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“I think of the days of Prince
Charlie,
When the North spent its valour in vain,
And the blood of the brave and the loyal
Was poured at Culloden like rain.
Now past like the mist on the mountains
Are the days when such deeds could be done;
The Clansmen are scattered for ever,
The race of the Chieftains is run.
O thoughts of the past! ye bring sadness,
And vain is the wish that once more
The great grassy glens that are silent
Were homes of the brave as of yore.”
—Nicolson.
SKETCHES OF THE OLD SEATS OF FAMILIES AND OF
DISTINGUISHED SOLDIERS, ETC., CONNECTED WITH BADENOCH.
“In the land of the Macphersons,
Where the Spey’s wide waters flow,
In the land where Royal Charlie
Knew his best friend in his woe.”
FOR many generations the people of Badenoch were
so much inclined to chivalrous adventure and military achievement that no
district in the Highlands in proportion to its size—with the exception,
perhaps, of the island of Skye — produced so many distinguished soldiers.
The Cinn-tighe or heads of the various branches of the Macphersons
frequently gave all their sons to the profession of arms, of many of whom it
has been justly said that their names and deeds will long live in the annals
of the Highlands. Within living memory nearly all the farms in Badenoch were
possessed by retired Macpherson officers who had distinguished themselves in
the service of their country, and were remarkable not only for their varied
attainments and the refinement of their courtesy, but also for their genuine
Highland kindness and hospitality. The martial ardour prevailing for so many
centuries in the Macpherson country, and the old order of things, have
almost entirely passed away. Nearly every one of the farms referred to,
possessed for ages from father to son by native-born tenants, are now in the
occupation of strangers, who, although otherwise worthy and respected, have
little or no connection, either by birth or name, with the district. In not
a few instances, alas ! hardly a trace remains of the old homes of families
belonging to the clan long well known and honoured in Badenoch, whose
nearest kith and kin are now scattered “ o’er land and sea,” far away from
the glens and the corries and crags their forefathers loved so dearly. It is
so far gratifying to find that so many of the descendants of these families,
now dwelling and prospering in foreign climes, still, as opportunity arises,
give touching utterance—and Republican cousins, long settled in America, as
much as any—to the feelings expressed in the address of the old Highlander
to his countrymen :— “My
heart’s in the Highlands, I love every glen,
Every corrie and crag in the land of the Ben,
Each brave kilted laddie, stout-hearted and true,
With rich curly locks ’neath his bonnet of blue.
And the songs of the Gael on their pinions of fire,
How oft have they lifted my heart from the mire !
On the lap of my mother 1 lisped them to God :
Let them float round my grave when I sleep ’neath the sod.
And dear to my heart are the chivalrous ways,
And the kindly regards of the old Highland days,
When the worth of the chief and the strength of the clan
Brought glory and gain to the brave Highlandman.”
We are fortunate in still having in our midst,
“dwelling among his own people,” Brigadier-General Macpherson of Cluny, the
present Chief of the clan, who during a long period of active service has so
worthily maintained the ancient military fame of his ancestors, and is the
lineal descendant and loyal representative of an honoured line of chiefs
that for ages exercised patriarchal sway in the district. The only other
officer now resident in the district is Colonel Lachlan Macpherson of
Glentruim.
In the following sketches of the seats of families in Badenoch, glimpses are
given, gleaned from various sources, of many gallant soldiers furnished to
the British army by the Macpherson country—the heather’d hills
“That heave and roll endlessly north away,
By Corryarrick and the springs of Spey,
The grand old country of the Chattan clan.”
1. Ardbrylach.—Though generally so spelt, the old natives pronounced it
Ard-drylach. The Gaelic spelling is Ardroileach, which is said to be a
corruption of Ardroighnich, the height of blackthorns. Others suppose the
name to be Ardbhroighleach—i.e., the height of cranberries. The place is in
the immediate vicinity of Kingussie, and was long possessed by a Ceanntighe
or head of a family of the Macphersons.
“Mai. Macpherson of Ardbrylach ” was one of the Macphersons who signed the
clan “ Covenant ” in 1628.
2. Ballachroan (Gaelic, BaiV-a-Chrothain, the town of the sheep-fold).—Ballachroan
was the residence for a long period of a Macpherson family of the Sliochd
Ghilliosa branch of the clan. It is noted as having been possessed for many
years by Captain Macpherson, the famous Black Officer, who perished in the
Gaick catastrophe in 1800, and of whom a sketch is given on pages 144-155.
Ballachroan was subsequently possessed by Captain MacBarnet, sometime of the
g2d Regiment, who married a daughter of Captain Macpherson, by whom he had a
large family. George, one of his sons, a brave and promising officer, was
killed in the attack on Delhi in 1858. Two "of Captain MacBarnet’s daughters
still survive, and reside in Elgin.
In a letter of date 17th November 1891, received from the Hon. Mr Justice
Maclennan, of the Court of Appeal, Ontario, a great-grand-nephew of Captain
Macpherson, he says :—
“My grandfather, Alexander Ban Macpherson, emigrated from Badenoch to Canada
in the year 1801, and one of his last acts in Badenoch was to form one of
the search party for Ballachroan, who was his uncle. His brother-in-law,
Murdoch Macpherson, commonly called Muireach-an-Lagain, had come to Canada a
year or two earlier.”
3. Banchor (Gaelic, Beannachar, from root beann, a hill).—Old natives say
the proper Gaelic name is Beann-chro, signifying a place surrounded or
enfolded by hills. Banchor was long the seat of a branch of the Macphersons
who prominently figure in the history of the district. “Jo. Macpherson,
Benchar, yr.,” and “Jo. Macpherson, elder of Benchar,” are among the
Macphersons who signed the clan “Covenant” on 28th May 1628. William and
John Macpherson “ in Benchar ” were two of the Macphersons who joined in the
expeditions of Montrose, and were (among others) appointed by the Synod of
Moray in 1648, “in their own habit on their knees, to acknowledge their deep
sorrow, &c.” “John Macpherson of Benchar ” was one of two Macphersons who,
along with Mr Blair, then minister of Kingussie, in May 1746, after the
battle of Culloden, conducted “ several people of the parish of Kingussie in
Badenoch to Blair in Atholl, and delivered up their arms to Brig. Mordaunt,
submitting themselves to the king’s mercy.”
