Robert Munro (1684 - 1746)
Encyclopedia
Sir Robert Munro of Foulis, 6th Baronet (24 August 1684 – 17 January 1746) was a soldier-politician whose life followed an 18th century pattern. He fought in support of the Revolution Settlement and the House of Hanover
, and their opposition to all attempts by the Jacobites
to restore the House of Stuart
either by force of arms or by political intrigue.
/James VII of Scotland lost his throne and the Protestant succession of his daughter Mary II of England
and son-in-law William III of England
was secured. He was a young man when the involvement of the Kingdom of England
, the Kingdom of Scotland
and the Kingdom of Ireland
, in personal union
under Queen regnant
Anne of Great Britain
, in the War of the Spanish Succession
, sent many Scots to fight under John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
on Continental Europe
.
His paternal grandfather Sir John Munro and his father Sir Robert, were successively chiefs of the Clan Munro
: his uncle Andrew was a Captain, and several of his relatives served before him in the Royal Scots
. It is not surprising, therefore, that the thoughts of young Robert should turn to an army career, and his earliest surviving letter (Oct. 1706) deals with plans for securing a commission, perhaps through the influence of the John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll
who was in Scotland for the critical pre-Acts of Union 1707
debates: even service at home was not to be despised, as it "might draw on a greater thing". Anyhow, the commission was soon forthcoming, although its exact date is unknown, and in March 1710, Robert Munro is on record as a Captain
in the Royal Regiment of Foot (then at the Hague
, Holland, Dutch Republic
), commanded by George Hamilton, 1st Earl of Orkney
. He served for seven years in Flanders
, it is said "with great reputation", and found himself out of employment when the war ended in 1712, and the Treaty of Utrecht
brought 30 years of peace to Continental Europe.
. His patrimony, of which he received a crown character in 1708, comprised Meikle and Little Clynes and the lands of Drummond, near the present village of Evanton
. Scotland's share in the Parliament of Great Britain at the Palace of Westminster
was 15 burgh members and 30 from the shires and at the general election of 1710 Robert was chosen under the limited franchise of those days by the northern constituency of Tain Burghs
(the burghs of Dingwall
, Tain
, Dornoch
, Wick
and Kirkwall
), which he was to represent through five more elections for a period of 31 years.
With his Whig
sympathies—which probably cost him his rank in the army on his return from Flanders—the young M.P. could always be relied on to oppose Tory
measures, including their efforts to subvert the Protestant succession. The health of Queen Anne and the threat of invasion were matters of concern, and some weeks after her death in August 1714, her successor George I of Great Britain
arrived from Hanover
to assume the throne with Whig support. Robert by now was moving in high political circles, reading his letters from Scotland to Robert Walpole
and his colleagues. London politicians liked to think that the Tories in Scotland would give no trouble in taking the oaths to King George, "but I that know them don't believe it", he wrote. When the king was proclaimed at Inverness
there was something like a riot, and at Tain people were mustering and arming, with "guards upon all houses".
Support for the ministers in office was usually rewarded, just as opposition was penalised. After the arrival of George I, Robert reported sadly more than once that "there is nothing yet done" for him; but in December he was offered and accepted a commission (backdated to 9 August) to replace a MacKenzie as Captain of an Independent Company raised ten years earlier to help in policing the northern Scottish Highlands
. This was one of three such companies, forming distinct units unconnected with each other, and responsible for peace and security in their own area—one commanded by Captain Campbell of Fonab operating "besouth the braes of Athole and Angus
", Captain William Grant's "benorth Dee
", and the third to the north and west of Loch Ness
. They wore no special military uniform, being clothed in "plads, tartan coats, trousers and hose" like other Highlanders. Captain Robert Munro (who had John Campbell of Carrick as his first Lieutenant, and Alexander Fraser of Culduthel as second) commanded his company for less than two years, as the events of 1715-1716 brought him another and a more vital role.
, the standard of rebellion was raised by John Erskine, 22nd Earl of Mar
, now out of office and out of favour with the new sovereign. In the northern shires John Gordon, 16th Earl of Sutherland
was the King's Lieutenant, and the Clans Sutherland, Mackay, Ross and Munro could be counted on to support the Government, but the Mackenzies, Macdonalds and Chisholms were Jacobites, and the Frasers divided owing to a disputed chiefship. The old Laird of Foulis, who lived until 1729, had lost his eyesight in early life, and the leadership of the Munros therefore devolved on his sons. Robert was in London
when rumours first gained ground that a rising was intended, but his brother George of Culcairn put the clan in a state of readiness at the beginning of August, and this example was followed by others, in spite of a great shortage of arms, ammunition and money.
About a week after John Erskine, 22nd Earl of Mar
raised the standard on September 6, the Jacobites occupied Inverness, where William Mackenzie, 5th Earl of Seaforth
put in a Mackenzie governor. Young Robert Munro of Foulis made a move in that direction, but was stopped before he had crossed the River Conon. Calling on those well disposed to the Government to support him, he then formed an encampment at the bridge of Alness
, where he was joined on 5 October by Clan Sutherland
and Clan MacKay
and detachments from further north. Seaforth advanced-with a larger force by way of Dingwall, Clare and Boath, and after some parleying between the two sides and a council of war, the Earl of Sutherland and chief of MacKays withdrew northwards, while the Munros who had been for fighting instead had their country overrun and plundered by the massive Jacobite force. Even the manses were looted and the ministers" libraries scattered (the Presbyterian clergy were anti-Jacobite to a man), and some worse excesses were reported. It was not until 22 October that Seaforth marched south to Perth
, and his enemies believed that but for this "diversion" some 4,000 Jacobites from the north would have joined Mar
three or four weeks earlier than they did, before Argyll had gathered a sufficient force to oppose them at the Battle of Sheriffmuir
.
