65960: John Matheson

John ‘Iain Arainis’ was a son of Murdo and Christina nee Macaulay. He succeeded his father as tacksman of Arnish and is on record as such in 1705. Around that time an attempt was made by John Mackenzie of Assynt to force the inhabitants of Lewis into the Roman Catholic faith, tenants who refused to conform could be expropriated. John was one of two tacksmen who was supplanted by a Roman Catholic (Colin Mackenzie, younger of Kildun in this case).

John became joint tacksman of Lionel but later relocated to Uig. He was married to Janet nee Morrison; with issue;

Donald – the only son on record but who according to local tradition had siblings found as tenants in Crowlista between 1766 and 1787; Murdo (who had a son John, tenant in Erista and Malcolm, tenant in Crowlista), Malcolm and Kenneth.

Iain Arainis is said by some sources to have been killed at Sherriffmuir.