4. Biallid (Gaelic, Bialaid-bial, mouth).—The place is so named from being
at the mouth of Glenbanchor. Biallid was once the seat of a family of
Macphersons, and was for a long time possessed by Captain Lachlan
Macpherson—“Old Biallid”—who died in 1858.
“Whatever cause Captain Macpherson espoused, he pursued with earnest zeal
and indefatigable perseverance. A strong politician, and a staunch adherent
of the Conservative cause, his arguments, enforced with native eloquence,
seldom failed to convince and convert a wavering politician to his views of
the question. With strong opinions and feelings upon particular points and
subjects, Captain Macpherson always showed an honest and honourable
disposition and spirit. In society he was pleasing and generous; as a
magistrate, clear-headed and impartial; and as a countryman, liberal and
warm-hearted.”
5. Coulinlinn (Gaelic, Cuil-an-linne, the nook of the lint).—Coulin-linn was
long the seat of a branch of the Macphersons of Nuide. Once upon a time,
when gambling was in vogue among the upper classes, to a greater extent
perhaps even than it is now, the Duchess of Gordon of the time lost heavily
at cards, and deeming it prudent to retire from the capital, betook herself
to the north in post haste. At the old stage-house of Pitmain she was
overtaken by officers of the law, who proceeded to poind her equipage. In
this extremity she exclaimed—“Where are the Macphersons that I should be
insulted in Badenoch?” A gentleman belonging to the Nuide family, being
apprised of her ladyship’s plight, was able to advance a sum sufficient to
secure her immediate relief, which enabled her to proceed upon her way. So
grateful was the Duchess for the kindly succour thus bestowed by Macpherson,
that he received Coulinlinn in wadset, and here his family long continued to
reside, bound by the closest ties to that of Nuide.
6. Dalwhinnie (Gaelic, Dail - chuinnidh, signifies the “Plain of Meetings,”
and is supposed to refer to the shepherds congregating in olden times at the
shealings). “Who,” inquires MacCulloch, “shall praise Dalwhinnie? No one
surely but the Commissioners who built it, and who desire you to be very
thankful that you have a place to put your head in.” Mrs Grant of Laggan, in
‘A Journal from Glasgow to Laggan,’ thus describes Dalwhinnie :—
“In solemn prospect stretched before ye,
The mountains rise sublime and hoary;
Th’ inconstant blast the clouds dividing,
On which old heroes’ ghosts seemed riding;
While straggling moonbeams point their graves,
And roaring streams thro’ echoing caves
Resounding, fill the soul with terror,
While slave to superstitious erorr.”
It was within a short distance of Dalwhinnie that Johnny Cope drew up his
army in expectation of being attacked by Prince Charlie’s followers in 1745,
whilst they awaited him on the northern side of Corryarrick; and here, early
in the year 1746, Lord George Murray planned and executed a series of
attacks on various posts held by the Royalists. A battalion of the Athole
brigade, and a body of Macphersons commanded by their Chief, Cluny—that is
to say, common peasants, and a few country gentlemen without military
experience—under Lord George’s directions, successfully surprised and
carried twenty detached strong and defensible posts, all within two hours of
the night; and the different parties punctually met at the appointed place
of rendezvous, though their operations lay in a rugged, mountainous country.
Of this exploit, General Stewart of Garth, in his ‘Sketches,’ says: “I know
not if the whole of the Peninsular campaigns exhibited a more perfect
execution of a complicated piece of military service.”
In the ‘History of the Siege of Blair Castle in mdccxlvi,’ privately printed
in 1874, the Duke of Athole thus describes the capture of the posts held by
the Royalists :—
“During the month of March the headquarters of the Highland army lay at
Inverness. About the middle of that month Lord George Murray was ordered to
march down into Athole to endeavour to dislodge the troops and Argyllshire
Highlanders who were in garrison in that district. He accordingly proceeded
on this expedition, taking with him 400 men of the Athole Brigade, and as he
passed through Badenoch he was joined by 300 Macphersons under their Chief,
Cluny. On the evening of the 16th of March the whole detachment set out from
Dal-whinnie and halted at Dalnaspidal. Hitherto, with the exception of Lord
George and Cluny, no person in the expedition knew either its destination or
object. The time was now come for Lord George to explain his design, which,
he said was to surprise and attack before daylight, and as nearly as
possible at the same time, all the posts in Athole occupied by the king’s
forces. For this purpose, the Highlanders were divided into a number of
small parties, in each of which the Athole-men and Macphersons were
proportionally mixed. There were about thirty posts in all to be attacked,
reckoning all the different houses in which the enemy was quartered, the
principal being Bun Rannoch, Kynachan, Blairfettie, Lude, Fas-kally, and the
inn at Blair. As an encouragement, Lord George promised a guinea to every
man who should surprise a sentinel on guard. After the different parties had
discharged their duty by attacking the posts assigned to them, they were
ordered to meet at the Bridge of Bruar, about three miles west from Blair,
as the general rendezvous for the detachment. Having received their
instructions, the different parties set out immediately; and so well was the
scheme of attack laid, that before five o’clock in the morning, the whole
posts, though many miles distant from one another, were carried. Nearly
three hundred prisoners were taken, and only three or four killed, whilst
Lord George’s detachments did not lose a man either killed or wounded,
though there was a good deal of firing on both sides.”
Within a short distance from Dalwhinnie is Loch Erricht, in a cave at the
southern extremity of which Prince Charlie, after the battle of Culloden,
sought refuge from his pursuers.
“When we view the dreary region which he had to traverse, and add to this
that only a few days before he aspired to one of the best crowns in the
world, now fallen and hopeless, with £30,000 offered for his head, and how
sad his feelings must have been when he found protection only in a cave full
of chilly damps, with nothing but the bare rock for a pillow, we feel
inclined to forget the errors of his family, and our better nature becomes
alive to the fate of the unfortunate Charles Stuart.”
Burns thus touchingly depicts Prince Charlie’s supposed feelings on the
occasion :—
“The small birds rejoice in the green leaves returning,
The murmuring streamlet winds clear through the vale;
The hawthorn-trees blow in the dew of the morning,
And wild scatter’d cowslips bedeck the green dale;
But what can give pleasure, or what can seem fair,
While the lingering moments are number’d by care?
