Desertion in the Ranks

An early 18th-century streetscape of Perth, Scotland, enveloped in the soft, ethereal light of dawn. The focal point is the ancient Perth Tolbooth, a formidable Gothic structure with its square tower and steeply-pitched rooflines casting long shadows onto the cobblestone street. The air is crisp and still, with a light mist rising from the nearby River Tay, which is partially obscured by the emerging silhouettes of buildings. The Tolbooth's distinctive clock face, adorned with the city's coat of arms, is just beginning to glow in the nascent daylight, hinting at the new day's first moments. (Jeffrey Campbell, Perth, Scotland, 2024. Artist's rendition created with Perchance AI Image Generator)

Desertion in the Ranks

There's an unexplained enthusiasm I experience exploring old military records, which most certainly coincides with 20 years of active duty military service. I had honorably served with the United States Navy from 1993-2013 and, in that time, experienced a small percentage of enlistees with some forms of legal issues - mostly drugs and alcohol-related incidences. But, there were many days when a sailor failed to show up at his or her appointed place of duty, and it was on those days the individual was marked 'unauthorized absence.' Occasionally our Squadron was forced to document a service member 'absent without leave,' or AWOL (after 28 days away of missed duty), but there was only one instance during my career when I witnessed someone marked as 'deserter.' 

Life in the British Army in the mid-18th century was extremely disciplined, and even minor matters of misconduct did not go unpunished. The courts - either regimental, district or general - were advised by a military lawyer and made up of panels of officers, with some sentences even being determined by His Majesty. The main crimes normally concerned drunkenness, theft, and general misbehavior. The wrong-doer might be punished by running the gauntlet, which involved being flogged by one's own regiment as he passed between two lines of soldiers. In 1765, a soldier was piquetted (made to stand on a tent peg) without shoes for drunken misconduct.

One of the more common offenses that required excessive punishment was desertion. A soldier could be branded with a 'D' if captured, and if he re-offended could face execution. Death sentences were not all that common, with hanging normally reserved for murderers, and death by shot employed for those who were repeat offenders. The criminals were punished in front of their peers and officers and the utter humiliation suffered was meant to deter from any further wrongdoing. Punishments were often painful and disgraceful to discourage those who bore witness from undergoing the same fate. However, it was customary that a soldier was excepted back by his peers without any discredit once he had been punished. One particular case worth noting involved Joseph Stoakes who, it was reported, between 1728 and 1730, deserted his Regiment three times, and upon being captured for the third time was sentenced by court-martial to death. 

Any incidences of desertion in Colonel Fraser's 78th Regiment were limited in discussion in known correspondence. During the early formation of the regiment in 1757, Major James Clephane (Fraser's second-in-command) did briefly discuss this topic with a close confidante. Writing from Kilravock Castle, Croy, Scotland, on 8 April 1757, he proudly boasts of his Company recruits. He wrote: "I have at last sent of [sic, off] for Glasgow 124 recruits, not one of them was ever confined and not one deserted...I was obliged to put a stop to my friends recruiting for me in Angus and Perthshire otherwise my number of men would be too great..." [1] And the colonel, writing on 28 June 1757 from onboard the Ann Transport in Cove Harbour, Cork, Ireland, briefly discussed with Baillie James Fraser the following. 

"After a halt of Five days at Cork to recover the fatigues of a march of 400 miles the battalion Embark'd, consisting of 1000 fine fellows besides 170 Supernumerarys, being 40 more than the Secretary at War desired me to bring, those 40 were intended to answer any deficiency that might arise by death or Desertion, but I did not lose a man by either from the day we left Glasgow and but 7 before." [2]

Alexander Campbell

A document entitled List of Perth Prisoners, provided by Perth and Kinross Council Archive, A K Bell Library, Perth, Scotland, contains the name of Alexander Campbell, an identified deserter from Colonel Fraser's Regiment. [3] The document is dated 31 August 1757, and, unless he was on the run for five months (initial recruiting was completed by April 1757), this indicates desertion from one of the three additional companies also raised for service; the first 10 companies departed Cork, Ireland, on 30 June 1757 and were already in North America by this time. And considering Campbell was jailed in Perth, he may have been familiar with the area as there was an authorized recruit depot in the city of Dunkeld, 15 miles north of his prison cell at the old Tolbooth.

