FLORA MCDONALD MISCELLANY
Contact: Myrtle Bridges
GRAVES OF FLORA McDONALD'S CHILDREN (Sanford Express) Robesonian (Lumberton, North Carolina) November 1, 1915 Issue The Raleigh Times states that a large and well taken photograph of the graves of the two children of Flora McDonald, who are buried in Richmond county, near McIntyre church, has been presented to the Hall of History by Mr. W.R. Coppedge, superintendent of the public schools of that county. While Flora McDonald was living in the southern edge of Montgomery county two of her children died of typhus fever, and were buried a short distance across the line of what is now Richmond county. They are marked only by rough stones from the vicinity, but Mr. A.W. McLean of Lumberton and some other gentlemen are arranging to cover the graves with concrete and erect a granite shaft. The graves are in the woods and recently the timber was cut and log wagons knocked aside the head-stones. January 3, 2015
"The Flight of Bonnie Prince Charlie" by Hugh Douglas and Michael J. Stead (Sutton Publishing, 2000) contains a sidebar which references Flora MacDonald and her aid to the Prince. It specifically references her father and mother, Ranald and Marion MacDonald. It says that in 1774 she emigrated to Cheeks Creek, NC and took the side of the loyalists. Her husband Allan was captured and taken to Philadelphia. Flora, left behind, suffered hardship and lost many possessions. When Allan was freed they were reunited in New York and then moved to Nova Scotia. After one bitter winter, they returned to Skye. Christopher Calvin 10-24-07
Fayetteville Observer, Tuesday, November 25, 1834 Transcribed by Myrtle Bridges Nov. 17, 2009 Descendant of Flora Macdonald.--Among the visiters of our Northern Meeting last week was Captain Macdonald from Exeter, the grandson of the celebrated and chivalrous Flora Macdonald, to whom Prince Charles Edward owed his escape after the battle of Culloden. Though an Englishman in all but decent, Capt. Mcdonald seemed to pride himself of his Scottish extraction, and appeared at the Ball in a splendid Highland dress. --Inverness Courier, Oct 2.
Fayetteville Observer, (Fayetteville, NC) Tuesday, August 04, 1835 Transcribed by Myrtle Bridges Nov. 17, 2009 Flora McDonald Willis, in one of his latest letters from Scotland, mentions his accidently meeting with some of the descendants of this romantic character, as follows: "I had taken up a book while we were passing the locks at the junction of Loch Ness and Loch Oich, and was reading aloud to my friend the interesting description of Flora Macdonald's heroic devotion to Prince Charles Edward. A very lady-like girl, who sat next to me, turned around as I laid down the book, and informed me, with a look of pleased pride, that the heroine was her grandmother. She was returning from the first visit she had ever made to the Isle, (I think of Skye,) of which the Macdonalds were hereditary lords, and in which the fugitive prince was concealed. Her brother, an officer, just returned from India, had accompanied her on her pilgrimage, and as he sat on the other side of his sister he joined in the conversation; and entered into the details of Flora's history with great enthusiasm. The book belonged to the boat, and my friend had brought it from below, and the coincidence was certainly singular. The present chief of the Mcdonalds was on board, accompanying his relatives back to their home in Sussex; and on arriving at Fort William, where the boat stopped for the night, the young lady invited us to take tea with her at the inn; and, for so improvised an acquaintance, I have rarely made three friends more to my taste."
