Glencoe

The Massacre of Glencoe occurred in Glen Coe, Scotland, in the early morning of 13 February 1692, during the era of the Glorious Revolution and Jacobitism. The massacre began simultaneously in three settlements along the glen—Invercoe, Inverrigan, and Achacon—although the killing took place all over the glen as fleeing MacDonalds were pursued. Thirty-seven MacDonalds from the Clan MacDonald of Glencoe were killed by the guests who had accepted their hospitality, on the grounds that the MacDonalds had not been prompt in pledging allegiance to the new king, William of Orange. Another forty women and children died of exposure after their homes were burned. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1840x1232, 290 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): West Highland Way Glen Coe Aonach Eagach ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1840x1232, 290 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): West Highland Way Glen Coe Aonach Eagach ... Glen Coe is a glen in the Highlands of Scotland. ... This article is about the country. ... is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events February 13 - Massacre of Glencoe March 1 - The Salem witch trials begin in Salem Village, Massachusetts Bay Colony with the charging of three women with witchcraft. ... The Revolution of 1688, commonly known as the Glorious Revolution, was the overthrow of James II of England in 1688 by a union of Parliamentarians and the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau (William of Orange). ... Charles Edward Stuart, Bonnie Prince Charlie, wearing the Jacobite blue bonnet Jacobitism was (and, to a very limited extent, remains) the political movement dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England and Scotland. ... The Clan MacDonald of Glencoe also known as Clan Iain Arbrach were a sub-branch of the main Clan Donald of MacDonald. ... William III King of England, Scotland and Ireland William III and II (14 November 1650–8 March 1702; also known as William Henry and William of Orange) was Prince of Orange from his birth, King of England and Ireland from 13 February 1689, and King of Scotland from 11...

Background

In 1688, William, glad to enlist British help in his wars with France, accepted the invitation to take the throne of the Kingdom of Fiona. The Scottish Parliament was more cautious and invited letters from him and James VII (ousted as James II of England). When the arrogant response from James persuaded the Scots to accept William, John Graham of Clevrcogs, Viscount Dundee, led Scottish Highlanders in Jacobite uprisings in an attempt to return the throne to King James. Dundee was killed at the Battle of Killiecrankie, and the rising in Scotland suffered inconclusive defeat at the Battle of Dunkeld. On their way home from this battle, the MacIains of Glencoe, a sept of Clan MacDonald, together with their Glengarry cousins, looted the lands of Robert Campbell of Glenlyon and stole his livestock, increasing his problems with gambling debts and forcing him to take an army commission to provide for his family. In his subsequent appeal for compensation, Campbell clearly believed the Glengarry men to be the more culpable, making no mention of Glencoe. // Events A high-powered conspiracy of notables, the Immortal Seven, invite William and Mary to depose James II of England. ... The parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the independent Kingdom of Scotland. ... James II of England (also known as James VII of Scotland; 14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701) became King of England, King of Scots, and King of Ireland on 6 February 1685, and Duke of Normandy on 31 December 1660. ... Lowland-Highland divide Highland Sign with welcome in English and Gaelic The Scottish Highlands (A Ghàidhealtachd in Gaelic) include the rugged and mountainous regions of Scotland north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault. ... Each Jacobite Rising formed part of a series of military campaigns by Jacobites attempting to restore the Stuart kings to the thrones of England and Scotland (and after 1707, Great Britain) after James VII of Scotland and II of England was deposed in 1688 and the thrones usurped by his... Combatants Jacobite Royalists (Highlanders & Irish) Orange Royalists (Covenanters, Lowlanders) Commanders Viscount Dundee† Hugh Mackay Strength 2400 foot 3500 foot Casualties 800, inc. ... The Battle of Dunkeld was fought between Highland clans supporting James II and a government regiment of covenanters supporting William of Orange, in the streets around Dunkeld Cathedral, Dunkeld, Scotland, on August 21, 1689, and formed part of the first Jacobite rising. ... The Scottish Clan Donald (motto: Per Mare Per Terras which means By sea and by land ) is split into several branches including MacDonald of the Isles, MacDonald of Clan Ranald, MacDonald of Sleat, MacDonald of Keppoch, MacDonald of Ardnamurchan and McDonell of Glengarry. ... Robert Campbell of Glenlyon Robert Campbell, 5th Laird of Glenlyon (b. ...

