The Girl Who Saved a Prince: Part 2

Flora MacDonald's Farewell by George William Joy 

          In the first portion of Flora’s story, it seems as though she and her companions were astonishingly lucky. But there was a catch to their success. Shortly after Flora returned home, the King’s men (King George II, England’s current sovereign) caught up with her. In truth, they weren’t far behind the entire time and someone had given her away. Flora was arrested and placed inside a prison ship, the HMS Furnace.  The prison ships were a common fate for the many Jacobites who were discovered after the rising. In fact, many of them were sailed to the American colonies where they were sold into indentured servitude (which seems to be a step above slavery but was usually just as bad. More on this in a later post, if anyone is interested).

The Tower of London

Prince Frederick

            But Flora’s crime was too extreme for the punishment of indentured servitude. While living in horrid conditions below deck with very little food, she was taken straight to the Tower of London where she would be imprisoned for the next year. During this year she would be tried for treason, the punishment for which, was death. Now you would think that this was the low point of Flora’s life. Perhaps it was for a time, but there was some serious silver lining here! London’s nobility became enraptured with her. Women simply didn’t do these kinds of things back then and her crime was seen as a tale of romantic heroism. At one point, Prince Frederick, the heir to the English throne, visited her in the tower! In fact, he admired her so much that he played a large part in convincing his father to give her amnesty. This girl had a way with Princes!

            Flora’s release was the talk of the town. A wealthy and respected courtier named Lady Primrose took Flora under her wing and introduced her to court (Primrose was secretly Jacobite). Flora’s new place of residence was a fancy London home. She was immensely popular; much London’s nobility turned up to meet her and they showered her with gifts. In addition, Jacobite supporters began raising money for her journey home and ended up raising much more than needed. Flora was now rich!

King Charles II

            But it just keeps getting better! King George II wanted in on the fun and asked that Flora be presented to him. At this meeting, he famously asked her (in a tone that I assume was playfully sarcastic), how she could dare to defy the crown by assisting his enemy. Flora replied: “It was no more than I would have done for your Majesty, had you been in a like situation.” It is said that her selfless attitude and perfect answer to such a nerve-wracking question further delighted the king and his court.

            I imagine that Flora was having the time of her life at this point, but that she was eager to return home. After her meeting with the king, she made her way back to Scotland, escorted by a fellow Jacobite prisoner who had been in the tower with her (who had also been granted amnesty).

            After returning home, Flora got her Happily Ever After. Remember Kingsburg, where Flora and Prince Charlie spent the night before he departed from the Isle of Skye? Well the Laird of Kingsburg had a son and he and Flora were married! So then she got to be a lady.

            If this were a Disney movie it would end here. But Flora’s adventures were far from over! I’m going to do my best to summarize now, because in order to do Flora’s life justice, I would have to write an entire book. Flora and her husband lived happily in their castle for many years and had a bunch of kids. But then they lost all their money. My sources don’t tell me how this happened. But now that they were financially ruined, the family decided to start again in the American colonies.

            This only furthered the family’s misfortunes. By the time they had established a plantation in North Carolina, the American Revolution had erupted. The Carolinas were full of Highlanders who were loyalists and Flora’s family fought alongside them. That obviously didn’t work out. By the end of the war, their plantation was ravaged and burned to the ground, and Flora’s husband was imprisoned in Nova Scotia. In addition, two of their sons had been killed in battle.

            Flora traveled all the way to her husband’s prison camp and when he was released they sailed back to Scotland. But on the way home, a French war ship attacked them! (The French were pretty much always at war with the British) It is said that the sailors on Flora’s ship were fighting the French in hand-to-hand combat. Apparently, at one point, it seemed that her compatriots were giving up. So Flora rushed on deck to rally them with shouted words of encouragement. In the tumult, Flora was attacked and her arm was broken. But she was a hero once again, as her bravery did indeed encourage the men, who successfully fought off their attackers!

            Thankfully, after this event, Flora and her family spent their rest of their lives in peace. So this is the real Happily Ever After. One of her sons had made a fortune as a trader in the East Indies, and he provided for his parents for the rest of their lives. Flora lived comfortably until her death in 1790. She was given a hero’s funeral, which was attended by 3,000 people!! Her grave is marked by a tall Celtic cross, and is located on the Isle of Skye. 

Kilmuir Burial Ground, where Flora was buried

Flora's grave

Flora MacDonald, Preserver of Prince Charles Stuart. Her name will be mentioned in history and if courage and fidelity be virtues mentioned with honor.

