In the summer of 1763, having received King George's
Instructions regarding the reduction of the British armies in North America, the acting generals put in motion their plan for augmenting the three regiments that would remain guarding Quebec. It was decided the 15th, 27th, and 2d Battalion, 60th Royal Americans would be assigned this task.
An analysis of the official
Subsistence Rolls of the 78th Regiment reveals approximately 358 soldiers remained in North America for this duty; some were volunteers, and others were called upon because of the time remaining on their current enlistment contracts. And while the exact numbers of soldiers transferring to the 15th Regiment cannot be positively identified due to incomplete and ambiguous reporting on multiple levels, we can account for 167 draught soldiers, all most likely from Colonel Simon Fraser's 78th Highlanders, that would join them on 25 August 1763. This fully replenished regiment would be garrisoned at Quebec; Montreal; Laprairie; St. Ann's; Cedars; Lachine, and St. Johns over the course of the next five years, relieved by the 8th Regiment about 13 July 1768 and departing North America for Europe thereafter. They would arrive home in late August as depicted in the following contemporary newspaper account.
The British Chronicle Newspaper for 1768:
Aug. 26-29.
Tuesday part of the 15th
regiment, late General Amherst's, was landed from the transports that brought
them from Quebec, at Portsmouth, and marched through the town for
Gloucestershire: and next morning there remainder of them disembarked there and
took the same rout. They have been abroad eleven years. The Officers and men
look healthy.
Draughts of the 78th Regiment
The following veterans of the 78th Regiment were most likely draughted to the 15th Regiment at Quebec. Also, this is the second occurrence of documented father/son family members to have served together in Fraser's Highlanders; the first appeared during Major Clephane's Company march from
Kilravock to Glasgow in early 1757.
With the exception of General Amherst's Company, this muster is taken for 183 days, commencing 25 April 1763 and ending the 24th of October 1763, both days inclusive.
