A COPY OF ORIGINAL PAPERS written by JOHN MURRAY, Esq., Secretary
to the Young Pretender, containing a History of the first Rise
and Progress of the Late Rebellion from the End of the year 1742
to 1744.
_N.B._--The original is written by Mr. Murray’s own hand and
was found after the Battle of Culloden, and seems to have been
originally design’d as Memoirs, etc.
_Copy of a shattered Leaf belonging to the original Manuscript_
[Sidenote: Edgar to Murray]
During all this winter[108] my Lord T[ra]q[uai]r,[109] as I observed
before, was at London with Lord Semple[110] and Mr. Drummond,[111]
and the gentlemen in the Highlands immediately concerned in his
Majesties affairs were employed in cultivating his interest amongst
their vassals and neighbours, which was the more easily done as the
most part of that country are naturally Loyal and at the same time ...
run so high against the Government, that any scheme proposed ... was
most acceptable. It seems after his Lordship had been there sometime,
he wrote a letter to his Majestie, in answer to which I received one
enclosed to me from Mr. Edgar,[112] dated the 5th of July 1742, which
was this.... It is a long time since I had the pleasure of writting
to you which has been occasioned by my knowing you was informed of
everything by Bahady, and that being the case I did not care to ...
venture all ... time when I shall ... to say to you as I ha ... view
of recommending them ... for Lord [Tra]q[uai]r to your care ... of it
with much satisfaction ... to assure you of my best respect and of the
longing I have to tell you by word of mouth how much I am yours. As
Lord T[ra]q[uai]r has been lately at London and knew there how things
were going it is useless for me to enter here ... matters and as the
King has particular directions to give you ... sent I shall add nothing
... but by his Majesties Com ... kind compliments ... that the family a
... I am with all my h....
After his Lordships return ... taken to inform the Highlands of the
favourable situation there seemed to ... from the information he had
got from Lord Semple and Drummond ...
_The rest of this page torn away._
_Copy of another shattered Leaf_
Which message tho’ they began to languish a little, yet kept up their
spirits. As nothing is more common than for people to believe what they
wish and hope for, however specious the encouragement may be. Upon
Mr. Drummond parting with His Lordship at London, he assured him he
would write particularly whatever Resolutions the Cardinal[113] should
come to after his arrival, imagining, as he said, that the promises
they had gott in England from the King’s friends there would suffice
to determine the old man to act strenuously in his Majesty’s favours;
upon which we waited impatiently to hear from him. In the beginning of
Winter Locheal came to town with whom I had occasion often to converse
on these subjects, and always found him the man the most ready, and
willing chearfully to enter into any scheme that would conduce to His
Majesty’s interest: and must here declare that I really believe he is
the most sincere honest man the Country produces, without the least
shew of self interest. After several months had passed without my
hearing from Rome, or any letters coming from My L[ord] T[ra]q[uai]r
received one from Mr. Drummond about the beginning of December and
dated . . . of . . . which alarmed us very much, as it gave us ground
to believe that things were much nearer Action, than we had any notion
of, and indeed it seemed to us only fitt to be written a few weeks
before a descent; but to make the reader Judge, I shall here insert a
letter itself.
Copy Mr. Drummond’s letter to the Earl of T[ra]q[uai]r dated
the 1742.
_The rest awanting._
_Copy of another torn Leaf in Manuscripts_
As there was nothing in this letter but a general assurance of the
French Design without either specyfying the number of the Troops,
Arms, Money, Ammunition or even the fixed time, My Lord T[ra]q[uai]r
and the Laird of Lochiel[114] considering how unprepared the Country
was to join in any such attack attempt, and that from the contents of
the letter it was impossible to give any positive directions to the
Gentlemen of the Highlands, together with the near prospect they had of
a landing, which must of necessity have proved abortive had it really
happened. They thought it absolutely necessary they should be presently
informed of everything, but the difficulty was how to accomplish it.
There was no opportunity to write, the time of an answer uncertain,
and from the indistinct letter already received they had no great
reason to expect anything in writing very satisfactory ... upon which I
offered to go ... and then learn distinctly ... the Resolutions of the
... fully informed ... but as this was not to ... having the opinion
of ... who were the most ... in his Majesties Interest ... a letter
wrote by ... which went to him by ... likewise one to S[ir] J[ames]
C[ampbell][115] their advice and opinion, and during the intervall we
had severall conversations all tending to acquaint us particularly
of what had been carried on for sometime before by Lord Semple, Mr.