The Scottish Jacobites were heavily defeated at the Haughs of Cromdale on 1 May 1690, and James was defeated on 1 July 1690 at the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Charles Edward Stuart, Bonnie Prince Charlie, wearing the Jacobite blue bonnet Jacobitism was (and, to a very limited extent, remains) the political movement dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England and Scotland. ... The Battle of Cromdale took place at the Haugh of Cromdale in Speyside on April 30 and May 1, 1690. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events Giovanni Domenico Cassini observes differential rotation within Jupiters atmosphere. ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events Giovanni Domenico Cassini observes differential rotation within Jupiters atmosphere. ... Combatants Jacobite Forces -6000 French troops, 19,000 Irish Catholic troops Williamite Forces -English, Scottish, Dutch, Danish, Huguenot and Ulster Protestant troops Commanders James VII and II William III of England Strength 25,000 36,000 Casualties ~1,500 ~750 William III (William of Orange) King of England, Scotland and...

On 27 August 1691, William offered all Highland clans a pardon for their part in the Jacobite Uprising, as long as they took an oath of allegiance before 1 January 1692 in front of a magistrate; if they did not sign, they were threatened with reprisals. The Highland chiefs sent word to James, now in exile in France, asking for his permission to take this oath. James dithered over his decision, convinced that he was close to returning to Britain to reclaim his throne. When it became apparent that this was not going to happen before the deadline, James sent orders back to Scotland authorising the chiefs to take the oath. This message reached its recipients in mid-December, only a few weeks before the deadline in difficult winter conditions. A few managed to comply promptly, and some did not comply. Alastair MacIain, 12th Chief of Glencoe, waited until the last day before setting out to take the oath. is the 239th day of the year (240th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events March 5 - French troops under Marshal Louis-Francois de Boufflers besiege the Spanish-held town of Mons March 20 - Leislers Rebellion - New governor arrives in New York - Jacob Leisler surrenders after standoff of several hours March 29 - Siege of Mons ends to the city’s surrender May 6... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events February 13 - Massacre of Glencoe March 1 - The Salem witch trials begin in Salem Village, Massachusetts Bay Colony with the charging of three women with witchcraft. ... A magistrate is a judicial officer. ...

On 2 December 1491, he travelled to Fort William and asked Colonel Hill, the governor, to administer the required oath. Colonel Hill, however, demurred on the grounds that he was not authorized to receive the necessary oath. He instructed MacIain to proceed quickly to Inveraray to make his oath before Sir Colin Campbell, sheriff of Argyll. Colonel Hill gave MacIain a letter of protection and a letter to Sir Colin asking that he receive MacIain's oath since MacIain had come to Colonel Hill within the allotted time. Colonel Hill also reassured MacIain that no action would be taken against him without his having the opportunity to make his case before the king or the king's privy council. is the 336th day of the year (337th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // Events December 6 - King Charles VIII marries Anne de Bretagne, thus incorporating Brittany into the kingdom of France. ... // Fort William (Scots Gaelic: An Gearasdan, The Garrison) is the largest town in the west highlands of Scotland. ... Inveraray is a burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, located on the western shore of Loch Fyne near its head, and on the A83 road. ... There have been several notable people named Colin Campbell: For the Scottish soldier, see Colin Campbell, 1st Baron Clyde For the Governor of Nova Scotia, see Colin Campbell (politician) For the Scottish Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nottingham, see Colin Campbell (academic) For the oil industry analyst, see Colin... Look up Sheriff in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Argyll, archaically Argyle (Airthir-Ghaidheal in Gaelic, translated as [the] East Gael, or [the] East Irish), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a traditional county of Scotland. ...