In November, the Whig lairds of Kilravock and Culloden, now joined by Simon Fraser of Lovat (who had been outlaw
ed and in exile), put pressure on the Jacobite garrison in Inverness, which was delivered upon the very day when Sherriffmuir was fought and another Jacobite force was defeated at the Battle of Preston (1715)
. Young Foulis marched into the town with 400 Munros and took over control as governor, although his commission (and his brevet of colonel) had been intercepted by the rebels at Perth. James Francis Edward Stuart
came and went (he was less than two months in Scotland), Government troops arrived in Inverness towards the end of February, and for some months the process of disarming the rebels went on, helped by a Munro detachment under George Munro, 1st of Culcairn. With the rising suppressed, and the Hanoverian succession firmly established, Colonel Robert's interest with the Government and his own compassionate nature prompted him to mediate on behalf of some of the defeated leaders (including Alexander Macdonell of Glengarry) and their wives and children.
In 1719, Robert's brother, George Munro, 1st of Culcairn led a detachment of men at the Battle of Glenshiel where they helped defeat the Jacobites.
). Four English M.P.s joined Robert Munro and his colleague Patrick Haldane for the Scottish part of the commission's business, but they were greatly hindered by the dilatory ways of some members (including Sir Richard Steele
, who was fined for non-attendance). When Munro was in Edinburgh
he lodged in the Bristo house of William Scott, Professor of Greek language
at the University of Edinburgh
. Many of the estates were deep in debt before forfeiture, it was not easy to find purchasers, and a balance of little more than £1,000 remained after all the claims, legal fees, and other expenses had been met. In 1725 the Forfeited Estates Commissioners ceased to operate, and the unsold estates were transferred to the Barons of the Exchequer.
, he was one of those who arranged on behalf of the General Assembly for the spending of £1,000 a year of the "Royal Bounty" on the "reformation" of the Highlands and Islands
by means of itinerant preachers and catechists. Described by a clansman as "an obliging, civil, moral gentleman, well beloved of his name", Sir Robert lived on friendly terms with his neighbours. His marriage to a member of a great English family — Mary, daughter of Henry Seymour
of Woodlands
in Dorset
— took place in London in 1716, and the romantic story of a courtship interrupted by the purloining of their letters has been preserved by tradition. Their eldest son Harry was sent to Dr. Doddridge's academy at Northampton
, Westminster School
and Leiden University
. Another son entered the Royal Navy
.
Of Sir Robert's activities in Parliament, the almost complete absence of reported debates leaves little to be said. Outside the British House of Commons
, we find him at various times trying to secure the reinstatement in a Customs post at Inverness of a neighbour's brother; he took an active part in pressing for Simon Fraser's pardon and succession to the Lovat estates; he helped to find employment for the son of a Mackenzie friend, and for a scape-grace of the Atholl family, but a political foe alleged that as Sherriff of Ross he had a Mackenzie sheriff-substitute stripped of office and replaced by a Munro.
The clan rivalries which had erupted in rebellion were finding an outlet in local politics. The MacKenzies Earl of Seaforth
came to an end in 1716, and it seems to have been arranged that while the Rosses
held the county seat the Munros
would represent the Tain Burghs
. To secure the burghs, control of three out of the five was necessary, and the manoeuvrings by which the councils were persuaded to send the "right" delegate to vote in parliamentary elections were often exciting, and even a show of force was likely. Ross ascendancy was secure in Tain, and from 1716 to 1745 the Munros controlled Dingwall, with Robert of one of his brothers as provost
--but not without something like two armed Munro "invasions" of the county town in 1721 and 1740, when opposing councillors were abducted to secure a favourable result (for the first incident Colonel Robert and his brother were fined £200 each, and after the second his parliamentary career came to an abrupt end with defeat at the 1741 election).
. The Independent Companies, disbanded after the Rising, had been revived by General George Wade
, and in 1739 the six companies were increased to ten and formed into a regular Highland regiment 780 strong under his command—famous in military history as the 42nd Highlanders, Royal Highland Regiment, or Black Watch. Their uniform, approved personally by George II of Great Britain
when Sir Robert presented a sergeant and private soldier to His Majesty in London in 1740, included a kilt of dark green "military" tartan, belted plaid, and blue bonnet with black cockade. The regiment's first colonel was John Lindsay, 20th Earl of Crawford
, who was briefly succeeded by Hugh Sempill, 12th Lord Sempill , but Sir Robert Munro as Lieutenant-Colonel
had the chief responsibility during the formative years.
Among the Captains were his brother George Munro, 1st of Culcairn and Campbell of Carrick, and a cousin John Munro, 4th of Newmore
. George Munro of Auchinbowie
, a distant clansmen, was the surgeon. After mustering beside the Tay near Aberfeldy, and continuing the duties of the previous Independent Companies for some time in Northern Scotland
, the regiment was ordered to London in 1743, where a serious incident occurred. Believing that they would not be required to serve abroad, and alarmed by rumours that they were to be sent to the American plantations, about 200 men (without their officers) decided to return home and began the long march north. They were overtaken at Oundle
, Northamptonshire
, where Newmore was one of the officers who disarmed and persuaded them to return. Three of those condemned to death by court-martial
were shot, and the remainder transported to the British West Indies
: although they blamed the Government, and not their officers, for a breach of faith, it was an unfortunate start to what was to become a remarkable record of service.
having never seen a Highland soldier expressed a desire to see one. Three privates were selected and sent to London under Sir Robert Munro shortly before the 42nd Regiment went to the Continent. One of these privates - John Grant died on the way but the other two - Gregor MacGregor and John Campbell were presented to the King by Sir Robert Munro. They went through the broadsword
exercise, and showed their skill in handling the Lochaber axe before his Majesty the king, Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, Marshal George Wade
and a number of general officers. Their dexerity and skill in management of their weapons satisfied the King.
and France
under Louis XV
, and the regiment embarked immediately for Flanders. There the men earned high praise for their behaviour towards the civilian population, and the regiment became a favourite choice as guardians of property; Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria
told his envoy in London that this was owing to Sir Robert's care, "for whose sake he should always pay a regard to a Scotchman".
