Flight of the Heron timeline
Feb. 6th, 2022 10:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
regshoeThis is a complete timeline for The Flight of the Heron, compiled from the various references to dates and times throughout the book. This was an easier task than for Raffles, as FotH is a single mostly-linear narrative, quite specifically placed in real history, and doesn't contradict itself, and Broster is usually fairly generous with giving precise dates and lengths of time for the events she narrates. In a few places I've arbitrarily decided on a specific date within the possible range given by canon, but there are no outright guesses. This follow-up post goes into detail on how I put the timeline together.
Note: All dates are given in Old Style, that is, according to the Julian calendar used in Scotland and England at the time the book takes place. These dates are 11 days behind those of the New Style or Gregorian calendar in use now—so, for example, 16 August 1745 would be 27 August in today's calendar.
Before canon
Early 1715: Keith is born.
Mid-to-late June 1719: Ewen is born. Ewen's father John flees the country, and his mother dies.
Autumn 1719: Margaret arrives at Ardroy.
December 1719: John Cameron dies; Ewen becomes Mac 'ic Ailein.
1720: Philip Windham dies.
1734: Keith gets his commission in the Royal Scots.
1739-41: Ewen goes abroad for his education, and meets Alison in Paris.
1741: Ewen and Alison become engaged. Keith discovers Lydia Shelmerdine's duplicity and breaks off his affair with her.
1745
Saturday 27 July 1745: Prologue.
Friday 16 August: Chapters 1.1 and 1.2.
Saturday 17 August: Chapter 1.3.
Sunday 18 August: Chapters 1.4 and 1.5.
Monday 19-Wednesday 21 August: Keith accompanies the Camerons as the Jacobite army assembles. They reach Glenfinnan on the 19th, and Charles's standard is raised; the Jacobites remain at Glenfinnan on the 20th and travel to Kinlochiel on the 21st.
Thursday 22-Friday 23 August: Chapter 1.6; we hear about past events from 19-21 August. Keith and Ewen are at Kinlochiel on the 22nd, and the Jacobites travel to Fassefern on the 23rd; Keith escapes during the evening of the 23rd.
Overnight, Monday 7-Tuesday 8 October 1745: Chapters 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3.
Tuesday 8 October-Friday 1 November: Chapter 2.4. Alison speaks to Ewen on the 8th, and Hector hears the story of Ewen's adventure on the 9th. Ewen leaves Edinburgh with the Cameron guard on the 1st.
1746
Friday 7-Monday 10 March 1746: Chapter 3.1. Ewen arrives at Inverness on the 7th; he and Alison are married on the 8th; Alison boards the ship for France, and Ewen leaves Inverness, on the 10th.
March to Wednesday 16 April: Chapter 3.2. Ewen is injured on 20 March, and returns to the siege at the beginning of April; the siege is abandoned on 3 April, and Ewen arrives at Ardroy on the 4th. Soon afterwards he leaves for Inverness, and the final part of the chapter takes place on 16 April, from the failed night march in the early hours of the morning to just before the battle.
Thursday 1 May: Chapters 3.3 and 3.4.
Overnight, Thursday 1-Friday 2 May: Chapter 3.5.
Friday 2-Saturday 3 May 1746: Ewen is held captive in Guthrie's camp; he is sent to Fort Augustus on the morning of the 3rd.
Wednesday 7 May: Ewen falls asleep at Fort Augustus and gives his account of Lochiel's location.
Thursday 8 May: Chapters 4.1 and 4.2; we hear about the past events taking place from 2-7 May.
Friday 9-Saturday 10 May: Chapter 4.3. Keith is imprisoned overnight at Fort Augustus, and meets Ewen on the evening of the 10th.
Saturday 10 May: Chapter 4.4; we hear again about Ewen's time in captivity from 2-7 May.
Sunday 11 May: Keith is taken to Inverness.
Tuesday 20-Thursday 22 May: Chapter 4.5. Ewen confronts Loudoun on the 20th and is moved to the dungeons on the 21st; Alexander Cameron arrives on the morning of the 22nd.
Thursday 17-Thursday 24 July: Chapter 4.6. Keith goes to Fort Augustus and confronts Cumberland on the 17th, and talks to Albemarle on the 18th; he gets permission to see Ewen on the 24th.
Thursday 24-Friday 25 July: Chapter 4.7. Keith and Ewen's meeting takes place on the 24th; Ewen sets out for Fort William, and Keith receives his orders to go to the west coast, on the 25th.
Friday 25 July 1746: Chapter 5.1.
Friday 25-Sunday 27 July: Chapter 5.2. Ewen is rescued by the Yorkshiremen on the 26th and reaches Ardroy on the 27th.
Sunday 27 July-Thursday 7 August: Chapter 5.3. Ewen leaves his room on 30 July, and his conversation with Aunt Margaret takes place on the evening of the 31st; on 7 August Archie arrives and speaks to Ewen.
Thursday 7-Friday 8 August: Chapter 5.4. Ewen talks to Angus on the 8th, and leaves Ardroy that evening.
Monday 11 August: Chapter 5.5.
Late August 1746: Epilogue.
