Cairns, Memorials and Plaques Sponsored by The 1745 Association

i

There are any number of memorials of one sort and another concerned with the Jacobite Risings that occurred between 1689 and 1746. We are hoping to produce a definitive list of all (or most) of them but thought we would begin with a few of those that have had 1745 Association sponsorship.

The first is that at Loch nan Uamh where Prince Charles Edward Stuart departed for France after his wanderings in the Highland and Islands following the Defeat of the Jacobite forces at the Battle of Culloden on 16 April 1746. The cairn was erected by the 1745 Association in 1956. You can read more about it here.

Interestingly Loch nan Uamh is also the place where the Prince first set foot on mainland Great Britain on 25 July 1745. 

If you are in the area you can find the cairn just off the A861. O.S Map 40 (Mallaig & Glenfinnan) Ref NM720844

Our next choice is the cairn at Highbridge. Highbridge is close to Spean Bridge and was the main crossing point over the River Spean from 1736 until Thomas Telford built a new bridge over the river at the pace that is now Spean Bridge in 1819. Highbridge was allowed to fall into disrepair and eventually collapse. 

Highbridge can be located on O.S. Map 34 (Fort Augustus and Glen Albyn) Ref 200820

The cairn was erected in 1994

The text on the cairn at Highbridge reads as follows:

ACTION AT HIGH BRIDGE

Near this spot on August 16 1745, the first action of the “Forty-Five” took place. Donald MacDonell of Tirnadris, with eleven men and a piper from Keppoch’s clan, by making use of the now demolished High Bridge Inn and surrounding trees to conceal the smallness of their number, succeeding in preventing two companies of the 1^st Royal Regiment of Foot (later the Royal Scots) from crossing the High Bridge over the River Spean. This force consisting of about eighty-five men had been sent from Fort Augustus to reinforce the garrison at Fort William.

The third cairn is the one commemorating the life of John Roy Stewart.  Born at the Knock of Kincardine John Roy Stewart was son of the last Stewart Baron of Kincardine. He rose to be a well known officer before leaving the service of George II  to join the Jacobites. Stewart raised the Edinburgh Regiment of approximately 200 men and fought at Culloden under the Green Flag of Kincardine. Escaping from Culloden Field on April 16, 1745 he returned to Strathspey, remaining a fugitive in the area before joining the Bonnie Prince at Ben Alder and from there to Loch Nan Uamh on the West Coast and flight to France. 

The inscription on the cairn reads:

Iain Ruadh Stiùbhart 1700-1752

Faisg air seo rugadh is thogadh Iain Ruadh Stiùbhart, fear de gaisgich is na bàird as inmeile a dh'èirich an adhbhar a' Phrionnsa. Thog Rèisimeid Dhùn Eideann anns an robh deagh-chuid à Srath Spè agus choisinn e cliù airson a ghaisge aig Sliabh a' Chlamhain, An Eaglais Bhreac agus Cùil Lodair. "Cuimhnich na daoine bho'n tàinig thu"

John Roy Stuart 1700-1752

Born and raised near here was the celebrated Gaelic poet John Roy Stuart, one of the most heroic figures of the '45 Rising. A devoted Jacobite, John Roy raised the Edinburgh Regiment which also included men from Strathspey. He won great acclaim for his bravery at Prestonpans, Falkirk and Culloden. "Remember the people from whence you came."

ERECTED BY THE 1745 ASSOCIATION

Abridged extract From "In the Shadow of Cairngorm" by The Rev William Forsyth (pub 1900)

JOHN ROY  as he was commonly called, was one of the men who came to the front in the rising of the "Forty-five." Scott, in "Tales of a Grandfather," calls him "a most excellent partisan officer." Chambers, in his "History of the Rebellion," says "he was the beau-ideal of a clever Highland officer." His courage and resource, his devotion and trustworthiness, his gift of song, and the culture and military skill which he had acquired from service at home and in France, made him a great favourite with Prince Charlie.---- Both were fighting in the same cause, and animated by the same hope. When the Prince came to his kingdom, then John Roy and others would get their rights. The "auld Stewarts back," Scotland would be Scotland again. In "The Lyon in Mourning" a touching account is given of one of the last meetings of the Prince and John Roy. The Prince, after his many wanderings, had reached Badenoch, and was in hiding in "The Cage." He sent for John Roy, and, when he heard that he was at hand, "he wrapped himself up in a plaid, and lay down, in order to surprise John Roy the more when he should enter the hut. In the door there was a pool, or puddle, and when John Roy was entering the Prince peeped out of the plaid, which so surprised John Roy that he cried out, ‘Oh, Lord! my master,’ and fell down in a faint." This simple incident brings out vividly the relation in which they stood to each other, the kindly humour and cheerfulness of the Prince after all his trials, and the unfailing love and loyalty of his follower.

