Jacobite miscellanea of the week

[regshoe]

I was delighted to learn that Big Country, whose song 'In a Big Country' featured very memorably in NTS Kidnapped, have another song that's actually about the Appin Murder:

Watch on YouTube

Lyrics here. The first part of the song is from the perspective of the murderer—though avoids any actual statement of identity—and the POV then shifts to James of the Glens. I think 'John, John' refers to John Beg and John More Maccoll, two servants of James's who were examined as witnesses during his trial (and treated shamefully by the prosecution). Also note the prominent use of the word 'kidnapped', which I take it is a reference :D

Thanks to troisoiseaux for this: details of a Jacobite drinking glass in the Met Museum, New York. The inscription is a version of 'God Save the King' with Jacobite lyrics—the song was only just being adopted as the national anthem around this time, and apparently there were both Jacobite and Hanoverian versions in existence before the Hanoverians made it an official thing.

Thanks to scintilla10 for this: Miss Broster Comes to the Highlands. I wasn't sure quite what to do with this fascinating article, but it will be very much of interest to some of you, so I've just put it up on the website. It's a lovely little glimpse of what Broster was like as a person, as well as her travels in Scotland in connection with her Jacobite fiction—how good to hear that she had 'the loveliest speaking voice'!

I don't know how reliable this kind of technology is, but pretty interesting: Death masks recreate face of Bonnie Prince Charlie. I like how he looks! And it is reasonably like his portraits, which would seem to be a sign of reliability.

Comments

[zero_pixel_count]

Oh, that's a cracking discovery. Also calls to mind 'John, John, the grey goose is gone and the fox is on the town-o' does it not? :D

[regshoe]

I did not know that song, but so it does! I suppose that's a reference too.

[zero_pixel_count]

I've no idea how widely known the song is, I had it from my mother who used to use it as a lullaby.

[regshoe]

Aww! It looks as though it's pretty well known (judging from the length of the mainlynorfolk.info page, anyway :D ) and it just happened to be one of those folk songs that I'd missed so far.

[osprey_archer]

Thank you for linking that fantastic article about D. K. Broster visiting the highlands! Incredible to know that all of Scotland apparently was swooning over her and her books.

[regshoe]

It is pretty interesting to see the response she got! And such a good bit of biographical detail about her, too.

[luzula]

Very late comment, sigh. I was delighted with Miss Broster Comes to the Highlands! Aww. Although the tone is, uh, slightly patronizing when marvelling that she is not a man.

Lochiel himself was her guide to the home of his ancestors and the many treasures therein contained.
Does that mean she met the Lochiel of her day??

I don't know how reliable this kind of technology is, but pretty interesting: Death masks recreate face of Bonnie Prince Charlie. I like how he looks! And it is reasonably like his portraits, which would seem to be a sign of reliability.
Huh. That combination of blond hair and brown eyes is striking! I do know how they knew that he had spots on his face from a death mask made late in life, though? It makes him look like a teenager rather than 25.

[regshoe]

It's such a cool find :D

Does that mean she met the Lochiel of her day??

I think so! This would be the 25th Lochiel, grandfather of the current one (and possibly great-great-great-great grandson of the Lochiel of the '45, although I can't trace the family tree all the way back).

The fair hair and brown eyes both seem to be well-attested historically, and it is nice to see them like that instead of having the hair obscured by a wig! The spots do seem slightly questionable—it's not as though many people older than their teens don't have them, of course, but I can't find anything about how these researchers decided to put them there.