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Clan Munro USA
Genealogy Pages
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 Abt 1523 - 1588 (~ 65 years)
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| Name |
Robert Mor Munro [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8] |
| Suffix |
XV of Foulis |
| Born |
Abt 1523 [9] |
- Estimate: This birth date is an estimate based on the birth dates of nearest relatives or contemporaries, or based on other clues such as christening date, marriage date, birth order, etc.
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| Gender |
Male |
| Died |
4 Nov 1588 |
Dingwall, Ross-Shire, Scotland, (Foulis Castle)  [2, 9] |
| Buried |
Kiltearn, , Ross-Shire, Scotland [10] |
| Person ID |
I18 |
Munro |
| Last Modified |
7 Jan 2015 |
| Father |
Sir Robert Munro, XIV of Foulis, b. Abt 1508, d. 10 Sep 1547, Musselburgh, , Midlothian, Scotland (Age ~ 39 years) |
| Mother |
Margaret Anna Dunbar, b. Abt 1500, Cumnock, , Ayr, Scotland , d. , , , Scotland |
| Married |
, , , Scotland |
| Family ID |
F982 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family 1 |
Margaret Ogilvy, b. Abt 1530, , , , Scotland , d. 2 Dec 1564 (Age ~ 34 years) |
| Children |
| + | 1. Florence Munro, of Foulis, b. Est 1545, Evanton, , Ross and Cromarty, Scotland , d. Yes, date unknown |
| + | 2. Robert Munro, XVI of Foulis, b. Abt 1553, d. Aug 1588 (Age ~ 35 years) |
| | 3. Hugh Munro, b. Abt 1557, Of, Clynes , d. Yes, date unknown |
| | 4. Christane Munro, b. Abt 1559, d. Yes, date unknown |
| + | 5. Catherine Munro, b. Abt 1561, d. Yes, date unknown |
| + | 6. Hector Munro, XVII of Foulis, b. Abt 1562, d. 14 Nov 1603 (Age ~ 41 years) |
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| Last Modified |
20 Jan 2009 |
| Family ID |
F1577 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family 2 |
Catherine Ross, of Balnagown, b. Abt 1530, d. Yes, date unknown |
| Married |
22 Nov 1563 |
| Children |
| + | 1. George Munro, I of Obsdale, b. Est 1565, d. Jun 1589 (Age ~ 24 years) |
| + | 2. John Munro, b. Abt 1567, Of, Daan, Scotland , d. Abt 1600 (Age ~ 33 years) |
| + | 3. Elizabeth Munro, b. Est 1568, d. Yes, date unknown |
| + | 4. Andrew Munro, of Daan, b. Abt 1569, Of, Daan, Edderton Par., Scotland , d. 17 Sep 1607, Of, Limlair, Scotland (Age ~ 38 years) |
| | 5. Margaret Munro, b. Abt 1571, d. Yes, date unknown |
| | 6. Janet Munro, b. Abt 1573, d. Yes, date unknown |
| | 7. Margaret Munro, b. Est 1575, d. Yes, date unknown |
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| Last Modified |
20 Jan 2009 |
| Family ID |
F4337 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
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| Notes |
- Robert was served heir to his father before Alexander Baillie, Sheriff-Depute of Inverness on 11 Jan 1548. He was still a minor and so was placed under the tutorship of his uncle, Hugh Munro of Contullich.
Robert got into a great deal of trouble because his uncle and tutor, Hugh Munro killed two tenants in Little Boath, belonging to the Laird of Balnagowan. The problem was resolved after great expense to Robert including the loss of the lands of Kiltearn.
Robert came to be known as Robert Mor because of his stature. His estates were erected into a barony by 1553. He was a supporter of Mary, Queen of Scots.
He gave to Neil Beaton, a heritable tack of the lands of Culnaskea for serving as surgeon or doctor to his family.
In 1552, he sold to Margaret Ogilvie, widow of William Mackintosh of Mackintosh, the lands of Wester Foulis in liferent, but later regained these lands by marrying Margaret.
In 1560, he regained the lands of Kiltearn by obtaining them from Quinten Monypenny, General-Vicar and Dean of Ross. The charter was registered and and confirmed on 3 Sep 1584. In the same year, he acquired from the Bishops of Ross, the lands of Limlair, Pellaig, Wester Glens, and Mukle Boitt (or Boath).
