Skirmish of Alness | |||||||
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Part of Jacobite rising of 1715 | |||||||
The Bridge of Alness | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
Great Britain: Clan Sutherland Clan Mackay Clan Ross Clan Munro [1] | Jacobites: Clan Mackenzie Clan MacDonald of Sleat Clan MacRae Clan Mackinnon Clan Chisholm [2] | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Earl of Sutherland Lord Reay Baronet Munro Munro of Newmore [1] | Earl of Seaforth Sir Donald MacDonald [1] | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
1,800 [1] | 3,000 [2] | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
1 killed [3] | None [3] |
The Skirmish of Alness was a conflict that took place in October 1715 in Alness, in the county of Ross in the Scottish Highlands. It was part of the Jacobite rising of 1715 and pitted Highlanders loyal to the British-Hanoverian Government of George I of Great Britain against Highlanders loyal to the Jacobite House of Stuart. [1] [2]
William Mackenzie, 5th Earl of Seaforth, chief of Clan Mackenzie allied himself with John Erskine, 6th Earl of Mar who was the leader of the rebel Jacobite army. [1] Mackenzie of Seaforth proceeded to Inverness and took over the town. [1] Meanwhile, Sir Robert Munro, 6th Baronet, chief of the rival Clan Munro, who supported the British Government was secretly assembling his clansmen with the intention of taking Inverness. [1] Mackenzie of Seaforth on hearing of this sent out messengers, one of whom met Munro on his march towards Dingwall. He gave Munro the message that "he should return home peacefully unless his intention was to throw his lot in with the Jacobites." [1] Munro obliged and returned to his seat at Foulis Castle. [1] The next day Mackenzie of Seaforth set off from Inverness with a large force, leaving his relative John Mackenzie of Coul in control of Inverness. [1]
Great expectations were placed on John Gordon, 16th Earl of Sutherland, chief of Clan Sutherland, who like the Munros supported the government. [1] Munro of Foulis had applied to both the Earl of Sutherland and Lord Reay for their support. [1] The Earl of Sutherland gathered his forces and was joined by George Mackay, 3rd Lord Reay, chief of the Clan Mackay and a force from the Clan Ross who also supported the government. They arrived at Alness on 5 October and the Earl reviewed his forces and counted a force of 1800 men. [1] They formed up in order of battle with the Mackays and the Rosses on the right, the Sutherlands in the centre and the Munros on the left. [1] It is said that the Rosses were only armed with sharpened wooden poles as they had previously agreed to give up their weapons to the government. [1] [2] The Munros by contrast had six pieces of cannon, which according to Mackenzie of Seaforth, they had "boasted" that they would use to batter down his home at Brahan Castle. [1]
Mackenzie of Seaforth on hearing of this gathering that opposed him was determined to disperse it. [1] He had been joined by Sir Donald MacDonald, chief of the Clan MacDonald of Sleat, as well as a number of other clans and proceeded to Alness. [1] Mackenzie’s force consisted of 3000 men. [2] With this superior force he bore down upon the Earl of Sutherland's camp at Alness. [2] According to one contemporary account, on hearing of the much larger force that opposed them the Earl of Sutherland and Lord Reay retreated to Bonar Bridge with 40 men leaving the rest to make their own way. [1] Only one person died in this encounter. [3] However, Munro of Foulis did not desert his men. [1] The Munros who had also been left behind later marched back to Foulis Castle which had been garrisoned and fortified by Munro’s father (Sir Robert Munro, 5th Baronet, the blind baron). [1] A force from the Clan Grant who were on their way to support the Earl of Sutherland's force turned back and did not arrive, even though they may have evened the numbers on each side. [4]
A council of war was held between the leaders of the two sides in which the Earl of Sutherland and Lord Reay decided that due to their enemy's superior numbers it would not be wise to fight. [2] [5] However, Munro of Foulis and his cousin George Munro, 3rd of Newmore were up for fighting. [5] Munro of Newmore apparently protested that although the enemy was superior in numbers that it was still their business to fight them because they might have a chance of beating them, and if not they would still be able to "scatter" them. [5] In a letter from Thomas Robertson in Inverness, dated 30 January 1716, the writer says that Mackenzie of Seaforth demanded hostages to ensure that the Earl of Sutherland and Munro of Foulis would not trouble his lands while he was absent in the south. [5] In the end the pro government clans marched off back to their homes. [5]
The Munros and Rosses returned home to find that their lands had been plundered. [2] [6] However, according to historian DM Rose, it is proved by contemporary evidence that Sir Robert Munro, 6th Baronet had greatly exaggerated the excesses that Mackenzie’s men had committed on his lands. [1] According to Rose an account given by Munro’s cousin, Munro of Culcairn, is more to be relied on, in which he states: "a few men of disreputable character did damage wantonly, and their proceedings are said by Seaforth's enemies to have been countenanced by him". [1] However, it was enough for Sir Robert Munro to gather his forces and retaliate in the Siege of Brahan where the Munros and Sutherlanders laid waste to Mackenzie’s lands at Brahan Castle. [6] This followed the Siege of Inverness (1715) where Mackenzie of Coul had been holding out but was forced to retreat on 13 November and the main Jacobite army, which included Mackenzie of Seaforth was defeated at the Battle of Sheriffmuir on the same day. [7]
Clan Ross is a Highland Scottish clan. The original chiefs of the clan were the original Earls of Ross.
