John L. Roberts. Clan, King and Covenant: History of the Highland Clans from the Civil War to the Glencoe Massacre. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2000. xii + 258 pp. $23.00, paper, ISBN 978-0-7486-1393-9. Reviewed by Edward M. Furgol Published on H-Albion (May, 2001) Roberts has written a good derivative history with Roman Catholic or Episcopalian royalists. He of the Highland clans involvement in Scotland's continually refers to the Presbyterian clans, such national affairs in the seventeenth century. Start‐ as the Campbells, Munroes, and Sutherlands. He ing with James VI's attempts to transform the notes how personality issues prevented the Gor‐ clans into a productive and orderly part of the dons and their allies from frst assisting Montrose kingdom, he continues the study through the frst in the 1640s, and then viscount Dundee in 1689. Jacobite rebellion. Roberts' work depends upon However, he concentrates his attention on royal‐ the works of historians such as Stevenson, Cowan, ist clans (a familiar leitmotiv when writing about Dow, Lenman, Hopkins, and Macinnes.[1] He re‐ the Highlands in the 1600s and 1700s)--for exam‐ lies on previous studies even for his primary ple, the various branches of Clan Donald and the sources. The work is a synthesis with few original Macleans. The maneuverings of the Camerons (ac‐ observations, but should not be ignored for that cording to Macinnes a pro-Campbell clan located reason since so few works of merit exist for the in the midst of anti-Campbell ones) is somewhat Highlands. lost in the account. Equally, the author tends to fo‐ Roberts proceeds chronologically from 1609 cus on the clans of Lochaber and Badenoch (home until 1692 with some additional material at either to the adherents of Montrose and Dundee) to the end. His accounts of the leaders of the mid-seven‐ neglect of others. That concentration is acceptable teenth century--Argyll, Huntly, Montrose, and given the restrictions in length and those clans' Alasdair MacDonald--closely follow his predeces‐ contributions to the more dramatic actions of the sors. However, his writing style makes the story of period. royalist resurgence under Montrose and Alasdair The book consists of fourteen chapters that accessible to non-academics and undergraduates. clump into six coherent sections. The frst section Unlike previous Highland clan historians, Roberts (chapters one-three) introduces the shift in gov‐ avoids the error of correlating Gaelic speakers ernment policy (James VI's) and details the back‐ H-Net Reviews ground to the savage warfare that erupted in the real security menace following their victory in Highlands in 1644. Roberts explains how the September 1645, but one they could control. union of crowns allowed the king to implement The third (chapter eight) and fourth (chapters his long-desired policy of integration of the "bar‐ nine-ten) sections bring the story of the Highland barous" Highlands into the "civilized" Lowlands. clans from summer 1650 through March 1689. However, he tends to read too much into the ef‐ The frst portion details the service of the clans in fectiveness of the Statues of Iona. Of equivalent, if the Scottish regular army in 1651, their part in not greater, importance for the dynamics of the Glencairn's rising (1652-54), and how they inter‐ western Highlands were the decline of Clan Don‐ acted with the Protectorate regime. Roberts pro‐ ald and the establishment of part of the clan in Ul‐ vides a straightforward account of how disastrous ster accompanied by the aggrandizement of the service with army was for the clans--the Campbells led by the earls of Argyll, which Buchanans, Macleans and Macleods, for instance, Roberts explains well. Likewise he gives sound suffered horrific losses at Inverkeithing and treatment to the outbreak of rebellion in Scotland Worcester. He explains how the MacDonalds and against Charles I. Chapters two and three detail Camerons sustained Glencairn's effort to raise the activities between 1639 and early 1644 when Scotland for the exiled Charles. Of equal impor‐ the ninth earl of Argyll held sway over much of tance is his discussion of how the English brought the Highlands south of Inverness, while the earls peace and order to the Highlands, while utilizing of Sutherland and Seaforth controlled the remain‐ the clans against each other. der--all in the cause of the National Covenant. Section four deals with the Restoration period The entire tone of the story changes in the in the Highlands. The chief themes addressed in it second section (comprising chapters four-seven) are the prosecution of the frst marquis and with the arrival of the Irish under Alasdair Mac‐ eighth earl of Argyll; the recovery of his son Donald and Montrose in Perthshire in late August (whose crushing burden of debt led to govern‐ 1644. Until the former's evacuation of Scotland in ment sanctioned campaigns against the June 