Their first action against the French came on 11 May 1745 at the Battle of Fontenoy
. A British army under Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland
faced the forces of Maurice, comte de Saxe
and was defeated, but the "Highland furies" (as one Frenchman called them) saved it from disaster by their gallantry. Allowed "their own way of fighting" by the young Commander-in-Chief, each time they received the French fire Sir Robert ordered his men to "clap to the ground" (while he himself, because of his corpulence, stood alone with the colours behind him), and then springing up and closing with the enemy, they several times drove them back, and finished with a successful rear-guard action.
. When the second Jacobite Rising
broke out, his friends in the Highlands hoped for his presence among them (one wrote that it would have been "the greatest service to His Majesty and the common cause"), but it was not to be.
Robert's regiment was brought over by sea to Newcastle upon Tyne
. Meanwhile his son Harry Munro and brother George Munro joined Sir John Cope with the able-bodied men of the Clan Munro.
"Munro's 37th Foot" made from English soldiers formed part of the force which operated under George Wade's ineffective command in Northern England
. Ordered to Scotland, they reached Edinburgh early in January, in time to march out and form part of the left wing of the force led by Henry Hawley
which met the Jacobites in a storm of rain and hail at the Battle of Falkirk (1746)
. At first, Sir Robert was reported wounded and a prisoner, and then "murdered in cold blood"; it seems that only a servant and his younger brother (Dr. Duncan, who rode unarmed to his assistance and was also killed) were with him when he was shot or cut down. Robert had been attacked by six Jacobites of Cameron of Lochiel's
regiment. Robert managed to kill two of them with his half-pike or Spontoon
. A seventh Jacobite, a commander, then shot him with a pistol. He then finished Robert off with two sword blows to the head. Robert's unarmed brother, Dr Duncan ran to his assistance but he too was killed.
By the orders of Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, Sir Robert was honourably buried in Falkirk churchyard
, by men of the Clan MacDonald
, where several of the rebel leaders attended; his snuff mull was found in his pocket after the battle, and is still preserved.
, five guineas, for the privilege of a Tomb upon Sir Robert, my Father, in the Church-yard". With elaborate decoration, and inscriptions in Latin
and English language
, which were renewed in 1848 and again in 1901, the monument was left in position when neighbouring stones were cleared away a few in years ago. Now, by its latest restoration, it is once more a fitting reminder of the man it commemorates: "Sincere and active in the service of his friends, humane and forgiving to his enemies, generous and benevolent to all, his death was universally regretted even by those who slew him."
House of Hanover
The House of Hanover is a deposed German royal dynasty which has ruled the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , the Kingdom of Hanover, the Kingdom of Great Britain, the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
, and their opposition to all attempts by the Jacobites
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
to restore the House of Stuart
House of Stuart
The House of Stuart is a European royal house. Founded by Robert II of Scotland, the Stewarts first became monarchs of the Kingdom of Scotland during the late 14th century, and subsequently held the position of the Kings of Great Britain and Ireland...
either by force of arms or by political intrigue.
Early life and career
He was a child when James II of EnglandJames II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
/James VII of Scotland lost his throne and the Protestant succession of his daughter Mary II of England
Mary II of England
Mary II was joint Sovereign of England, Scotland, and Ireland with her husband and first cousin, William III and II, from 1689 until her death. William and Mary, both Protestants, became king and queen regnant, respectively, following the Glorious Revolution, which resulted in the deposition of...
and son-in-law William III of England
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
was secured. He was a young man when the involvement of the Kingdom of England
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
, the Kingdom of Scotland
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland was a Sovereign state in North-West Europe that existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England...
and the Kingdom of Ireland
Kingdom of Ireland
The Kingdom of Ireland refers to the country of Ireland in the period between the proclamation of Henry VIII as King of Ireland by the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 and the Act of Union in 1800. It replaced the Lordship of Ireland, which had been created in 1171...
, in personal union
Personal union
A personal union is the combination by which two or more different states have the same monarch while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct. It should not be confused with a federation which is internationally considered a single state...
under Queen regnant
Queen regnant
A queen regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right, in contrast to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king. An empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right over an empire....
Anne of Great Britain
Anne of Great Britain
Anne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...
, in the War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
, sent many Scots to fight under John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, Prince of Mindelheim, KG, PC , was an English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reigns of five monarchs through the late 17th and early 18th centuries...
on Continental Europe
Continental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
.
His paternal grandfather Sir John Munro and his father Sir Robert, were successively chiefs of the Clan Munro
Clan Munro
-Origins:The main traditional origin of the clan is that the Munros came from Ireland and settled in Scotland in the 11th century and that they fought as mercenary soldiers under the Earl of Ross who defeated Viking invaders in Rosshire...
: his uncle Andrew was a Captain, and several of his relatives served before him in the Royal Scots
The Royal Scots
The Royal Scots , once known as the Royal Regiment of Foot, was the oldest, and therefore most senior, infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, having been raised in 1633 during the reign of Charles I of Scotland...
