James of the Glen
Encyclopedia
James Stewart, known as James of the Glens, Seamus a’ Ghlinne and James Stewart of Acharn (b. before 1700 - November 8, 1752 in Glen Duror, Scotland
) was a Scotsman
famous for being wrongfully accused and hanged for being accessory to the killing of Colin Roy Campbell (a.k.a. "The Red Fox"). The murder is famously dubbed the Appin Murder
.
After his execution, James' body was left hanging at the south end of the Ballachulish
Ferry for eighteen months as a warning to other clans with rebellious intentions. Over those months, Stewart's body was beaten and battered by winds and rain. As it eventually deteriorated, the skeletal remains were held together with chains and wire.
James Stewart makes a cameo appearance in the novel Kidnapped
by Robert Louis Stevenson
. Several accounts of the Appin Murder have published since 1752, the most recent being "Culloden and the Last Clansman" by Dr. James Hunter, Mainstream Publishing (October 1, 2001). An editorial review of this novel follows:
In May 1752 in the Scottish Highlands, a rider is shot dead by a hidden gunman. The murdered man is Colin Campbell, a government agent heading for nearby Duror where he plans to evict Duror's farming tenants and replace them with his relatives. Colin Campbell's killer escapes. But Britain's rulers insist that this challenge to their authority must be paid for with a hanging. The sacrificial victim is James Stewart who, from his Duror home, has been organizing resistance to the murdered man's evictions. Stewart is a veteran of the Highland uprising which culminated in the Battle of Culloden in April 1746. Back in Duror he saw home after home torched by troops sent to bring the Highlanders to heel. But Stewart, refusing to knuckle under, takes on the officials—among them Colin Campbell—who are trying to impose British rule on the Highlands. Colin Campbell's killing rocked 18th-century Britain and became the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel, Kidnapped. And ever since the fatal shot was fired, people have argued about who actually pulled the trigger.
On November 8, 1752, as he climed the gibbet, Seamus a’ Ghlinne prayed:
‘False witnesses rose; to my charge things I not knew they laid. They, to the spoiling of my soul. me ill for good repaid.’ ~Psalm 35
Seamus’ last words speaks volumes as to his honor and his commitment to the truth. While he was not afraid to die for his convictions, he lamented that people of the ages may think him capable of a horrid and barbarous murder.
There is a movement afoot to gain a Free Pardon for James of the Glens. In 2008 it was before the Scottish Criminal Case Review Commission but was denied due to the case being so old it was not in the interest of justice. Now, in 2010, the application is with The Scottish Ministers.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
) was a Scotsman
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
famous for being wrongfully accused and hanged for being accessory to the killing of Colin Roy Campbell (a.k.a. "The Red Fox"). The murder is famously dubbed the Appin Murder
Appin Murder
The Appin Murder occurred on May 14, 1752 near Appin in the north-west of Scotland, and it resulted in what is often held to be a notorious miscarriage of justice...
.
After his execution, James' body was left hanging at the south end of the Ballachulish
Ballachulish
The village of Ballachulish in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, is centred around former slate quarries. The name Ballachulish was more correctly applied to the area now called North Ballachulish, to the north of Loch Leven, but was usurped for the quarry villages at East Laroch and West Laroch,...
Ferry for eighteen months as a warning to other clans with rebellious intentions. Over those months, Stewart's body was beaten and battered by winds and rain. As it eventually deteriorated, the skeletal remains were held together with chains and wire.
James Stewart makes a cameo appearance in the novel Kidnapped
Kidnapped (novel)
Kidnapped is a historical fiction adventure novel by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. Written as a "boys' novel" and first published in the magazine Young Folks from May to July 1886, the novel has attracted the praise and admiration of writers as diverse as Henry James, Jorge Luis...
by Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
. Several accounts of the Appin Murder have published since 1752, the most recent being "Culloden and the Last Clansman" by Dr. James Hunter, Mainstream Publishing (October 1, 2001). An editorial review of this novel follows:
In May 1752 in the Scottish Highlands, a rider is shot dead by a hidden gunman. The murdered man is Colin Campbell, a government agent heading for nearby Duror where he plans to evict Duror's farming tenants and replace them with his relatives. Colin Campbell's killer escapes. But Britain's rulers insist that this challenge to their authority must be paid for with a hanging. The sacrificial victim is James Stewart who, from his Duror home, has been organizing resistance to the murdered man's evictions. Stewart is a veteran of the Highland uprising which culminated in the Battle of Culloden in April 1746. Back in Duror he saw home after home torched by troops sent to bring the Highlanders to heel. But Stewart, refusing to knuckle under, takes on the officials—among them Colin Campbell—who are trying to impose British rule on the Highlands. Colin Campbell's killing rocked 18th-century Britain and became the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel, Kidnapped. And ever since the fatal shot was fired, people have argued about who actually pulled the trigger.
On November 8, 1752, as he climed the gibbet, Seamus a’ Ghlinne prayed:
‘False witnesses rose; to my charge things I not knew they laid. They, to the spoiling of my soul. me ill for good repaid.’ ~Psalm 35
Seamus’ last words speaks volumes as to his honor and his commitment to the truth. While he was not afraid to die for his convictions, he lamented that people of the ages may think him capable of a horrid and barbarous murder.
There is a movement afoot to gain a Free Pardon for James of the Glens. In 2008 it was before the Scottish Criminal Case Review Commission but was denied due to the case being so old it was not in the interest of justice. Now, in 2010, the application is with The Scottish Ministers.