the second son of Kenneth, first lord Mackenzie of Kintail, by his second wife, Isabel,
daughter of Sir Gilbert Ogilvie of Powrie,
Forfarshire. The family represents the original branch of the clan Mackenzie, which traces its descent from Colin of Kintail (d. 1278), whose son Kenneth was succeeded in
1804 by a second Kenneth, called therefore MacKenneth, a name gradually changed to Mackenzie, and adopted by the clan. The territories of the Mackenzies were greatly
increased by Kenneth, their twelfth chief,
who was created a peer, under the title of
Lord Mackenzie of Kintail, 19 Nov. 1609,
and on the abandonment of the scheme for
the colonisation of Lewis, obtained possession of that island. George, third lord Mackenzie, succeeded to the earldom of Seaforth
on the death of his half-brother, Colin, first
earl, without male issue, 15 April 1683. Originally he adhered to the covenanting party,
but his royalist feelings modified greatly his
presbyterian leanings, and a strong regard to
his own interests introduced additional inconsistency into his political conduct. Seaforth was one of those who on 13 Feb. 1639 assembled to prevent George Gordon, second
marquis of Huntly [q. v.], from garrisoning the
castle of Inverness (Spalding, Memorialls, i.
135). He also on 9 April came to Aberdeen to
offer his services to the covenanting general,
Alexander Leslie (ib. p. 175). In May, at the
head of four thousand men of various clans
beyond the Spey, he attempted tojoin the
army of Montrose at Aberdeen [see Graham, James, fifth Earl and first Marquis Montrose], but was withstood by the Gordons
and others, it being finally agreed that both
parties should withdraw to their homes (ib
p. 194). He attended the general assembly
which met at Aberdeen on 20 July 1640;
and he was one of the committee appointed
to try certain doctors and ministers for not
subscribing the covenant (ib. p. 311). On
5 Aug. he headed a party of barons and
gentlemen who destroyed various images
and crucifixes in the churches of Aberdeen
(ib. p. 313). Nevertheless he shortly afterwards signed, along with Montrose, the band
of Cumbernauld (band in Robert Baillie, Letters and Journals, ii. 468). In July 1641
he came under suspicion of having communication with the king's army (Spalding, ii. 46),
and one of his servants, who was bringing
letters to him from Edinburgh, was apprehended. Seaforth on learning this went south
to Edinburgh, but after trial nothing was
found against him (ib. ii. 56). He attended
the meeting of the estates in October following, and was nominated by the king to be of
the privy council (Balfour, Annals, iii. 67),
and on 13 Nov. the nomination was approved
by the estates (ib. p. 150).
General Alaster Macdonald [q. v.], on his arrival from Ireland, carried with him letters to Seaforth (Patrick Gordon, Abridgment of Britanes Distemper, p. 64). Seaforth refused to join in the rising on behalf of the king, but agreed not to bar Macdonald's passage south (ib. p. 68). The king nominated him ' chief justice general of the Isles,' but he excused himself from accepting the honour on account of the ' malignancy of the times' (ib.) After Montrose's victory at Aberdeen in September 1644, Seaforth prevented him from crossing the Spey, whereupon to escape Archibald Campbell, first marquis of Argyll [q. v.], who was advancing with a superior force, Montrose retreated into Badenoch. After ravaging Argyll's country, Montrose came in January 1645 to Lochness, intending to give battle to Seaforth (Rushworth, Hist. Collections, v. 931), but learning of Argyll's preparations in the south, returned instead to Inverlochy. On the march of Montrose northwards, after the defeat of Argyll at Inverlochv on 2 Feb., Seaforth with the committee of estates, who were then sitting at Elgin, took to flight (Spalding, ii. 447), and shortly afterwards he and others made their submission to Montrose. They accompanied Montrose on his march from Elgin to the Spey, where he exacted from them a solemn oath never to draw arms against the king; and on their parole to return as soon as possible with all their forces, they were permitted to leave for their estates (ib. ii. 450; Patrick Gordon, p. 109). Instead, however, of fulfilling his promise, Seaforth almost immediately wrote to the Earl Marischal at Aberdeen that he had yielded to Montrose only through fear, and intended to remain ' by the good cause till his death' (Spalding, ii. 450). He joined Hurry shortly before the battle of Auldearn, on 9 May (ib. ii. 473; Patrick Gordon, p. 120), but notwithstanding the rout of his troops, made his escape, 'being well mounted' (tb. p. 127). He afterwards entered into communication with Montrose, whom he joined at Inverness; and in June 1646 was excommunicated by the general assembly for lending him his countenance. After Charles I delivered himself up to the Scots at Newark, Seaforth came to General Middleton [see Middlbton, John, first Earl of Middlbton]; made terms with the committee of the estates, and did public penance for his apostasy in the High Church of Edinburgh. On the execution of Charles I in 1649, Seaforth joined Charles II in Holland, and was nominated by him principal secre-