. It is not surprising, therefore, that the thoughts of young Robert should turn to an army career, and his earliest surviving letter (Oct. 1706) deals with plans for securing a commission, perhaps through the influence of the John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll
John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll
Field Marshal John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll, 1st Duke of Greenwich KG , known as Iain Ruaidh nan Cath or Red John of the Battles, was a Scottish soldier and nobleman.-Early Life:...
who was in Scotland for the critical pre-Acts of Union 1707
Acts of Union 1707
The Acts of Union were two Parliamentary Acts - the Union with Scotland Act passed in 1706 by the Parliament of England, and the Union with England Act passed in 1707 by the Parliament of Scotland - which put into effect the terms of the Treaty of Union that had been agreed on 22 July 1706,...
debates: even service at home was not to be despised, as it "might draw on a greater thing". Anyhow, the commission was soon forthcoming, although its exact date is unknown, and in March 1710, Robert Munro is on record as a Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
in the Royal Regiment of Foot (then at the Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, Holland, Dutch Republic
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
), commanded by George Hamilton, 1st Earl of Orkney
George Hamilton, 1st Earl of Orkney
Field Marshal George Douglas-Hamilton, 1st Earl of Orkney KT was a British soldier and Scottish nobleman and the first British Army officer to be promoted to the rank of Field Marshal. The son of the Duke and Duchess of Hamilton, he fought for William of Orange in Ireland and the Low Countries...
. He served for seven years in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, it is said "with great reputation", and found himself out of employment when the war ended in 1712, and the Treaty of Utrecht
Treaty of Utrecht
The Treaty of Utrecht, which established the Peace of Utrecht, comprises a series of individual peace treaties, rather than a single document, signed by the belligerents in the War of Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April 1713...
brought 30 years of peace to Continental Europe.
Member of Parliament
But in the meantime, Robert had received a small part of the family estate from his father, and become a member of the Parliament of Great BritainParliament of Great Britain
The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland...
. His patrimony, of which he received a crown character in 1708, comprised Meikle and Little Clynes and the lands of Drummond, near the present village of Evanton
Evanton
Evanton is a large village in Easter Ross, in the Highland Council Area of Scotland. It lies between the river Sgitheach and the Allt Graad, is north of the city of Inverness, some south-west of Alness, and north-east of Dingwall. The village has a dozen or so streets, the main one being...
. Scotland's share in the Parliament of Great Britain at the Palace of Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
was 15 burgh members and 30 from the shires and at the general election of 1710 Robert was chosen under the limited franchise of those days by the northern constituency of Tain Burghs
Tain Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)
Tain Burghs, was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832, sometimes known as Northern Burghs. It was represented by one Member of Parliament .The first election in Tain Burghs was in 1708...
(the burghs of Dingwall
Dingwall
Dingwall is a town and former royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,026. It was formerly an east-coast harbor but now lies inland. Dingwall Castle was once the biggest castle north of Stirling. On the town's present-day outskirts lies Tulloch Castle, parts...
, Tain
Tain
Tain is a royal burgh and post town in the committee area of Ross and Cromarty, in the Highland area of Scotland.-Etymology:...
, Dornoch
Dornoch
Dornoch is a town and seaside resort, and former Royal burgh in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth, near to where it opens into the Moray Firth to the east...
, Wick
Wick, Highland
Wick is an estuary town and a royal burgh in the north of the Highland council area of Scotland. Historically, it is one of two burghs within the county of Caithness, of which Wick was the county town. The town straddles the River Wick and extends along both sides of Wick Bay...
and Kirkwall
Kirkwall
Kirkwall is the biggest town and capital of Orkney, off the coast of northern mainland Scotland. The town is first mentioned in Orkneyinga saga in the year 1046 when it is recorded as the residence of Rögnvald Brusason the Earl of Orkney, who was killed by his uncle Thorfinn the Mighty...
), which he was to represent through five more elections for a period of 31 years.
With his Whig
British Whig Party
The Whigs were a party in the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain, and Parliament of the United Kingdom, who contested power with the rival Tories from the 1680s to the 1850s. The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule...
sympathies—which probably cost him his rank in the army on his return from Flanders—the young M.P. could always be relied on to oppose Tory
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
measures, including their efforts to subvert the Protestant succession. The health of Queen Anne and the threat of invasion were matters of concern, and some weeks after her death in August 1714, her successor George I of Great Britain
George I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
arrived from Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
to assume the throne with Whig support. Robert by now was moving in high political circles, reading his letters from Scotland to Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, KG, KB, PC , known before 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole, was a British statesman who is generally regarded as having been the first Prime Minister of Great Britain....
and his colleagues. London politicians liked to think that the Tories in Scotland would give no trouble in taking the oaths to King George, "but I that know them don't believe it", he wrote. When the king was proclaimed at Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
there was something like a riot, and at Tain people were mustering and arming, with "guards upon all houses".
Support for the ministers in office was usually rewarded, just as opposition was penalised. After the arrival of George I, Robert reported sadly more than once that "there is nothing yet done" for him; but in December he was offered and accepted a commission (backdated to 9 August) to replace a MacKenzie as Captain of an Independent Company raised ten years earlier to help in policing the northern Scottish Highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
. This was one of three such companies, forming distinct units unconnected with each other, and responsible for peace and security in their own area—one commanded by Captain Campbell of Fonab operating "besouth the braes of Athole and Angus
Angus
Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
", Captain William Grant's "benorth Dee
River Dee, Aberdeenshire
The River Dee is a river in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It rises in the Cairngorms and flows through Strathdee to reach the North Sea at Aberdeen...
", and the third to the north and west of Loch Ness
Loch Ness
Loch Ness is a large, deep, freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately southwest of Inverness. Its surface is above sea level. Loch Ness is best known for the alleged sightings of the cryptozoological Loch Ness Monster, also known affectionately as "Nessie"...
