BY the death of
Gregor, the clan was left again without a head or rallying point.
Some immediately granted anew bonds of manrent and submission to the
barons on whose lands they resided. Another party, headed by
Patrick, grandson of Duncan Ladosach, scornfully refused any
compromise, and struck redoubled blows of vengeance on the traitors
to the spirit of clanship, who yielded to the demands of Glenorchy
or any other. Three months after the execution of the chief, the
band, led by Patrick, came upon a company of Glenorchy's men in
Glenfalloch, and slew eighteen of them and their captain. Two weeks
after this exploit, the same lawless leader committed the following
atrocity on two of the principals of the Stronfernan M'Gregors, who
had granted bonds to Cailean Liath :—
"The xxiiij da of
September, the yer of God ane thousand five hundyr sexte xij yeris,
Allestyr M'Allestyr and his son, ane yonge barne of sevin yer aid,
callyt Gregor, and Duncan, brodyr tyl Allestyr, al slain in
Stronferna be Patryk Dow M'Gregor V'Condoquhy Lawdossyt, with his
complesis, and be the drath of Allestyr Gald M'V'Gregor. The saidis
Allestyr and his son and brodyr zyrdyth in Fortyrgill the awcht and
xx da of September, Si bene fecit sic habirit."
Black Patrick wished
clearly to grasp the vicarious sceptre of regent or tutor of the
clan, wielded by his father during the minority of the preceding
chief; but the clan as a whole refusing to support his pretensions,
he never got beyond being captain of the "broken men." With the help
of these, he kept up for a few years a widespread system of
spoliation and outrage through the districts of Strathearn,
Breadalbane, Athole and Lennox. The feudal barons cut off his band
in detail. One of his principal subordinates, Donald Dow M'Conil
V'Quhewin, was "heddyt at Ken-more be Collyn Campbell of Glenurquhay,
the sevint da of Apryl, 1574." This man possessed the lands of
Duneaves in Fortingall, and we shall have to say more of one of his
descendants in the sequel. On the 4th October, 1574, Patrick himself
was slain in Balquhidder by the "Clandowil-chayr," a section of his
own surname who disapproved of his violent proceedings. His
followers, inured to predatory habits and a life of warfare with all
men, seemed to have kept together, and to have become known
afterwards by the designation of M'Eaghs, or "children of the
mist"
The interregnum between Black Patrick's death,
1574, and 1588, when Allaster Roy, eldest son of the ill-fated Chief
of Glenstrae, came of age, was diligently improved by Colin of
Glenorchy and his son, "Black Duncan with the cowl" who
succeeded him in 1583. The M'Gregors of Roro renewed the old bonds
of manrent to "Black Duncan" at Balloch, 5th July, 1585. "Bond of
Gregour Makcon-aquhie V'Gregour in Roro, Alestir M'Ewin V'Conquhie
there, Gregour Makolchallum in Innerbar in Glenlyon : Duncan
Makgregour, his son in Kildie, and William Mak-gregour son to the
said Gregour there, to Duncan Campbell of Glenurquhay, showing, that
their forbears had granted the like bond to the deceased Coleine
Campbell of Clenur-quhay, and obliging themselves, if it should
happen that Makgregour, by himself or accomplices, should break upon
the said Duncan or his heirs, their lands, tenants, and possessions,
to renounce him as their chief, and to take part with the said
Duncan against him." But the experience of the last feud had
convinced Glenorchy of the evanescent effect of these bonds when a
question affecting the honour of the clan or the prerogatives of the
chief was the matter in debate; and he was therefore anxious to add
to the assurance of voluntary submission the better-recognised title
and right of lord-superior. As formerly mentioned, the superiority
of the lands occupied, on "middleman" tenure, by the house of Roro
was vested in the family of Menzies. The substance of the bond given
below shows by what unscrupulous means Glenorchy sought to wrest
from the Laird of Weem the right which he held of him already as
tenant:—
"Johne, Earl of
Athole, binds himself not to appoint nor agree with James Menzies of
that Ilk in regard to any controversy, until Glenur-quhay should
first obtain in feu or long tacks from Menzies his lands lying on
the west side of the water of Lyoun, holden of him by the said
Duncane ; and that he would not reset, nor allow to be resetted
within his bounds, any goods belonging to James Menzies or his
tenants, or show them any favour ; that if the said James Menzies
should pursue the said Duncane, or be pursued by him, he would
assist the said Duncane with all his forces; and that he should give
the like assistance against the Clangregour if they should render
aid to Menzies. At Dunkeld, 25th June, 1585."
