[173] Sir Thomas Gordon of Earlston, 3rd baronet, whose grandfather (killed at Bothwell Bridge) and father were eminent Covenanter leaders. Murray hoped to secure the adherence of the Cameronian Covenanters through Gordon and Dr. Cochran (see p. 51) and others. Cf. Murray’s Memorials, p. 54.
[174] Sir James Stewart; see Appendix.
[175] David (Wemyss), Lord Elcho, eldest son of James, 4th Earl of Wemyss. Joined Prince Charles at Edinburgh and served through the campaign. Forfeited, and lived in exile until his death in 1787. See his Memoir by Hon. Evan Charteris, prefaced to A Short Account of the Affairs of Scotland, 1744-46.
[176] Norman Macleod of Macleod, nineteenth chief; born 1706; died 1772. He engaged to join Prince Charles although he came alone; but he changed his mind, was the first to communicate the Prince’s landing to the Lord President, and was the vindictive foe of Prince Charles throughout the whole adventure.
[177] This was Alexander (or Alistair), Lord Lovat’s second son, by his wife Margaret Grant, sister of Sir James Grant of Grant. Born 1729, died unmarried 1762.
The school at Prestonpans was kept by Mr. John Halket who had been tutor in Lovat’s family at Castle Downie. Peggy Vint’s was a tavern in Prestonpans. Alexander Carlyle gives an account of an extraordinary carouse there in 1741, at which Lovat, Erskine of Grange, Halket, four Fraser henchmen, young Lovat, Halket’s son, and Carlyle were present. Lovat said Grace in French, and he ‘swore more than fifty dragoons’ at the fish. The claret was excellent and circulated fast. There was a piper at the tavern, and the landlady’s daughter Kate was ‘very alluring.’ Lovat, then seventy-five, and Grange not much younger, warmed with wine, insisted on dancing a reel with Kate Vint: ‘this was a scene not easily forgotten.’ A banquet at Grange’s house of Preston, with a ‘new deluge of excellent claret,’ finished what Carlyle calls ‘a very memorable day.’—Carlyle, Autobiography, p. 58.
[178] About this time Sir J. Ca[mpbe]ll had the misfortune to have his house burnt and lost everything in it, even to his Body Cloaks. The deplorable situation he was in, never having received any of the money promised him save 200£ call for immediate assistance, and still the more so, that he had from time to time borrowed Money upon his Honour to Return it in such a time, as he had always reason to expect his pension wou’d answer, his failing in which necessarly weakened his Interest in the Country, for two reasons: 1st that he had no money to enable him to entertain and visit his neighbours, and 2ndly So he was not able to keep his word to them from whom he had borrowed it. Both shaggerined him and naturally made him the less confided in other matters, for which reasons I wrote presently to my Lord T[ra]q[uai]r, to write Mr. Drummond then at London, that the money might be gott as he then had the bond I mentioned before in his Custody, but he still putt it off by saying that nothing could be done in it till he went over, as the money was to be gott in france, which was a most rediculous reason, for he told me in paris that it was through Lord Semple he was to find it, which had it been the Case there was no occasion for the things being delayed till he went over, as he was to have no influence but ought to have sent it to Lord Semple. However I don’t believe it will be found upon inquiring yt, Lord Semple knew any thing of the matter for Mr. Drummond would not agree that I should mention the thing to him when at paris, so that I am fully convinced that it was as I have said befor, all a fetch to prevent writing to the King about it, for fear that he should be disapointed of the 4,000 Livres a year he has since got settled upon him.
[179] Lord Lovat must surely have been deceiving or deceived. It was the proud boast of the Monroes that the clan had remained constant to Covenanting principles and to the Protestant succession, being the only Whig clan that never wavered. The Munroes were the only Highlanders who joined Cope on his march to Inverness in 1745.
[180] John Boyle, 5th earl; succeeded as 5th Earl of Cork, 1751; a man of letters; friend of Swift, Pope, and Johnson; died 1762.
[181] Of Wynnstay, 3rd Baronet, M.P. for Denbigh, an ardent Jacobite, almost openly avowed.