. They wore no special military uniform, being clothed in "plads, tartan coats, trousers and hose" like other Highlanders. Captain Robert Munro (who had John Campbell of Carrick as his first Lieutenant, and Alexander Fraser of Culduthel as second) commanded his company for less than two years, as the events of 1715-1716 brought him another and a more vital role.
Jacobite Rising of 1715-1719
In the Jacobite Rising of 1715Jacobite Rising of 1715
The Jacobite rising of 1715, often referred to as The 'Fifteen, was the attempt by James Francis Edward Stuart to regain the British throne for the exiled House of Stuart.-Background:...
, the standard of rebellion was raised by John Erskine, 22nd Earl of Mar
John Erskine, 22nd Earl of Mar
John Erskine, 22nd and de jure 6th Earl of Mar, KT , Scottish Jacobite, was the eldest son of the 21st Earl of Mar , from whom he inherited estates that were heavily loaded with debt. By modern reckoning he was 22nd Earl of Mar of the first creation and de jure 6th Earl of Mar of the seventh...
, now out of office and out of favour with the new sovereign. In the northern shires John Gordon, 16th Earl of Sutherland
John Gordon, 16th Earl of Sutherland
John Gordon, 16th Earl of Sutherland PC was a Scottish nobleman and army officer.He was the only son of George Gordon, the 15th earl of Sutherland , and his wife, Jean....
was the King's Lieutenant, and the Clans Sutherland, Mackay, Ross and Munro could be counted on to support the Government, but the Mackenzies, Macdonalds and Chisholms were Jacobites, and the Frasers divided owing to a disputed chiefship. The old Laird of Foulis, who lived until 1729, had lost his eyesight in early life, and the leadership of the Munros therefore devolved on his sons. Robert was in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
when rumours first gained ground that a rising was intended, but his brother George of Culcairn put the clan in a state of readiness at the beginning of August, and this example was followed by others, in spite of a great shortage of arms, ammunition and money.
About a week after John Erskine, 22nd Earl of Mar
John Erskine, 22nd Earl of Mar
John Erskine, 22nd and de jure 6th Earl of Mar, KT , Scottish Jacobite, was the eldest son of the 21st Earl of Mar , from whom he inherited estates that were heavily loaded with debt. By modern reckoning he was 22nd Earl of Mar of the first creation and de jure 6th Earl of Mar of the seventh...
raised the standard on September 6, the Jacobites occupied Inverness, where William Mackenzie, 5th Earl of Seaforth
William Mackenzie, 5th Earl of Seaforth
William Mackenzie, 5th Earl of Seaforth was a Scottish nobleman.He who joined the Jacobite standard at Braemar, during the rising of 1715, and then, having raised 3000 men, was present at the battle of Sheriffmuir and was appointed lieutenant-general of the northern counties...
put in a Mackenzie governor. Young Robert Munro of Foulis made a move in that direction, but was stopped before he had crossed the River Conon. Calling on those well disposed to the Government to support him, he then formed an encampment at the bridge of Alness
Alness
Alness is a town and civil parish in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland. It lies near the Cromarty Firth, with the town of Invergordon to the east and the village of Evanton to the south west...
, where he was joined on 5 October by Clan Sutherland
Clan Sutherland
Clan Sutherland is a Highland Scottish clan whose traditional territory is located in the region of Sutherland in northern highlands of Scotland and was one of the most powerful Scottish clans. The clan seat is at Dunrobin Castle, Sutherland...
and Clan MacKay
Clan MacKay
Clan Mackay is an ancient and once powerful Scottish clan from the far north of the Scottish Highlands, but with roots in the old kingdom of Moray. They were a powerful force in politics beginning in the 14th century, supporting Robert the Bruce. In the centuries that followed they were...
and detachments from further north. Seaforth advanced-with a larger force by way of Dingwall, Clare and Boath, and after some parleying between the two sides and a council of war, the Earl of Sutherland and chief of MacKays withdrew northwards, while the Munros who had been for fighting instead had their country overrun and plundered by the massive Jacobite force. Even the manses were looted and the ministers" libraries scattered (the Presbyterian clergy were anti-Jacobite to a man), and some worse excesses were reported. It was not until 22 October that Seaforth marched south to Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
, and his enemies believed that but for this "diversion" some 4,000 Jacobites from the north would have joined Mar
Earl of Mar
The Mormaer or Earl of Mar is a title that has been created seven times, all in the Peerage of Scotland. The first creation of the earldom was originally the provincial ruler of the province of Mar in north-eastern Scotland...
three or four weeks earlier than they did, before Argyll had gathered a sufficient force to oppose them at the Battle of Sheriffmuir
Battle of Sheriffmuir
The Battle of Sheriffmuir was an engagement in 1715 at the height of the Jacobite rebellion in England and Scotland.-History:John Erskine, 6th Earl of Mar, standard-bearer for the Jacobite cause in Scotland, mustered Highland chiefs, and on 6 September declared James Francis Edward Stuart as King...
.
In November, the Whig lairds of Kilravock and Culloden, now joined by Simon Fraser of Lovat (who had been outlaw
Outlaw
In historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
ed and in exile), put pressure on the Jacobite garrison in Inverness, which was delivered upon the very day when Sherriffmuir was fought and another Jacobite force was defeated at the Battle of Preston (1715)
Battle of Preston (1715)
The Battle of Preston , also referred to as the Preston Fight, was fought during the Jacobite Rising of 1715 ....
. Young Foulis marched into the town with 400 Munros and took over control as governor, although his commission (and his brevet of colonel) had been intercepted by the rebels at Perth. James Francis Edward Stuart
James Francis Edward Stuart
James Francis Edward, Prince of Wales was the son of the deposed James II of England...
came and went (he was less than two months in Scotland), Government troops arrived in Inverness towards the end of February, and for some months the process of disarming the rebels went on, helped by a Munro detachment under George Munro, 1st of Culcairn. With the rising suppressed, and the Hanoverian succession firmly established, Colonel Robert's interest with the Government and his own compassionate nature prompted him to mediate on behalf of some of the defeated leaders (including Alexander Macdonell of Glengarry) and their wives and children.
