of the
Lord of Argyll as it appears in the fourteenth-century
Balliol Roll:
Or, a galley sable with dragon heads at prow and stern and flag flying gules, charged on the hull with four portholes argent. The son of
Alexander MacDougall (
Alasdair MacDubhgall),
Lord of Argyll, by a daughter of
John I Comyn, Lord of Badenoch, John appears in the records in 1291 swearing fealty to
Edward I of England. In 1299, Alexander MacDougall killed
Alexander Og MacDonald, Lord of the Isles in Ireland. {{multiple image The MacDougall kindred gradually grew more cooperative with King Edward as their rivals grew less so. In 1305 both John and his father became members of the advisory council of Edward's lieutenant in Scotland,
John of Brittany. The following year,
Robert de Brus, Earl of Carrick, went into open revolt against the English crown, declaring himself
King of Scots. The new King Robert met with an upset against pro-English forces at the
Battle of Methven and fled into the west. It was during this time in 1306 that Robert met John's MacDougall forces blocking their way at
Tyndrum. At what became known as the
Battle of Dail Righ ("King's field"), John defeated Bruce's forces. However, as MacDougall informed Edward by letter in 1308, Robert's power was becoming increasingly difficult to live with, and the position of MacDougalls was becoming critical. After experiencing defeat at the
Battle of Pass of Brander in 1308, the main MacDougall seat,
Dunstaffnage Castle, was captured by Bruce forces. John fled to England with his father entering King Robert's
peace. By 1310, John's father Alexander had joined him in England, both attending a royal council at
Westminster. Despite losing his father in 1310, in the following years John remained in English service. He was put in charge of
English fleets in 1311 and 1314 as Admiral of the Irish Sea and in 1315 conquered the
Isle of Man for the English crown. John began receiving a pension from
Edward II of England in 1316. In this year he died at
Ospringe in Kent, while making a
pilgrimage to
Canterbury. He left the
Galwegian "
Dungal MacDouall" (
Dungall MacDubhgall), a fellow political exile from Scotland, in charge of his will. John left several sons and daughters, though his wife or wives are not known. Among his offspring known by name are: • Ewen (Eóghan) • Alan (Ailean) • Somhairle • Alexander (Alasdair) Óg • Mary (Maire) He had another daughter who married one
Patrick de Graham. John's son Eóghan returned to Scotland with
Edward Balliol's unsuccessful attempt at the Scottish throne in the 1330s. The MacDougalls re-emerged in Argyll in unknown circumstances later in the century. John's grandson, through Ailean, known as
John Gallda ("the Foreigner"), is on record from 1338. Later, John Gallda was styling himself "Lord of Argyll". ==Notes==