Clanranald

“ Though the extreme rashness of young Clanranald and his friends, in thus exposing themselves to almost inevitable destruction, be quite inexcusable on the score of sober reason, yet it is impossible not to admire the daring intrepidity of the men, who, at the call of a friendless and unprotected youth, could commit themselves in a struggle with the government even before they had ascertained that a single clan, except their own, would join. ”

“ During Miss MacDonald's stay at Clanranald's house, which was till the Friday, June 27th, O'Neil went several times betwixt [fol. 526.] the Prince and Miss, in which interval another scheme was proposed, that the Prince should go under the care of a gentleman to the northward, [241] but that failing them, they behoved to have recourse to that agreed upon before; and accordingly Lady Clanranald, one Mrs. MacDonald, O'Neil, Miss Flora MacDonald, and her servant, Neil MacKechan, went to the place where the Prince was, being about eight Scotch miles. ”

“ The father, a man of great physical strength and endurance, belonged to a cadet branch of the family of Clanranald, and maintained the spiritual direction of his wide mountain parish long after his deposition from his living as a nonjuror in 1697. The poet was intended by his father for holy orders, and by his chief, Allan Macdonald (d 1715) , twelfth of Clanranald, for the law, and, apparently with the assistance of the latter, attended several terms at Glasgow University. ”

“ The Clanranald Macdonalds of Garmoran are descended from Ranald, younger son of John, first Lord of the Isles, by his first wife, Amy, heiress of the MacRorys or Macruaries of Garmoran. In 1373 he received a grant of the North Isles, Garmoran, and other lands, to be held of John, Lord of the Isles, and his heirs. His descendants comprehended the families of Moydart, Morar, Knoydart, and Glengarry, and came in time to form the most numerous tribe of the Clandonald. ”

“ But it is to be observed that previous to the parting with old Clanranald it was thought advisable to advertise the whole company they should give out among the Lews people that his royal highness, Colonel O'Sullivan, Captain Allan MacDonald, and O'Neille were the captain, mate, boatswain, etc., of a merchant ship shipwreckt at the Isle of Tiry, and being straitned how to get home to their native country, the Orkneys, came to Uist, where Clanranald's brother, [fol. 583.] ”

“ Then welcome be Cumberland's steed to the shock!
Let him dash his proud foam like a wave on the rock!
But we to his kindred, and we to his cause,
When Albyn her claymore indignantly draws;
When her bonneted chieftains to victory crowd,
Clanranald the dauntless, and Moray the proud;
All plaided and plumed in their tartan array——
Seer.——Lochiel! Lochiel! beware of the day!
For, dark and despairing, my sight I may seal,
But man cannot cover what God would reveal.
'Tis the sunset of life gives me mystical lore,
And coming events cast their shadows before. ”

“ During the whole of the 15th century the Clanranald had been engaged in feuds regarding the lands of Garmoran and Uist; first, with the Siol Gorrie, or race of Godfrey, eldest brother of Ranald, the founder of the tribe, and afterwards with the Macdonalds or Clanhuistein of Sleat, and it was not till 1506, that they succeeded in acquiring a legal title to the disputed lands. ”

“ He is said even to have entertained thoughts of again assembling his scattered forces, and acting on the defensive. He sent a few men, with whom Clanranald had supplied him, on all sides to obtain intelligence, but they learned nothing favourable; and accounts which he received from the Isle of Skye, that Lord Loudon was about to come over immediately to the coast of Arisaig, joined to a report, which, however, turned out to be false, that a detachment of the Duke of Cumberland’s army had already reached Fort Augustus, hastened his departure from the mainland. ”

“ As to the several parts of the above sentence particular questions were asked at Malcolm MacLeod, and in his answers he gave a plain account of Boisdale's conduct, both before and after the Prince's distress, and particularly mentioned what number of men Clanranald might be reckoned to have in the Isles. Both the Captain and James MacDonald, joiner (in [fol. 258.] whose house this Journal was given) , agreed in affirming that Clanranald had in the Isles four or five hundred good men, and upon the continent three hundred. ”