1647 and the latter's execution in May 1650, Macleans). The campaign pitted Campbells versus they would shake the foundations of the covenan‐ a Maclean-MacDonald alliance from 1669 to 1681. ter state. Roberts ably retells the familiar story of Roberts also treats John Campbell of Glenorchy's how Montrose's presence as leader persuaded bid for the earldom of Caithness, the murder of clansmen, suspicious of the Roman Catholic Irish MacDonald of Keppoch and his brother, and the interlopers, to ally with the foreigners and win a last clan battle between a MacIntosh-government series of victories that left the covenanters pros‐ force and the MacDonalds and Camerons at Mul‐ trate in Scotland. Roberts makes a telling point roy in 1688. The return of disorder fomented by that Montrose's fear of losing leadership of the rapacious clans (MacGregors, Camerons, MacDon‐ militant Scottish royalists partially inspired his ac‐ alds of Glencoe and Keppoch), and cateran bands tions in 1644. This rivalry certainly adds another (unaffiliated brigands) exercised the Edinburgh element to the two men's feud. He continues the government throughout the period. The clans' story with defeats of Montrose (at Philiphaugh in support of the Stuart dynasty--service in the High‐ September 1645), and his inability to revive his land Host that occupied the Presbyterian south‐ fortunes due to Alasdair's concentration on ham‐ west in 1678 and the suppression of the ninth earl mering the Campbells, and the Gordons' refusal to of Argyll's (Whig) rising in 1685--also receive cov‐ assist their fellow royalist owing to Montrose's in‐ erage. By late 1688 the Highlands had returned to volvement in the arrest of Huntly in 1639. The a pattern of earlier in the century--endemic disor‐ royalist cause presented the covenanters with a 2 H-Net Reviews der and pockets of committed loyalty to the crown scoundrel Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat and a brief (especially among anti-Campbell clans--MacDon‐ conclusion on the royal succession and divisions alds and Macleans--and clients--Camerons). in Highland society. A much longer book would Section fve (chapters 11-13) deals with a dete‐ easily have taken the story through the '15, '19, '45 riorating situation of international complexity. and abolition of heritable jurisdictions. In effect Unlike 1660 or 1638 the situation in 1688 differed, we receive only part of the story of the struggle because the British context had become intrinsi‐ between the Stuarts and their Presbyterian oppo‐ cally entwined with great matters of European nents. Having reached the crescendo of Glencoe, politics--the struggle between Louis XIV of France Roberts sweeps crumbs together in way of con‐ and his enemies led by William of Orange, the cluding the book. His failure to discuss Jacobite stadtholder of the Netherlands. William's pres‐ plots, government efforts at imposing control (for ence in southern England with an army following instance, disarming acts, garrisons, military his invasion of November 1688 led to James VII roads, and patronage to clan chiefs), and innova‐ and II's fight; and to political conventions in Eng‐ tions in the economy--forestry, iron works--leaves land and Scotland and a civil war in Ireland. the reader unsure of what happened in the frst French interference in the last threatened to over‐ half of the eighteenth century. Perhaps the author turn William's plan of integrating the island king‐ is already contemplating a second book that will doms into his coalition and gave hope to John Gra‐ cover these matters as well as the later Jacobite ham, viscount Dundee and various Highland risings, and the impact of the abolition of herita‐ chiefs. Here Roberts is at his best (following Hop‐ ble jurisdictions. Such a volume would be a wel‐ kins) as he details the saga of Dundee's rising, Kil‐ come addition for the reading public. liecrankie, Dunkeld, and the end of war in Scot‐ The book possesses limited supporting mate‐ land. His account of the events leading to the mas‐ rial. The single map shows battle sites and little sacre of Glencoe and the atrocity itself covers just else. Those without a good internal geography of over ten percent of the book. Roberts adjudicates Scotland or an atlas at hand while reading the blame for the atrocity to a wide number--not only book may loose all sense of place. The absence of the dishonorable perpetrators, the cold fury of a map generally locating clans (as in the Scottish Dalrymple of Stair the younger, the guilt by denial Historical Atlas or Adams' book on clans) is also of Colonel Hill, the connivance of William II and regrettable. As a popular work the book lacks the III, the blind obedience of Lieutenant Colonel apparatus of scholarly footnotes. A bibliography Hamilton and Major Duncanson, but also the of book length secondary sources appears after greed of the Jacobites chiefs (that delayed negotia‐ the text.