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Rob Roy and Inversnaid |
ARCHIBALD MACGREGOR of Kilmanan 2nd son of Captain Hew MacGregor succeeded his First Cousin Gregor as representative of Glenstray. As the penal laws against the Clan Gregor had been revived June 15.1693 by the Government of William and Mary, he was known as Archibald Graham of Kilmanan; he was born before January 11 1659. On Jan.11 1680, having attained majority, he obtained from James 4th Marquis of Montrose a Precept of Clare Constat for enfeoffing him in the lands of Kilmanan as heir to his brother John McGregor of Kilmanan eldest son of Captain Hew McGregor. He was accordingly enfeoffed Feb. 3 following, and his wife on the 10th instant. Archibald McGregour in Kilmanan received a commission, Feb. 12 1691, with other proprietors for an armed watch for the protection of his and other estates, being nominated a "Keeper" and armed with the power of fire and sword. On May 27 1693, directly after his succession to the representation of Glenstray, he obtained for a money consideration from Sir Humphrey Colquhoun of Luss Bart.[Original Deed in the Leny papers] a disposition of the ten pound land old extent of Craigrostan and the mill lands with pertinents with the office of Baillery and power of holding Courts. He is designated as Graham in the body of the Deed, but signs there and in other places as McGregor. He had a son Hugh and at least one other son, but they predeceased him, and in consequence he sold off most of the Lands. On. Jan. 4 1694, he impignorated to Gregor Roy McGregor in Pullichroe, and failing him, his eldest lawful sons Malcolm and John, in succession the town and lands of Caliness, extending to a forty shilling land old extent with the mill of Stuknaroy, in the parish of Inchcalzeoch, now Buchanan. At the same date as Archibald McGregor of that Ilk he impignorated to Robert McGregor, brother to John in Glengyle, and Mary McGregor his spouse, "the three pound land old extent of Inversnait in the parish of Inch Calzeoch." On Dec. 9 and 15, 1701. Archibald Graham, formerly surnamed McGregor of Kilmanan, heritable proprietor of the lands and Barony of Craigrostan, entered into a contract with "Robert Campbell, formerly surnamed McGregor of Inversnaid," whereby the said Archibald, with consent of "Hugh Graham his eldest son," resigned in favour of Robert Campbell the whole of his land as purchased of Colquhoun of Luss together with the ten-pound land of old extent of Craig Rostan. [Craig Rostan included most of the eastern shore of Loch Lomond almost as far as Cashel where it adjoined Montrose's Buchanan estate] On Jan. 10, 1704. William of Orange gave a warrant approving the measures of the Scottish Privy Council with the Highland Clans. One of the Chiefs summoned to attend the Council is …. Grahame, formerly McGregor of Kilmanan. On June 7 1706. Archibald McGregor or Graham gave Robert Campbell of Craigrostan a confirmatory Charter of the Lands of Craigrostan, with the office of Baillerie as possessed by Kilmanan. Robert McGregor, known as Rob Roy, was related through his Mother, Margaret Campbell of Glenlyon, and thus First Cousin to the late Gregor McGregor Laird of McGregor, who was Archibald's first Cousin and predecessor, this connection may probably have influenced the disposition of the property. [Gregor’s mother was Mary Campbell of Glen Lyon, sister of Margaret]. The exact date of the death of Kilmanan is unknown, - An account of the family of Ardlarich, written by Lieutenant MacGregor, Innerhaddon, states that he died in Ireland. It must have been after 1706, the date of the above confirmation, and before 1714 [1] Robert MacGregor, nicknamed Roy, (ruadh, meaning red), was born in Glengyle in 1671 and grew up during a time of relative peace in the Highlands. However in 1689, at the age of 18, he participated in the Battle of Killiecrankie which followed the so-called Glorious Revolution of 1688. The proscription of MacGregors had been lifted following the Restoration of Charles II in 1660, but it was re-imposed after Killiecrankie as a punishment for the MacGregors’ involvement in the Rising. [2] As a result, Rob would use his mother’s name of Campbell in his trading activities. As a younger son of the chief of the Glengyle sept of Clan Gregor he participated in his family’s farming and droving cattle business. The burgeoning trade in black cattle was becoming the lifeblood of the Highland economy and Rob Roy became a skilled and respected cattleman. Not only was he an expert in buying, selling and droving to market, but his family maintained a Highland Watch to guard against cattle thieves, although Rob was suspected of having been a cattle reiver himself when the opportunity arose, particularly when the customers of the Glengyle Watch did not pay the agreed dues for the protection of their herds – this was known as meall dubh or blackmail. Reiving was common amongst the clans as it was a Highland belief that cattle were outwith the usual laws against property theft. Blackmail has a perjorative reputation today, but when a landowner in the upper reaches of the river Forth refused to pay in the 1690s, Rob Roy’s father successfully sued in the sheriff Court of Stirling for the agreed protection money. In 1693 Rob Roy married Mary MacGregor of Comer and the couple set up home at Inversnaid. It was here that he established his own droving business but the cattle trade would bring about Rob Roy’s downfall. Following the Union of 1707, the English market had opened up for Highland cattle and prices increased considerably. Rob entered a financial arrangement with the Duke of Montrose to expand his business and Montrose shared in the resulting profits. However, when in 1712 he borrowed £1,000 from the Duke to buy more stock, Rob defaulted on repayment. A commonly held belief is that Rob gave this money to his chief drover, a MacDonald, who absconded with it. However, Rob purchased cattle throughout the Highlands and Islands, and one of his major suppliers had been MacDonald of Clanranald on Uist. Clanranald was declared bankrupt in 1712 and the fabled MacDonald had been, almost certainly, Clanranald himself who had taken Rob’s