Ho. and one half of their Monethlie assessements abated to them, else it had been impossible for them to have subsisted: Therefore It is humbly desyred, that your Ho. may be pleased to prolongst and continue the said abatements dureing such space your Ho. shall think fitt. And Petitioners (as bund) shall ever pray. Dalkeith, 24th July 1653. your That ye Lard Colloden and his sun, ye La Makentosh, ye Ladie Bray, & y Ladie Arderleer, be allowed halfe their Assesse out of ye abatem" of Envernes shire, for these 4 months following; viz' July, Aug. Sept & Octob'. R LILBURNE. No. XIII. THE Answer of the Council to the Petition from the Shire of Inverness. By His Highnis Councell in Scotland for the Governm' thereof. ON reading a Peticon of John Forbus, for & in the name of the Gent., Herioto", and Freehold', of the Lowlands of the Shire of Invernes, lying near to the Garrison of Invernes, desiring Ease in their Burdens: The Councill answer, First, concerning the Assess; the same is imposed by the supream authority, and the Councell have noe power to lessen the same; but in the laying on of the Assess there will be pow' given to Com" for revaluacons. Secondly, as to the Desires of the peticon" concerning abatem" of the Assess; the same will be taken into Consideracon, when that busines in general shall be con sidered of. Thirdly, for the Charges of bedding, coall, & candle, furnished to the Forces upon the generall account of the Shire, or that part thereof wherein the Peticon" inhabitt; the Councell will take the same into Consideracon, and will endeavour to ease them of that Charge. Fourthly, concerning Corne and Straw for the Forces, and the rates for the same; ye same is not imposed, but condiscended to by some who represented the Shires, as well as by those on the behalfe of the Souldiery, for the space of Eight months; during which time their said agreem' is not to be broken. Fifthly, the desire of the Peticon", concerning the Security to be given by y Collector of the Assesse, will fall under the generall consideracon of Busines of y' nature. Sixthly; and as to what the Peticoners alleage and desire concerning Grasse for their Horse and bestiall, y' inequality of their Burden for Corne and Straw with other parts of the Shire, and their furnishing of Baggage Horses; they are to apply themselves to the Generall; and he will take such Ord', in those perticulars, as shall be fitt. Given at Edinburgh the 21" day of December 1655. BROGHILL Presid'. No. XIV. George Monck Esq' to Auditor Generall Thompson, dated from Dalkeith, 16th Feb 1657-8. Sir, THIS Bearer, John Forbes, Laird of Culloden, having some Businesse with you, relating to S James Stuart's accounts, I thought fitt to recomend him unto you as an honest and peaceable Man, and much for our interest. There is no difference, that I know, why his Accounts may nott be allowed, but onely one thousand marks which was taken away by the Laird of Pluscarty when hee tooke in Invernesse, for which he has a Letter under his hand that hee took itt; and I shall desire you to allow itt in his accounts, being itt is a thinge notoriously knowne to all the honest men in those pairts, that itt was taken from his Wife, who carried herself very discreetly to save the rest; and therfor I think there is great reason itt should be allowed; which is all at present from Yo' very loving friend and Serv GEORGE MONCK. No. XV. LICENSE to John Forbes, of Culloden, for Lent. WILLIAM Lord Bellenden, of Broughton, Lord Thesourer Deputt of the Kingdome of Scotland, doeth hearby give libertie and licence to John Forbus of Culloden, and all such as are of his familie, ore doe accompany him att tabill, to eat flesh in this forbidden tym of Lent, and in all other forbidden dayes till Lent next in the year 1665, without any trouble or penaltie to be incurred to him for the same; any act or acts made, or to be made, in the contrary, notwithstanding. Dated at Edinburgh, the first day of March 1664. BELLENDEN. No. XVI. Sir John Hill, to Mr John Forbes, of Culloden, Dated Dublin Castle, 14th Feb, 1676. Very honor'd and dear Sir, YOUR'S, by Sir George Monroe's Servant, is with me, & was very joyfully received; it bringing me the newes of yo' welfare, which none alive can more cordially desire; nor can I express what Joy it would be to me to see you; but the distance being soe great, and the Sea intervening, puts me to a great doubt of being made soe happy. I am sorry to hear you tell of growing Crazie; it alarmes me to look about me. God grant our elder may be our best days (tho' not in reference to this world, yet as to a better). I am sorry the old Mounsur you mention is soe lame y' he hath never a foot to goe upon, and fear, at his present rate, in a little time will have never a Leg neither. My good Lord Granard is att his House in the Countrey; how soone he comes to towne I will present yo' remembrance to him- As for that Debauch' priest, I doubt nott but, when it lyes in yo' way, you will endeavour to help the poor Woman. Shee sent the note under his hand for £8 of money by her