Some days after the People of CathnessCaithness
had got certain Accounts of the Action at Cul-
loden on the Sixteenth of April in the Year
One Thousand seven Hundred forty &and Six, Da-
niel Gilchrist, son to Master James Gil-
christ, the famous Presbyterian Minister
in Thurso, came from Inverness, accompa-
nied by one David Forbess a mean fellow
of a very obnoxious Character (who had
serv’dserved in Captain Alexander Mackay’s Com-
pany, and been made Prisoner at the Battle 1522 (1522)
Battle of Gladsmuir, and confin’dconfined in
the AbbayAbbey of Holy-RoodHolyrood, with many
others of his Way, who shar’dshared very re-
markedly in the Prince’s Clemency
and Beneficence; notwithstanding which,
they, contrary to their Engagements to
him, rejoin’drejoined their respective Corps,
how soon they dar’ddared make any Appear-
ance, as did the most of their worthy
&and honourable Officers; brave Men of
the Sword!) and by what Means they
and their discrete Advisers must best
know, brought with them a Sort of
Warrant from the puissant Earl of
Sutherland (who had no Authority for
that End) directed to the LairdLord of
Ulbster, then Sheriff of CathnessCaithness, or his
Deputy, to apprehend the Reverend
Mr^tt 1 James Taylore Episcopal MinrMinister in
Thurso, and to burn his Meeting House
(the usual method Way of Reformation
observ’dobserved by the Followers of Core) though
he could be the charg’dcharged with no Crime, un-
less his being a Nonjuror be deemed one.

This unwarrantable Warrant was
delivered to Mr James Campbell She-
riff Clerk of Cathness then Ulbster’s
Deputy, whereof Mr^tt Taylore was advis’dadvised
about two Hours after by a Friend of
his from the Gerth the Residence of
the said Mr^tt 2 Campbell. — This, and the
many uncommon monstrous Barbarities
acted by the Orders of a certain great Of-
ficer at Inverness, &andc. upon the Persons,
&andc. of these were call’dcalled, or suppos’dsupposed to
be Jacobites, whereof he had daily Ac-counts,1523(1523)
counts, made Mr^tt Taylor judgjudge it would
be prudent to retire from his own
House to lodge with some Friends in
the Country, to prevent being insulted
by the two above-named Fellows, and
oyr^tt furious Zealots, who might have
join’djoined with ymthem^tt to distress him. — For,
in these Times of prevailing Iniqui-
ty, The Saints believ’dbelieved they had a
just Right, for promoting the Inter-
est of the Good Old Cause, to
seize upon, or destroy the Effects, amd
banish and butcher the Persons of
all who oppos’dopposed their novel Tenets
in Church or Hate.

Mr Taylor continued for a few Weeks
after this in CathnessCaithness, in as private a Man-
ner as he thought consistent with his Safe-
ty and Health; till he received Two Let-
ters from Sir James Stuart of Burray,
and One from his Lady earnestly in-
treating him to go to Burray (as he
had us’dused to do several Summers be-
fore) to read Prayers, and administer to
ymthem the Holy Supper of our Lord. To which
he made Answer, that he would most
readily comply with their Request, if
they thought it safe for him to be in their
Bounds, after such a warrant had been
sent to the Deputy Sheriff of Cath-
ness against him.

Accordingly about three of the Clock in the
Morning of the seventeenth Day of May, he
received another Letter from Sir James, urging 1524 (1524)
urging him to come to Burray with a Boat
he had sent to bring him over the Frith;
assuring him of all the Security his In-
terest was capable to afford: Upon which
he took Boat at Scrabster-Rings, and
for to Flottay in yethe Afternoon, and ar-
rived at Burray the next Day; where,
as usually, he met with the kindest
Reception.