            Furthermore, her life has been commemorated in a song, The Skye Boat Song. This song was chosen as the theme song to a new TV series called Outlander (Though Outlander uses different lyrics) and it’s really beautiful! This series take place in the highlands just before the Battle of Culloden,  so if you want to get a feel for Flora’s world, I highly recommend it.

The Skye Boat Song

Speed bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing
Onward the sailors cry
Carry the lad that was born to be king
Over the sea to Skye

Loud the winds howl, loud the waves roar,
Thunderclaps rend the air
Baffled our foes, stand by the shore
Follow they will not dare

Many's the lad fought on that day
Well the claymore did wield
When the night came, silently lain
Dead on Culloden field

Though the waves heave, soft will ye sleep
Ocean's a royal bed
Rocked in the deep, Flora will keep
Watch by your weary head

Burned are our homes,
Exile and death
Scatter the loyal men
Yet e'er the sword cool in the sheath
Charlie will come again.

Thanks for reading!

Sources:

The Skye Guide:

http://www.theskyeguide.com/see-and-do-mainmenu-35/42-interesting-places/146-flora-macdonalds-memorial-kilmuir

The Women of the American Revolution by Elizabeth F. Ellet

Celtic Clothing:

http://www.celticclothing.com/mm5/irish-american/cc07-04-flora-macdonald.php

The American Revolution: A Concise History by Robert Allinson

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The Girl Who Saved a Prince: Part 1

Flora MacDonald

            I am very excited to share Flora MacDonald’s life with you. She would make the ultimate kick-butt disney princess! I read about her in a book called The Women of the American Revolution by Elizabeth Ellet. Miss Ellet is an interesting character herself, because she was involved in a public scandal with Edgar Allen Poe! I may even devote an entire blog post to her and this book in the future. In order to do Flora’s story justice, I’ve had to break it up into parts. I would rather keep my posts short for the reader’s sake, but I think you’ll appreciate this story regardless. Finally, Flora has become something of a legend in Scotland. After examining several sources, I have found that some details vary depending on the source. So I could only do my best to piece together a clear and accurate version of her story. I think that maybe some details have been embellished, but nevertheless, the concrete facts of her life are amazing.

            In order to understand the events that shaped Flora’s life, you’ll have to have a grasp of some very complicated politics. Bear with me! It all started with King James VII of England. This was a time when much of Europe was transitioning from Catholic to Protestant. It caused huge (and violent) divisions in countries like France, England and Ireland. In 1688 King James VII lost his throne because of his Catholicism and retreated to Catholic France for protection. James had catholic supporters back in the British Isles called the Jacobites (Jacobus is Latin for James), namely in Scotland and Ireland.

            James had a daughter named Mary and she married a Dutch man known as William of Orange. William of Orange was an ambitious protestant and he was vying for the English crown. The British parliament actually supported him because of his Protestantism and because his wife was so closely tied to the British throne. This lead to the Catholic Jacobite Uprisings in Scotland and Ireland and William set out to squash them. At the same time King James went over to Ireland to gain some territory (I actually have an ancestor who fought successfully against his army in the Siege of Derry). Shortly after, William defeated his father in law in the Battle of the Boyne. James retreated to France, and that was the end of it for a while.

            Now we focus on Scotland. The Jacobites continued to rebel for many years and the Scottish Highlands were divided between those who were loyal to the British and those who were loyal to their exiled King. William and Mary never had any heirs, so now the Jacobites were looking to Mary’s Catholic brother, James Frances Stuart, to lead them in another uprising. He made a very poor attempt in 1715 but he didn’t have money or an army, so he returned to France in shame. Then he married a rich Polish princess and settled in Rome, where they had their son, known as Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Prince Charles Edward Stuart, aka Bonnie Prince Charlie

            Prince Charlie decided to take up the family cause in 1744. His bid was fairly week, just as his father’s had been. He landed in Scotland expecting widespread support and a speedy start to the uprising. Despite some initial setbacks, he did eventually convince several clans to join him and together they assembled an army. A whole bunch of things happened next but I need to get to the point. The uprising ended with the Battle of Culloden, where he and his army of highlanders were brutally defeated. This changed Scotland forever. It marked the end of the clan system and the British outlawed all expression of Scottish culture as a way to control the Scottish people. 2,000 Highlanders died in battle. Hundreds across Scotland were executed, sold into slavery in America, or died in the harsh conditions of prison ships bound for London.

