Thread by @cocteautriplets

🧵Today's 18th century historical thread starts with a chance photo of a gravestone in South Leith Kirkyard, taken because of the touching eulogy on it, and the remarkable yarn that a mistake on it unravelled.

Isabella Lawson (1700-1783) was the daughter of Janet Wilson and James Lawson of Cairnmuir. The Cairnmuirs were minor Borders gentry, their seat was Cairnmuir - or Baddinsgill - House near West Linton.

My eye was caught by the eulogy. Someone else's (@DunsPitcus) was caught by "Battle of Preston 1715" and whether "in the Royal Cause" meant they were on the side of Stuart or Hanover. So I tried to find out.

I eventually found that Colonel Lawson was in "Colonel Preston's Regiment of Foot" (The 26th, better known as The Cameronians), and that he was a Lieutenant Colonel.

The Cameronians were an unusual regiment, descended directly from the Covenanting movement having been formed as the "Cameronian Guard" to defend it. As such they were staunchly anti-Stuart, very Protestant and loyal to the houses of Orange and later Hanover.

However. I mentioned a mistake on the gravestone. It was, as far as I can tell, that Lt. Col. James Lawson did not die at Preston at all. He dies 3 years later in 1718 (whether that was from injuries he sustained may have been the case as the Cameronians took quite a beating)

Isabella Lawson is also not the only daughter of Lt. Col. Lawson, but may be the only daughter of his wife Janet Wilson. James has at least 6 other children and another wife - Marion Reoch. The chronology of births is confusing as to which were by Marion and which by Janet.

But we can forgive the errors I think, as the stone, erected by Isabella's son Abraham Divalie Cormack (isn't that a wonderful name?) is some 70 years after the facts and details may have gotten lost in family stories.

This is all very interesting but digging around the family tree brings up Lt. Col. James Lawson's older brother, John Lawson of Cairnmuir, Esq. (1657-1704). But it's not John who is interesting, it is his wife, Barbara Clerk (1679-1734).

Barbara Clerk is the daughter of Sir John Clerk of Penicuik and her brother is Sir John Clerk of Penicuik (better known as Baron Clerk to differentiate him from his father). The Clerks are one of the most powerful and influential families in the 18th c. Scottish establishment.

Baron Clerk is the Whig's Whig, a strong supporter of the Union of Scotland and England, a Commisioner for the Union of Parliaments, a Whig MP in the first parliament of Great Britain and later Baron of the Exchequer for Scotland.

Barbara's first husband therefore was a fitting choice. From the correct class of Borders gentry like herself, with the correct political leanings and a brother-in-law in the service of King George.

But then there is Barbara's Second husband, which is where things begin to get really interesting. On the 21 February 1710, Barbara marries one William Arthur* , M.D. 👨‍⚕️👰‍♀️🔔💒
(* = no relation, as far as I can tell)

William was born in Elie in Fife in 1680, his father was Patrick Arthur of Ballone, a surgeon, apothecary and "Commissioner of Supply for Fifeshire". The Commissioners of Supply were local bodies in Scotland responsible for certain aspects of civic administration.

William's mother is Margaret Sharp, a relative of the recently assassinated episcopalian Archbishop Sharp of St. Andrews. So William comes from the "right sort" of family for a Union with a Clerk.

In 1701 or therabouts, William travels to Utrecht to study medicine under Herman Boerhaave, "the father of physiology". This was about the best place he could of gone to study medicine in Europe at the time, so clearly the Arthur's had the means.

He returns to Scotland in 1707 as Dr. William Arthur, and begins to practice medicine with his father in Fife. I think it is through a chance treating of Baron Clerk who was on a hunting trip in Fife that he is introduced to Barbara Clerk.

The match was obviously approved and Dr. Arthur finds himself in one of the best connected families in the land. These connections begin to pay off and in 1713 he is licensed to practice medicine in Edinburgh by joining the Royal College of Physicians. He is made fellow by 1714.

(yes, I know that wasn't the College of Physician's building in 1713, but it's recognisable as being the right place compared to the original)

Dr. Arthur finds himself rubbing shoulders with and treating the great and the good of Edinburgh society. All is going well in the Arthur-Clerk household and it's about to get even better, albeit briefly.

In 1714 the ailing Queen Anne dies, and in her place comes His Most Serene Highness George Louis, Archbannerbearer of the Holy Roman Empire and Prince-Elector, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, King George I to you and me.

Now there is the curiosity that the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, at the time located in the Nor Loch valley where Waverley Station is today, is headed by a Regius (Royal) Keeper, a direct household appointment of the Monarch, and therefore vacant as of Anne's death.