In 1719, Robert's brother, George Munro, 1st of Culcairn led a detachment of men at the Battle of Glenshiel where they helped defeat the Jacobites.
Forfeited Estates Commissioner
For the next ten years Robert Munro was kept busy, in addition to his duties as M.P. and landlord, as one of the only three Scots among the 13 M.P.s appointed (by a Commons ballot in June 1716) to be Commissioners for the survey and disposal of the estates of more than 50 attainted Jacobites, "in order to raise money out of them for the use of the public". Each Commissioner received a salary of £1,000 a year, and as they could hold no other public office (though remaining M.P.s), Robert demitted his governorship of Inverness Castle and Independent Company command (both of which were given to Simon Fraser, 11th Lord LovatSimon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat
Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat , was a Scottish Jacobite and Chief of Clan Fraser, who was famous for his violent feuding and his changes of allegiance. In 1715, he had been a supporter of the House of Hanover, but in 1745 he changed sides and supported the Stuart claim on the crown of Scotland...
). Four English M.P.s joined Robert Munro and his colleague Patrick Haldane for the Scottish part of the commission's business, but they were greatly hindered by the dilatory ways of some members (including Sir Richard Steele
Richard Steele
Sir Richard Steele was an Irish writer and politician, remembered as co-founder, with his friend Joseph Addison, of the magazine The Spectator....
, who was fined for non-attendance). When Munro was in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
he lodged in the Bristo house of William Scott, Professor of Greek language
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
. Many of the estates were deep in debt before forfeiture, it was not easy to find purchasers, and a balance of little more than £1,000 remained after all the claims, legal fees, and other expenses had been met. In 1725 the Forfeited Estates Commissioners ceased to operate, and the unsold estates were transferred to the Barons of the Exchequer.
Baronet Munro
After having been the effective leader of the clan for many years, Colonel Robert became Munro of Foulis and the sixth baronet on the death of his father in 1729. As a landowner he pioneered the planting of woodlands, of which he added nearly 500 acres (2 km²) on the Foulis estate. As a heritor and an elder of the Church of ScotlandChurch of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
, he was one of those who arranged on behalf of the General Assembly for the spending of £1,000 a year of the "Royal Bounty" on the "reformation" of the Highlands and Islands
Highlands and Islands
The Highlands and Islands of Scotland are broadly the Scottish Highlands plus Orkney, Shetland and the Hebrides.The Highlands and Islands are sometimes defined as the area to which the Crofters' Act of 1886 applied...
by means of itinerant preachers and catechists. Described by a clansman as "an obliging, civil, moral gentleman, well beloved of his name", Sir Robert lived on friendly terms with his neighbours. His marriage to a member of a great English family — Mary, daughter of Henry Seymour
Henry Seymour
-United Kingdom:*Henry Seymour , friend of Charles II and MP for East Looe*Henry Seymour , MP for Totnes, Huntingdon, Evesham, lover of Madame du Barry*Henry Seymour , MP for Taunton...
of Woodlands
Woodlands, Dorset
Woodlands is a village and civil parish in south east Dorset, England, five miles north of Wimborne Minster. In 2001, the village had a population of 544.The parish is home to Knowlton Church and Earthworks.-External links:*...
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
— took place in London in 1716, and the romantic story of a courtship interrupted by the purloining of their letters has been preserved by tradition. Their eldest son Harry was sent to Dr. Doddridge's academy at Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
, Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
and Leiden University
Leiden University
Leiden University , located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The royal Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and Leiden University still have a close...
. Another son entered the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
.
Of Sir Robert's activities in Parliament, the almost complete absence of reported debates leaves little to be said. Outside the British House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
, we find him at various times trying to secure the reinstatement in a Customs post at Inverness of a neighbour's brother; he took an active part in pressing for Simon Fraser's pardon and succession to the Lovat estates; he helped to find employment for the son of a Mackenzie friend, and for a scape-grace of the Atholl family, but a political foe alleged that as Sherriff of Ross he had a Mackenzie sheriff-substitute stripped of office and replaced by a Munro.
The clan rivalries which had erupted in rebellion were finding an outlet in local politics. The MacKenzies Earl of Seaforth
Earl of Seaforth
Earl of Seaforth was a title in the Peerage of Scotland and Peerage of Great Britain. It was held by the family of Mackenzie from 1623 to 1716, and again from 1771 to 1781....
came to an end in 1716, and it seems to have been arranged that while the Rosses
Clan Ross
Clan Ross is a Highland Scottish clan. The original chiefs of the clan were the original Earls of Ross.-Origins:Clan Ross is a Highland Scottish clan first named as such by King Malcolm IV of Scotland in 1160...
held the county seat the Munros
Clan Munro
-Origins:The main traditional origin of the clan is that the Munros came from Ireland and settled in Scotland in the 11th century and that they fought as mercenary soldiers under the Earl of Ross who defeated Viking invaders in Rosshire...
would represent the Tain Burghs
Tain Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)
Tain Burghs, was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832, sometimes known as Northern Burghs. It was represented by one Member of Parliament .The first election in Tain Burghs was in 1708...
. To secure the burghs, control of three out of the five was necessary, and the manoeuvrings by which the councils were persuaded to send the "right" delegate to vote in parliamentary elections were often exciting, and even a show of force was likely. Ross ascendancy was secure in Tain, and from 1716 to 1745 the Munros controlled Dingwall, with Robert of one of his brothers as provost
Provost (civil)
A provost is the ceremonial head of many Scottish local authorities, and under the name prévôt was a governmental position of varying importance in Ancien Regime France.-History:...
