sentence in this manuscript is, “Patrick was an abbot, and had Carlebay in the Lewis, and the church lands in that country, with 18 merks lands in Lochbroom.”<ref name="Collectanea p. 304" /> This, in no way, connects Patrick the Red with Applecross. In his analysis of the [[1467 manuscript]], [[Ronald and Máire Black|Ronald Black]] concludes that Patrick the Red was probably abbot of Bragar, on the west coast of Lewis, seven miles from Carloway, or Carlebay.{{sfn|Black Nov 2019|pp=[https://www.1467manuscript.co.uk/GreenAbbottBlack%20BLACKforWEB.pdf#page=16 16-23]}}<br><br>

There is also the question of this surname Obeolan. The earls lived in a time before surnames were formalized. [[Timeline of the Earls of Ross|Documents of their day]], circa 1225 to 1372, refer to the Earls of Ross by their title, not a surname. A [[Ane Brieve Cronicle of the Earlis of Ross (manuscript)|manuscript]] found in the Ross seat, [[Balnagown Castle]], thought to be written before 1615, says, "Of this Farquhar descended five earls, being Ross of surname."{{sfn|Baillie|1850|p=[https://archive.org/details/anebrevecronicle1850ross/page/2/mode/1up 2]}}

The first suggestion that their surname would be other than Ross came in 1630, when historian Sir Robert Gordon wrote, “the Earles of Rosse wer first of the surname of Builton.”{{sfn|Gordon|Gordon|1813|p=[https://archive.org/details/genealogicalhist00gord/page/36/mode/1up 36]}}

So, why was a [[Hugh Macdonald, the Sleat historian|Macdonald historian]] writing in the 1660s that “Obeolan was the surnames of the Earls of Ross, till Farquar, born in Ross, was created earl by King Alexander, and so carried the name of Ross since.” What was his source for this information?}}

In the early part of the thirteenth century, a member of this family, 
commonly known by the epithet ''[[Fearchar, Earl of Ross|Mackentagairt]]''—that is, ''Mac-an-tsagairt'', 
“son of the priest”{{NoteTag|Alexander Grant points out "son of the priest", not "son of the abbot".}}—distinguished himself by his military exploits, as is 
recorded in the Chronicle of Melrose, at the year 1215:—“Intraverunt in 
Moreuiam hostes domini Begis Scotie, scilicet, Dovenaldus Ban filius 
MacwiUelmi, et Kennauch mac Art, et filius oujusdam Begis Hibemie, 
cum turba malignantium copiosa; in quos irruens ''Machentagar'' hostes 
regis valide prostravit, quorum capita detruncavit, et novo Begi nova 
munera prsesentavit, xvij. Kal. Julii, propter quod dompnus Rex novum 
militem ipsum ordinavit.”<sup>2</sup><ref name="Early sources vol. 2 p. 404" /> In 1235, in a battle between the King of 
Scots and Galwegians, the same warrior rendered essential service to the 
sovereign: “In principio autem certaminis supervenit Comes Rosensis, 
nomine Mackinsagart, et hostes a tergo invadebat.”<sup>3</sup><ref name="Early sources vol. 2 p. 496" /> This individual 
was probably Ferchar O'Beollan, son of the abbot of Applecross, whose 
lordship was afterwards known as “''Ergadia Borealis'' (i.e., Northern 
Argyle) que est Comitis de Ross.” 

The Red Priest was Gilla Patrick O'Beollan,<sup>4</sup>{{NoteTag|This is the statement made by Reeves that most needs to be examined. His entire theory is based on this assumption. See ''[[#Discussion|Discussion]].}} whose daughter was 
married or handfasted to Alexander, Lord of the Isles of Lochalsh, and 
was mother of Celestine de Insulis,{{NoteTag|Authorities do not agree that the daughter of Patrick the Red was mother of Celestine.}} in whose charter of 1467 these lands 
are included.{{NoteTag|Only one [[Source:NLS, MS. 2131 f.71|charter]] is located pertaining to Celestine de Insulis and dated 1467.{{sfn|Munro|Munro|1986|pp=[https://digital.nls.uk/scottish-history-society-publications/browse/archive/126625683#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=233&xywh=-512%2C107%2C2707%2C2615 141-142]}} This document does not include the lands of Applecross.}} In MacVurrich's Gaelic manuscript he is styled 
''Giolapadruig Ruaidh'', son of Rury, son of the Green Abbot, son of the Earl 
of Ross; the original words being—''Chlann eile ag Alasdair iodhon tutsudion'' 
''inghean Ghille Phadrig Ruaidh mic Raighre mic an Aba Uaine ''
''mhic Iarla Rois do na Rosachadh a shloinneadh'':<sup>5</sup> “Alister had other 
children, the offspring of the daughter of Gillapatrick Roe, son of Rury,{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/276/mode/1up 276]}}

<small>
# Collectanea de Rebus Albanicis, p. 304. 
# Chronica de Mailros, p. 117. 
# lb. p. 145. So Fordun, Scotichron., ix. 49 (vol. ii. p. 61). 
# There is also a tradition of a ''Red Priest'' at Durness and Farr, in Sutherland. See Orig. Par. Scot., vol. ii. part 2, pp. 702, 703, 708. 
# For this extract, as well as for the first suggestions regarding the O'Beollans, I am indebted to my learned and ingenious friend, W. F. Skene, Esq. 
</small>


son of the Green Abbot, son of the Earl of Ross, whose surname was 
''of the Rosses''.<ref name="Book of Clanranald pp. 212-213" />{{sfn|Black Nov 2019|pp=[https://www.1467manuscript.co.uk/GreenAbbottBlack%20BLACKforWEB.pdf#page=1 1-2]}}{{NoteTag|This connection between Patrick the Red and an Earl of Ross does not align with the genealogy of the Green Abbot found in the [[1467 manuscript]]. Although, this is a moot point since there is no connection between this Patrick the Red and the monastery at Applecross.}}

<center>Iarla Rois<br>
{{!}}<br>
Abb Uaine<br>
{{!}}<br>
Ruaidri<br>
{{!}}<br>
Giollapadraig Ruaid.</center>

<span id="tradition"></span>The story of the Red Priest, as now current in the neighbourhood, is 
mixed up with a good deal that is apocryphal. As related to the writer by 
his venerated friend the minister of Lochcarron, it is to the following 
effect:—The Sagart Ruadh, or Red Priest, was married, and had by his 
wife an only child, a female, who was early betrothed to a son of the 
laird of Coul. The Priest is supposed to have been a MacDonald. The 
girl in process of time grew to maturity, when several neighbouring lairds 
strove to win her affections. Among others, Mackenzie of Gairloch, who 
attempted abduction, but paid dearly for his desperate experiment. He 
came by sea with a band of daring men, whom he landed on the shore 
below the manse; and while he remained with a single companion in the 
boat, they proceeded under cover of night to execute his orders. It would 
seem that the Red Priest had previously obtained some secret information 
of their intentions, and was prepared for their reception. So he invited 
them into his house, and received them with seeming hospitality; but, in 
the middle of the entertainment, a body of men who were lying in wait, 
upon a given signal, rushed in and slew all the guests. From the banquet-room 
they hastened to the shore, and there finding the laird, with 
his attendant, they put them, in like manner, to death. All their bodies 
were buried in Applecross churchyard. After this catastrophe a MacDonald 
paid his addresses to the damsel, and was accepted, which so 
exasperated the Mackenzies of Coul, that they came, demanded the lady 
for their chief, and succeeded in scattering the MacDonnells, on whose 
withdrawal the lady was surrendered to them, and with her the lands of 
Applecross.<sup>1</sup> Thus, as the story goes, these lands came into the family 
of Mackenzie,{{NoteTag|On April 22, 1569, in [[The Register of the Privy Seal]], we find the Charter of Confirmation on the charter of fief made by Mr. William Stewart, chaplain of Apilcroce, of half the lands of Bounadell half the lands of Longoll and Athechork half the lands of Kippeche half the lands of Satrell and Drumloy half the lands of Corlmvir half the lands of Corchirie half the lands of Coulnakill half the lands of Ardestaig half the lands of Scheildaig half the lands of Dybege half the lands of Rischill half the lands of Lestang, lying in the county of Ross and the vicecounty of Inverness to [[Roderick Mackenzie, 2nd of Davochmaluag]], grandfather of [[Alexander Mackenzie of Applecross and Coul ( -1650)|Alexander Mackenzie of Applecross and Coul]].<ref name="Proceedings v. 3 pp. 284-285" /> Innes, in ''[[Origines parochiales (vol. 2)|Origines parochiales]]'', calls these lands the chapel lands of Apilcroce.{{sfn|Innes|1854|p=[https://archive.org/details/originesparoc97a02unknuoft/page/393/mode/1up 393]}}}}  with whom they remained till the other day, when, by the{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/277/mode/1up 277]}} 

<small>
# In 1662 John M'Keanzie of Aplecroce was served heir male to his grandfather, Alexander M'Keanzie of Coull, in the lands of Aplecroce.<ref name="Retours vol. 2 R & C 117" /> (Orig. Par., ii. p. 404.) 
</small>


gentle process of legal transfer, they became the property of his Grace 
the Duke of Leeds. 

Another version of the story is: The Red Priest was a MacDonald, 
and the last of that family who was proprietor of these lands. He was 
married to one of the MacKenzies of Ross-shire, by whom he had a son 
called Duncan, the object of his mother's aversion. The Priest was in 
the habit of officiating at Gairloch. On one occasion, while there, his 
wife sent secret emissaries to incite the Gairloch people to kill him. 
This they refused to do while he was on their ground; but while accompanying 
him homewards across the Tourbuoy, between Torridon{{sfn|Watson|1904|p=[https://archive.org/details/placenamesofross00watsuoft/page/210/mode/1up 210]}} and 
Gairloch,{{sfn|Watson|1904|p=[https://archive.org/details/placenamesofross00watsuoft/page/220/mode/1up 220]}} three of them followed him, under the semblance of friendship, 
farther than the rest, and, while parting with him at a bog on the top of 
Tourbuoy, as he turned his back to cross a pool, they stabbed him, and 
the wound being mortal, he expired on the spot. The bog is still called 
''Feith-an-tshagairt'', or “the Priest's Bog.” It is not known where he is 
buried. His son had children whose descendants are said to be still on 
the property. By means of this murder the MacRuries obtained possession 
of the estate. But the papers fell into the hands of the Mackenzies, 
who excluded Duncan, and eventually established themselves 
in possession of the lands. The Red Priest also officiated in a cave in 
this parish, at a place called ''Fearn-na-mor''. The sitting-stones are still 
in the cave, which is called ''Ob-na-nughach''. The reputed descendants of 
the Priest live at Torridon, and they are locally regarded as the rightful 
owners of the property. Their burying-ground is pointed out in the 
churchyard of Applecross, in a spot which was outside the west end of 
the old church. 

But to return to St Maelrubha: the local tradition concerning him is, 
that he came to Applecross from Iona, and made this the principal 
place of his abode during the remainder of his life. He preached in 
various parts of the parish; and the spots called ''Suidhe Maree'' and 
''Loch Maree''<sup>1</sup> are commemorative of his visits. Sometimes he crossed over to 
Skye, and at Ashaig, between Eyleakin and Broadford, he founded a 
church. He also frequented the island in Loch Maree which bears his 
name. He died at Ferintosh, when in the discharge of his sacred calling. 
Before he expired, he gave directions that four men should be sent{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/278/mode/1up 278]}}

<small>
# For their situation, see further on. 
</small>


for to Applecross, who should convey his body thither. But the Ferintosh 
people neglected to fulfil his dying injunctions, for they wished to 
retain his remains in their own churchyard. But when his body was 
placed on rests outside the chamber where he died, in order to its being 
carried to burial, the united efforts of the assembled people were insufficient 
for its removal. Perceiving that some unseen agency operated 
against them, they sent for four Applecross men, who lifted the coffin at 
once, and carried it with such ease that they rested only twice upon the 
road—first at Kennlochewe, at a place called ''Suidhe'', and secondly at 
''Bealach an tsuidhe'', between Shieldag and Applecross. On reaching his 
last home he was solemnly interred in the churchyard, and the spot 
which is supposed to be his grave is marked by a little hillock, called 
''Claodh Maree''. His tombstone, it is said, was sent from Norway by the 
king's daughter, and its material was red granite. Some fragments of 
it are lying about the churchyard. It was broken when the present 
manse was a-building, and, with the debris of the old ruins, was carted 
away for the walls of the dwelling-house. But in the midst of the proceeding 
the work was suspended, in consequence of a dream which the 
master-mason had, wherein he was warned not to touch ''that'' stone. Soon 
after he was thrown from the scaffolding, and his skull fractured on the 
selfsame object of his impiety and dream. 

It is believed that a man who takes about his person a little earth 
from this churchyard may travel the world round, and that he will safely 
return to the neighbouring bay; also, that no one can commit suicide, 
or otherwise injure himself, when within view of this spot. 

<center>''Existing Remains. ''</center>
Near to the bay, a little north of the place where the stream, locally 
known as the ''Amhain Maree'', or Maelrubha's River, falls into the sea, 
is the spacious churchyard, which is entered from the south-west, near 
the Applecross Manse. The first object which attracts attention is the 
upright slab which stands on the sward, facing to the south, and 
bearing the figure of a collared cross, which is clear on the top, and 
left arm, but lower down is merely incised in outline.<sup>1</sup> It is 9{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/279/mode/1up 279]}} 

<small>
# To this Mr Muir refers in the following passage: “Ross-shire is knowm to contain, among many [crosses] of ordinary merit, some very fine specimens; but the only one I have seen is that called the ''Clach Mhor Mac-Cuagan'', in the burying-ground at Applecross. It is a very poor example, 9 feet 4 inches in height, exhibiting a wheel-cross deeply incised on the south face, with its summit above the arms cut out free.” Ecclesiological Notes, &c. (Edinb. 1855), p. 82. 
</small>


feet 3 inches high, 2 feet 10 inches broad, and 2¾ inches thick. It is 
locally called Cloch Ruairidh MacCaoigen, and it is said that it formerly 
stood near the mouth of the river, and marked the grave of an 
ancient chief, called Buairidh Mor MacCaoigen, who had been proprietor 
of Applecross. Concerning this name and its bearer, the writer 
has already expressed his opinion.<sup>1</sup> 

South of this, at the opposite side of the road, is a nearly circular 
space, about ten yards in diameter, enclosed by a low embankment of 
the same form. This is the vestige of some ancient appendage of St 
Maelrubha's primitive establishment, although its use is now unknown. 
It is said to contain human remains; but no one has been buried within 
the precincts in the memory of man. It is at present considered the 
special property of the ''gentry'' of the place; and so strong is the disinclination 
to disturb the invisible owners, that many of the neighbours 
would rather face the enemy in the field than meddle with it. 

Passing on, the parish church next presents itself. It was built in 
1817, partly upon the site of an older church, which was condemned in 
1788, but was standing in 1792, and described as “the skeleton of a parish 
church, still the only edifice for public worship in the parish.” At the 
west end of it, a little north-west of the west gable of the present church, 
is a spot which is pointed out as the burial-place of the Red Priest's 
family. 

Proceeding eastwards past the church, the visitor reaches an old building, 
which might be taken for a disused church, but that it stands north 
and south. It is roofed and closed, and whatever might have been its 
original purpose, it is now the vault of the Applecross family. This is the 
building to which the writer in the Old Statistical Account refers, when he 
says, “Close by the parish church are the remains of an old religious 
house, where the standard and soles of crucifixes are still to be seen.”<sup>2</sup>{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/280/mode/1up 280]}} 

<small>
# The local tradition concerning Ruaridh Mor MacCaoigen is, that he was slain in battle with the Danes, either in this bay or at Toscaig, where there is a bay called ''Lochan a Chath'', “Battle Bay.” 
# Vol iii. p. 879. 
</small>


The present door is in the north end, in which direction the building 
formerly extended beyond its present limits. 

At a short distance sonth of this is the little elevation called ''Claodh'' 
''Maree'', which is supposed to mark the founder's grave. 

Beyond this is the eastern boundary of the churchyard, but in the 
field outside, at a little distance on the north-east, is a mound which is 
said to have been employed as an altar in ancient times. 

Near the river, in the meadow below the church, are traces of embankments, 
which are reputed to have subserved the abbot's mill, that formerly existed in this place. 

Leaving the church, and proceeding about two miles in a south-easterly 
direction, the visitor comes to a place called ''Suidhe Maree'', “Maelrubha's 
seat,” which is said to have been a resting-place of the saint. 

About two miles south-west of the church, near the shore, is a small 
sheet of water, about a quarter of a mile long and fifty yards wide, called 
''Loch Maree''.<sup>1</sup> 

South of this, at the hamlet of Camusterrach, on the shore, is a “rude 
monolith,” 8 feet 3 inches in height, showing traces of a cross on the 
west face.<sup>2</sup> 

South-east of this, in the interior, is a lake called ''Loch-an-Tagart'', or 
“Priest's Loch.” 

In the strath, about half a mile north-east of Applecross, is Hartfield, 
known in Graelic as ''Caoill Mhourie''. 

Off the shore, opposite Camusterrach, is an island now called Rugg's 
Island, but marked on Thomson's Map ''I. na nuag'', or ''Saints' Isle''. It 
contains one grave, but no other ecclesiastical traces. 

Lower down, on the south-west, are three islands, now known as ''Croulin'' 
''Beg'', ''Croulin Meadhonach'', and ''Croulin Mor'' that is, Little, Middle, 
and Great Croulin. The first of these, which is the most northern, is 
marked on Thomson's Map ''St Rufus' Island'', a name now not locally 
known, but justified by the ecclesiastical traces which remain on it. It 
is about a mile in circumference, and possesses the remains of a church,{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/281/mode/1up 281]}} 

<small>
# About a mile past the school-house. It is laid down on Thomson's Map, but the name is omitted.
# Muir's Ecclesiological Notes, p. 82. 
# Kilvoury, Old Stat. Ac, vol. iii. p. 881. 
</small>


a portion of the wall of which, about thirty feet long and a foot high, is 
still to be seen. There is no cemetery discernible, but there is a green 
patch below the site, which is supposed to have been a garden. 

