It must in fairness be
admitted that the latter contention is quite as near the truth as
the Fitzgerald theory and it must have already occurred to the
reader, how, if the Fitzgerald origin of the Mackenzies had been
true, has it come about that the original patronymic of Fitzgerald
has given way to that of Mackenzie? It is not pretended that it
was ever heard of after Colin himself.
This difficulty occurred even to the Earl of Cromartie, and this
is how he attempts to dispose of it. Cailean, he says, had a son
by the daughter of Kenneth Mac Mhathoin, or Matheson, whom he named
Coinneach, or Kenneth, after his father-in-law Kenneth Matheson;
Cailean himself was killed in Glaic Chailein by Mac Mhathoin,
who envied him, and was sore displeased at Colin's succession to
Matheson's ancient heritage; Colin was succeeded by his son Kenneth,
and all his descendants were by the Highlanders called "Mac
Choinnich," or Kenneth's son, taking the patronymic from Mac Mhathoin
rather than from Cailean, whom they esteemed a stranger. Of the two
theories the Matheson one is by far the more probable; but they are
both without any real foundation.
The Fitzgerald theory has, however, until recently, been accepted
by all the leading Mackenzie families and by the clan generally.
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