Reply With QuoteTrue Homage to the Real Jacobite
By Kelly d Whittaker
I had the honour to meet a modern day Jacobite through my mother and Facebook. I have written stories for Electric Scotland since 1999. Three of my most popular works have been used by various writers and reprinted in newspapers across the world. I wanted to write about modern day Jacobites because most of my ancestors were real Jacobites who were transported to the colonies and sold into white slavery or had actually died at the various battles and their children and families were transported as indentured servants. My research actually brought me an email about a story named Jacobite Uprising written 23 August 2009. This story was based on a Company or LTD who supports itself by getting members to be Jacobite re-enactors. The group was not a not for profit group who represents Scotland and pays homage to their patriots but one who profits from circumstances surrounding the 45. The group’s aloofness to the real Jacobites dishearten me deeply.
One of my ancestors was Alexander Stewart the footman to Bonnie Prince Charles and carried the silver flask. My other ancestors were, Wilson, Stephenson, Robertson, Bell, Warriner, Hogg, McWilliams and Maxwell. There are many more I can mention but for the purpose of this story, I will concentrate on Alexander or Sanders. Sanders was first a cadet to Lord George Murray. He was a protestant and spelt his family name Stewart even though the Lyon in Mourning clearly states Stewart was a relative to Prince Charles Edward Stuart.
A short clip from the Lyon in Mourning,”, for if he had known the truth before, I had gone to the Castle and gotten my fate of the gallows with the rest.”
Alexander writes in his account of 88 Jacobites sold into slavery.
“So as I told you before,Captain Holms acquanted all the gentlemen of three or four counties of the province of Maryland to attend on board the day of the sale which hapned on the 22nd of July 1747 after the ship came to an ancor at Wecomica in St. Mary's Conty Maryland which all the following gentlemen did atend: Jestinian Wharton, Mr Edward Digs, Mr John and Joseph Lancasters and Mr. Thomson all of St Marys countie and Mr. William Digs commissioned by a great many more gentlemen out of Prince Georges countie Maryland, who bought all 88 that was aboarde our shipe except three or four that went with two of the common buckskins, them that are born in the countrie, for so they are called..Doctor Stewart and his brother, William, both living in Annopolis and both brothers to David Steward of Ballachalun in Montieth,
Scotland who were all my loyal masters friends and paid the nine pound shilings sterling money that was my price when sold to Mr. Benedict Callvert in Ananopolis who is a verie pretie fellow and one who hade my being set at libertied at heart as much as any man in the province.”
Those who believed in a Stuart monarch were killed, burnt in barns, hung in the gallows or transported into white slavery. This was not all; the records to those of the Stewart families close enough to make a claim to the thrown were hidden before they could be destroyed.
The ancient bloodlines were not quashed, they survived in the New Worlds yet to some, they are just ‘wanna be’ Scots. My grandfather’s DNA was done and matches other Darnley Stuarts. As a daughter of the 45, I want to see sincere homage paid to all who suffered in Scotland’s turmoil. Let’s work together to give Scotland back what is Scotland’s!
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