He attended the Reformation Parliament in Edinburgh on 1 Aug 1560 where he voted for the overthrow of the Catholic Church and for acceptance for the Scottish Confession of Faith. He was among the barons assembled on 24 Nov 1572 in Edinburgh to choose a Regent when the Convention of Estates appointed Morton. In the Edinburgh Parliament of 30 Nov 1581, he is listed as "Robert Monro of Fowlis, bailie and chamberlane of Ros, one of the Justices in that part." He had been appointed to that position by the seventh Parliament of King James VI, held at Edinburgh on 24 Feb 1581, when he was described as "His Majesty's principal bailie of the Earldom of Ross and Lordship of Ardmeanach."
In Robert's time, the Munro Clan was considered by the Crown, of considerable importance, and among the most loyal of the northern clans. When Queen Mary arrived at Inverness on 11 Sep 1562, and found the castle shut against her by the governor, Captain Alexander Gordon, the Munros, under Robert Mor, their Chief, were among those loyal subjects who came to her assistance.
By a charter dated at Scone on 11 Jul 1565, Robert obtained from Sir James Spence, Chaplain of St. Lawrence, and Sir Alexander Douglas, Chaplain of St. Mary, the lands of Mukle and Little Clynes.
On 23 Jun 1567, he served as a member of the jury when John, Earl of Sutherland was served heir to his grandmother, Elizabeth, Countess of Sutherland.
At Edinburgh, on 10 Apr 1569, he and many others signed a bond of allegiance to King James VI.
On 22 Nov 1569, Robert was appointed by the Lord Regent, as a Justice-Depute in the diocese of Caithness for the trial of certain persons.
In 1570 a serious quarrel broke out between the Munros and the Mackenzies. Leslie, the celebrated Bishop of Ross who had been secretary to Queen Mary, dreading the effect of public feeling against prelacy in the north and against himself personally made over to his cousin, Leslie of Balquhain, his rights and titles to the Chanonry of Ross, together with the Castle lands, in order to divest them of the character of church property and so save them to his family. But in spite of this grant, the Regent Murray gave the custody of the Castle to Andrew Munro of Milntown, a rigid Presbyterian, who was in high favor with Murray.
The Mackenzies were by no means pleased at seeing the Munros occupying the stronghold. They purchased Leslie's right to the castle and demanded delivery. The Munros at once refused. Mackenzie of Kintail raised his vassals and, joined by a detachment of the Mackintoshes, garrisoned the steeple of the Cathedral Church and laid siege to Irvine's Tower and the Palace.
The Munros held out for three years, but one day the garrison becoming short of provisions, they attempted a sortie to the Ness of Fortrose, where there was at the time a salmon stell, the contents of which they attempted to secure. They were immediately discovered and followed by the Mackenzies under Iain Dubh Mac Ruairidh Mhic Alastair. The Munros were ambushed and twenty-six of them were killed. The remaining defenders of the castle immediately capitulated, and it was taken possession of by the Mackenzies. Later it was confirmed to the Baron of Kintail by King James VI.
In 1572, as a reward for his faithful services to the Crown, Robert obtained from King James VI a grant of the tack of all the customs due as royalties from the town and Sheriffdom of Inverness, in the counties of Ross, Sutherland, and Caithness. This was registered in a charter under the Privy Seal dated at Edinburgh on 5 Jan 1572.
He was one of the members of a Commission appointed to act as Sheriffs of Inverness for serving Alexander Earl of Sutherland heir to his father Earl John, on 30 May 1573. But Alexander petitioned to be served heir in Aberdeen, as he could not get a jury together to sit at Inverness because there was a deadly feud in progress among the local barons including Colin Mackenzie of Kintail, Lachlan Mackintosh of Mackintosh, and Robert Munro of Foulis.
On 9 Jan 1578, Robert appeared as one of the arbitrators for David Dunbar, portioner of Kinsterrie, concerning the slaughter of two of Dunbar's servants by the tenants or followers of Cawdor.
In 1578, the Lord Regent and Privy Council learned that the Earl of Argyll intended to invade the territories of Donald MacAngus of Glengarry. On 19 Feb 1577-78, their Lordships issued orders to many Highland Chiefs, including Robert Munro of Foulis, to be ready with their whole forces to come the the aid and defense of Donald MacAngus of Glengarry.
Robert obtained various lands in Inverness and Ross by charter dated 11 Jan 1583 under the Great Seal, and later that year, on 10 May 1583, he disponed to his son, George of Obsdale, the lands of Limlare, Pelaig, Wester Glens, and Bothmoir.