No flow’rs gaily springing, nor birds sweetly singing,
Can soothe the sad bosom of joyless despair.
The deed that I dared, could it merit their malice,
A king and a father to place on his throne?
His right are these hills, and his right are these valleys,
Where the wild beasts find shelter, but I can find none.
But ’tis not my sufferings, thus wretched, forlorn,
My brave gallant friends ! ’tis your ruin I mourn ;
Your deeds proved so loyal in hot bloody trial,
Alas ! can I make you no better return?”
Dalwhinnie was a famous station in the old coaching days, and the following
verse shows how progress northwards might be made :—
“Brakbhaist am Baile-chloichridh
Lunch an Dail-na-ceardaich,
Dinneir an Dail-chuinnidh
’S a ’bhanais ann an Rht.”
At Dalwhinnie there is now a most comfortably kept inn, and the prediction
of the sardonic MacCulloch that “no one will ever wish to enter Dalwhinnie a
second time” has been altogether falsified. In addition to the attraction of
fishing on Loch Erricht in the immediate vicinity, no healthier or more
bracing resort than Dalwhinnie during the summer and autumn months is to be
found in the Highlands, and year after year there is a succession of old
visitors from all parts of the kingdom.
7. Etteridge (Gaelic, Eadarais, or Eadar da eas, between the two
waterfalls).—It was a common reply among old natives of Badenoch when a
neighbour or acquaintance inquired as to the state of their health: “Tha mi
an Eadarais, mar tha’m baile tha ’m Baideneach”—that is, in effect, “I am
half-and-between, like Etteridge, the town in Badenoch.” At Etteridge, in
the old coaching days, there resided for many years Thomas Macpherson, long
so well known and respected in Badenoch as Tomas na Cidreoch {i.e., Thomas
of the Nook), so called from the holding he occupied being known as Culreoch.
Here he dwelt for a long period, and many a weary wayfarer found both food
and shelter under his hospitable roof. Old Thomas was a noted genealogist,
and one of the most original and marked personalities of his time in
Badenoch. Possessed of no small share of mother-wit, he could, when occasion
required, be extremely satirical. Occupying, as he did, what might be termed
a “house of call” about half-way on the great Highland road between Perth
and Inverness, he was frequently disturbed in the dead of night by some
foot-sore traveller seeking rest. Speaking from within, “Who is there?”
Thomas would ask in his sternest tones. “Only a traveller taking the way!”
would be the response. “Well, take your way then,” would Thomas reply—“I am
sure the way does not pass through my house.” On one occasion a stranger
entered the house while Thomas was in the act of shaving. Inclined
apparently to banter his host as to the keenness of the razor—“Is that a
good scythe, goodman?” queried the stranger. “Not better than the stubble
that’s before it!” was the instant reply. Etteridge was long possessed by
Macphersons of the Sliochd Ghilliosa or Phoness branch of the clan, and is
now part of the estate of Mr Brewster Macpherson of Belleville.
8. Glenbanchor (Gaelic, Gleannbeannchav. See Banchor). — Tradition has it
that Glenballach, a “pendicle” of Glenbanchor, was the scene of the
celebrated encounter between Muriach Maclan and the famous witch of Laggan.
9. Gordonhall (Gaelic, Lag-an-Ndtair, the hollow of the Notary).— “The name
and its proximity to Ruthven Castle mutually explain one another.” Here, in
olden times, the rents of the Gordon estates in Badenoch were collected.
10. Invereshie (Gaelic, Inbhir Fheisidh, the confluence of the Feshie with
the Spey).—Invereshie is one of the seats of Sir George Macpherson-Grant,
Bart. The founder of the Invereshie branch of the Macphersons was Gilliosa,
a grandson of Muirach, parson of Kingussie, and the progenitor of Sliochd
Ghilliosa, or third branch of the Macphersons, represented by Phoness and
Invereshie in the earlier records, and now by Sir George. William Macpherson
of Invereshie, who joined the army of Montrose, was killed at the battle of
Auldearn in 1645. Sir Eneas Macpherson, tutor of Invereshie, Advocate, who
lived in the reigns of Charles II. and James VII., collected the materials
for the history of the Clan Macpherson, the MS. of which is still preserved
in the family. He was appointed Sheriff of Aberdeen in 1684. George
Macpherson of Invereshie married Grace, daughter of Colonel William Grant of
Ballindalloch, and his elder son William, dying unmarried in 1812, was
succeeded by the nephew George, who, on the death of his maternal
grand-uncle, General James Grant of Ballindalloch, 13th April 1806,
inherited that estate, and in consequence assumed the name of Grant in
addition to his own. He was M.P. for the county of Sutherland for seventeen
years, and was created a baronet 25th July 1838. He thus became Sir George
Macpher-son-Grant of Invereshie, Inverness-shire, and Ballindalloch,
Elginshire. On his death in November 1846, his son Sir John, sometime
Secretary of Legation at Lisbon, succeeded as second baronet. Sir John died
December 2, 1850. His eldest son, Sir George Macpherson-Grant, the present
Baronet, who was born on 12th August 1839, represented the counties of Elgin
and Nairn in Parliament from 1879 d°wn to 1886. Of the first Laird of
Invereshie, who obtained the crown-charter of his land, a singular legend is
told in connection with a proverbial saying in the district:—
“Whilst his worldly prosperity was advancing, he happened to visit the
castle of a certain chief. His attention was attracted to a lady of
surpassing beauty and graceful mien, and he gazed on her face with a rapture
he had never experienced before; so that, lovely, graceful, and intelligent
as the ladies of Strathspey are acknowledged to be, their lustre was dimmed
before the radiance of her splendour. The attachment was in due course found
to be mutual, and the Laird of Invereshie, surrounded by a gathering of his
clansmen, proudly conducted the lady home as his bride, to the cheering
sound of the bagpipe. It would be tedious to recount all the luxuries that
were introduced into his Highland home, and the hosts of his wife’s friends
that still crowded forward to partake of them; the grief of the husband at
an extravagance he could not maintain, and the chivalry that prevented him
from endeavouring to check it. Believing, on the suggestion of his aged
nurse, that his wife had subjected him to the influence of witchcraft, he
entered her chamber at midnight, and requested her to accompany him to mark
the beauties of the Feshie in the radiance of the moonshine. Having reached
a crag that projected over a deep and rapid part of the stream, he lifted up
the sylph-like form of his lady, and cast her afar into the bosom of the
lake! ‘ She floats,’ hoarsely murmured Invereshie. ‘Oh save me!’ cried the
lady. ‘Ha, she floats! Then was the old woman right! ’ ‘Help!’ was all that
she could now utter.