Drummond and then received by me as one of these who had been the first
in the Country to form a Concert, binding themselves by oath not to
discover their schemes to any but one of themselves, or the persons
agreed upon to be received amongst them by the Consent of the whole.
I had for a long time before been pretty well acquainted with who were
the principle people concerned in all the present transactions, without
knowing there had ever been any such formal Combination. I gave my
word of honour faithfully to keep these secrets, and then they told
me the rise of the Story what assurances they had given the French by
the hands of Drummond and Lord Semple after making terms with the King
himself, that nobody should be acquented with their procedure without
their consent. I was like wise informed
_The rest of this Page not legible._
The weather at this time happening to be very stormy, the express did
not return for two weeks longer than we expected; but upon receiving
his Lordships answer which he approved of the proposal, I sett about
making ready to sett off, and accordingly took journey about the 10
or 12 of Jany. 1743, upon the pretence of talking with the Duke of
Queensberry[116] then at London concerning a process I had with the
Earl of March,[117] to whom his Grace had been Tutor-in-law.
On the Friday I left Edinburgh and went to Traquair and so through
Tweeddale to York, where I stop’d to talk to the D[uke] of P[erth]
one of the Concert, and acquaint him with my journey and received
his commands. The principal part of my transactions was to make
myself fully acquainted with the French Resolutions, to give them all
encouragement possible, and to write to his Majesty acquainting him
that the Gentleman in the Highlands being informed that my L[ord]
M[arischal],[118] whom his Majesty had honoured with the Command, was a
man of a very high and forbidding manner, and exceedingly positive in
his way, they were afraid least such procedure might create differences
and heart burnings amongst them; wherefore he prayed his Majesty would
send over General Keith,[119] who they understood was of a very mild
and humane temper and in whose abilitys they had great confidence.
When I came to York his Grace the D[uke] of P[erth] approved highly of
my going over and gave me a great many injunctions[120] how to write
to the King, which is needless here to put down as they all tended
to prevent differences in case matters came to be put in execution.
I then went to London, where I only stayed some few days, and sett
out of on Munday about 12 o’clock to Dover where I arrived the same
night about 9 o’clock, and found a Packet ready to sail. As the wind
was then pretty fair, I was in hopes of getting next morning pretty
early to Calais, but it changed a little after we was at sea, so were
oblidged to make for Boulogne, this made me exceedingly uneasy as I
was instructed to go privately to Paris without the knowledge of any
of the people who were at Boulogne, and now in all probability we were
to land in broad daylight where I must infallibly have been known; but
luckily we were becalmed all that day, and did not arrive till about
three in the morning. I stayed there till about five, when I got a
chaise and set out for Paris, where I came on Friday morning and went
to McDonald’s the Banquier,[121] and enquired for Mr. Maxwell, which
was the name Drummond then went by. I immediately went to him this same
day before dinner, and found him greatly surprised at my Coming, but
said it was very lucky as it might be a mean to quicken the French in
proceeding; when they saw how forward and anxious the Country was to
come to action. Upon my arrival at London I heard of Cardinal Fleury’s
death, which was a very unlucky incident; for these two Gentlemen had
it left in their power to assert, that had not that happened, every
thing would certainly have been performed, and not then in my power to
advance anything positively to the contrary. I went with Mr. Drummond
in the evening to Lord Semple who I had never seen before: he received
me very civily and enquired about the situation of the Country which I
told him was very favourable; but as the letter Mr. Drummond had wrote,
gave us to understand that the Cardinal had determined to put things
in execution sooner than we had any cause to expect, never having had
anything encouraging before, and that by that letter, we was told of no
particulars, it was judged necessary I should come over to know how
things were to be executed: and particularly, what assurances of every
kind we might depend upon; so as the Gentlemen of the concert might be
able upon my return to sett immediately about preparing the Country
for their reception. He then agreed with Mr. Drummond that my coming
over was well timed, but that he was afraid it might require some time
before the French could be brought into it, as in all probability their
schemes would be entirely altered by the Cardinal’s death; that all
his views consisted in keeping peace, but that there was a party of
younger people about court, who had gained a good deal upon the King,
which together with his own natural disposition and heat of youth
inclined him to war. At the same time he said it was lucky that he had
observed the Cardinal’s Decline, and had persuaded him to impart all
the affairs that concerned this Country to Mr. Amalot,[122] by which
means they would be but little stop as to the King or Ministery being
acquainted with whatever related to us, as Mr. Amalot was continued as
Minister of Forreign Affairs. A great deal more of this kind passed,
and upon my not being able to tell them minutly what every individual
of the Concert had done in the particular District alotted them, Mr.
