his uncle, progenitor of the House of Gairloch, a man of great
prudence and courage, was by Kenneth a Bhlair appointed tutor
to his eldest son Kenneth Og, then under age, though Duncan, an
elder brother by Alexander's first wife, had, according to custom,
a prior claim to that honourable and important trust. Duncan is,
however, described as one who was "of better hands than head" -
more brave than prudent. Hector took charge, and on the death of
Kenneth Og found himself in possession of valuable and extensive
estates. He had already secured great popularity among the clan,
which in the past he had often led to victory against the common
enemy. He objected to John's succession on the ground that he was
the illegitimate son of Lovat's daughter, with whom his father,
Kenneth, at first did "so irregularly and unlawfully cohabit," and
John's youth encouraging him, it is said, [MS. History by the Earl
of Cromartie.] Hector proposed an arrangement to Duncan, whom he
considered the only legitimate obstacle to his own succession, by
which he would transfer his rights as elder brother in Hector's
favour, in return for which he should receive a considerable portion
of the estates for himself and his successors. Duncan declined
to enter into the proposed agreement, principally on the ground
that the Pope, in 1491, the year in which John's father died,
had legitimised Kenneth a Bhlair's marriage with Agnes of Lovat,
and thereby restored the children of that union to the rights of
succession. Finding Duncan unfavourable to his project, Hector
declared John illegitimate, and held possession of the estates for
himself; and the whole clan, with whom he was a great favourite,
submitted to his rule. [Though we have given this account on the
authority of the MS. histories of the family, it is now generally
believed that Duncan was dead at this period, and that his son Allan,
who would have succeeded, failing John of Killin's legitimacy, was