About two Days thereafter Sir James was
informed, that Master Moodie of Mel-
sater, then a Lieutenant of Foot in
the British Services had accepted a Com-
mission, to come North in Company with some
Ships of War design’ddesigned for the Orknays &and
Western Islands, in order to search for, and
apprehend his Person, and to burn his House,
&andc. And on Friday the 23d23rd of said Month,
Sir James was again warned by a Gentle-
man of Integrity, that if Moodie was not
already in Orknay, he was certainly hov-
ering near it’s Cost, and earnestly press’dpressed
him to provide for his own and Ladie’s
Security. The next Day in the Forenoon
several Ships apear’dappeared, and made to Holm-
sound, where some of them anchor’danchored, and
others held on their Course to Stromness;
about Eight of yethe Clock at Night Two, or
three big Ships past by Burray the same
Way: About Ten o’ Clock Sir James com-
manded to send a Boat to Holm-Sound for
Intelligence, which was detain’ddetained by Mr
Moodie; and this might have convinc’dconvinced
Sir J’sJames that it was high Time to shift
for himself. But neither this, nor any other Warnings 1525 (1525)
Warnings could prevail with him to
leave his own House, and avoid the
impending Danger. Which proceeded
(perhaps) from a Consciousness of his
Innocence; tho’though some people believ’dbelieved it
to be the Effect of anoyranother Cause. For,
has he duly considered the unweaned
Malice, which the numerous Party that
follow’dfollowed. the East of Morton in that Coun-
try (who had, for several years, gone
all Lengths heedless Fury was capable
to drive them, to blacken his Character,
and ruin his Interest:) continued still
to bear against him; he would have certainly retired to some other Country,
and remain’dremained till the Heat of the Pro-
secutions had somewhat abated.

Between Three &and Four of the Morn-
ing on Sunday the 25th, Mr 3 Taylor
was alarm’dalarmed in his Bed-Room, by one
of the Servants, who begg’dbegged him imme-
diately to get up, and shift for himself,
For Mr 4 Moodie with a great number
of Red-Coats had landed in yethe Island,
and were hastening towards Burray, to
burn the House, &andc. Upon which Mr 5 Tay-
lor made ready to get from yethe House, and,
when he had gone out of the Close, saw
Sir James and his Brother in Law Mr 6
Carmichael running towards the Old-
Barn-Years, but had not got a Furlong
from the House, when Moodie with his
Party surpriz’dsurprised them, &and apprehended Sir
James, but Mr 7 Carmichael got off by Speed 1526 (1526)
Speed of Foot.

Mr 8 Taylor and Wm^ttWilliam Watt Merchant in
Kirkwall made all the Haste they could to-
wards the Little Ferry, but, in their Way
thither, they were advis’dadvised, that some of
Moodie’s people, detach’ddetached for that End,
had broke the Boats lying near the
Store-House; which made ymthem^tt turn to-
wards the East End of the Island, and
in their Way applied to one of Sir James’s
Tenants to carry ymthem^tt about Burray-Head
to South-ronaldsay in a Boat which was
lying near to the Kirk, promising him a
very large Reward, but he stifly refus’drefused
to gratify them, tho’though he might have done
it with all Ease &and Safety; being a con-
summate Coward &and Traitor, as the Bulk
of his Neighbours commonly are. This
necessitate them to proceed further East-
ward to yethe^tt Rocks within the East Park,
where they might have, probably, lien con-
ceal’dconcealed, till the Red-Coats had withdrawn
from the Isle: But Mr^tt Taylor being con-
fident of his having acted all along in
so cautious, &and irreprehensiblereprehensible a Manner,
that he could neither be apprehended,
nor imprison’dimprisoned by any British Law in Be-
ing, left the Rocks and walked West-
ward; &and within a few Minutes Mr^tt Watt
&and he were surpriz’dsurprised by Two of Mr^tt Moo-
die’s Men, arm’darmed with MusquetsMuskets, Pistols,
and Swords, who, with many others, were
now traversing the whole Isle, in quest of
Mr Carmichael, who was lurking in a
Tenant’s House, but basely betray’dbetrayed, and catch’dcatched by 1527 (1527)
by the Pursuers, and carried to the House
of Burray, where Masters Taylor &and Watt
were confin’dconfined under a Guard some time
before.

Sir James was immediately, after being
apprehended, hurried away, under a
Guard of the Soldiers, to a Boat, and
carried to a Tender anchor’danchored in Holm-
Sound, to which Messieurs Carmichael,
Taylor &and Watt were carried some few
Hours thereafter.

