John MacLeod of MacLeod

John MacLeod of MacLeod, born as John Wolrige-Gordon, (10 August 1935 – 12 February 2007) was the 29th Chief of Clan MacLeod. Faced with the need for expensive repairs to the clan's seat at Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye, his proposed methods to raise funds caused considerable controversy. His twin brother, Patrick Wolridge-Gordon (1935–2002), was MP for East Aberdeenshire.

John MacLeod of MacLeod
Born	John Wolrige-Gordon 10 August 1935 Ellon, Aberdeenshire
Died	12 February 2007 (aged 71)
Title	The 29th Chief of Clan MacLeod
Predecessor	Flora MacLeod of MacLeod (grandmother)
Successor	Hugh Magnus MacLeod of MacLeod (son)
Spouse(s)	Drusilla Mary Shaw ​ ​ (m. 1961; div. 1971)​ Azima Melita Kolin ​ ​ (m. 1973; div. 1992)​ Ulrika Thram ​ (m. 2004)​
Children	Stephan Tammi Hugh Magnus Elena Mary Nadezhda

Biography

John was born as John Wolrige-Gordon in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, on 10 August 1935. He was the elder of the twin sons of Captain Robert Wolrige-Gordon, MC and his wife Joan Walter. His mother, Joan, was the daughter of Dame Flora MacLeod of MacLeod, the 28th Chief of Clan MacLeod.[1] His younger twin brother, Patrick Wolrige-Gordon, would later become a Tory Member of Parliament.[1] The twins had an older brother, Robert Wolrige-Gordon, who would later succeed their father as the 21st Laird of Hallhead, 10th Baron of Esslemont.[2]

John was educated at Eton College, McGill University, and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He started a career in acting and singing after National Service in the Black Watch Regiment.[3]

In 1951, he was named heir to his grandmother, changed his surname to MacLeod of MacLeod, and was recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms as John MacLeod of MacLeod, Younger. He matriculated arms at Lyon Office in 1962.[2] He later succeeded as Chief of Clan MacLeod in 1976.[1] In 2000, faced with the high cost of repairs to Dunvegan Castle, his clan's seat for more than 800 years, he put the Black Cuillin range in Skye on the market for £10 million. He also planned to build an 80-bedroom hotel on his Skye estate with the proceeds of the sale.[1] The planned sale caused outrage at the time and was never completed.[4] He had also considered transferring the range to a charitable trust for public ownership.[5]

Family

John married Drusilla Mary Shaw on 25 July 1961. The marriage was later dissolved by divorce, without issue, on 31 March 1971. He also had a natural son, Stephan, born in 1971. Then later, a daughter born out of wedlock, Tammi MacLeod [6] On 19 March 1973, he married Azima Melita Kolin, daughter of Duko Kolin of Sofia. The couple had two children, Hugh Magnus and Elena Mary Nadezhda, born in 1973 and 1977, respectively. His second marriage was also dissolved by divorce on 28 August 1992.[7] On 27 March 2004, he married Ulrika Thram.[8]

Cricket

During the 1980s, John became a keen playing member of the Poet's and Peasants' Cricket Club, a group of amateurs (largely musicians) that included founding member Bramwell Tovey. The club's poet was Alan Gibson, The Times cricket correspondent and former Test Match Special commentator. Such was John's modesty that few of the members knew about his background until a piece appeared about him in one of the Sunday broadsheets. John was by all accounts a decent batsman and would usually open the batting for the Peasants with a statuesque West Indian named Tony Jenkins who drove trains on London's Central Line. The club was based in Essex and most of the fixtures were played in this county - some considerable distance from John's London home in Chelsea.

Death and successor

On 12 February 2007, John died of leukaemia, aged 71, in London, England.[9] His funeral was held at Duirinish Free Church of Scotland, at Dunvegan. He was buried at the ruined stone church at Kilmuir.[10] John was succeeded by his second son, Hugh Magnus MacLeod, as 30th Chief of Clan MacLeod.

