Flora Macdonald
Encyclopedia
Flora MacDonald (1722 – 4 March 1790), Jacobite
heroine, was the daughter of Ranald MacDonald of Milton
on the island of South Uist
in the Outer Hebrides
of Scotland, and his wife Marion, the daughter of Angus MacDonald.
Her father died when she was a child, and her mother was abducted and married
by Hugh MacDonald of Armadale
, Skye
. She was abused by her father before he died and her mother hated her. She was brought up under the care of the chief of her clan, the MacDonalds of Clanranald, and was partly educated in Edinburgh
. Throughout her life she was a practising Presbyterian.
s, in June 1746, at the age of 24, she was living on the island of Benbecula
in the Outer Hebrides when Bonnie Prince Charlie took refuge there after the Battle of Culloden
. The prince's companion, a Captain O'Neill, sought her assistance to help the prince escape capture. The island was controlled by the Hanover
ian government using a local militia
, but the MacDonalds
were secretly sympathetic with the Jacobite cause.
After some hesitation, Flora promised to help the prince escape the island. At a later period she told the Duke of Cumberland
, son of George II
and commander-in-chief in Scotland, that she acted from charity and would have helped him also if he had been defeated and in distress.
The commander of the local militia was her stepfather, Hugh MacDonald. The commander gave her a pass to the mainland for herself, a manservant, an Irish
spinning maid, Betty Burke, and a boat's crew of six men. The prince was disguised as Betty Burke. He had left Benbecula
on 27 June.
After a first repulse at Waternish
, Skye, the party landed at Kilbride, Skye
, within easy access of Monkstadt, the seat of Sir Alexander MacDonald. The prince was hidden in rocks while Flora MacDonald found help for him in the neighbourhood. It was arranged that he be taken to Portree
, Skye and from there taken to Glam on the island of Raasay
. To distract the knights she performed a highland dance which is now called the Flora McDonald's Fancy.
The talk of the boatmen brought suspicion on Flora MacDonald, and she was arrested and brought to London
for aiding the prince's escape. After a short imprisonment in the Tower of London
, she was allowed to live outside of it, under the guard of a "messenger" or gaoler. When the Act of Indemnity was passed in 1747 she was released.
Her bravery and loyalty had gained her general sympathy, increased by her good manners and gentle character. Dr Johnson, who met her in 1773, describes her as "a woman of soft features, gentle manners, kind soul and elegant presence." He also paid the tribute that is engraved on her memorial at Kilmuir:
, a captain in the army and the eldest son of Alexander MacDonald VI. The couple lived at Flodigarry
on the Isle of Skye where they subsequently parented five sons and two daughters. Upon the death of Allan MacDonald's father in 1772, the family moved into the MacDonald family estate at Kingsburgh. In 1774, they emigrated to North Carolina
. During the American War of Independence Captain MacDonald served the British government
in the 84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants)
.
Legend has it that she exhorted the Loyalist force at Cross Creek, North Carolina (present-day Fayetteville
) that included her husband, Allan, as it headed off to its eventual defeat at the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge in February, 1776. He was captured after the battle and was held prisoner for two years until a prisoner exchange occurred in 1777. He was then sent to Fort Edward in Windsor, Nova Scotia
where he took command of the 84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants), Second Battalion
. After her husband was taken prisoner, Flora remained in hiding while the American Patriots ravaged her family plantation and took all her possessions. When her husband was released from prison in the fall of 1778, she reunited with him at Fort Edward. In 1779 Flora and her daughter, Fanny, returned to Scotland. Flora resided at the homes of various family members, including Dunvegan
, her daughter Anne having married Major General Alexander Macleod. After the war, in 1784, Allan also returned and the family regained possession of the estate in Kingsburgh.
. She refused to leave the deck during the attack and was wounded in the arm.
Flora MacDonald had a large family of sons, who mostly entered the army or navy, and two daughters. She died at Kingsburgh
on the Isle of Skye in 1790, at the age of 68. She is buried in the Kilmuir Cemetery. There is a statue to her memory in the grounds of Inverness Castle
.
In Scottish National Dancing - a relative of Highland Dancing, the dance "Flora MacDonald's Fancy" is named after her. It is known for its balletic steps and graceful movements, supposedly based on the dance that she performed for Bonnie Prince Charlie.
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
heroine, was the daughter of Ranald MacDonald of Milton
Milton (Outer Hebrides)
Milton is the name of a tack or tenant farm on the island of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. It was on this tack that Jacobite heroine Flora MacDonald was born and spent her childhood. A memorial dedicated to her stands at the remains of the township....
on the island of South Uist
South Uist
South Uist is an island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. In the 2001 census it had a usually resident population of 1,818. There is a nature reserve and a number of sites of archaeological interest, including the only location in Great Britain where prehistoric mummies have been found. The...
in the Outer Hebrides
Outer Hebrides
The Outer Hebrides also known as the Western Isles and the Long Island, is an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. The islands are geographically contiguous with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland...
of Scotland, and his wife Marion, the daughter of Angus MacDonald.
