[3], In March 1689, James landed in Ireland while John Graham, 1st Viscount Dundee recruited a small force for a supporting campaign in Scotland, which included the Camerons and Keppoch MacDonalds. The action was sanctioned and implemented by the Crown, with approval by Lowland elites, and it intensified the already bitter Highland-Lowland divisions. Dalrymple was appointed Secretary of State of Scotland during the reign of William II and had virtual control of his affairs north of the border. [35] An application by the survivors for compensation was ignored; they rebuilt their houses, and participated in the 1715 and 1745 Jacobite risings. It was from around that time, that people started to refer to a new name for the nine of diamonds. The Keppoch MacDonalds were outlawed first in 1688 for attacking government troops, then again in 1689 for supporting the Jacobites. 'You are hereby ordered to fall upon the rebels, the MacDonalds of Glencoe, and to put all to the sword under seventy.' In March 1690, the Secretary of State, Lord Stair, offered a total of £12,000 for swearing allegiance to William. 11 famous Harry Potter filming locations in Scotland, Popular Scottish surnames and their meanings, The killing of 38 members of the MacDonald clan by government troops, led by Robert Campbell of Glen Lyon, is one of the darkest episodes in the turbulent history of the Highlands. So while the massacre was carried out by … Some believe that Archibald’s cousin, the Earl of Breadlebane encouraged the position that MacIain’s pledge was irregular given the opportunity it opened up for Clan Campbell to seek revenge on the MacDonalds. The massacre of Glencoe Nevertheless in one case the submission came too late. This suggests the Episcopalian Glencoe MacDonalds only replaced the Catholic Glengarry as the target on 11 January; MacIain's son John MacDonald told the 1695 Commission the soldiers came to Glencoe from the north '...Glengarry's house being reduced.'[16]. [45], Its continuing emotional power was demonstrated in 1998, when a plaque was installed at a granite boulder south of Carnach. [11], As a result, MacIain of Glencoe only left for Fort William on 30 December to take the Oath from the governor, Lieutenant Colonel John Hill. Instead, Alasdair was directed to the Sheriff at 'You are hereby ordered to fall upon the rebels, the MacDonalds of Glencoe, and to put all to the sword under seventy.' The massacre of the MacDonald’s of Glencoe is one of the most notorious acts of infamy in Scottish history and is remembered even now with bitter distaste by many of that clan. In 1691, King William the Third, recognising the resurgence of the Jacobite cause, ordered all the clan chiefs to sign an oath of allegiance by 1st January 1692. [4], However, a continuing low level Scottish insurgency used resources William needed for the Nine Years' War. Instructing that the attack be carried out at 5am, the order added: “This is by the Kings special command, for the good & safety of the Country, that these miscreants be cutt off root and branch”. [2], Levies from all four served in the Independent Companies used to suppress the Conventicles in 1678–80, and took part in the devastating Atholl raid that followed Argyll's Rising in 1685. The Massacre of Glencoe. Two rival dynasties vied for the throne in far off London; but the fighting, the repercussions and the bloodshed would be felt most in the heart of the Scottish Highlands. The crime was committed by soldiers under the command of Archibald Campbell, a Scotsman in the service of William III, King of England and Scotland who came to power following the revolution a few years prior. The order for the massacre of the MacDonalds at Glencoe, 1692. The order to slaughter the MacDonalds came from London at the urging of the Secretary of State for Scotland, John Dalrymple. Order for the massacre of Glencoe This is the original order sent to Captain Robert Campbell of Glenlyon, instructing him to kill the MacDonalds of Glencoe. His role in the Glencoe Massacre helped forge the bitter association. Whoever was pulling the strings, Dalrymple had found his target - and could barely contain his delight. The 1693 Highland Judicial Commission tried to encourage use of the law to resolve issues like cattle-theft, but it was undermined by the clan chiefs, as it reduced control over their tenants. 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