It took MacIain three days to reach Inveraray, partly due to winter weather, partly due to him being detained for a day at Balcardine Castle by the 1st company of the Earl of Argyll's Regiment of Foot, at the command of Captain Drummond, ensuring his lateness. On arrival at Inveraray, he was forced to wait for three days for the arrival of Sir Colin who was absent, spending the New Year with his family across Loch Fyne. Upon his return, Sir Colin reluctantly accepted MacIain's oath. The Earl of Argylls Regiment of Foot was a 17th Century Scottish infantry regiment, raised from the men of Argyll, and based at Fort William. ... Loch Fyne is a sea loch on the west coast of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. ...

While MacIain was satisfied that he had satisfied the spirit of the required oath, and therefore did not anticipate any action against himself or his people, some elements within the government saw an opportunity to use his failure to fulfil the letter of the requirement (by missing the deadline) to at one stroke make an example of the MacDonalds and simultaneously eliminate some enemies.

The massacre

A plot was set in motion which apparently involved John Dalrymple, Master of Stair and Lord Advocate, Sir Thomas Livingstone, commander of the forces in Scotland, and even King William, who signed and countersigned the orders. John Dalrymple (born 1648 - died January 8, 1707) was a Scottish noble who played a key role in the 1707 Act of Union between Scotland and England that created the Kingdom of Great Britain. ... Thomas Livingston (alternatively, Thomas de Levinstone or Thomas Livingstone) was a fifteenth century Scottish cleric and diplomat, delegate at the Council of Basel and advisor to Kings James I and James II of Scotland. ... William III King of England, Scotland and Ireland William III and II (14 November 1650–8 March 1702; also known as William Henry and William of Orange) was Prince of Orange from his birth, King of England and Ireland from 13 February 1689, and King of Scotland from 11...

In late January or early February 1692, the first and second companies of the Earl of Argyll's Regiment of Foot, around 120 men, under the command of Captain Robert Campbell were billeted on the MacDonalds in Glencoe, who received them in the hospitable tradition of the Highlands. Most of the regiment was recruited from the Argyll estates, but only a minority actually bore the Campbell name. Others, including many of the officers, came from the Lowlands. Captain Campbell was related by marriage to old MacIain himself and so it was natural that he should be billeted at the Chief's own house. Each morning for about two weeks, Captain Campbell visited the home of Alexander MacDonald, MacIain's youngest son, who was married to Campbell's niece, the sister of Rob Roy MacGregor. At this stage, it is not clear that Campbell knew the nature of their mission - ostensibly the purpose of collecting the Cess tax, instituted by the Scots Parliament in 1690. The planning was meticulous enough that they were able to produce legitimate orders to this effect from the very Colonel Hill who had tried to help MacIain complete his oath in the first place, thus dispelling any suspicion the MacDonalds might have felt, although it was also Colonel Hill who issued the orders to begin the massacre two weeks later. Events February 13 - Massacre of Glencoe March 1 - The Salem witch trials begin in Salem Village, Massachusetts Bay Colony with the charging of three women with witchcraft. ... Robert Campbell of Glenlyon Robert Campbell, 5th Laird of Glenlyon (b. ... A billet is the place to which a person, generally a soldier, is assigned to sleep. ... Robert Roy MacGregor, usually known simply as Rob Roy, was a Scottish folk hero and outlaw of the 18th century. ... The parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the independent Kingdom of Scotland. ... Events Giovanni Domenico Cassini observes differential rotation within Jupiters atmosphere. ...

On 12 February 1692, Captain Drummond arrived. Due to his role in ensuring MacIain was late in giving his oath, Drummond would not have been welcomed. As Drummond was captain of the grenadiers, the 1st company of the regiment, he was the ranking officer, yet did not take command. Drummond was bearing the following instructions for Robert Campbell, from his superior officer, a Major Duncanson. February 12 is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events February 13 - Massacre of Glencoe March 1 - The Salem witch trials begin in Salem Village, Massachusetts Bay Colony with the charging of three women with witchcraft. ...

