|
THE MACKINTOSHES, SHAWS,
AND GRANTS.
The name of
Rothiemurchus is found as early as 1226, when the lands were granted
by Alexander II. to the Bishop of Moray. In 1476 Alexander
Mackintosh or Shaw, gets a judicial transurnpt of the charter of
1226 made, but whether the original charter or transumpt is still in
existence I do not know—the oldest document in my possession not
going back farther than 1572.
In the MS. History of
the Mackintoshes it is recorded that the estate departed from the
Mackintoshes or Shaws, after it was possessed by them for nearly 360
years."
Lachlan Mor
Mackintosh, according to the Grant History, had made a pathetic
appeal to the laird of Grant to allow him to re-acquire for the
family their ancient Duchus. This was not only refused by Grant, but
a later connection with that family involved the loss, not only of
many of the Mackintosh papers, h" the almost crushing loss of
Glenlui and Loch Arkaig. Charred skins of parchment presently
existing bear witness to the Grant doings after the battle of
Culloden in attempting to destroy the Mackintosh writs and titles,
stolen furth of the Isle of Moy. There is indeed a heavy score yet
to settle between the Mackintoshes and the Grants.
"The clan that would
hang its chief;
And the chief that would hang his clan."
—Ancient Highland
toast, not unknown of old in S1rathspey and neighbourhood.
Long before the fight
at the North Inch of Perth in 1396, the Mackintoshes had become
possessors of Rothiemurchus, and in course of time settled it on one
of the family named Shaw, which Shaw, called "Corr-Fiaclach," led at
that famous battle. Holding of the Bishops of Moray as superiors,
Shaw's descendants were some times called Shaws and sometimes
Mackintoshes. The history of the Shaws has been given by the late
Rev. Mr Shaw of Forfar, and others, so fully that I will merely give
the names of some of the owners, jotted down at different times. At
the battle of Harlaw, Mr James Mackintosh of Rothiemurchus fell in
command of one of the companies of Clan Chattan. In 1500, is found
John Mackintosh, the epithet "Kier" becoming hereditary. In 1521,
Allan Kier Mackintosh is entered in Rothiemurchus as heir of his
father, John Kier. In 1542, James Kier Mackintosh, son of Allan is
found. In 1536, the above Allan Kier wadsets half of Guislich and
the Hacnach (?) to John Grant of Culcabock, for one hundred merks,
and thereafter assigns his right of reversion to George Gordon of
Baldornie, Constable of Badenoch. As Patrick Grant of Glenmoriston,
son and representative of John Grant of Culcabock, declined taking
the wadset money, George Gordon took the necessary legal steps to
redeem, and summoning Patrick Grant to the choir of the Parish
Church of Inverness, where consignation was appointed to be made,
he, on the 23rd of October, 1572, deposited the amount in the hands
of James Paterson, Provost of Inverness; Sir William Anderson and
William Cumming, notaries public, being witnesses; and Sir Alexander
Clark, Procurator. In 1567 the Gordons appeared to have bargained
with the Grants, and in 1568 Duncan Grant of Freuchie is absolute
owner. In 1574, Patrick, the laird of Grant's second son, receives
Rothiemurchus from his father. In 1581-86 the Mackintoshes are busy
harassing Patrick Grant in his lands of Rothiemurchus, Balnespick,
Ard Inch and Laggan, but without avail, and in 1586 they finally
gave up the struggle. Except one fight as to marches between Rothiemurchus and South Kinrara, the Mackintoshes and Grants have
for over 300 years been excellent neighbours.
The noted and
picturesque ruined castle—Loch-an-Eilean—goes back to the time of
the Shaws, when most of the stormy events that still cling around
the castle Occurred. There is one Grant incident, however, which may
be mentioned, and is thus recorded in the Farr Collections—" During
the troubles in the year 1688-9 the family of Rothiemurchus and some
of the neighbours were obliged to take refuge in the castle of Loch-anEilean,
their own property. During their residence there they were attacked
from the shore, while a smart fire of musketry was kept up from the
castle on the enemy, which it required all the men then in the
castle to carry on. Grizel Mor, the Lady Rothiemurchus, daughter of
William Mackintosh of Kellachie, who was a clever, active woman, was
busily employed all the time of the attack in casting leaden balls
for the defence."
