Malcolm M‘Pherson, aged about 30 Years, and unmarried, was likewise born in the same Parish of Laggan, was Son of Angus M‘Pherson of Driminard, a Gentleman of Credit and Repute, who bestowed upon Malcolm such Education as that Part of the Country would afford. He enlisted about seven Years ago in my Lord Loveat’s Company, where his Behaviour recommended him to the Esteem of his Officers, and was soon made a Corporal.
Farquar Shaw, aged about 35 Years, unmarried, was born in the Parish of Rothmurchius in Strathspey, and Shire of Inverness. His Father, Alexander Shaw, was an honest Farmer, but gave his Son no Education, as living at a Distance from Schools, and not in a Condition to maintain him elsewhere; Farquar lived some time by droving, but meeting with Misfortunes in that Business, was reduced, and obliged, for Subsistance, to enlist in this regiment, where he has lived till now without any Reproach.
The Sentence was intimated to them upon Tuesday before their Execution. This unexpected Change of their Fortunes, from hopes of Life and Liberty, to that of a short Preparation for a violent Death, very much shock’d their Resolution; but Samuel less than any of them: When the Warder went to acquaint Samuel of this melancholy News, he carry’d with him two Centinels, for fear any Accident might happen; and after expressing his Concern for being the Messenger of such unhappy News, acquainted him, he must die. He started with Surprize; and asked, with some Emotion, How must I die? You are to be shot, Sir.—Then he reply’d, pretty composedly, God’s Will be done; I have brought this upon myself. He then asked, If he might be allowed Pen and Ink; and when the Post went for Scotland? The Warder told him the Night; but that he could not live to receive any Return: He said, he did not want any. He very pleasantly gave the Warder what Weapons he had, which were only a small Penknife and a Razor: and before the Warder parted with him seem’d to have assumed his ordinary Calmness of Mind; and he and the other two, after some Reflection, and the Conversation of the Clergy (who from this time attended them) were reconciled so much to their Circumstances, as to be able to bear the thoughts of Death with great Decency, and Christian Resignation to the Will of God.
Samuel owned he had been active at the Beginning of the Sedition; but he could not help sometimes thinking, that the great Pains he took to influence the Men to return to their Duty afterwards, in a great Measure, alleviated his first Crime.
Malcolm, to the last declared that he never advised any Person to go away; on the contrary, that he never was resolved himself, till the moment he joined the Men in their March from Finchley Common, and then his Reflection was so short, that he scarce knew what he did.
Farquar Shaw, in the same manner, declared, That he was no way active in raising the Meeting: That he never advis’d any Man to desert; deny’d that he presented his Piece to any of the Officers, as it was reported. He owned, that he might have utter’d some very passionate and indecent Expressions to some of the Officers who commanded him to return; but that these expressions did not import a threatening to strike any of them.
But notwithstanding that they all three imagin’d themselves no more guilty than the rest of the Prisoners, yet they never once utter’d the least Reflection against the Sentence, the Court Martial, or the Lords of the Regency; in short, they did not Attribute their Death to anything else but the divine Providence of God, to which they chearfully submitted, and acquitted all Mankind of their unhappy End; of which Farquar Shaw gave a lively Instance: It being reported to him, that one Serjeant Mc.Bean had deposed before the Court Martial, that he (Shaw) had presented his Piece to him, when he commanded him to return to his Duty; and that this Deposition had determined the Court Martial to fix upon him in particular; he sent for the Serjeant, and very calmly questioned him concerning this Fact; Who told him that he had never been an Evidence against him, but own’d, that he told some of his Officers, that he (Shaw) had threaten’d to strike an officer who commanded him to return to his Duty; and that it was probable, the Colonel might receive this Intelligence from the Officers, and that by this means it might come to the Knowledge of the Court Martial: The Serjeant express’d his Regret, that he should be any way instrumental to his misfortunes. But Shaw, in an affable Manner, desir’d him to give himself no Uneasiness on that Head: That he had neither Spite nor Ill-will at him for what he had said, but would die in perfect Love and Friendship with him, and all Mankind: That he had sent for him on purpose to make his Mind easy and not to trouble himself with needless Reflections, since he heartily forgave him; and accordingly parted with him in the most friendly and amicable manner and frequently after express’d to me his Concern for the Serjeant, lest his Reflections on himself should prejudice him, or make him uneasy. This behaviour of his, to the Man whom he was convinc’d had been the principal Cause of his Death, must argue a most charitable, forgiving, and generous Temper and Disposition of Mind, very seldom to be met with in Men of more elevated Stations in Life.
They all three were Men of strong natural Parts, and religiously disposed both from Habit and Principle, the natural Result of a good Example and early Instruction in the Doctrine and Precepts of Christianity; for I received from all of them a great deal of Satisfaction when I examined them on the Grounds of our holy Religion; and even Shaw, who was perfectly illiterate and could neither read nor write, was ignorant of no Christian Doctrine necessary to Salvation, or from whence he could draw Comfort in his present Circumstance. They were educated, and died Members of the Church of Scotland, tho’ they chearfully embraced the Opportunity of receiving the Sacrament from the Hands of the Reverend Mr Paterson, who officiated for the Chaplain of the Tower, after the Form of the Church (sic) England, on the Sunday preceding their Execution.
As their Notions of Religion were sincere, so they expressed the greatest Regard for Honesty and Integrity, and thanked God, tho’ they were great Sinners, that his restraining Grace had enabled them to avoid all vicious and prophane Courses or the offering any Injury to their Neighbours in their Persons or Properties; that they hoped they had not only the Approbation of (sic) of a good Conscience, but the Testimony of their Officers, Friends and Acquaintance, that they have lived all their Life-time without Scandal to themselves, or Reproach to their Friends, until this unhappy Period, when Rashness, without any Mixture of Malice, Cowardice, or Disaffection to his Majesty’s Person or Government, had brought their Lives to this miserable Catastrophe.
They applied themselves diligently to the Duty of Prayer and reading the Scripture, from the Time of their Sentence, which they said they had but too much and too long neglected.