HEROIC FLORA MACDONALD The Denver Evening Post (Denver, Colorado), Saturday, September 09, 1899 Contact: Myrtle Bridges May 1, 2016
A Statue to Prince Charlie's Preserver unveiled at Inverness A handsome statue of Flora Macdonald was unveiled the other day on Castle hill at Inverness. It is a bronze, costing $1,000, and stands nine feet high upon a pedestal of dressed Scotch granite. The pretty Highland lass is represented with head slightly bent, the right hand raised shielding the eyes. Over her simple dress is thrown a tartan shawl, falling from the right shoulder and caught in the left hand. The simple drapery serves to bring out the lines of her handsome figure. By her side is her collie, looking wistfully into her face, evidently sympathizing with her in her anxiety for Prince Charlie. Flora Macdonald, the daughter of the 'tacksman,' or farmer, Ranald Macdonald, was born in Milton, South Uist in 1722. Her grandfather was a minister of the Island of Gigha, and then of South Uist, both of which are of the Hebrides group. Her father died in her infancy, and her mother was taken from her when she was only 6 years old, having been abducted and married by Hugh Macdonald of Armadale, Skye, who preferred to do his wooing in this warlike way. Little Flora remained at Milton until she was 13 years old, at which time she was taken into the mansion of the Clanranalds, of whom her own family were cadets, in order that she might have the advantage of their family governess. She had a passion for music and became not only a splendid performer on the spinnet, but delighted in singing Gaelic songs. But the simple life of the little girl of South uist was at an end in 1731, when she became the guest of Sir Alexander Macdonald in Monkstadt, in Skye, accompanying them afterward to Edinburgh where she was sent to a boarding school in the old stamp, clost to High street. She remained there for four years, and at the end of her school days returned to Skye with the family. The next year was fought the disastrous battle of Culloden, and it was then that Flora first met the pretender, Prince Charles Edward, while on a visit in Bembecula, an island of the Hebrides. Her sympathies were aroused for the handsome, unfortunate young fellow, who had so little ability to control his own destiny. Captain O'Neil suggested to Flora that she might be able to help the prince escape, if she would furnish him with woman's clothes in which to disguise himself. She hesitated at first, but her feelings of modesty were soon overcome by her loyalty to this hapless Stuart, and she consented. She afterwards said to the duke of Argyll that she was only anxious for the man, and would have lent her aid to anyone in the same trouble. It is hard to believe, however that her political sympathies were not with the pretender. She obtained a passport for herself, a man servant, "Betty Burke, the spinning maid", and a crew of six men, furnished by her step-father, Hugh Macdonald, who probably knew that Betty Burke was non other than the prince. It was 10 o'clock of a beautiful June morning when the party set sail across the Minch, to Skye, and one can conceive what must have been the feelings of the young girl, upon whom the success of the hazardous undertaking depended. When they attempted to land near Waternish they were met by a large party of the Macleod militia, and when they again put out to sea a shower of bullets fell around them. They finally disembarked at Kilbraide, near Monkstadt. She left her servant and the prince in a cave, and set out her- self for Monkstadt, where the Macdonalds, her relations, were living. Sir Alexander Macdonaldd was at Fort Augustus with the duke of Cumberland, but his wife was at home, and as the fate which always pursued the prince would have it, one of her guests was Captain John Macleod, the commander of the militia. He questioned her very closely concerning her visit to Skye, and his suspicious were aroused. As soon as she had an opportunity she told her secret to the Jacobite, Lady Macdonald, and with her assistance, the prince was sent for the night to the factor's house at Kingsburgh. Flora and her man servant accompanying him. Next day they set out for Portray, and the boat then conveyed him to Ramsay. On parting with Flora at Portray the Prince gave her his porgallant. Upon their return to Bembecula the boatmen were arrested and told the secret. When Flora returned to her brother's home at Milton she was summoned before Captain Macleod. Her friends implored her not to obey the summons, but to escape, but the brave girl refused to listen to their advice, and obeyed. She was permitted to pay a farewell visit to here mother at Skye, and then was taken to London and imprisoned in the Tower. Someone who saw her at the time described her as a graceful girl of twenty, with a rose-leaf complexion, "regular features and sweetness of expression, mixed with majesty of countenance, and she carried herself with dignity and gravity." In 1747, by the act of indemnity, she was given her liberty, and was quite the heroine of the hour, being entertained at the home of Lady Primrose. And visited by many persons of distinction. The principal families of Skye came to the banquet which was given upon her return to Monkstadt, and she was feted and made much of generally. November 6, 1750, she married Allen Macdonald, of Kingsburgh, and they first resided at Floridgarry. In 1773 she entertained Dr. Johnson, and in the August of the following year emigrated with her husband and family to North Carolina. Here she lived happily for five or six years, but when the war broke out her husband was appointed brigadier general by the governor, and at the battle of Moore's Creek was made prisoner. He was conveyed to Halifax, Va., [NC] and by the advice of her husband and friends Flora returned to Scotland. Her fortune seemed to have been to encounter disasters of all sorts, for they had scarcely set sail until the ship was attacked by a French privateer, and the heroic woman remained upon deck during the encounter, her arm being broken in the conflict. At the close of the war her husband returned to Scotland, and they lived quietly and happily at Kingsbride until she died in 1790. She was wrapped in the sheet upon which the Prince and Dr. Johnson had laid, and was buried in the churchyard at Kilmuir.
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