^SMAINIHWV ;;ivj jo- j-jo-> n^ . _.. j&l __ ^1 cxf ^ «a* 1 VfT^ v!71 1 yrr —o^| - E ( /A , 7j ) 2 1 ir —fS -r1 -—if J O u_ _L>^ 1 -< A\Y « %i :/4 ^OF <<r ^ ji i yOK: vNl ^C ^^ ^„ >< l-JO^ %' . * j - -' P \ _^^F** x«—V ^ ^0AH - — r~ s 1 i< ^ I KEPPOCH SONG. 8 $oem t IN FIVE CANTOS: BEING THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF THE FAMILY, Alias Donato, Horn of tfje 3l$le0, Carried down to its Extinction, WITH A CONTINUATION OP THE FAMILY OP KEPPOCH; The whole combined with THE HISTORY OF SCOTLAND, With NOTES AND REFERENCES, And Concluding with an Analysis of the Scotch Acts of Parliament, relative to the Douglas Association; AND AN ADDRESS TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE REGENT, &c. &c. BT JOHN PAUL MACDONALD PRIVATE TEACHER IN STONEHAVEN. MONTROSE: Printed for the Author, at the Review Office, by James Watt, 1815. M \4h PREFACE A PREFACE to a book, particularly a new publication, is so common that k may be considered as necessary as a letter of introduction to a stranger; and is the more to be expected from me, who am a person in a humble station of life, and quite unknown to the literary world. I have no exterior advantage or appearance to recommend me, and must resign the following perform- ance to its fate. Perhaps, it may be acceptable to the reader to see the history of a family, whose name is spread all over the face of the earth, and from which so many families are des- cended, brought forward to his view, in re- gular or historical detail, and he may be led to sympathise with that unfortunate branch of it, the family of Keppoch, a fa- mily which never sold its honour, and which for ninety-nine years past, has been expos- ed to every species of depression and po- verty, from an attachment to principle, whether wrong or right, it is unnecessary now to examine. All 1 shall say on that topic is, that historians of the present day, when speaking of 1715 and 45, call 871013 iv PREFACE. them not rebellious, "but a family quarrel.'* The few remaining descendants of that fa- mily have suffered a far greater degree of hardship or punishment, than any other forfeited family, though I were not to take notice of the injustice of the crown, and a party in former ages; and it remains a subject of inquiry, why, thirty years ago, the property of all the forfeited families was restored, with the single exception of the lands of Keppoch, of which not the smallest notice was taken, though included in the same act of forfeiture and annexa- tion as those restored? The rights of suc- cession belongs to the writer's mother, now aged eighty-four years; but that poverty with which we have had to struggle, has hitherto precluded any application to the legislature; but that is no excuse for the crown. Though the property of the earl of Kil- marnock, and the greatest part of the pro- perty of Earl Marischal, was sold, yet the descendants of the family of Kilmarnock, enjoy pensions from the crown, and Earl Marischal obtained three thousand pounds of money, with one or more estates; and Lord Keith, by holding lucrative situations in the navy, has acquired a very large for- tune, with a renovation of titles. Other families, who had forfeited, were allowed to reside upon their lands, and as tenants PREFACE. v to the crown, or the trustees, to earn a sub- sistence; but the family of Keppoch was expelled its ancient patrimony and resi- dence, and has now suffered an exile of ninety-nine years, none pertaining to it hav- ing so much as seen the lands of their fore- fathers, until two months ago, that the wri- ter went there to make some inquiries. Perhaps, it may be thought by some, that I should have addressed myself to the right honourable the president, and the members of that very numerous and highly respectable body, the Highland Society, which may be considered as the Donald of the Isles of modern times. To this I beg leave to say, that I entertain sentiments of the highest respect for that society, and the purposes of its institution, and that no- thing but my circumstances prevent me from petitioning for admission as a member; but the case is still the same as at the battle of Harlaw for the earldom of Ross—the support of the right of a female, and I have addressed myself accordingly. I shall only add, that the following has been hastily wrote, and as there are rea- sons which compel me to wish for a speedy publication, so there is not time for revision. The