The Butcher's Revenge,1746.

[ChrisDoak]

Most Camerons will be knowledgeable of the events occurring after the defeat of the Jacobite Army at Culloden in April 1746,when Troops loyal to King George swept through Lochaber destroying and plundering in their wake.Under the written instructions from William,Duke of Cumberland,they were "to drive the cattle,burn the ploughs and destroy what you can belonging to all such as are,or have been,in the Rebellion,and burning the houses of the Chiefs.You will constantly have in mind to distress whatever country of Rebels you may pass through,and to seize or destroy all persons you can find who have been in the Rebellion,or their abetters."

Those of you familiar with Somerled McMillan's book "Bygone Lochaber",will have seen the Appendix listing claims of losses by the tenants of the Forfeited Estate of Lochiel,at the hands of Government Troops in 1745 and 6.A useful source for those of us trying to pin down our families at that period,these Claims were made in 1750,some four years after the event.McMillan lists 119 households,but(presumably due to lack of space)omitted a further 45 from the original document in the National Archives of Scotland - 1 Richy,1 McIntosh,4 McMillans,2 Kennedys,14 McPhees,and 23 Camerons(Onich,Moy,Erracht,Banavie,Glenpeanbeg,Murshirloch,Achanellan,and Clunes).

As the Lochiel Estate only occupied half of Lochaber - generally all the land to the west of the River Lochy - it always puzzled me why I had never come across any mention in print of the losses suffered by those who were living to the east - the land of the Duke of Gordon - and where losses must have been equally severe.The Duke of Gordon had longtime held ownership of the large sweep of land from Brae Lochaber ,through Bun Lochaber,to Mamore,even retaining Feudal rights over the Glen Nevis Estate of the McSorleys,and the Camerons of Callart.

By chance recently,whilst researching at the National Archives in Scotland,I came across the documents relating to claims for losses at the hands of Government Troops in 1746,by the tenants of the Gordon Estate in Lochaber and Badenoch.The records of the Duke of Gordon,some millions of papers(no exaggeration),are held at the Archives in Edinburgh,and are generally quite well catalogued.This Claims for Losses document(GD44/14/15/33)was,however,included in a large bundle of Legal Writs relating mostly to Badenoch and Aberdeenshire.

The pages of this document follow the pattern of the Claims featured in Somerled McMillan's book -a listing of animals stolen,household goods destroyed etc.,with a valuation made by the claimant.What makes it a more valuable record,however,is that these claims were made in August 1746 - a mere three months after the event.

Additional to listing the material losses,a few more poignant incidents have been recorded.For instance:

-Alexander Cameron,from Donie,a man of 80 years,gave witness that he was robbed of his plaid,worth £20,on the Highway by soldiers.

-Samuel McMartin from Leckroy and Glenturret,reported that his father was "shot dead on the spot"by the party who drove off his cattle.

The Precognitions were held at three locations - Leanachanmore,Ratulich,and Letterfinlay - in the presence of James Stewart,Sheriff Substitute of Huntly.184 households made claims for losses,of which 59 were by Camerons(McMartins,McSorleys,Black Camerons,and sundry other Camerons),but should not be considered a complete record of damages.So soon after the event,many families who had fled from Lochaber must still have been too wary to return so soon.The glaring omission from the documents is a claim for the suffering caused to the family of Alexander Cameron of Glen Nevis,but as he was incarcerated in Edinburgh Castle that very same month,it is not too surprising.

On the most part,individual claims are recorded,but disappointingly from a family history point of view,only general claims have been made by the Tacksmen for Blarachaorin,Callart,Torlundy,Inverlochy,Tomacharich,Forness,and Ratullichmore.

Individual claims have been made,however,by the tenants of the following locations:Blarmachfoldach,Clashfern,Drumarbin,Inchree and Sallachall,Killiechonate,Fersett,Clianaig,Drimafour,Kilmanivaig,Donie,Monessie,Achnacochin,Highbridge,Leanachan More and Achnashine,Leanachan Beg,Blarourbeg,Blarourmore,Inch,Corrychonlia and Brackletter,Achachar,Unachan,Achnadaul,Altvullin,Salmon Fishing of Lochy,Lindally and Camisky,Achaneich,Achintee,Achreoch,Achlaggan,Achnacon,Claggan,Stronenaba,Leckroy and Glenturret,Boluach,Drimfuir,Muccomir,Ratullichbeg,Tartness,Dale Muccomir,and Letterfinlay.