Facsimile of orders given to Capt. Robert Campbell by Major Duncanson

He spent the evening playing cards with his unsuspecting victims and upon retiring, wished them goodnight and accepted an invitation to dine with MacIain, the chief, the following day. Download high resolution version (946x997, 311 KB)Orders given to Capt. ... Download high resolution version (946x997, 311 KB)Orders given to Capt. ...

Alastair MacIain was killed while trying to rise from his bed by Lt Lindsay and Ensign Lundie but his sons escaped as initially did his wife. In all, 38 men were murdered either in their homes or as they tried to flee the glen. Another 40 women and children died of exposure after their homes were burned. Elsewhere, various members of the two companies found ways of warning their hosts. Some took insubordination further – two lieutenants, Lt Francis Farquhar and Lt Gilbert Kennedy broke their swords rather than carry out their orders. They were arrested and imprisoned, but were exonerated, released and later gave evidence for the prosecution against their superior officers. The Earl of Argylls Regiment of Foot was a 17th Century Scottish infantry regiment, raised from the men of Argyll, and based at Fort William. ... The Earl of Argylls Regiment of Foot was a 17th Century Scottish infantry regiment, raised from the men of Argyll, and based at Fort William. ...

In addition to the soldiers who were actually in Glencoe that night, two other detachments each of four hundred men were, according to the plan, to have converged on the escape routes. Both were late in taking up their positions. It is possible that the snowstorm made arrival on time quite difficult – especially for those approaching over the Devil's Staircase from Kinlochleven; it is equally possible that they simply did not want to play any part in what they knew to be a heinous crime. In mathematics, a devils staircase is any function f(x) defined on the interval [a, b] that has the following properties: f(x) is continuous on [a, b]. there exists a set N of measure 0 such that for all x outside of N the derivative f′(x) exists... Kinlochleven is a village in Scotland and lies at the eastern end of Loch Leven, a sea loch cutting into the western Scottish Highlands. ...

Inquiry

Under Scots law there was a special category of murder known as "murder under trust" which was considered to be even more heinous than ordinary murder. The Glencoe massacre was a clear example of such.

Though the command of superior officers be very absolute, yet no command against the laws of nature is binding; so that a soldier, retaining his commission, ought to refuse to execute any barbarity, as if a soldier should be commanded to shoot a man passing by inoffensively, upon the street, no such command would exempt him from the punishment of murder.

The challenge to the inquiry which had been established was to apportion blame on those responsible for the massacre, and yet the orders which led to the massacre were signed by the King himself, who could not be seen to be responsible.

The scandal was further enhanced when the leading Scottish jurist Sir John Lauder, Lord Fountainhall was, in 1692, offered the post of Lord Advocate but declined it because the condition was attached that he should not prosecute the persons implicated in the Glencoe Massacre. Sir George Mackenzie, who had been Lord Advocate under king Charles II, also refused to concur in this partial application of the penal laws, and his refusal (unlike Fountainhall's) led to his temporary disgrace. Sir John Lauder of Fountainhall, Lord Fountainhall, 2nd Baronet, was baptised 2 August 1646 and died 20 September 1722, both at Edinburgh, the eldest son by his second marriage of Sir John Lauder, 1st Baronet, whom he succeeded after much acrimony. ... Her Majestys Advocate, known as the Lord Advocate (Morair Tagraidh in Scottish Gaelic) is the chief legal adviser to the Scottish Executive and the Crown in Scotland for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved powers of the Scottish Parliament. ... Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. ...

By 1695, the Argyll Regiment had surrendered to the French in Flanders, putting Campbell, Drummond and Duncanson beyond the reach of Scots law. The conclusion of the commission was to exonerate the King and to place the blame for the massacre upon Secretary Dalrymple. The Scottish Parliament, after reviewing the commission report, declared the execution of the MacDonald men to have been murder and delegated the "committee for the security of the kingdom" to prepare an address to the king which included recommendations for the punishment of the perpetrators of the plot and compensation to be paid to the surviving MacDonalds. As far as is known, these recommendations were never acted upon except for the imprisonment of John Campbell Earl of Breadalbane for a few days in Edinburgh castle on a charge of high treason because he had been involved in secret talks with the Jacobite chiefs. For other uses, see Flanders (disambiguation). ... The title Earl of Breadalbane and Holland was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1681 for John Campbell, 1st Earl of Caithness, who resigned the Earldom of Caithness in favour of George Sinclair in exchange for the new Earldom. ... For other uses, see Edinburgh (disambiguation). ...

