August 31st 1745

No stomach for the battle

At the time of the rising of 1715, the Duke of Atholl was a staunch Hanoverian as was his son James, but three other sons William, George and Charles together with their uncle Lord Nairne supported the Jacobites.

Though the Duke attempted to raise men for the King’s forces he was completely unsuccessful, whereas his sons together with Lord Nairne raised some 1,400 to fight for the Jacobites. However according to the Duke, only two hundred actually fought at Sheriffmuir “most of them left the Earl of Mar, by deserting him after they crossed the Forth.”  There seems to be little doubt that there was more enthusiasm for the rebellion among the gentry than from the tenantry.

If this was so in 1715 it was even more pronounced in the ’45. In 1744 the factor, Bisset, was writing to the 2nd Duke James. “All our old high flyers are dead and the spirit of disaffection is entirely out of the present generation and they are so very devoted to Your Grace that they are far from wishing for any change. I have good reason to be positive that if ever there should be ane other rebellion Your Grace can not only keep your men from joining therein but even to act unanimously and cordially against the rebels.” 

As a prediction it proved pretty inaccurate. James was at Blair Castle when the revolt started but, because of the advance of Prince Charles, was forced to flee south. Soon afterwards his elder brother William, who had been in France since the end of the 1715 rebellion, returned to Blair Atholl and as William, Duke of Atholl was happily accepted by his vassals and tenants.

Bisset writing again to Duke James in London. “I find your brother hath writt circular letters to all the vassals and a number of them are met this day in obedience thereto……I thought the Highlanders would leave this place tomorrow, but I hear your brother is to keep them for four or five days, that he may raise and press the Atholl men; meantime I see this poor country will be eat up and ruined……” 

Bisset again on September 28th 1745. “He (Duke William) proposed one man out of each merk land, which would have raised 1,100 ……and although the greatest force and violence was used only about 500 raised for Lord Nairne, who mostly deserted. This obliged my Lord Tullibardine (Bisset’s name for Duke William as for him only Duke James was the true Duke of Atholl) to return to Atholl, and he hath been ever since employed in finding out their deserters and sending them back and now he is endeavouring to raise the other regiment for Mr Mercer, and because he cannot get the tenants out he obliges each of them that disobey to pay 5 lib Sterling……In order to make up this money they are obliged to sell their bestial at half price, so that our country will in any event be ruined.” 

The evidence is pretty conclusive that the tenants were unwilling to fight for the Jacobites even though they may have supported the cause. Among the gentry the support was more open and more positive. “You would be surprised to find how little his Grace is remembered in his own country. Since the battle they look upon the Marquis as entirely settled in possession, and all court him. There is not a man in Dunkeld, the minister not accepted, who somehow or other did not join in the rejoicings for the town of Edinburgh yielding, and for the victory of Prestonpans, when there were bonfires and illuminations, and all his Grace’s liquors going plentifully among them.” 

No doubt the tenants would happily consume His Grace’s liquor, but they had enough to do at home without spending their time fighting. As another Jacobite loyalist put it, “I went to Dunkeld, but to no purpose, for I plainly see that the whole inhabitants are quite degenerate from their ancestors and not one spark of loyalty among them.” 

After the Jacobite army returned from England, efforts were still being made, with very little success, to bring out the men of Atholl. Lord George to his brother William on January 27th 1746. “I am quite dispirited by your men’s going off and deserting their colours, for God’s sake make examples or we shall be undone.” 

But there was no more enthusiasm than before and by mid-February, Duke James was back at Blair Castle. In the way that dukes do, he attempted to raise his loyal tenants to fight for the Hanoverians. Surprise, surprise, no one wanted to fight for the Hanoverians either. The Duke of Cumberland has the last word. “Upon my putting him (Duke James) into possession of Dunkeld, Blair and the rest of his estate, he offered to recruit that company afresh, and to raise 500 men for his Majesty’s service……in which he has totally failed, as I fear he will do in every attempt in favour of the Government.” 

Many of the clans followed Prince Charles because of old ways, because they were prepared to follow their clan chief without question, because he was indeed the father of his people. But the Duke of Atholl, though he was a great landlord, was not a clan chief, his family was not even of Highland extraction. Neither Duke James nor Duke William was able to force his tenants to fight.

The old days were indeed passing and a good thing too.