Drummond complained that I had not been fully informed of all their
Scheme. I in the meanwhile did not reflect upon the Cause of his making
such reflections against Lord T[ra]q[uai]r, who was the person that
informed me of their Concert; but it has often occurred to me since,
that they laid great stress on all the little pieces of information
they gott of the Gentlemen’s procedure in Scotland, and everything
they gott took care to make a mighty matter of it to the King: and Mr.
Drummond did not fail as he has often told me himself, to write in the
strongest terms to his Majesty, of their great success, which he knew
must always redound so far to his advantage, as he had taken care to
make the King believe he was the person who had sett all in motion, and
that it was upon his plan that they acted, and their success mostly
owing to following the Scheme he had laid down to them. I then told
them it would be necessary as the Cardinal was now dead that I saw Mr.
Amalot, and heard what Resolutions they had taken, to be able to inform
the King’s friends of what was to be expected. Lord Semple told me that
Mr. Amalot was then at Versailes, but would be in town on Sunday when
he would talk to him, and inform him of my being sent over, and gett
him to fix a time when I might have an audience, he accordingly was
with him on the Sunday and, as he told me the same evening, could not
see him for ... and when he did tell him, he took it very ill that he
had been made wait so long in his Out-chamber; that although his Master
was not upon the Throne and so did not keep his Ministers publickly at
Court, yet he thought using these he employed in his service in that
shape was treating him ill and not like a Prince as he really was. That
Mr. Amalot made excuses from his being so little in Paris all week,
and consequently hurryed all the while he was there; but fixed no time
when to see me, so his Lordship went by himself to Versailes that week,
where he stayed a night or two and returned to town. I went out some
days after along with him and Mr. Drumond to see Mr. Amalot who was
first to talk to with the King and then return me his Majesty’s answer,
but was told from day to day, that he could not have an opportunity
of talking with the King. So was oblidged to return to Paris without
seeing him.
I wrote a pretty long letter to the King acquainting him with the
reasons of my coming over and hoping his Majesty would pardon my
leaving the Country without his Permission, but not to be too tedious
by mentioning all the different conversations I had with his Lordship
and Mr. Drummond during my stay which were all to the same purpose,
together with the most severe Reflections and Invectives against the
Dutches of Buckingham[123] and Lord Marshal with Coll Cecel,[124] Coll
Brette[125] and Ch. Smith[126] and all those who were of a contrary
party from them, alledging it was entirely owing to their having given
in Ridiculous Schemes to the Cardinal demanding vast numbers of men,
money, cannon, etc., sufficient to conquer the Country, which made the
Old man have a mean opinion of the power of the King’s party and put
a stop to his realy putting in execution ... required of him; and at
the same time assuring me that these people were most unjust to the
Cardinal in alledging that he was not hearty and sincere in the King’s
interest, for that he had often professed that he would willingly lose
his own life in the cause, that there was nothing he had so much at
heart next to the Interest of his own Master, and that he had even
cryed[127] with concern in speaking of the misfortunes of the King’s
family, and notwithstanding he had a very mean opinion of the other
party, yet the Memorials they had given instruct him so much that it
cost Lord Semple the utmost[128] pains and trouble to perswade him of
the contrary, but they had after some time succeeded so effectually
that he was determined to send over a body of troops to England and
designed Mr. Mailebois[129] should return to Flanders for that purpose;
but that the party at Court which opposed him had influenced the
King to make him march his Army into Westphalia which occasioned the
Neutrality for Hannover; that this was so opposite to his Schemes,
and he was sensible that a general war must ensue, and France thereby
brought into great difficulties, that together with the King’s loose
way of living, having at that time taken the third sister for his
mistress, had certainly broke his heart, for he had been observed from
that moment to decline, and dyed soon after.[130]
Having spent some days at Paris in hearing such like storys, I went
again to Versailes where we were still put off till the night I left
it. When we had an audience of Mr. Amalot I told him that the Gentlemen
in the Concert in Scotland,[131] having from time to time received
assurances from the late Cardinal of Troops, Arms and Money, had been
