History of the Johnstones, 1191-1909, with ... - Electric Scotland

172 THE RISING IN 1745
The next time that young James met a member of the Royal House was
in the Bishop's Palace (now Deanery) at Worcester, when he and his three
eldest sons were presented to George III. and Queen Charlotte.
The Risings of 1715 and 1745 cost Dumfriesshire as much as if she had
actively supported them, and the stoppage of a chief bank at Ayr, which had a
branch in Dumfries, caused a complete stagnation of commerce, except in the
illegal form in which it was conducted on the southern coast.
Yet, poor as the country was, the Rebellion of 1745 could only be crushed
out in Scotland with the aid of Dutch and German troops. These mercenaries
or conscripts seem to have been more civilised than the rabble with which the
press-gang and the prison recruited the British army at that date. The license
permitted to the victorious soldiers left the northern parts of the country a
famine-stricken waste, but as the Militia alone secured the loyalty of Dumfriesshire,
it suffered less from the exactions of the avengers of Gladsmuir.
Galabank must have found it hard to pay the sum of ;£ioo which was
demanded of him towards a forced loan raised in the county for Prince Charles
Edward ; in fact he gave it in the form of a bond, for which his securities were
Thomas Kirkpatrick and Robert Laurie. Bryce Blair, the ex-Provost, also gave
;£iOO. There was great sympathy with the movement even among those who
did not care to risk the penalties for high treason, or, if treated more leniently,
to be sent as slaves to the Southern States of North America. The Prince
lodged at two houses in Dumfries ; one is the Commercial Hotel, where he held
a levee on his return from England. The town was fined ,£4000 sterling for an
attack made in the street on one of his Highland followers. He is said to have
lodged in both the Buck Hotel and the Blue Bell at Annan on his return, and
some of his followers, camped in Galabank's field, went to carouse in the
Oueensberry Arms. There they heard Carlile of Bridekirk, a staunch
Hanoverian, express his opinion very freely on the respective merits of King
George and their young leader. They arrested him, and compelled him to
march with them to Dumfries, where he asked for an interview with the Prince,
and told him why he came there. The unfortunate Charles replied, " Sir, I
commend you for it, and if some of my pretended followers had been so firm
of exercising but in the coach ; which prevailed with them so far that they left four, but the
odd one they took, and two of H 's best horses, which I was sorry for, as it is a loss to his
business, and after they got plenty of meat and drink they all went to Sir W. G 's who lost
some horses too. After the morning was over I had another visit of forty more who came at
2, and made the same demand as the former ; but as I had time I sent the best of my mares
out of the way, and by that means saved them, but they threatened to shoot one of Mr H 's
workmen, if he did not tell where my mares were, for they said they knew I had five and
a shelty ; but the man said, he knew not where they were which pacified them. Then
they slipped round the parks and got a poor old dragoon of Mr H 's. . . . And after eating
and drinking thirty-four of them marched off, but the other six who was not so able to go
on to Dumfries said they would lie here. . . . They were away by 6 A.M., after a good breakfast
of meat and cheese, ale, good brandy, and was so civil as never to set their foot in the
House, sent their service to me, and thanks for their good entertainment, and told my boys
who were much entertained with them, that they were namesakes For M'Donalds which
they were, was the same as Johnstone. But I own I was very glad when my cousins were
gone. ... All the effects were really Triffells to what my neighbours suffered. ... I hope we
shall never see them more for they ruin wherever they go."