‘Help!’ exclaimed he, ‘thou canst help thyself by thy foul enchantments!’
The eddy whirled her to the root of a tree, on one of the twigs of which she
laid a convulsive grasp. Taking his sgian dhubh from his belt, he severed
the rootlet, uttering the sentence that thenceforth became proverbial in
Badenoch, ‘Thou hast taken much, thou mayest take that too!’ When, however,
he saw her sinking, he exclaimed, ‘My wife, my love! Oh, murder! murder!’ He
rushed into the waters, and it is to be hoped that he saved her life, that
he was cured of his superstition, and his lady of her extravagance, and that
they lived happily ever after.”
11. Invernahaven (Gaelic, Inbhir-na-Amhuinn, the confluence of the Truim
with the Spey).—Invernahaven is situated about six miles from Kingussie,
near the junction of the river Truim with the Spey, and is celebrated as the
site of the clan-battle in 1386, which ten years later led to the famous
conflict on the North Inch of Perth between the Macphersons and the
Davidsons.
“Buchanan,” says Shaw, in ‘Vita Jac. I.,’ “mentions the battle of
Invernahaven, but out of the order of chronology, for it happened anno 1386;
‘ Catanei et Cameronii, orto inter ipsos dissidio, tanta contentione
animorum et virium pug-narunt, ut multis Cataneorum trucidatis, Cameronii
pene omnes extincti fuerunt.’ The occasion of the conflict was as follows :
The lands of Macintosh in Lochaber being possessed by the Camerons, the
rents were seldom levied but by force, and in cattle. The Camerons,
irritated by the poinding of their cattle, resolved to make reprisals, and
marched into Badenoch about four hundred men strong, commanded by Charles
MacGilony. Macintosh, informed of this, in haste called his friends and clan
to meet together. The Macintoshes, MacPhersons, and Davidsons, soon made a
force superior to the enemy; but an unseasonable difference was like to
prove fatal to them. It was agreed by all that Macintosh, as Captain of the
Clan Chattan, should command the centre of their army; but Cluney and
Invernahavon contended about the command of the right wing. Cluney claimed
it as Chief of the ancient Clan Chattan, of which the Davidsons of
Invernahavon were but a branch. Invernahavon pleaded that to him, as the
oldest branch, the right hand belonged, by the custom of Scottish clans. The
contest was spun out, till the enemy were at hand; and then Macintosh, as
umpire, imprudently gave it in favour of Invernahavon. The MacPhersons, in
whose country they were met, and who were as numerous as both the
Macintoshes and the Davidsons, being greatly offended, withdrew as
spectators. The conflict was very sharp, by the superior number of the
Camerons; many of the Macintoshes, and almost all the Davidsons, were cut
off. The MacPhersons could no longer bear to see their brave neighbours and
friends overpowered. They rushed in upon the Camerons, and soon gave them a
total defeat. The few that escaped, with their leader, were pursued from
Invernahavon, the place of battle, three miles above Ruthven in Badenoch,
over the River Spey; and Charles MacGilony was killed in a hill in
Glenbenchir, which is still called Cor-Harlich—i.e., Charles’s Hill.3 This
fight, in my opinion, gave occasion to the memorable conflict on the Inch of
Perth, in presence of the king and nobility, anno 1396. Buch., lib. 1. cap.
2 and 3, gives a particular account of it, but does not name the combatants.
Boetius calls them ‘ Clan Cattani et Clan Caii.’ But though we read of those
in the name of Cay or Kay, in the Lowlands, they are never reckoned among
the clans, nor had the Clan Chattan any intercourse with them. The
combatants, thirty of a side, were the MacPhersons, properly Clan Chattan,
and the Davidsons of Invernahavon, in Irish called Clan-Dhai, which is
commonly sounded Clan-Cai; and our historians, ignorant of the Irish, made
them a clan different from, and at enmity with, the Clan Chattan, whereas
they were a tribe of them. I mentioned above the rash judgment of Macintosh
in their favour, giving them the right wing in battle, and Clunie’s
resentment of this injurious decision ; after which decision, the Mac-Phersons
and Davidsons for ten years miserably slaughtered one another. The judicious
author of a MS. History of the Family of Kilravock says that a contest about
precedency was the occasion of this conflict, and the fight at Perth was
constructed a Royal sentence in favour of the MacPhersons. I have mentioned
this conflict, though it was not in Moray, because the combatants were of
this Province; and our historians have not sufficiently explained who they
were, or what was the cause of the combat.”
Invernahaven was for a long period the seat of a family of Macphersons
frequently mentioned in the old records of Badenoch. “Jo. Macpherson of
Invernahaven ” was a party to the clan “ Covenant ” of 1628.
12. Invertromie (Gaelic, Inbhir - thromaidh, the confluence of the Tromie
with the Spey) was long the seat of a family of Macphersons. “ Thomas
Macpherson of Invertromie ” is one of the many Badenoch Macphersons
mentioned in the Records of the Synod of Moray in 1648 as having “ confessed
” to taking part in the expeditions of Montrose. Like most other seats of
families, Invertromie had a burial-place. Here MacDhonnachaidh Ruaidh and
his descendants had their home—Sliochd He Dhonnachaidh Ruaidh—the race of
red-haired Duncan. Invertromie was possessed for some time by
Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon, a son of Alexander, the fourth Duke of Gordon,
who for some time commanded the nth Light Dragoons.
13. Kerrow (Gaelic, Ceathramh, the fourth part of the davoch of Kingussie)
was possessed for many years by Lieut.-Colonel Alexander Macpherson of the
59th Regiment, a brave officer, who saw much service, and was severely
wounded. He had also two brothers, both gallant officers in the army, one of
whom (Lieutenant James Macpherson) was killed in Java in 1814. The other was
Captain Eneas Mackintosh Macpherson, who was wounded at Quatre Bras in 1815,
and was subsequently well known as tenant of the farm of Nuide. One of
Colonel Macpherson’s grandsons (Mr L. A. Macpherson) is now the proprietor
of the estate of Corrimony in Glen 'Urquhart.