Clan Mackenzie is a Scottish clan, traditionally associated with Kintail and lands in Ross-shire in the Scottish Highlands. Traditional genealogies trace the ancestors of the Mackenzie chiefs to the 12th century. However, the earliest Mackenzie chief recorded by contemporary evidence is Alexander Mackenzie of Kintail who died some time after 1471. Traditionally, during the Wars of Scottish Independence, the Mackenzies supported Robert the Bruce, but feuded with the Earls of Ross in the latter part of the 14th century. During the 15th and 16th-centuries the Mackenzies feuded with the neighboring clans of Munro and MacDonald. In the 17th century the Mackenzie chief was made Earl of Seaforth in the peerage of Scotland. During the Scottish Civil War of the 17th century the Mackenzies largely supported the Royalists. During the Jacobite rising of 1715 the chief and clan of Mackenzie supported the Jacobite cause. However, during the Jacobite rising of 1745 the clan was divided with the chief, Kenneth Mackenzie, Lord Fortrose, supporting the British-Hanoverian Government and his relative, George Mackenzie, 3rd Earl of Cromartie, supporting the Jacobites.
Clan Mackay is an ancient and once-powerful Highland Scottish clan from the far North of the Scottish Highlands, but with roots in the old Kingdom of Moray.
Sir Robert Munro, 6th Baronet was a Scottish military officer and politician whose life followed an 18th-century pattern. He fought in support of the Revolution Settlement and the House of Hanover, and their opposition to all attempts by the Jacobites to restore the House of Stuart either by force of arms or by political intrigue. He was killed at the Battle of Falkirk Muir in 1746.
Sir Harry Munro, 7th Baronet was 25th Baron and the 28th chief of the Clan Munro. He was a Scottish soldier and politician. He was loyal to the Hanoverian dynasty and served as a captain in Loudon's Highlanders Regiment 1745–48.
Castle Chanonry of Ross, also known as Seaforth Castle, was located in the town of Fortrose, to the north-east of Inverness, on the peninsula known as the Black Isle, Highland, Scotland. Nothing now remains of the castle. The castle was also known as Canonry or Chanonrie of Ross, the former county.
Sir Robert Munro, 5th Baronet of Foulis was also 23rd Baron and 26th chief of the Clan Munro. He became blind and was known as the Blind Baron.
Loudon's Highlanders, or the 64th Highlanders, or Earl of Loudon's Regiment of Foot, was an infantry regiment of the British Army.
Sir George Munro of Culcairn was a Scottish soldier of the 18th century from Ross-shire, Scotland. He commanded the 3rd Independent Highland Company from 1714 to 1716, fought at the Battle of Glen Shiel in 1719, led the 6th Company in formation of the "Black Watch" in 1725, the 8th Company of Black Watch when it was regimented in 1739 and again commanded an Independent Highland Company in 1745–46. He was shot in error in 1746.