King George therefore has to appoint a new keeper. The incumbent is James Sutherland, keeper since 1676, regius keeper since appointment by Queen Anne in 1699 and holder of the Chair of Botany at the university (picture © Royal Collection Trust)

It would therefore seem sensible that the capable, experienced, renowned and well thought of Sutherland would be re-appointed. But no, this is where the patronage machine stepped in.

For reasons that can only be Baron Clerk's direct influence, the newly qualified Dr. William Arthur - whose knowledge of botany would extend only to a physician's herbs - finds himself appointed not just the Regius Keeper of the Botanic Garden but also the King's Botanist.

To paraphrase Bayley Balfour, biographer of the Regius Keepers, Dr. Arthur probably knew nothing about Botany and certainly made little to no contribution to it or the Botanic Garden during his tenure. But that was to be very short as we are about to find out.

But all is not well in the land and not everyone is *that* thrilled with the new king. Long story short, on 27th August 1715, John Erskine Earl of Mar raises the Jacobite Standard for the exiled James Francis Edward Stuart at Braemar with 600 men and calls the Jacobites to arms.

Mar's forces swell to 20,000 and quickly take control of much of Scotland north of the Forth, but set their sites on Edinburgh and its castle. Within the castle are government arms for 10,000 men and £100,000 that were paid to Scotland upon the Union with England.

Mar's nickname is "Bobbing John" on account of his reputation for dithering and it never being clear quite which side he is actually on at any given time. Much of his early success may have been at the hands of subordinates taking initiative.

But with their sites firmly set on Edinburgh, someone starts taking action. It may have been John Drummond, Duke of Perth and Stuart loyalist who had been with James II when he lost his chance of the crown in Ireland.

Edinburgh Castle is a tough nut to crack. It's easiest to bypass it entirely, but not when you want what is in it. You can reduce it by force as the English did in the Lang Seige of 1573, but the Jacobites had neither the men, time or artillery for that.

No, the best and easiest way to take it was by sneak or subterfuge. Thomas Randolph had did it for Robert the Bruce. Alexander Leslie had done it for the Covenanters. Who was going to do it for King James III and VIII?

Step forward Dr. William Arthur, M.D.

It is reputed that the Arthurs were Jacobites, but that may be hearsay. Whatever reason he got involved, William at least had the perfect cover, being married into an unimpeachable family and in an intimate position in the depths of the pro-Hanoverian Scottish establishment.

What follows is *my* interpretation of events. I know others exist.

William Arthur has a brother, Thomas. Thomas is an Ensign in the 3rd Regiment of Foot Guards (the Royal Scots to you and I). Thomas has a cousin, James Arthur. James is a Lieutenant in the Edinburgh Regiment of Foot (The King's Own Scottish Borderers). The Arthur's get to work.

William Arthur seems to have a role in this of coordinator and fixer. Arms are assembled, 30 muskets with bayonets and a "great many" small arms are cached in the house of Sir David Murray of Stanhope in the Potterow by his wife.

Recruits are found within the Jacobite sympathisers in the city, from dispossessed Jacobite army officers, lawyers clerks, apprentices and "other youths of a class considerably above the mere vulgar". We will come back to these young toffs later.

Cousin James promises 30 armed grenadiers from within the Edinburgh Regiment. Just say the word.

Brother Thomas sounds out sympathisers within the castle itself. Eventually Three men, a Sergeant and two Privates, are bribed to help.

And from the Duke of Perth, 50 loyal men from the Highlands, to be led by Alexander Drummond of Bahaldie, "a gentleman of great courage". Drummond's real name is Alexander Macgregor, and he is chieftain of Clan Gregor, whose name is banned.

The last piece of the arrangements is Charles Forbes. Apparently a down-on-his-luck local merchant, but apparently actually a Jacobite agent. Forbes is engaged to build folding assault ladders and have them ready for a surprise, night-time assault on the Castle.

Things begin to go wrong, however. Apparently Thomas Arthur's wife gets word of her husband's dealings out of him and is able to forewarn Sir Adam Cockburn of Ormiston, the Lord Justice-Clerk and 2nd most powerful man in the Scottish legal system.

Remember those Jacobite yoofs of the "class considerably above the mere vulgar". Well they get bored with waiting and they go and get drunk in a tavern, and while they are "powdering their perriwigs in preparation" they give everything loudly away to anyone with ears.

Word is again sent to Adam Cockburn of Ormiston. This time he does something about it, and a messenger is sent to the castle. Eventually the deputy governor is roused. Sceptical, he gives instructions to double the guard and goes back to his bed.

At 11PM, the Jacobites assemble in the kirkyard of St. Cuthberts, known as The West Kirk at this time. Their target is the Castle Rock itself, towering overhead.

This 1791 etching, by an unknown artist, shows the spire of the West Kirk and above it the Castle.