<span id="appendix"></span><center>APPENDIX. </center>

<center>The following Presentations to the church of Applecross are copied from the Register of Privy Seal, &c. :<sup>1</sup>—</center>

I. Presentacio domini Alexandri Makcloid directa Episcopo Rossensi 
ad conferendum collacionem sibi domino Alexandre super duabus capellaniis 
jacentibus et fundatis infra ecclesiam parochialem de Abilcros 
infra diocesem Rossensem cum eas vacare contigerit per decessum aut 
inhabilitatem domini Murdaci et domini Cristini capellanorum et nunc 
possessorum earundem ad presentationem Begis per jus suum patronatus 
ac collacionem dicti Episcopi pleno jure spectantibus, etc. Apud Edinburgh 
xxiijº Novembris anno Domini et Begis predictis [anno Domini 
etc., v<sup>c</sup>xv<sup>to</sup> et Regni Regis tercio.] 
:Per signaturam manu domini Grubematoris subscriptam, etc<sup>2</sup><ref name="Reg Sec Sig vol. 1 p. 409" />

II. Presentacio domini Johannis Donaldsoune super capellania capelle 
sancti Mulrubii in Apilcors infra diocesem Rossensem nunc vacante per 
decessum quondam domini Alexandri M'clode, etc. Apud Sanctandris 
xxviii Maii anno predicto [Anno Domini Mº v<sup>c</sup> xxxix. 
<p style="text-align:right;">Per Signaturam.<sup>3</sup><ref name="Reg Sec Sig vol. 2 p. 450" /></p> 

III. Presentacio domini Johannis Donaldsoune super capellania capelle 
Sancte Malrubei in Apilcroce infra diocesem Rossensem nunc 
vacante per decessum quondam domini Christoferi Johnnesoune ultimi 
possessoris ejusdem ad presentacionem domini Begis et collationem 
Episcopi Rossensis spectante etc. Apud Sterling xx. Marcii anno prescripto 
[Anno Domini j<sup>m</sup> vº xxxix.] 
<p style="text-align:right;">Per Signaturam.<sup>4</sup><ref name="Reg Sec Sig vol. 2 p. 514" />{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/282/mode/1up 282]}}</p>

<small>
# For these interesting records the writer is indebted to his friend Joseph Robertson, Esq. 
# Reg. Sec. Sigill., vol. v. fol. 29. MS., General Register House, Edinburgh. 
# Reg. Sec. Sig., vol. xiij. fol. 26. 
# Ibid., vol. xiii. fol. 73. 
</small>


IV. Ane lettre maid to Maister Johnne Cameroune and Schir Johnne 
Donaldsonne chaplains thare airis and assignais ane or ma of the gift of 
all gudis movable and unmovable quhilkis pertenyt sumtyme to Schir 
Christe Johnesone chaplane and now pertennyng to our Souerane Lord 
be resoon of eschete throw being of the said Schir Christe borne bastard 
and deat bastard, etc. At Stirling the xxix. day of Marche the yer 
forsaid [j<sup>m</sup> v<sup>c</sup> xlº]. 
<p style="text-align:right;">Per Signaturam.<sup>1</sup><ref name="Reg Sec Sig vol. 2 p. 515" /></p> 

V. Fresentacio magistri Johannis Camroune super capellania Sancti 
Malrubii in Apilcroce infra dibcesem Rossensem cum eandem vacare contigerit 
per resignacionem aut dimissionem domini Johannis Donaldsoune 
ultimi capellani et possessoris ejusdem ad presentacionem domini Begis 
et collacionem Episcopi Rossensis spectante, etc. Apud Edinburgh 
penultimo Novembris anno predicto [Anno Domini j<sup>m</sup> v<sup>c</sup> xlº.] 
<p style="text-align:right;">Per Signaturam.<sup>2</sup><ref name="Reg Sec Sig vol. 2 p. 555" /></p> 

VI. Presentacio domini Murdoci Johnesoune junioris capellani super 
dimedia capellania de Apilcroce infra diocesem Rossensem cum eandem 
vacare contigerit per resignacionem cessionem aut dimissionem domini 
Murdoci Johnesoune senioris ad presentacionem domini Begis et collationem 
Episcopi Rossensis, etc. Apud Falkland xiiij. die mensis Februarii Anno Domini j<sup>m</sup> v<sup>c</sup> xli<sub>o</sub>. 
<p style="text-align:right;">Per Signaturam.<sup>3</sup><ref name="Reg Sec Sig vol. 2 p. 681" /></p> 

VII. Presentacio Murquhardi Jhonestoune junioris super capellania 
sancti Mulrubij martyris de Abilcors fundata in ecclesia parochiali 
Rossensi infra diocesem ejusdem nunc vacante aut quum eandem vacare 
contigerit per resignacionem aut dimissionem domini Murquhardi Johnestoune 
senioris nunc capellani et possessoris ejusdem ad presentacionem 
Regine sede Rossensi vacante et collationem ordinariam vicariorum 
generalium ejusdem spectante etc. Apud Edinburgh vii° Septembris 
anno predicto [j<sup>m</sup> vº xlviij].
<p style="text-align:right;">Per Signaturam.<sup>4</sup><ref name="Proceedings vol. 3 p. 283" /></p>

<small>
# Reg. Sec. Sig., vol. xiij. fol. 87. 
# Ibid., vol. xiv. fol. 36. 
# Ibid., vol. xv. fol. 84. 
# Ibid., vol. xxii. fol. 38. 
</small>


VIII. Presentacio domini Willielmi Monro capellani super capellania 
do Apilcroce infra refugium lie Girth ejusdem et diocesem BoBseneem 
situata nunc vacante per decessum quondam domini Joannis Donaldsone 
ultimi capellani et possessoris ejusdem ad presentacionem domine 
Begine pleno jure patronatus et collacionem ordinariam Episcopi Rossensis 
spectante, etc. Apud Edinburgh xvij<sup>mo</sup> Octobris anno, etc., lxiº. 
<p style="text-align:right;">Per Signaturam.<sup>1</sup><ref name="Proceedings vol. 3 p. 284" /></p> 

IX. Presentacio domini Johannis Donaldsoune super capellania sancti 
Malrwbij martyris in Abilcors infra diocesem Rossensem nunc vacante 
aut quum vacare contigerit per resignacionem cessionem seu demissionem 
magistri Johannis Gamroune nunc capellani et possessoris ejusdem ad 
presentacionem Begine pleno jure patronatus et collationem ordinariam 
Yicarii G-eneralis Rossensis sede ejusdem vacante spectante, etc. Apud 
Edinburgh xxviij. Maii Anno, etc., quadragesimo nono. 
<p style="text-align:right;">Per Signaturam.<sup>2</sup><ref name="Proceedings vol. 3 p. 284" /></p> 

X. Preceptum Carte confirmationis super carta feudifirme facta per 
dominum Willielmum Stewart capellanum de Apilcroce infra diocesem 
Rossensem cum expressis consensu et assensu Johannis Episcopi Rossensis 
ac Decani et Canonicorum cathedralis ecclesie Rossensis capitulariter 
congregati Borio Makkangze et heredibus suis masculis de corpore 
suo legitime procreatis seu procreandis Quibus deferentibus Eenzeocho 
M<sup>c</sup>Kangze de Kintaill et heredibus suis masculis quibuscunque 
anna et cognomen dicti Eauzeocht gerentibus eorumque assignatis quibuscunque 
Omnium et singularum terrarum subscriptarum, viz. dimidietatis 
terrarum de Bounadell dimidietatis terrarum de Longoll et Athechork 
dimidietatis terrarum de Eippeche dimidietatis terrarum de Satrell 
et Drumloy dimidietatis terrarum de Gorlmvir dimidietatis terrarum de 
Corchirie dimidietatis terxarum de Coulnakill dimidietatis terrarum de 
Ardestaig dimidietatis terrarum de Scheildaig dimidietatis terrarum de 
Djbege dimidietatis terrarum de Bischill dimidietatis terrarum de Lestang 
jacentium infra comitatum Rossensem et vicecomitatum de Inuerness 
dicto domino Willielmo tanquam patrimonium et proprietatem dicte 
capellanie spectantium Tenendum de dicto domino Willielmo et suis{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/284/mode/1up 284]}} 

<small>
# Reg. Sec. Sig., vol. xxx. fol. 52, alr. 68. 
# Ibid., vol. xxiii. fol. x. 
</small>


successoribus apud Edenburght viceBimo secundo die mensis Aprilis 
Anno Domini, etc., lxix. 
<p style="text-align:right;">Per Signetum.<sup>1</sup><ref name="Proceedings v. 3 pp. 284-285" /></p>

XI. Ane lettre maid makand mentioun That ane of the chaplanries of 
Apilcroce liand in the diocie of Bos and schirefdome of Inuemes yaikig 
be the deceis of unquhil Sir Williame Stewart last possessour thairof and 
oure Souerane Lord being certefeit that Kenoch M<sup>c</sup>Kenze sone to maister 
Alexander M<sup>c</sup>Kenze of Kilchrist is of conuenient aige to enter in the 
studie of grammer and apt and disposit thairfoir As alsua hes promeist 
to be subject to discipline and continew thairin Thairfoir gevand grantand 
and disponand to the said Eenoche all and haill the said chaiplanrie of 
Apilcroce for his sustentatioun at the sculis for the space of seavin yeiris 
with power, etc. At Dalkeith the twentie day of Junii the yeir of God 
j<sup>m</sup> v<sup>c</sup> lxxvi yeiris. 
<p style="text-align:right;">Per Signaturam.<sup>2</sup><ref name="Proceedings vol. 3 p. 285" /></p> 

XII. Ane lettre maid to Patrik Dunbar sone to unquhile David Dun 
bar of Penik makand mentioun that the chaiplanrie of Apilcroce lyand 
in the dyocie of Ross and schirefdome of Inuirnes vaikis be outrunning 
of the gift thairof grantit to Eenzeocht M<sup>c</sup>Kainzie sone to M<sup>r</sup> Alexander 
M<sup>c</sup>Kainzie of Eilchrist And being certifeit that the said Patrik Dunbar 
is of conveinient aige to enter in the studie of philosophie and apt and 
disposit thairfore Thairfore gevand grantand and disponand vnto him 
the said chaiplanrie of Apilcroce lyand as said is and that for the space 
of seven yeiris With power, etc. At Perth the xxix. day of Julij the 
yeir of God j<sup>m</sup> v<sup>c</sup> fourescoir thre yeiris. 
<p style="text-align:right;">Per Signaturam.<sup>3</sup><ref name="Proceedings vol. 3 p. 285" /></p>

XIII. Jul. 30, 1662. Joannes M<sup>c</sup>Keanzie de Aplecroce, hcerea masculus 
Alexandri M<sup>c</sup>Keanzie de Coull ''avi''—in terris de Aplecroce comprehendentibus 
villas et terras de Baessolis vulgo vocatis Over and Nether Bassolis, 
Besker, Toskag, Barradaill, Longoll, Eeppach, Auchmoir, Sacadaill, 
Drumley, Culmoir, Tercherrie, Drumclaughan, Eirktoun de Aplecroce,{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/285/mode/1up 285]}} 

<small>
# Reg. Sec. Sig., vol xxxviii. fol. 119. 
# Ibid., vol. xliij. fol. 100. 
# Ibid., vol. xlix. fol. 165. 
</small>


Killiemoirie, Culduakle, Ardestag, Schildag, Sacrell, Testang, Sadilack, 
Auchiechork, et Culnakle, cum advocacione ecdesie de Aplecroce infra 
paioohiam de Aplecroce et epiacopatum Rossensem.<sup>1</sup><ref name="Retours vol. 2 R & C 117" />


<center>{{smallcaps|ii. lochcarron.}}</center>

A parish in the south-west of Ross-shire, adjoining Applecross on the 
east. 

In reference to its patron saint, it was sometimes designated ''Chomhrich'' 
''Mulruy'' that is, “Maelrubha's Sanctuary,” and sometimes ''Clachan'' 
''Mulruy'', “Maelrubha's Hamlet.”<sup>2</sup> 

A small eminence within view of the manse of Lochcarron is called 
''Suidhe Maree'', or “Maelrubha's Seat.” 

It is a curious circumstance that the venerable minister of this parish 
has two sons ministers of two other of St Maelrubha's churches—namely, 
Contin and Urquhart. 


<center>{{smallcaps|iii. gairloch. }}</center>

A large parish in Ross-shire, next to Applecross, on the north. Its 
most remarkable feature is the long narrow lake, extending eighteen 
miles in a north-westerly direction, and called after the patron saint, 
''Loch Maree''. In records of the seventeenth century, this name appears 
in the forms ''Lochmaroy, Loch Mairray, Loch Marie''.<sup>3</sup> It was derived 
from the principal island in the lake, called ''Inis Maree''—''i.e.'', “Maelrubha's 
Island”—where there formerly existed an oratory of the saint. 
Ere the lake received this name, it was called Loch Ewe, and abundant 
traces of this earlier appellation exist in the neighbouring district.<sup>4</sup>{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/286/mode/1up 286]}}

<small>
# Inquis. ad Capellam Dom. Regis Retorn. Vic. Ross., No. 117. 
# Orig. Par., vol. ii. pt. 2, p. 898. 
# Retours of 1688, 1678, 1697, Ross., Nos. 87, 180, 162; Or. Par., ii. 2, p. 407. 
# 1. At the south-east end of the lake is ''Kinlochew'', “Head of Loch Ew.” 2. On the eastern shore, opposite Inis Maree, is ''Lettir-Ew'', “The Holm of Ew,” and ''Port Lettirew'', 3. The stream which runs from the lake into the sea is the Water of Ew (Or. Par., ii. 2, 407). 4. The bay which it enters is now ''Loch Ew''. 5. In the loch is ''Loch Ew''. 6. At its head, opposite the sea, is ''Poolew''. 7. A little north is ''Inverew''. 
</small>


The island, which is situated about the middle of the loch, has an 
ancient cemetery, which the inhabitants on the north side continued to 
use till the end of the last century. A modern writer speaks of “the 
number of tombstones in the burying-place, with inscriptions and hieroglyphical 
figures which few now-a-days can satisfactorily decipher.” 
In reference to the name, he writes:<sup>1</sup> “About the centre of the loch is 
an island called ‘Island Maree,’ on which is a burying-ground supposed 
to be dedicated to the Virgin Mary; hence the name of the Island and of 
the loch. This is one conjecture”—a false one. “Another is, that some 
of the Danish kings were buried in this island, and that the original name 
of it was ''Eilean nan Righ'', which came to be pronounced ''Eilean Maree''”—
an absurd one. “As it is a doubtful subject, and likely to remain so, a 
third conjecture may be ventured: There lived, a great many years ago, in 
this part of the Highlands, a great and good man called ''Maree'', who had 
his principal residence on this same island. After his death, his admirers 
prefixed ''Saint'' to his name. Many of his generous and benevolent 
deeds are, to this day, recounted by the people of this and the surrounding 
parishes.” An intelligent stranger, who visited the spot in the year 
1772, felt no difficulty, however, in arriving at the true derivation. 
“Land on that [little isle] called Inch-Maree, the favored isle of the 
saint, the patron of all the coast from Applecross to Loch Broom . . . . 
In the midst is a circular dike of stones, with a regular narrow entrance: 
the inner part has been used for ages as a burial-place, and is still in use. 
.... A stump of a tree is shown as an altar, probably the memorial of 
one of stone; but the curiosity of the place is the well of the saint; 
of power unspeakable in cases of lunacy. The patient is brought into 
the sacred island, is made to kneel before the altar, where his attendants 
leave an offering in money; he is then brought to the well, and sips 
some of thcL holy water: a second offering is made; that done, he is 
thrice dipped in the lake; and the same operation is repeated every day 
for some weeks: and it often happens, by natural causes, the patient 
receives relief, of which the saint receives the credit. I must add, that 
the visitants draw from the state of the well an omen of the disposition 
of St Maree: if his well is full, they suppose he will be propitious; if 
not, they proceed in their operations with fears and doubts: but let the{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/287/mode/1up 287]}} 

<small>
# New Stat. Ac., xiv. 2, p. 91. 
</small>


event be what it will, he is held in high esteem: the common oath of 
the country is by his name: if a traveller passes by any of his resting-places,<sup>1</sup> 
they never neglect to leave an offering; but the saint is so moderate 
as not to put him to any expence: a stone, a stick, a bit of rag, 
contents him. This is the most beautiful of the isles; the others have 
only a few trees sprinkled over their surface.”<sup>2</sup>

That this veneration was not extinct in 1836, appears from the incumbent's 
report: “On the centre of this island is a deep well, consecrated 
by the said ''Saint Maree'' to the following purpose. To this same well 
are dragged, ''volens'', ''nolens'', all who are insane, in this or any of the surrounding 
parishes; and after they have been made to drink of it, these 
poor victims of superstitious cruelty are towed round the island after a 
boat by their tender-hearted attendants. It is considered a hopeful sign, 
if the well is full at the time of dragging the patient to the scene. In 
justice to the people of this parish, it may be stated, that they have not 
such an unbounded belief in the healing virtues of the well, and the 
other parts of the transaction, as their most distant neighbours appear to 
entertain.”<sup>3</sup>

What follows is from the “Inverness Courier” of November the 4th, 
1852, and crowns the description:—

“About the centre of the celebrated Loch Maree, a splendid sheet of 
water nearly twenty miles long, and of proportionable breadth, is situated 
an island called 'Island Maree', on which a certain great and good 
man is said to have had his principal residence, the appellation of Saint 
having been given to him after his death . . . . In the centre of 
this island there is a deep well, which is popularly said to have been 
consecrated by the Saint for the use of the insane. On Friday last, 
confident in the success of the virtuous properties of the fountain, a 
woman, accompanied by a young lad and an idiot daughter, were conveyed 
down Loch Maree in a boat, in order to put to the test the restorative 
powers of the well. . . . We must premise that, in the district, 
it has been maintained that the well lost its efficacy on account of 
some profane unbeliever having put a mad dog into it; to the sore vexation{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/288/mode/1up 288]}} 

<small>
# These are the ''Suidhes'' already spoken of. 
# Pennant's Tour in Scotland, &c., Pt. ii. p. 880 (Chest. 1774). 
# New Stat. Ac, xiv. 2, p. 92, note. 
</small>


of the presiding genie, who forthwith revoked his blessing. On 
this occasion, however, the poor idiot was rowed over to the island, the 
mother having obtained assistance from several persons. On reaching 
the spot, the unfortunate creature was dragged to the well, and having 
been compelled to drink of its water, was put through the ceremonial of 
ducking, after which she was towed round the island after the boat, and 
after midnight bathed in the loch. The result of all this, it is lamentable 
to add, has been, that the hitherto quiet imbecile has become a raving 
maniac. That persons should have been got to give their countenance 
and assistance to such a proceeding is truly sad, and we trust 
that the melancholy result of this attempt will act as a warning to the 
district, and destroy the belief in so gross a superstition.” 

There is another local commemoration of the Saint in this parish in 
''Suidhe Maree'', Maelrubha's Seat, the name of a place between Loch Torridon 
and Kinlochew. 


<center>{{smallcaps|iv. contin. }}</center>

A parish situated eastwards in Ross-shire, on the way to Dingwall. In 
the Breviary of Aberdeen it is called ''Cantan'', and its church alluded to 
as one where the memory of St Maelrubha was specially observed.<sup>1</sup> 

A fair, called the ''Feil Maree''<sup>2</sup> used formerly to be held here on the 
last Wednesday of August, {{smallcaps|o.s.}}, which was familiarly known as 
''the August Market'', Some years ago this fair was removed to Dingwall. 