The valuations by the tenants were automatically reduced by a third (!) by James Stewart,but still came to a total of £43,727 Scots.

Why had the Duke of Gordon been so diligent and keen to see his tenants compensated?Because they normally paid their rent to him through the sale of their animals - as they now had no animals,they had no means to pay their rent!

I took a precis of the claims listed in the document,so should anyone who can trace their family (Cameron,McDonell,or otherwise)back to a specific farm,I would be happy to oblige with the details.

[SherbrookeJacobite]

Chris,
Thank you so much for posting that information. My family come from Ratullichmore, and I realize that the tacksman made a general claim for that place - but is the tacksman's name given? I am greatly interested in whatever information you have about Ratullichmore.

Are there any MacDiarmids listed as residing at Glen Turrett at that time? My gggrandmother was Katherine MacDiarmid from Glen Turrett - she wasn't born until 1786 or so, but I have never been able to find her parents.

Moran Taing,

John

[ChrisDoak]

Hi John,

Hope you can get something from this "Claim for Damages caused by Soldiers out of the Garrison of Fort William":

RATALICHMORE:

-"Donald McMartine and son Ewan and sub-tenants:
9 horses,grass,corn,and beggings destroyed.Value-£480Scots."

Beggings,incidentally,is the term used in the document to describe dwellings and associated barns etc.Possibly the reason that the sub-tenants are not individually named,was down to the fact that they weren't present to make a claim.We can only speculate why not!

This Tacksman was probobly the Donald Mor McSorle alias Cameron,who aquired the lease of Ratullichmore in 1721.Previous to that date,it was possessed by John Cameron of Leckroy.

Going back a few years before that,in 1682 the following residents signed a Bond to keep the peace and behave themselve:Angus Cameron alias McIan van,and his sons Alexander and Martin.

You have probobly found a lot of information on the farm's inhabitants,and your family,from the Censuses from 1841 onwards,but here is a few bits and pieces from before that:

Rental 1828:John,Angus,Donald Van,Alexander,Donald Roy,and Martin Cameron.

Rental 1819:John,Alexander,Donald Ban,Alexander,Charles,Donald Roy,and Martin Cameron.

Petition 1809 from the tenants of Ratullichmore and beg informing the Factor that they are unable to pay the rent because of the severity of the Winter:Duncan,Alexander,Donald,Donald,Ewan,Ewan,Alexander,Donald,Alexander,John,Samuel,and Duncan Cameron and.......Archie McDirmid!

I suspect that the McDiarmids were relatively new comers to Lochaber,for there is no one of that surname recorded in a survey taken in Lochaber in 1778 by the Duke of Gordon,of every male between the ages of 16 and 60.The nearest thing we have for a Census for that period,the entry for Ratullichmore reads as follows:

"Duncan Cameron snr.,Duncan Cameron jnr.,Donald Cameron,Neill Cameron,Ewan Cameron snr.(servant to Neill),Ewan Cameron jnr.,Alexander Cameron,and James Cameron."

The Duke of Gordon carried out this survey in order to find out how many of his tenants were fit enough to be recruited to serve in the British Army.He was aware that he would recieve a hefty bounty for everyone that he managed to recruit!

The Rental for 1770 shows that the possessors of the farm were Neill McMartin,Duncan,Donald,and John Cameron.Neil,Duncan,and John had first aquired the lease in 1751.

Incidentally,I see that you mentioned earlier that you had ancestors called" Angus Mor Cameron".The Estate Records show that an Angus Mor Cameron was removed from Ratullichmore to the farm of Blarmachfoldach,a few miles south of Fort William,in 1806.Any chance he might be one of yours?

Hope this has been of interest,

Cheers,Chris.

[SherbrookeJacobite]

Hi Chris,
Thank you so much for that. That is a lot of info. I didn't have, and I'm almost as excited as I was when I found my family in the 1841 Census!

