F O R EW O R D Th e erectio n of a m o n um e n t at Scotc hfort to com m e m orate the arr ival of the first Sco tt ish Catho lic im m igran ts ar n n n t t hat dese rves m ore i n Pr in ce Edw d Isla d, is a e ve n i So losel is it o n ne te d w ith the b est t ha n pass in g o t c e . c y c c r i n s o Cath oli it in this ou n tr that it deserv es to t ad tio f c y C y , be n shri n in th e m em or o all w h o ar e im resse d w ith e ed y f , p the influ en ce the Catho lic Chu rch has ex e rcised in m ou ldin g s th v in th e destin ie of e Pro ce . Fo r th is r easo n th e Co m m ittee in char ge of the m atte r “ " de e m e d it adv isable to pu blish a M em or ial V o lu m e con ain in an a ou n t o the en tire ro eedin s a n d at the sam e t g cc f p c g , tim e sett in or th th e aim s an d as irat ion s r stalliz ed in g f p , c y the S o ttis h Catho li reu n ion o Ju l 19 th 1 92 2 c c f y . The v o lum e thus p resen ted t o the pu blic co n tain s in de tail h r he rst o tt is h ath e m i ra n ts It t e sto y of t fi Sc C o lic g . recoun ts the t ryin g circum stan ces that fo rce d th e m to leav e their n ati ve la n d a nd om e t o s eek h o m es in Pr in e Edw ard , c c Islan d It des ri bes th e on d it io n s the m et o n th eir arriv al . c c y an d the s ubsequ e nt trials an d diffic ulties they w ere fo rced to u n de r o The br i htest a e i n the v o l um e te lls o the her o g . g p g f is m an d dev o tedne ss o th e ear l M iss ion ar ies who with t f y , he on stan o liIar t rs stoo d at t he ir ost o dut and la bored c cy f y p f y . t o rese rv e the Fait h am id in r dib e ri at p c e l p v ion s . While the m o n um en t sta n din g at Sco tc hfort will speak t o the asser b o thi n s wr ou ht o r an d ou n tr this p y f g g f G od C y, little v ol ume will bear the sam e sto ry of dev ot e dneé s th rou gh o ut w ide r areas a n d to la r er n u m b ers This is the o b e t g . j c “ ” of the M em o rial V o lum e th is the wish of Th m m ittee e Co . r Cha lottet own , g l 9 32 . July th , 1 SCOTTISH CATHOLICS IN PRINCE EDWARD ISIA ND CHAPTER I Few events in the history of civilized nations compare in interest and pathos, with the attempt made in the middle of the eighteenth century by Prince Charles Edward Stuart, f to recover the throne o his ancestors . n From his landing in Scotland o July 2 3 rd 174 5 , till his h final escape into France , his pat way lay through so many vicissitudes of success and failure , of hope and despondency, that the story of those few months seem to belong to the f realm of romance, rather than to that o true history . e a One trait howev r, stands forth cle rly from the back ground of doubt and obscurity, and shines like a thread of gold throughout it all, and that is , the unswerving attach ment and loyalty of the Catholic Highlanders to the person of the unfortunate Prince. With only, little regard for con sequences , they flocked to his standard, on the memorable day when its waving folds blessed by Bishop M cDonald were flung out on the breeze at Glenfinnan . They pledged the ir wealth , their homes , their lives , to his cause . They were ready to go with him , to fight for him , aye and die f f or him with a tenacity o purpo se, that seemed begotten of of not calm reason but thoughtless infatuation . And e t d arly did they pay , for heir devotedness . Terrible indeed, was the retribution that followed their espousal of the Stuart cause and for years they were forced to pay the pen alty amid incalculable trials and sufferings . It is true that the Penal Laws had been in force in Scotland, for years prior to the coming of Prince Charlie ; s e but , with the lapse of time, they had lo t much of th ir fi well earlier severity, and it often happened , that of cials SCOTTI SH CATHOLICS IN PRINCE EDWARD ISLA ND o disp sed towards their Catholic countrymen, would allow a v of the l tter, inter als comparative peac e . But after Cullod ’ a was en s fatal day when the Stuart c use ruined forever, t he authorities laid dee per plans to harass the poor High landers , so that henceforth their existence became a verit able Egyptian bondage . Any leniency hitherto exercised in i of was o the adm nistration the Laws o l nger tolerated . ( n N ew te rm statu s , surpassing all fo er ones in ferocity, were a en cted, and orders went forth enj oining stricter vigilance l in dealing with the Catholic peop e . Nothing was left un done to make their lives miserable, and it would seem that the po licy of the day was nothing less than a plan well ou to thought t , glut the vengeance of the House of Hanover. “ According t o a mode rn writer : more than a thousand per m sons were transported fro the Country, the Highland e Clans were decimated and disp rsed, the Catholic Chape ls l destroyed, the Seminary at Sca an plundered and burned, Missals and Vestments publicly committed t o the flames , ‘ l er cut e s ri and Priests and peOp e p se d with mercile s gor. The vigilance of the authorities was directed in a special manner against the Bishop of the Highland District , Right Reverend M D n l ho wa d Hugh c o a d, w s force to flee the Country and spend some time in retire me nt in France . ( Geddes) e o fi e of Another circumstance , that add d t the dif culti s the times was the conduct of the Landlords, upon whose e n estates the Catholic people were settled. Th se la ded of gentry , taking the ir one from the Government the day , u treated their tenants with heartless severity, and purs ed ~ r el in their regard a po licy of petty persec ution, sca c y less trying than the iniquitous laws of the Country . Howsoever on matters stood with the poor tenant, his rent must b e paid ’ well or demand . Whether his crop yielded was a failure , d t whet her his circumstances were good or ba , the collec or “ neve r failed t o come t o his door insisting upon the pound ” or for of flesh , and threatening seizure eviction the luck l t o . less one , who found himse f unable meet his obligations Oft-times failure to pay the rent was hailed with undisguis who t o ed pleasure by the haughty proprietor, pretended 6 SCOTTI SH CATHOLICS IN PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND find therein some shadow of excuse fer proceeding to ex treme measures. Occasionally these evictions were carried out on a ge ne ral scale , and for no other reason than that t he L andlord would be able to unite a number of small hold ings in a park , which he could stock with game for the amuse ment of himself and his friends during the hunting season . One of the most heartless and bigoted of these landed Donal propri etors was Alexander Mc d of Boisdale, in the n i l Weste r Islands . Or ginally a Catholic, he gradually fe l n away from the Faith , mai ly through the influence of his no t wn wife, who was a Prote stant, and t conten with his o t cowardly pe rve rsion , he s rove by all me ans in his power to drag his tenantry with him , as if by abandoning their re ligion they would furnish him a quasi-j ustifaction of his own miserable weakness in that regard .