Coincidentally, this same name appears in Captain Hugh Fraser's Company at the end of the war, but there is no evidence they are the same soldier.

List of Prisoners within the Tolbooth of Perth

Francis Porter from Forfar was banished by Sentance [sic] of the Lords in April 1755.

Jean Henry from Forfar was banished by Sentance of the Lords in May last.

Duncan McGrigor and Hugh Cameron were committed prisoners by a Warrant from Clerk Miller as Justice of the peace.

John McNaughton Dester [sic, deserter] from Colonel Perrys Regiment was Committed prisoner by a Warrant from Mr Campbell of Achalader.

Alexander Campbell Deserter from Colonel Frazers Regiment was Committed prisoner by a Warrant from Baillie Robert Robertson and Clerk Miller two of his Majesty's Justices of the peace from Perth Shire. 

Cover sheet

List of Perth Prisoners

31 Aug 1757

Note: November 10, 1757. Order to Colin Drummond, collector of land tax in Perthshire, to pay George Buchanan, a soldier, the sum of 20s for the apprehension of Hugh Cameron, a deserter. [NRS, GD22/1/524].

Forfar and Achalader are towns situated about 20 and 30 miles respectively outside the city of Perth.

Charles Duff

Charles Duff, a farmhand, was imprisoned in 1757 in the Tolbooth in Aberdeen, a 17th-century former jail which now operates as museum. While plowing the fields of his master William Robertson, Duff was taken forcibly by a Mr. Fraser of Frendach and press ganged into the army. In 1756, following the outbreak of the Seven Years' War, an Act was passed in Parliament to allow a quick recruitment campaign to be started throughout the country. The Act allowed able-bodied, unemployed men 17-45 years of age, with no form of monetary support or employment to be forced into the army. Duff was threatened  with imprisonment if he did not agree with the impressment.

While appealing the reason for his incarceration he was also accused of wearing a tartan, which had been banned by the Dress Act of 1756, following the defeat of the 1745 Jacobite uprising at the Battle of Culloden. Tartan was viewed as a symbol of Highland pride, of the Stuart Dynasty and of Scottish Independence. 

Transcript from the Aberdeen Commission for

Military Impressment Appeals, Vol. 1.

"Thereafter there was given into the meeting a Petition from Charles Duff servant to William Robertson in Lumphanan Setting Forth That the Petitioner was sometime ago forcibly taken from his Masters plough by Mr Fraser of Frendrach and others his Assistant and threatened to be carried Prisoner to Aberdeen if he would not Inlist with Captain Simon Fraser which your Petitioner Refusing to do he was carried prisoner accordingly and was incarcerate in the Tolbooth of Aberdeen where he presently remains Contrair to all Laws and Equity and therefore Craving that it might please their Honours to take their Petitioners Case under their Consideration and to order his liberation acording [sic] to Justice and the said Petition signed by the said Charles Duff bears.

Compeared Thomas Mossman Procurator Fiscall and Represented that the Petitioner was Incarcerate for wearing the Highland plaid which he offers to prove and Craves a teim [sic] may be assigned for that purpose. Which being Considered by the meeting they Grant diligence for summoning Witness to prove the above Alledgeance against the seventh day of March Current and Appoints the Petitioner to remain in Prison until that time or find sufficient bail for his appearance the said day." [4]

While it's not absolutely certain this event was classified as desertion, Colonel Fraser may have construed it as such. Unfortunately, there are no records to indicate the outcome of Charles Duff's case.

Note: Captain Simon Fraser, who led one of Colonel Fraser's 10 original companies to North America, was an assigned recruiting in County Aberdeenshire.

Sources:

1. Rose and Shaw. A Genealogical Deduction of the Family of Rose of Kilravock (Nairnshire, Scotland, 1848), pp. 463-4; Major Clephane is referencing his "friend" John Strachan, a recruiter stationed in Dundee, Scotland. Strachan's surviving list of 12 original recruits does not contain Alexander Campbell's name. [NRS, GD125/22/16/18].