Angus Mor Cameron was my ggggrandfather - there is no way to know if he is the Angus Mor Cameron who was removed to Blarmachfoldach - but it seems very likely. I am thinking that he returned to Ratullichmore at a later date as he appears in the Rent role in 1828, and my gggrandfather's (also Angus) birthplace is given as Rathlichmore. He had several brothers and sisters - and if I could find their birth records it would perhaps solve that mystery.
Angus ("Big Angus") -they sure loved that name! born 1811
Duncan, born 1821
Archibald, born 1826
Angus ("Little Angus") born 1830
Betsy, born 1833
Catherine 1835,
John, 1837
Lucy, 1840

I will digress here a bit to tell why there were two sons named Angus. This comes through family lore, so there could be factual errors, but the story is a true one. Big Angus and Little Angus are the names they were given in Nova Scotia. (Angus Mor & Angus Bheag).

When Big Angus was a young man ( I would guess around 18) he left Scotland to follow many who had gone to the New World. He went to Nova Scotia and settled in Lochaber (N.S.), where there were a number of settlers from the same area that he came from - undoubtedly neighbours and relatives that he had known in Lochaber, Sct.
This part of Nova Scotia, at this time, was almost entirely Scottish, and gaelic was heard far more than english.
After he had left Scotland, his family never heard from Big Angus. Whether this was due to the difficulty in communicating in those days, illiteracy or some other reason, I do not know. After several years, they had given him up for dead. They (Angus Mor and Catherine) had another son (1830) and named him Angus, in memory of the son they thought was lost.
In time Ratlichmore was cleared (by Andrew Belford, around 1851) and Little Angus found himself on his way to Nova Scotia. When he arrived he settled in a place called Glenelg (Forks of St. Mary's). He began farming sheep, as so many Scots did in those days. At that time the farmers used to drive their sheep overland to market at Halifax. The farmers would group together for a drive, and on one of these trips, not long after his arrival in his new country, Young Angus was introduced to another Angus Cameron, now of Caledonia (which was about 10 miles upstream from Glenelg on the St. Mary's River. They began talking about where they were from - and it wasn't long before they discovered they were brothers. One found himself talking to a brother he thought dead - and the other to a brother he didn't know existed.
From that time on they were known as Big Angus and Little Angus (as we still refer to them to this day). Big Angus died in 1902, and is buried in Caledonia, Guysbrough County, Nova Scotia. Little Angus died in 1903, and is buried in Sherbrooke, Nova Scotia.

Little Angus is my gggrandfather.

I don't know for certain who Angus Mor's parents were. I have speculated that it may have been John Cameron and Mary Stewart, who had a son named Angus, and resided at Ratullichmore during that period - although the information I have show that Angus as being born in 1776 - 10 years before Angus Mor. I don't know where John was in 1778 when the Duke of Gordon did hid survey - for I have information showing John at Ratullichmore in the 1770's (he was born 1742).

This makes him a different John than the one who aquired the lease in 1751 - as he was too young. It was possibly his father. The John MacMartin/Cameron who acquired the lease may have been the John MacMartin of Ratlichmore who was taken as a Jacobite prisoner after Culloden.

Lots of guessing and suposition - but that is what makes it fun!

The Archie McDirmid who was at Ratullichmore in 1809 is almost certainly Catherine (Kett, Katherine) MacDiarmid's father. The surname is not all that common in Lochaber - and Glen Turrett is just over the mountain from Ratullichmore.

Thanks again Chris, I truly appreciate your efforts.

Aonaibh Ri Cheile,

John

[SherbrookeJacobite]

What is with the "heavyperson" every time I type "father" - is there a hacker with a sense of humour in our midst - or is my computer trying to tell me to lose weight!

[SherbrookeJacobite]

Let me try again I am trying to type "f a t h e r". See if that turns into heavyperson.

[SherbrookeJacobite]

I know understand that Samuel MacMartin's f a t h e r and not his "heavyperson" was shot dead. I had thought that perhaps Samuel had a large wife

[Cameronian]

heavy personhers .... type in f a t h e r and this is what you get recorded..

This strangely occurred when I typed the word
f a t h e r into the poem on Rhyme and Reason....

It also happened once before when C a m p b e l l was typed in, it was recorded on the list as Traitor

Gaelgal also had one post wherein regardless of the number of times she typed the word correctly it came out as trash.

