Physic Gardens

loth June, 1658. I went to see the Medical Garden at

Westminster, well stored with plants, under Morgan, a

very skillful botanist.

Diarist John Evelyn perhaps sought medical relief in the Westminster Physic Garden in 1658.  Edward Morgan, like many modern day herbalists, explored a foreign place for medicinal plants.  In this case, Wales.  There are currently at least two physic gardens in England that have their beginnings in the 17^th century, the Chelsea Physic Garden (1673), and the University of Oxford Botanic Garden (1621).   In Scotland, Edinburgh has the Sibbald Physic Garden, which has roots dating to 1656.  What became Sibbald was originally created by the Incorporation of Barbers and Surgeons. Sir Walter Scott mentions a physic garden in “The Surgeon’s Daughter”:

‘On the morning after this gay evening, the two young men were labouring

together in a plot of ground behind Stevenlaw's Land, which the Doctor

had converted into a garden, where he raised, with a view to pharmacy as

well as botany, some rare plants, which obtained the place from the

vulgar the sounding name of the Physic Garden. [Footnote: The Botanic

Garden is so termed by the vulgar of Edinburgh.] Mr. Gray's pupils

readily complied with his wishes, that they would take some care of this

favourite spot, to which both contributed their labours, after which

Hartley used to devote himself to the cultivation of the kitchen garden,

which he had raised into this respectability from a spot not excelling a

common kail-yard, while Richard Middleman did his utmost to decorate

with flowers and shrubs a sort of arbour, usually called Miss Menie's

bower.’

Pretender Born

'The Pretender is no more remembered in the Highlands, than if the poor gentleman were gathered to his hundred and eight fathers, whose portraits adorn the ancient walls of Holyrood; the broadswords have passed into other hands; the targets ore used to cover the butter churns; and the race has sunk, or is fast sinking, from ruffling bullies into tame cheaters. Indeed, it was partly my conviction that there is little to be seen in the north, which, arriving at your father's conclusion, though from different premises, inclined my course in this direction, where perhaps I shall see as little....'

The Old Pretender, James Francis Edward Stuart was born on June 10, 1688.  Twenty years later, the Pretender attempted to land from the Firth of Forth (March 23, 1708), but was thwarted by Admiral Byng.  It took until 1715 for Stuart to reach Scottish soil, in his second unsuccessful attempt to reclaim the throne.  The text above is form Walter Scott's "Red Gauntlet".

Battle of Glenshiel

The "little rising" of 1719 involved Spanish troops and Scots Jacobites in a battle against the English.  This rising came about more as a result of King Philip V of Spain's desire to regain status and power after the Treaty of Utrecht.  Spain rolled into Sardinia (1717) and Sicily (1718), after which England declared Spain in violation of the Treaty of Utrecht, and attacked a Spanish fleet off the Greek coast.

Spain embarked on a plan to ally with Jacobites against England.  George Keith, the 10th Earl Marischal at Glenshiel was engaged to lead land forces, while a Spanish fleet was deployed to join them.  The fleet never reached Scotland, dispersed by rough seas.  The rising may have lasted longer had the fleet carrying 7,000 troops reached shore.  As it was, approximately 1,000 Spaniards/Jacobites faced a similar number of British troops under General Joseph Wightman. 

Walter Scott discusses Glen Shiel in his "Tales of a Grandfather":

...On his arrival at his own island of Lewis, Seaforth speedily raised a few hundred Highlanders, and crossed over to Kintail, with the purpose of giving a new impulse to the insurrection. Here he made some additions to his clan levies ; but, ere he could gather any considerable force, General Wightman marched against him with a body of regular troops from Inverness, aided by the Monros, Rosses, and other loyal or whig clans of the northern Highlands.


They found Seaforth in possession of a pass called Strachells, near the great valley of Glenshiel. A desultory combat took place, in which there was much skirmishing and sharp-shooting, the Spaniards and Seaforth's men keeping the pass.  George Monro, younger of Culcairn, engaged on the side of Government, received during this action a severe wound, by which he was disabled for the time. As the enemy continued to fire on him, the wounded chief commanded his servant, who had waited by him, to retire, and, leaving him to his fate, to acquaint his father and friends that he had died honourably. The poor fellow burst into tears, and, asking his master how he could suppose he would forsake him in that condition, he spread himself over his body, so as to intercept the balls of the enemy, and actually received several wounds designed for his master. They were both rescued from the most imminent peril by a sergeant of Culcairn's company, who had sworn an oath on his dirk that he would accomplish his chief's deliverance.


The battle was but slightly contested ; but the advantage was on the side of the MacKenzies, who lost only one man, while the Government troops had several killed and wounded. They were compelled to retreat without dislodging the enemy, and to leave their own wounded on the field, many of whom the victors are said to have despatched with their dirks. But though the MacKenzies obtained a partial success, it was not such as to encourage perseverance in the undertaking, especially as their chief, Lord Seaforth, being badly wounded, could no longer direct their enterprise. They determined, therefore, to disperse as soon as night fell, the rather that several of their allies were not disposed to renew the contest. One clan, for example, had - been lent to Seaforth for the service of the day, under the special paction on the part of the chief, that however the battle went, they should return before next morning; this occasional assistance being only regarded in the light of a neighbourly accommodation to Lord Seaforth.


The wounded Earl, with Tullibardine and Marischal, escaped to the continent. The three hundred Spaniards next day laid down their arms, and surrendered themselves prisoners. The affair of Glenshiel might be called the last faint sparkle of the great Rebellion of 1715, which was fortunately extinguished for want of fuel. A vague rumour of Earl Marischal's having re-landed had, however, wellnigh excited a number of the most zealous Jacobites once more to take the field, but it was contradicted before they adopted so rash a step...