The Black Watch Mutiny,
but which one?
This is my second video of the 42nd Highland Regiment.
I've brought you to Edinburgh's historical port at Leith to tell you a Black Watch tale
that, in truth
isn't about The Black Watch. In fact, in some ways
it's not about the military at all. If you're interested in the people, places
and events in Scottish history then click subscribe at the bottom right of the screen.
In the meantime, let me tell you a story.
In 1825, Major General David Stewart wrote
a book called 'Highlanders of Scotland with Details
of the Military Service of Highland Regiments'. A catchy title,
the best seller list awaits. Major Stewart wrote his history because lots
of the records of the Black Watch, the 42nd Highland regiment,
had been lost in two naval disasters, and he was trying to pull together records
for posterity.
It's April 1779. Highland dress is still proscribed in post
Culloden Scotland. A great swathe of this nation's banned from
wearing their normal clothes,
unless they join the British army. Now some people get round the problem by wearing
a kilt in plain colours rather than tartan. Others join the military.
Now I'm not saying that was their only motivation for joining,
I'm just giving you some context to a time where you needed permission
to be a Highlander, and it was granted
in the context of you serving the British state.
A large detachment of new recruits from the 42nd Highland regiment.
The Black Watch and the 71st Frasers,
were to be sent from Stirling Castle here to Leith, with the ultimate destination of North America.
Now I don't know if you know this, but at the time our cousins were in a bit
of a rebellious state. Now don't worry, I'm sure nothing will come of
it, but nevertheless ...
we need to be on our guard. Anyway these new recruits, expected to be
sent to North America to join their regiments, but on departure for Leith they were told
that, in fact,
they'd be diverted into the 80th and the 82nd Lowland regiments.
Now our Highlanders were none too happy with this and they said,
'No. We signed up for Highland regiments
and we'll only go with Highland regiments'. Now in our world it's difficult to get the significance
of this. In 2021, a Highlander is somebody who lives
in the Highlands. In fact nowadays, they're probably English.
but in 1779, Highlanders and Lowlanders spoke different languages,
wore different clothes, until recently had very different social structures,
governance structures, ways of life and thinking. They didn't trust each other.
They didn't understand each other's worlds. What Highlanders did know is that their world
was being taken over, and the only way that they could retain some of
the remnants of their world was to join a Highland regiment.
Imagine doing that, only to be told: NO,
you will be assimilated completely. You'd be pissed off.
Anyway, after a bit of negotiation they left.
Now, I don't know the basis of the negotiation. I don't know what they were promised,
but when they arrived here in Leith, the Highlanders were still of the opinion that they were joining
Highland regiments, and they were determined to do so.
Apparently orders had been given that the
men who insisted on being Highlanders, were to be imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle,
but their Gaelic translator told them that they were to board the ship with the Lowlanders.
Stewart's book says: 'The soldiers, having refused to comply,
an attempt was made to enforce the orders. The Highlanders flew to arms, and a desperate
affray ensued. Captain Mansfield of the South fencible regiment,
and 9 men, were killed, and 31 soldiers wounded.
At last the mutineers were overpowered and carried to Edinburgh Castle'.
Now let me repeat that, a Captain and nine men were killed,
and 31 wounded. This wasn't a Saturday night,
Hamish, leave him, he's not worth it.
Stewart continues, 'On the 6th of May following,
three of these prisoners, Charles Williamson and Archibald Macivor,
soldiers in the 42nd regiment, and Robert Budge, soldier in the 71st regiment,
were brought before a Court-Martial on the following charge:
"You, and each of you, are charged with having been guilty of a mutiny at Leith
upon Tuesday, the 20th of April last past,
and of having instigated others to be guilty of the same,
in which mutiny several of his Majesty's subjects were killed
and many wounded". Their case was explained:
They weren't recruited for this unit. They didn't speak the language.
They couldn't wear Lowland dress, and they certainly weren't going to eat porridge
with sugar in it! I made the last bit up.
They were never offered the opportunity to be imprisoned,
only bundled on to boats with foreign Lowland troops.
If they had been told prison was an option,
they would have complied peacefully. The court was shown a standard regimental
attestation, that expressly stated that the troops were
to serve with their specific regiment, their specific commander,
and for three years, or till the current war was over.
In spite of this, they were found guilty and sentenced to be shot.