The parish church is pleasingly situated on a space of glebe insulated 
by the river Rasay. It is an ancient building, but disguised and disfigured 
by modern changes. 

In the Mains<sup>3</sup> of Coul, about a quarter of a mile from the church, a 
little way to the left of the road that leads to Dingwall, is a burying- 
ground called ''Praes Maree'', or “Maelrubha's Bush.” Though not{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/289/mode/1up 289]}} 

<small>
# Propr. SS. Temp. Estiv., fol. 70. 
# ''Feil'', the Irish for a festival, is a modification of the Latin ''Vigilia''. From it comes ''Feilire'', a calendar. A fair held on the Saint's day, or his ''feil'', came itself to be called a ''feil'', like the Irish ''Pattern'', a corruption of ''Patron'' [Saint]. 
# Called in the old charters ''Meyne, Maneye, Mainzie''. See Orig. Par., ii. 2, pp. 505, 506. The Applecross Mackenzies are a branch of this Coul family. 
</small>


employed for interment by any but the family of Coul, it is probably the 
re-occupied relict of an ancient cemetery. Sir Greorge Mackenzie, with 
his lady, and their son, the late Sir Alexander, were buried here. It is 
well enclosed, and kept in very neat order, with shrubs, gravel walks, and 
monumental slabs. 


<center>{{smallcaps|v. urquhart. }}</center>

Called ''Urquhard'' in the Breviary of Aberdeen. Here, according to 
the legend in that work, St Maelrubha was put to death by Norwegian 
invaders.<sup>1</sup> 

The local tradition preserved here is, that St Maree died in this place; 
and though this was not his principal church, the parishioners endeavoured 
to detain his body; but that it was eventually removed to Applecross, 
as already related under that parish. 

Urquhart is situate in the peninsular portion of Ross-shire, at its southeastern 
extremity between Cromarty and Moray Firth, called ''the Black'' 
''Isle''; and is to be distinguished from parishes of the same name in 
Inverness and Elgin. 

<center>{{smallcaps|vi. strath. }}</center>

The territorial name of a parish in the west of Skye, lying to the south 
of Applecross. It was formerly called ''Kilcrist in Askimilruby'', Blaeu 
marks ''Askemorruy'' here, and Macfarlane gives ''Askemorruy'' or ''Morruy''. 
In all these names we discover the phonetic element of Maelrubha, denoting 
his connection with the district. 

In this parish there are the remains of a cell at ''Kilmarie'', not as has 
hitherto been explained “St Mary's Church,” but “Marie's,” or “Malrubha's 
Church.”<sup>2</sup> It is marked as ''Kilmore''<sup>3</sup> on Thomson's map, and is 
on the west shore of Loch Slapin, in the Aird of Strath, that is, in the 
south-western part of the parish. In Black's County Atlas it is iQore 
correctly written ''Kilmaree''.{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/290/mode/1up 290]}} 

<small>
# Propr. SS., Temp. Estiv., fol. 70. 
# New Stat. Ac, xiv. 1, 805; Or. Par., ii. 1, 844. 
# ''Kilmori'' in Old Stat. Ac, vol. xvi. p. 226. 
</small>


There is also a cemetery at Ashig,<sup>1</sup> on the north-east coast, halfway 
between Broadford and Kyleakin. Near it is ''Tobar-Ashig'', a beautiful 
spring. This name, with Maelrubha, is evidently the origin of the compound 
''Asi-milruby'' above mentioned. 

The tradition is, that St Maree used to preach here, and that he hung 
a bell in a tree, where it remained for centuries. It was dumb all the 
week till sunrise on Sunday morning, when it rang of its own accord till 
sunset. It was subsequently removed to the old church of Strath, where 
it ever afterwards remained dumb; and the tree on which it had so long 
hung soon after withered away. 

<center>{{smallcaps|vii. brackadale. }}</center>

Also in Skye. At the head of Loch Eynort, Blaeu marks ''Kilmolruy'', 
in that part of the parish called Minginish. 

St Assint was the patron saint of Brackadale proper. 

The annual tryst is in September, probably the early part, new style, 
or the close of August, old style—that is, about St Maree's day. 

<center>{{smallcaps|viii. portree. }}</center>

The principal church on the bay of Portree, in former times owned S. 
Columba as patron;<sup>2</sup> but the old church of Ceiltarraglan, situate to the 
north of Loch Portree, may have been St Malrubha's.<sup>3</sup> He certainly had 
a commemoration in the neighbourhood; for, according to a respectable 
authority, there was held in September “Samarive's fair at Keith; and 
at Portree, within the Isle of Sky, first Tuesday.”<sup>4</sup>

<center>{{smallcaps|ix. arasaig, }}</center>

A parish in Inverness-shire, lying to the north of, and united to Ardnamurchan. 
The church was formerly styled ''Kilmolroy in Arisik, or ''Kilmaroy'', 
or ''Kilvorie''.<sup>5</sup> “Kilmaria, the walls of which remain at Keppoch 
in Arasaig, dedicated to the Virgin Mary.”<sup>6</sup> Which error concerning 
the patron saint is continued in a later publication. “At Ardnafuaran{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/291/mode/1up 291]}} 

<small>
# Called ''Aisk'' in Old Stat. Ac., xvi. 226. 
# See Reeves's Adamnan, p. 189. 
# New Stat. Ac., vol. xiv. 1, p. 219. 
# Aberdeen Prognostication for 1708. 
# Or. Par., ii. 1, p. 200. 
# Old Stat. Ac., vol. xx. p. 287. 
</small>


in Arasaig, the church of Eilmaria, dedicated to the Virgin Mary.”<sup>1</sup> 
Nor is it abandoned in the latest: “The church, dedicated to the Virgin 
Mary, stood at Keppach or Ardnafuaran in Arasaig, where its ruins may 
still be seen.”<sup>2</sup> 

<center>{{smallcaps|x. harris. }}</center>

On the west side of the entrance of Loch Seaforth, which is on the 
east side of Harris, the map in the “Origines Parochiales” marks, on 
earlier authority, ''Malrube''. 

The church of St ''Rufus'' is mentioned as on the mainland by Martin,<sup>3</sup> 
and Old Statistical Account.<sup>4</sup> 

<center>{{smallcaps|xi. muckairn. }}</center>

On the west side of this parish is ''Kilvary'', situated north-east of 
Oban, near the road to Loch Etive. 

Among the lands of this parish, in 1532, are mentioned the pennylands 
of ''Kilmohrowe'',<sup>5</sup> and in 1601 those of ''Kilmolruy''. 

The derivation of this name is misunderstood. “Near the western 
boundary of the parish we have ''Kilvarie'', that is, the burial-ground or 
church of Marie, or the Virgin Mary.”<sup>6</sup> 

In 1518, Sir John Campbell of Calder received the services of the clan 
MacDuinlaves and others, who were sworn upon the “mess buik and the 
relic callit the ''Arwachyll'' at the iil of Kilmolrue.<sup>7</sup> This relic, which, 
as the name imports, was a crozier, may have been kept by the officials 
who gave name to ''Ballindore''—that is, ''Baile-an-deoraidh'', “town of the 
religious stranger”—situated at the south-west of Kilespicerrill old 
church.<sup>8</sup>

There is ''Kilvarie Loch'', and on its west side ''Killarie'', marked on 
Thomson's map; but there is a difficulty in fixing the situation of the 
isle above mentioned.{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/292/mode/1up 292]}} 

<small>
# New Stat. Ac, vii. 2, p. 147. 
# Or. Par., ii. 1, p. 200. 
# Western Isles, pp. 47, 49. 
# Vol. x. p. 877. 
# Erroneously written ''Kilmokowe''. Or. Par. ii. 1, 188; ''ib''. p. 184. 
# New Stat. Ac, vii 2, p. 617. 
# Written Kilmolmolrue in the copy. See “The Book of the Thanes of Cawdor,” p. 129 (Spalding Club, 1869). 
# Or. Par., ii. 1, 188. 
</small>


<center>{{smallcaps|xii. craignish, }}</center>

A parish about the middle of the west coast of Argyllshire, marked by 
Blaeu ''Kilmolrou'', and called in the Retours ''Kilmalrew'' and ''Kilmolrew'', 
sometimes ''Kilmorie''.<sup>1</sup> 

It is stated, but incorrectly, to have been dedicated to the Virgin 
Mary.<sup>2</sup> 

The true explanation is ''Cill-Maelrubha'', Maelrubha's church. 

It stood between the castle of Craignish and the extremity of the 
peninsula Ardcraignish. 

<center>{{smallcaps|xiii. kilarrow, }}</center>

A parish of Islay, the church of which was near the centre of the island. 
The name passed through the following forms in arriving at its present 
disguised shape :<sup>3</sup>—
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
''Kilmolrow'' (1500, 1640),<br>
''Kilmoroy'' (1512),<br>
''Kilmarew'' (1554),<br>
''Kilrow'' (Martin, p. 243).<br>
{{col-break}}
''Kilmorow'' (1511),<br>
''Kilmow'' (1538),<br>
''Killerrew'' (1617),<br>
{{col-break}}
''Kilmorrow'' (1511),<br>
''Kilmarrow'' (1548),<br>
''Killerew'' (1661),<br>
{{col-end}}

In Keith's catalogue it is called ''Kilru'' and interpreted ''Cella Ruvii''.<sup>4</sup> 
The ambiguity between St Mary and St Malrube is removed in the Appendix to part ii. of the second volume of the “Origines Parochiales.”<sup>5</sup>

<center>{{smallcaps|xiv. strathlachlan, }}</center>

A parish united to Strachur, on the east side of Loch Fyne, south of 
Inverary. In 1593 it was called ''Kilmorie'', and in 1663 ''Kilmoir''; but 
in 1680, ''Kilmary''; which last form, coupled with the consideration that 
ancient dedications to the Virgin Mary are very rare, if anywhere to be 
found, in the Highlands, renders it likely that Maree is the patron 
saint. 

<center>{{smallcaps|xv. kilmarow, }}</center>

On the west shore of Cantyre, in the union of Killean and Kilchenzie; 
and though styled “Ecclesia Sancte Marie” before 1251, yet to be rather{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/293/mode/1up 293]}} 

<small>
# Or. Par., ii. 1, p. 99. 
# New Stat. Ac., vii. 2, p. 45; Or. Par., ii. 1, p. 96. 
# Or. Par., ii. 1, p. 260. 
# Or. Par., ii. 1, p. 261. 
# Vol. ii. 2, pp. 402, 833. 
</small>


referred for its patronage and derivation to St Malrube, as the following 
forms clearly indicate:—
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
''Killolrow'' (1600; Blaeu),<br>
''Killorow'' (1695).<sup>1</sup>
{{col-break}}
''Kilmarow'' (1697), 
{{col-break}}
''Kilmaro'' (1631), 
{{col-end}}

The error concerning the patron saint is rectified in the Appendix to 
the third volume of the “Origines Parochiales.”<sup>2</sup>

<center>{{smallcaps|xvi. forres, }}</center>

A parish in the north of Elgin or Morayshire. Here the saint's festival, 
under the compounded name of ''Samarevis's Day'', used to he commemorated 
by a fair held on the 27th of August.<sup>3</sup> 

Paterson's “Geographical Description of Scotland”<sup>4</sup> (1685) mentions 
“Samarvis day in Forres, 27th day” of August; and the old almanacs, 
called the “Edinhurgh Prognostications,” notice the same observance as 
''Samarevis' Day''<sup>5</sup> or ''Smarevis' Day''.<sup>6</sup>

<center>{{smallcaps|xvii. fordyce, }}</center>

A parish in the shire of Banff. The annual fair of Kirktown of 
Fordyce was held on the feast of St Tallerican or Tarkin, October 30;<sup>7</sup> 
but besides this, there was a fair held “at the hill end of Fordyce upon 
the last Tuesday of August,"<sup>8</sup> which in an old Aberdeen almanac is 
described as “New Summaruff's Fair at Fordyce on last Tuesday” of 
August.<sup>9</sup> 

<center>{{smallcaps|xviii. keith, }}</center>

A parish in the shire of Banff. The first time that the parish name appears 
on record is in a charter of King Alexander II. ({{smallcaps|a.d.}} 1214-1224),<sup>10</sup> 
where it is called ''Kethmalruf'', that is, “Keth of Malruve.” In subsequent 
documents the qualifying name is dropped, but the memory of the 
saint has been locally preserved to modern times. A writer, treating of{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/294/mode/1up 294]}} 

<small>
# Or Par., ii. 1, p. 21. 
# Vol. ii. 2, p. 821. 
# Collections on Aberdeen and Banff, vol. ii. p. 240 
# Page 20. 
# Years 1686, 1687, 1618, 1688, 1689, 1690, 1696. 
# Ib. 1706, 1709. 
# Collections in Aberdeen, vol. i. p. 644; ii. p. 94. 
# Edinburgh Prognostication, 1705, 1706, 1709. 
# Aberdeen Prognostication, 1708. 
# Carta Alexandri II. de terra Kethmalruf. Terra apud Innernaven apud Kethmalruf. Reg. Episcop. Moray, p. 18, No. 25 (Edinb. 1887). 
</small>


the parish about the year 1726, says :—“The parish of Keith has for its 
tutelar Saint Summarius or Samarive, whose fair is held here on the 
first Tuesday in September. I find one of Saint Colm's disciples called 
Summarius,<sup>1</sup> in Jonas's Life of Saint Colm quoted in the “Scottish 
Historical Library,” p. 233.<sup>2</sup> Mr Thomas Innes takes it to be Saint 
Malrubius the Hermit (quhose feast is on the twenty-seventh of August) 
called in Irish Sa-Maruve. On Samarevis day (the twenty-seventh of 
August) there is a fair at Forres.”<sup>3</sup> Another description, written about 
1742, says:—“In this town is a weekly market, held upon Fridays; and 
about a quarter of a mile southward from it, near a small moss, is held a 
great fair upon the first Tuesday of September yearly, called Summer 
Eves Fair, which is said to be the greatest of its kind in Scotland.”<sup>4</sup> 
Concerning which we find it stated at a later date:—An annual fair “in 
September, of very old standing, and which some sixty or seventy years 
ago was the general mart for merchant goods from Aberdeen to Kirkwall; 
it is still the best frequented market in the north for black cattle 
and horses.”<sup>5</sup> So great was the concourse of people there, that “there 
was not accommodation for them, and they occupied the barns and outhouses 
in the country for many miles round.”<sup>4</sup> 

In the old Edinburgh Almanacs of 1685, 1687, 1692, 1696, 1705,<sup>7</sup> 
among the fairs of September is “''Samarevis'' in Keith, the first Tuesday;"—
called ''Samervis'' in those of 1686, 1689; ''Smarivis'' in that of 
1690; and ''Samarvis'' in Paterson's Geographical Description.<sup>8</sup> 

<center>{{smallcaps|xix. kinnell, }}</center>

A parish in Forfarshire. In a charter dated June 2, 1509, Master{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/295/mode/1up 295]}}

<small>
# See Jonas's Life of S. Columbanus, cap. x., in Messingham's Florilegium, p. 224, ''b''; and in that very rare work, Fleming's Collectanea, p. 224, ''a''. In the former the name is printed ''Soniarius'', in the latter ''Sognicharius''—some MSS. reading ''Soniarius'' and ''Somarius''. But it evidently has no connection whatever with the name in question. 
# Bp. Nicolson's Scottish Historical Library, p. 65 (ed. Lend. 1776), where the author ignorantly confounds Colnmbanus of Bobio with St Columba, and indeed makes a disgraceful mess of the whole subject. 
# Historical Collections on Aberdeen, &c., vol. ii. p. 240. 
# Ib. p. 241. 
# Old Stat. Ac., vol. v. p. 421. 
# New Stat. Ac., xiii. p. 390. 
# New Edinburgh Prognostications. 
# Edinburgh, 1685. 
</small>


George Sterling of Esterbrekky and Patrick Sterling, his brotber-german, 
with consent of Lord Ogilvy of Airlie, and of David Sterling, son and 
heir-apparent of Mr George Sterling, give to St Mary the Virgin, to St 
Peter and Paul the Apostles, and to ''S. Malrubius the Confessor'', and to a 
chaplain serving in the parish church of Kynnell at the altar of the 
blessed Virgin, an annual rent of L.IO from the lands of Esterbrekky. 
Charter confirmed by James IV. 12 Mar. 1512-13.<sup>1</sup> 

<center>{{smallcaps|xx. crail, }}</center>

A parish in the eastern extremity of Fife. “It is generally believed 
that Crail was at one time the seat of a priory, &c., dedicated to St 
Bufus.”<sup>2</sup> 

There was also a chapel within the castle of Crail dedicated to St 
Rufus, which had teinds belonging to it, both parsonage and vicarage.<sup>3</sup>

<center>{{smallcaps|xxi. lairg. }}</center>

To the above may possibly be added Lairg, a parish in the mid-south 
of Sutherlandshire. Here, in Loch Shin, is ''Island Murie'', and on the land 
''St Murie's Fair''.<sup>4</sup>{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/296/mode/1up 296]}} 

<small>
# Gen. Hutton's MSS, Advoc. Libr., from the orig. chart.
# New Stat. Ac., ix. i. p. 964.
# Ib. ib.
# Or. Par., ii. 698, 700.
</small>
|text_reader=TRUE
|name=
|place=
|related_documents=Source:Irish Ecclesiastical (Ancient Irish Missionaries);Source:Scottish Historical Review (Saint Maolrubha)
|related_topic=
|notes=[[William Reeves (bishop)|William Reeves]] presented this paper to the [[Society of Antiquaries of Scotland]] in June of 1859.{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/245/mode/1up 245]}} Here we find the first overt claim of a connection between {{Fearchar}}, Earl of Ross, and the monastery founded by [[Máel Ruba|Maelrubha]] at [[St. Maelrubha's monastery at Aporcrosan|Applecross]].

Reeves weaves the questionable tale that, early on, a family named O'Beollan were hereditary farmers of these abbey-lands. He connects these O'Beollans back to the Irish family Ó Beólláin who were hereditary farmers of the abbey-lands of St Columba's church of Drumcliff. In this tale, these O'Beollans were of the ‘same stock’ as Maelrubha and the first Earl of Ross, Mac-an-tsagairt, “son of the priest”, was of this O'Beollan family. He then finds in several sources a Red Priest, or Sagart Ruadh, who he believes to be the last of this line of hereditary farmers of these abbey-lands of Applecross.

Reeves himself was both an antiquarian and Bishop of the Church of Ireland. His primary interest was the life of the Irish Saint [[Máel Ruba|Maelrubha]] and the churches he founded.{{sfn|Moore|1896|loc=[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/s:Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Reeves,_William_(1815-1892) William Reeves]}} This paper was an expansion of an earlier paper that focused on his search for the location of the monastery originally called by the name <span class="insular" style="text-weight:bold;">&#xf201;porcros&#xf200;n</span> or <span class="insular" style="text-weight:bold;">&#xf201;puor cros&#xf200;n</span> founded in Scotland by Maelrubha.

