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JOHN BEG MACANDREW AND
SOME OF HIS EXPLOITS.
THE greater part of
this parish lay within the lordship of Badenoch and was, and I
believe is, held in feu by the Grants, of the Gordons.
The upper part of the
strath of Dulnan is very beautiful, but for a long time, from its
inaccessibility, little known. The highest dwelling presently is at
Eil, while at one time, people lived as high up as the lands behind
Dellifour and Raitts hill grounds. When the railway through Duthil,
Strathdearn, and Strathnairn is made, I anticipate that Strath
Dulnan will be opened up and become an important fishing centre, and
the whole country wakened up from the torpor following upon the
virtual disuse by strangers of the Highland Road between Inverness
and Kingussie.
Glencharnich is the
cradle of the Grants, and broad as their borders extend, it is still
essentially their duchus.
The caterans of the
west returning from their forays went by the valleys of the Dulnan
or Findhorn, as they found most convenient, and the remains of their
tracks, "Rathaid na mearlach," can still to some extent be traced.
In the Commissary
Court Records are to be found names of some of the family of John
Beg MacAndrew, Dalnahatnich, establishing that this person,
regarding whom so many startling traditions, chiefly connected with
the Lochaber raiders, existed.
I cannot do better
than give a fuller account than perhaps has yet appeared of one of
the bloodiest and latest of these affrays, as written about a
hundred years ago, when the story was a common one among the
dwellers along the banks of the Findhorn and Dulnan.
The last creach or
the lifting of cattle to any extent which occurred in the county
happened prior to or about 1670, and was committed by Macdonell of
Achluachrach, in Lochaber, and a party of twelve men. It was then
the custom in the Highlands that a man of any consequence, before
his marriage, should take a creach, or commit some other equally
daring deed. Achluachrach was engaged to be married, and accordingly
he set off with a party to carry one of these attempts into
execution. They fell upon the lands of Kilravock and drove away the
cattle of the Baron and his tenants, in the course of one night. The
low country people rose in a body and pursued, but being overcome by
fatigue they obtained the assistance of those of the Braes of
Strathnairn and Strathdearn to follow up the pursuit, headed by
William Mackintosh of Kellachie, commonly called "William Maclachlan,"
who at that time was the Captain Freiceadan, or Captain of the
Watch, from the march of Lochaber to the River Spey, and he was
accompanied by his faithful attendant on such occasions, John beg
MacAndrew, in Dalnahatnich, on Dulnan-side, an active man, of small
stature, and an excellent bowman.
The robbers had
settled for the night in a small hut or bothy in the heights of
Strathdearn and the Glen of "Croclach." Here they had lighted a fire
and killed one of the cattle for provisions. One of them, the Gille
Maol Dhu, was picking the shoulder blade, and, observing by the
light of the fire drops of blood in the bones, he remarked to his
companions that he was sure their followers would soon be up on them
and that they would all be killed. They did not, however, attend to
his prediction, but so strongly was he impressed with what he had
seen that he made his escape. They had left the hide of the animal
killed by them outside the hut.
Kellachie and his
party, suspecting that the robbers would take shelter here, made for
the place, and having seen the cattle near it, they prepared their
plan of attack. John Mac Andrew placed the hide (which was in a
bundle) with the hairy part towards the ground, at the door of the
bothy, with the side towards the flesh facing upwards. An arrow was
then thrown into the hut. Achluachrach came out, and falling upon
the hide, which was slippery, instantly received an arrow from Mac
Andrew, which killed him. Kellachie killed the next that came out,
and then by a shower of arrows poured into the hut at the door,
window, and some holes, all the band were killed. And the Gille Maol
Dhu, who escaped, was the bearer of the news to the bride, who must
have been waiting with anxiety the return of her betrothed. The
stolen booty was thus redeemed and restored to the Baron of
Kilravock. The dead bodies were afterwards buried by their own
countrymen, who came for the purpose, and the graves are still to be
seen, it is said that one of the Strathdearn men went next day to
the scene of action and saw one of the robbers who had crawled out
of the bothy, half dead in quest of water. He asked the man as a
favour to give him a drink either in his bonnet or in his shoe, but
such was the spirit of revenge that, as the Strathdearn man was
handing him the water, he attempted to stab him with his dirk.
In general there was
an understanding amongst those who pursued these marauders that
their names should not be mentioned upon any occasion when within
hearing of their opponents, but more particularly in a night attack.
This precaution was necessary for the purpose, if possible, of
preventing the robbers or those of them that might escape, or their
friends, from afterwards coming and attacking in revenge any of the
pursuers (in their houses when unprotected), at that time a common
practice with Highlanders.
Upon the above
occasion Kellachie forgot the usual precaution, and when
Achluachrach was killed by Mac Andrew he called out, on account of
his dexterity, "WelI done John Mac Andrew in Dalnahatnich," and when
Kellachie had killed another John said, "Well done William
Maclachlan of Kellachie, your hand is equally sure when you have the
opportunity." This was to show the Lochaber men that John had a good
protector. But some of Achluachrach's friends soon came after poor
John, when he made a singular escape at his own door, through the
cleverness of his wife.
John beg Mac Andrew,
who resided at Dalnahatnich, on Dulnan side, was a man of low
stature, but uncommonly active and of a bold and daring mind. He was
an excellent marksman, particularly with the arrow, and William
Mackintosh of Kellachie, while Captain of the Watch of the whole
land from the borders of Lochaber to the River Spey at Fochabers,
seldom would go to the field against the foe, without the assistance
of his faithful friend John, their principal expeditions being the
guarding of the country people against the invasion of the Lochaber
gentry.
Always on these
occasions it was a necessary precaution for the pursuers never to
mention their own names in cases of night attacks upon the
freebooters, as should any of the latter be killed, the attacked
would not know by whom the deed was done, and thereby the friends of
the deceased could not show their revenge by coming after them.
John's name, however,
was discovered on several occasions, and thus in such constant
danger that at night he generally betook himself to a very large fir
tree, which grew near his house. Here he had a kind of bed made of
its branches, his bed-fellows being his bow and arrows. Shortly
after his return from one expedition, where the Lochaber men
suffered, particularly by his hand, three of their number and
friends came upon the "Toir" or Search after John, in order to be
revenged for his killing their kinsmen. These three men entered
John's house and asked his wife "if John MacAndrew was at home." Her
answer was, "that he was not far away, and that if they would sit
down it would not be long until he came back." She knew well the
errand they were upon, and appearing as if in a rage she said in
Gaelic to a little figure lying upon the bed, "Get out you little
rascal and see that the cattle are put out ere your master comes
home." This was no other than John himself, who had a red plaid
wrapped round him, and although he passed the men in the house on
his way towards the door, they never took him to be the object of
their journey. John having got safely out, he went to a small window
or aperture in the west end of the house, and his wife, being there
waiting, handed out to him his bow and arrows. Without loss of time
John took possession of his favourite tree and prepared for the
future. One of the men soon came outside to see if he could observe
John coming home, when he was instantly killed by an arrow. The
others coming out to see what detained their companion were also
shot down.
It is said that on
another occasion John killed seven men, and as none of these seven,
or of the three previously mentioned, ever returned to tell tales,
John was afterwards left at peace by the Lochaber men, dying in his
bed, fortified by the approval of the church. |