“ But her woman's heart, however timid it might be at Clanranald's castle, was touched, when she beheld the Prince; and compassion, from which spring the noblest resolves, inspired her to exertion.
As the Prince, attended by O'Neil, drew near to the hut belonging to Angus Macdonald, the latter quitted Charles, and went aside, with a design to inform himself whether the independent companies of militia were to pass that way, or not, on the following day, as he had been informed. Such, at least, was his pretext; but he had an appointment with Flora Macdonald, who was awaiting him near the hut. ”

“ Early upon the 20th his royal highness got up and went straight to Arisaig to a town called Glenbiastill, where the Prince got a sute of new Highland cloaths from Angus MacDonald of Boradale's spouse, the better to disguise him and to make him pass for one of the country. At Glenbiastill the few gentlemen (that happened to come home from that unlucky battle of Culloden) of Clanranald's men assembled about the Prince, in order to consult and lay their schemes for [fol. 580.] his present and future safety, being convinced that the enemy would probably soon be about them if not resisted. ”

“ Kinlochmoidart’s family was deeply implicated in the Rising. Four of his brothers served in Clanranald’s regiment: John, a doctor of medicine, who was one of Ferguson’s victims in the Furness; he afterwards returned to Moidart; Ranald, whose chivalrous championship of the Prince’s cause, gave the first note of enthusiasm to the adventure (Home, Hist. Reb., p. 39) ; Allan, who fled to France and perished in the Revolution; James, who was captured at Culloden, but escaped; he was exempted from the general pardon, and is supposed to have gone to America. ”

“ The Frasers and young Clanranald appeared, and they were attacked by their wily foe. The combat was fearfully bloody and fatal. It is said that no more than six of Lovat’s party escaped, and not triple that number of their enemies—Ranald, unquestionably the lawful representative of the family, fell covered with wounds, after having given proof that he was possessed of the greatest bravery; and his memory is to this day respected even among the descendants of those who destroyed him. John of Moidart obtained possession of the whole estate, and led a very turbulent life. ”

“ Upwards of fifteen hundred militia and some regular troops were landed in different parts of the island, and a guard was posted at every ferry in the archipelago to prevent any person from getting out of it without a passport. Charles was made aware of his danger; but he declined to leave the Long island till he should receive some farther intelligence, which Clanranald endeavoured to obtain by crossing over to the mainland. At length the peril of Charles became so imminent, that there appeared no possibility of an escape. He had already spent three weeks in South Uist ”

“ Having thus given her consent to O’Neil’s proposal, Miss Macdonald instantly proceeded to Clanranald’s house to procure the necessary requisites for the intended voyage to Skye. In crossing one of the fords on her way to Ormaclade, she and her man-servant, Neil Mac Eachan, [1248] not having passports, were taken prisoners by a party of militia, and, being detained till next morning, were brought before the commanding officer, who luckily turned out to be her own step-father, Captain Hugh Macdonald. ”

“ After his withdrawal from Ireland, Clanricarde resided at his seat at Somerhill, Kent, where he died in July 1657, and was buried at Tunbridge. Having left no direct male heir, Clanricarde's title devolved upon his cousin Richard, eldest son of his uncle William, who became sixth earl of Clanricarde under Charles II. Clanricarde was eulogised for his loyalty by his contemporary Clarendon, and by Carte. A different estimate of the acts and character of Clanricarde was entertained by a large proportion of the Irish royalists. ”

“ During the movements which commenced in Ireland in 1641, Clanricarde resided chiefly at his castle at Portumna in the county of Galway, and maintained communication with the administrators of the government at Dublin, some of whom were believed by the Irish to be in the interests of those in England adverse to Charles I. Clanricarde did not join the Irish confederation, of which his heir and several of his relatives were members. Many of the Irish confederates doubted the sincerity of Clanricarde's professions of loyalty to the crown. ”