The colonists were fighting against tyrannical
King George, and it was he who gave the men a pardon.
They and the rest of the men joined the 42nd and went to fight the rebellious colonists,
as they had enlisted to do, and where their character was remarked for
steadiness and good conduct.
As I said this isn't just about the Black Watch.
Aside from the Fraser Highlander mentioned in this story,
in Major Stewart's book, he highlights a number of mutinies from Highland regiments:
MacDonald Highlanders in 1779, Athol Highlanders in 1783,
Seaforth Highlanders in 1778, Breadalbane Fencibles in 1795,
Grants in 1795 and the Canadian Fencibles in 1804.
Now there's a common theme to them.
Government or officialdom reneged on some promise, or commitment,
or treated one or some of the men dishonourably, and the rest of the men stood firm.
This case was unusual because it had lots of deaths,
yet ultimately, no punishment. It was often the other way round,
with no injury, but men being shot to make an example.
In one case, a man of the Breadalbane Fencibles, being
marched to Edinburgh for execution asked, on his honour,
to be excused to go and settle some business in Glasgow, which would shame him to leave
unsettled before his death. His trusting,
some might say gullible, officer released him to go to Glasgow, and later the
soldier by the name of Macmartin, duly arrived on time at Edinburgh Castle for
execution. Come with me.
It's coincidental, but maybe appropriate
that today, I'm filming in Leith and Edinburgh. You see these men fought for King and country
on the battlefield, but they also risked and gave their lives
for citizens to protest at home. They refused to accept what wasn't fair,
and some of them lost their lives to do it. Today it's less risky to protest,
at least here in Edinburgh. These people behind me are demonstrating against the
current British government s proposed Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill
in England and Wales. Amongst other things the bill gives the Home
Secretary sweeping draconian rights to jail, almost at her discretion,
people who protest in a manner that at some point in the future she may deem loud
or annoying. If you stand on your own, on one spot to protest
but shout too loudly they can nick you.
Oh, and even if you're not aware that you're doing something wrong,
if they think you ought to have known, they can nick you.
If that sounds ridiculous, then that's exactly why these folk are protesting.
Now don't get me wrong, there are probably some fannies in that group who protest everything;
my porridge is too hot, my porridge is too cold,
this bed is too firm, this bed is too soft, and that might sound annoying,
but once the bill is passed, if the Police think that they're annoying
they could go to jail. If they're seriously annoying
for ten years. Now, a couple of sentences can't summarise
the whole subject, obviously, and there are bits unrelated to
peaceful protest that are fine, and people can still protest,
with the Government's (UK) permission, so long as they do it when and where they're
told,
and in a manner that nobody can hear. If there's a wedge
that will hold open the door to the regressive and repressive despotism of previous centuries,
then the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill
2021 is undoubtedly the thin end of it.
Almost at the whim of the powerful,
people can face long term incarceration, if they decide to protest injustice.
Now you might reasonably ask:
'But the bill doesn't really impact in Scotland does it,
why should these people care? Should we not care for our English neighbours?
It's not that English are worthless and Scots are worthy;
Catholics are Godly and Protestants apostate. It's not that white people are bad and black
people are good; that Highlanders are decent and Lowlanders
not. None of these things are true,
but there's a dark part of humanity that, given the right circumstances,
will disregard the lives and worth of others. Throughout history, people in power, left
or right, have used and abused other humans in order
to achieve their personal, political or ideological goals.
It seems to me, that avoiding that, is the lesson to be learned
from history. Look,
I generally speaking, I try not to get caught up in the
current day, unless I'm making some stupid joke, obviously,
but democracy and the right to protest is under threat throughout the world.
These rights and privileges were hard won by many people.
Some of them troops of the Black Watch, Seaforths, Grants, Breadalbane Fencibles and
others, who protested
without violence, unless provoked, at the treatment of not just to themselves,
but their comrades. The military are people,
who happen to be in the military. The dividing lines aren't always clear.
So you see this video isn't just about the Black Watch.
It isn't even about the military. It's about us,
it's about our place in history,
what we stand for,
and indeed, whether we make a stand at all.
If you want an example of what protest used to be like,
then you can watch my video on 'The Malt Tax Riots' here
Ceartas (Justice). Tha mi an dochas gum bith lath math leibh. Tiorridh an drasda.