General Amherst's Company
Reporting at Quebec, 28 August 1764
1. Private William Bruce
2. Private Andrew McLoud
3. Private Alexander McLoud
4. Private John McIver
5. Private John McDonald
Lt.-Col. James Robertson's Company
Reporting at Quebec, 24 October 1763
6. Private John Beaton
7. Private Donald Cameron
8. Private Alexander Fraser
9. Private John Gillis
10. Private Donald McIntire
11. Private Donald McGilvery
12. Private John McDonald, Sr.
13. Private John McDonald, Jr.
14. Private Rory McLeland
15. Private John McLean
16. Private Dougal McLachlin
17. Private John McDonald
18. Private Archibald McDougall
19. Private John McTavish
20. Private Angus McDonald, Sr.
21. Private Angus McDonald, Jr.
22. Private Donald Smith
23. Private James Taylor
24. Private Donald McMullen
Major Irving's Company
Reporting at Quebec, 24 October 1763
25. Private Hugh Fraser
26. Private Coll Grant
27. Private William Grant
28. Private Angus McDonell, Sr.
29. Private Angus McDonell, Jr.
30. Private Alexander McDonell
31. Private Chs. McDonell
32. Private John McDonell
33. Private Donald McDonell
34. Private Colling McDonell
35. Private John McGillevray
36. Private James McIntosh, Sr.
37. Private James McIntosh, Jr.
38. Private Donald McKay
39. Private Robert McKay
40. Private Donald McKinven
41. Private Alexander McNabb
42. Private Alexander McLoud
43. Private James McKinsey
44. Private John Monroe
Captain Francis Mukins' Company
Reporting at Quebec, 24 October 1763
45. Private William Gowe
46. Private John Fisher
46a Private Dan'l Forbes
47. Private James Lawson
48. Private John McIntire
49. Private Alexander McCawley
50. Private Duncan McMullen
51. Private Andrew Kinnavin
52. Private Donald McDonald
53. Private Duncan Smyth
54. Private Angus McDonald
Captain William Prescott's Company
Reporting at Quebec, 24 October 1763
55. Private George Davidson
56. Private Donald Frazer
57. Private David Jackson
58. Private Donald Levoche
59. Private Donald Mcmasters
60. Private Allen McEacheron
61. Private John McDonald, Sr.
62. Private John Mclaughlin
63. Private John McKey
64. Private Robert McDonald
65. Private Farquhar McIntosh
66. Private Alexander McDonald
67. Private William McGillivie
68. Private John McDonald, Jr.
69. Private Hector McNell
70. Private Murdoch Morrison
71. Private Dunkan McKinnon
72. Private Donald McDonald
73. Private Angus McIntyre
74. Private Ewen McKay
75. Private Donald McMillen
76. Private Alexander Patterson
77. Private William Ritchey
78. Private John Robertson
79. Private Duncan Steward
80. Private Alexander Sutherland
81. Private John Turner
Captain John Maxwell's Company
Reporting at Quebec, 24 October 1763
82. Corporal Lachlin Irwin
83. Private Gregor McGregor
84. Private Norman Stewart
85. Private John Carr
86. Private Hugh Fraser
87. Private Angus Kennedy
88. Private Donald McCole
89. Private Alexander McKinsey
90. Private Donald McKinvan
91. Private Duncan McGregor
92. Private John McNear
93. Private John McDonald
94. Private George Miller
95. Private James Ross
96. Private Alexander Sutherland
97. Private Donald Sutherland
97a Private James Fraser
Captain James Cuthbert's Company
Reporting at Quebec, 24 October 1763
98. Private William Campbell
99. Private John Chisham
100. Private John Fraser
101. Private Angus Gillas
102. Private John Innes
103. Private James McDonald
104. Private John McLean
105. Private Roderick McKenzie, Sr.
106. Private Donald McMillan
107. Private Roderick McKinzie, Jr.
107a Private Ronald McDonald, Sr.
107b Private Ronald McDonald, Jr.
108. Private Angus McDonald, Sr.
109. Private Alexander McKay
110. Private John McDonald
111. Private Archibald McDonald
112. Private Angus McDonald, Jr.
113. Private William Ross
114. Private John Stewart
Captain Henry Hamilton's Company
Reporting at Quebec, 24 October 1763
115. Private William Brown
116. Private Alexander Cameron
117. Private Hugh Fraser
118. Private William Fraser
119. Private Martin Ferguson
120. Private James Glass
121. Private John Kennedy
122. Private Donald Kennedy
123. Private Roderick McLeod
124. Private John McLarren
125. Private David Mitchell
126. Private Angus McDonald
127. Private Alexander Martin
128. Private Alexander McDonald
129. Private Malcolm McPhie
130. Private Dugall McPherson
131. Private John McSwain
132. Private Alexander McLeod, Sr.
133. Private Alexander McLeod, Jr.
134. Private Angus Morrison
135. Private Hugh McCraw
136. Private Donald Ross
137. Private John Ross
138. Private John Ross
139. Private Andrew Rose
140. Private David Saunders
141. Private William Williamson
Captain Robert Strobo's Company
Reporting at Quebec, 24 October 1763
142. Private John Beaton
143. Private John Cameron
144. Private Alexander Frasier
145. Private David Gun
146. Private Archibald Henderson
147. Private Donald McLeod
148. Private Malcolm McLeod
149. Private John McDonald
150. Private Angus McDonald, Sr.
151. Private Angus McDonald, Jr.
152. Private Donald McDonald, Sr.
153. Private Donald McDonald, Jr.
154. Private Archibald McDonald
155. Private John McIntosh
156. Private Donald McIntire
157. Private Peter McNorton
158. Private Duncan Mckenzie
159. Private Donald McBean
160. Private James McPherson
161. Private Alexander Martin
162. Private Alexander Robertson
163. Private Robert Shaw
164. Private John Shaw
Soldiers' notes.
