Archibald Campbell

On June 30, 1685, Archibald Campbell, the Ninth Earl of Argyll was beheaded on the maiden in Edinburgh, for his role in the Monmouth Rebellion after Charles II’s death.  Argyll, then in exile, returned to Scotland to take part in an invasion of his home country. 

Argyll lived in turbulent times, and had been under sentence of death earlier, in 1663.  At that time, the intercession of Lord Lauderdale helped to save him.  Campbell wrote a number of letters to John Maitland, then Earl of Lauderdale, during this time, and over many years subsequent.  Many of these letters are collected in “Letters from Archibald, Earl of Argyll to John, Duke of Lauderdale, which was edited by Sir George Sinclair, who possessed originals of the letters.  The compilation, published by the Bannatyne Club was inscribed by the editor to Sir Walter Scott.

TO SIR WALTER SCOTT,

Of

ABBOTSFORD, BARONET,

THE PATRON OP WHAT IS USEFUL,
AND THE MODEL OP WHAT IS EXCELLENT,
IN THE LITERATURE OF HIS COUNTRY,
THIS VOLUME,
IS

RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED

BY

THE EDITOR.

Edinburgh, August, 1839.

Here is one letter from that work:

FOR THE RT HON^BLE THE EARLE OF LAUDERDAILL, LORD SECRETARIE OF SCOTLAND.

Inveraray, Sept. 20. 64.

My Lord,

I shall have little to say from this till after the 11. of the nixt month, which is the diet of the Justices of Peace. I find our nebours keepe frequent meetings, and discourse much of stures they expect, and doe buy store of gunes, swords, powder, and lead: I desire to know how ther frequent meetings contrarie to law will be lookt on, and how I shall carie to those refuse to come in to acept to be Justices of Peace; whether I may in publike aduise forbearing of meetings, unlesse the occasion be knowen. I have hitherto forborne all legall citations against any nighbours I have to doe with, lest that might be any excuse for any untoward course they take. I find ther is paines taken to spread reports as if I ether neglected, or discountenanced his Ma^ties service, but by gods grace the contrare shall apeare. I will doe what I can, tho I get litle helpe, for I am forced to write to the Archbishope of Glasgow, that ether the Bishope or some from him come heere to look after his Ma^ties concernments in the church. If against the eleavnth of the nixt month ther could be somwhat from his Matie to me, laying his commands upon me in termes that I might communicate, with somwhat requiring obedience to me, in his Ma^ties name, in such things as I desire to be done, by command from him, inviting all to a hearty concurrence in his service, and giving some certification against such as I shall complane of, it may very much contribut to the advancement of his Ma^ties service, and make both friends and nighbours stand the more in aw. I beg a returne of this. Adieu. Remember the commission when you can.

Battle of Carbisdale

April 27th, 1650 was a black day for the great Montrose, James Graham.  On that day,

the Royalist Montrose and a host of Orcadians, fighting in support of King Charles I,

lost the Battle of Carbisdale, to a Covenanter force led by the the Marquess of Argyll,

Archibald Campbell.  Montrose was supported by the Sinclair clan, and survived the battle,

escaping with the help of one of the Sinclairs.  Montrose surrendered shortly afterward to

Neil MacLeod, who sent him to Edinburgh to meet his end.

Another family name from the Battle of Carbisdale is that of Whitefoord.  In

“The Whitefoord Papers”, edited by W. Hewins, is found a description of Walter Whiteford.

‘…Colonel Walter Whitefoord, a stout and desperate man,  was one of the Scottish followers

of Montrose, many of whom were at the Hague in 1649. When the Commonwealth sent over

Dr. Dorislaus, the regicide, as their special envoy in April of that year, Whitefoord took part in

the scheme to murder him. On the evening of May 2, just as Dorislaus was sitting down to

supper, Whitefoord and five others burst into his room, and while some of them secured his

servants, Whitefoord, ' after slashing him over the head, passed a sword through his body.

He escaped into the Spanish Netherlands. He is next heard of with Montrose in Scotland,

in 1650. With Sir William Hay of Dalgetty, and 100 men, he was left in Dumbeath Castle,

when Montrose marched to Glenmtiick. After the battle of Carbisdale (April 27, 1650),

the garrison of Dumbeath Castle were forced to surrender, and were sent to Edinburgh…’

The Whitefoord family is one whose history Walter Scott drew on more than once in

his work.  The following comes from the introduction to “The Whitefoord Papers”. 

‘SIR WALTER SCOTT once apologized to the late Mr. Whitefoord for misspelling the family

name in the preface to the Chronicles of the Canongate. ' Dearly as I am myself particular,'

he wrote, ' in the spelling of my name to a " T," I had no right to treat your "O" as a cipher,'

and when he transferred the story of Colonel Charles Whitefoord, in which the mistake

occurred, from the Chronicles to Waverley, he took care to introduce the additional letter.

But the name is, in fact, spelt in at least twelve different ways in authentic documents.

Before the main branch of the family settled down to Whitefoord, the forms Quhitefurd,

Quhitefurde, Quhitefuird, and other variations, frequently occur. The first of the family is

said to have been a certain Walter, who, for his services against the Norwegians at the

Battle of Largs in 1263, received the lands of Whitefoord near Paisley, in the shire of

Renfrew. It is much more likely that Walter derived his name from the lands,

than that they were named after him.’

Montrose

...' There is but One,' said Allan M'Aulay ; ' and here,' he said, laying his hand upon the shoulder of Anderson, who stood behind Lord Menteith, ' here he stands !'

The general surprise of the meeting was expressed by an impatient murmur; when Anderson, throwing back the cloak in which his face was muffled, and stepping forward, spoke thus :—' I did not long intend to be a silent spectator of this interesting scene, although my hasty friend has obliged me to disclose myself somewhat sooner than was my intention. Whether I deserve the honour reposed in me by this parchment will best appear from what I shall be able to do for the King's service. It is a commission, under the great seal, to James Graham, Earl of Montrose, to command those forces which are to be assembled for the service of his Majesty in this kingdom.'...
 
Walter Scott published "A Legend of Montrose" in 1819.  His named subject, James Graham, 1st Marquis of Montrose, was executed at Mercat Cross in Edinburgh on May 21, 1650.  The Wars of Montrose which transpired between 1639 and 1645 form a backdrop for the novel.
 
As a young man, Montrose became a Covenanter, signing the National Covenant in February 1638.  At least in part what instigated Montrose to join this cause was against the imposition of Laud's prayer book on the Scottish Kirk. 
 
Montrose is best known as a military man, and he gained his first experience leading Covenanter's troops in the First Bishop's War (1639).  After signing the Pacification of Berwick, Montrose ran afoul of Archibald Campbell, who was outwardly supportive of the Covenanters, but Montrose's suspected he had a contrary agenda.  Montrose's opposition to Campbell contributed to an invasion of England under the Second Bishop's War (1640).
 
Montrose corresponded with Charles I after the Bishop's War ended, later opposing the Solemn League and Covenant, which allied Scotland with English Parliamentarians against Charles.  He became a staunch Royalist, which is how Scott portrays him in the novel.