writer, from a regard to truth, begs leave to say, that in the matter of the sur- render at Preston, he was misled by a wri- ter, who, he finds, is not correct. It ap. vi PREFACE. the pears, that after junction of the Scotch advanced body, with those of the north of England, it was debated, what they should next do; when it was resolved to march for Lancashire, on which a body of 500, or more, Highlanders left them, saying they would return, and take their chance in their own country. Macintosh of Borlum, as brigadier-ge- neral, commanded the Scotch that advan- ced, and surrendered after a skirmish; he afterwards made his escape out of New- gate. Those who left them might have been Keppoch's division, who, it is likely, had joined the main body, as it appears that, when after the battle of Sherifl-muir, " orders were given the troops to separate, the greater part marched to Dundee; and others, among whom, the lairds of Kep- poch, Lochiel, Glengary, Sir Donald Mac- donald, and many of the clans, by the way of Dunkeld." Prior to the breaking up, and separating, a council of war was held on the arrival of the ch , when, among other reasons given for that measure, it was " stated, the ch had a few days before, received a certain account that some of the chiefs of those who had appeared in arms, in favour of this undertaking, had wickedly entered into a conspiracy, not only to go over, and make their peace with the king of Great Britain, for so they now stiled PREFACE. vii him, but to make their peace at the ex- pence of their friends, and to seize upon the of the ch and deliver him person , up to the duke of Argyle. The marquis of Huntly, and the earl of Seaforth, were named as principals in the design." The ch very privately, in the night time, got on board a ship at Montrose, with Mar and some others. A letter dated from Ru- then in Badenoch, February 16, 1716, was " wrote to the duke of Argyle, stating: the many and great hardships we groan under since the late union, were not the least mo- tives of making us take arms: and, how- ever our judgments may have been mista- ken in the way of procuring redress, our in- tentions must, we think, be allowed to be honourable, and what became a people, who have for so many years preserved their independency:" also offering submission, " and concluding with, we are fond to make your grace the instrument of procuring our safety; and to owe you a favour, which will always oblige us to acknowledge our- selves, may it please your grace, your graces most humble and most obedient servants;" signed by D. Macdonald, Robertson, Alexander Mackenzie, Mack Donald, Douglas, Clan Ranald, Ja. Ogilvie, Alex- ander Gordon, Linlithgow, Southesk, Gre- gor of Glengile." The first signature is the Sir of Sleat, the fourth is that of Keppoch,. viii PREFACE. as chief of the name, and representing the Lord of the Isles, such being the old mode of his signature. The suspicion of an underhand agree- ment with his majesty of Great Britain, appears to have been well founded, for the answer of that letter, in as far as regarded Keppoch, was the apprehending of him, his brother, and many of his clan, their being sent to Perth, tried, and except him- self, transported, which qualified the duke of Gordon, and Macintosh, by the clan act, to seize their property, under their false pretence of superiority, having, perhaps given a sum of money to the king for his good will, such heing stated, in the Scotch acts of parliament to have been the case with James the Seventh, as to Argyle's for- feiture; and thus the duke of Gordon and Macintosh, acquired the property, heri- table and moveable of Keppoch, the one for the treason of his son, the other for the treason of his brother; and anno 1745, they played the same double game, and the duke acquired the property of Mamore for the treason of his brother, thus exciting rebellion by precept and example, seem- ingly by the concurrence of George the First and the Second who, past all doubt, thus rewarded them, whither they shared in the profits or not. Against such viola- tion of the national rights, against such in- famous and dishonest conduct, the writer hereby enters his most solemn protest. MACK DONALD. A KEPPOCH SONG. Canto ;ftrfit argument* Address to Ossian—Origin of the Family of the Isles—Con- tests with the Scots or Saxons—Donald Bane—The Danes invade Ireland—Fingal sails to its relief-—Returns—The Picts assisted.