The Castle of Dumbarton is one of the Scottish fortresses for the
maintenance of which special provision was made in the Treaty of Union.
In its case, however, little more than the mere letter of the law has
been observed. For years past its sole garrison has consisted of a
caretaker; and, in so far as any practical purpose is concerned, it has
ceased to be a stronghold at all. But, though no longer possessing any
military importance, the old "Fort of the Britons" is still interesting
and noteworthy for the part that it played, through so many centuries,
in the national history.
There is no evidence to prove that the wall built across the country by
the Roman invaders extended quite as far as Dumbarton. It cannot be
supposed, however, that they ignored the strategic importance of the
Rock, and failed to occupy a position which was practically the key to
the West of Scotland. As to the existence of a fort during the period
that followed the evacuation of Britain by the Romans, there can be no
doubt. The Welsh chronicles refer to it under the name of Alclud, or
Alcluid, that is, "the Rock of the Clyde". Further, it is recorded in
the _Historia Britonum_ "that, as the result of a battle fought between
the Britons and the sons of Ida, in 573, the greater part of the North
Country fell into the hands of a king called Ryderchen, who chose as his
seat the stronghold known to the Gaels by the name of Dunbraton," or the
fort of the Britons--the original form of the modern Dumbarton. In
confirmation of this sixth-century occupation of the Rock, there is a
passage in the life of Columba where Adamnan states that the saint was
consulted by King Rodorcus, son of Totail, who reigned on the Rock of
the Clyde.[234] Under the date of 870, the _Annals of Ulster_ and other
Irish chronicles record that the Norse leaders Amlaiph and Imhar laid
siege to Strathclyde, in Britain. Besides cutting off all provisions,
they were able to draw off, "in a wonderful manner", the water of the
well within the fortress. By reducing the defenders to such a state of
weakness that they could not repulse their assailants, hunger and thirst
gave the Norsemen possession of the fortress.[235]
At the time of the dispute between Bruce and Baliol, the Castle of
Dumbarton was in the keeping of Nicholas de Segrave. By virtue of the
right that he claimed as feudal superior, Edward I commanded the
fortress to be handed over to the competitor in whose favour he had
pronounced. It was not till 1296, however, that the English King was
able to enforce his order, and to appoint a Governor of his own
choosing. This was Alexander de Ledes, whom he also made Sheriff of the
County. De Ledes was succeeded by Sir John Menteith, who earned an
unenviable notoriety by the betrayal and capture of Wallace, and to
whose keeping the illustrious prisoner was entrusted prior to his being
removed to London. The Scottish hero's sword was long preserved as an
historical relic in the Castle. An entry in the Accounts of the Lord
Treasurer shows that it was there at the time of James IV's visit, in
1505, and that the King paid for "binding of Wallass sword with cordis
of silk, and new hilt, and plomet, new skabbard, and new belt to the
said sword".[236] It was not till 1888 that this interesting memorial of
the patriot was transferred to Stirling.
On the doubtful authority of a passage to be found in some of the
manuscript versions of Bower's continuation of Fordun, Dumbarton is made
the scene of one of Bruce's many narrow escapes from falling into the
hands of his enemies. The account given is to the effect that the
Scottish King, wishing to obtain possession of the Castle, entered into
negotiations with Menteith, by whom it was still held for the English,
and that the treacherous Governor, on the understanding that he should
receive the Earldom of Lennox as his reward, consented to deliver the
fortress. As Bruce, with a number of followers, was on his way to enter
into possession, in accordance with the agreement, he was met by a
carpenter whom Bower calls Roland, who warned him that Menteith meant to
capture or kill him. Being thus forewarned, the King was able to turn
the tables on his intending captor, who was himself confined in the
Castle till shortly before Bannockburn, when he was released on
condition that he should fight against the English.[237]
Another romantic episode, to which no date can be assigned, is related
by Sir William Fraser, on the authority of "tradition". The sovereign
that occupied the throne of Scotland at the time, he says, had lost
Dumbarton Castle, and was anxious to recover it. Having applied to one
of the Colquhouns for assistance, the answer he got from the Laird of
Luss was, "If I can". "Colquhoun let a stag loose on the level ground
within sight of the Castle, and got up a mock hunt after it, with great
blowing of horns, and other noises, to attract the attention of the
garrison, hoping that they might be induced to join in the sport and
leave the fortress undefended. Everything happened as Colquhoun had
wished. Nearly the whole of the garrison went forth to take part in the
pastime. During their absence, Colquhoun and the men that he had
selected hastened into the Castle, overpowered the feeble remainder of
its defenders, and made themselves its masters."[238] This incident of
"early times" may possibly be authentic; but it looks rather
suspiciously like an ingenious attempt to find a plausible and
picturesque origin for the Colquhoun motto, "Si je puis".