Fayetteville Observer, Wednesday, November 29, 1837 FLORA McDONALD In publishing a paragraph a few days since touching the celebrated Flora McDonald, we appended a note requesting any of our Carolina Friends who knew her history while residing in their state, to inform us on the subject, and we had the pleasure yesterday of conversing with a highly esteemed elderly lady of our Borough, formerly a resident of Carolina, from whom we gathered the following particulars: Mrs. C. thinks that Kingsburgh with his wife, Flora, came to this country by the recommendation of Lord Dunmore, who promised to give them with their fellow emigrants, large quantities of rich soil gratuitously. On their arrival in 1776, they were sent to Guilford County, North Carolina, where they were received by the inhabitants, in consequence of the growing troubles with the mother country, rather as enemies than friends, and confined. Kingsburgh was brought up to trial at Hillsboro', in the county of Orange, where our informant resided. His cause was pleaded by his own son, in the flush of youth, and attired in his tartan dress, with an eloquence which drew tears from the eyes of every listener. Mr. C. believes that, finally, the highlanders were allowed to return, if they thought proper, and among those who departed for Scotland were Kingsburg, lady, and family. She remembers that he was a man of fine personal appearance, sang an excellent song, and was much esteemed by those who knew him. She did not see Flora, but was well acquainted with the remarkable incidents in her history. It is well known that Kingsburg had a favorite song, the burden of which was "Green Sleeves and Pudding Pies," and we asked Mrs. C. if she remembered to have heard him sing it, but she did not. At the period of the arrival of the McDonalds at Guilford, Mrs. C. resided in Hillsboro', N.C. and was then a married woman; yet at this day, after a lapse of more than sixty years, she remembers every particular with as much exactness as if the whole was the event of yesterday. We would also add that she called at our office to communicate her recollections from a most honorable motive, as she was under the impression that the information desired might be the means of benefitting the descendants of Flora McDonald by establishing the fact of her residence in Carolina by a responsible witness. We have the pleasure to inform Mrs. C. that the gallant young fellow, who, arrayed in his tartans, defended his father with so much eloquence and spirit, is still alive, or was in 1831, and is the present Col. John McDonald of Sky. A daughter of Flora is also alive and lives in Sky. Flora died in the same island on the 4th of March, 1790, having lived fourteen years after leaving Carolina. Kingsburg is long since dead. He was a remarkably handsome man, and was pronounced by Walter Scott to be the finest model of a highland he had ever seen. Will any of our brother antiquaries in Hillsboro', turn to the records of the county, and let us know what the record says of Kingsburg McDonald? And whether the impression prevailing at the time that the Highlanders were brought over by the instigation of Lord Dunmore, be correct? Our knowledge of the state of things in the Hebrides during the mania of emigration which prevailed at the time aforesaid, derived, of course, from books, leads us to believe that the British government, instead of encouraging the drain of the islands, did its best to prevent it. Norfolk Beacon
DEATH OF A GRAND DAUGHTER OF FLORA MacDONALD
January 19, 1859 issue of the WEEKLY STANDARD (Raleigh, North Carolina)
The Skye correspondent of the Iverson Courier, dating October 30, says: -- "An aged maiden lady, Miss Mary MacLeod, died yesterday at the village of Stein, Waternish. She was the daughter of the late Major Alexander MacLeod, by Anne, eldest daughter of Mrs. MacDonald, of Kingsbury, better known by her maiden name, Flora MacDonald-- a name celebrated in history. Major MacLeod served some time in America, at the period of the Revolution, as an officer in the Royalist corps; and his wife showed something of the maternal spirit, in conveying intelligence to her friends during that period of trouble and danger, having on one occasion narrowly escaped while carrying a message sewed up in a button on her dress. After the hostilities had ceased, Major MacLeod and his family returned to the Island of Skye. They both died there, and their only daughter, Miss M. continued to reside in the house at Stein until her death. She had long been in infirm health, and had nearly reached the age of ninety. She had several brothers, three or four of whom died officers in the army, and all deceased before her. The lonely life of the old lady was relieved by her attention to the poor and distressed." The above announcement in one of our exchange papers induced us to call upon a friend who is probably more familiar with the history of Flora McDonald and her family than any other person in this country. He furnished us the following particulars:-- Annie, the mother of the deceased, bore a striking resemblance to her mother Flora. Previous to the rising of the Scotch before the Battle of Moore's Creek, everly precaution and artifice were resorted to in order to elude the vigilant eyes of the Whigs. A favorite method adopted for bringing the young people together was giving Balls at various places in Cumberland and Moore. At these gathering schemes were canvassed and adopted which led to the arming of the Royalists and their defeat in North Carolina. In the ball room Annie reigned supreme. An eye witness has informed me that she was the most graceful dancer he ever beheld, and that he had walked thirty miled just to have her as his partner in the dance. Her beauty and accomplishments won the heart of Alexander McLeod, then of Glendale, on McLennon's Creek in Moore County, (now the plantaion of a family named Black.) He joined the Royalists in the contest, subsequently attained distinction in the European wars, and rose to the rank of Major General in the British service. He died some years ago at Stein. The deceased, Miss Mary McLeod, having nearly attained the age of 90, must have been born at Glendale. Some of her relatives now living in our midst, among whom may be mentioned our townsmen, James B. and Henry B. Ferguson. -- Fay Observer
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