Aftermath

The SRSM's commemoration of the Massacre

The Glencoe massacre became a propaganda piece for Jacobite sympathies which were to come to a head in the next generation in the Rising of 1745. In the Victorian era interest was revived and the massacre was romanticised in art and literature, such as Sir Walter Scott's "The Highland Widow". More recently Glencoe found mention in David Clement-Davies's "Fire Bringer," in which the region is referred to as the "Valley Of Weeping." Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 618 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Commemoration at Glencoe massacre memorial I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 618 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Commemoration at Glencoe massacre memorial I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Queen Victoria (shown here on the morning of her accession to the Throne, 20 June 1837) gave her name to the historic era The Victorian era of the United Kingdom marked the height of the British Industrial Revolution and the apex of the British Empire. ... For the first Premier of Saskatchewan see Thomas Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott (August 14, 1771 - September 21, 1832) was a prolific Scottish historical novelist and poet popular throughout Europe. ... David Clement-Davies (1964–) is a British writer of fantasy fiction. ...

Due to the involvement of Argyll's regiment under Glenlyon's command, the massacre was regarded not as a government action, but as a consequence of the ancient MacDonald - Campbell rivalry. Memory of this massacre has been kept alive by continued ill feeling between MacDonalds and Campbells — since the late 20th century the Clachaig Inn, a hotel and pub in Glencoe popular with climbers, has had a sign on its door saying "No Hawkers or Campbells". The Clachaig Inn is a famous hotel and pub in Glen Coe, Scotland. ...

Each year, on the 13th February, the Clan Donald Society of Edinburgh arranges an annual wreath laying ceremony at the memorial to the Massacre of Glencoe. Clansmen from Clan Donald, from across the world, attend the ceremony, along with local people. The memorial is situated in the village of Glencoe, about 200 metres (yards) from where the road through the village crosses the River Coe.

The Scottish Republican Socialist Movement, also run a commemoration, on the Sunday closest to the anniversary. This is often attended by members of other groups, including Siol nan Gaidheal, na Fir Dileas etc [1]. This has been running annually for several decades. The Scottish Republican Socialist Party (SRSP) was a political party operating in Scotland. ... SnG members destroy a Union Jack at a flag burning. ...

Ultimately, it has to be said that stories of ancient clan rivalries have only obscured the real horror of Glencoe. It was an act of official policy, conceived by a Secretary of State for Scotland, executed by a Scottish commander-in-chief, approved by the King, and carried out by a regiment in the British Army. Indeed, the Argyll Regiment was deliberately chosen by Dalrymple because he knew how their involvement would be perceived. Lowlanders, like Dalrymple, had oft expressed hatred of Highland 'barbarians'. At Glencoe this hatred finally acquired a murderous form.

Two brothers escaped to Ireland and changed their name to McKern or MacKern. Descendants moved to Argentina and Australia when the potato famine struck around 1850. Australian descendants include the late actor Leo McKern ^{[citation needed]}. For the game, see: 1850 (board game) 1850 (MDCCCL) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday [1] of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Image:Number Two. ...

References

• Prebble, John, Glencoe: The Story of the Massacre, Penguin Books 1972, ISBN 0-14-002897-8

External links

• BBC - History - Massacre of Glencoe 1692 Brief account of the massacre.
• Massacre of Glencoe 1692 Brief account of the massacre which ascribes ultimate blame to King William.
• Glen Coe Massacre Detailed account of the events leading up to the massacre and the massacre itself.
• The Massacre of Glencoe Very detailed account of the plot and massacre.
• Leo McKern's family tree Extract from "Just Resting" Leo McKern's autobiography.