By a mutual bond,
dated 20th March, 1584, he got Strowan to bind himself to "cause all
his tenants of the lands and barony of Ferney serve the Earl of
Argyle and Duncan Campbell in hosting and hunting." On the breaking
out of the next horrible feud, this bond was amplified or changed
into another, dated at Balloch, 16th October, 1590, bearing that
"Donald Robertson of Strowan, finding that divers of the Clangregour
occupied his lands and barony of Fernay, in the lordship of Descheor
and Toyer, and Sheriffdome of Perth, against his will, so that he
could not well remove them, binds himself and his heirs, if, by the
assistance of Sir Duncan Campbell of Glenurquhay, he can remove them
orderly, to put in their stead tenants bound to serve the said Sir
Duncane in hosting, hunting, and obedience, as the tenants of the
said lands did previously, the said Sir Duncane being bound to
defend the said tenants in their possessions."
Allaster Roy being of age in 1589, claimed feudal
enfeoffment of his property of Glenstrae. Glenorchy, the
lord-superior, refused to grant the investiture. It would disarrange
the whole policy of the Laird of Glenorchy should the chief of the
Clan Gregor continue to hold the messuage of Stronmelochan, and have
a legal base of operation for his numerous and devoted followers.
The affront put upon him in this matter precipitated the chief and
those of his clan, who had since the last feud scrupulously kept
aloof, into sharing and adopting the rash counsels and rasher deeds
of the "brokin men," now styled "children of the mist," or M'Eaghs.
In September, 1589, the M'Eaghs surprised John
Drummond of Drummond-Ernoch in the forest of Glenartney and cut off
his head. Probably the band of "brokin men" thought this a very
justifiable vengeance for the aid given by the Drummonds in pursuing
their first and ablest leader, "Duncan Ladosach, to the deid," or
there might have been more recent feuds unrevenged; but the
slaughter was indefensible even by the very loose code of justice
which the M'Gregors themselves acknowledged, for Drummond
Ernoch was at that very time doubly under the
assurance of the clan. Worse still was the atrocity of bringing the
dead man's head to the house of Ardvorlich, and stuffing the mouth
with the bread and cheese given them by his sister. The consequences
to the lady, and the child of whom she was about to become a mother,
have been described in the pleasant Legend of Montrose, by
Sir Walter Scott. Treated for nearly a century like wolves and
beasts of prey, it was not reasonable to think the "brokin men"
should conduct themselves like civilised creatures; but this deed
was so unmanly and execrable—so violently opposed to the irregular
chivalry which the clan, in the darkest phases of existence,
manifested as a whole—that we are forced to conclude some
inexplicable and occult reasons led them into adopting the atrocious
murder. The chief and principals of the clan had no hand in its
perpetration, yet no sooner did they become aware of the slaughter
than they gathered to the church of Balquhidder, and there in a most
appalling manner made the deed of blood their own. The quarrel was
one of extermination, and it was perhaps fitting that the reunion of
the clan under a young chief, already affronted by the powerful
enemy of his race in the tenderest point, and burning for revenge on
his own account, on account of his clan, and of his father's fate,
should be cemented by the blood of a foeman; but the strange thing
was, that the quiet bond-granters, who had been obedient vassals to
their different over-lords for twenty years, should, on such an
apparently trivial quarrel, throw their engagements to the wind, and
at once brave those dangers which the whole tenor of their lives
showed they were pretty willing to shun, But wonder as we may, the
list of 200 clansmen mentioned nommatim in the commission of
fire and sword issued by the Secret Council on this occasion, leaves
no doubt of its being a general movement of the clan, in which the
principals of the "three houses" participated.
The nature of the proceedings by which the clan
adopted the guilt of the " brokin men " is described in an Act of
Privy-Council, dated Edinburgh, 4th February, 1589, in these terms:—
"Likeas, after ye murder committed, ye authors
yrof cutted off ye said umqull Jo. Drummond's head, and carried the
same to the Laird of M'Gregour, who, and the haill surname, of
M'Gregours, purposely convened upoun the Sunday yrafter at the Kirk
of Buchquhidder, qr they caused the said umqull John's head to be
presented to ym, and yr avowing ye sd murder to have been committed
by their communion, council, and determination, laid yr hands upoun
the pow, and, in eith-nick and barbarous manner, swear to defend ye
authors of ye sd murder, in maist proud contempt of our Sovrn Lord
and his authoritie, and in evil example to other wicked lymmaris to
do ye like, gif ys sail be suffered to remain unpunisched."
I append Sir Alexander Boswell's poetical
description of the same scene, as probably more interesting to most
readers:—The head of Drummond is on the altar, and over it is thrown
the banner of the tribe. The Chief advances—
"And pausing, on the banner gazed:
Then cried in scorn, his finger raised,
'This was the boon of Scotland's king:'
And with a quick and angry fling,
Tossing the pageant screen away,
The dead man's head before him lay.