I don't know what the cause is, but the result is maddening

Bhal.

[ChrisDoak]

It'll certainly teach me to read over my entries on the website after they have been posted - I never realised there was a problem until now.Equally annoying is the capital letters of people's names which are occasionally substituted by smiley faces.Over to you Tom?

From now on,I think I'll just stick to the Scottish word "faither",and that should beat the prankster!

Chris(skinny-ma-link).

[Thomas Cameron]

Good afternoon Ladies & Gents,

I believe that the "heavyperson" problem has now been rectified. Within the software for this site there is a section to set "censored words." It appears that this listing was recently revised by the company that managed these free boards. Anyhow, as you might guess, the word "fat" had a replacement phrase of "heavy person." For some reason the software was taking the first three letters of father and combining them with the remaining four letters, producing "heavypersonher." The same applies for numerous ethnic slurs and profanity (not that any of you would types those words...) I've eliminated the replacement for that word.

As for the Campbell situation, that was rectified quite some time ago. I really can't say any more about that situation...

Please remember that I'm only an e-mail away if there are these kind of problems. As much as I do try to check in here, e-mail is a better way to get in touch. As for some of the other shortcomings of this software (which in my opinion are very few) I have limited or no control over some of these. I'll do what I can, just please be patient!!

One other item. Chris, I did receive your e-mail, and will be setting you up as the moderator of the history board here. Thanks, and sorry about the delay. I've been fixated on our local baseball team, the Chicago Cubs, in their push for the world championship (the first time since 1908!!) Sure, it's not "Clan Cameron" history, but is history nonetheless!!

[ChrisDoak]

Thanks for sorting things out Tom - now we can get back to the serious business!

John,

Just getting back to your Ratullichmore relatives.Your were quite right that Angus Mor returned there from Blarmachfoldach (if it was ever him that went there in the first place),as the entry in the Parish Records for his marriage on 8.5.1811 to Kett McDiarmid of Glenturret,does confirm that he was living in Ratullichmore.

Regarding their kids,the Parish Registers confirm that the following were all born there too:

-John b.10.7.1812.
-Duncan b.26.2.1818.
-Mary b.18.5.1820.
-Archibald b.4.9.1822.
-Margaret b.17.3.1826.
-Angus b.25.6.1829.
-Elizabeth b.25.3.1832.
-Catherine b.7.11,1834.
-John b.15.5.1837.
-Lucy b.30.10.1839.

The 1841 Census entry for the family shows that they also had a daughter called Amelia (?),born around 1817/18,but I could find no entry for her,nor the first Angus.There is also that big gap to consider between 1812 and 1818.Odd.

Incidentally,regarding Angus Mor's age,you must remember that for the 1841 Census the ages of adults did not have to be accurate - only rounded down to the nearest five.So instead of Angus being "55",he could likely have been any age up to 59.
So,just to throw the cat amongst the pigeons,he could quite conceivably be the Angus Cameron in the Parish Registers who was born on 25.3.1781 to Duncan Cameron and Mary Cameron of Achnashine.(Achnashine lies approx.4 miles to the south,near to Leanachan).However,he equally could not - it was not uncommon at the period for births to go unregistered because of the shambolic nature of the Parish Records,or because the parents couldn't afford to pay the Christening Fee.

Back to the head-scratching!

Cheers,
Chris.

[SherbrookeJacobite]

Thanks for the info Chris - and congratulations on becoming moderator of the History forum.

You have provided me with a number of names I did not have before, John (the one born in 1812), Mary, Margaret, and Elizabeth are all new to me - although until I found them in the 1841 Census I only knew of the two Angus' and Duncan - who all emigrated to Nova Scotia.

The Achnashine connection is certainly possible. There was also an Angus born to Ewen Cameron and Mary MacDonald in 1781 in Invergloy. Angus Mor's birthdate is listed in the LDS registry as 1786, and the place as Rathlichmore - but that could be based on erroneous info.

It came down through our family tradition that we came from Ratlichmore (that was the way it was always pronounced by our family), but as I said, it wasn't until I came across the 1841 census that I became aware of the other family members.

Several mysteries remain - what happened to the elder John? If he passed away, it would be possible that they reused the name later on, as they did with Angus. Is it possible that he was christened John, but used the name Angus (his gravestone gives his name as "William Angus")?