--but not without something like two armed Munro "invasions" of the county town in 1721 and 1740, when opposing councillors were abducted to secure a favourable result (for the first incident Colonel Robert and his brother were fined £200 each, and after the second his parliamentary career came to an abrupt end with defeat at the 1741 election).
Lieutenant-Colonel of the 42nd Highlanders
This probably mattered less to Sir Robert, as he was now securely back in the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. The Independent Companies, disbanded after the Rising, had been revived by General George Wade
George Wade
Field Marshal George Wade served as a British military commander and Commander-in-Chief of the Forces.-Early career:Wade, born in Kilavally, Westmeath in Ireland, was commissioned into the Earl of Bath's Regiment in 1690 and served in Flanders in 1692, during the Nine Years War, earning a...
, and in 1739 the six companies were increased to ten and formed into a regular Highland regiment 780 strong under his command—famous in military history as the 42nd Highlanders, Royal Highland Regiment, or Black Watch. Their uniform, approved personally by George II of Great Britain
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
when Sir Robert presented a sergeant and private soldier to His Majesty in London in 1740, included a kilt of dark green "military" tartan, belted plaid, and blue bonnet with black cockade. The regiment's first colonel was John Lindsay, 20th Earl of Crawford
John Lindsay, 20th Earl of Crawford
Lieutenant-General John Lindsay, 20th Earl of Crawford was a Scottish peer and the first colonel of the Black Watch on its formation in 1739.He was the son of Lt.-Gen...
, who was briefly succeeded by Hugh Sempill, 12th Lord Sempill , but Sir Robert Munro as Lieutenant-Colonel
Lieutenant-Colonel (UK)
Lieutenant colonel is a rank in the British Army and Royal Marines which is also used in many Commonwealth countries. The rank is superior to major, and subordinate to colonel...
had the chief responsibility during the formative years.
Among the Captains were his brother George Munro, 1st of Culcairn and Campbell of Carrick, and a cousin John Munro, 4th of Newmore
John Munro, 4th of Newmore
John Munro, 4th of Newmore represented the county of Ross in parliament from 1733 to 1734. John Munro was a great-grandson of Sir George Munro, 1st of Newmore and continued his family's political and military taditions....
. George Munro of Auchinbowie
George Munro of Auchinbowie
George Munro of Auchinbowie, originally of Bearcrofts was a Scottish born military officer of the late 17th century. He was the first Munro of Auchinbowie.-Lineage:...
, a distant clansmen, was the surgeon. After mustering beside the Tay near Aberfeldy, and continuing the duties of the previous Independent Companies for some time in Northern Scotland
Northern Scotland
Northern Scotland is an administrative division of Scotland used for police and fire services. It consists of Highland, the Orkney Islands, the Shetland Islands and the Western Isles. The police service uses Northern in its name, but the fire service uses the name Highlands and Islands Fire and...
, the regiment was ordered to London in 1743, where a serious incident occurred. Believing that they would not be required to serve abroad, and alarmed by rumours that they were to be sent to the American plantations, about 200 men (without their officers) decided to return home and began the long march north. They were overtaken at Oundle
Oundle
Oundle is an ancient market town on the River Nene in Northamptonshire, England, with a population of 5,345 or 5,674 . It lies some north of London and south-west of Peterborough...
, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, where Newmore was one of the officers who disarmed and persuaded them to return. Three of those condemned to death by court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
were shot, and the remainder transported to the British West Indies
British West Indies
The British West Indies was a term used to describe the islands in and around the Caribbean that were part of the British Empire The term was sometimes used to include British Honduras and British Guiana, even though these territories are not geographically part of the Caribbean...
: although they blamed the Government, and not their officers, for a breach of faith, it was an unfortunate start to what was to become a remarkable record of service.
Highlanders on display to the King
It is recorded by General Stewart of Garth that King George II of Great BritainGeorge II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
having never seen a Highland soldier expressed a desire to see one. Three privates were selected and sent to London under Sir Robert Munro shortly before the 42nd Regiment went to the Continent. One of these privates - John Grant died on the way but the other two - Gregor MacGregor and John Campbell were presented to the King by Sir Robert Munro. They went through the broadsword
Broadsword
Broadsword may refer to:*Broadsword , a military sword used by heavy cavalry during the 17th to early 19th centuriesIn more modern times, it has also been used to refer to:...
exercise, and showed their skill in handling the Lochaber axe before his Majesty the king, Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, Marshal George Wade
George Wade
Field Marshal George Wade served as a British military commander and Commander-in-Chief of the Forces.-Early career:Wade, born in Kilavally, Westmeath in Ireland, was commissioned into the Earl of Bath's Regiment in 1690 and served in Flanders in 1692, during the Nine Years War, earning a...
and a number of general officers. Their dexerity and skill in management of their weapons satisfied the King.
War in France
War on Continental Europe was moving towards a direct confrontation between the Kingdom of Great BritainKingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
under Louis XV
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
, and the regiment embarked immediately for Flanders. There the men earned high praise for their behaviour towards the civilian population, and the regiment became a favourite choice as guardians of property; Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria
Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria
Charles Theodore, Prince-Elector, Count Palatine and Duke of Bavaria reigned as Prince-Elector and Count palatine from 1742, as Duke of Jülich and Berg from 1742 and also as Prince-Elector and Duke of Bavaria from 1777, until his death...
told his envoy in London that this was owing to Sir Robert's care, "for whose sake he should always pay a regard to a Scotchman".