Brother. Here is one D' Dun, an Aberdeensman, who is Physitian to yo State, & to my Lord Lieut', desires to have his service remembered to your Son Duncan, with whom he had acquaintance in Paris. I have a Gentlewoman here, Mr. Thomas Henderson's wife, y' sometimes brings you fresh to my memory, by playing on the manicords such Lessons as I have oft heard heard from you, which she doth exceeding well. I have at present helped her husband, who was very low, to an employment under a Good Lord in this Country, worth 100 a year: - If you see my Lord or Lady Murray, let them have the tender of my most humble service: I am halfe angrie with them about Lady Margret, but now it cannot be helped. Let me intreat you mak much of yourself, that you and I may yet (if God please) live to see each other in the face. I thank you for the newes you gave me.-I am much pleased to hear of my old friends, and doe intreat I may be kindly presented to them all, as you have occasion to see them. I comend you to the care of our good God, & remain in the old maner, Yo' truly loveing, faithful, and humble Serv. JO. HILL. pray let my particular respect be given to yo' Son Duncan & the rest; & to your Brother, and all the House of Duncan, my good friends. I No. XVII. Declaration of the Earl of Argyll. The Declaration of Archibald Earl of Argyll, Lord Kintyre, and Lord Herell, Shireff of the Shyre of the West Isles; with his Orders to his Vassalls and others in the s Shyre, within his Jurisdictions, to conveen for the Defence of ther Religion, lives, and liberties, 1685. I SHALL not mention my caice, published and printed in Latine, Duch, and more largely in English; nor need I emitt the present Declaration, emitted by seall noblemen and Gentlemen in both nations, now in Armes. But, because the sufferings of me and my family are therein mentioned, I thought it fitt for me to declare of my selfe, that as I goe to armes with those that have appointed me for no privat nor personall end, but only for those contained in the said Declaratione which I have consented with and approven of, so I do cleam intrest but to what I had befor the pretended forfaulture of my lands, which I hade a sufficient right to befor. And then I do freely, as a Christian, forgive all persons' injuries agst my person, to all that shall not oppose but joyne with me in our undertaking for the ends mentioned in theis Declaratione. And hierby, I obleidge me never to persue them in Judgment nor out of Judgement; And I hierby declare, that obtaining the grant and personall possessione of what belonged to myselfe before the pretended forfaltor, I shall satisfie all due by my father or me, so farr as anie aire* or Debitor can be obleidged. And as my faithfullness to his late Majestie, and his Goverment, hath suffitiently appeared to all unbyassed persons woyd of malice, so I doe with greefe acknowledge my former too much complying with, and conniveing at, the methods that have been taken to bring us to this sad Conditione we are in now; tho' God knows we wer concurring to the designe. I have now, through God's strenth, suffered my unjust Sentence in banishment these thrie years and ane halfe; And I never offered to make anie uproar, or Defence by armies, to disturbe the Peace by anie privat concern. But, the King now dead, and the Duke of York having taken off his mask, having abandoned our religion and liberty, resolving to enter into the Goverment, and to exercise contrar to the law, I think it but my just dutie to God and my Country to use my utmost endevours to opose and repulse his usurpatione and tyrranie. And therfor, being assisted and furnished by verie good Christians, and invited and accompanied by severall of both nations to head them, I resolve, as God shall enable me, to use their assistance of all kynd toward the end expressed in the sd Declatione, I hierby invite earnestly and obtest all honest protestants, and particularlie of my friends and blood relations, to concurr with us in our said undertaking; and as I wreat so, haveing no other way so fullie to intimat my mynd to others, I do hierby require all my Wassals every where, and all within my jurisdictions, with the fensible men within ther Command, to go to armes and joyne and concur with us according to the said Declaratione, as they will be answerable at their highest perrill, and obey the particular Orders they shall receive from tyme to tymes. The Earle of No. XVIII. GEORGE Earle of Melvill, Viscount Kirkaldy, Lord Karth, Monimeall, and Ballwearie, their Majesties' high Commissioner, and Secretarrie of State for the kingdom of Scotland. WHEREAS the Bearer hereof, Duncan Forbes, of Colloden, is furthwith to repair from this to London about their Majesties' service, these are to desire and requyre you to suffer and permitt him to pass thither, and return again, without lett, hindrance, or molestation; and to furnish and provyde him from Stage to Stage, both in his goeing and return, with sufficient post horse and a Guyde; he paying y ordinar rates therfor. And, if need beis for this end, to