“ On the outbreak of the Irish rebellion Clanricarde had powerful inducements for joining the Irish—the ancient greatness and independence of his family, his devotion to the Roman Catholic Church, and strongest of all, the ungrateful treatment meted out by Charles I. and Wentworth to his father, one of Elizabeth’s most stanch adherents in Ireland, whose lands were appropriated by the crown and whose death, it was popularly asserted, was hastened by the harshness of the lord-lieutenant. ”

“ Betty and her escort stood back to escape the mud from the kennel as it passed.
The news of Spencer’s despicable act and of Clancarty’s arrest had been spread over the town by the young men at Secretary Vernon’s dinner. When his grace saw Lady Clancarty afoot at that early hour, therefore, he ordered his coach to stop and descended with great dignity.
She did not wait for him to speak, running up to him with an eager face.
“My lord, my lord,” she cried, “I claim your promise at Newmarket. You will help me save my Lord Clancarty.” ”

“ Clancy, as he had introduced himself, shot up the roller shade, peered out into the courtyard, yanked the shade down again with a callous jerk that almost tore it from its fastenings, and strode over toward the easel, contemptuously kicking a chair that happened to be in his way over onto the floor. Reaching the easel he picked up the canvas that rested upon it, stared at it for a moment—and with a grunt of disdain flung it away from him to the ground. ”

“ Denis had covered his retreat with more skill than Sir Edward had looked for. If the truth be told, the Irishman was no new hand at the business and he understood it well, having followed Lord Clancarty in his adventurous life, from Dublin, and later in a wild career on the Continent when the gay young nobleman had kept pace with his fellow exiles of high birth and slim purses, but unlimited daring. ”

“ Trevor’ really was, though he doesn’t admit it. But I believe she divined it at once. Clancarty has a history,” his grace went on; “he was bred a Protestant, but when he went back to Ireland, in the late king’s time, he fell in with Papist kinsfolk and it served his turn at court to be a Papist, so my young lord turned his coat; a wild rogue, sir, let me tell you, yet this young girl loves him! He sat in the Celtic Parliament at King’s Inns,—a very pretty recommendation to King William,—he commanded a regiment in King James’s army and was taken by Marlborough, but succeeded in getting off. ”

“ Lord Clancarty’s family were for a long period highly respected land-proprietors in County Galway, and at the great cattle fair of Ballinasloe; but never were remarkable for any profusion of talent. His lordship’s father, usually called Billy Trench of Ballinasloe, was a nice dapper little man, wore tight clean leather-breeches, and was very like the late Lord Clanwilliam, of amorous memory. He was extremely popular among all classes.
The present peer was called to the Irish bar.—Most men are found to have some predominant quality when it is properly drawn forth ”

“ Deep in the trench of the valley two men stationed the Post, Seymour and Clancy the reckless, fresh from the long patrol; Seymour, the sergeant, and Clancy—Clancy who made his boast He could cinch like a bronco the Northland, and cling to the prongs of the Pole. Two lone men on detachment, standing for law on the trail; Undismayed in the vastness, wise with the wisdom of old— Out of the night hailed a half-breed telling a pitiful tale, "White man starving and crazy on the banks of the Nordenscold." Up sprang the red-haired Clancy, lean and eager of eye ”

“ Tuesday.—For awhile last night, whilst Lansdowne speaking, Clanricarde sat on rear Cross Bench immediately in front of Bar where mere Commoners are permitted to stand. Amongst them at this moment were Tim Healy, O'Brien, and Sexton, leaning over rail to catch Lansdowne's remarks. Before them, almost within hand reach, certainly approachable at arm's length with a good shillalegh, was the bald pate of the man who, from some points of view, is The Irish Question. Clanricarde sat long unconscious of the proximity. ”

“ In the meantime soldiers both from the fleet and the fort ravaged the coast, many men and some women were killed, and Clanricarde had the pleasure of seeing his tenants’ houses burning. Forbes propounded large schemes of conquest with the aid of the Scots army in Ulster, over the impracticability of which Ranelagh and Clanricarde had a good laugh together. The President tried to persuade Forbes to go to Sligo, or to Tralee, whence help might be given from [Pg 41] the sea, but he preferred to press Clanricarde to admit his garrison to Tirellan. ”