It is strange that there were no children born for that 6 year period 1812-1818. Possibly Angus was away...

I am also very interested in what happened to the rest of the family after Mr. Belford had them removed.

My interest has been rekindled by this new info., and I'm off to the LDS centre here in Lethbridge to see what they have.

Moran Taing!

John

[Alans]

Hi Chris!
I have noted all the above with great interest. Can you tell me how I would find details of the parents of a John and Mary Cameron married at Kilmaillie in 1823 (parents of my G.G.Grandfather Cosmo Cameron) b 1824 at Kilmonavaig. It seems likely they were tenants ( even relatives) of the Clunes family as Cosmo was actually sponsored to Australia in 1847 by a Donald Cameron of Clunes whom he described on the shipping list as a "friend".

Regards Alan Slocombe.

[ChrisDoak]

Hi Alan,

I think it's a bit of an impossible task without more detailed,personal information,given the large number of John + Mary Cameron pairings in Lochaber at the time.Certainly,I can't find any record of a Marriage between a John Cameron and a Mary Cameron in 1823 in the Kilmallie Parish Records.The nearest equivalent is the 7.10.1823 wedding between a John Cameron,Lockkeeper,Gairlochy,and a Mary Campbell of Banavie.(They were living at Gairlochy at the time of the 1841 Census,but then disappeared).

Regarding no record of Cosmo's birth in Kilmanivaig in 1824,it is possible that this was his aquired nickname (to distinguish him from his father,maybe),and he may have been registered under his real first name instead.For instance,a John Cameron was baptised in Kilmanivaig on 13.6.1825,the sone of John Cameron and Margaret Cameron,Stronoba.

There is a wee bit too many ifs and buts to make any progress at this stage,unfortunately.


Going back to John's posting of the 15th October:

Hi John,

I too,had my suspicions that the John born in 1812 may have changed his first name to Angus if he had gone to Canada.

I came upon this entry by chance in the Kilmonivaig Parish Records a couple of days ago:

"Angus. Christened 4 July 1834 to John Cameron,Angus More's son ,Ratlichmore,and Janet Grant,Glenmoriston.Born 9 November 1833 in fornication."

The wording of it would suggest to me that at the time of the Christening they had no idea where John was living.Done a runner perhaps?

I had a look through various Indexes for the 1851 Census that are available,but there is no sign of Angus More in the Lowlands of Scotland.Is it possible he went to Australia?

Regards,Chris.

[SherbrookeJacobite]

Hi Chris,
Thanks again for the help. That is fascinating info. The information I have received from Big Angus' family says that he arrived in Lochaber, Nova Scotia in 1833. That didn't exactly match with our family legend about how "Big"Angus had left and then "Little" Angus was born and named for his big brother (because Little Angus was born in 1829) - but I had assumed the dates were mixed up.

It is indeed possible that John did a runner - and perhaps his family didn't talk of him after that - which would explain how Little Angus didn't know of the existance of his older brother, as he would have been very young when he took off.

Lochaber, Nova Scotia was settled by former residents of Lochaber, Scotland including Camerons from Dochannasie and Stroneba. Undoubtedly he would have had friends and kin amongst the settlers there - and it would not have been all that unusual for them to call him Big Angus, after his father. It still leaves a bit of a mystery as to where the "William" came from (his tombstone reads Angus W.Cameron). www.angelfire.com/ca4/Patsy/bethel.html

For Little Angus Inscription - look here (Under Nancy Fraser Cameron's inscription)
www.angelfire.com/ca4/Patsy/riversher2.html

There are lots of Camerons in both these cemetaries - I thought the reference might be useful to someone. Most of the Camerons in the second one are my family.

Much speculation, but there is not much else one can do.

As for Angus Mor's eventual whereabouts... he could have gone to Australia or any number of places. He could have remained in Lochaber - I haven't found him, but there were so many Angus Camerons it is difficult to rule that out. He could have died as well - although I haven't been able to find any record.

Moran taing,

John

[Ealasaid]

Cameronian said:

heavy personhers .... type in f a t h e r and this is what you get recorded..

This strangely occurred when I typed the word
f a t h e r into the poem on Rhyme and Reason....