And up they go! Miraculously they make it to the top and they make contact with the bribed Sergeant on the walls above. But there are 2 problems. Firstly, the Sergeant is due to be relieved early due to the changing of the guard patterns as a result of Ormiston's warning.

Secondly, Forbes and the ladders are nowhere to be seen. The party have only a single rope and grapnel among them. A conflab ensues amongst the assault party, pressed all the time by the ever more desperate Sergeant peering over the walls.

Macgregor/Drummond of Bahaldie takes control of matters. He throws up the rope and convinces the Sergeant to make it fast and drop it back down. Alas, it is at least a fathom too short.

And then the game is up. The Sergeant's relief turn up. Trying to save his own skin, he shouts "enemy!" and fires his musket into the darkness. The rope, which could only have been tied from on top of the walls gives him away and he is apprehended.

An illustration by "Terrason" made to celebrate the Hanoverian victory in the 1715 captures the moment as all hell break's loose and the Jacobites flee in all directions.

One of the Jacobites, an old officer by the name of Maclean, falls on the rocks and is later apprehended. Three of the youth scatter one way and find friends approaching. Only the friends turn out to be the Town Guard, turned out on the initiative of Adam Ormiston.

The Highlanders head north and apparently don't stop until they get to Kinross. The local Jacobites work their way around the the Nor Loch, in the area known then as Barefoot's Park. Here, they run into a man heading the other way encumbered under a huge load of ladders...

It is the delayed, incompetent or double-crossing Charles Forbes.

William Arthur himself goes to the castle rock at some point, but finds only a discarded musket. He too flees the scene and tries to find some of the other conspirators. Eventually their paths cross and after finding out all is lost, he and others flee the city

Arthur himself recounts in a letter later sent on his deathbed to the Earl of Mar how he didn't stop until he got to Polton in Midlothian, and the house of a nice where they got shelter and fresh horses, before striking out over the Pentlands.

Back in Edinburgh, the luckless Sergeant is thrown in the brig, court-martialled, found guilty and hanged. The Deputy Governor of the Castle, who went back to bed, is relieved of his duties and imprisoned for a time.

In the cold light of morning, Barbara Clerk's brother, Baron Clerk, accompanied by Sir Adam Cockburn of Ormiston and his son-in-law, Sir John Inglis of Cramond, come knocking at the door and enquiring where her husband might be as they *really* want to speak to him in a hurry.

William Arthur by this time has made it over the Pentlands to the house of an aunt of Baron Clerk, who at that time has no reason to suspect he is in trouble. Arthur writes to Barbara in Edinburgh and by return finds out his cover is blown. He gets fresh horses and flees again.

Remember Lawson of Cairnsmuir, Barbara's first husband? Well as part of her settlement she now has various parts of that estate. Arthur makes his way back down the Pentlands to there and as husband of the mistress gets horses, supplies and money and is off on his way again.

Arthur would later claim to Mar that he fled into the Borders as he thought he might be "of service" to the cause there. But whatever his intentions, Jacobite sympathisers in Teviotdale see him smuggled over the border to somewhere in Northumberland that he thought was Cornwall!

He now disappears off the face of the earth. The authorities back in Edinburgh claim that he and a cousin, William Barnes, meet up again with Mar to provide intelligence and are present at the Battle of Preston where the Jacobites surrender (© Harris Museum & Art Gallery)

Or course, bringing this neatly back to where we started, who else was at Preston but that name on the gravestone, Lt. Col. James Lawson of Cairnsmuir. Brother-in-law of Arthur's Wife through her first marriage.

Whether Arthur was at Preston or not, he next surfaces in Rome a few months later in 1716, along with various other Jacobite exiles, where he sets about writing a lengthy letter to the Earl of Mar exiled in Paris as to why he failed and why it wasn't his fault.

It is while drafting his excuses, that William Arthur consumes a "surfeit of figs", catches dysentery and dies as a result. Perhaps an actual botanist may not have made this mistake, but Arthur was a botanist only in name and only thanks to patronage.

From his death bed, he passes his letter to a Jacobite agent, Dr. Roger Kenyon, who conveys it and news of Wiliam's death to Mar in Paris.

Arthur was clearly popular in Rome as a sympathisers organised an elaborate funeral and special permission was given by Filippo Gaultieri, Cardinal-Protector for Scotland, for him to be buried within its walls. This would become the Cimitero dei Protestant - Protestant Cemetery.

So there you have it. The story of the mistake on a gravestone in Leith, the King's Botanist, the farce of the 1715 in Edinburgh and death by a thousand figs🔚

If you liked how silly that all was, then you'll probably also like the even more ridiculous tale of Macintosh of Borlum, who captured Leith (or at least, the ruins of the Citadel) in the 1715 and was meant to try and take Edinburgh with Thomas Arthur.

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