While on Board this Cutter Mr^tt Taylor
saw a Letter, which he had wrote from
Thurso to Sir James, containing some
Accounts of the Action at Culloden, which
was taken out of Sir James’s Pocket, and,
by his uncommon Penetration, Moodie be-
liev’d it contain’dcontained some very exceptiona-
ble Expressions, &and communicated it to
Mr^tt Andrew Ross, the then Deputy-She-
riff of the Orknays, who, being of Master
Taylor’s Acquaintance, he expected might
befriend him; and therefore wrote him
twice from the Cutter, but was favour’dfavoured
with no answer; this, and his mild and
Christian Behaviour to many others, in
those Days of Confusion, and Scene of
Inhumanity, is well known to many, but
highly detested by all Christianly dispos’ddisposed
and honest men; and must fix indelible
Slur on his Character, while time lasts.

Copies of this Letter were sent to yethe Cap-
tain of every Ship, on board whereof Mr^tt
Taylor was thereafter confin’dconfined; and the
Orignal, as he was inform’dinformed, was at Length
sent to the Duke of Newcastle’s-Office in Lon-don,1528(1528)
don, where it was judg’djudged quite irreprehensible.

Sir James and his three Fellow Cap-
tives continu’dcontinued on the Cutter, till ‘twas de-
termin’d by Messieurs Moodie &and Ross to have
ymthem^tt carried to the Tolbooth of Kirkwall, in
pursuance of which Resolve, they were
landed after seven at Night, and oblig’dobliged
to travel to the Burgh aforesaid guarded
by all Moodie’s command; who with Mr
Ross strutted before them all the Way,
like two Bashaws, after some remarkable
Victory. — When they enter’dentered the Town, they
were met by the Train’dTrained Bards of Kirk-
wall, who made no small &and martial an
Appearance, and were kept for some
Time in the Steers, to display the Glo-
ries of the young Hero’s Triumph, and to
gratifie the Malice of the Mortonian Fac-
tion, who, like headless Asses, implicitelyimplicitly
followed the Subverter of their Interest and
Liberties, and indeed mortally hated Sir
James, yea, and all that oppos’dopposed their Fol-
lies, or tender’dtendered the Good of their Country;
without a Cause. — After this Parade, they
were carried into the Town-House, &and Guards
plac’dplaced within, and around it without: where
they were lodg’dlodged till about four of the
Clock the next Afternoon, when they were
taken out, and carried in Triumph through
the Sheets, and Led on their Way for Strom-
ness, which lies about twelve Miles from
the Burgh.

Some of the poor Red-Coats, who had slept
very little for two Days before; &and had drunk
somewhat too much, which had ren’der’drendered ymthem^ttt
incapable to march a Foot, were soundly
drub’ddrubbed by Moodie with his Feet and Pike, till 1529 (1529)
till he bokebroke the last over one of their
Heads; fine Discipline this for Brave
military Men! And he forgot not to
add Weight to the Correction by loud,
magnanimous Curses, and horrid Impre-
cations!

The Prisoners came to AlexrAlexander Graham’s
House in Stromness about Ten at Night,
and were allow’dallowed to take a small Re-
freshment. During which Time, a poor
Man of the Name of Johnston, had come
in to see Sir James Stewart, and was
mournfully condoling his present Confine-
ment, which Mr^tt Moodie hearing enter’dentered
the Room in a hideous Fury, curs’dcursed, and
unmercifully beat him with his Feet, till
the poor old Man fell to the Floor. And
immediately the four Captives were hurried
to a Boat, and carried to the Shark-Sloop
of War, commanded by Mr Middleton, then
lying off Stromness: This Gentleman is fa-
mous for his faithful Services done to
some English Merchants, by whom he had
been employed some Years before; to find
out the North West Passage: And here
they were confin’dconfined under many Hardships
and Indignities, till the 11th or 12th of
June, when they were turn’dturned over to the
Old Loo-Main of War commanded by an
English Gentleman, Captain Noreberry;
who us’dused them with the greatest Humanity
and Kindness.