            Surprisingly, Prince Charlie survived and escaped the battle. Two months later he turned up on the Island of South Uist of the Outer Hebrides. This is an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. South Uist, and several other neighboring islands were home to the MacDonald clan. At this time Flora MacDonald was 24 and had just completed her education in Edinburgh. She was a native of South Uist, and was the daughter of a Laird (which is the Scottish term for a lord). He had died when she was a child and her mother remarried a man who was an army captain. He was in charge of a company of soldiers who supported the British and were, in fact, on the lookout for Prince Charlie. One source I have, says that Flora’s family was secretly Jacobite. In any case, the clan seems to have been divided in their leanings and I don't think anyone would dare to be openly Jacobite after the battle of Culloden. 

            Charlie traveled to a castle called Ormaclet,

Ormaclet is in ruins today

the home of a MacDonald Laird (it’s a bit confusing, but most people in this area had the same last name because they were all a part of the same clan, even though many of them were only very distantly related). Now, Laird and Lady MacDonald had to act fast to get rid of Charlie because he was being pursued and they risked their lives by sheltering him. It was Lady MacDonald who came up with the best plan. They would disguise Prince Charlie as a woman, specifically a lady’s maid, to smuggle him away. They just had to find a noble woman brave enough to take him on. The first two ladies they approached turned them down. But with Flora’s convenient arrival, they asked her and she accepted. I can’t blame the first two ladies who turned them down. Being caught with the prince would mean punishment by death. Perhaps Flora realized that if she didn’t help him, he would likely be found out and executed, along with Laird and Lady MacDonald. My sources say that she was an altruistic person, concerned only for the safety of another, rather than what the prince represented in terms of politics.

            Flora obtained special travel documentation from her stepfather for herself, two men for protection, and an Irish lady’s maid with the name of Betsey Burke. They then dressed up Prince Charlie as one very ugly, bearded woman. I don’t know how on earth they got him to pass for a woman. He could have at least shaved his beard! But I digress.

            They then set out in a boat for the Isle of Skye, east of Uist, that evening. All night they suffered as they were tossed about in storm. Charlie tried to calm his companions by singing highlander songs, which he had learned during the uprising (A handsome prince, singing gallantly in the face of danger-- I'm telling you, this needs to be a Disney movie!). In the morning they spotted land and approached it. But as they drew near, they saw a band of soldiers on the beach. Immediately, Flora and her companions turned around, which caused the soldiers to start firing at them. Somehow, though, no one was hurt. Several hours later, they safely reached the Isle of Skye and landed near the residence of the Sir Alexander MacDonald, Laird of Sleite.

The home of Sir Alexander MacDonald in the distance

            Flora hid “Betsey Burke” in a cave and then made her way up to the castle. Sir Alexander was not at home but his wife was there entertaining a large company of guests—soldiers searching for Prince Charlie! In fact, Sir Alexander was well known to be loyal to the British. Flora was taking a huge risk. But Lady MacDonald was, in fact, eager to assist Flora. She enlisted the help of her husband’s Bailie(this is a type of civic officer like a magistrate), who was the Laird of Kingsburg. This Laird decided to take them to his family home. You may have noticed by now just how complicated people’s loyalties were. There were many secret Jacobites behind enemy lines. Flora must have known in advance whom she could trust, otherwise I imagine this task would have been impossible.

            So this Laird, who isn’t named in my sources, accompanied them by land to his home. This was on a Sunday and while they made there way to safety, many townspeople were just returning from church. It is said that Flora’s terrifyingly ugly maid, who was tall and had an awkward gate, drew a lot of attention. And when they reached the Laird’s home, his wife was very visibly frightened by him. I can only imagine how hilarious this scene must have been!

            They stayed the night there in Kingsburg, which was on the western edge of the Island and the next day the group made their way to a town on the eastern edge called Portree. Here, someone else would take charge of the Prince and accompany him to another Island. He would eventually make a successful escape to France. On saying goodbye, Prince Charlie thanked Flora, told her that he hoped they would meet again...then he kissed her! My sources don’t specify if this was on the cheek or the lips so use your imagination ;) 

Flora returned home after the escapade, but her adventure was far from over.

***While you're waiting for part 2, you should check out this article from hellogiggles.com about some other real life ladies who could be disney princesses!

**Link to Part 2**

Sources:

The Women of the American Revolution by Elizabeth Ellet

http://www.history.co.uk/biographies/bonnie-prince-charlie

http://www.rampantscotland.com/famous/blfamcharlie3.htm

The Annoying French Guy Who (Literally) Fell Off His High Horse

Phillippe Charles Tronson du Coudray (1738-1777)

            If you are American you’ve probably engaged in some mockery of the French at some point in your life. Americans love to hate on the French (and vise versa!) but way back when, our newly formed country was very chummy with France. In fact, we owe a lot to France—but more on that later.

