Given at Culloden House, 19 April 2008
On the 23rd of July 1745, Prince Charles Edward Stuart stepped ashore on the Island of Eriskay in the Outer Hebrides to commence what would be the final attempt to restore the Stuarts to the throne of Great Britain. His small force of privateers had just been intercepted by the Royal Navy, but instead of turning back Charles and his companions, now known as “The Seven Men Of Moidart” boldly went on and arrived without the arms and support he had hoped to bring. Before landing an eagle was seen hovering above their ship “Le Du Teillay” and one of the men remarked, “even The King Of Birds is come to welcome your Royal Highness on your arrival To Scotland”.
At first the chiefs were in shock that the prince had arrived among them with so little support and strongly advised him to go home. To this he famously replied “I am come home sir”.
At Glenfinnan, Charles and a small band of men waited all day for the clans to unite, and was almost beginning to lose hope when the haunting sound of the pipes could be heard echoing down the glen. Over the hill came Cameron of Locheil with 800 men, and so it began. Soon the royal standard of the House of Stuart was raised, and it fluttered in the breeze while men cheered, wept and pledged allegiance to their young Prince. The news inspired many other clan chiefs, and they too joined the rising. Their loyalty and bravery almost succeeded in pushing George II of Hanover off the throne. It is widely documented that the Royal Yachts were packed ready to flee to the Continent.
The decision of the Jacobite council to turn back on the 5th of December is now known as “Black Friday”. This decision was fatal as this quote from Walpole suggests: “No' one is afraid of a rebellion that runs away”. We now know that although unknown to the Jacobite Council, the road to London was clear, barring some rag-tag milita who were drawn up on Finchly common; not the 30.000 suggested by spies infiltrating the Jacobite camp. The Capital was gripped with panic, with key members of the Aristocracy contemplating switching allegiance. There was a run on the Bank of England, which was paying in red hot sixpences to stem the bleed on the Capitals finances. In short, the Hanoverian regime was teetering. A defeat of its armies in the field, followed by a seize of the treasury might have been all that was necessary to topple it.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing but had they gone on the whole course of history would have been changed as would the line of the Monarchy.
"Charles' Year”, those 18 months from the 23rd July 1745 to the 19th September 1746, when against overwhelming odds and with only the conviction of his own courage he almost achieved the impossible. In failing to win a crown he gained immortality. The Prince will be forever young and will continue to inspire generations to come with his fine tale of valour, romance and tragedy.
Cumberland on the other hand will be remembered for his cruel treatment of the Highland people and his ethnic cleansing of the Highlands. When his name was put forward to become a freemason of a London Guild following Culloden, a wag replied “Let it be of the butchers.” This name has stuck, and is a fair and just title for a man who could rank alongside any latter day war criminal.
I and the many friends I have before me are testament to the fact that although Cumberland tried to cut out the Royal Oak, root and branch, the tiniest acorn must have survived for I say that as long as I have breath in my body I will continue to breathe life into the Auld Sang and keep our garb and traditions alive.
Remember but this: Charles Edward may have been the spark, but we his people were the tinder, tinder to a fire that burned brightly and the embers of that fire glow yet in the heart of many a Scotsman.
Ladies and Gentlemen if you could prepare your glasses for the toast before our sung then piped Lament. I will leave you with a verse from Robert Burns,
“I swear and vow before moon and stars
and the sun that shines so early,
If i had twenty thousand lives,
I’d die them all for Charlie.”I will always be your humble servant
Matthew John Donnachie