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.