14. Killiehuntly (Gaelic, Coille-Chunntuinn, said to mean the wood of Contin,
but the derivation of the name is very doubtful).—Killiehuntly was once the
seat of a family of Macphersons. “A M'Pherson of Kylle-huntly” is one of the
seventeen heads of families of the clan who signed the remarkable
“Vindication” by the Macphersons to the Duke of Gordon in 1699. Lieutenant
James Macpherson of Killiehuntly was one of the first officers of Lord
Loudon’s Highlanders whose commissions were dated 8th June 1745.
Killiehuntly was the most ancient possession of the Clarks in Badenoch, and
from these Clarks the family of Penicuik is said to be descended.
15. Knappach (Gaelic, A’Chnapaich, the hillocky land) was the birthplace of
John MacIntyre (a nephew of James Macpherson, the translator of Ossian),
who, by prudent conduct and distinguished gallantry, rose from comparatively
humble circumstances to a position of affluence, and attained the rank of
Lieut.-General in the service of the East India Company. In the parish
church of Kingussie there is a marble tablet to his memory with the
following inscription :—
“In memorial of LIEUT.-GENL. JOHN MACINTYRE OF
THE HONBLE. EAST INDIA COMPANY’S BENGAL ARTILLERY; WHO DIED AT BOGNOR, IN
SUSSEX, ON 6TH JULY 1828, AGED 78 YEARS, AFTER A LONG ILLNESS.
The thorny paths of life he trod
With calm and even mind;
In every ill relied on God,
Now bliss with Him doth find ;
To celebrate his Maker’s praise
He joins the hosts above,
And with the Saints his voice doth raise
To sing his Saviour’s Love.
This stone is erected by his affectionate widow.”
At Knappach also was born and bred Captain John
Macpherson of the g2d Highlanders, the trusted friend of Colonel John
Cameron of Fassifern. Another son of the same family was also an officer in
the army. Their nephew, Fear Allt Lairidh, will still be remembered by many
natives of Badenoch.
16. Nuide (Gaelic, Noid).—Old natives say the name means nead, the Gaelic
for nest, and that it is derived from the nest-like form of the old
burial-place there, while others allege that it is connected with nodha,
new. Nuide was formerly the residence of a branch of the family of the Chief
of Clan Chattan. Andrew Macpherson of Nuide was one of the Macphersons who
signed the “ Covenant ” of 1628. “Donald Macpherson, son to the guidman of
Noid,” was one of the Macphersons who took part in the expeditions of
Montrose, and after subscribing the “Confession,” were ordained by the Synod
of Moray in 1648 “to make public confession in their own Parish Kirk.” This
Donald Macpherson, who in 1635 married Isabel Rose, a daughter of Alexr.
Rose of Clova, was the common ancestor of the following families of
Macpherson—viz., Cluny, Ralia or Glentruim, Blairgowrie and Belleville.
“William Macpherson of Noid” was one of the Macphersons who signed the
“Vindication” to the Duke of Gordon in 1699. Mr Sinton, the minister of
Dores, has communicated to me an interesting incident in connection with
Lachlan Macpherson of Nuide’s succession to the chiefship: Upon the death of
Duncan Macpherson of Cluny in 1722, without male issue, the succession to
the chiefship and to the Cluny estates was for a time a matter of contention
among his kinsmen. In order to bring their rival claims to a settlement, all
the heads of families concerned agreed to meet at the inn of Garvamore, and
to produce such proofs of descent as they could respectively show. Among
those who appeared at Garvamore was Lachlan, the son of William of Nuide
above mentioned. Shortly after Lachlan set out from home, his wife, Jean
Cameron of Lochiel, a lady of great force of character, convinced of the
right of her husband to succeed to the chiefship, directed a trusted
henchman to saddle her horse and accompany her to Garvamore. When they
reached the inn she alighted, told the man to hold her horse in readiness,
and then immediately entered the house, and proceeded to the chamber where
the rival kinsmen were assembled. All, of course, rose to receive the Lady
of Nuide, who, taking advantage of the confusion, swept all the documents on
the table into her apron, and hastily withdrew, closing the door upon the
astonished claimants. Without a moment’s loss of time her servant placed her
in the saddle, and giving her the reins, she galloped off in the direction
of Nuide. Having arrived there, she ordered her eldest son and heir
(afterwards Ewen of the ’45) to mount and ride back with her to Cluny, and
there the spirited lady took up her abode that night. “Agus,” added Mr
Sinton’s aged informant, “fiach co chuireadh a mach i?”—“And who then could
oust her?”
To the Nuide branch of the clan is supposed to have belonged Allan
Macpherson of the 77th Regiment (Montgomery’s Highlanders), of whose
ingenuity and tragic fate in the expedition against the Cherokees, in the
spring of 1760, the following account is given in General Stewart of Garth’s
‘Sketches of the Highlanders’ :—
“Several soldiers of this and other regiments fell into the hands of the
Indians, being taken in an ambush. Allan Macpherson, one of these soldiers,
witnessing the miserable fate of several of his fellow-prisoners, who had
been tortured to death by the Indians, and seeing them preparing to commence
the same operations upon himself, made signs that he had something to
communicate. An interpreter was brought. Macpherson told them that, provided
his life was spared for a few minutes, he would communicate the secret of an
extraordinary medicine, which, if applied to the skin, would cause it to
resist the strongest blow of a tomahawk or sword; and that if they would
allow him to go to the woods with a guard to collect the proper plants for
this medicine, he would prepare it, and allow the experiment to be tried on
his own neck by the strongest and most expert warrior amongst them. This
story easily gained upon the superstitious credulity of the Indians, and the
request of the Highlander was instantly complied with. Being sent into the
woods, he soon returned with such plants as he chose to pick up. Having
boiled the herbs, he rubbed his neck with their juice, and laying his head
upon a log of wood, desired the strongest man amongst them to strike at his
neck with his tomahawk, when he would find he could not make the smallest
impression. An Indian, levelling a blow with all his might, cut with such
force that the head flew off at the distance of several yards. The Indians
were fixed in amazement at their own credulity and the address with which
the prisoner had escaped the lingering death prepared for him; but instead
of being enraged at this escape of their victim, they were so pleased with
his ingenuity that they refrained from inflicting further cruelties on the
remaining prisoners.”