It also happened once before when C a m p b e l l was typed in, it was recorded on the list as Traitor

Gaelgal also had one post wherein regardless of the number of times she typed the word correctly it came out as trash.

I don't know what the cause is, but the result is maddening

Bhal.

Hello Bhal,
Glad that it's not just me!! When I wrote "Heathcock" in Mary Cameron Mackellar's poem it came out as "Heaththingy"!! Weird!
Ealasaid

[Ealasaid]

Why didn't I realise that "it" would do it again? Oh, mo chreach! The word which dare not say it's name, refers to a male bird which lives in the heath! There, hope I've beaten the thing!!
Ealasaid

[Thomas Cameron]

Hi,

The "censored words" list is an interesting topic. The way that it is set by default (and completely out of my control) leaves much to be desired at times. For instance, if I added the word "rat" and made the replacement text "rodent" it seems that the word "drat" would come up as "drodent." It works within the letters of any given word.

Regardless, I am removing the word in question from the censored list, with hopes that folks will simply let me know if anyone uses it inappropriately. If it is used in a "blue" manner, I can simply delete the posting and ban the member (not that we've ever had such problems...)

[Alans]

Merry Christmas to Chris especially but also other posters on this thread. You are doing a great job on this section of the forum mate!
I have been very interested in reading the losses suffered by the Duke of Gordons' tenants especially the MacSorley Camerons of Glen Nevis who remained loyal to the Crown during the rebellion. The punishment was very indiscriminate in many areas and may have contributed to the traditon that great bitterness was felt towards the English.
My theory, from various reading, is that much greater bitterness was felt towards persons who were government spies and informers.
Within a few short years some Camerons were climbing the heights of Abraham with Simon Fraser and many of their descendents in America took the side of George 3rd, whom they obviously regarded as their rightful Monarch by 1776.
I suspect apart from Cumberland himself and people like Grant of Knockando and Munro of Culcairn, the ordinary clansfolk would not really expect good treatment from soldiers of any kind and would not really feel direct hatred
( as distinct from fear) of them or their nationality.
Just a few thoughts on these excellent posts.

Nollaig Cridheil agus Bliadhna mhath Ur a Chris an seannachie mhor na Camshronaich!

[SherbrookeJacobite]

Merry Christmas to all as well. I too am very appreciative of Chris' efforts on this thread.

I felt I should point out that most of the Camerons, including Lochiel, remained loyal to the Crown. That is why they supported the King's son during the rising.

There is a great irony in the fact that Highland troops fought (and fought very well) alongside (or in front of!) English troops. That they were still considered as cannon fodder by their English masters is demonstrated by General Wolfe's comment at Quebec, when he directed that the Highlanders be placed at the front of the attack that "It is no great mischief if they fall" (my quote may not be exact, but the sentiment is correct).

As to the American War of Independance, history shows that there were a great many Scots on the American side as well as the British. These included some who still well remembered the aftermath of the '45. I don't believe that those who chose to be Loyalists (some of my own ancestors among them) did so because they considered George III their rightful monarch. They were just hoping to be on the winning side for once. Unfortunately for them they were wrong once again.

American patriots borrowed heavily from the Declaration of Arbroath for their Declaration of Independance, and there were even inquiries made of HRH Charles Stuart to see if he would be interested in being King of America.

There was a great bitterness toward the English in the Highlands (and to some degree it exists to this day), although I would agree it would be even stronger against those who betrayed their own people. You have to remember that the English, and lowland Scots as well, thought of the Highlanders as little more than savages. They used this to justify their treatment of them, similar to how the Native Americans would be treated in following years.

It was only a few short years after Culloden when the English expelled the Acadians ( in 1755) from the Maritime provinces of Canada - and the bitterness of their descendants towards the English is still there.

In his book "We Were Not The Savages" MicMac historian and author Daniel Paul said he couldn't understand how one people could treat another so badly (speaking of how the English treated his people) until he read of their treatment of the Scottish Highlands after Culloden.

My point is that the treatment of our ancestors was not unique. Those in positions of power in England during those times left a legacy of bitterness among many peoples, not just the Scots.

I am glad that we are all friends now

Nollaig Chridheil agus Bliadhna Mhath Ur!

Slainte,

John