Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 35.djvu/128

Mackay MACKAY, DONALD, of Far, first (1591–1649), eldest son of Houcheon or Hugh Mackay of Far (now Farr), Sutherlandshlre, by Lady Jean Gordon, eldest daughter of Alexander, eleventh earl of Sutherland, was born in March 1590-1. He represented the elder branch of the Clan Mackay, styled in Gaelic the Siol Mhorgan, or race of Mhorgan, and descended from Morgan, son of Martin, who fought under Bruce. The name Mackay is derived from Morgan's gjreat grandson, Donald Macaodh or Mackaoi (son of Hugh), killed by the Earl of Sutherland in the castle of Dingwall in 1395. Among the more famous of the chiefs of the clan was Y-Mackay (d. 1571), grandfather of Donald of Far, who during the reign of Mary Stuart caused much trouble to the Scottish government, and lived in almost continual feud with the Earl of Sutherland.

In June 1610 Donald Mackay of Far was appointed justice of peace for Inverness and Cromarty (Reg. P. C. Scotl. ix. 79), and on 12 Nov. 1612 justice of peace for Sutherland (ib. p. 488). In the same year he and John Goraon of Embo received a commission from the king for arresting in Thurso a notorious coiner, Arthur Smith, in the employment of the Earl of Caithness [see Sinclair, George, fifth Earl of Caithness]. While endeavouring to rescue Smith after his arrest, James Sinclair, a nephew of the Earl of Caithness, was slain, and the captors of Smith deemed it also necessary to put him to death to prevent his escape. The Earl of Caithness summoned the captors to answer for their conduct, but, to prevent criminal proceedings against himself, the prosecution was not persevered in, and in December 1613 Mackay and others obtained remission of all charges against them. On the 9th of the same month a commission of fire and sword was given to Mackay, along with George Gordon, first marquis of Huntlv [q. v.], and others, against Cameron of Lochiel (ib. x. 186). Mackay succeeded his father as head of the clan, 11 Sept. 1614. In April 1616 he accompanied his uncle, Sir Robert Gordon, to London, and was knighted at Theobalds by King James, but the creation is not recorded in any published list of knights. In 1618 he abandoned his alliance with his relatives of the house of Sutherland, and joined their rivals, the Sinclairs of Caithness, with whom he entered into a league against the Clan Gunn, but soon afterwards he became reconciled to the Sutherland family, and in 1622 was named one of a commission for prosecuting the Earl of Caithness with fire and sword.

On 30 March 1626 Mackay obtained a commission from Charles I to levy and transport three thousand men to aid Count Mansfeld in the war in Germany. They embarked from Cromarty in October, but he was prevented by sickness from accompanying them. Before setting out to join them in the following spring he was, on 18 March, created a baronet by Charles I. Finding, on his arrival in Germany, that Count Mansfeld had died, he transferred his services to the king of Denmark. Under his command the regiment bore itself so gallantly in numerous actions as to earn the title of 'the invincible regiment.' Ultimately the Danish troops were compelled to retire before the superior number of the imperialists, and when they were intercepted at the pass of Oldenburg the regiment of Mackay, with extraordinary courage and pertinacity, succeeded for a long time in holding the pass against superior numbers. In January 1628 Mackay returned to Scotland to secure recruits, and on his way thither through England he was, in recognition of his distinguished services in Denmark, raised to the peerage on 20 June by the title of Lord Reay, to him and his heirs male for ever, bearing the name and arms of Mackay. After his return to Denmark his regiment was ordered to the defence of Stralsund, where it gained additional fame by the repulse of an attack made upon its position by the enemy in full force. On the cessation of hostilities in 1629 Reay transferred the services of the regiment to Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden. On 22 May a warrant was given by Charles I to pay him 4,000l., of which 3,000l. had been assigned him by the king of Denmark for the important aid rendered by his regiment in the German wars (Cal. State Papers, Dom. Ser. 1628-9, p. 555).

The regiment of Reay was said to be the favourite one of Gustavus, who usually employed it in the most dangerous and critical enterprises. At the battle of Leipzig, 7 Sept. 1631, its steady and determined fire, followed by a hand-to-hand fight, finally turned the day against Tilly. It also carried the castle of Marienburg, thought to be impregnable, by storm, after two hours' desperate fighting. Before the battle of Lutzen, 16 Nov. 1633, at which Gustavus was killed, the Mackays were employed in the storming of New Brandenburg, where half the regiment was cut to pieces, and at the conclusion of the battle only about one tenth of it remained effective.

In the beginning of 1631 Reay had been authorised by Gustavus to arrange with James Hamilton, third marquis of Hamilton [q. v.], as to the conditions on which the marquis should levy a large force for his ser- 