At the beginning of the fifteenth century, the Castle of Dumbarton was
made to serve a very singular purpose. In circumstances of which no
explanation is given, an individual whom Wyntoun describes as
"Mastere Waltere off Danyelstoune,
Off Kyncardyn in Nele Persowne",[239]
took possession of the fortress, and, as Fordun adds, held it "with a
large military force, to the great annoyance of the King and the
kingdom". The Government being unable to drive him out, was obliged to
accept the condition on which he offered to surrender his capture. It
was nothing less than his appointment to the See of St. Andrews; and he
had his way, being elected Bishop in 1402. He did not, however, long
enjoy the dignity with which he had got himself clothed,
"Agane conscience of mony men,"
for
"Sone efftyre, at the Yule deit he;
Swa litill mare than a halff yere
Lestyt he in his powere."[240]
The latter years of the same century witnessed one of the most important
events in the history of Dumbarton Castle. In 1488, it was entrusted to
the keeping of the Earl of Lennox and his eldest son, Matthew Stuart,
who, in the course of the following year, engaged, with Lord Lyle and
others, in a conspiracy for the overthrow of the Government, and
fortified the stronghold accordingly. Repeated summons to surrender
having been disregarded, messengers were dispatched through the whole
county to convoke the militia; and it was arranged that, whilst James
proceeded in person to Crookston and Duchal, Colin, first Earl of
Argyle, should lay siege to Dumbarton Castle; and elaborate preparation
was made for the transport of the most powerful artillery of the day,
including the famous Mons Meg, into the rebellious West. The smaller
strongholds were soon reduced, but the Rock held out, and the defenders,
making a vigorous sally, dislodged their assailants by burning the town,
and so raised the siege. The Royal forces, on being thus driven off,
fell back upon Dunglas, where new materials were quickly collected,
another great gun, "callit Duchal", being brought from Arkil, near
Paisley, the boats conveyed overland from Daldres--the present
Grangemouth--and from Blackness. With all this, it was not till the
second week in December, fully seven months after the commencement of
operations, that the stronghold was obliged to surrender. A formal
sentence of forfeiture and death was passed on Lennox and his son, but
annulled on their appeal by reason of some technical flaw.
Passing over the lesser siege of 1513-14, the occupation of 1543 in the
interest of Henry VIII, the departure of the child-queen Mary, in 1548,
and other events of slighter importance, we come to the most sensational
episode of all. It was after Langside. Lord Fleming had returned from
accompanying Queen Mary to England, and had resumed his governorship of
the fortress which he held for her. The Regent Murray was desirous of
obtaining possession of so important a position, and, negotiations
having failed, went down in person to open the siege. So strict was the
blockade that Fleming was on the point of surrendering when the
assassination of Murray brought him some respite. Lennox, who succeeded
as Regent, was equally bent on the capture of the Castle, and
endeavoured to obtain help from England. But Elizabeth was opposed to
hostile measures, and sent Drury to reopen negotiations with Lord
Fleming and John Hamilton, Bishop of St. Andrews, who was with him. The
mission nearly proved fatal to the English ambassador. He was enticed
within gunshot and deliberately, though unsuccessfully, fired upon.[241]
This dastardly attempt is the subject of a contemporary poem entitled
_The Tressoun of Dunbartane_.
The siege continued to drag on slowly, when about the end of March,
1571, a man named Robertson, who had formerly belonged to the garrison,
but who wished to be revenged for some punishment inflicted on his wife,
suggested a plan for taking the Castle by surprise. It was adopted, and
Captain Thomas Crawfurd of Jordanhill was entrusted with the desperate
enterprise. On the evening of the 31st, Crawfurd sent forward some
horsemen to intercept all communication with Dumbarton, he himself
following about midnight with a body of resolute men. After a short halt
at Dumbuck, the party, provided with ropes and ladders, proceeded to the
foot of the Rock, which was to be scaled at the "Beik", for although
this was the highest point, it offered the advantage of being unguarded,
by reason of its supposed inaccessibility. At the first attempt the
ladder slipped back with the weight of the climbers. On the second it
was found that it did not reach within twenty feet of a tree to which it
was intended to make it fast. The difficulty was overcome by Crawfurd,
who, crawling up to the tree, threw a rope around it, and thus enabled
his party to reach this first stage. The operation was being repeated
for a further ascent when an accident nearly brought disaster on the
whole undertaking. One of the men fell into a kind of fit whilst on the
ladder, and remained clinging desperately to the rungs and blocking the
way. But, even for this, Crawfurd's readiness devised a remedy. Lashing
the man to the ladder, he turned it round, so that the remainder of the
party could mount over their comrade's upturned body. Owing to the delay
caused by these untoward occurrences, it was nearly daylight when the
first of the assailants reached the top. They were seen by the sentries
through the fog, which had so far favoured them, and the alarm was
given. The resistance offered was, however, but feeble. Three men of
the garrison were killed. Many of the others, including Fleming himself,
succeeded in escaping. Amongst those that were taken prisoners was the
Bishop of St. Andrews. He was subsequently hanged for complicity in the
murders of Darnley and of Murray.[242]
Another noteworthy capture of Dumbarton Castle occurred in 1639. At that
time the fortress was held for the king by Sir William Stewart. On the
last Sunday in March, having gone to the Communion service in Dumbarton,
he was invited to dinner by Provost Sempill, a zealous Covenanter. To
his refusal Sempill replied, "I require you to go with me." Thereupon
the Governor and his party were surrounded by forty armed men and
hurried off to the Provost's house, where, under threats of death,
Stewart was obliged to send for the keys and to hand them over to his
captor. The sequel is told by Spalding. "Stewart," he says, "was
compelled to cast off his clothes, which were shortly put upon another
gentleman of his shape and quantity, and he put on his clothes upon him
again. Thus, apparel interchanged, they commanded the Captain, under
pain of death, to tell the watchword, which, for fear of his life, he
truly told. Then they go in the night quietly, unseen by the Castilians,
and had this counterfeit captain with them, who cried and called by the
watchword, which heard, yetts are cast open, in go these Covenanters
with greater power than was within to defend it, take in this strong
strength, man and fortify the same to their mind."[243]
The further vicissitudes of Dumbarton Castle--its alternate occupation
by Royalists and Parliamentarians during the Civil War, its use at
various periods as a place of confinement for such different prisoners
as Ogilvie the Jesuit, Carstairs and his fellow Covenanters, the Marquis
of Tullibardine and other Jacobites--would require to be recorded in
detail in a more complete sketch of the history of the Rock. They may be
passed over without further mention in what lays no claim to do more
than to recall some of the leading incidents in its chequered story.