Some Days thereafter, the Loo with some
other Ships of War were order’dordered to sail for
the West HihlandsHighlands to prevent any Ships
that might come from France, their landing in 1530 (1530)
in that Country. They cruis’dcruised several Days
off the Long-Island, St Kilda, Skie, &andc. and
to the Westward of Barra-Head. While on
this Cruise, the four Prisoners had frequent-
ly very melancholy News concerning the
narrow Searches were made to find out
the Prince Charles, and his Followers; and
the monstrous Barbarities exercis’dexercised by the
D—Duke of C—ndCumberland, and many ^of the Savages un-
der his Command, upon the Persons of many
poor Gentlemen, and Others, who had the
bad Luck to come in their Way; &and of the
incredible HavockHavoc of many innocent peo-
ples Effects, to the utter Ruin of them &and
their Families. Simon Lord Lovat, Macreil
of Barra, John Gordon younger of Glenbuck-
et, &andc. were by this Time apprehended, as
were great Numbers of inferior Persons;
severals of whom were treat most cruelly
by some of the Officers, specially by Captain
Ferguson, a fellow of very low Extract,
born in the Country of Aberdeen, who being
naturally of a furious, savage Disposition,
thought he could never enough harass,
misrepresent, &and maltreat every One, qmwhom^tt he
knew, or suppos’dsupposed to be an Enemy to the
goodly Cause he himself was embarked in.

On the First Day of July Sir James
Steuart and his Three Fellow-prisoners,
were turn’dturned over from from the Old Loo to
the Terror Sloop, commanded by Mr Duff,
Son to Patrick Duff, sometimes LairdLord of
Craigston in Buchan. Good Captain Nor-
berly sent his First Lieutenant Mr Man-
waring along with ymthem^tt, desiring him to inform
Mr Duff, how they had been treat by him while 1531 (1531)
while on board the Loo, and to tell
him, that whatever Civilities he should
show to ymthem^tt, he would resent as done to
himself. To which the haughty Duff
paid very small Regard.

Within some Hours after they came to
this Sloop, they were, by the great Indulg-
ence of their new Captain, coop’dcooped up in
an ugly Hole of about Six Foot long, and
somewhat less in Breadth, where they suf-
fer’d extremely for many Weeks; nor could
a Turkish Bashaw have born himself high-
er towards these Prisoners, than this young
Officer did towards ymthem^tt, while under his
Command.

This Sloop loos’dlost from the Island of
Barra on the third of July, where the
Crew had done all the Mischief they
could; and within three Days was on
the Coast of Buchan opposite to Rosar-
tie; and the next Day was opposite to
Banff, where the brave Captain went
ashore, to visit some of his near Rela-
tions. That afternoon She made for Cro-
marty Road where She anchor’danchored, &and conti-
nu’d for some Days; whence She was or-
der’d to the Road of Inverness, &and there
lay at Anchor till the First of August;
when she sail’dsailed as a Convoy to the Pamela
of Borrow Stowness, then a Transport in
the Government’s Service; on Board of
which were several Scores of Prisoners:
Who (poor Men!) had each of ymthem^tt the Allow-
ance of Half a pound Oat-Meal, such as it was, 1532 (1532)
was, a Day, and a Chopin of Water. On the
Seventh they anchor’danchored on the Thames oppo-
site to Woolwich: And the Ninth Sir James
was carried by a Messenger to New-Prison,
where he was claptclapped in Irons, soon after
sever’dsevered and died within a Week, or Two.