The following is an interesting sketch of a noted Captain John Macpherson of
the Nuide branch of the clan, who settled in Philadelphia about the year
1746, and of some members of his family. The particulars have been
communicated to me by his great-grandson, Mr George Macpherson, a highly
esteemed citizen of Philadelphia, and a loyal and devoted clansman worthy in
every respect of his distinguished ancestry and of the honoured name he
bears :—
“Captain Macpherson—the founder, so to speak, of the Philadelphia family,
and ‘ the pioneer of the clan ’ in America—was, according to ‘Douglas’s
Baronage of Scotland,’ published in 1798, a grandson of William Macpherson
of Nuide, who, in the reign of King James VII., married Isabel, daughter of
Laughlen Macintosh, Esq., by whom he had four sons and six daughters.’
Laughlen, the eldest son, on ‘the death of his cousin, Duncan of Clunie,
without issue male, succeeded to the chieftainship, &c., &c., anno 1722, and
was ever after designed by the title of Clunie, as head of the family and
Chief of the clan.’
“William, the youngest of the four sons of William of Nuide, was ‘bred a
writer in Edinburgh and agent before the Court of Session, and married Jane,
daughter of James Anderson, merchant in Edinburgh.’
“John, the fourth of the six sons, having, we are told, ‘been bred to the
sea, was commander of the Brittannia privateer of Philadelphia during the
late war, when, by his conduct and bravery, he did honour to himself and his
country. He took many French privateers and Dutch smugglers with French
property, besides other valuable prizes; and had from the merchants of
Antigua a present of a sword, richly ornamented, as an acknowledgment of
their sense of his signal services in protecting their trade, distressing
their enemies, &c. He assisted at the reduction of Martinico, where, at the
admiral’s desire, he ran his ship into shallow water and dislodged the
French from a battery which obstructed the landing, for which he had many
tokens of the admiral’s regard. He lost his right arm in a desperate
engagement with a French frigate, where both vessels were totally disabled.
He made a handsome fortune, and is now settled near Philadelphia.’2 Captain
Macpherson, who did such ‘ honour to himself and his country,’ was thus a
nephew of Laughlen Macpherson of Nuide, who succeeded to the chiefship in
1722, and his descendants are accordingly not very distantly related to
Brigadier-General Macpherson of Cluny, the present Chief.
“John Macpherson (see Note A).—Born in the city of Edinburgh in the year
1725. Came to this country about the year 1746. Married Margaret, the sister
of the Rev. John Rogers, of New York. Died September 6, 1792. Of this
marriage there were two sons and two daughters :—
“1. William Macpherson (see Note B).—Born in the city of Philadelphia, 1756.
Died November 5, 1813. He married, first, Margaret, daughter of Captain
Joseph Stout, by whom he had a son and three daughters—
2 Ibid.
“(1.) Joseph (U.S. Navy).
“(2.) Julia (married Philip Houlbrooke Nicklin).
“(3.) Margaret (married Peter Grayson Washington).
“(4.) Maria.
“He married, second, Elizabeth White, March 9, 1803, daughter and eldest
child of Bishop William White, by whom he had two daughters (see Note D)—
“(1.) Esther (married Dr
Thomas Harris).
“(2.) Elizabeth (married Rev. Edwin W. Wiltbank).
“2. John Macpherson, jun. (see Note C).—Died December 31, 1775, in the
attack upon Quebec.
“ Had I the ability or gift of writing in the polished style of so many
historians, I could, with the material before me, write you such a sketch of
these three brave and noble men, that you would feel very grateful and
justifiably proud of them, for you would ever remember them as being of the
Clan Macpherson. As you would read of the brave father, Captain John
Macpherson, of his many successful encounters upon the sea, of the prominent
place he occupied in the annals of this city, you would feel satisfied of
the fact that this Macpherson, the pioneer of the clan in this country,
reflected credit upon those of his fatherland. As you would read of his son
William Macpherson, of the active part he took in fighting for his country
through the dark and dreary hours of the Revolution, you would feel the more
satisfied that the good name was still untarnished; and as you read of the
heroic Captain John Macpherson, jun., of his death at the attack upon
Quebec, you would thank God, the merciful Father of all, for giving us these
men of remarkable calibre for our ancestors, and as being the
representatives of the clan in this far-away home of their adoption. As I
lack the ability and polished pen, I must content myself with giving you but
a few facts gathered from the various annals of this city :—
“Note A.—‘John Macpherson, during thirty-five years of his life, was one of
the most noted citizens of Philadelphia. He followed the sea, going through
the gradations of service which finally made him fit to take command of a
vessel. He assumed command of the privateer ship Brittannia, rated at twenty
guns, in the year 1757. War with France was then raging. In May 1758, the
Brittannia fell in with a Frenchman, carrying thirty-six guns, and well
manned. In the heat of the action Captain Macpherson’s right arm was carried
away by a cannon-shot, and he was taken below. The first lieutenant was
disabled. The second lieutenant continued the fight until he was also
wounded. The surgeon became the only officer in command, and he ordered the
colours to be struck. When the officers of the French vessel boarded the
Brittannia they beheld a bloody spectacle. Seventy of the crew had been
killed or wounded. The deck was strewn with the bodies of the dead and
dying. The action of the Frenchmen was inhuman. They carried the first and
second officers on board their own vessel, cut down the masts and rigging,
threw the cannon and ammunition overboard, and then set the vessel adrift.
The crew managed to get up jury-masts, and navigated the ship into Jamaica,
where, upon survey, it was found that 270 shots had passed into the larboard
side of the Brittannia, some below water. In the succeeding year Captain
Macpherson made up for his adverse fortunes. During 1759 he took eighteen
prizes. Two of them were French sloops, laden with plate and valuable
effects, besides ^18,000 in cash. In the latter part of 1760 and the
beginning of 1761 Macpherson took nine prizes, worth ^15,000. During that
period he fell in with a French man-of-war of sixty guns, but managed to
escape by the superior sailing qualities of the Brittannia. The scene of his
operations was in the West Indies, between Martinique and St Eustacia, and
he was a protector of the commerce of that section of the West Indies. He
carried into the ports of Antigua two French privateers of ten guns. He
captured a letter of marque of four guns, loaded with coffee and cotton.
