Domhnall Dubh ("Black Donald", died 1545) was a

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

nobleman. He was the son of

Aonghas Óg Aonghas Óg (died 1490) was a Scottish nobleman who was the last independent Lord of the Isles. Aonghas became a rebel against both his father and the Scottish crown, in a civil clan war which would see the end of the independent Lordship of the ...

, chief of

Clan Donald Clan Donald, also known as Clan MacDonald or Clan McDonald ( ), is a Highland Scottish clan and one of the largest Scottish clans. Historically the chiefs of the Clan Donald held the title of Lord of the Isles until 1493 and two of those chiefs a ...

(Clann Domhnaill), and claimant to the

Lordship of the Isles Lord of the Isles or King of the Isles ( or ; ) is a title of nobility in the Baronage of Scotland with historical roots that go back beyond the Kingdom of Scotland. It began with Somerled in the 12th century and thereafter the title was h ...

, which had been held by his grandfather

John of Islay, Earl of Ross John of Islay (or John MacDonald) (1434–1503), Earl of Ross, fourth (and last) Lord of the Isles, and ''Mac Domhnaill'' (chief of Clan Donald), was a pivotal figure in late medieval Scotland: specifically in the struggle for power with Jam ...

(Eoin MacDomhnaill). While just an infant, Domhnall Dubh was captured by

Colin Campbell, 1st Earl of Argyll Colin Campbell, 1st Earl of Argyll (c. 1433 – 10 May 1493) was a medieval Scottish nobleman, peer, and politician. He was the son of Archibald Campbell, Master of Campbell and Elizabeth Somerville, daughter of John Somerville, 3rd Lord ...

and imprisoned in Innischonnel Castle in

Loch Awe Loch Awe (Scottish Gaelic: ''Loch Obha''; also sometimes anglicised as Lochawe, Lochaw, or Lochow) is a large body of freshwater in Argyll and Bute, Scottish Highlands. It has also given its name to a village on its banks, variously known as Lo ...

. He remained in captivity for most of his life. He died at

Drogheda Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

, in 1545.

Early life

Domhnall Dubh was born in the late 15th century in the

Western Isles The Outer Hebrides ( ) or Western Isles ( , or ), sometimes known as the Long Isle or Long Island (), is an island chain off the west coast of mainland Scotland. It is the longest archipelago in the British Isles. The islands form part ...

of Scotland, the son of

(chief of

)and

Iseabail Ní Mheic Cailéin Iseabail Ní Mheic Cailéin, Gaelic noblewoman and poet, fl. 1500. Despite being the ancestor of many members of the Scottish nobility, Iseabail is best known today as the writer of one of the most famous works of erotic poetry in Scottish Gaeli ...

, a daughter of

Clan Campbell Clan Campbell ( ) is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan, historically one of the largest and most powerful of the Highland clans. The Clan Campbell lands are in Argyll and within their lands lies Ben Cruachan. The chief of the clan be ...

. He was the grandson of

and

Lord of the Isles Lord of the Isles or King of the Isles ( or ; ) is a title of nobility in the Baronage of Scotland with historical roots that go back beyond the Kingdom of Scotland. It began with Somerled in the 12th century and thereafter the title was ...

. In 1476 John of Islay was stripped by the Scottish crown of many of his lands and titles, retaining the title Lord of the Isles, but only at the pleasure of the Crown. Domhnall's father Aonghas, disgusted by this family humiliation, turned against John of Islay, rebelling against first his father and then the Scottish crown, both of which he defeated before being murdered by his harpist in 1490. Following Aonghas' death in 1490, the crown launched a new campaign against the rebels of the north-west. Domhnall Dubh, who was then just an infant, was captured by

. Domhnall was imprisoned in Innischonnel Castle in

Escape from captivity

In 1501 Domhnall escaped, with the aid of Torcall MacLeòid, who may have had the connivance of the earl of Argyll. Torcall was looking for a way to resist the power of his enemy Alexander Gordon, the

earl of Huntly Marquess of Huntly is a title in the Peerage of Scotland that was created on 17 April 1599 for George Gordon, 6th Earl of Huntly. It is the oldest existing marquessate in Scotland, and the second-oldest in the British Isles; only the English ma ...

, who was acting as the king's lieutenant. On 13 August 1502 a royal council decreed that Torcall was guilty of rebellion and had no right to the lands in his possession. Huntly was ordered to gather forces in the north and take possession of the MacLeòid lands. Moreover, the king prepared to deliver Eoin, now a semi-retired courtier, back to the lordship in order to counter the effect of the presence of Domhnall Dubh. Eoin, however, never made the trip. Eoin took ill and died at

Dundee Dundee (; ; or , ) is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city in Scotland. The mid-year population estimate for the locality was . It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firt ...

in 1503. Torcall and his ally Lachlan MacGill'Eain of Duart took the offensive against Huntly, and in December 1503 invaded and devastated Huntly's Lordship of Badenoch. The royal island of

Bute Bute or BUTE may refer to: People * Marquess of Bute, a title in the Peerage of Great Britain; includes lists of baronets, earls and marquesses of Bute * Lord of Bute, a title in medieval Scotland, including a list of lords * Lucian Bute (born ...

was also attacked by the islesmen. The revolt continued until 1506, by which time Lachlan MacGill'Eain had been detached from the cause, and Huntly's forces were able to isolate Torcall and Domhnall in the

Outer Hebrides The Outer Hebrides ( ) or Western Isles ( , or ), sometimes known as the Long Isle or Long Island (), is an Archipelago, island chain off the west coast of mainland Scotland. It is the longest archipelago in the British Isles. The islan ...

. In September 1506, after just five years of freedom, Domhnall was again captured. He remained in captivity for 37 years until he was released in 1543. The north-west rose in revolt once more. Domhnall secured an alliance with England in August 1545, swearing allegiance to

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

and acknowledging the

Earl of Lennox The Earl or Mormaer of Lennox was the ruler of the region of the Lennox in western Scotland. It was first created in the 12th century for David of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon and later held by the Stewart dynasty. Ancient earls The first e ...

as the true regent of Scotland (rather than

Regent Arran In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

).Pamela Ritchie, ''Mary of Guise in Scotland'' (Tuckwell: East Linton, 2002), p. 161. Domhnall found himself in with a good chance of resurrecting the Lordship of the Isles. However, this chance was destroyed when Domhnall died at

, in 1545.

References

* MacDougall, Norman, "Achilles' Heel? The Earldom of Ross, the Lordship of the Isles, and the Stewart Kings, 1449-1507", in Edward J. Cowan & R. Andrew McDonald (eds.), ''Alba: Celtic Scotland in the Medieval Era'', (Edinburgh, 2000), pp. 248–75 *

Oram, Richard Professor Richard D. Oram F.S.A. (Scot.) is a Scottish historian. He is a professor of medieval and environmental history at the University of Stirling. He is also the director of the Centre for Environmental History and Policy at the University ...

, "The Lordship of the Isles, 1336-1545", in Donald Omand (ed.) ''The Argyll Book'', (Edinburgh, 2005), pp. 123–39 {{DEFAULTSORT:Dubh, Domhnall 1545 deaths Clan Donald Medieval Gaels from Scotland Nobility from Argyll and Bute 16th-century Scottish people Year of birth unknown