It is well known within a Week, or Two.
Gentleman had been abus’dabused and oppress’doppressed
by the present Earl of Morton, and his Brain-
sick Underlings in the Orknays; and the
scandalous Injustice he met with before a
certain Court held some Years ago in Edin-
burgh, whose Judges had, by his Lordship’s
Influence, receiv’dreceived peremptory Orders from
the then Prime Minister, &andc. to pass Sen-
tence, at all Hazards, against Sir James,
which was accordingly done, in plain Oppo-
sition to common Law, and National prac-
tice. — And during his Confinement, yea,
and after his Death, the scurrilous Court-
Scribblers, were not asham’dashamed, perhaps fmfrom^tt the
honest Accounts they receiv’dreceived from yethe Ork-
nays, to publish the most arrant Falsehoods
that Hell could invent; Such as, That Sir
James had been One of the Young Cheva-
lier’s chief Officers, and had been frequent-
ly with him in some of his Adventures,
tho’ the WritterWriter hereof can faithfully de-
clare, he never saw that Prince in his
Life; Calumniare audacter, &andc. And
they added, that Sir James had been at
the Head of three Hundred Men in Ork-
nay, whereby he had cruelly harass’dharassed the
Earl’s Partizans, and the valuable Fautors of 1533 (1533)
of the good old Cause there; which
was as real ^a Truth, as that Presbyteri-
anism is the only Government should
obtain in the Christian Church, or that
Usurpation is no Breach of our Civil
Constitution.

After Sir James was carried from the
Terror, the three remaining Prisoners were
more harshly us’dused than ever before; for
tho’though the Hole, to which they were confin’dconfined,
had neither Air, nor Light, but from the
Door, and very little of either that Way,
their humane Captain Countryman the
tender-hearted Captain, commanded
the Door to be shut and padlock’dpadlocked
upon them about Eighth at Night, and
not to be open’dopened till after EighthEight in
the Morning; and besides Two CentinelsSentinels
were plac’dplaced at the Door with Swords and
Pistols for the more Security. In this Si-
tuation Master Taylor was often ne-
necessitate to suck in Air through the
Chinks of the Door to prevent being
stifled. Some Days being spend under
these new Hardships, they were turn’dturned
over to the foremention’daforementioned Pamela, where
many of the poor Prisoners had died, and
their Bodies were thrown into the River;
but the dead, after this, were interr’dinterred at
the Charge of the Inhabitants of Wool-
wich: Many were still heavily sick, and
it was dangerous to be shut up in the
Hold with them.

Here the three foresaid Captives met with
Macneil of Barra and Young Glenbucket,
who had been brought Prisoners on the Pa-
mela from Inverness.

On the 24th the Pamela was order’dordered down
the River, to anchor between Gravesend
and Tilburry Fort, where some oyr^ttother Trans-
ports were lying with Prisoners; which
was no convenient Station for People so
confin’dconfined; for the Country on each Side
the River is very wet and marshy;
which occasions frequent unwholesome
Fogs; and all the grand Necessaries of
Life sell there at a much higher Rate,
than in many Places in England.

At Length, by the Indulgence of yethe Court,
every Prisoner was allow’dallowed Half an Pound
weight of Bread a Day and an Quarter
of an pound Weight of Cheese, or Butter,
for Breakfast; and on the Flash-Days
Half an pound boildboiled Beef for Dinner,
but no Ale or Beer: — But by the A-
varice and Villainy of the Victualler,
One Bonny a broken Taylor, they seldom,
or never receiv’dreceived above three Fourths of
the said Weights, and sometimes not so
much. Besides, it was the Opinion of many,
that the Fleshes were none of the + wholesomest
Kind, as being purchased fmfrom Butchers, who
were suspected to deal in diseased X Cattle.

But they were oblig’dobliged to use such Victu-
als, or starve. And even such of the Prison-
ers, as had Money, were greatly, straitnedstraightened to
obtain healthy Provisions, by the boundless Ava-
rice of the Soldiers, and Backwardness of the Sailors 1535 (1535)
Sailors to bring them honestly from
Gravesend.

Upon the Night of of Sep-
tember Master Carmichael made his
Escape by getting out at the Cabbin-
Window, falling into the River, on which
he was born up by four Bladders, which,
it seems, he prepared for that End, and
was carried to the South-wark-Side, whence
he got safe to London, and there remain’dremained
in the safest Way he could, till after
the Act of Indemnity was publish’dpublished in
Summer 1747.

