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13th January 1746 saw the Jacobite skirmish at Linlithgow.

Every year this crops up I spend time searching for more info on this event, and every year I end up just using the post as a prelude to the anniversary of The Battle of Falkirk in a few days time.

I did however find a great source with information on Isle of Skye Jacobites captured during the '45 it probably isn't good reading for many of you out there, but I can scour through the lists of names and pick out some interesting data, like Archibald MacLean.

Archie was captured on January 13th at Linlithgow, so must have been involved in the skirmish. He was imprisoned at Leith 20 January 1746, Edinburgh 7 February 1746 then at Carlisle 8 August 1746. Nothing more known of him so may have died as he does not appear on transportation lists.

Another Archie, just screams to me the archetypical Highland Scot from days gone by to me.

Archibald MacPherson was only 16 and only 4' 9" small, he is described as thick and pock pitted. He was captured at the surrender of Carlisle on 30 December 1745 and imprisoned at Carlisle, York Castle and Lincoln Castle. Transported to Antigua, 8 May 1747. On list of prisoners aboard the ‘Veteran’. ‘Veteran’ was captured near Antigua, 28 June 1747 by the 'Diamond' a Privateer and carried into Martinique on 30 June 1747. All prisoners aboard were released, I wonder what happened to the wee man.....

There were also many women among the prisoners, another Isle of Skye Jacobite was Ann MacKay. She was in Inverness in the house in which Robert Nairn and MacDonald of Belfinlay were put after they were brought in wounded from Culloden. She assisted in a plot laid by certain ladies to help Nairn escape. She was captured and imprisoned in Inverness Tolbooth and sentenced to be whipped through the town; but this was prevented through interest brought to bear on the military authorities. She was, however, for some time not

allowed to sit or lie down, in order to get her to confess the names of her associates. This she refused to do. After

some weeks she was released.

A number of clergy were also arrested during the Uprising, one was Rev. Alexander S. J. Cameron, from Strathglass

Regiment: Cameron of Lochiel's his prisoner record read

Rank: Chaplain

Prisoner no.: 313

Third son of John of Lochiel and brother of Cameron of Lochiel of the ‘45. He was a Jesuit Priest. It is not known what

part he took in the 1745 Rebellion.Taken prisoner at Morar, July 1746 and put on board HMS ‘Furnace’ where Captain Ferguson was ships Captain. He was not allowed a bed to lie on, except ships cables. He fell ill and Lord Albemarle ordered him to be put ashore. Ferguson refused to give him up without an order from the Duke of Newcastle. He also refused to allow any bedding or clothes to be supplied to him. Cameron died soon after HMS ‘Furnace’ arrived in the Thames.

Often when I am reading things like this it leads me to other information and before I know it I have several pages open going from one to the other gathering my information for posts, on this occasion I discovered a wee bit more on the Furnace and her Captain.....

Flora MacDonald had also been aboard the Furnace, the captain of the ship is said to have been known for his abuse of prisoners. One incident illustrating Ferguson's character was reported by Felix O'Neill a Jacobite captain in the Prince's service who had been captured shortly before Flora,

'I was … brought before Captain Ferguson, who used me with the barbarity of a pirate, stripped me, and had ordered me to be put in a rack, and whipped by his hangman, because I would not confess where I thought the Prince was. As I was just going to be whipped, being already stripped, Lieutenant McGaghan of the Scots Fusiliers, who commanded a party under Captain Ferguson, very generously opposed this barbarous usage, and coming out with drawn sword, threatened Captain Ferguson that he would sacrifice himself and his detachment rather than see an officer used after such an infamous manner'.

During his search for Bonnie Prince Charlie, Ferguson had seized an instrument of torture known as 'the Barisdale' after MacDonald of Barisdale its inventor. Despite the belief, widely held even today, that no-one in the Highlands and Islands would give any information to the authorities about Prince Charles’ movements, fairly soon after Flora's and the Prince’s journey to Skye, the authorities knew all about it. About the 6th of July Ferguson captured one Lachlan MacMhurrich in Benbecula, who 'Being immediately put into Barisdale, confessed that the Younge Pretender left South Uist Satturday the 28th of last month. That he was gone to Trotness [Trotternish] a place in Skye.' Several other prisoners were also taken and made to confess, so that within two weeks of arriving in Skye her part in the escape was known and she was arrested.

Although Flora was to be imprisoned aboard Ferguson's ship, the Furnace, General John Campbell of Mamore, the officer in charge of the search for the Prince, ordered that Flora 'be used with the utmost respect'. It was to Campbell that Flora told her story in Applecross Bay on the 12th of July 1746.

The pic shows a list of Jacobite slaves exported to the West Indies. Note that many on this list are from East & N.E. Scotland and England. Most of the Highlanders appear to be Roman Catholics from Inverness Shire. Most of them would be Catholics and Episcopalians.

This was flagged up on one of the sites I use regularly but I can find no more about the "Skirmish, I did however find a great source with information on Isle of Skye Jacobites captured during the '45 it probably isn't good reading for many of you out there, but I can scour through the lists of names and pick out some interesting data, like Archibald MacLean.