Her father died when she was a child, and her mother was abducted and married
Bride kidnapping
Bride kidnapping, also known as marriage by abduction or marriage by capture, is a practice throughout history and around the world in which a man abducts the woman he wishes to marry...
by Hugh MacDonald of Armadale
Armadale, Isle of Skye
Armadale is a village near the southern end of the Sleat Peninsula, on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Like most of Sleat, but unlike most of Skye, the area is fairly fertile, and though there are hills, most do not reach a great height...
, Skye
Skye
Skye or the Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills...
. She was abused by her father before he died and her mother hated her. She was brought up under the care of the chief of her clan, the MacDonalds of Clanranald, and was partly educated in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. Throughout her life she was a practising Presbyterian.
Jacobite Risings
During the Jacobite RisingJacobite rising
The Jacobite Risings were a series of uprisings, rebellions, and wars in Great Britain and Ireland occurring between 1688 and 1746. The uprisings were aimed at returning James VII of Scotland and II of England, and later his descendants of the House of Stuart, to the throne after he was deposed by...
s, in June 1746, at the age of 24, she was living on the island of Benbecula
Benbecula
Benbecula is an island of the Outer Hebrides in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Scotland. In the 2001 census it had a usually resident population of 1,249, with a sizable percentage of Roman Catholics. It forms part of the area administered by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar or the Western...
in the Outer Hebrides when Bonnie Prince Charlie took refuge there after the Battle of Culloden
Battle of Culloden
The Battle of Culloden was the final confrontation of the 1745 Jacobite Rising. Taking place on 16 April 1746, the battle pitted the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart against an army commanded by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, loyal to the British government...
. The prince's companion, a Captain O'Neill, sought her assistance to help the prince escape capture. The island was controlled by the Hanover
House of Hanover
The House of Hanover is a deposed German royal dynasty which has ruled the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , the Kingdom of Hanover, the Kingdom of Great Britain, the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
ian government using a local militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
, but the MacDonalds
Clan Donald
Clan Donald is one of the largest Scottish clans. There are numerous branches to the clan. Several of these have chiefs recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms; these are: Clan Macdonald of Sleat, Clan Macdonald of Clanranald, Clan MacDonell of Glengarry, Clan MacDonald of Keppoch, and Clan...
were secretly sympathetic with the Jacobite cause.
After some hesitation, Flora promised to help the prince escape the island. At a later period she told the Duke of Cumberland
Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland
Prince William , was a younger son of George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach, and Duke of Cumberland from 1726. He is generally best remembered for his role in putting down the Jacobite Rising at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, and as such is also known as "Butcher" Cumberland...
, son of George II
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
and commander-in-chief in Scotland, that she acted from charity and would have helped him also if he had been defeated and in distress.
The commander of the local militia was her stepfather, Hugh MacDonald. The commander gave her a pass to the mainland for herself, a manservant, an Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
spinning maid, Betty Burke, and a boat's crew of six men. The prince was disguised as Betty Burke. He had left Benbecula
Benbecula
Benbecula is an island of the Outer Hebrides in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Scotland. In the 2001 census it had a usually resident population of 1,249, with a sizable percentage of Roman Catholics. It forms part of the area administered by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar or the Western...
on 27 June.
After a first repulse at Waternish
Waternish
Waternish or Bhatairnis/Vaternish is a peninsula approximately long on the island of Skye, Scotland, situated between Loch Dunvegan and Loch Snizort in the northwest of the island, and traditionally inhabited and owned by Clan MacLeod whose clan seat is at the nearby Dunvegan Castle. The current...
, Skye, the party landed at Kilbride, Skye
Kilbride, Skye
Kilbride is a small township in Strath Swordale, Isle of Skye, Scotland.The township is situated in a pocket of fertile lime-rich soil, between the Red Hills to the north and Beinn an Dubhaich and the Suidhisnis peninsula to the south...
, within easy access of Monkstadt, the seat of Sir Alexander MacDonald. The prince was hidden in rocks while Flora MacDonald found help for him in the neighbourhood. It was arranged that he be taken to Portree
Portree
Portree is the largest town on Skye in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. It is the location for the only secondary school on the Island, Portree High school. Public transport services are limited to buses....
, Skye and from there taken to Glam on the island of Raasay
Raasay
Raasay is an island between the Isle of Skye and the mainland of Scotland. It is separated from Skye by the Sound of Raasay and from Applecross by the Inner Sound. It is most famous for being the birthplace of the poet Sorley MacLean, an important figure in the Scottish literary renaissance...
