Anon 1997 'Battlefield Remains'. The National Trust for Scotland Archaeology Bulletin, Spring 1997.
Dickson, W. K 1895 'The Jacobite Attempt of 1719'. Scottish History Society. 19, xlvii-liv.
MacLeod, J. 1996 Highlanders. Hodder and Stoughton, London
Millar, A.H. 1885 'The Battle of Glenshiel. Note upon an Unpublished Letter in the Possession of C.S. Home-Drummond-Moray, Esq of Abercairney'. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland VII, 1884-1885, 64-66.
Taylor, I. C. 1965 'The Affair in Glenshiel'. Scotland's Magazine, November 1965, 104-114.
Sadler, S. 1996 Scottish Battles. Canongate, Edinburgh.
Sinclair-Stevenson, C. 1971 Inglorious Rebellion: The Jacobite Risings of 1708,1715 and 1719. Panther reprint, St Albans (1973).
Information on Sources & Publication
Although relatively few in number, the primary sources are of good quality and provide a reasonably detailed account of the battle. However, it would appear that two of these accounts (the first published by Millar in 1885, while the second is part of 13 handwritten pages in the Irvine Robertson papers entitled: A distinct abridgment of some materiall points to Scots affairs, are actually copies or paraphrases of an original account in a letter written by Tullibardine to the Earl of Mar - possibly on 15 June 1719).
These accounts differ in their descriptions of the Jacobite dispositions, but this may be due to nothing more than a misunderstanding of what Tullibardine meant in his original account.
The first and fullest account, from the Irvine Robertson papers has:
'150 men, including 2 companies of Seaforth's on the 'little hill' on the south side of the glen (the forward position) ' another 80 were told off to join them from their position high on the mountain above (south side) but never arrived. On the north side of the glen were the Spanish (200) next Lochiel with about 150 men, then from the neighbouring bounds 150 with 20 volunteers. Next in the line was Rob Roy with 90 men, 50 McKinnons, 150 Seaforth's under Sir John McKenzie of Coull and then on the far left at a considerable distance Lord Seaforth with 200 of his best men, along with the Lord Marshall and Campbell.'
Although seemingly detailed this description makes no mention of the barricade across the road in the Jacobite centre.
In the other account (published by Millar), the barricade is stated correctly to be manned by Tullibardine, Lochiel and 80 Camerons, but also by others including Rob Roy, giving a total of around 400. They are described as being in the centre, where it was believed the main Government attack would come, 'being the most open and the best and common passage and road'. It is possible that this account has borrowed from Tullibardine's and has confused the disposition, placing those in the 'centre' of the main Jacobite line on the hill (in reality the left of the entire Jacobite disposition), including Rob Roy, in the actual centre down on the road.
Other useful accounts are provided by men of high rank on both sides, including the letters of the Duke of Ormonde and the memoirs of General Wightman and the Earl Marischal (the latter two of these are quoted in poorly referenced secondary sources and as yet the location of the originals have still to be traced, but these would appear to be less detailed than the Tullibardine account).
The written accounts are complemented by three detailed plans, though all of these are by the same cartographer ' John Bastide, who was a lieutenant in Montagu's regiment during the battle. His first plan was a perspective from behind the initial Government line, looking across to the Jacobite positions further down the glen to the west. This perspective provides a useful counterpoint to the other two plans, one of which is an almost identical copy of the other. This view is from the south, looking across the glen, with the Jacobite right in the foreground. All of the plans show the movement of troops from both sides.
The 1719 Jacobite Rising has been largely overlooked by historians, with the 1715 and 1745 Risings attracting most of the attention. There has been some debate, however, as to the length of time it took the Government forces to defeat the combined Highland and Spanish force. The popular perception of the battle is that the Jacobites were soon put to flight (e.g. Coull 2000), while others (e.g. Galbraith 1928) make more of the stubborn resistance put up by the Jacobites ' the latter stating that the fighting against Seaforth was so heavy that Government troops were reduced to two shots per man (ibid, 304). Reference to the contemporary accounts does suggest some tenacity on the part of the Jacobites, and in a fighting style (defensive fire-fight) to which they were unaccustomed. For example, it took the Government left several attempts to storm the knoll occupied by the Jacobite right. Likewise, after fighting for three hours the Spanish contingent on the fortified outcrop appear to have been among the last to leave the field, making a fighting retreat under orders from Tullibardine.
