To show his zeal for the Government after Culloden, Ludovick Grant
marched his Strathspey men, eight hundred strong, into Urquhart and
Glenmoriston, and under threat of fire and sword arrested his clansmen
who had been ‘out.’ The fighting men were handed over to the Duke of
Cumberland, and most of them were transported. Grant of Sheugly and his
eldest son had not actually been out but were accused of urging their
people to join the Jacobites. They were sent to London as prisoners
along with the Reverend John Grant, minister of Urquhart. Ludovick
asserted to the Duke of Newcastle that the minister ‘was at all their
consultations and never attempted to dissuade the people from joining
the rebells, but on the contrary gave over praying for his Majesty, and
after the battle of Culloden he concealed some of the rebells and had
their money in keeping.... Mr. Grant concealed from me where three of
the rebells were hid by his direction....’[89]
The reader will find the minister’s own story in the text, and must
judge of its truth. Perhaps Grant protests too much, for Mr. Mackay
informs me that the tradition of the parish is that he was a thorough
Jacobite. It is perfectly evident, however, that the Attorney-General
and the Solicitor-General thought lightly of the case both against the
minister and young Sheugly, or they would never have remitted them to
the court at Edinburgh, when it was notorious that no Scottish jury
would convict a Jacobite.
The prisoners, on December 4th, ‘sisted [surrendered] themselves
in court [at Edinburgh] to answer for alleadged Rebellion and all
such matters as on his Majesty’s behalf should be objected against
them.’[90] They were admitted to bail and there the matter ended.
The Presbytery records show that no ecclesiastical proceedings were
taken against the minister, though probably that does not mean much.
At that time it may well be believed that every minister and elder in
the Highlands sympathised with the hunted Jacobites. The only minister
of the Church of Scotland who was dealt with for disloyalty in the
’Forty-five was Thomas Man, minister of Dunkeld. He was tried before
the Commission of General Assembly in May 1747. The libel against him
was found relevant, and the charges partly confessed or found proven.
The sentence was gentle--five months’ suspension from his duties.[91]
The manuscript of this case is preserved in the Record Office.