The [[Source:Irish Ecclesiastical (Ancient Irish Missionaries)|original paper]] made no mention of an O'Beollan family, a Red Priest, or the Earls of Ross. These names all appear in a section of the subsequent paper titled ''[[#Abbots and Ministers|Abbots and Ministers]]''. It's small part of a much larger paper that concentrates on the life and ancestry of Maelrubha and identifiable locations of his missionary works on the west coast of Scotland. Again, as a Bishop of the Church of Ireland, his primary interest was the life and works of the Irish Saint Maelrubha. He goes so far as to say in the earlier paper that, “it must prove gratifying to every lover of his country to find another missionary treading in the steps of St. Columba.” Maelrubha, not the Earls of Ross, were the primary focus of his research.

This section discussing the abbots and ministers of Applecross appears to be a story he just pieced together from details he encountered in his attempt to locate the remains of the original monastery at Applecross and work being doing concurrently by Scottish historian [[William Forbes Skene|William F. Skene]]. As a member of the [[Society of Antiquaries of Scotland]], Reeves would have had opportunity to interact with the likes of William Skene and, in fact, in a footnote, Reeves does credit Skene for several suggestions.

Skene was the source of the excerpt from the Red Book of Clanranald, written circa 1700, that includes the genealogy “Patrick the Red, son of Rury, son of the Green Abbot, son of the Earl of Ross”. This excerpt comes from a passage dedicated to Alexander Macdonald, a descendant of {{Fearchar}} who became both Lord of the Isles and Earl of Ross. It states that Alexander had a son by a daughter of this Patrick the Red.

Reeves also mentions the legendary history of the MacDonalds, written in the late 17th century, but not published until 1847. It also includes a section dedicated to Alexander Macdonald, Lord of the Isles and Earl of Ross. It states that, “First, he took to him the concubine, daughter to Patrick Obeolan, surnamed the Red, who was a very, beautiful woman. This surname Obeolan was the surnames of the Earls of Ross, till Farquar, born in Ross, was created earl by King Alexander, and so carried the name of Ross since, as best answering the English tongue. This Obeolan had its descent of the ancient tribe of the Manapii; of this tribe is also St Rice or Rufus.”</span>{{sfn|Reeves|1862|pp=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/275/mode/1up 275-276]}} Rufus being another name for Maelrubha. 

Reeves thanks Skene for what he calls “the first suggestions regarding the O'Beollans”. He is not specific about the details of this suggestion, but we do know that Skene's ''[[The Highlanders of Scotland]]'', first published in 1836, states that, “the oldest authorities concur in asserting the patronymic or Gaelic name of the earls of Ross to be O'Beolan, or descendants of Beolan.” Skene does not name these ‘oldest authorities’, but it's possible that he considered this “legendary history of the MacDonalds” one of those authorities. No other evidence is found to corroborate this connection.

We know that Reeves had access to the ''Statistical Accounts of Scotland''. He mentions them in the opening paragraph of his original article and cites them again in this article. From the [[Applecross Parish, Ross-shire|Applecross Parish]] entry published in the ''[[Source:Old Statistical Account (Applecross)|Statistical Account]]'' of 1792, he finds mention of a Red Priest of Applecross. This entry states that the parish church was richly endowed with landed property which was conveyed by the last Popish missionary to his daughter.{{sfn|McQueen|1792|p=[https://archive.org/details/b21365799_003/page/379/mode/1up 379]}}

The last piece of the puzzle is the story told to Reeves by his friend the minister of Lochcarron. The story of the Sagart Ruadh, or Red Priest, who had a daughter. Legend has it that it was through her that Mackenzies of Coul came to hold the lands of Applecross.

Reeves, therefore, had this legend of a Red Priest whose daughter had the lands of Applecross. He finds in these two Macdonalds manuscripts the concubine of Alexander, the daughter of Patrick the Red, or Patrick Obeolan, surnamed the Red. The Macdonald history states that the surname Obeolan was the surnames of the Earls of Ross and connects Patrick Obeolan to the tribe of Rufus, or Maelrubha. The Book of Clanranald provided a genealogy actually connecting Patrick the Red to an unnamed son of the Earl of Ross. 

In this way, Reeves drew a tenuous connection between the Fearchar, Earl of Ross, and the lands of Applecross. He then took it one step further by drawing a connection even further back to the [[Irish Ó Beólláin]] family who were herenachs of St Columba's church of Drumcliff.


Reeves begins by saying, 
::<span class="booktext">“There exists, indeed, a vivid tradition of an individual styled the ''Red Priest of Applecross'', who is said to have conveyed to his daughter the rich estates with which this church was endowed, and which, down to his time, had been enjoyed by his predecessors in office.”</span>{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/275/mode/1up 275]}}

Of these predecessors, he says specifically,
::<span class="booktext">“It would seem that the office of herenach, or hereditary farmer of abbey-lands, which was originally, both in Ireland and Scotland, of a clerico-secular character, was, in the case of this church, early vested in the family of O'Beollan. They were of Irish extraction, and of the same stock as St Maelrubha, the founder, although their exact descent is forgotten.”</span>{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/275/mode/1up 275]}}

And,
::<span class="booktext">“... In this manner the church-lands of Applecross became an heirloom in one family, which family, namely O'Beollain, furnished the recipient of the first-created earldom of Ross.”</span>{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/275/mode/1up 275]}}

This was not a story that had come down through the ages or that was discovered by reviewing ancient documents. This was a theory that came to Reeves during his research into the work of Maelrubha.

He gives us his source for these connections when he says,
::<span class="booktext">“The legendary history of the MacDonalds, published by the Iona Club, states that “this surname Obeolan was the surname of the Earls of Ross, till Farquhar, born in Ross, was created earl by King Alexander, and so carried the name of Ross since, as best answering the English tongue. This Obeolan had his descent from the ancient tribe of the Menapii; of this tribe is also St Rice or Rufus.””</span>{{sfn|Reeves|1862|pp=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/275/mode/1up 275-276]}}

Reeves's entire theory hinges on this passage from a manuscript written in the 17th century and another brief passage from what he calls ‘MacVurrich's Gaelic manuscript’, written just a few decades later.

Reeves translated the second passage to read,
::<span class="booktext">“Alister had other children, the offspring of the daughter of Gillapatrick Roe, son of Rury, son of the Green Abbot, son of the Earl of Ross, whose surname was ''of the Rosses''.”</span>{{sfn|Reeves|1862|pp=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/276/mode/1up 276-277]}}

Here Reeves finds mention of what he considered a ''Red Priest'', here actually called Gillapatrick Roe, or Patrick the Red. In a footnote, Reeves says of this passage, “For this extract, as well as for the first suggestions regarding the O'Beollans, I am indebted to my learned and ingenious friend, [[William Forbes Skene|W. F. Skene, Esq.]]”

Of this, [[Archibald B. Scott, B.D.|Rev. Archibald Scott]] says, “Dr. Reeves was unintentionally misled by information supplied by Dr. Skene. He was also further misled by some folk-gossip collected and supplied to him by the minister of Lochcarron.”{{sfn|Scott|1909|p=[https://archive.org/details/scottishhistoric06edinuoft/page/261/mode/1up 261]}}

As an antiquarian and Bishop of the Church of Ireland, Reeves's primary interest was the life of the Irish Saint [[Máel Ruba|Maelrubha]] and the churches he founded.{{sfn|Moore|1896|loc=[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/s:Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Reeves,_William_(1815-1892) William Reeves]}} And, as a member of the [[Society of Antiquaries of Scotland]], he had the opportunity to interact with the likes of William Skene.

As an antiquarian and Bishop of the Church of Ireland, Reeves was also in a position to be familiar with the [[Irish Ó Beólláin]] family who were herenachs of St Columba's church of Drumcliff, near Sligo.<ref>{{cite web | last=Woulfe | first=Patrick | title=Ó Beólláin | website=Irish Names and Surnames | date=1923 | url=https://www.libraryireland.com/names/ob/o-beollain.php | access-date=9 Nov 2023}}</ref> In fact, he cites several times his paper on St. Columba and mentions that St Comgall, an associate, or possibly disciple, of Columba, was closely related to Maelrubha through his mother.{{sfn|Archer|1887|loc=[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/s:Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Comgall Comgall]}}

William Skene was one of the founders of the [[Iona Club]]. When they published this ‘Fragment of a Manuscript History of the Macdonalds’ in 1847, he furnished the endnotes. We know that Skene was also familiar with this ‘MacVurrich's Gaelic manuscript’ because Reeves thanks him for the extract. It's entirely possible that it was Skene who first imagined a connection between the Earls of Ross and Applecross. He may have simply mentioned these sources to Reeves when he learned of his research into Maelrubha.

It's interesting, though, that Skene did not caution Reeve regarding the contents of this manuscript.

Skene himself says in the endnotes,
::<span class="booktext">“The genealogical accounts of the various families contained in these MSS. is, however, frequently full of errors, principally intentional, and arising from the prejudices and active partizanship of the Sennachy, who being always devoted to one particular family, shared his patron's animosity against the Clans with whom he was at feud, and his jealousy of the other families of his own Clan, between whom there existed a rivalry. The Sennachy seldom scrupled to subserve his patron's jealousies, by perverting the history of their families, and this he, in general, accomplished either by actually perverting the genealogy, or by an extensive bastardising of the heads of the family, probably proceeding upon a principle not unknown to the present day, that a fact, however notoriously false, if perseveringly asserted for a certain length of time, will at length be received as true.”</span>{{sfn|Iona Club|1847|p=[https://archive.org/details/collectaneadere00skengoog/page/n345/mode/1up 325]}} 



This manuscript, often called the [[Sleat History]], or Macdonald manuscript, was written by a [[Scottish Highlands|Highland]] [[seanchaí]] sometime during the reigns of [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] and [[James II of England]], so between 1660 and 1688.{{NLS|Adv.MS.73.1.12}} It contains a history and genealogy of the Macdonalds, including those who were [[Macdonald Earls of Ross|Earls of Ross]].

Reeves quotes from this manuscript one the passage that says, 
::“<span class="booktext">This surname Obeolan was the surnames of the Earls of Ross, till Farquar, born in Ross, was created earl by King Alexander, and so carried the name of Ross since, as best answering the English tongue. This Obeolan had its descent of the ancient tribe of the Manapii; of this tribe is also St Rice or Rufus.”<ref name="Collectanea p. 304" />

In these two sentences, Reeves finds a connection between the surname Obeolan, {{Fearchar}}, first Earl of Ross of his line, and ‘St Rice or Rufus’, who he equates with Maelrubha.

Farquar, or Fearchar, was the first earl of the family of earls who later adopted the surname Ross. As Reeves points out, he appears in an entry recorded in the [[Chronicle of Melrose]] in 1215, referred to only as Mac-an-tsagairt.<ref name="Early sources vol. 2 p. 404" /> The last of his male to hold the title Earl of Ross was {{William 5th Earl}} who died in 1372.{{sfn|Adam|1991|p=[https://archive.org/details/calendaroffearnt0000unse/page/85/mode/1up 85]}} The title then fell into the female line. 

There is no evidence of a surname found in [[Timeline of the Earls of Ross|original documents]] of this time.

A [[Cronicle of the Earlis of Ross|manuscript]] written circa 1615, and found at [[Balnagown Castle]], at that time home of Fearchar descendant [[David Ross, 11th of Balnagown ( -1619)|David Ross, 11th of Balnagown]], states,
::<span class="booktext">“Of this Farq<sup>r</sup> discendit fyve erlis, being Ross of surname, viȝ<sup>t</sup> Farq<sup>r</sup> the first, Williame the second, Williame the third, Hew the fourt, and William the fift;”</span><ref name="Cronicle of the Earlis 1850 p. 2" />

In 1639, [[Sir Robert Gordon, 1st Baronet|Sir Robert Gordon]] published his ''[[Genealogical history of the Earldom of Sutherland]]''. In it he stated,
::<span class="booktext">“the laird of Balnagown his surname should not be Rosse, seing ther wes never any Earle of Rosse of that surname; bot the Earles of Rosse wer first of the surname of Builton,”</span><ref name="Earldom of Sutherland p. 36" />

And then we have, sometime between 1660 and 1688, this Macdonald seanchaí writing, 
::<span class="booktext">“This surname Obeolan was the surnames of the Earls of Ross, till Farquar, born in Ross, was created earl by King Alexander, and so carried the name of Ross since, as best answering the English tongue.”</span>

How is it known that “this surname Obeolan was the surnames of the Earls of Ross”? Was this common knowledge that was just never recorded? Is it true, as has been said, that the surname of Builton is the Anglicized version of Obeolan? If this is the case, why is there no other mention of it? And why would the Balnagown manuscript make a point to say that “of this Farq<sup>r</sup> descended five earls, being Ross of surname”?

The Macdonald seanchaí says also, 
::<span class="booktext">“This Obeolan had its descent of the ancient tribe of the Manapii; of this tribe is also St Rice or Rufus.”</span>

Reeves goes into great detail in this paper about the confusion between St. Maelrubha and the Roman St. Rufus of Capua. In this instance, though, he seems to equate ‘St. Rufus’ with Maelrubha. He says elsewhere in the paper, “it may be mentioned that an island off Applecross, now called Croulin Beg, was formerly styled ''St Ruphus's Island'', and that in a native authority our saint is called “St Rice or Rufus.” In the case of three or four other churches, the patron St Rufus seems to be none other than our Maelrubha.”

Could the Macdonald manuscript be the “native authority” he is referring to?

We also see here mention of the [[Manapii]], as it is spelled in the original publishing of the Macdonald manuscript by the Iona Club. The name of the tribe in Reeves's paper, as it is printed by the [[Society of Antiquaries of Scotland]], is spelled [[Menapii]]. The Menapii were a [[w:Belgae|Belgic]] tribe from mainland Europe. The Manapii were an Irish tribe thought, potentially, to be descended from the Menapii. 

It is from this statement that Reeves gets the idea that “the family of O'Beollan were of Irish extraction and of the same stock as St Maelrubha.”

Again, we have to ask ourselves, though, what is the basis for this claim that this Obeolan had its descent of the ancient tribe of the Manapii?

[[Ronald and Máire Black|Ronald Black]], in his in-depth analysis of the [[1467 manuscript]], says, “In a vague and stuttering way, Hugh MacDonald is pointing us towards Applecross, though once again Applecross is not mentioned.”{{sfn|Black Nov 2019|pp=[https://www.1467manuscript.co.uk/GreenAbbottBlack%20BLACKforWEB.pdf#page=2 2]}}

Was there a benefit to the Macdonalds to be connected to Applecross?

Early in the 15th century, the title ‘Countess of Ross’ was inherited by [[Euphemia Leslie, Countess of Ross (-aft1424)|Euphemia]], daughter of [[Alexander Leslie, Earl of Ross (-1402)|Alexander Leslie, Earl of Ross]], grandson of William, 5th Earl of Ross, and [[Isabel Steward, wife of Alexander de Lesley, Earl of Ross|Lady Isabel Stewart]], granddaughter of [[Robert II of Scotland]].

Euphemia became the ward of her grandfather [[Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany]], who persuaded her to resign the earldom to his son, [[John Stewart, Earl of Buchan]]. This action was then challenged by [[Donald Macdonald, Earl of Ross and Lord of the Isles (1378-1423)|Donald Macdonald, Lord of the Isles]], who claimed the earldom on behalf of his wife [[Mary Leslie, Countess of Ross (-c1435)|Mary Leslie]], Euphemia's aunt. This conflict was decided at the [[Battle of Harlaw]] in 1411 with Mary Leslie becoming Countess of Ross and Donald Macdonald, Earl of Ross, by right of his wife. 

The Macdonalds held the title until it was surrendered back to the crown circa 1493. The title was vacant until May of 1565, when, as a preliminary to his marriage to [[Mary, Queen of Scots]], daughter of Stuart king [[James V of Scotland]], [[Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley]], was made a knight, Lord of Ardmanoch and Earl of Ross. Their son [[James VI and I|James, King of England, Ireland & Scotland]], was also earl of Ross, as was his son [[Charles I of England]].

Was there motive, at this point, then, for these families, the Rosses and the Macdonalds, to assert their relationship with the original earls? Why is it that no mention of a surname is found before the early 17th century?

Rev. Scott has a similar take, saying, 
::<span class="booktext">“Dr. Reeves identified Sagart Ruadh with a certain Gilla-Patrick the Red, a reputed ancestor of certain Ross-shire lairds. These Ross-shire lairds, however, claimed descent not only from Gilla-Patrick the Red, but from Maolrubha or Sagart Ruadh himself. This claim we can quite understand and explain when we remember that those who made it held Maolrubha's lands of Applecross, to which they had to profess some sort of title.”</span>{{sfn|Scott|1909|p=[https://archive.org/details/scottishhistoric06edinuoft/page/261/mode/1up 261]}}

He says of these ‘Ross-shire lairds’,
::<span class="booktext">“I understand that two of the families concerned did not thank Dr. Reeves for his laboured attempt to identify the Sagart Ruadh with Gilla-Patrick the Red. If Dr. Reeves had been correct the origin of these families would have been put about 500 years later than is reputed.”</span>{{sfn|Scott|1909|p=[https://archive.org/details/scottishhistoric06edinuoft/page/261/mode/1up 261]}}

He goes on to say,
::<span class="booktext">“A Sutherland family also claimed descent from Maolrubha. While the Ross-shire lairds claim through a daughter, the Sutherland laird claimed through a son. Needless to add, the Sutherland laird also held land belonging to a church of Maolrubha.”</span>{{sfn|Scott|1909|p=[https://archive.org/details/scottishhistoric06edinuoft/page/261/mode/1up 261]}}

As we will see, this Gilla-Patrick the Red also comes from this, and another, Macdonald manuscript.

Do we have reason, then, to question claims made by the Macdonalds, and maybe even the Sutherlands, regarding the surname of the Earls and any ancestry that connects to them or to Maelrubha?









Even if we could prove that they were both descendants of this tribe, the connection is in no way an indication of a familial or [[patrilineal]] relationship between Maelrubha and Patrick Obeolan. The Manapii were first mentioned by Greek geographer Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD. In the 500 years between Ptolemy and Maelrubha there could be many, many descendants of this tribe. And in the 700 years between Maelrubha and Patrick the Red, there could be many, many more descendants of this tribe. 




We see that Reeves seems to have interpreted this passage from the Macdonald manuscript as, “This Obeolan had its descent of the ancient Irish tribe; of this tribe is also Maelrubha.” And from this, he found a connection to Applecross, gleaning from it, somehow, confirmation that the surname of the Earls of Ross was once Obeolan and that they could trace their lineage back to Applecross.






These manuscripts, both apparently commissioned by the Macdonalds, contain genealogies of Macdonald branches, including the branch that once held the title of [[Earl of Ross]]. Both were also written during a time that the title of Earl of Ross was vacant, [[Charles I of England]] being that last to hold it. Both attempt to draw a connection from the Macdonalds back to the ancient Earls of Ross, which may be to their benefit if they were attempting to reclaim that title.