In about 1585, a dispute arose between Neil Macleod and Donald Bane Macleod regarding the succession to Assynt. The succession was ultimately awarded to Neil, but Donald Bane complained to Foulis, in whose family he had been brought up. Robert's influence was able to obtain for Donald Bane a part of the lands of Assynt.
On 30 Nov 1586, Robert was denounced by the Privy Council, along with most of the other Highland Chiefs, on the complaint of the United Burghs of Scotland, for obstructing the fisheries in the northern parts and for making extortionate exactions from the fishermen.
On 6 May 1588, King James VI, issued an order of special protection granted to the Earl of Sutherland and his Countess. In it, the King ordered Robert Munro of Foulis and many other local leaders to be ready to raise their followers in arms to assist the Earl of Sutherland if needed.
On 20 Jul 1588, Robert was appointed by the King to be collector of a tax in Inverness-shire, which was to be used for the repair of Edinburgh Castle.
Robert was one of the first of the Highland Chiefs to renounce the Roman Catholic form of religion and to embrace the doctrines of the Reformation. In this decision, he exercised great influence in the county of Ross. He voted in the Parliament of Aug 1560, for the overthrow of the Popish Church, and for the adoption of the Scottish Confession of Faith. The first spot in Ross-shire where the reformed religion is said to have been preached is at Waterloo, midway between Foulis and Dingwall. The preacher is said to have been the Rev. Donald Munro, the well-known High Dean of the Isles.
Robert appears to have profited considerably by the long leases of church lands and forfeitures arising from the changed condition of affairs caused by the Reformation. He is said to have been a wise and good man, and the name "Mor," or great, was not altogether inapplicable to him.
He died at Foulis Castle on 4 Nov 1588 at about the age of 60. By his own direction, his body was buried in the churchyard of Kiltearn, which has ever since continued to be the burying place of the Chiefs of the family. He was the first who made this change from the ancient custom of his ancestors, who had always been interred at the Chanonry of Ross. It is probable that this baron, who was the the first professing Protestant of the family of Foulis, desired by this change, to mark the complete severance of all connection with the Church of Rome and her consecrated establishments.
Error alert: According to the dates in references, Robert remarried about a year before his first wife died. It's possible that his first marriage ended in divorce, but it is more likely that one or more dates in the reference are incorrect.
Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Genealogist, Clan Munro Association, USA [1, 2]
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| Sources |
- [S247] History of the Munros of Fowlis, Alexander Mackenzie, M.J.L., (Published in Inverness, Scotland by A & W Mackenzie (1898)), p. 43-60 (Reliability: 3).
- [S686] The Munro Tree (1734), R. W. Munro, (Privately published in Edinburgh, Scotland (1978)), p. 17 (R) (Reliability: 3).
- [S84] Clan Munro files - Rapaport, Diane, Diane Rapaport, Copies of pages from The William and Mary Quarterly - sen t 19 Mar 2001 - p. 742 (Reliability: 3).
- [S113] Clan Munro files - Bush, Cornelia Wendell, Cornelia Wendell Bush, Membership application for Cornelia W. Bush dated 15 Jul 20 01 (Reliability: 3).
- [S645] Clan Munro files - Boggs, Elizabeth Monroe, Elizabeth Monroe Boggs, "William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine " - Vol. XIII #4 - Oct 1933 - The Monroe Family - p. 231-241 (Reliability: 3).
- [S668] RW Munro's Genealogy Database, Robert William Munro, (The collected genealogy notes of RW Munro, Hon. Historian of Clan Munro (Association) edited by Dr. Jean Munro, transcribed by Charles C. Munroe, III and others. Transcription completed Jan 2009. Original card file is kept at the "Storehouse of Foulis" near Foulis Castle in Scotland.), card 376 (Reliability: 3).
1
- [S743] Family of Adam, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, (https://new.familysearch.org/en/action/unsec/welcome : copyright 2008), accessed 21 May 2012), LH1G-8QB (Reliability: 3).
- [S691] Clan Munro Magazine, Clan Munro (Association), No. 26 - 2012 (Reliability: 3).
- [S247] History of the Munros of Fowlis, Alexander Mackenzie, M.J.L., (Published in Inverness, Scotland by A & W Mackenzie (1898)), p. 59 (Reliability: 3).
- [S247] History of the Munros of Fowlis, Alexander Mackenzie, M.J.L., (Published in Inverness, Scotland by A & W Mackenzie (1898)), p. 59-60 (Reliability: 3).
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