Sir George Munro, 1st of Newmore (1602–1693) was a 17th-century Scottish soldier and shire commissioner of Parliament from the Clan Munro, Ross-shire, Scotland. He was seated at Newmore Castle. Between 1629 and 1634 Munro held command in the Swedish army during the Thirty Years' War, and from 1642 in the Scottish Covenanter army during the Irish Confederate Wars before changing his allegiance to the Royalist cause of Charles I in 1648 during the Scottish Civil War and Irish Confederate Wars.
The Battle of Achnashellach was a Scottish clan battle said to have taken place in the year 1505, in the Scottish Highlands at Achnashellach. It was fought by the Clan Cameron against the Clan Mackay and the Clan Munro.
Robert Mor Munro, 15th Baron of Foulis, and 18th chief of the Clan Munro was a 16th-century Scottish chief. He was known as Robert Mor on account of his large stature. He was the eldest son of Robert Munro, 14th Baron of Foulis. Although this Robert Munro is traditionally 15th Baron and 18th overall chief of the clan, he is only the 8th Munro chief that can be proved by contemporary evidence.
Robert Munro, 14th Baron of Foulis was a Scottish soldier and clan chief of the Highland Clan Munro. He was seated at Foulis Castle. Although he is traditionally the 14th Baron and 17th overall chief of the clan, he is only the 7th Munro chief that can be proved by contemporary evidence.
Sir William Munro of Foulis was a Scottish Knight and Scottish clan chief of the highland Clan Munro. He is by tradition the 12th Baron of Foulis and 15th overall chief of the clan. However, he is actually only the 5th chief of the Clan Munro who can be proved by contemporary evidence.
Clan Munro is a Highland Scottish clan. Historically the clan was based in Easter Ross in the Scottish Highlands. Traditional origins of the clan give its founder as Donald Munro who came from the north of Ireland and settled in Scotland in the eleventh century, though its true founder may have lived much later. It is also a strong tradition that the Munro chiefs supported Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence. The first proven clan chief on record however is Robert de Munro who died in 1369; his father is mentioned but not named in a number of charters. The clan chiefs originally held land principally at Findon on the Black Isle but exchanged it in 1350 for Estirfowlys. Robert's son Hugh who died in 1425 was the first of the family to be styled "of Foulis", despite which clan genealogies describe him as 9th baron.
The siege of Inverness that took place in November 1715 was part of the Jacobite rising of 1715. The town of Inverness and Inverness Castle were being held by the Clan Mackenzie, led by Sir John Mackenzie of Coul who supported the rebel Jacobite cause. Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat, chief of the Clan Fraser of Lovat besieged them, supported by men of the Clan Rose and Clan Forbes.
The siege of Brahan took place in Scotland in November 1715 and was part of the Jacobite rising of 1715. Highlanders loyal to the British-Hanoverian government of George I of Great Britain laid siege to Brahan Castle, seat of William Mackenzie, 5th Earl of Seaforth, who was a staunch Jacobite, loyal to the House of Stuart.
The Independent Highland Companies were irregular militia raised from the Scottish clans of the Scottish Highlands by order of the Scottish government between 1603 and 1760 in order to help keep the peace and enforce the law in the Highlands and were recognized as such by the government. The officers of the Independent Highland Companies were commissioned as officers of the British Army but the Independent Companies were not recognized as official regiments of the line of the army. The Independent Highland Companies were the progenitors of the Highland Regiments of the British Army that began when ten Independent Highland Companies were embodied to form the Earl of Crawford's Highland Regiment that was numbered the 43rd Regiment of Foot in 1739.
The Battle of Dornoch took place on 20 March 1746 and was part of the Jacobite rising of 1745 in Scotland. However, although recorded in history as a "battle" there was no actual fighting between the two sides. Instead a large rebel Jacobite force advanced on a position held by a force loyal to the British-Hanoverian Government who were taken by surprise and forced into a retreat. The Jacobite advance was coordinated by James Drummond, 3rd Duke of Perth at Dornoch, Sutherland.
George Mackay, 3rd Lord Reay (1678–1748), was a Scottish noble and chief of the Clan Mackay, a Scottish clan of the Scottish Highlands. During his life the Glorious Revolution took place which directly affected his family and estate, and during his chiefdom he served the British-Hanoverian Government during the Jacobite rising of 1715 and the Jacobite rising of 1745.
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