Reeves chooses to include very short quotes from each of these manuscripts, but, if we we look at the larger context, from the Macdonald manuscript, thought to have been written first, we have, 
::“<span class="booktext">Alexander his son succeeded to his father's estate, and was proclaimed [[Earl of Ross]] and [[Lord of the Isles]] after the accustomed manner, a man born to much trouble all his lifetime. First, he took to him the concubine, daughter to [[Patrick the Red, abbot|Patrick Obeolan, surnamed the Red]], who was a very, beautiful woman. This surname Obeolan was the surnames of the [[Mac an t-Sagairt Earls of Ross|Earls of Ross]], till [[Fearchar, Earl of Ross|Farquar]], born in Ross, was created earl by King Alexander, and so carried the name of Ross since, as best answering the English tongue. This Obeolan had its descent of the ancient tribe of the Manapii; of this tribe is also St Rice or Rufus. Patrick was an abbot, and had Carlebay in the Lewis, and the church lands in that country, with 18 merks lands in Lochbroom.”</span><ref name="Collectanea p. 304" />

The seanchaí is speaking here of [[Alexander Macdonald, Earl of Ross, Lord of the Isles (-1449)|Alexander Macdonald, Earl of Ross and Lord of the Isles]] who died in 1449.

From ‘MacVurrich's Gaelic manuscript’, we have,
::<span class="booktext">“Alexander had other children, viz., Hugh, by a daughter of Gilpatrick Roy, son of Rory, son of the Green Abbot, son of the Earl of Ross, whose surname was of the Rosses. He had for patrimony the third part of Lewis, and other lands upon the mainland. It is he that was killed in the parts of Garioch when along with Mac Donald, viz., Donald of Isla. For there were four that went out of the army before any part of the main force went with them, viz., Norman Macleod and Torquill his brother, Lochluinn mac Gillemhaoil and Gilpatrick mac Rory. Gilpatrick mac Rory and Lochluinn mac Gillemhaoil were killed, but Norman and Torquill escaped safe from the pursuit.”</span>{{sfn|Cameron|Macbain|Kennedy|1894|p=[https://research.ucc.ie/celt/document/T402566#pb.213 213]}}

MacMhuirich is also speaking here of Alexander Macdonald, Earl of Ross and Lord of the Isles, Gilpatrick Roy being the same man as Patrick Obeolan, surnamed the Red.

Neither of these manuscripts mention Applecross specifically. The Macdonald manuscript does, however, say that, “This Obeolan had its descent of the ancient tribe of the Manapii; of this tribe is also St Rice or Rufus.”


What Reeves neglects to include in his quoting of the Macdonald seanchaí is the statement that,
::<span class="booktext">“Patrick was an abbot, and had Carlebay in the Lewis, and the church lands in that country, with 18 merks lands in Lochbroom.”</span>

MacVurrich's repeats this by saying,
::<span class="booktext">“He had for patrimony the third part of Lewis, and other lands upon the mainland.”</span>

We also see in the MacVurrich's ''Red Book'' the pedigree that led Reeves back to an Earl of Ross, ‘Gilpatrick Roy, son of Rory, son of the Green Abbot, son of the Earl of Ross’.

We have, in the [[1467 manuscript]], a pedigree for a Green Abbot. In his in-depth analysis of this pedigree, [[Ronald and Máire Black|Ronald Black]] concludes that the Green Abbot’s kindred were the Morrisons of Ness, that their origins were at Aberuthven in Strathearn.{{sfn|Black Nov 2019|p=[https://www.1467manuscript.co.uk/GreenAbbottBlack%20BLACKforWEB.pdf#page=24 24]}}

[[map]]
He also concludes that Patrick the Red, or Gilpatrick Roy, was probably abbot of Bragar, on the west coast of Lewis, seven miles from Carloway, or Carlebay.{{sfn|Black Nov 2019|pp=[https://www.1467manuscript.co.uk/GreenAbbottBlack%20BLACKforWEB.pdf#page=16 16-23]}}

Black says of the Earl of Ross connection,
::<span class="booktext">“It may be that the fall of the Nicolsons meant the rise of the Green Abbot, for MacMhuirich tells us that Patrick was ‘son of Ruairi, son of the Green Abbot, son of the earl of Ross’ and that ‘his pedigree was from the men of Ross’, while MacDonald gives Patrick’s surname as Obeolan, which was also, he says, the surname of the earls of Ross. It is difficult to know what to make of this, but if MacDonald’s account came first (which appears to be the case) he seems to be saying that Patrick and the earl shared a common surname, and MacMhuirich deduces from this, quite wrongly, that the Green Abbot was a son of the earl of Ross. There is no Beollán in our pedigree, and the Green Abbot was certainly not a son of the earl of Ross, so all that we can say is that by Patrick’s time a myth appears to have grown up in Lewis that the Green Abbot and the old earls of Ross were of the same stock.”</span>{{sfn|Black Nov 2019|p=[https://www.1467manuscript.co.uk/GreenAbbottBlack%20BLACKforWEB.pdf#page=22 22]}}











Reeves did not originally set out to investigate the Earls of Ross. He was curious, instead, to know the location of the church of Apor Crosán founded by Maelrubha in 673. 

In 1849, he wrote a [[Source:Irish Ecclesiastical (Ancient Irish Missionaries)|letter to the Irish Ecclesiastical Journal]] that begins, “Dear Sir, There is a parish in Scotland with the early history of which the statistical writers of that country seem to have been hitherto unacquainted.” He then presents his conclusion that the remains of an old religious house near the parish church in Applecross were those of Máel Ruba's monastery.{{sfn|Reeves|1849|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=_OpHAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA299 299-300]}} 

Rev. John McQueen of [[Applecross Parish, Ross-shire|Applecross Parish]] was one of these these “statistical writers”. In his entry for Applecross published in the ''[[Source:Old Statistical Account (Applecross)|Statistical Account]]'' of 1792, McQueen wrote,
::“<span class="junicodelatin">Close by the parish church, are the remains of an old religious house, where the standard and soles of crucifixes are still to be seen. It was richly endowed with landed property, which tradition relates to have been conveyed, by the last Popish missionary, in the place known by the designation of the ''Red Priest of Applecross'', to his daughter.</span>”{{sfn|McQueen|1792|p=[https://archive.org/details/b21365799_003/page/379/mode/1up 379]}}

It was these ‘remains of an old religious house’ in Applecross Parish that Reeves determined to be the site of Maelrubha's monastery. It is this ''Red Priest of Applecross'' .

His initial letter was well-received and, ten years later, Reeves presented this, much expanded, paper to the [[Society of Antiquaries of Scotland]]. It includes, in the section dedicated to Applecross Parish, a subsection called “[[#Abbots and Ministers|Abbots and Ministers]]”. It is here that he presents what he calls “a vivid tradition of an individual styled the Red Priest of Applecross”. Fortunately, he also provides us with all of the facts and stories that led him to the conclusion that the “office of hereditary farmer of abbey-lands was, in the case of this church, early vested in the family of O'Beollan.” And that “the church-lands of Applecross became an heirloom in one family, which family, namely O'Beollain, furnished the recipient of the first-created earldom of Ross.”

As expected, Reeves focused the bulk of his research on Maelrubha. He presents in the first half of the paper the story of Maelrubha and his ancestry along with a detailed explanation of the confusion between St. Maelrubha of Applecross and St. Ruffus of the Roman Martyrology. The second half of the paper is dedicated to the ways in which St. Maelrubha was commemorated in each of the parishes. Applecross is the only parish in which he includes an ''Abbots and Ministers'' section. It appears to be an attempt to simply round out the contents of the paper as a whole and provide an additional bit of historical context. And, unlike the well-researched majority of the paper, it appears to be just a quick side note based on information obtained from other people.

Reeves begins by saying, 
::“<span class="booktext">There exists, indeed, a vivid tradition of an individual styled the ''Red Priest of Applecross'', who is said to have conveyed to his daughter the rich estates with which this church was endowed, and which, down to his time, had been enjoyed by his predecessors in office.”{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/275/mode/1up 275]}}

It seems that McQueen's passage in the ''Statistical Accounts'' may have been the inspiration for parts of this statement.

He then says that,
::“<span class="booktext">The Red Priest was Gilla Patrick O'Beollan, whose daughter was married or handfasted to Alexander, Lord of the Isles of Lochalsh, and was mother of Celestine de Insulis, in whose charter of 1467 these lands are included.”{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/276/mode/1up 276]}}

In a footnote, Reeves thanks notable Scottish historian [[William Forbes Skene]] “for the first suggestions regarding the O'Beollans”.{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/276/mode/1up 276]}} 

Of this, [[Archibald B. Scott, B.D.|Rev. Archibald Scott]] says, “Dr. Reeves was unintentionally misled by information supplied by Dr. Skene. He was also further misled by some folk-gossip collected and supplied to him by the minister of Lochcarron.”{{sfn|Scott|1909|p=[https://archive.org/details/scottishhistoric06edinuoft/page/261/mode/1up 261]}}

According to Rev. Scott, the Saint known as Maolrubha was also known as Sagart Ruadh and both of these names mean the Red Priest.{{sfn|Scott|1909|p=[https://archive.org/details/scottishhistoric06edinuoft/page/260/mode/1up 260]}}<ref name="Pictish Trail">{{cite web | title=The Red Priest’s Stone | website=Highland Pictish Trail | date=13 Oct 2021 | url=https://highlandpictishtrail.co.uk/project/red-priests-stone/ | access-date=11 Nov 2023}}</ref> Rev. Scott says specifically, “Dr. Reeves, at the outset of his inquiries, prevented himself from recognising that ‘Sagart Ruadh’ is the later Gaelic-speaking people's variant of the Saint's name.”{{sfn|Scott|1909|p=[https://archive.org/details/scottishhistoric06edinuoft/page/261/mode/1up 261]}} He also says, “The two names misled some of the Roman Catholic writers, and even so great an authority as Dr. Reeves, into supposing that Maolrubha and Sagart Ruadh were different persons.”{{sfn|Scott|1909|p=[https://archive.org/details/scottishhistoric06edinuoft/page/260/mode/1up 260]}}

And, indeed, we see that, instead of reading McQueen's passage as “the place that was once known to be Maelrubha's monastery”, Reeves assumed the ''Red Priest of Applecross'' to be a separate person, the last of the Popish missionaries (Catholics) who conveyed to his daughter the rich estates with which this church was endowed. He then equated this separate ''Red Priest of Applecross'' with both Gilla Patrick O'Beollan and the Sagart Ruadh, or Red Priest, of Lochcarron's ‘folk-gossip’.

Reeves also thanks William Skene for a passage he shared.
::''Chlann eile ag Alasdair iodhon tutsudion'' 
::''inghean Ghille Phadrig Ruaidh mic Raighre mic an Aba Uaine''
::''mhic Iarla Rois do na Rosachadh a shloinneadh'':

This passage is found in what Reeves calls ‘MacVurrich's Gaelic manuscript’, or the ''[[Books of Clanranald|Red Book]]''. This is the passage he uses to draw a connection between this particular 'Red Priest' and the Earls of Ross, saying,
::“<span class="booktext">In MacVurrich's Gaelic manuscript he is styled ''Giolapadruig Ruaidh'', son of Rury, son of the Green Abbot, son of the Earl of Ross”{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/276/mode/1up 276]}}

This manuscript was written sometime in the early 18th century, so some 4 centuries after the death of the last {{Mac Earls of Ross}}. Niall MacMhuirich was a member of the [[w:MacMhuirich bardic family|MacMhuirich bardic family]]. The family was, at first, chiefly employed by the Macdonald [[Lord of the Isles|Lords of the Isles]], but, after the fall of the Lordship of the Isles in the 15th century, came to be in the employ of the chiefs of the MacDonalds of Clanranald. The ''Red Book'' is comprised mainly of an account of the history of [[Clan Donald]].







Reeves's conclusion was that McQueen's ''Red Priest of Applecross'' was the last Popish missionary who conveyed to his daughter the rich estates with which the church was endowed. He also concluded that this Red Priest was Gilla Patrick O'Beollan. We've already seen, though, that Rev. Scott's opinion was that, when McQueen mentioned the ''Red Priest of Applecross'', he was referring to Maelrubha himself. And now we have Ronald Black's opinion that Gilla Patrick Roy, or Patrick the Red, was probably abbot of Bragar, on the west coast of Lewis, seven miles from Carloway, or Carlebay.

If it is the case that ‘''Giolapadruig Ruaidh'', son of Rury, son of the Green Abbot,’ or Patrick the Red, was abbot of Bragar, not abbot of Applecross, and if the Green Abbot’s kindred were the Morrisons of Ness, not the Earls of Ross, why is it that the Macdonald seanchaí called him ‘Patrick Obeolan, surnamed the Red’? And why would he say that, “This surname Obeolan was the surnames of the Earls of Ross, till Farquar, born in Ross, was created earl by King Alexander, and so carried the name of Ross since, as best answering the English tongue. This Obeolan had its descent of the ancient tribe of the Manapii; of this tribe is also St Rice or Rufus.”



Returning to the Macdonald manuscript, we next have the line, “This Obeolan had its descent of the ancient tribe of the Manapii; of this tribe is also St Rice or Rufus.”























Reeves then supplies this ‘vivid tradition’ as conveyed to him by the minister of Lochcarron.
::“<span class="booktext">The Sagart Ruadh, or Red Priest, was married, and had by his wife an only child, a female, who was early betrothed to a son of the laird of Coul. The Priest is supposed to have been a MacDonald. The girl in process of time grew to maturity, when several neighbouring lairds strove to win her affections. Among others, Mackenzie of Gairloch, who attempted abduction, but paid dearly for his desperate experiment. He came by sea with a band of daring men, whom he landed on the shore below the manse; and while he remained with a single companion in the boat, they proceeded under cover of night to execute his orders. It would seem that the Red Priest had previously obtained some secret information of their intentions, and was prepared for their reception. So he invited them into his house, and received them with seeming hospitality; but, in the middle of the entertainment, a body of men who were lying in wait, upon a given signal, rushed in and slew all the guests. From the banquet-room they hastened to the shore, and there finding the laird, with his attendant, they put them, in like manner, to death. All their bodies were buried in Applecross churchyard. After this catastrophe a MacDonald paid his addresses to the damsel, and was accepted, which so exasperated the Mackenzies of Coul, that they came, demanded the lady for their chief, and succeeded in scattering the MacDonnells, on whose withdrawal the lady was surrendered to them, and with her the lands of Applecross.”{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/277/mode/1up 277]}}</blockquote>

Reeves then provides what the calls ‘another version of the story’, also involving a Red Priest who was a MacDonald and the last of the family who was proprietor of these lands.

Reeves believed that this Red Priest of Lochcarron's legend was the ''Red Priest of Applecross'', the end of a long line of predecessors who enjoyed the rich estates with which this church was endowed. 




And, as he adds, “Thus, as the story goes, these lands came into the family of Mackenzie, with whom they remained till the other day.”

From these few pieces of information then, Reeves has a story of a Red Priest, a MacDonald, in possession of the lands of Applecross. And the daughter of this Red Priest, through whom the lands of Applecross came to be in the possession of the Mackenzies.

We do know that these lands did come to be in the hands of the Mackenzies.

[[Cosmo Nelson Innes (1798-1874)|Cosmo Innes]] states in ''[[Source:Origines parochiales (Applecross)|Origines parochiales]]'' that, “in 1569 the same Kenzeoch was heir in remainder to the chapel lands of Apilcroce, then granted by Sir William Stewart the chaplain to Rory Makkangze and his heirs male.”{{sfn|Innes|1854|p=[https://archive.org/details/originesparoc97a02unknuoft/page/393/mode/1up 393]}} He cites [[Source:Scottish document RSS, vol. xxxviii fol. 119|Reg. Sec. Sig., vol. xxxviii. fol. 119]]. He says later, “In 1569 King James VI. confirmed a grant made by Sir William Stewart chaplain of Apilcroce, with the consent of John bishop of Ross, the dean, and the canons, to Rory Makkangze and his heirs male, with remainder to Kenzeoch M'Kangze of Kintaill and his male heirs whomsoever bearing his arms and surname, of half of the lands of Bonnadell, Longoll and Achechork, Kippech, Satrell and Drumloy, Cowlmoir, Corchirie, Coulnakill, Ardestang, Scheildag, Dybege, Rischill, and Lestang, in the earldom of Ross and sheriffdom of Innernes, which belonged to Sir William as the patrimony of the chaplainry.”<ref name="Origines Paroch vol. 2 p. 404" /> And again cites Reg. Sec. Sig., vol. xxxviii. fol. 119.

Reeves also includes the text of this document in the '[[#appendix|Appendix]]' section of this paper.
<blockquote class="booktext">Precept of the Charter of Confirmation on the charter of fief made by Mr. William Stewart, chaplain of Apilcroce, under the diocese of Ross, with the express consent and assent of John, Bishop of Ross, and the Dean and Canons of the cathedral church of Ross, capitularly gathered to Rorio Makkangze and his male heirs, legitimately begotten or to be begotten of his body. to the conveyance of Kenzeoch McKangze of Kintaill and his heirs male to whomever bear the arms and surname of the said Kanzeocht and to their assigns to whomsoever of all and singular lands underwritten, viz. half the lands of Bounadell half the lands of Longoll and Athechork half the lands of Kippeche half the lands of Satrell and Drumloy half the lands of Corlmvir half the lands of Corchirie half the lands of Coulnakill half the lands of Ardestaig half the lands of Scheildaig half the lands of Dybege half the lands of Rischill half the lands of Lestang, lying in the county of Rossense and the sheriffdom of Inuerness to the said lord William as the patrimony and property of the said chaplaincy To be held of the said lord William and his successors at Edenburght on the twenty-second day of the month of April in the year of the Lord, etc., lxix.{{sfn|Reeves|1862|pp=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/284/mode/1up 284-285]}}</blockquote>

[[File:Apilcroce lands.jpg|thumb|right|244px|The chapel lands of Apilcroce circa 1569.]]
<div class="leafletmapsmall">{{#display_map: geojson=ApplecrossMonastery |zoom=8
 |57.445000, -5.8122222~Maelrubha's monastery
 |layers=NLS.osgb1888
}}</div>
So, the lands of Applecross, at this point, included Bonnadell, Longoll and Achechork, Kippech, Satrell and Drumloy, Cowlmoir, Corchirie, Coulnakill, Ardestang, Scheildag, Dybege, Rischill, and Lestang. And one of the two chaplains of Applecross, with consent of the church, transferred to the Mackenzies his half of these lands.