continualy expecting to hear that a final Resolution was taken but upon
being informed of the bad state of health the Cardinal was in,[132]
they had done me the honour to send me over instructed to represent
the situation of their affairs to the Ministry and to acquaint them
they had wrought so effectualy with the Country in general and their
Vassals in particular that they could raise near thirty thousand men
and were able to make themselves masters of the Country in six weeks
or two months. Upon which he interrupted me and said that they were
satisfied the Scots were able to do a great deal but that they must
have assurances from England, but at the same time he said he did not
well understand the possibility of engaging so many people without
letting them into the secret. Upon which Lord Semple explained the
matter to him, I then mentioned to him the number of men, arms, etc.,
we expected in Scotland together with the place of their landing and
method proposed for their acting he said if things were gone into there
would be no difficulty of arms, money, etc., but seemed to be ignorant
as to the place of landing or indeed the particulars of the scheme and
which confirmed me in this; some things that L[ord] Semple mentioned to
him he knew nothing about and he owned he had not read the memorials
but promised to do it and gave us to understand that nothing could be
undertaken without encouragement from the English and assurances of the
troops upon their landing having provisions of victuals and carriages
which we took pains to show him that from the frequency of the touns
upon the coast and the trade there continually carried on they could
not fail of, and then told me he had not gott time to talk seriously
and fully with the King, but that his Majesty desired him to assure me
he had the King my master’s interest very much at heart and so soon as
he could do it safely and with his Honour, he would; and told us to
believe it that he could easily loss 10,000 men, but that he would not
undertake it rashly as his being foiled in a thing of this kind would
not be consistant with the Honour of his Crown and desired we might
think very seriously of what we was about and take care not to bring
ruin upon ourselves and the Country by a rash attempt,[133] and so we
parted and so we came that same night to Paris.
Next day I again wrote to the King a few lines wherein I told him I
thought Mr. Amalot had done as much as he could at the present juncture
and that I thought the information I had gott was well worth my while
of coming over and sure enough it merited the journey, for by this
I had it in my power to assure our friends in Scotland there was no
determinate Resolution taken; and at the same time the manner in which
Mr. Drummond told me he had taken to engage the Highland Gentlemen
seemed to me very good and practicable. As I was then but little
acquainted with business imagined it might have the same effect upon
these in the Low Country and indeed was so much prevented with the good
character of L[ord] Semple and Mr. Drummond had amongst those concerned
in his Majesty’s affairs in Scotland that it never came into my head
to doubt of anything they advanced; in which opinion I partly remained
till my L[ord] T[ra]q[uai]r’s return to Scotland in Octr. 1743 that
same year.[134]
From what Mr. Amelot had told us the next thing to be done was
endeavouring to form a Concert in England, by which they might be
able to give such encouragement to the French and such assurance of
joining upon their landing together with victuals and carriages as
might then oblidge the King to declare one way or other. To execute
this Mr. Drummond and I sett out from Paris the end of Febuary and
gott to London by the way of Dover in four days and a half. The method
he proposed was to bring my L[ord] T[ra]q[uai]r to London and to work
the point by him as he was acquainted with all the principal Torries
and desired I would go to York and gett the D[uke] of P[erth] to send
express for him and that I would return with a Resolution to stay
there for some time to be an assistant to his L[ordship] and him; but
this I refused to go into as the reason I had given out for my journey
would not suffice to detain me any time, so rather chuse to go to
Scotland myself and shew my L[ord] T[ra]q[uai]r the necessity there
was for his coming up. In the meanwhile I was employed in endeavouring
to learn from Coll. Cicel and Mr. Smith the objections the Dutches
of Buckingham and her party had to L[ord] Semple, and as I was pretty
well acquainted with them both I easily made myself master of all they
had to say against him, which I then thought quite frivolous from
the favourable notion I had of L[ord] Semple. As to the particular
accusations laid against him I shall say nothing of them here as I
shall put down the Copy of a letter I had the Honour to write to the
King some litle time after my arrival in Scotland wherein I mentioned
them all.