This Elopement occasiondoccasioned no small
Confusion among the Guard, and Ship-men;
and the following Night, Mr^tt Taylor, u-
pon a mere Suspicion that he must
have been privy to, &and favour’dfavoured his
Escape, because they had slept together
on the Same Bed, was, after a long &and
strict Examination by the commanding
Officer, Lieutenant Laurence (tho’though
otherwise a discrete and very sympathis-
ing Man,) fore’dforced down to the Hold among
the Throng of the Prisoners, many of whom
were now sick of Fevers, Fluxes, and other
Distempers: And here (notwithstanding
all his Caution to prevent it) he fever’dfevered
within three or four Days; and continu’dcontinued
very bad for the Space of two Weeks;
and bad he not been most tenderly
car’dcared for during his Sickness by Mr
+ John Macdonald a Brother of Kinlock-Moidart’s,
who had been bred a Surgeon, and was one of 1536 (1536)
of the Prisoners he had good Reason to ap-
prehend it would have been fatal.

How soon he began (by God’s Blessing) to
recover, he much desir’ddesired to be above Decks
for the Benefit of the open Air, but was
denied that Freedom, especially when the
foresaid Officer was on board: And thus
was he treated for yethe Space of Six Weeks,
till Mr Laurence was advis’dadvised that his
Guard was to be very soon reliev’drelieved by ano-
ther Party; &and then he condescended to
converse with, and use Mr^tt Taylor more
friendly; from his being convinc’dconvinced that he
had no Concern in Mr^tt Carmichael’s Elope-
ment, and, the Day he was remov’dremoved, recom-
mended him most warmly to the Officer
that was to succeed him, and to the Sym-
pathy of Thomas Grindly Mr^tt of the []
Ship: But this last was as void of this Chris-
tian Quality as a Libyan Tyger And Barker
the new Officer was a rank Atheist, of a
most scandalous Life, and lost Character,
who had not the least Tincture of the Soci-
al Virtues, and a very Shame to Human
Nature it selfitself. Cruelty was one of his darl-
ing Qualities, and had he not been restricted
by his Commission, he would probably, have
sacrificed all the poor prisoners to gratifiegratify
his important Fury and Madness. He catch’dcatched
some Letters which Master Taylor had di-
rected to some of his Wellwishers in Lon-
don &and elsewhere, acquainting them with the
State of his Case, and the Hardships he
had felt; and yet fear’dfeared, (tho’though they contain’dcontained
Nothing reprensiblereprehensible) and sent them to the Secretary’s 1537 (1537)
Secretary’s Office, but his malicious De-
sign was (to his Regret) fairly disappoint-
ed. He oblig’dobliged honest Mr^tt Macneil of Bar-
ra, and Mr^tt Gordon younger of Glenbucket,
who was almost blind, to sleep in the
Hold, and put all the Hardships, he
was capable of inventing, upon ymthem^tt and
all the Captives there.

On the first Day of November, Barra, &and Mr^tt
Gordon, in Company with yethe LairdLord of Clan-
ranold, Bysedale, &andc. were carried by Mr^tt
Dick a Messenger to his House in London,
where they were confin’dconfined till Summer 1747. —
After this Mr^tt Taylor made application to Grindly
for the Benefit of the Cabin now and then to get
the Use of the Fine, during the cold Winter Sea-
son; which he sometimes, allow’dallowed, and as of-
ten denied. But this harsh Treatment did
not in the least surprise Mr^tt Taylor, for Grind-
ly is an ignorant, irreligious, intolerably,
forward, avaritiousavaricious, &and self conceited Whig, who
possesses no greater Share of Sympathy toward
his Fellow-Creatures in Distress, than he does
of good Manners &and common Sense.— He had
been Guide to the Party, that apprehended
Sir AlexrAlexander Dalmahoy.

About the Beginning of December Mr^tt Kirk
a Surgeon, who was appointed by the Court to
attend the Sick on board the Transports, and
those confin’dconfined in Tilbury Fort seem’dseemed much
dissatisfied with Grindlay’s neglecting to wait
of him with his Ship’s–Boat so punctually
as he desir’ddesired, did, as ‘twas said, complain there-
of to the Admiralty, from which on the 25th, there
came an Order to discharge the Pamela from
the Government’s Service, and to bestow the
Prisoners in oyr^ttother Transports, lying off the said
Fort: Accordingly Mr^tt Taylor with other three Prisoners 1538 (1538)
Prisoners were carried on ^board the James &and
Many an English Transport, where they et
with a great Number of prisoners, among
whom were four Gentlemen, who had been
allow’dallowed, for some time before, to sleep on a
Plat-form above the Hold, to whom Mr^tt Tay-
lor> join’djoined himself: But a few Days thereaf-
ter, upon the Change of the Guard, these
poor Gentlemen were ordered to the common
Hold, which had not been clean’dcleaned from the
Horses Dung &and Piss which were sometime
before brought over in it from Holland.