The locations of some of these lands are lost to history. From what we do know, we can see that this was a very large area, covering the entire peninsula. This agrees with Reeves's statement, “That in after-times the lands of Applecross, in a radius of six miles from the saint's church, enjoyed the rights of sanctuary and immunity.”{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/267/mode/1up 267]}} 

The Rorio Makkangze who was granted these lands of Applecross in 1569 was [[Roderick Mackenzie, 2nd of Davochmaluag]].{{sfn|Black Nov 2019|p=[https://www.1467manuscript.co.uk/GreenAbbottBlack%20BLACKforWEB.pdf#page=7 7]}} The Kenzeoch McKangze mentioned would've been his 1st cousin, and also his daughter's father-in-law, [[Kenneth 'of the Whittle' Mackenzie, 10th of Kintail ( -1568)|Kenneth Mackenzie, 10th of Kintail]].

This transaction is an example of the diminishing power of the church prior to the [[w:Scottish Reformation Parliament|Scottish Reformation]] which led to the transfer of church property into the hands of powerful nobles.<ref>{{cite web|title=Applecross History|website=Applecross Historical Society and Heritage Centre|url=https://www.applecrossheritage.org.uk/applecross-history-culture|access-date=18 Feb 2024}}</ref>

This also places Lochcarron's legend sometime around the year 1569. It, however, does not conform to the narrative of Lochcarron's legend. Mr. William Stewart, as far as we know, was not a ''Red Priest of Applecross''. He was also not a MacDonald. In the second version of the story that Reeves includes, the MacRuries were first to obtain the estate, but the papers fell into the hands of the Mackenzies, but that his clearly not the case.

In the first version of the legend, Loccharron mentions Mackenzie of Gairloch, who “paid dearly” for attempting to abduct the Red Priest's daughter. It is then the Mackenzies of Coul who demand the lady for their chief and, with her, the lands of Applecross.

According to historian [[Alexander Mackenzie]], the Mackenzies obtained the Barony of Gairloch in the late 15th century.{{sfn|Mackenzie|1894|p=[https://archive.org/details/historyofmackenz00mack/page/386/mode/1up 386-387]}} About the time of Lochcarron's legend, the lands changed hands several times between the sons of John Glassich Mackenzie. Hector Mackenzie of Gairloch died in 1566. Alexander died a few weeks after he succeeded his brother.{{sfn|Mackenzie|1894|p=[https://archive.org/details/historyofmackenz00mack/page/403/mode/1up 403]}} Mackenzie takes from an old family manuscript that the brothers were killed probably in the same manner as their father and uncles, by the Mackenzies of Kintail.{{sfn|Mackenzie|1894|p=[https://archive.org/details/historyofmackenz00mack/page/401/mode/1up 401]}}

The Mackenzies of Coul, however, were not contemporary with these brothers. Alexander Mackenzie of Applecross and 1st of Coul was the grandson of Roderick Mackenzie, 2nd of Davochmaluag, and Kenneth Mackenzie, 10th of Kintail, the men actually named in the Precept of the Charter of Confirmation of 1569.

{{Mackenzie of Applecross descendant chart|state=expanded}}

[[Alexander Mackenzie (historian)|Alexander Mackenzie]] wrote in the ''[[History of the Mackenzies]]'' that the wife of this Roderick MacKenzie was Ann, daughter of Donald Gorm Macdonald, 7th of Sleat.{{sfn|Mackenzie|1894|p=[https://archive.org/details/historyofmackenz00mack/page/595/mode/1up 595]}} He writes in the ''[[History of the Macdonalds]]'', however, that [[Donald Gorm Macdonald, 5th of Sleat ( -1539)|Donald Gorm Macdonald]] was 5th of Sleat{{sfn|Mackenzie|1881|p=[https://archive.org/details/historyofmacdlor00mack/page/164/mode/1up 164]}} and that the 7th of Sleat was [[Donald Gorm Mòr Macdonald, 7th of Sleat (-c1617)|Donald Gorm Mòr Macdonald]]{{sfn|Mackenzie|1881|p=[https://archive.org/details/historyofmacdlor00mack/page/189/mode/1up 189]}} who died without issue.{{sfn|Mackenzie|1881|p=[https://archive.org/details/historyofmacdlor00mack/page/213/mode/1up 213]}} Besides apparently being childless, Donald Gorm Mòr would've lived too late to have been the father of the wife of Roderick Mackenzie.

Either way, there may be some truth to Lochcarron's claim that the first Mackenzie to possess the lands of Apilcroce was married to the daughter of a Macdonald. This Macdonald, however, was not the Sagart Ruadh, or Red Priest. He was, instead, chief of [[Clan Macdonald of Sleat]].

Regardless, this mention of a Macdonald appears to be the clue that led Reeves to what he calls the “[[Source:Collectanea (Fragment)|legendary history of the MacDonalds]], published by the Iona Club”. Or maybe this was the ‘suggestion regarding the O'Beollans’ that was made by William Skene. 

This [[Sleat History|Macdonald manuscript]] was written by a [[Scottish Highlands|Highland]] [[seanchaí|sennachie]] sometime during the reigns of [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] and [[James II of England]], so between 1660 and 1688{{NLS|Adv.MS.73.1.12}}, so a century after the transfer of the lands of Applecross by the church to the Mackenzies. The [[Iona Club]] published a transcription of a 'fragment' of a copy of the document for the first time in 1847, just before Reeves sent his letter to the [[Irish Ecclesiastical Journal (vol. 5)|Irish Ecclesiastical Journal]].

The main focus of this document is a history of the [[Clan Macdonald|Macdonalds]], Lords of the Isles, and their descendant line, the Macdonalds of Sleat. When speaking of [[Alexander Macdonald, Earl of Ross, Lord of the Isles (-1449)|Alexander, Earl of Ross and Lord of the Isles]], it says,
::<span class="booktext">“[[Alexander Macdonald, Earl of Ross, Lord of the Isles (-1449)|Alexander his son]] succeeded to his father's estate, and was proclaimed [[Earl of Ross]] and [[Lord of the Isles]] after the accustomed manner, a man born to much trouble all his lifetime. First, he took to him the concubine, daughter to [[Patrick the Red, abbot|Patrick Obeolan, surnamed the Red]], who was a very, beautiful woman. This surname Obeolan was the surnames of the [[Mac an t-Sagairt Earls of Ross|Earls of Ross]], till [[Fearchar, Earl of Ross|Farquar]], born in Ross, was created earl by King Alexander, and so carried the name of Ross since, as best answering the English tongue. This Obeolan had its descent of the ancient tribe of the Manapii; of this tribe is also St Rice or Rufus. Patrick was an abbot, and had Carlebay in the Lewis, and the church lands in that country, with 18 merks lands in Lochbroom.”</span><ref name="Collectanea p. 304" />

Reeves finds here an abbot named Patrick the Red. The daughter of this Patrick the Red is said here to have been a concubine of [[Alexander Macdonald, Earl of Ross, Lord of the Isles (-1449)|Alexander Macdonald, Earl of Ross and Lord of the Isles]]. This Alexander is known to have died in 1449. This places Patrick the Red in the early 15th century, a century before the transfer of the lands of Applecross by the church to the Mackenzies. Nevertheless, Reeves equates this Patrick the Red with the ''Red Priest of Applecross'' of the ''Statistical Accounts'' and Lochcarron's legend. 

He says, 
::<span class="booktext">“The Red Priest was Gilla Patrick O'Beollan, whose daughter was married or handfasted to Alexander, Lord of the Isles of Lochalsh, and was mother of Celestine de Insulis, in whose charter of 1467 these lands are included.”</span>

There are several issues with this sentence.

First, according to this manuscript, the only known source to suggest this relationship between Alexander and the daughter of Patrick Obeolan, Alexander was Earl of Ross and Lord of the Isles. Reeves calls him here ‘Alexander, Lord of the Isles of Lochalsh’. Alexander of the Isles of Lochalsh, also called Alexander of the Isles, lord of Lochalsh, was actually the grandson of Alexander, Earl of Ross and Lord of the Isles.{{sfn|Munro|munro|1986|p=[https://digital.nls.uk/scottish-history-society-publications/browse/archive/126625683#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=287 194-195]}}{{sfn|Mackenzie|1881|pp=[https://archive.org/details/historyofmacdlor00mack/page/87/mode/1up 87-88]}}

[[File:Alexander-chart,-Acts-of-the-Lords-of-the-Isles.jpg|thumb|center|500px|Family tree of Alexander, Earl of Ross and Lord of the Isles, from ''Acts of the lords of the Isles''.]]

Celestine de Insulis was the son of Alexander, Earl of Ross and Lord of the Isles, and father of Alexander, Lord of the Isles of Lochalsh. Reeves claims that the daughter of Patrick the Red was the mother of Celestine de Insulis. This same manuscript, however, claims that the daughter of Patrick the Red was the mother of Celestine's brother Hugh, 1st of Sleat. 








According to MacPhail, Celestine is misplaced by the sennachie and listed as the son of Alexander's son John and MacDuffee of Colonsay's daughter.{{sfn|MacPhail|1914|p=[https://archive.org/details/highlandpapers01macp/page/47/mode/1up 47]}} 

In what Reeves calls MacVurrich's Gaelic manuscript, also known as the [[Books of Clanrananld]], we find Celestine, called here Gillespie.
::<span class="booktext">“Gillespie, son of Alexander of Isla, whose mother was daughter of Mac Phee of Lochaber, and Alexander, son of Gillespie, who obtained possession of the earldom of Ross, and Donald, his son, died without issue.”</span>{{sfn|Cameron|Macbain|Kennedy|1894|p=[https://research.ucc.ie/celt/document/T402566#pb.213 213]}}

Skene agrees that Celestine was the son of a daughter of Mac Dubhshithe or Macphee, of Lochaber.

Reeves is the only one to name Celestine as the son of the daughter of Patrick the Red. This appears to be another misinterpretation of the information provided him by Skene. Additionally, there is evidence that suggests that Celestine was also a legitimate son, not the son of an unnamed concubine.{{sfn|Munro|Munro|1986|p=[https://digital.nls.uk/scottish-history-society-publications/browse/archive/126625683#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=395 303]}}{{sfn|Gregory|1975|p=[https://archive.org/details/historywesternh03greggoog/page/40/mode/1up 40-41]}}{{sfn|MacPhail|1914|p=[https://archive.org/details/highlandpapers01macp/page/92/mode/1up 92]}}

Unfortunately, unlike all of the other documents referenced in this paper, Reeves does not provide a citation for this Celestine de Insulis charter of 1467 in which “these lands are included”.

We find, dated April 25, 1467, a [[Source:Scottish document NLS, MS. 2131 f.71|charter]] by John, earl of Ross and lord of the Isles, with the consent of his council to his brother Celestine of the Isles of Lochalsh, sheriff of Inverness, of the lands of Strathhalladale in the earldom of Caithness, sheriffdom of Inverness.{{sfn|Munro|Munro|1986|pp=[https://digital.nls.uk/scottish-history-society-publications/browse/archive/126625683#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=233&xywh=-512%2C107%2C2707%2C2615 141-142]}}

This is the only charter that has been located pertaining to Celestine de Insulis and dated 1467. This document does not include the lands of Applecross. It is speaking instead of the lands of [[w:Strath Halladale|Strath Halladale]] in Caithness, or Sutherland; Sutherland being on the opposite coast of Scotland.

There are several other charters found involving Celestine.
* February 2, 1463 - Charter by John, earl of Ross and lord of the Isles, with the consent of his council to Celestine his brother and his heirs by Finvola, daughter of Lachlan MacLean of Duart, whom failing to any lawful heirs of Celestine by any other wife, of the lands of Lochbroom, Lochalsh, Lochcarron, Torridon and Kishorn, in the earldom of Ross and sheriffdom of Inverness.<ref name="Acts of the lords of the Isles p. 117" />
* November 8, 1463 - Charter by John, earl of Ross and lord of the Isles, with the consent of his council to Celestine of the Isles his natural brother and his heirs male by Finvola, daughter of Lachlan MacLean of Duart, whom failing to heirs male of Celestine by any other wife, of the lands of Sleat in the lordship of the Isles.{{sfn|Munro|Munro|1986|p=[https://digital.nls.uk/scottish-history-society-publications/browse/archive/126625683#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=218 126]}}
* January 10, 1464 - Charter by John, earl of Ross and lord of the Isles, with the consent of his council to Celestine his natural brother and his heirs by Finvola daughter of Lachlan MacLean of Duart, whom failing to the heirs of Celestine by any other wife of the lands of Ferincoskry, namely Creich, Spinningdale, Acharry, Fload, and Pulrossie in the earldom of Sutherland and sheriffdom of Inverness.{{sfn|Munro|Munro|1986|p=[https://digital.nls.uk/scottish-history-society-publications/browse/archive/126625683#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=223 130]}}
* November 7, 1464 - Note of a charter by John, earl of Ross, to Celestine of the lands of Glenloy, Strone (?), and Locharkaig.{{sfn|Munro|Munro|1986|p=[https://digital.nls.uk/scottish-history-society-publications/browse/archive/126625683#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=230 137]}}

<div class="leafletmap">{{#display_map:geojson=Applecrossneighbors
|layers=NLS.osgb1888
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This charter of February 2, 1463, includes the lands of Lochbroom, Lochalsh, Lochcarron, Torridon and Kishorn. Lochalsh and Lochcarron, “and others”, were the lands that Skene claims Alexander, Earl of Ross, obtained from Patrick the Red's daughter. If Reeves got his information from Skene, this must have been the transaction that Skene informed him of.

If we look at the map of parish boundaries [[w:Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889|prior to 1891]], Lochbroom Parish was to the northeast of Applecross Parish, just on the other side of Gairloch Parish. Lochcarron Parish was just to the southeast of Applecross Parish. Lochalsh Parish was just to the south of Applecross Peninsula and Lochcarron Parish. Loch Torridon was between the Applecross Peninsula and Lochbroom Parish and Loch Kishorn was between Applecross Peninsula and Lochcarron Parish. ''[[Source:Origines parochiales (Applecross)|Origines parochiales]]'', published in 1854, says of Applecross, “This parish, chiefly mountainous, lies between the salt-water lochs named Loch Kishorn and Loch Torridon, and includes three districts, Kishorn, Applecross, and Lochs.”{{sfn|Innes|1854|p=[https://archive.org/details/originesparoc97a02unknuoft/page/402/mode/1up 402]}} 

It appears that this charter includes the lands surrounding the area that was once Maelrubha's monastery, but not the lands that would be considered Apilcroce. As Reeves states, legend has it that the [[St. Maelrubha's monastery at Aporcrosan#Location|sanctuary of Maelrubha's monastery]] extended 6 miles in all directions.{{sfn|McQueen|1792|p=[https://archive.org/details/b21365799_003/page/369/mode/1up 369]}} The monastery itself was at the mouth of the river Crossan. A 6-mile radius would encompass most of the peninsula. This would include what became the Applecross district. These lands do not appear to be included in the charter.

In fact, in 1546, when Angus Yla, son of Alexander Macdonald 6th of Glengarry,{{sfn|Mackenzie|1881|p=[https://archive.org/details/historyofmacdlor00mack/page/301/mode/1up 301]}} granted the lands of Ernsay to Robert Munro of Fowlis, he was lord of half the lands of Lochalsh, Lochcarron, and Lochbroom, and patron of the chaiplainry of Obsdale.{{NRS|GD176/50}}

Again, the charter of 1569 made by the chaplain of Apilcroce, William Stewart, to Roderick Mackenzie indicates that the lands of Apilcroce were church lands at that point. Not in the possession of the Macdonalds.












Skene may have said it more accurately in his ''[[Celtic Scotland]]'', published several decades later. 
::“By the daughter of Giollapadraig, the last of the lay abbots of Applecross, and known to tradition as the Red Priest, with whom he obtained the lands of Lochalsh, Lochcarron, and others, he had a son Hugh, to whom he gave the lands of Sleat in Skye ; and by a daughter of Mac Dubhshithe or Macphee, of Lochaber, he had Celestine or Gilleaspic, to whom he gave the lands of Lochalsh.”{{sfn|Skene|1880|p=[https://archive.org/details/celticscotlandh03sken/page/298/mode/1up 298]}}

Skene is speaking here of the only [[Alexander Macdonald, Earl of Ross, Lord of the Isles (-1449)|Alexander Macdonald]] to be earl of Ross. This is the same Alexander that the Macdonald history says “took to him the concubine, daughter to Patrick Obeolan, surnamed the Red”, Giollapadraig being the Gaelic form of Patrick the Red.

Reeves, however, confuses him with Alexander, Lord of the Isles of Lochalsh. These were two different men. Alexander, Lord of the Isles and Earl of Ross, was the father of Celestine de Insulis. And Celestine was the father of  Alexander, Lord of the Isles of Lochalsh, therefore, was the grandson of Alexander, Earl of Ross.



 who was of a surname that had its descent from the tribe of St. Rufus.

Reeves goes into great detail in this paper about the confusion between St. Maelrubha and the Roman St. Rufus of Capua. In this instance, though, he equates St. Rufus with Maelrubha. It's interesting that he chose to do so. The name of the tribe in Reeves's paper, as it is printed by the [[Society of Antiquaries of Scotland]], is [[Menapii]]. The name in Macdonald's manuscript, as it is printed by the [[Iona Club]], is [[Manapii]]. The Menapii were a [[w:Belgae|Belgic]] tribe from mainland Europe. The Manapii were an Irish tribe thought, potentially, to be descended from the Menapii. If Reeves understood this word to mean the Irish tribe, we see why he could've associated this St. Rufus with Ireland. But we don't know that he did.

There is also this idea that the Manapii were first mentioned by Greek geographer Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD. In the 500 years between Ptolemy and Maelrubha there could be many, many descendants of this tribe. And in the 700 years between Maelrubha and Patrick the Red, there could be many, many more descendants of this tribe. This connection is in no way an indication of a familial or [[patrilineal]] relationship between Maelrubha and Patrick the Red.

Additionally, there is the question of the basis for the claim that this Obeolan had its descent of the ancient tribe of the Manapii. On whose authority does he have this information? Is there any possible ulterior motive for making this claim? Or the claim that Patrick's name was Obeolan? Or that this surname Obeolan was the surname of the Earls of Ross?

