65920: Cornelius Con

The Mackenzies of Kildun were remembered in Lewis tradition for trying to convert the entirely Protestant inhabitants to Roman Catholicism. Two Irish priests, Patrick O’Carolan and Cornelius Con (a doctor of the Sorbonne), were brought to the island in 1688 or shortly afterwards and were lodged at Aignish. Their mission was not however fruitful for in ‘A List of Papists in ye Highlands’ dated 1698 only five Catholics were recorded in Lewis – most likely the Mackenzie family themselves.

Martin Martin in his book of 1703 relates how some fishermen embraced the faith and applied to a priest residing on the island for holy water, believing that sprinkling it onto their nets would ensure a bountiful catch. The priest obliged and after the ceremony was performed the fishermen turned their coats inside out and set their nets. In the morning when they went to lift the nets they found they were lost, whilst the Protestants’ nets were safe and full of herring, which, says Martin "…was no small mortification to the priest and his Proselytes and expos’d them to the derision of their Neighbours"

A daughter of their host at Aignish gave birth to a child and it was alleged that Con was the father. By way of punishment he was imprisoned on islands off the coast of Lewis and records of both the Privy Council and the Synod of Argyll show that he was captive on Flodday in Loch Roag (this may also have been Floday) in 1694 and Rona in 1696. His gaoler was a son of John Maclennan, the tacksman of Kirkibost.
Con escaped captivity and by remarkable coincidence a son of John Maclennan disappeared about the same time only to reappear many years later in Gothenburg as a rich man – one wonders whether he was the same Maclennan wanted by the Privy council in connection with the disappearance of Cornelius Con