money but failed to supply the cattle. In the early years after the Union there was intense rivalry between the Dukes of Argyll and Montrose. The 4th Marquess of Montrose had been elevated as a Duke in 1707 as a reward for his support for the Union. He is said to have received a bribe of £1000 sterling for his part in securing the Union. [3] About this time, Montrose became a member of Lord Townshend’s ministry in London and had been appointed Secretary for Scotland, giving him considerable political power, much to the annoyance of his rival, the Duke of Argyll, who had been deprived of the post. Although Inversnaid had been leased from Montrose estate, Rob Roy maintained good relations with the Duke of Argyll, and as a result, Argyll would protect him against the machinations of Montrose. As a result of the failed cattle dealings of 1712, Montrose had Rob Roy declared bankrupt and seized the whole of Craigrostan including Inversnaid. Rob’s wife and family were evicted and their home burnt to the ground. Legend has it that the family briefly took refuge in the famous ‘Rob Roy’s Cave’, just along the shore of Loch Lomond from the Inversnaid hotel. Thereafter Rob Roy resolved to take revenge on his enemies, in particular the Duke of Montrose who was at the forefront of this persecution. For many years the two were at odds with one another and during this period there were many stories of Rob Roy’s daring escapades. In 1715 Rob Roy took part in the first Jacobite rebellion, which culminated in the Battle of Sheriffmuir near Stirling. [4] Rob Roy kept his small party of MacGregors at the fords on the river Allan, guarding the flank of the Jacobite army. It has often been claimed that he failed to participate in the Battle itself as the Government army was commanded by Rob’s patron, the Duke of Argyll. Following on from the 1715, the government, at Montrose’s urging, built the garrison at Inversnaid to suppress the MacGregors of the area. In 1719, there was a further Jacobite Rising, supported by Spanish troops. Rob took a party of 40 MacGregors to support the Rising, but in the battle of Glenshiel, the Spanish surrendered after three hours. The surviving native Jacobites fled, to avoid capture and the risk of execution as traitors. Rob Roy was reported to have fought an important rearguard action to cover the retreat of the Jacobites over the mountain on the North side of Glen Shiel, before descending into and proceeding down Gleann Lichd where, early on the 11th, he blew up the magazine in Strath Croe with the remainder of the stores provided by Spain so that nothing fell into the enemy's hands. Thereafter Rob Roy and his men set off for home, apparently unscathed. [5] A peace treaty with Spain in 1720 precluded further Jacobite attempts. Their fright, however, stimulated the Hanoverian regime to take actions intended to impose greater control on suspect Highland clans. Following the 1715 Rising, four purpose built but small barracks had been constructed (at Glenelg, Inversnaid, Kilchuimen and Ruthven). In 1724 General George Wade was sent with a commission to strengthen these and build new barracks, especially those along the Great Glen - at Invergarry (Fort William), Kilchuimen (Fort Augustus) and Inverness (Fort George). Over 240 miles of roads including 30 significant bridges were eventually constructed in order to improve military communications from the Lowlands to these barracks. In a letter dated 15th September 1725, Rob Roy signed a petition, which had possibly been written for him on the instructions of the Duke of Argyll, to General Wade. The petition was accepted and a pardon from King George duly followed. After thirteen long and trying years, Rob Roy was once again a free man. Rob Roy then settled down with his family in Balquhidder Glen and lived out the rest of his life in comparable peace. Possibly as a result of a "friendly" duel with Stewart of Invernahyle earlier in the year, he died in his bed at Inverlochlarig on December 29th 1734 and was buried close by in Balquhidder Church Yard. He lived to a ripe age of 63, which in view of his turbulent life may be regarded as quite an achievement. [6] On 31st August, 1745 during the last Jacobite Rising, Rob Roy’s son, James Mor, with a small group of MacGregors, captured Inversnaid fort, taking 89 prisoners. [7] The name Rob Roy MacGregor is still legendary today and is very much a part of Inversnaid and Loch Lomond. Sir Walter Scott immortalised him in his literature and the movie ‘Rob Roy’, starring Liam Neeson, ensured that his name has not been forgotten. Land measurements – merklands and poundlands. A merkland is an old Scottish unit of land measurement. The name derived from the old Scots Merk (cognate with German mark and other European coinages). A merkland was defined as an area due to pay an annual rent of one merk in the 12th century. Originally a Scots merk was 13s 4d (160 old pence). Three merklands made two poundlands, also known as a forty-shilling land, possession of which, until the 18th century was the qualification for a vote in a parliamentary election. The concept of merklands developed in Scotland under King David I and his successors and the new Scottish coinage after 1136. They were stimulated by, and analogous to, the development of merklands and poundlands in England. By 1213 it appears they were firmly entrenched in the minds of Scottish administrators – if not yet embedded everywhere in the landscape. So a merkland assessment in the 12th century represented the area of land which would pay one merk in annual rent to the superior. It was usually qualified as being “of old extent”. The actual cash rent, due to inflation, by the 18th century would be a great deal more than one merk. Bearing in mind the large variations in land quality in Scotland, land valued at 1 merk in the 12th century could range from a few acres of fertile farmland to many hundreds of acres of hill pasture. |
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[1]
The introductory paragraphs about Archibald of Kilmanan are from Amelia Vol II chapter 15, pages 198-199
[3]
This wikipedia article concerns James Graham, 1st Duke of Montrose (April 1682 – 7 January 1742) |