In his first note found at the end of the transcription of the fragment, [[William Forbes Skene|William Skene]] states:
::<span class="booktext">“The genealogical accounts of the various families contained in these MSS. is, however, frequently full of errors, principally intentional, and arising from the prejudices and active partizanship of the Sennachy, who being always devoted to one particular family, shared his patron's animosity against the Clans with whom he was at feud, and his jealousy of the other families of his own Clan, between whom there existed a rivalry. The Sennachy seldom scrupled to subserve his patron's jealousies, by perverting the history of their families, and this he, in general, accomplished either by actually perverting the genealogy, or by an extensive bastardising of the heads of the family, probably proceeding upon a principle not unknown to the present day, that a fact, however notoriously false, if perseveringly asserted for a certain length of time, will at length be received as true.”</span>{{sfn|Iona Club|1847|p=[https://archive.org/details/collectaneadere00skengoog/page/n345/mode/1up 325]}} 

He points out that the writer of this particular manuscript was a staunch adherent of the Sleat family. According to this manuscript, Hugh, the 1st of the Sleat family,  “who was called Austin, or, as others say, Augustine,” was the son that Patrick the Red's daughter bore to Alexander, Lord of the Isles and Earl of Ross.{{sfn|Iona Club|1847|p=[https://archive.org/details/collectaneadere00skengoog/page/305/mode/1up 305]}} The use here of Austin for Uisdean or Hugh is one of many instances in which classical names are utilized to represent Gaelic names of a somewhat similar sound.{{sfn|MacPhail|1914|p=[https://archive.org/details/highlandpapers01macp/page/35/mode/1up 35]}}

This family later professed themselves to be rightful heirs to both the [[Lord of the Isles|Lordship of the Isles]] and the [[Earl of Ross|Earldom of Ross]] once possessed by this Alexander.{{sfn|Mackenzie|1881|p=[https://archive.org/details/historyofmacdlor00mack/page/164/mode/1up 164]}} Is it possible, then, that this sennachie saw a benefit in claiming a connection between this family of Sleat and the original Earls of Ross?

If Hugh Macdonald, 1st of Sleat, was the son of Alexander, Lord of the Isles and Earl of Ross, and a daughter of Patrick Obeolan, whose surname was that of the Earls of Ross, could he then claim rights to the Earldom through both of his parents?

[[Archibald B. Scott, B.D.|Rev. Scott]] also points out that Gilla-Patrick the Red was a “reputed ancestor of certain Ross-shire lairds”. He says, “These Ross-shire lairds, however, claimed descent not only from Gilla-Patrick the Red, but from Maolrubha or Sagart Ruadh himself. This claim we can quite understand and explain when we remember that those who made it held Maolrubha's lands of Applecross, to which they had to profess some sort of title.”{{sfn|Scott|1909|p=[https://archive.org/details/scottishhistoric06edinuoft/page/261/mode/1up 261]}}

No evidence is found in contemporary documents that would suggest this maternal relationship between the first Macdonalds of Sleat and a descendant of the [[Mac an t-Sagairt Earls of Ross]]. In fact, in a [[Source:Highland Papers (Macdonalds)|later printing]] of the manuscript, next to the sentence claiming that Patrick the Red's daughter bore a son to Alexander, is a margin note that states, “That this is false can be proven from a charter granted by his father to Austin [Hugh], wherein is mentioned that the Earl of Huntly's daughter was her [sic] mother, who was likewise married to Alexander.”{{sfn|MacPhail|1914|p=[https://archive.org/details/highlandpapers01macp/page/35/mode/1up 35]}} 

The details of this charter are not shared, but later researchers have supplied us with evidence that suggests that Hugh was a legitimate son, not the child of a concubine.{{sfn|Gregory|1975|p=[https://archive.org/details/historywesternh03greggoog/page/40/mode/1up 40-41]}}{{sfn|MacPhail|1914|p=[https://archive.org/details/highlandpapers01macp/page/92/mode/1up 92]}}{{sfn|Mackenzie|1881|pp=[https://archive.org/details/historyofmacdlor00mack/page/87/mode/1up 87-88]}}

MacPhail, editor of this second printing, points out that the sennachie, called by him [[Hugh Macdonald, the Sleat historian|Hugh Macdonald]], confuses Alexander's wife with that of his son.{{sfn|MacPhail|1914|p=[https://archive.org/details/highlandpapers01macp/page/94/mode/1up 94]}} After telling us that Patrick's daughter was twice brought before the king, the sennachie says that Alexander was persuaded to marry Margaret Livingston, daughter to Sir Alexander Livingston.{{sfn|Iona Club|1847|p=[https://archive.org/details/collectaneadere00skengoog/page/305/mode/1up 305]}} Other sources claim that Alexander's wife's name was Elizabeth and that she was most likely the daughter of Alexander Seton, lord of Gordon and Huntly.{{sfn|Paul|1908|p=[https://archive.org/details/scotspeeragefou00unkngoog/page/44/mode/1up 44]}} Her name also may have been Haliburton.{{sfn|Munro|munro|1986|p=[https://digital.nls.uk/scottish-history-society-publications/browse/archive/126625683#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=395 302-303]}} It was his son, John, who married Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Lord Livingstone.{{sfn|Paul|1908|p=[https://archive.org/details/scotspeeragefou00unkngoog/page/47/mode/1up 47]}} Is it possible, then, that he was also confused about Hugh being the son of the daughter of Patrick the Red?

Regardless of the credibility of the claims made in the manuscript, Reeves finds in Patrick the Red the Sagart Ruadh he was looking for. 

He goes so far as to say,
::<span class="booktext">“The Red Priest was Gilla Patrick O'Beollan, whose daughter was married or handfasted to Alexander, Lord of the Isles of Lochalsh, and was mother of Celestine de Insulis, in whose charter of 1467 these lands are included.”</span>

This connection was either supported or suggested by Skene as Reeves thanks him in a footnote.{{sfn|Iona Club|1847|p=[https://archive.org/details/collectaneadere00skengoog/page/276/mode/1up 276]}} 

It does seem that Reeves may have received information from someone else and gotten a few of the details confused.

The earliest mention of Apilcroce in post-Viking times is found on November 23, 1515. It is the presentation of Mr. Alexander Maccloid, directed to the bishop of Ross, to grant him the collation of Mr. Alexander over two chaplaincies lying and founded below the parish church of Abilcros under the diocese of Ross, when they happen to be vacant by the death or incapacity of Mr. Murdac and Mr. Cristini, the chaplains and now possessors of the same.<ref name="Reg Sec Sig vol. 1 p. 409" /> We can see from this that there were two chaplaincies founded below the parish church of Abilcros. They were at this point already in the possession of Mr. Murdac and Mr. Cristini indicating that these chaplaincies were established prior to 1515.

We then have, between the years 1515 and 1561, a series of presentations to the [[chaplaincy of Apilcroce]]. Reeves also incudes transcriptions of many of these documents in his appendix.

[[File:Apilcroce lands.jpg|thumb|right|244px|The chapel lands of Apilcroce circa 1569]]
In 1569, this chaplaincy was in possession of what Innes calls the “chapel lands of Apilcroce”, Bonnadell, Longoll and Achechork, Kippech, Satrell and Drumloy, Cowlmoir, Corchirie, Coulnakill, Ardestang, Scheildag, Dybege, Rischill, and Lestang. Only two of them, Ardheslaig and Shieldaig, are found listed in Applecross Parish in ''[[Place-Names of Ross and Cromarty]]'',{{sfn|Watson|1904|pp=[https://archive.org/details/placenamesofross00watsuoft/page/207/mode/1up 207, 208]}} but several can be found on a map drawn in 1826.<ref>{{cite map |author = |title = [Ross and Cromarty Shires] / compiled from actual surveys by John Craig. |trans-title = |map = |map-url = |year = 1826 |url = https://maps.nls.uk/view/216442902#zoom=5&lat=6352&lon=1512&layers=BT |publisher = John Thomson |cartography = John Craig |location = Edinburgh |id = EMS.b.5.10(25) |access-date = 18 Feb 2024 |via=[[National Library of Scotland]] }}</ref> The chapel lands of Apilcroce appear to have encompassed the entirety of the peninsula.





The first document we find cataloged by the {{NRS online catalog}} is a charter by David [Lindsay], bishop of Ross, to [[Kenneth Mackenzie, 1st Lord Mackenzie of Kintail ( -1611)|Kenneth McKenzie of Kintaill]] of the kirklands of Cullicudden, Farnes Wester, Culboll, Wodheid, and many other subjects; with the patronage of the parish churches and parishes of Kintaill, Lochaillche, Lochcarrone, [[Applecross Parish, Ross-shire|Apilcroce]], Garloch, Lochbrume, and Assint; also the office of heritable constable of the castle of Ross, dated August 15, 1607.<ref name="NRS GD90/1/229" />

The next document we find cataloged is an Instrument of [[Sasine]] in favour of Agnes Fraser, second daughter of Hugh Fraser of Belladrome, and spouse of [[John Mackenzie, 2nd of Applecross|John McKenzie, apparent of Applecroce]], of lands and towns of Kylburrie, Calnakill, Ardteaschlack, Schealdack, and the scheilling of Scammadill, in barony of Applecroce and sheriffdom of Innernes, in liferent, following on charter by said John McKenzie and Alexander McKenzie of Coull, his grandfather, dated 6th February 1649.<ref name="NRS GD23/10/35" />

On July 30, 1662, as Reeves mentions, we know that [[John Mackenzie, 2nd of Applecross|John M'Keanzie of Aplecroce]] was [[Source:Scottish document Retours, xxvi. 264|served heir male]] to his grandfather, [[Alexander Mackenzie of Applecross and Coul ( -1650)|Alexander M'Keanzie of Applecross and Coul]], in the lands of Aplecroce.<ref name="Retours vol. 2 R & C 117" />

In the ''[[History of the Mackenzies]]'', [[Alexander Mackenzie (historian)|Alexander Mackenzie]] claims that [[Alexander Mackenzie of Applecross and Coul ( -1650)|Alexander Mackenzie of Coul]] had “sasine of half the lands of Applecross and others, as a “natural son of Colin Mackenzie of Kintail,” dated 10th of March, 1582.”{{sfn|Mackenzie|1894|p=[https://archive.org/details/historyofmackenz00mack/page/595/mode/1up 595]}} This Alexander was grandson of both Rory of Davochmaluag and Kenneth of Kintail.


So, the story told by the documents of how the lands came to be in the family of Mackenzie begins with this grant by Mr. William Stewart, chaplain of Apilcroce, in 1569. We have afterwards a chain of ownership from [[Roderick Mackenzie, 2nd of Davochmaluag]] to his great-great-grandson [[John Mackenzie, 2nd of Applecross]]. This, therefore, would date the minister of Lochcarron's legend to around 1569.

{{Mackenzie of Applecross descendant chart|state=expanded}}

According to the minister of Lochcarron, the Sagart Ruadh, or Red Priest, was supposed to have been a MacDonald and the lands of Applecross went with his daughter to the Mackenzies of Coul.

We see that it was actually Mr. William Stewart, chaplain of Apilcroce, who transferred the lands of Apilcroce to Roderick Mackenzie, 2nd of Davochmaluag. This family didn't carry the name of Coul until several generations later. 


As Reeves himself states, though, the obit of Mac Oige of Aporcrosan in 801 “is the last reference to the place in the Irish Annals, and, it may be said, in all existing records, until it makes its appearance as “ane commoun kirk of the bischoprik of Ros.””{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/275/mode/1up 275]}} 



This reference that Reeves makes to “ane commoun kirk of the bischoprik of Ros” comes from the Presentation of Murdoch Johnnestoun to the parsonage and vicarage of Apilcroce, a common kirk of the bishopric of Ross, in the sheriffdom of Inverness, dated August 4, 1575.<ref name="Reg Sec Sig vol. 7 p. 39" /> But we know, based on documents that he includes in this paper, prior to being a common kirk, or church, it was a chaplaincy.

These chaplaincies were founded under the parish church of Apilcroce in the diocese of Ross. This would've been a Catholic diocese. During the [[w:Scottish Reformation|Scottish Reformation]], Scotland broke with the Papacy and developed the [[w:Church of Scotland|Church of Scotland]]. It would probably have been after the [[w:Scottish Reformation Parliament|Scottish Reformation Parliament]] of 1560 that the chaplaincy in the diocese of Ross became, or began to be referred to as, “ane commoun kirk of the bischoprik of Ros”. Would this mean, then, that Mr. William Stewart, chaplain of Apilcroce, who granted to Roderick Mackenzie half the lands of Apilcroce in 1569, was the “last of the Popish missionaries” mentioned by Rev. McQueen in the Old Statistical Account? We see in the letter dated 1576, after his death, Sir William Stewart is called “the last possessor thereof”. Kenneth Mackenzie, son of Alexander Mackenzie of Kilchrist, is then [[Disposition (Scots law)|disponed]] the chaplainry of Apilcroce.<ref name="Proceedings vol. 3 p. 285" />

It's interesting that, when Reeves wrote his original letter in 1849, it was met with the response that, “Previously to that date, nothing had been done towards the identification of St Maelrubha or his church of Apercrossan; and in his note on the passage of the Four Masters at 671, which makes mention of them, the learned Dr O'Donovan declared his inability to ascertain the modern name of the saint's church in Scotland.”<ref name="Proceedings vol. 3 p. 258" />

In these 16th-century documents that Reeves includes, there is mention specifically of the chaplaincy of the chapel of Saint Malrube in Apilcroce. This would indicate that knowledge of Maelrubha's association with the area had been handed down, even during the time of Viking occupation.<ref name="Reg Sec Sig vol. 2 p. 514" /><ref name="Reg Sec Sig vol. 2 p. 555" /><ref name="Proceedings vol. 3 p. 284" /> Why it was not known to scholars in the 19th century is unclear. 
[[File:Chapel, Applecross - geograph.org.uk - 3760497.jpg|thumb|right|244px|15th century chapel, Applecross]]
There are, standing today, near what is thought to be the original location of Maelrubha's monastery, the remnants of a chapel said to have been founded in the 15th century.<ref>{{Canmore |num=11736|desc=Applecross, Chapel}}</ref> Could this be “the remains of an old religious houſe” mentioned by Rev. McQueen in the Old Statistical Account? Could it be that this is the chapel of the chaplaincy called specifically the chaplaincy of the chapel of Saint Malrube in Apilcroce? Could this have been the point at which these chaplaincies were established following a long period of Norse occupation and then several centuries of recovery? There are no documents in existence today that tell the story. 

If the lands were in the possession of the Macdonalds in 1467, we have no way of knowing how this happened or how they then came to be property of the church 100 years later.

What we can say is that this idea that Celestine Macdonald was the grandson of Patrick the Red and that he inherited the lands of Apilcroce in or around 1467 diverges greatly from Lochcarron's legend. The legend tells us that the lands came into the hands of the Mackenzies through the daughter of the Red Priest. While there doesn't seem to have been a Red Priest involved, we do have existing documents proving that the Mackenzies did actually obtain the lands from the chaplaincy in 1569.

In both versions of Lochcarron's legend, “The Priest is supposed to have been a MacDonald.” If we take the story as told by the documents, the Macdonald would be Donald Macdonald of Sleat who died in 1539.{{sfn|Mackenzie|1881|p=[https://archive.org/details/historyofmacdlor00mack/page/168/mode/1up 168]}} He was, however, not a priest or an abbot. And we know that during his lifetime, the lands of Apilcroce belonged to the chaplaincy of Apilcroce.

In the story told in this paper by Reeves, the Red Priest was a Patrick O'Beollan, also called Patrick the Red, not a Macdonald. The Macdonald manuscript says that, “This surname Obeolan was the surnames of the Earls of Ross, till Farquar, born in Ross, was created earl by King Alexander, and so carried the name of Ross since, as best answering the English tongue.”<ref name="Collectanea p. 304" />

Reeves then finds in MacVurrich's Gaelic manuscript, written not long after the Macdonald manuscript, a pedigree for this Patrick the Red, or called here, Gilpatrick Roy.

::<span class="booktext">“Alexander had other children, viz., Hugh, by a daughter of Gilpatrick Roy, son of Rory, son of the Green Abbot, son of the Earl of Ross, whose surname was of the Rosses.”</span>{{sfn|Cameron|Macbain|Kennedy|1894|p=[https://research.ucc.ie/celt/document/T402566#pb.213 213]}}

As Reeves diagrams in the paper:
{{Tree chart/start|align=center|summary=Earl of Ross from MacVurrich's Gaelic manuscript}}
{{Tree chart|border=0| | | | | | | | | | | | | |}}
{{Tree chart|border=0| | |IR   | | | | |ER   | | |IR=Iarla Rois |ER=Earl of Ross }}
{{Tree chart|border=0| | | |!| | | | | | |!| | | |}}
{{Tree chart|border=0| | |AU   | | | | |GA   | | |AU=Abb Uaine|GA=the Green Abbot }}
{{Tree chart|border=0| | | |!| | | | | | |!| | | |}}
{{Tree chart|border=0| | |RU   | | | | |RO   | | |RU=Ruaidri |RO=Rory }}
{{Tree chart|border=0| | | |!| | | | | | |!| | | |}}
{{Tree chart|border=0| | |GR   | | | | |PR   | | |GR=Giollapadraig Ruaid|PR=Gilpatrick Roy<br>or<br>Patrick the Red }}
{{Tree chart|border=0| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |}}
{{Tree chart/end}}

Because, in his mind, Patrick the Red, or O'Beollan, was “<span class="junicode">the laﬅ Popiſh miſsionary, in the place known by the deſignation of the Red Prieﬅ of Applecroſs</span>,” Reeves was now able to draw a connection between Maelrubha's monastery at Aporcrosan and the Earls of Ross, who he thought to also be O'Beollans. 

He then draws a connection further back to the [[Irish Ó Beólláin]] family who were herenachs of St Columba's church of Drumcliff, near Sligo.<ref>{{cite web | last=Woulfe | first=Patrick | title=Ó Beólláin | website=Irish Names and Surnames | date=1923 | url=https://www.libraryireland.com/names/ob/o-beollain.php | access-date=9 Nov 2023}}</ref> The fact that Columba was known to have been a mentor or associate of Maelrubha's great-uncle Comgall{{sfn|Archer|1887|loc=[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/s:Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Comgall Comgall]}} seemed to further reinforce for Reeves the idea of a connection between the Ó Beólláins of Columba's church in Ireland and an Obeolan of Maelrubha's church in Scotland.

This would lead him to state that, “It would seem that the office of ''herenach'', or hereditary farmer of abbey-lands, which was originally, both in Ireland and Scotland, of a clerico-secular character, was, in the case of this church, early vested in 
the family of O'Beollan.”{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/275/mode/1up 275]}} 

What both of the Macdonald manuscript and the MacVurrich manuscript say, though, is that Patrick had land in Lewis.

The Macdonald manuscript says specifically,
::“Patrick was an abbot, and had Carlebay in the Lewis, and the church lands in that country, with 18 merks lands in Lochbroom.”<ref name="Collectanea p. 304" />

The MacVurrich manuscript says, in less detail,
::“His pedigree was from the men of Ross, and he had a third of Lewis and other properties on the mainland for his livelihood.”{{sfn|Black Nov 2019|p=[https://www.1467manuscript.co.uk/GreenAbbottBlack%20BLACKforWEB.pdf#page=2 2]}}

Celestine's charter of 1463 included the lands of Lochbroom. Could this be another detail that convinced Reeves, or possibly Skene, that the lands of Applecross, or more accurately, according to the charter, the lands of Lochbroom, Lochalsh, Lochcarron, Torridon and Kishorn, came to Celestine from Patrick the Red?