The history of the
Grants is neither eventful nor startling, but like all old Highland
families they have their stories and traditions. Some regarding
Patrick Grant (MacAlpine) may be repeated, one being that during the
Civil War he declined to take any side, his view being—
Upon the banks of the
Spey,
Lies my Duchus,
Who e'er may be King,
I'll be Rothiemurchus."
Patrick was so much
troubled with law suits, and demands for medicine and medical aid,
that in despair he exclaimed -
"God keep us
From law and leeches."
The burial ground of
both the Shaws and Grants lay in the lower part of the Churchyard of
Rothiemurchus near each other. Patrick Grant ordered his body to be
interred in the very highest ground of the churchyard, and being
asked why, replied that by doing so, he on the Great Day would be
ascending the hill of Torbane by the time the Shaws (his abhorrence)
could only be having the flags over their graves removed, and thus
have a clear start of them.
Perhaps the best
story of Patrick is that concerning his treatment of his ancient
mother, Grizel, before named. "Grizel Mhor, on account of her great
size, lived to a very advanced age. Patrick MacAlpine had to pay her
a small sum annually out of the estate as her jointure, and which
sum in these times pressed so hard upon him that he was thinking
very long to be free of the burden. It at last struck him that the
Almighty might have forgotten her, and so he had her carried up to
the top of a hill near Rothiemurchus, so that she might in his
opinion be nearer Heaven than she ever was before." This outing and
exposure does not seem to have inconvenienced the old lady, for it
is recorded that "she lived for many years afterwards."
Another story about
Grizel Kellachie may be given. Quite unexpectedly two great men, one
Catholic, the other Protestant, accompanied by their chaplains,
arrived at the Doune to dinner. Grizel was at her wits' end which of
the chaplains, to avoid offence, should be asked to say grace. The
difficulty was solved by her saying grace herself, and in Gaelic,
but unhappily her words, probably unique, are not recorded.
There is a line
painting of Grizel Mhor and her two sons, Patrick and William, at
the Doune, which was specially pointed out to me in 1868 by the late
William Patrick Grant of Rothiemurchus.
Under 1732 I have
note of James Grant, Younger of Rothiemurchus, and in 1787 Patrick
Grant-was proprietor. He executed an entail which has preserved the
estates to the family, though at great suffering for many years to
the two next heirs who succeeded.
The most noted of the
later owners was John Peter Grant, advocate, nephew of Patrick the
entailer, who, with James Grant of Corrimony, were two of the ablest
and most successful pleaders in the Criminal Circuit Courts held in
the north.
Rewarded for his
politics and removed to India, knighted, and placed at the head of a
legal Court, Sir John's legal career was not a success. Admirable as
a pleader or counsel, he was unbearable and unsatisfactory as a
judge. He was summoned before the Privy Council, under charges
detailed in a print of the time. I have been informed by an East
Indian that the two minor judges composing his Court were specially
selected so as to muzzle as far as possible the head of the Court.
Meantime the estate of Rothiemurchus was put under trust, grossly
mismanaged by Edinburgh leeches, while the magnificent timber,
unequalled in the Highlands, was not merely cut but slaughtered. The
administration, like that on many other Highland estates, was
everything it should not be, resulting in the fact that while tens
of thousands of pounds worth of wood were sold, the creditors were
glad, after years of waiting, to accept a dividend in 1841, of 5s 6d
per pound.
Better times dawned.
The last Sir John Peter Grant was a most honourable and useful
public servant, and able in his old age to live at the Doune as long
as he liked or found it convenient to do so.
The estate of
Balnespick is held in feu of Rothiemurchus.
The Doune, for many
years, while tenanted by the Duchess of Bedford, was visited
annually by many of the highest and most renowned of the age. The
Duchess in particular was as much attached to it as to Glenfeshie,
and secretly erected a monument, with suitable inscription, in
honour of her husband near their favourite walk on the Ord Hill. To
this, all unconscious, the Duke was led, and to the surprise of the
Duchess said very little in appreciation of the compliment. But the
Duke, though he said little, thought much, and the following season
he led his wife to a monument in her honour, and with suitable
inscription.
The last time I was
on the hill I visited these monuments, most interesting memorials of
peoples and times gone for ever, around which cling the halo of
romance.
Rothiemurchus, as
also Tullochgorum, are very difficult words to rhyme. Both were
tried, I think, by Sir Alexander Boswell—
"See the Grants of
Rothiemurchus
Ever ready for to dirk us,
. . . . . . . .
Lo the Grants of
Tullochgorum
Proud the mothers are that bore 'em," |