press horses, for which this shall be your Warrant; he allwayes behaveing himselff as a dutyfull & loyall subject to their Majestys King William and Queen Marie. Given at y Palace of Holyrood House, the 22 day of September 1690 years. MELVILL. To all Livetennants, Deputy Live tennants, Shireffes, Postmasters, Justices of the Peace, and others concerned. No. XIX. Sir John Hill to the Laird of Culloden. Honored & Dear Sir, Fortwilliam 24th Nov 1690. I HAVE the favour of yours of the 28th Octo, and find myself every Day more under your Obligation. I can say no more but that I am thankful; & God be thanked, that has put me into a friend's hands; for now I doubt not of the King's memorandum. I am greatly obliged to Sir Patrick Hume for his great kindness in setting me right with my Lord Portland, & otherways. I know, the obligations I lie under to my Lord Commissioner are Exceeding Great; such as have tied me to his Service for Ever. I wish I could merit his kind regards for me. If the King thinks fit to leave the Naming of the Officers to me, I will take care to choose the best affected, & fittest for his Service, without favour or affection. One thing I formerly hinted, for encouragement of men to stay here, that the pay of the Soldiers may be 8 a day, as the English; otherwise the Men are not able to live upon 6a p' Diem in this place (twopence being retained for Cloaths); for by reason of the troubles every thing is very dear here, much dearer than about Edinburgh. We want a boat, with sails & oars, of about 20 or 30 Tons, that may carry four or five small Guns, & 50 or 60 Men, upon occasion, to go about the Isles, & to fetch any sort of provisions; & also small boats to fetch wood over the Loch, which will serve the King considerably in fire for the Soldiers. I am glad the Parliament are so ready to assist the King. I hope God will make him an instrument to bring down the French Tyrant. I am concerned for the diversion in Hungary: the French occasion it. I am confident God will carry on his own work in Spite of all opposition. S, Since I writ last I understand my Daughters are 30 Miles off in the Country; so that I fall short of my intention; but I have a friend, one Capt Ward, (that was formerly in the Army in Scotland) that Lives at the Sign of the Still, at Holborne Conduit. If you go that way, please to call on him, & he can tell if any of them be in Town; and he is an honest Man. My Lord Argyle entered Mull with about 1,900 foot, and 60 Dragoons. They submitted, delivered up their Arms, & took the Oaths of Allegiance; only Dowart Castle stands out, the weather proving so bad that my Lord with his Men could no longer keep the Field; otherwise I was sending him two battering pieces, & some other Engines of War. M'Leane himself (with some few) are in Carnburrow, a Rock in the Sea that is inaccessible. My Lord Argyle hath left 300 in Arros in Mull, as a bridle upon Dowart, and a Curb upon the disarmed Country; & 24 Men in Lochbuy; 20 in the Castle of Kinlochaben, in Morvern; 50 in Mingery, in Ardnamurchan; 18 in Islastalker; 18 in Dunstaffnage, & 18 in Dunollich; all at his own Charge (as his whole Company was), which I hope will be considered. He managed Generously & selfdenyingly, minding none of his own Concerns, but the King's only, and treated the people with great Civility after their Submission. All people here are quiet; Buchan, S' George Barclay, L' Coll. Grahame, & others at Glengarry; Connon and Drumfermlin in Isle of Skye. They all expect great assistance, in the Spring, from France (or sooner); and are encouraged (as some of them say) by some of the Council here, and by abundance of other malignants, who constantly fill them with the strangest and most incredible storys in the world, which generally they believe; only Lochiel is not ready to believe those improbable Storys, & hardly that of assistance; & Buchan begins to swear there's nothing but lies on all hands. But in case they should get the expected assistance in the Spring, care would be taken of the Guard of this Coast; for if they block up with Ships the passage to this Garrison they undo us, who have Meal but from hand to Mouth; which if we wanted but a week, we are blown up. We have not a fortnight's Meal now, and a Ship hath lyen long at Greenock with 500 Bolls, but wind-bound a long time; & when that comes (as I have given intimation), it will not last us above a month. Either blocking, or bad Weather, may prevent us from more in time; which I have laid before the Lords of Treasury & Commissary Gen". I would hope of good Effects from the settlement of this Garrison, if it once were settled with men proper for the purpose; and t'will yet be difficult to get it modelled right. Glengarry & Lochiel are content that any Men march towards me from Inverness through their bounds. I fear I have.tired you, What I have ommitted, I leave to your Brother to supply. I tell you again I must have him; & if it be left to me, I will have him. I pray you, Sir, let my most humble Service be presented to Sir Patrick Hume.. I am, Sir, No. |