And here they were confin’dconfined in a sad e-
nough Condition, long beyond yethe Time, when
Mr^tt Taylor was made to look for his Libera-
tion. — For he was advis’dadvised on the first Day
of the preceedingpreceding October, by a worthy Friend,
who had his Intelligence from those who
managed the then Prosecutions against
those who were called Rebels, or disaffect-
ed Persons; That there had been no legal
Information enter’dentered against him, and that
therefore he was judged entirely Innocent.

This gave him Ground to expect he would
within a few Days be set at Liberty; but
either by the Hurry of Business the Gentlemen
at the Helm of Affairs were then really in, or
by their Indifference about relieving the poor
Innocents from their Misery and Distress; he
obtain’dobtained not his freedom till the thirteenth
of February 1747. On the 15th he came to Lond-
on, and found, by his long Confinement, and
bad Entertainment, he was hardly able to
walk the Streets without great Uneasiness.

And had he not received Assistance from
some of well dispos’ddisposed People there, especial-
ly from a worthy +Right Reverend Nonjurant Clergyman 1539 (1539)
Clergyman, his Sufferings would have
proved next to intolerable.
Master Taylor had expected from the
Time of his Imprisonment, that when
his Innocence should be examin’dexamined into,
and discover’ddiscovered; and his Liberation ob-
tain’d; the Ministers in the Administraonadministration
would allow him a reasonable Considera-
tion, for the Losses he had sustain’dsustained
by so tedious a Confinement, and for
bearing his Charges to Thurso; but af-
ter he had receiv’dreceived his Pass by the
Duke of Newcastle’s Orders, from Mr^tt
Larpent one of his Clerks, he was
by him advis’dadvised to go to Captain Eyrs
of Battera’s Regiment, who had receiv’dreceived
some Cash to be distributed to several
Prisoners (who were liberate at the
same time with Mr^tt Taylor;) from
whom he got the liberal Allowance of
a Guinea and an Half, a SummSum very e-
qual to the Expenses he must be necessa-
rily oblig’dobliged to, considering his Character,
and the Valetudinary State he was reduc’dreduced
to, by his undergoing so many Hardships.
This is a convincing Proof of the Justice
and compassionate Disposition of the cele-
brated Administrators, to give such a Trifle
to a Clergyman for his DammagesDamages, and to
support him from London to John of Groat’s-
House, a Distance of 515 Miles.