            This story takes place in Philadelphia, 1777. The Continental Congress had declared the independence of the United States of America one year earlier, and had since been getting their butts kicked by the British. Hope was not lost, but things weren’t going well. So Benjamin Franklin joined his Patriot friend, Silas Deane, over in France to ask for help. At this point, France and England had been fighting each other for centuries and were colonial rivals. Franklin and the Congress believed they could bond with France over their common enemy and they were right.  King Louis XVI loaned them an initial $200,000 (in today’s monetary value) and shipped 11,000 muskets and 1,000 barrels of gunpowder to the United States.

            America’s revolution caused quite the hullabaloo in France’s military. Many officers wanted to experience the adventure and glory of fighting for the American cause and hoped the new American government could pay them for doing so. While the Patriots did need some engineers, they weren’t offering positions to French wannabees and the influx of French men to the colonies was mostly an annoyance.

            In comes du Coudray. He was a high-ranking artillery officer who had a reputation for being extremely arrogant. He had made a deal with Deane shortly before Franklin’s visit: he would use his influence to bring over 100 skilled French officers with the stipulation he be given a ranking over all American forces and government positions except, or equal to George Washington. He thought he could just waltz into America, tell everyone what to do, and receive all the glory for a cause than wasn’t his own.

            Deane had agreed to this because of the needed engineers, but his peers in congress were outraged. After du Condray sailed to America, some of the more influential members of congress threatened to resign rather than have this annoying foreigner as their superior. Congress tried to propose a compromise and offered du Coudray a lower-ranking post as Inspector General. Du Coudray was insulted and he raised quite a stink about it, further insisting that he be the equal of Washington.

            Before any further steps could be taken, du Coudray got what was coming to him. He was attempting to cross the Schuylkill River on a ferry with his horse. Before the boat left the shore, the ferry operator asked du Coudray to dismount from his horse, as it was a safety hazard. But du Coudray was all like “A general does not take orders from common boatmen!” (Imagine that phrase with a French accent). As soon as the boat started moving, his horse promptly jumped overboard and du Coudray drowned.

“Monsieur du Coudray has just put Congress much at ease by his death”, wrote retired officer, Johann Kalb.

           Du Coudray was buried in Philadelphia but his grave cannot be found today. Just think—if he hadn’t had such a bad attitude, you would have learned about him in your high school history class. Instead he fell into such obscurity after his death that his grave is now unmarked.

           Now before you use this bad egg to characterize the French, I have to mention the fact that France kept on giving us money and arms. The total sum of their aid was worth $1.4 BILLION! (In today’s monetary value). Furthermore, the following year, France was the first to recognize the United States as a country AND they declared war on England shortly after (they wanted to take over the West Indies and also taunt the British by sailing around the English channel acting like they might invade England) which further strained the British army. Could we have stood a chance against the British without France?

           

Sources:

The American Revolution: A Concise History by Robert Allison

and The Original Catholic Encyclopedia: oce.catholic.com

First Post! An Introduction

First of all, I want to say thank you for your interest in my writing!

I get asked a lot why I love history. Most people associate history with their boring high school history classes. I once had a class where the teacher made us memorize two columns of dates and that was all that our tests consisted of! I didn't like history then.

I like history now because I have learned that its not all dates and famous dead guys. There are a lot of epic stories to be found and I have a special love for finding hidden gems.

This blog will feature a range of topics including old books, obscure happenings, and random facts.

At the moment I'm working on several themes:
- The American Revolution: I'm currently working on my undergrad thesis (its basically a small book of about 13,000 words which I have to submit in order to graduate) and the topic I have chosen to write about is the Scots-Irish and their role in the Revolution.
- Women's history: Women's experiences have been largely left out of mainstream history, which is why I find a lot of hidden gems that revolve about women.
- Family history: I have spent a lot of time researching my family tree and it has been extremely fascinating. I even chose my thesis topic because of my Scots-Irish ancestor who was a patriot.
- The history of wherever I happen to be living or visiting: which is pretty much I was doing over at annaekaiser.tumblr.com until school took over my life.

Any questions, comments, or topic requests can be sent to my email: annaekaiser@gmail.com, or a PM on facebook will do.

My first real post will follow shortly and it will be titled: The Annoying French Guy Who (Literally) Fell Off His High Horse