. To distract the knights she performed a highland dance which is now called the Flora McDonald's Fancy.
The talk of the boatmen brought suspicion on Flora MacDonald, and she was arrested and brought to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for aiding the prince's escape. After a short imprisonment in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
, she was allowed to live outside of it, under the guard of a "messenger" or gaoler. When the Act of Indemnity was passed in 1747 she was released.
Her bravery and loyalty had gained her general sympathy, increased by her good manners and gentle character. Dr Johnson, who met her in 1773, describes her as "a woman of soft features, gentle manners, kind soul and elegant presence." He also paid the tribute that is engraved on her memorial at Kilmuir:
- "...a name that will be mentioned in history, and if courage and fidelity be virtues, mentioned with honour."
American Revolution
On 6 November 1750, at the age of 28, she married Allan MacDonald of KingsburghKingsburgh, Skye
Kingsburgh is a scattered crofting township, overlooking Loch Snizort Beag on the Trotternish peninsula of the Isle of Skye in the Highlands of Scotland. It is in the council area of Highland...
, a captain in the army and the eldest son of Alexander MacDonald VI. The couple lived at Flodigarry
Flodigarry
Flodigarry is a scattered settlement on the north east side of the Trotternish peninsula on the island of Skye, and is in the Scottish council area of Highland....
on the Isle of Skye where they subsequently parented five sons and two daughters. Upon the death of Allan MacDonald's father in 1772, the family moved into the MacDonald family estate at Kingsburgh. In 1774, they emigrated to North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. During the American War of Independence Captain MacDonald served the British government
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
in the 84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants)
84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants)
The 84th Regiment of Foot was a British regiment in the American Revolutionary War that was raised to defend present day Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada from the constant land and sea attacks by American Revolutionaries...
.
Legend has it that she exhorted the Loyalist force at Cross Creek, North Carolina (present-day Fayetteville
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Cumberland County, and is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a U.S. Army post located northwest of the city....
) that included her husband, Allan, as it headed off to its eventual defeat at the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge in February, 1776. He was captured after the battle and was held prisoner for two years until a prisoner exchange occurred in 1777. He was then sent to Fort Edward in Windsor, Nova Scotia
Fort Edward (Nova Scotia)
Fort Edward is a National Historic Site in Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada and was built during Father Le Loutre's War. The fort was created to help prevent the Acadian Exodus from the region...
where he took command of the 84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants), Second Battalion
84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants)
The 84th Regiment of Foot was a British regiment in the American Revolutionary War that was raised to defend present day Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada from the constant land and sea attacks by American Revolutionaries...
. After her husband was taken prisoner, Flora remained in hiding while the American Patriots ravaged her family plantation and took all her possessions. When her husband was released from prison in the fall of 1778, she reunited with him at Fort Edward. In 1779 Flora and her daughter, Fanny, returned to Scotland. Flora resided at the homes of various family members, including Dunvegan
Dunvegan
Dunvegan is a town on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It is famous for Dunvegan Castle, seat of the chief of Clan MacLeod...
, her daughter Anne having married Major General Alexander Macleod. After the war, in 1784, Allan also returned and the family regained possession of the estate in Kingsburgh.
Isle of Skye
In 1779 Flora returned home to Scotland in a merchant ship. During the passage, the ship was attacked by a privateerPrivateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
. She refused to leave the deck during the attack and was wounded in the arm.
Flora MacDonald had a large family of sons, who mostly entered the army or navy, and two daughters. She died at Kingsburgh
Kingsburgh, Skye
Kingsburgh is a scattered crofting township, overlooking Loch Snizort Beag on the Trotternish peninsula of the Isle of Skye in the Highlands of Scotland. It is in the council area of Highland...
on the Isle of Skye in 1790, at the age of 68. She is buried in the Kilmuir Cemetery. There is a statue to her memory in the grounds of Inverness Castle
Inverness Castle
Inverness Castle sits on a cliff overlooking the River Ness, in Inverness, Scotland. The red sand stone structure evident today was built in 1836 by architect William Burn. It is built on the site of an 11th century defensive structure. Today, it houses Inverness Sheriff Court. There has been a...
.
In Scottish National Dancing - a relative of Highland Dancing, the dance "Flora MacDonald's Fancy" is named after her. It is known for its balletic steps and graceful movements, supposedly based on the dance that she performed for Bonnie Prince Charlie.
External links
- Ascanius; or, the Young Adventurer
- http://ns1763.ca/hantsco/floramem.html Memorial plaque at Fort Edward (Nova Scotia)Fort Edward (Nova Scotia)Fort Edward is a National Historic Site in Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada and was built during Father Le Loutre's War. The fort was created to help prevent the Acadian Exodus from the region...
.