I sett out from London[135] the 18th of March, came in by York, where
I saw the D[uke] of P[erth] who was much disappointed upon what I
told him, stayed 24 hours there and came to Edinburgh the 21st. I
immediately inquired for L[ord] T[ra]q[uai]r and finding he was in
Perthshire with his brother-in-law L[ord] J[ohn] D[rummon]d I sent an
Express to him, in the meantime I mett with L[ochie]l and acquainted
him of all that had passed and particularly of the Scheme he proposed
to raise money whereby to pay his father-in-law’s pension; he was far
from being pleased with the French delays and not satisfied with the
Cardinal’s sincerity and likewise heartyly vexed there was no money for
Sir J[ames] who then stood in great need of it. However the only thing
to be done was for L[ord] T[ra]q[uai]r to go to London and endeavour to
bring in the English which would in a little time satisfie us whether
the French really intended us their assistance or not. On the 16th of
the month L[ord] T[ra]q[uai]r came to toun, to whom I told all that
had passed and his Lordship agreed to go to London. Upon conversing
with his Lordship[136] I told him that he ought to push Mr. Drummond’s
getting that money, for if he did not make his word good in that trifle
it would be a means to make folk doubt all the other things he had
advanced. His Lordship sett out from his own house on the Sixth of
Aprile and I sent the bond Mr. Drummond desired signed by L[ochie]l
and I to the D[uke] of Perth who signed it likewise and sent it to
L[ord] T[ra]q[uai]r[137] at London, which is still in Mr. D[rummon]d’s
Custody, but no money raised during my being at London after my return
from Paris, Mr. C. Smith delivered me a packet from Rome, but as its
contents could not be obeyed till I came home, thought it more proper
to insert it here tho’ posterior to the Receit of it.
Copy of a letter from Mr. Edgar of ... mber the 22nd, 1742.
[Sidenote: Edgar to Murray]
SIR,--Upon what Mr. Charles Smith has told me from you on the
subject of the Bishops[138] upon what he says himself and as the
opinion also of other friends the King has thought seriously
on the matter and is pleased to settle it as you proposed, as
you will see by the enclosed paper signed by him under another
name and a letter from me to Bishop Ratrae;[139] yours covering
it both are write in closs Cypher, but as I am unwilling that
the Cyphers we use together should be put into any third hand
whatsoever, I have wrote the enclosed packet by the Cypher Coll.
Urquhart[140] informed me he had recovered from amongst the late
Earl of Dundonald[141] papers before his death. I really look
upon this Cypher to be a safe one and that there is no Copy of
it but what you and I have, it was originally sent to Mr. Robert
Freebairn[142] and he gave to the Earl of Dundonald and I am
perswaded neither the one nor t’other made a Copy of it which
would not be an easie task nor allowed any to be made by any
other body, I remmember Coll. Urquhart after he had recovered
that Cypher asked me if he should send it to me, or what he
should do with it, and in return I desired him to keep it by him
and give to the King’s friends who had a mind to write to his
Majesty and wanted a Cypher to do it by, by which means the new
one I sent him (now used by you and me) would be a Virgin One
unseen and untouched by anybody, I thought it was necessary
to say thus much to you on the Cypher in Question. The Packet
I now send you is open, therefore may if you please look into
it yourself, but as I reckon you wont care to be at the trouble
to decypher it I wish you would seal the packet and deliver it
with ... of the Cypher into Mr. Rattrae’s own hands. I shall
only add on this subject that I know I need not recommend to you
to take care of your own safety in this matter and that as few
as possible and these only of whom you are sure know anything
that we have the least dealing in it, for tho’ our Clergy be
well meaning honest men, yett many of them have not the gift
of Secrecy and holding their tongue, which is a mischief I am
sure you will guard against. I don’t know indeed what to say to
you on certain affairs, I live in good hopes they will still go
well, when anything favourable is certain you will hear of it
much sooner from Bahady and L[ord] Semple than you could from me;
which is the reason I write so seldome to you, I am unwilling to
venture a letter in this critical juncture unless when necessary
as it happens in the present case. I should be glad you informed
me of what you heard or know of Drumelzier’s[143] brother he has
not write to me since he mett with his brother and I have heard
nothing about him since he went home. Drumelzier, I fancy, may
have told him the substance of what you communicated to him of my
letter to you concerning him, which he may have taken very ill
of me and which has made him write no more to anybody in this
place. The family is well and the King charges me with many kind
compliments to you. Longing to have you in my Arms. I am well all
with my heart.--Sir, etc.
It was not long after his Lordship’s departure that I had an occasion
to send a letter to Rome when I wrote as below.[144]