On the fifteenth Day of March, He took
his passage on a Trading Sloop bound for
Leith, where he landed the twenty Second:
He went thence to EdrEdinburgh where he staidstayed a-bout 1540 (1540)
fourteen Days, to gather some Strength;
and from that set out for CathnessCaithness on the
Seventh of April by the Highland-Road,
and on the Eleventh came to Inverness;
and the next Forenoon was attending
Prayers with the Reverend Mr^tt James
Hay in his House there; but when the Half
of the Litany was near read, the Company
heard One calling rudely at the Door,
which good Mr^tt Hay himself open’dopened, and
found. it to be Fellow Forbess, made
honourable Mention of in the Beginning
of this paper, who had inform’dinformed his Cap-
tain Mr^tt Alexander Mackay, that he had
learn’dlearned Mr^tt Taylor was at Mr^tt Hay’s incog,
upon which the brave well thinking
Captain informed General Blakeney,
who ordered some Dozens of his Musque-
teers to be martial’d on the high Street to
apprehend Mr^tt Taylor and carry him to
Prison. When Forbess enter’dentered Mr^tt Hay’s
House, and was ask’dasked why he had call’dcalled
there so very unreasonably; he answer’danswered,
that he was sent to call Mr^tt Taylor to
his Captain’s Lodging, to commune with
him about the Time he design’ddesigned to take
Journey, for the Captain was going North,
&and wanted to go in his Company. Where-
upon Mr^tt Taylor went immediately to-
wards John Paul’s, where he lodged the
preceding Night, and, on his Way thith-
er, was surpris’dsurprised to see such Numbers of
Soldiers drawn up in Order on the High
Street, who allow’dallowed him, civilly enough,
to proceed to his Quarters, where his Pass 1541 (1541)
Pass was secur’dsecured with his Baggage,
which he put into his Pocket, and then
went to Mr^tt Mackay’s Lodging, to whom
he shew’dshowed it; the Captain after reading
it went to the Street where his Ge-
neral, with other ^inferiour Officers, were at the
Head of the MusqueteersMusketeers; and acquaint-
ed the G—lGeneral that he had seen and read
Mr^tt Taylor’s Pass; upon which his Cap-
tainship was severely reprehended
by Mr^tt Blackeney, for putting him and
his Men to so unnecessary a Trouble,
upon so lame Information fmfrom the
Villain Forbess, who had been lately
punish’dpunished for his shameful Maleverses.
The Captain soon return’dreturned to his Lodg-
ing, where Mr^tt Taylor still remain’dremained, and
told him, That he might go about his
Affairs when and how he inclin’dinclined.
The next Day Mr^tt Taylor took Horse
for CathnessCaithness, and came to his own House in
Thurso in the Afternoon of the Sixteenth.
He had heard at London, and in his
Way homeward, from several Persons, that
about the 25th of the preceding June, by
an Order from the then Sheriff, the wise,
and mighty Zealous LairdLord of Ulbster
(who had neither Advice, nor Commission
from any Superiour Magistrate for that
Purpose, except from the Earl of Suther-
land, as above hinted in his Sham-Warrant,
or by a Letter from his Uncle the Honou-
rable Laird of Brodie, urging him, as he regarded 1542 (1542)
regarded the Government’s Good Graces,
forthwith to set about so acceptable a
Work) to Theodore Dunnet and John
Donaldson then Bailies in the Town of
Thurso; the Pulpit and Seats, with the
Ten Commandments affix’daffixed to a very
large Frame, were broken down, and
carried by great Numbers of the Thur-
so—Saints of both Sexes, out of Mr^tt
Taylor’s Meeting House to a void place
benorth the Town, and there burnt to
Ashes, in Preference of the gooly Sheriff,
and all the numerous CroudCrowd that at-
tended the long for wished Show. Would
not this have merited mighty Favours
to the prudent Actors from any wise
Court? And
That such a zealous people might be blestblessed
with a Priest worthy of ymthem^tt, Mr^tt James Gil-
christ the Presbyterian Incumbent at Thurso,
who generally puts his Sickle into other
MensMen’s Corn, had (as was believ’dbelieved at the
Desire of all his Brethren in the County
of CathnessCaithness, except one,) gone to EdrEdinburgh,
and thence to London, to misrepresent
&and asperse the Bulk of the CathnessCaithness Gen-
try, as EnermiesEnemies to the present Establish-
ment; and believ’dbelieved he would soon have
the Pleasure to see them and their Fa-
milies totally undone.
But this wicked Design was shamefully
frustrated. —However Gilchnest’s Expedition
turn’dturned to some Amount, for he went a beg-
ging through his friends in London, &andc. whom he 1543 (1543)
he made believe, that he could not conti-
nue in CathnessCaithness for the wicked Jacobites,
who had threaten’dthreatened to take away his Life,
and destroy his Family: Honest Whig-
ry, that never thinks Shame of Lying for
worldly Interest! It is well known by many
in Cathness, that this Busie-Bodiebusy-body could
not keep his own House, upon the Account
of his numerous Debts, for which he was
daily threaten’dthreatened with Captions. It was
said he begg’dbegged more than two Hundred
and fifty Guineas at London: But is
not like, for all this, to get out of
his Difficulties. The Blessing of yethe
Lord maketh rich, and his Curse must
make poor.