Document of the Month November 2004
This is a notebook kept by George Gerard of Cragiebrae
in Aberdeenshire to record personal notes, many of them
religious in nature (GD1/768/9). However, he sometimes
recorded details of contemporary Scottish affairs in the
mid 18th century.
These include a threat of invasion by France and, on the
pages here, the progress of Prince Charles Edward Stewart,
the Young Pretender. Gerard indicates in these pages that
he does not support the Jacobite rebellion and laments the
defeat of General John Cope and the Hanoverian army at 'The
bloddy Battle of Gladsmure'.
The battle of Gladsmure is now better known as the
Battle of Prestonpans (21 September 1745). On a later page
he mentions the reverses encountered by the Prince and
reports that Cumberland fought the 'Rebels' at 'Culoden
near Invernss and routed them quite.'
Parts of Gerard's diary are difficult to read,
particularly the lower section of the first page reproduced
here. Despite the occasional difficulties in deciphering
handwriting, such diaries, journals and notebooks such as
George Gerard's are an excellent source of historical
material.
Although the information contained within may be
speculation or be coloured by the prejudices of the
diarist, they reveal the reactions of people living through
historic events in a way that factual and objective
information cannot.
George Gerard of Cragiebrae's notebook came to the
National Archives of Scotland as part of a varied
collection donated by the executors of Mrs
MacQueen-Ferguson, catalogued as GD1/768.
As well as this book the collection includes
seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth century material,
some of which deals with international trade and other
business matters.
Transcript of part of GD1/768/9
August 23rd 1745 years: G.G. [George Gerard]
What man is he that liveth heare and Death shall never
see. Or from the powr of the Grave what man his soul can
free. What time my soul is overwhelmed and in perplexity
lead me on Lord unto the rock that Higher is than I
Remember to dying
September 12th 1745 then apeared prince Charles on his
way from Pearth and on the 17th stormd and Entered
Edinburgh and on the 21st on Saturday happened the bloddy
battle of Gladsmuire near Seatoun here wherein we lost all
our Baggag and 400 men killed 1400 taken prisoner a sad and
Deplorable day for us which was all thought to be oweing to
the misconduct of Gl. Cope….
December 20th 1745 …campbells armie went through this
Countrie and the Rebels fled after Gathering above £60
sterling of Sess (tax)
December 24th 1745 at Inverourie happened that unhappies
skirmish betwixt Lord Lown [Lowdoun?] and the McLeuds and
Monroe in which the last was defeated and lost their
baggage…
About 20th Jary. An engagement happened at Falkirk hauch
in which the Prince lost 1,000 and 100 prisoners Feby they
lost at Stirling Castle 4000 they came all north to
Banff.
On the first of January 1746 prince Charles cam Back
from England and Greatly opressed the South of Scotland and
fought at Faulkirk this same month and lost 400 men and
siged Stirling instantly after and lost 5 or 600 and all
their cannon and Baggag and came all North to Banff and
went yt [that] day to Speysside caring [carrying] a great
deal of men allong with them and camped there. In February
following the Duke of Cumberland cam to Abdn [Aberdeen] and
in April marcht after the Rebels to the West and fought
them at Culoden near Invernss and Routed them quite upon
the 16th of aprile 1746 To the Great Relife of all who wish
well to the present Goverment and the protestan Religion
and Liberty …
Lord teach us so to number our days that we may aply our
hearts unto wisdom George Gerard…
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