Patrick had 18 merks lands in Lochbroom. If a merk was ⅔ of a pound Scots, then 18 merks land would be valued at 12 pounds.{{sfn|Durie|2017|p=225}} 

[[Ronald and Máire Black|Ronald Black]], in his analysis of the Green Abbot pedigree found in the [[1467 manuscript]], makes a very detailed argument that Patrick the Red was abbot of Bragar, on the west coast of Lewis, seven miles from Carloway, or Carlebay.{{sfn|Black Nov 2019|pp=[https://www.1467manuscript.co.uk/GreenAbbottBlack%20BLACKforWEB.pdf#page=16 16-23]}} Black also concludes, based on this 1467 manuscript, that the Green Abbot’s kindred were the Morrisons of Ness, and that their origins were at Aberuthven in Strathearn.{{sfn|Black Nov 2019|p=[https://www.1467manuscript.co.uk/GreenAbbottBlack%20BLACKforWEB.pdf#page=24 24]}} 

Black says of the Earl of Ross connection,
::<span class="booktext">“It may be that the fall of the Nicolsons meant the rise of the Green Abbot, for MacMhuirich tells us that Patrick was ‘son of Ruairi, son of the Green Abbot, son of the earl of Ross’ and that ‘his pedigree was from the men of Ross’, while MacDonald gives Patrick’s surname as Obeolan, which was also, he says, the surname of the earls of Ross. It is difficult to know what to make of this, but if MacDonald’s account came first (which appears to be the case) he seems to be saying that Patrick and the earl shared a common surname, and MacMhuirich deduces from this, quite wrongly, that the Green Abbot was a son of the earl of Ross. There is no Beollán in our pedigree, and the Green Abbot was certainly not a son of the earl of Ross, so all that we can say is that by Patrick’s time a myth appears to have grown up in Lewis that the Green Abbot and the old earls of Ross were of the same stock.”</span>{{sfn|Black Nov 2019|p=[https://www.1467manuscript.co.uk/GreenAbbottBlack%20BLACKforWEB.pdf#page=22 22]}}

MacVurrich's manuscript goes on to say, 
::<span class="booktext">“And he was slain in the Garioch(?) in the retinue of MacDonald, namely Donald of Islay, for four men got separated from the army leading a detachment or party of the host which accompanied them, namely Norman MacLeod and Torquil his brother, Lachlan MacMillan and Gille Pádraig son of Ruairi. Gille Pádraig son of Ruairi and Lachlan MacMillan were slain, while Norman and Torquil survived the attack unscathed.”</span>{{sfn|Black Nov 2019|p=[https://www.1467manuscript.co.uk/GreenAbbottBlack%20BLACKforWEB.pdf#page=2 2]}}

It is thought that this passage is describing the [[Battle of Harlaw]] and that Patrick the Red was slain there in 1411. 




So, we have the entries in the Irish annals pertaining to Aporcrosan, as Reeves mentions. They end with the death of Mac Oige of Aporcrosan, abbot of Bennchor, in 801. As Reeves himself says, “This is the last reference to the place in the Irish Annals, and, it may be said, in all existing records, until it makes its appearance as “ane commoun kirk of the bischoprik of Ros.”” This identification of Applecross as “ane commoun kirk of the bischoprik of Ros” isn't found until 1575. But we do have mention of it 60 years earlier as “two chaplaincies lying and founded below the parish church of Abilcros under the diocese of Ross”. We know that Reeves was aware of this fact because he includes this document in his '[[#appendix|Appendix]]' section.

The important point to make here, though, is that there are no records of Maelrubha's monastery at Aporcrosan or of the parish church of Abilcros between the years 801 and 1515. There is not evidence of what became of it. We just know that it disappears from history shortly after Maelrubha's death and reappears 7 centuries later as a parish church.

[[File:7033.jpg|thumb|244px|right|Scotland in the 12th century]]
This disappearance of the monastery from records after 801 has been attributed to increased activity in the area by Viking invaders.{{sfn|Black Nov 2019|p=[https://www.1467manuscript.co.uk/GreenAbbottBlack%20BLACKforWEB.pdf#page=7 7]}}{{sfn|Reeves|1849|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=_OpHAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA299 299]}} And Reeves does include in this paper the Scottish version of the story “that a body of pagan Norwegians, landing on the eastern shores of Ross, slew Malrubius, and dragged his body into the thickets to be devoured by wild beasts.”{{sfn|Reeves|1862|p=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/267/mode/1up 267]}}

For quite a long period of time, the west coast of Scotland was under Norse control. It wasn't until 1263 that the [[Battle of Largs]] was fought, leading to the end of Viking influence over Scotland. It does seem, though, that during this time, the association of this place both with its name Aporcrosan, and with the Sagart Ruadh, the Red Priest St. Maelrubha, endured, appearing again in 1539 as “the chaplaincy of the chapel of Saint Mulrubi in Apilcors”.

And this leads us back to Lockcharron's legend, a story that describes how the Mackenzies came to be in possession of the lands of Applecross.

We can now revisit Reeves's statement made in the section of the paper in which attempts to provide a history of Maelrubha's monastery at Applecross.
::<span class="booktext">“In this manner the church-lands of Applecross became an heirloom in one family, which family, namely O'Beollain, furnished the recipient of the first-created earldom of Ross.”</span>

And we can see the steps he took to get there.

* He finds in the ''Old Statistical Account'' makes mention of a place thought to be the “remains of an old religious house,” that once was “richly endowed with landed property, which tradition relates to have been conveyed, by the last Popish missionary, in the place known by the designation of the Red Priest of Applecross, to his daughter.”
* The minister of Lochcarron then tells the story that the Mackenzies of Coul came to be in possession of the lands of Applecross through marriage to a daughter of the Sagart Ruadh, or Red Priest, who is supposed to have been a MacDonald.
* Skene makes, at some point, the first suggestions regarding the O'Beollans.
* He finds in the Macdonald manuscript, originally written in the time of the last Earl of Ross, Charles I, a time when the Macdonald's might have been motivated to situate themselves to reclaim the Earldom, mention of a concubine of Alexander, Lord of the Isles, who was daughter of Patrick Obeolan, surnamed the Red, an abbot. This document also claimed that, “This surname Obeolan was the surnames of the Earls of Ross.”
* Skene shares with him, at some point, a later manuscript, potentially based, and possibly expanding on, the Macdonald manuscript, containing a lineage from Patrick the Red through his father Rory through his father the Green Abbot to his father, an Earl of Ross.

From this, and additional information, potentially gathered by him, or provided by Skene, Reeves concludes that,
::“The Red Priest was Gilla Patrick O'Beollan, whose daughter was married or handfasted to Alexander, Lord of the Isles of Lochalsh, and was mother of Celestine de Insulis, in whose charter of 1467 these lands are included.”

By “these lands,” he is meaning the lands of Applecross. From the genealogical information provided by the manuscripts, he concludes that Patrick O'Beollan's ancestors where the Earls of Ross.

As an antiquarian and Bishop of the Church of Ireland, Reeves was already aware of the Irish Ó Beólláin family who were herenachs of St Columba's church of Drumcliff. He also knew of the connection between St Columba and Maelrubha. From this, based solely on the name O'Beollan, he drew an additional connection from Applecross back to Ireland.

What we have from the documents is:

* [[Máel Ruba|Saint Maelrubha]], the Red Priest or Sagart Ruadh, who founded the monastery at Aporcrosan and died in 721.
* The [[Green Abbot of Ross-shire|Green Abbot]] who’s kindred were the Morrisons of Ness.
* [[Patrick the Red, abbot]] of Bragar, who died at the Battle of Harlaw in 1411.
* [[Alexander Macdonald, Earl of Ross, Lord of the Isles (-1449)|Alexander, Lord of the Isles and Earl of Ross]] who died in 1449.
* Celestine de Insulis, son of Alexander Macdonald, Earl of Ross, who was granted on February 2, 1463, not 1467, by his brother, John, earl of Ross and lord of the Isles, the lands of Lochbroom, Lochalsh, Lochcarron, Torridon and Kishorn, in the earldom of Ross and sheriffdom of Inverness. Lochbroom, Lochalsh, and Lochcarron parishes were later large areas to the north and south of Applecross peninsula. These were not the lands of Applecross. Loch Torridon bounds Applecross peninsula to the north and Loch Kishorn bounds Applecross peninsula to the south. In the ''Statistical Account'' of 1792, the minister of Applecross stated that the parish was divided into three districts, Lochs and Tirdon, Kishorn, and Applecros. In 1463, Torridon and Kishorn may have been considered 'lands of Applecross'.{{sfn|McQueen|1792|p=[https://archive.org/details/b21365799_003/page/377/mode/1up 377]}} In the feudal system, Celestine may have had rule over these lands, but they would've been inhabited by other groups.
* Alexander of the Isles, lord of Lochalsh, son of Celestine de Insulis.
* A [[#Timeline of documents|string of documents]] dated between 1515 and 1561 indicating the existence of two [[Chaplaincy of Apilcroce|Chaplaincies of Apilcroce]] on the peninsula.
* [[Donald Gorm Macdonald, 5th of Sleat ( -1539)|Donald Gorm Macdonald, 5th of Sleat]], who died in 1539.
* [[Roderick Mackenzie, 2nd of Davochmaluag|Roderick Mackenzie]] who married a daughter of Donald Gorm Macdonald and was granted by Mr. William Stewart, [[Chaplaincy of Apilcroce|chaplain of Apilcroce]], in 1569, half the lands of Bounadell, half the lands of Longoll and Athechork, half the lands of Kippeche, half the lands of Satrell and Drumloy, half the lands of Corlmvir, half the lands of Corchirie, half the lands of Coulnakill, half the lands of Ardestaig, half the lands of Scheildaig, half the lands of Dybege, half the lands of Rischill, half the lands of Lestang, lying in the county of Ross and the sherrifdom of Inverness as the patrimony and property of the said chaplaincy.

There is nothing here that would indicate a long line of lay-abbots of Aporcrosan descended from the Earls of Ross.

References to Maelrubha's church of Aporcrosan disappear from records in 801. We next see, in 1515, two chaplaincies lying and founded below the parish church of Abilcros under the diocese of Ross. The church relinquishes ownership to the Mackenzies in 1569.

[[Archibald B. Scott, B.D.|Rev. Scott]] was questioning Reeves's conclusion that Patrick the Red was the same man as the Red Priest of Applecross as early as 1909.{{sfn|Scott|1909|pp=[https://archive.org/details/scottishhistoric06edinuoft/page/260/mode/1up 260-261]}} Although, in a footnote he does say, “Evidently when the Vikings made Applecross untenable as a religious centre the O'Beollans, the ancestors of the Rosses, usurped the rights and powers the Ab.”{{sfn|Scott|1909|p=[https://archive.org/details/scottishhistoric06edinuoft/page/261/mode/1up 261]}} It's not clear, then, whether or not Scott looked deeply enough to question Reeve's O'Beollan connection to Applecross.

[[Alexander Grant (historian)|Alexander Grant]] said, in 2000, though, that the earl of Ross, Farquhar MacTaggart,
::“is usually believed to have been a west-coast potentate, who was hereditary lay abbot of the secularised monastery of Applecross, originally founded by St Mael Rubha. But if so, then his surname ought to have been MacNab (''mac an Aba'', son of the abbot) rather than MacTaggart. In fact, the idea of Earl Farquhar's connection with Applecross originated no earlier than the mid nineteenth-century speculation of W. F. Skene and W. Reeves. Admittedly, speculation is essential when dealing with the early history of Ross (as this essay makes only too clear), but in that case it is distinctly unsound.”{{sfn|Grant|2000|pp=[https://archive.org/details/albacelticscotla0000unse/page/117/mode/1up 117-118]}}

Yet, we still have, everywhere on the internet, this story that {{Fearchar}}, Earl of Ross, was of the family of lay-abbots of Applecross. As Skene said, “a fact, however notoriously false, if perseveringly asserted for a certain length of time, will at length be received as true.”

It doesn't appear that Reeves had reason to contrive this story. There was no ulterior motive. He was a Bishop of the Church of Ireland and his interest was primarily the life of the Irish Saint Maelrubha. He just seems to have been looking for a way to 'round out' this paper that dealt mostly with place names and Saint's festivals. The fact that he was also an antiquarian, and a member of organizations that would connect him with other antiquarians, provided him the opportunity to correspond with the likes of William Skene who had already published several books on the history of Scotland. As a side note to his paper, Reeves pieced together a few ideas that were circling in the day never imagining that it would take on the life that it has.

[[Genetic genealogy]] requires us, though, to have solid trees, or solid history, against which to compare DNA results. 

There are two large groups of [[Y-DNA]] matches in the {{Ross Surname Project}}. One contains descendants of {{Hugh 1st Kilravock}}. History suggests that this Hugh was descended, along with other English Ros families, from the men of Normandy who came to the British Isles with [[William the Conqueror]]. Y-DNA does tell us that the ancestors of this group were in the Normandy area as long as 4,500 years ago.<ref>{{cite web |title=Y-DNA Haplogroup R-BY4029 |website=FamilyTreeDNA Discover |url=https://discover.familytreedna.com/y-dna/R-BY4029/globetrekker |access-date=11 Mar 2024}}</ref>

Nothing found in the documented genealogies of these Ros and Rose families that would indicate a [[patrilineal]] relationship between Hugh of Kilravock and Fearchar, Earl of Ross.

Preliminary Y-DNA results from the other large group of matches show they descend from a man who came from Norway to the west of Scotland during the time of the Viking invasions. Without results from confirmed descendants of Fearchar, Earl of Ross, though, we can't say whether they are a match to this group of not.

If we continue to believe stories about the origins of these families simply because they have been told over and over again, we will not have accurate trees against which to compare our DNA results. We are fortunate to have a large group of participants in our Y-DNA project. But it is asking us to take a look again at the old stories with fresh eyes.

== Timeline of documents ==
Below is a list of events and documents that Reeves references in this paper, along with any others found to be pertinent to the discussion.

The first 11 items in this list are 4 different events recorded variously in 3 different Irish annals. Reeves himself points out that the obit of MacOigi in 801 is, “the last reference to the place in the Irish Annals, and, it may be said, in all existing records, until it makes its appearance as “ane commoun kirk of the bischoprik of Ros.””

{{Show timeline|related|topic}}
<br>

== Earl of Ross family tree ==
{{Earl of Ross family tree}}

== Scottish sources ==
{{Scottish source citations}}
|footnotes=TRUE
|citation_type=Other
|citation_template=Proceedings Maelrubha full
|bibliography=* {{Annals of Ulster full}}
* {{Early sources full|volume=2}}
* {{cite DNB |wstitle=Comgall |last=Archer |first=Thomas Andrew |volume=11}}
* {{Ane Breve full}}
* {{Black articles full|article=Green Abbot}}
* {{Book of Clanranald full}}
* {{Reg Sec Sig full|volume=7}}
* {{Reg Sec Sig full|volume=2}}
* {{Sutherland full}}
* {{Province full}}
* {{Cite book |last1= Gregory |first1= Donald |author-link1= Donald Gregory |date= 1975 |orig-date= 1836 |title= The history of the Western Highlands and Isles of Scotland, from A.D. 1493 to A.D. 1625, with a brief introductory sketch from A.D. 80 to A.D. 1493 |title-link= History of the western Highlands and Isles of Scotland (1st edition) |edition= 1st |publication-place= Edinburgh |publisher= J. Donald |isbn= 978-0-85976-008-9 |lccn= 76375347 |oclc= 2913708 }}{{#set: Has source=History of the western Highlands and Isles of Scotland (1st edition)}}
* {{Orig paroch full|volume=2}}
* {{Retours full|volume=2}}
* {{Macdonald fragment full}}
* {{Reg Sec Sig full|volume=1}}
* {{cite book |title = The Annals of Tigernach |title-link=The Annals of Tigernach |editor-first = Gearóid |editor-last=Mac Niocaill |publisher = (unpublished) |type=one electronic file |via=[[Corpus of Electronic Texts]] }}{{#set: Has source=The Annals of Tigernach}}
* {{Macdonalds full}}
* {{Mackenzies full}}
* {{NLS full|title=Manuscript copy of the English 'History of the Macdonalds', ascribed by Donald Gregory to a Hugh Macdonald|id=Adv.MS.73.1.12|url=https://manuscripts.nls.uk/repositories/2/resources/20232}}
* {{Highland papers full|volume=1}}
* {{Old Stat Acc full|parish=Applecross}}
* {{cite DNB |first=Norman |last=Moore |wstitle=Reeves, William (1815-1892) |display=Reeves, William (1815-1892) |volume=47 |pages=417-418}}
* {{Acts of lords full}}
* {{Four Masters full}}
* {{Scots Peerage full|volume=5}}
* {{cite book |last=Reeves |first=William |author-link=William Reeves (bishop) |title=Irish Ecclesiastical Journal |title-link=Irish Ecclesiastical Journal (vol. 5) |chapter=Ancient Irish Missionaries |publisher=James. M. McGlashan |location=Dublin |year=1849 |volume=5}}{{#set: Has source=Irish Ecclesiastical Journal (vol. 5)}}
* {{Scott Maolrubha full}}
* {{Celtic Scotland full|volume=3}}
* {{Place names full}}
|sort=
}}{{Timeline subobject
|event_name=Main
|entry_precedence=
|document_type=Journal article
|date=14 Jun 1859
|person_page=William Reeves (bishop)
|place_page=St. Maelrubha's monastery at Aporcrosan
|related_topic=Timeline of Earl of Ross references
|timeline={{date|14 Jun 1859|dmy}} - [[William Reeves (bishop)|William Reeves]] presented to the [[Society of Antiquaries of Scotland]] his research on the location of [[Máel Ruba|St Maelrubha]]'s church at [[St. Maelrubha's monastery at Aporcrosan|Apercrossan]] in the west of Scotland. In it, he states that, "the church-lands of Applecross became an heirloom in one family, which family, namely O'Beollain, furnished the recipient of the first-created earldom of Ross." This was the beginning of the story that {{Fearchar}}, Earl of Ross, was of a family of lay-abbots of Applecross.
|citation=[[#CITREFReeves1862|Reeves 1862]], p. [https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/258/mode/1up 258].
|citation_name=Proceedings vol. 3 p. 258
}}{{Timeline subobject
|entry_name=
|entry_precedence=3
|document_type=Journal article
|date=1862
|person_page=William Reeves (bishop)
|place_page=St. Maelrubha's monastery at Aporcrosan
|related_person=
|related_place=
|related_topic=Timeline of Earl of Ross references
|timeline=1862 - [[William Reeves (bishop)|William Reeves]]'s article claiming that {{Fearchar}}, Earl of Ross, was of the family that came to be lay-abbots of [[St. Maelrubha's monastery at Aporcrosan|Applecross]] was first published in the [[Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (vol. 3)|Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland]].
|citation=[[#CITREFReeves1862|Reeves 1862]], p. [https://archive.org/details/proceedingssoci19unkngoog/page/258/mode/1up 258].
|citation_name=Proceedings vol. 3 p. 258
}}
[[Category:Erroneous genealogy]]