Primary Sources
National Archives of Scotland
[Irvine Robertson papers]. Shelfmark: GD 1/53/96. [includes an account of the events leading up to the battle of Glenshiel, and of the battle itself].
[Letter from Mr Johnson to Admiral Gordon giving an account of a skirmish between the Hanoverian forces and the Jacobites at Glenshiel, 22 June 1719]. Shelfmark: GD 24/5/78.
[Volume of Jacobite papers including correspondence, receipts and passes, 1716-1748]. Shelfmark: GD 24/5/162/1-32. [includes: copy account of the engagement at Glenshiel, 15 June 1719 (GD 24/5/162/4].
Printed primary sources
Anon. 1719 Ane Account of the Ingagement at Glenshiel, June 10th 1719.Reproduced at length in Millar, A H 1885 'The battle of Glenshiel. Note upon an unpublished letter in the possession of C S Home-Drummond-Moray, Esq. of Abercairney', Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 19 (1884-1885), 64-66.
Dickson, William K. (ed.) 1895 The Jacobite attempt of 1719: letters of James Butler, second Duke of Ormonde, relating to Cardinal Alberoni's project for the invasion of Great Britain on behalf of the Stuarts, and to the landing of a Spanish expedition in Scotland. Edinburgh: Scottish History Society. [copy in Glasgow University Library at shelfmark: Sp Coll Stone 205]
Galbraith, JJ 1928 The Battle of Glenshiel, 1719. In: Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness. Vol. XXXIV (1927-28), 280-293. [a collection of primary sources including letters from the Duke of Ormonde to various; Forbes of Culloden to Cols William Grant and Clayton. Also a letter from the Marquis of Tullibardine to the Earl of Mar, which contains the fullest written account of the battle consulted ' and which provides the basis for at least two others ' see above].
Sinclair, J (ed.) 1981 Statistical Account of Scotland ' (1791-1799). EP Publishing.
Online New Statistical Account of Scotland- Inverness-shire and Cromarty (1845) ' accessed through Glasgow University library.
Cartographic & Illustrative Sources
National Library of Scotland
Bastide, J. 1719 A disposition of His Maj'ties forces - commanded by Maj. Gen. Wightman of ye rebels at ye Pass of Glenshiells in Kintail - 10th of June 1719. Shelfmark: EMS.s.163.
Bastide, John Henry 1719(?) Plan of the Field of Battle that was fought on ye 10th of Iune 1719, at the Pass of Glenshiels in Kintail. Shelfmark: MS.1648 Z.03/22b. [a fair copy of MS.1648 Z.03/22a; a copy of this plan was also discovered in the collections of the Duke of Marlborough at Blenheim Palace, as described in Millar, A H 1883 'The battle of Glenshiel, 10th June 1719. Note upon an unpublished document in the possession of his Grace the Duke of Marlborough', Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 17 (1882-1883), 57-69].
Bastide, John Henry n.d. Plan of the Field of Battle that was fought on ye 10th of Iune 1719, at the Pass of Glenshiels in Kintail. Shelfmark: MS.1648 Z.03/22a. [see MS.1648 Z.03/22b above].
Roy's map ' no detailed information ' shows road and river and erroneous annotation: 'field of battle 1718'.
1st Edition OS 6' map, surveyed 1874, published 1880. Sheet CXXXII.
Secondary Sources
Anon 1997 'Battlefield Remains'. The National Trust for Scotland Archaeology Bulletin, Spring 1997.
Coull, S. 2000 Nothing But My Sword: The Life of Field Marshal James Francis Edward Keith. Birlinn, Edinburgh.
Dickson, W. K 1895 The Jacobite Attempt of 1719. Scottish History Society. 19, xlvii-liv.
MacLeod, J. 1996 Highlanders. Hodder and Stoughton, London
Taylor, I. C. 1965 'The Affair in Glenshiel'. Scotland's Magazine, November 1965, 104-114.
Sadler, S. 1996 Scottish Battles. Canongate, Edinburgh.
Sinclair-Stevenson, C. 1971 Inglorious Rebellion: The Jacobite Risings of 1708,1715 and 1719. Panther reprint, St Albans (1973).
About the Inventory of Historic Battlefields
Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.
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