John Roy was the son of Donald, grandson of John, the last of the Barons of Kincardine. His father was twice married. His second wife was Barbara Shaw, daughter of John Shaw of Guislich, a descendant of the Shaws of Rothiemurchus. It is said she was fifty-three years old when she married, and John was her only child.  ---- John Roy was born at Knock, Kincardine, in 1700. He received a good education, and his position in society and residence in France and Portugal gave him a higher culture than was common in his native strath. ----- John Roy, having cast in his lot with the Jacobites, took an active part in the fighting in Flanders. He was in the battle of Fontenoy, 11th May, 1745. ----  It was on the 19th August, 1745, that the "Bratach Bàn," "the White Banner," was unfurled at Glenfinnan. The news of the rising soon reached France, and many a brave soldier, whose heart was in the Highlands, came hurrying home to take part in the struggle. Among these was John Roy. He joined Prince Charlie at Blair in Athole, and brought with him letters with offers of service from several men of note, but they proved of little value. As is common in times of excitement, the promise was better than the performance. At Edinburgh, where John Roy had been formerly stationed with the Scots Greys, he had no difficulty in raising a regiment. It was called "the Edinburgh Regiment," and though mainly made up of recruits from the mixed crowd that thronged the grey Metropolis of the North, it contained not a few men from Perthshire and Speyside, who added much to its strength and mettle. John Roy did good service at Prestonpans. -----   The next notice we have of him is at Falkirk. Some of his old Dragoons were there under Colonel Whitney. Whitney recognised his friend, and cried out "Ha are you there? We shall soon be up with you." Stewart shouted in reply, "You shall be welcome. You shall have a warm reception." The words were hardly spoken when the gallant Colonel was struck by a chance shot, and fell dead from the saddle. The battle of Falkirk was indecisive. Both sides claimed the victory,

In the retreat northwards, John Roy was of great service, not only from his skill and resource, but from his intimate knowledge of the country. His Regiment is noticed in almost every Order, as specially singled out for patrol and scouting.  ----  John Roy commanded the Edinburgh Regiment at Culloden, which formed part of the first line that bore the brunt of the battle. It was said of him afterwards by one of Cumberland’s captains that "if all the Highlanders had fought as well as the officer with the red head and the little hand, the issue might have been different." He himself poured forth his grief in a "Lament for the Brave who had fallen on Drummossie Muir," in which he attributes the defeat to the absence of the Macphersons and many of the best men, and the fierce blinding storm that blew in the faces of the Prince’s soldiers. He also not obscurely hints at treachery. His faith in Lord George Murray had been shaken, and he knew that others of the Highland Chiefs shared this feeling. Long afterwards his son, referring to a reverse in America, expressed the old sentiment, "From April battles and Murray generals good Lord deliver us." John Roy seems to have gone at first to Gorthleg. He also attended the gathering at Ruthven Castle.

Then when the scattering came, he sought refuge in his own country. The pursuers were soon on his track. He was outlawed and large rewards offered for his apprehension; but like his Prince, though often in peril, he was never betrayed. One of his hiding-places was a cave in the face of Craig-odhrie, which still bears his name. From the loophole of this retreat he could look far and wide. Doubtless he often spied the red-coats in search of him, but he never lost heart. In his own vigorous, though somewhat rude verses he could say—

"The Lord’s my targe, I will be stout,
With dirk and trusty blade,
Though Campbells come in flocks about
I will not be afraid.

"The Lord’s the same as heretofore,
He’s always good to me;
Though red-coats come a thousand more,
Afraid I will not be.

"Though they the woods do cut and burn,
And drain the lochs all dry;
Though they the rocks do overturn
And change the course of Spey;

"Though they mow down both corn and grass,
Nay, seek me underground;
Though hundreds guard each road and pass—
John Roy will not be found."

 He joined Prince Charles, as already mentioned, at Ben Alder, and from there the party, on the 14th September, moved to Corvoy, then to Aitnacarrie, Glencanger, and Borrodale. On the 20th September they embarked on board a frigate that had been waiting for them, and sailed for France. John Roy never returned. The Rev. John Grant, in the old Statistical Account of Abernethy (1792) says that he died in 1752, and adds in his shrewd, pithy way—"By this means his talents were lost to himself and to his country. He had education without being educated; his address and his figure showed his talents to great advantage. He was a good poet, in Gaelic and in English."