Ancestry

Ancestors of John MacLeod of MacLeod

16. Col. John Wolrige 8. Henry Perkins Wolrige 17. Mary Ann Knox 4. John Gordon Wolrige-Gordon, 19th of Hallhead and 8th of Esslemont 18. Maj. Robert Gordon, 17th of Hallhead and 5th of Esslemont 9. Ann Wolrige-Gordon, 18th of Hallhead and 7th of Esslemont 19. Jane Gilmour 2. Robert Wolrige-Gordon, 20th of Hallhead and 9th of Esslemont 20. 10. William Hervey-Wodehouse of Irnham Hall 21. 5. Isabel Hervey-Wodehouse 22. 11. 23. 1. John Wolrige-Gordon then MacLeod of MacLeod, younger than MacLeod, 29th of MacLeod 24. John Walter of Bear Wood Park 12. John Walter of Bear Wood Park, MP 25. Mary Smythe 6. Hubert Walter 26. James Munro MacNab 13. Flora MacNab 27. Jane Mary Campbell 3. Joan Walter 28. Norman MacLeod, 25th of MacLeod 14. Sir Reginald MacLeod, 27th of MacLeod, KCB 29. The Hon. Louisa Barbara St. John 7. Dame Flora Louisa Cecilia MacLeod, 28th of MacLeod, DBE 30. Stafford Henry Northcote, 1st Earl of Iddesleigh 15. Lady Agnes Mary Cecilia Northcote 31. Cecilia Frances Farrer, CI

Heraldry

Coat of arms of John MacLeod of MacLeod

Notes The Latin motto, murus aheneus esto, translates into English as "be thou a wall of brass".[11] The 1st and 4th quarters represent the Macleod family; the 2nd and 3rd quarters represent the supposed royal Manx heritage of the clan. Adopted Lyon Office 2 June 1962. Crest: Lyon Office January 1943.[7] Crest A bull's head cabossed sable, horned Or, between two flags gules, staves of the first.[7] Escutcheon Quarterly; 1st and 4th, azure, a castles triple-towered and embattled argent, masoned sable, windows and porch gules; 2nd and 3rd, gules, three legs in armour proper, garnished and spurred Or, flexed and conjoined in triangle at the upper part of the thigh.[7] Supporters Two lions reguardant gules, armed and langued azure, each holding a dagger proper.[7] Motto Hold fast (above the crest); murus aheneus esto (on a compartment below the shield).[7]

References

1. "John MacLeod of MacLeod". www.telegraph.co.uk. 15 February 2007. Retrieved 22 November 2009.
2. Dewar, Peter Beauclerk (2001). Burke's landed gentry of Great Britain: together with members of the titled and non-titled contemporary establishment (19, illustrated ed.). Burke's Peerage & Gentry. pp. 532–533. ISBN 978-0-9711966-0-5.
3. Stourton, James (17 March 2007). "John MacLeod Of MacLeod". www.independent.co.uk. Retrieved 23 November 2009.
4. Ross, John (10 July 2003). "MacLeod 'gifts' Cuillin to public". www.news.scotsman.com. Retrieved 24 November 2009.
5. "Clan MacLeod chief dies aged 71". BBC. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
6. MacLeod Nicol, Nancy (2002). Tell your Children About the Stones. Keylime Press.
7. Dewar, Peter Beauclerk (2001). Burke's landed gentry of Great Britain: together with members of the titled and non-titled contemporary establishment (19, illustrated ed.). Burke's Peerage & Gentry. pp. 941–942. ISBN 978-0-9711966-0-5.
8. "Clan MacLeod Magazine", p. 73, issue No. 100, April 2005
9. "Clan MacLeod chief dies aged 71". www.news.bbc.co.uk. 14 February 2007. Retrieved 24 November 2009.
10. "Hundreds gather to mourn MacLeod chief". www.heraldscotland.com. 24 February 2007. Retrieved 24 November 2009.
11. Fairbairn, James (1883). Royal book of crests of Great Britain and Ireland, Dominion of Canada, India and Australasia : derived from best authorities and family records. 1. London: James MacVeigh. p. 541.