Unmoved he scanned the visage o'er,
The clotted locks were dark with gore,
The features with convulsion grim,
The eyes contorted, sunk, and dim,
But unappall'd in angry mood,
With lowering brow, unmoved he stood.
Upon the head his bared right hand
He laid, the other grasped his brand;
Then, kneeling, cried, ' o heaven I swear
This deed of death I own and share;
As truly fully mine as though
This my right hand had dealt the blow.
Come, then, our foemen, one, come all;
If to revenge this caitiffs fall
One blade is bared, one bow is drawn,
Mine everlasting peace I pawn,
To claim from them, or claim from him,
In retribution, limb for limb.
In sudden fray, or open strife
This steel shall render life for life.'
He ceased; and at his beckoning nod,
The clansmen to the altar trod;
Andoiot a whisper breathed around,
And nought was heard of mortal sound,
Save from the clanking arms they bore,
That rattled on the marble floor;
And each, as he approached in haste,
Upon the scalp his right hand placed:
With livid lip, and gathered brow,
Each uttered, in his turn, the vow.
(Macgregor) watched the passing scene,
And searched them through with glances keen,
Then dashed a tear-drop from his eye—
Unbid it came—he knew not why.
Exulting high, he towering stood:
'Kinsmen,' he cried, of Alpin's blood,
And worthy of Clan Alpin's name,
Unstained by cowardice and shame,
E'en do, spare nocht, in time of ill,
Shall be Clan Alpin's legend still.' "
The following "bond
to pursue the Clan M'Gregor for the murder of John Drummond" is
formed in conformity with the Act of Privy Council :—
"Be it kend til all
men, us undirsubscryvers, understanding be money—actis—maid nocht
onlie be—the Kings Maiesties—progeni-touris, bat alsa be his
Maiesties self, baith in Parliament and Privie Counsel, anent the
daylie mourthouris, slauchteris, herschipis, and thiftis committit
be clannis of hieland men upone the inhabitantes of the laiche
countries, speciallie be the Clan of M'Gregouris—Lyke as laitlie the
said Clan of M'Gregour, in the moneth of September last bipast,
maist creuallie slew and murtherit Johne Drumond of Drum-nerenocht
in Glenarknay, being under thair doubil assurance, the ane grantit—be
My Lord Huntlie in thair name to my Lord of Montroiss, assuring that
he and all his, and in speacial the said Johne Drummond, suid be
unharmit in body and geir—ay and quhil the said assurance suld be
upgiffin and dischargit on, to my Lord of Montroiss be the said Erie
of Huntlie, quhilk onnavyss wes sa done afoir the said slauchter nor
yit sensyne; the uthir assurance being granted and given be------in
name of that hail clan, to my Lord of Inchaffray and all his kin,
freindis, and surname, upone the Monunday befoir the said slauchter,
sua that nather of the forsaid assurances was then outrun: The said
Johne being directit be his Chief, at his Maiestie's commandment,
for getting of vennisoune, to have send to Edinburght to his
Maiestie's mariage, the said clan cuttit and of-tuik his heid, and
thair-after convenand the rest of that clan, and setting down the
heid befoir thame, tharby causing thame authoreiss the said creuel
murthour, lykas thai have done, mening thairby to continue the lyke
or greter, gif thai be not prevented. - - - We undirsubscryvand,
beand sua ten-dir of blud alliance and nychtbouris, being sua oft of
our freindis, ten-nentis, and seruandis slane, murtherit, and
herriet be the said clan of befoir, and of mynd to revinge the said
creuel murthour and bluide of the said John Drummond hes bundin—ilk
ane of us—to tak treu and efald pairt togidder for perseuing of the
said clan and committaris of the said murthour—quhairevir thai may
be apprehendit; and gif thai sail happin to frequent or invade oney
ane of us, we al sail repair and hald our forcis to the partie
invadit; and we bind us, upon our honour and lautie, that nane of us
sail appoint or agre witht the said clan, by the advyss of the rest
of the subsryveris. In witnes quhairof, we have subsryvit this
present witht our handis, at Mugdoge, Inispeffre, and Drummond, and
Balloch, the xx, xxiiij, and thrattie dayis of Octobir, 1589, befoir
thir witnes, Robert Grahame of Auchinclocht, William Drummond of
Pitcarrnis.
" Drummond.
" Duncan Campbell, of Glenurquhay.
" J HONE, Earl of Montroiss.
" INCHEFFRAY."