Feel free to point out any errors or omissions, or comment on anything else you think is relevant. I hope this is a useful fandom resource. :)
Note: All dates are given in Old Style, that is, according to the Julian calendar used in Scotland and England at the time the book takes place. These dates are 11 days behind those of the New Style or Gregorian calendar in use now—so, for example, 16 August 1745 would be 27 August in today's calendar.
Before canon
Early 1715: Keith is born.
Mid-to-late June 1719: Ewen is born. Ewen's father John flees the country, and his mother dies.
Autumn 1719: Margaret arrives at Ardroy.
December 1719: John Cameron dies; Ewen becomes Mac 'ic Ailein.
1720: Philip Windham dies.
1734: Keith gets his commission in the Royal Scots.
1739-41: Ewen goes abroad for his education, and meets Alison in Paris.
1741: Ewen and Alison become engaged. Keith discovers Lydia Shelmerdine's duplicity and breaks off his affair with her.
1745
Saturday 27 July 1745: Prologue.
Friday 16 August: Chapters 1.1 and 1.2.
Saturday 17 August: Chapter 1.3.
Sunday 18 August: Chapters 1.4 and 1.5.
Monday 19-Wednesday 21 August: Keith accompanies the Camerons as the Jacobite army assembles. They reach Glenfinnan on the 19th, and Charles's standard is raised; the Jacobites remain at Glenfinnan on the 20th and travel to Kinlochiel on the 21st.
Thursday 22-Friday 23 August: Chapter 1.6; we hear about past events from 19-21 August. Keith and Ewen are at Kinlochiel on the 22nd, and the Jacobites travel to Fassefern on the 23rd; Keith escapes during the evening of the 23rd.
Overnight, Monday 7-Tuesday 8 October 1745: Chapters 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3.
Tuesday 8 October-Friday 1 November: Chapter 2.4. Alison speaks to Ewen on the 8th, and Hector hears the story of Ewen's adventure on the 9th. Ewen leaves Edinburgh with the Cameron guard on the 1st.
1746
Friday 7-Monday 10 March 1746: Chapter 3.1. Ewen arrives at Inverness on the 7th; he and Alison are married on the 8th; Alison boards the ship for France, and Ewen leaves Inverness, on the 10th.
March to Wednesday 16 April: Chapter 3.2. Ewen is injured on 20 March, and returns to the siege at the beginning of April; the siege is abandoned on 3 April, and Ewen arrives at Ardroy on the 4th. Soon afterwards he leaves for Inverness, and the final part of the chapter takes place on 16 April, from the failed night march in the early hours of the morning to just before the battle.
Thursday 1 May: Chapters 3.3 and 3.4.
Overnight, Thursday 1-Friday 2 May: Chapter 3.5.
Friday 2-Saturday 3 May 1746: Ewen is held captive in Guthrie's camp; he is sent to Fort Augustus on the morning of the 3rd.
Wednesday 7 May: Ewen falls asleep at Fort Augustus and gives his account of Lochiel's location.
Thursday 8 May: Chapters 4.1 and 4.2; we hear about the past events taking place from 2-7 May.
Friday 9-Saturday 10 May: Chapter 4.3. Keith is imprisoned overnight at Fort Augustus, and meets Ewen on the evening of the 10th.
Saturday 10 May: Chapter 4.4; we hear again about Ewen's time in captivity from 2-7 May.
Sunday 11 May: Keith is taken to Inverness.
Tuesday 20-Thursday 22 May: Chapter 4.5. Ewen confronts Loudoun on the 20th and is moved to the dungeons on the 21st; Alexander Cameron arrives on the morning of the 22nd.
Thursday 17-Thursday 24 July: Chapter 4.6. Keith goes to Fort Augustus and confronts Cumberland on the 17th, and talks to Albemarle on the 18th; he gets permission to see Ewen on the 24th.
Thursday 24-Friday 25 July: Chapter 4.7. Keith and Ewen's meeting takes place on the 24th; Ewen sets out for Fort William, and Keith receives his orders to go to the west coast, on the 25th.
Friday 25 July 1746: Chapter 5.1.
Friday 25-Sunday 27 July: Chapter 5.2. Ewen is rescued by the Yorkshiremen on the 26th and reaches Ardroy on the 27th.
Sunday 27 July-Thursday 7 August: Chapter 5.3. Ewen leaves his room on 30 July, and his conversation with Aunt Margaret takes place on the evening of the 31st; on 7 August Archie arrives and speaks to Ewen.
Thursday 7-Friday 8 August: Chapter 5.4. Ewen talks to Angus on the 8th, and leaves Ardroy that evening.
Monday 11 August: Chapter 5.5.
Late August 1746: Epilogue.
Feel free to point out any errors or omissions, or comment on anything else you think is relevant. I hope this is a useful fandom resource. :)
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Date: Feb. 7th, 2022 05:17 pm (UTC)And that's a very good point about the different calendars—I may add a note to the post clarifying that these are all Old Style dates. And you've cleared up a minor mystery for me—I was sure I'd read that New Year's Day was 25 March until the 1750s, but my Jacobite history books (which generally say something about Old and New Style dates) never mentioned it, and the contemporary writings I've seen always seemed to assume a January New Year. But if it was only England which had the 25 March New Year, not Scotland, then that makes perfect sense.