“‘The Council and Assembly of the island of Antigua considered him a
defender, and voted him a sword.
“‘In July 1762, war with Spain having been declared, the Brittannia came
into Philadelphia with two Spanish vessels laden with indigo and sugar, and
Macpherson resigned the command.’— Westcott.
“Captain Macpherson built a fine mansion near the city of Philadelphia, and
gave it the name of Cluny, but afterwards changed the name to Mount
Pleasant. John Adams, who dined at Mount Pleasant in October 1775, said of
Macpherson that he had the most elegant seat in Pennsylvania, a clever
Scotch wife, and two pretty daughters. He had been nine times wounded in
battle, is an old sea commander, made a fortune by privateering, had an arm
twice shot off, shot through the leg, &c. He was a man of philosophic turn
of mind. During 1771 he removed, by machinery of his own contrivance, a
one-story brick house from one street to another. The operation was effected
by apparatus placed inside the building, and worked by himself. He
advertised in 1782 to give lectures on astronomy. He published in 1791
lectures on moral philosophy. In 1783 he published a ‘Price Current’ for the
use of merchants. In 1785 he published the first Directory of the city. He
died September 6, 1792, and is buried in St Paul’s Churchyard, in
Philadelphia.
“So much for John Macpherson, an unceasing worker, a brave, noble, and
eccentric man.
“Note B.—William Macpherson was born in Philadelphia in 1756. At the age of
thirteen he was a cadet in the British army. Then he held a lieutenant’s
commission, and was made adjutant of the 16th Regiment. At the breaking out
of the war he declined bearing arms against his countrymen, and tendered his
resignation, which was not accepted until his regiment reached New York in
1779. He joined the American army on the Hudson at the close of 1779, and
received a major’s commission from General Washington. His services during
the war were rewarded by the appointment by General Washington of Surveyor
of the port of Philadelphia, September 19, 1789. He was appointed Naval
Officer of the port, November 28, 1793, which office he held under the
administrations of Presidents Adams, Jefferson, and Madison, until his
death, November 5, 1813. He married, first, Margaret Stout, a daughter of
Captain Joseph Stout, and his second wife was Elizabeth White, a daughter of
Bishop White. He was earnest and true in his devotion to his country; a man
in every sense of the word, and, as being a true man, respected by all. He
is buried in St Paul’s Churchyard, by the side of his father.
“Note C.—Captain John Macpherson, jun.—He was the first Philadelphian of any
note killed during the Revolutionary War. He was aide to General Montgomery
in the operations against Canada, and fell with his commander in the assault
upon Quebec. The night before his death he addressed the following letter to
his father :—
“‘My dear Father,—If you receive this, it will be the last this hand shall
ever write you. Orders are given for a general storm on Quebec this night,
and heaven only knows what will be my fate; but, whatever it may be, I
cannot resist the inclination I feel to assure you that I experience no
reluctance in this cause to venture a life which I consider as only lent, to
be used when my country demands it. In moments like these, such an assertion
will not be thought a boast by any one—by my father I am sure it cannot. It
is needless to tell that my prayers are for the happiness of the family, and
for its preservation in this general confusion. Should Providence, in its
wisdom, call me from rendering the little assistance I might to my country,
I could wish my brother did not continue in the service of her enemies. That
the all-gracious Disposer of human events may shower on you, my mother,
brother, and sisters, every blessing our nature can receive, is, and will be
to the last moment of my life, the sincere prayer of your dutiful and
affectionate son, John Macpherson.
‘Headquarters, before Quebec, 30th Dec. 1775.’
“General Philip Schuyler sent this letter to the young man’s father, with
the following :—
“‘Permit me, sir, to mingle my tears with yours for the loss we have
sustained —you as a father, I as a friend. My dear young friend fell by the
side of his general, as much lamented as he was beloved, and that, I assure
you, sir, was in an eminent degree. This, and his falling like a hero, will
console in some measure a father who gave him the example of bravery, which
the son in a short military career improved to advantage. General Montgomery
and his corpse were both interred by General Carleton with military honours.—Your
most obedient and humble servant, Ph. Schuyler.’
“The death of Montgomery was regarded as a national calamity. Even in
Britain eulogies on his character were delivered. Upon General Carleton’s
approach a hasty retreat was made, and the whole of Canada was recovered by
the British.
“Now, my good friend, I have told you of three good and brave men. I have
one more to tell you of. These three men fought the fights of the worldly;
the one I will now tell you of fought the fights of the spiritual:—
“Note D.—William Macpherson’s second wife was a daughter of Bishop William
White, of whose early history I will not write other than say he was a son
of Colonel Thomas White, who was born in London in 1704, and came to this
country in 1720. In 1779 the son was elected rector of Christ Church and St
Peter’s in Philadelphia. In October 1785 an address from the clerical and
lay deputies of the Church in this country was sent to the Archbishop of
Canterbury and other bishops, requesting them to confer the episcopal
character on such persons as shall be recommended by the Church in the
several States by them represented. The subject was an involved one. By the
laws of England, as they then existed, the Archbishops could ordain and
consecrate only such persons as took the oath of allegiance and supremacy to
the king, and due obedience to the Archbishop of Canterbury. From this
necessity relief could only come through Parliament. Through the kindly
offices of Mr Adams and the Archbishop of Canterbury and others, the way was
cleared of all obstacles, the needed Act of Parliament (26 George III., c.
84) was passed. The Archbishop had applied to the king, and obtained his
Majesty’s licence, by warrant under his royal signet and sign-manual,
authorising and empowering him to perform such consecration. On 14th
September 1786 the Convention met in Philadelphia, and the official record
is summed up in these words: ‘The Convention accordingly proceeded to the
election of a bishop by ballot, and the Rev. William White, D.D., was
unanimously chosen.’
“From Bishop White’s account of the consecration I take these words : ‘
Sunday, February 4, we attended at the Palace of Lambeth for consecration.