To read part of "Culloden Day" by John Roy Stewart please visit the Jacobite Song Page

The fourth cairn sponsored by the 1745 Association is the one marking the site of the Battle of Sheriffmuir. This cairn was erected in 2002.

Clan MacRae participated in the Battle of Sheriffmuir in 1715. William MacKenzie, 5th Earl of Seaforth bravely led the MacKenzies and the MacRaes in support of King James VIII, and great loss of life and property ensued. He survived the battles and the destruction of Eilean Donan Castle, and died on the Island of Lewis in 1740.

 This cairn was was not erected by the 1745 Association but by Clan MacRae in 1915. Its inclusion here is nevertheless quite appropraite

If you want another McGonagall poem you will find the poem The Battle of Sheriffmuir here by clicking the link.

Next we have Dr Archibal Cameron's plaque in  The Queen's Chapel of the Savoy in London. You will find this fascinating little chapel in Savoy St just off The Strand. Turn right out of the Savoy Hotel and take the first street on the right. You cannot miss the chapel. It is part of the Duchy of Lancaster and so owned by HM Queen Elizabeth II.

Dr Archie was brother to Donald Cameron of Locheil. without whose support the Rising of 1745 would have had a very poor start. After the defeat at Culloden the Prince, Dr Archie and others took refuge in "Cluny's Cage," that remote hideaway in the depths of Ben Alder, before final escape to France.

There is a longer account and photographs of this memorial plaque on the Day out in London page

The next monument is the one erected in memory of "The Seven Men of Moidart"

Photographs by Martin Kelvin

On 22 June 1745 Prince Charles Edward Stuart, -- boarded Le du Teillay anchored off St Nazaire in the mouth of the Loire. The owner of the ship was Antoine Walsh, a Franco-Irish merchant, adventurer and slave trader. The party sailed to Belle Isle and awaited the appearance of L’Elisabeth. On 4 July Old Style (15 July New Style) L’Elisabeth arrived and the next day the ships set sail, bound for Scotland.

          The French ships were spotted and HMS Lyon brought L’Elisabeth to battle stations in the late afternoon of 9 July. The Lyon had fifty-eight guns and L’Elisabeth sixty-four. A ferocious exchange of fire ensued and the two ships fought until nightfall with heavy losses on both sides. At least forty-five men died on the Lyon and fifty-seven, possibly including the Captain, on L’Elisabeth. Many more were seriously injured. L’Elisabeth was so badly damaged she had to limp back to Brest taking most of the Prince’s ability to fight with her. Le du Teillay continued on her way with Prince Charles and a tiny band of revolutionaries some of whom are known as ‘The Seven Men of Moidart’. These seven are mentioned in every history of the period although a number of them had little bearing on the campaign. Perhaps they have retained their position in the histories because at this point in the rising there are few others to write about.

                 The seven included William, Duke of Atholl who was fifty-six years old and in poor health. He had supported the Jacobites in both the ’15 and the ’19 and was deprived of his estates at Blair Atholl, in favour of his younger brother James, for his trouble. The only other of Scottish birth was Aeneas MacDonald, a banker and brother of Donald MacDonald of Kinlochmoidart who was among the first to join the Prince. Sir Thomas Sheridan, the Prince’s Irish tutor who was over seventy years of age was in the group as was Colonel Francis Strickland, the only Englishman. Strickland’s father had supported James II (and VII) and followed him into exile in France where Francis was born. Parson George Kelly and Sir John MacDonald, a cavalry officer in the French forces, are included in the seven. MacDonald was appointed ‘Instructor of Cavalry’ in the Jacobite forces. There was never much cavalry to instruct and Sir John’s post seems to have been somewhat nominal. He kept a journal throughout the campaign and so it is fortunate for historians that he was there. The main man turned out to be Irishman John William O’Sullivan, whose opinions the Prince came to greatly and, some would say, foolishly value. O’Sullivan was born in County Kerry in about 1700. His parents sent him to Paris and Rome with a view to him entering the priesthood. After spending some time as a tutor in a French military household he abandoned his intended life in the church and took up soldiering. Quite when O’Sullivan met Prince Charles is not clear but they became friends. The Irishman was to play a prominent part in the Forty-Five.

The cairn is on the roadside on the A861 a mile or two west of Kinlochmoidart, and overlooking the original trees which were planted in the 1800's to represent the Seven Men.  A few years ago others were put in to replace those that had died, but beech was used instead of oak, and I think that only two or three of the new trees have taken.

To Be Continued!!

  Back to 1745 Association Homepage

More about Loch nan Uamh

Jacobite Song Page