1. William Bruce first appears on the 78th's muster of
discharged soldiers; he deserted 15 May 1764 at Quebec.
6. John Beaton was discharged on 4 September 1765 and recommended to Royal Chelsea Hospital, London.
9. Alexander Fraser was discharged on 24 July 1768 at Quebec.
11. Donald McGilvery deserted on 4 June 1764 at Quebec.
12. John McDonell, Sr. died on 4 October 1766 at Montreal.
23. James Taylor deserted on 27 May 1765 at St. Ann's.
28. Angus McDonell, Sr. deserted on 30 May 1765 at Cedars.
34. Collin McDonell
38. Donald McKay was discharged on 6 September 1765 at Cedars or Montreal.
40. Most likely,
Donald McKinnon.
41. Alexander McNabb discharged on 27 April 1765 at Cedars.
42. Alexander McLoud was discharged on 4 September 1765 and recommended to Royal Chelsea Hospital, London.
43. James McKinsey was discharged on 16 March 1765 at Cedars.
45. William Gow was discharged on 27 November 1765 at Montreal.
46a Recorded as
Daniel Forbes, he later transferred to Major Irving's Company, where he was discharged as
Donald Forbes on 27 Dec. 1765 at Cedars.
56. Donald Fraser was discharged 30 September 1765 at Montreal.
57. David Jackson deserted on 30 May 1765 at Montreal.
70. Murdoch Morrison appears on the 78th's muster dated 19 July 1763, but is absent from the muster
taken in August, one month later; he was discharged 19 October 1765 at Montreal.
74. Evan McKay was discharged on 31 October 1765 at Montreal.
77. William Ritchey is recorded as
Nitchey on the 78th's muster of September 1763.
78. Listed as John Robinson on subsequent yearly muster rolls through 1766.
90. Listed as McKinvan in 1763 and McKennavan in 1766 [both probably McKinnon], he was reported sick at Oswegatchie, New York, on 25 June 1766, and died a few months later, on 2 November in Montreal.
97. Donald Sutherland died 11 August 1765 at La Chine.
97a A thorough analysis of muster rolls through 1768 suggests James Fraser was erroneously omitted from this muster during the 1763 reporting period; He was discharged on 24 July 1768 at Quebec.
98. William Campbell [sp. Marie Josephte Chartier] discharged 24 June 1767 at Montreal.
145. David Gunn discharged 17 October 1766 at Montreal.
- Lieutenant John McDonell, 78th Foot, appointed quartermaster in the 15th Foot on 14 November 1763 in exchange for
Lieutenant James Babbidge.
Interchangeable names
The following names were most likely used interchangeably:
Forenames
- Daniel &
Donald are sometimes, but not always, interchangeable in Scotland, because
Domhnall, the Gaelic version of
Donald, may be Anglicised as
Daniel.
Surnames
- McDonald/McDonell, Robertson/Robinson surnames were used interchangeably.
Sources:
War Office Records.
Muster Books and Paylists: General, 15th Regiment, 1760-1767. LAC, W.O. 12, vol. 3228, Microfilm C-9202.
James Murray, "List of Disbanded Soldiers from His Majesty's 15th & 27th Regiments recommended to Royal Chelsea Hospital." Letters/copie de lettres, 1763-1771, LAC, RG 4, C 2, vol. 1.
Treasury Board Papers, "Subsistence Rolls of Fraser's Highlanders (the 78th), 1763." LAC, T.1, vol. 422.
Treasury Board Papers, "Subsistence Rolls of Fraser's Highlanders (the 78th), 1763." TNA, T.1, vol. 422.
Marie Fraser, "Subsistence Rolls of Fraser's Highlanders (the 78th), 1763." Clan Fraser Society, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2001.
McIntosh, Walter H. 78th or Colonel Simon Fraser's Regiment [Topsfield, Massachusetts, n.d.]
© Jeffrey Campbell, Fraser's 78th Regiment of Foot, 2018.
Last updated 20 December 2023.