The assistants of the Archbishop on this occasion were the Archbishop of
York, who presented, and the Bishop of Bath and Wells, and the Bishop of
Peterborough, who joined with the two Archbishops in the laying on of
hands.’
“He returned to his diocese during the same month, and died July 17, 1836.
‘From scenes like these old Scotia’s grandeur springs,
That makes her loved at home, revered abroad :
Princes and lords are but the breath of kings,
“An honest man’s the noblest work of God.”’
So says our Burns.”
17. Phoness (Gaelic, Fodha-an-eas, below the waterfall. This is the
derivation given by old natives, but from the configuration of the ground
some have supposed the name to be a corruption of Fodha-thir, signifying the
underland or low-lying ground).—Phoness was possessed for many generations
by the Sliochd GhilViosa branch of the Macphersons. “ Maj. Macpherson of
Phoiness, Don. Macpherson in Phoiness,” and “ Duncan Macpherson, broyr. to
Phoiness,” are three of the clan who sign the “Covenant” of 1628. “Alex.
Macpherson, Phoness,” is one of the parties to the “Vindication” of 1699. Of
a noted Malcolm Macpherson of Phoness a sketch is given on pages 155-157-
The Phoness property was acquired by purchase from the Phoness family by
James Macpherson, the translator of Ossian’s poems, a few years before his
death, and is now possessed by his great-grandson, Mr Brewster Macpherson,
as part of the estate of Belleville.
18. Pitmain (Gaelic, Pit or Baile-meadhan, the middle town. What the old and
very common prefix Pit, or more properly Pait, meant in old Gaelic it is
difficult to say. It is supposed that it was used to denote a small plot of
arable land to which we now apply the term croit—i.e., croft.)—Pitmain was
long possessed by Sliochd Iain ic Ewen, or second branch of the Macphersons.
“Williame Macphersone in Pitmeane” was among those of the clan who were
found by the Synod of Moray in 1648 “to have joyned with the enemies” (in
the wars of Montrose) “in bloodie fights,” and “were ordained Sunday next to
mak thair repentance in sackcloth in the kirk of Caddell ” (Cawdor). See
page 381.
Pitmain was the birthplace of General Sir John MacLean, “a distinguished
officer, who by daring feats of gallantry, and the exercise of superior
talents, rose to the rank of a Knight of the Bath, and obtained some other
rewards and distinctions for his signal services.” George, a brother of
General MacLean, for some time Governor of Cape Coast Castle, was married to
the unfortunate Letitia Elizabeth Landon.
19. Ralia (Gaelic, Rathliath, the grey rath or circle, the old Druidical
term for places of worship).—Ralia was the residence for a long time of a
branch of the Macphersons descended from the family of the Chief. Lachlan
Macpherson, last of Ralia—a gentleman of great weight and influence in
Badenoch—had a large family, and some of his sons, by distinguished bravery
and enterprise, rose to rank and affluence.
Ewen, a major of the 42d Madras Native Infantry, acquired an ample fortune,
with which he purchased from the Gordon family the estate of Glentruim, now
possessed by his son, Colonel Lachlan Macpherson.
Duncan, a gallant officer, was a captain in the 42d Highlanders, and was
severely wounded at Correlino, in Batavia, ultimately attaining the brevet
rank of Major. He acted for some years as Collector of Customs at Inverness,
and was a Deputy-Lieutenant and Magistrate of the county of Inverness.
James, “who early distinguished himself by feats of surpassing gallantry and
daring in the army, which obtained for him the favour and patronage of the
military authorities. At Badajoz he headed ‘ the forlorn-hope,’ and with his
own hand pulled down the French colours, and planted a soldier’s red jacket
on the crest of the enemy’s citadel. He rose to the rank of
Lieutenant-Colonel in the army, and the command of the Ceylon Rifle Corps.”
20. Ruthven (Gaelic, RuaAhainn, red-place).—The old village of this name, as
well as the old Castle of Ruthven in the immediate neighbourhood, is closely
identified with the history of Badenoch, and is frequently mentioned in the
old records. In the statistical account of the parish published in 1842, it
is stated that “ Ruthven of Badenoch is known as well for its antiquity as
its celebrity in history. It is one of the few places in the north mentioned
by Ptolemy, in his ‘Geographical Account of Britain,’ about the year 140.
This ancient Greek writer says it is situated in the province of Moray, and
gives it the name of Baycwa.” In olden times Ruthven was celebrated for an
excellent inn, and as possessing a “ tolbooth ” to which all refractory
delinquents were summarily consigned by the kirk-session of Kingussie.
Ruthven is also noted as the birthplace of James Macpherson, the translator
of Ossian’s poems, and as at one time a distinguished seat of learning. So
famous was the school of Ruthven in this respect that towards the end of
last century many young men educated there were specially selected, and sent
as teachers by the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge to all parts
of the Highlands. “It was,” says Sage in his ‘Memorabilia Domestica; or,
Parish Life in the North of Scotland’—“It was on a sacramental occasion that
I first saw, and thenceforward became most intimately acquainted with, Mr
Evan Macpherson of Ruthven in Badenoch. This gentleman, for justly might he
be so styled, was the second teacher which that Society sent to the parish
of Kildonan. His first commission from the Society directed him to teach at
Badenloch, but in the course of time he migrated from place to place till
from the upper part of the parish he ultimately settled at Caen in the lower
and eastern extremity of it. Here he died, and his memory is still venerated
by all who knew him.”5 The farm of Ruthven was possessed for a considerable
time by Colonel Mitchell of the 92d Highlanders, long so well known in
Badenoch. After two senior officers were successively struck down. Colonel
Mitchell commanded that regiment at Quatre Bras until he himself was
severely wounded. Ruthven was subsequently possessed by Lieutenant Alexander
Macpherson of the same regiment, a gallant soldier, who distinguished
himself, and was wounded at the battle of Toulouse. His widow still
survives, and resides in Kingussie.
21. Strone (the Gaelic name Sroin means nose, but the word when used
topographically means Point).—At Strone resided for some years Captain
Cattanach, long well known in Badenoch, a brave soldier of very eccentric
habits, whom the last Duke of Gordon delighted to have in his company on
festive occasions. |