Their first action against the French came on 11 May 1745 at the Battle of Fontenoy
Battle of Fontenoy
The Battle of Fontenoy, 11 May 1745, was a major engagement of the War of the Austrian Succession, fought between the forces of the Pragmatic Allies – comprising mainly Dutch, British, and Hanoverian troops under the nominal command of the Duke of Cumberland – and a French army under Maurice de...
. A British army under Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland
Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland
Prince William , was a younger son of George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach, and Duke of Cumberland from 1726. He is generally best remembered for his role in putting down the Jacobite Rising at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, and as such is also known as "Butcher" Cumberland...
faced the forces of Maurice, comte de Saxe
Maurice, comte de Saxe
Maurice de Saxe was a German in French service who was Marshal and later also Marshal General of France.-Childhood:...
and was defeated, but the "Highland furies" (as one Frenchman called them) saved it from disaster by their gallantry. Allowed "their own way of fighting" by the young Commander-in-Chief, each time they received the French fire Sir Robert ordered his men to "clap to the ground" (while he himself, because of his corpulence, stood alone with the colours behind him), and then springing up and closing with the enemy, they several times drove them back, and finished with a successful rear-guard action.
Jacobite Rising of 1745-1746
In June 1745, a little more than a month after the battle of Fontenoy, Sir Robert was "rewarded" by an appointment to succeed General Ponsonby as Colonel of the English 37th (North Hampshire) Regiment of Foot37th (North Hampshire) Regiment of Foot
The 37th Regiment of Foot was raised in Ireland in February 1702.During the Jacobite rebellion of 1745 - 46 the regiment fought at the Battle of Falkirk where it was commanded by Sir Robert Munro, 6th Baronet and later at the Battle of Culloden where it was commanded by Col. Dejean.Initially...
. When the second Jacobite Rising
Jacobite rising
The Jacobite Risings were a series of uprisings, rebellions, and wars in Great Britain and Ireland occurring between 1688 and 1746. The uprisings were aimed at returning James VII of Scotland and II of England, and later his descendants of the House of Stuart, to the throne after he was deposed by...
broke out, his friends in the Highlands hoped for his presence among them (one wrote that it would have been "the greatest service to His Majesty and the common cause"), but it was not to be.
Robert's regiment was brought over by sea to Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
. Meanwhile his son Harry Munro and brother George Munro joined Sir John Cope with the able-bodied men of the Clan Munro.
"Munro's 37th Foot" made from English soldiers formed part of the force which operated under George Wade's ineffective command in Northern England
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
. Ordered to Scotland, they reached Edinburgh early in January, in time to march out and form part of the left wing of the force led by Henry Hawley
Henry Hawley
Lieutenant General Henry Hawley was a British Army officer who entered the army in 1694.-Early life:He saw service in the War of Spanish Succession as a captain of Erie's Foot. After Almanza he returned to England, and a few years later had become lieutenant-colonel of the 19th...
which met the Jacobites in a storm of rain and hail at the Battle of Falkirk (1746)
Battle of Falkirk (1746)
During the Second Jacobite Rising, the Battle of Falkirk Muir was the last noteworthy Jacobite success.-Background:...
. At first, Sir Robert was reported wounded and a prisoner, and then "murdered in cold blood"; it seems that only a servant and his younger brother (Dr. Duncan, who rode unarmed to his assistance and was also killed) were with him when he was shot or cut down. Robert had been attacked by six Jacobites of Cameron of Lochiel's
Clan Cameron
Clan Cameron is a West Highland Scottish clan, with one main branch Lochiel, and numerous cadet branches. The Clan Cameron lands are in Lochaber and within their lands is the mountain Ben Nevis which is the highest mountain in the British Isles. The chief of the clan is customarily referred to as...
regiment. Robert managed to kill two of them with his half-pike or Spontoon
Spontoon
A Spontoon is a type of European lance that came into being alongside the pike. The spontoon was in wide use by the mid 17th century, and it continued to be used until the mid to late 19th century....
. A seventh Jacobite, a commander, then shot him with a pistol. He then finished Robert off with two sword blows to the head. Robert's unarmed brother, Dr Duncan ran to his assistance but he too was killed.
By the orders of Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, Sir Robert was honourably buried in Falkirk churchyard
Falkirk Old Parish Church
Falkirk Old & St. Modan's Parish Church is a congregation of the Church of Scotland in Falkirk, central Scotland. The medieval Old Parish Church is located in the centre of Falkirk, and may have been founded as early as the 7th century. The medieval church was largely rebuilt in the 19th century,...
, by men of the Clan MacDonald
Clan Donald
Clan Donald is one of the largest Scottish clans. There are numerous branches to the clan. Several of these have chiefs recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms; these are: Clan Macdonald of Sleat, Clan Macdonald of Clanranald, Clan MacDonell of Glengarry, Clan MacDonald of Keppoch, and Clan...
, where several of the rebel leaders attended; his snuff mull was found in his pocket after the battle, and is still preserved.
Legacy
A monument was later erected for Sir Robert Munro in Falkirk churchyard. An entry in the Falkirk Parish Church accounts for October 1750 shows: "Present for the poor from Sir Harry MunroHarry Munro
Sir Harry Munro, 7th Baronet was 25th Baron and the 28th chief of the Clan Munro. He was a Scottish soldier and politician...
, five guineas, for the privilege of a Tomb upon Sir Robert, my Father, in the Church-yard". With elaborate decoration, and inscriptions in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, which were renewed in 1848 and again in 1901, the monument was left in position when neighbouring stones were cleared away a few in years ago. Now, by its latest restoration, it is once more a fitting reminder of the man it commemorates: "Sincere and active in the service of his friends, humane and forgiving to his enemies, generous and benevolent to all, his death was universally regretted even by those who slew him."