2. Macdonald, Rev. Archibald, D, D. The Old Lords of Lovat and Beaufort (1934), p. 140.

3. B59-24-11-163 (front and back pages).

4. Tolbooth 400. Tales from the Tolbooth. An Information Booklet of Character Histories and Text Transcript, pp.22-5.

©  Jeffrey Campbell, The 78th Regiment of Foot, 2021.

Payroll Account of Private Donald McGilivray, 1758

An accountant at the War Office in Westminster, London, was ultimately responsible for the tracking of hundreds of millions of pounds being spent on funding British armies on multiple fronts around the world. At the regimental level, paymasters were charged with accounting for the income and expenses of every soldier, ensuring assets were properly tracked down to the very last pence. (Jeffrey Campbell, Accountability, 2024. Artist's rendition created with Perchance AI Image Generator)

Payroll Account of Private Donald McGilivray, 1758

Much like today, accounting books were used in the eighteenth century for documenting military pay and other related expenses accrued over periods of time. The payroll account of Private Donald McGilivray, 78th Regiment, covers the period of July 5, 1757, through April 24, 1758.

Note: Category headers and bracketed script have been added for clarification and do not appear in the original document. Additionally, it would not be uncommon to discover accounting errors as these were gentlemen who created inaccuracies the same as you and I.

[Page 9 - Private Donald McGilivray]

Income

To 9 Weeks arrears & Pay Due from y'e. 5th July to y'e. 5th Sepr.

     £: 1. 10. 9

To 5 Weeks arrears of Pay Due y'e. 5th Sept'r. to 10th Oct'r.

     £: 0. 8. 4

To 3 Weeks arrears @ 5p week

     £: 0. 1. 3

To 6 Weeks Pay & arrears Due from y'e. 17th Oct'r. to y'e. 28th Nov'r. 1757

     £: 1. 0. 6

To 21 Weeks arrears of Pay Due from y'e. 28th Nov'r. 1757 to y'e. 24th Apr'l. 1758

     £: 1. 15. 0

[Total]  £: 4. 15. 10

Expenses

To 1 Pair Shoes & 1 Nap Sack

     £: 0. 6. 6

To 2 Haversacks & 1 Cocade

     £: 0. 2. 8

To 1 Pair Garters & 1 Sett buckles

     £: 0. 1. 4

To 1 Kilt belt

     £: 0. 0. 10

To Provisions at Glasgow

     £: 0. 4. 8

To Spruce Beer at Halifax

     £: 0. 2. 8

To 2 Cheq'd. Shirts

     £: 0. 7. 0

To 10 Months Stoppages for y'e. Payment Serjt. @ 1.8p month

     £: 0. 0. 10

To 7 D'o for y'e. Barber @ 2p month.

     £: 0. 1. 2

To your Proportion of a Cook's Frock

£: 0. 0. 8

To Cash given you at Fairf'd.

     £: 0. 10. 8

  [Total]  £: 2. 7. 0

To Cash given at Boston p. adv.

£: 0. 4. 8

  [Total]  £: 2. 11. 8

   

To Cash Paid as Bala'ce of Above

                                                                                                                                                                 

[Total]  £: 4. 15. 10

Halifax 4th May 1758 Rec'd. y'e. above Ball'ce. in full of my Pay & arrears of Pay from y'e. Date of my Attestation to y'e. 24th Apr. Last as witness my hand.

[signed] X Mcgilivray {mark}

Source:
Payroll Account of Donald McGilivray, 78th Regiment of Foot, 1758. MS NAS GD125-34-5, pp. 22-23, Military Account Book at Halifax. National Archives Scotland, n.p.

© Jeffrey Campbell, The 78th Regiment of Foot, 2021.

The Children of Colonel Fraser's Regiment, 1757-1763

The bustling city of Boston, Massachusetts, in the late 18th century, bathed in the warm, golden hues of a setting sun. The cobblestone streets are lined with stately brick buildings, their tall, narrow windows reflecting the amber light. Horse-drawn carriages and pedestrians in colonial attire move through the streets, going about their evening business. The sky above is a canvas of deep blues and purples, with streaks of fiery oranges and pinks that illuminate the iconic church steeples that punctuate the skyline. (Jeffrey Campbell, Boston, Massachusetts, 2024. Artist's rendition created with Perchance AI Image Generator)

The Children of Colonel Fraser's Regiment, 1757-1763

Extant records indicate 119 women and 29 children accompanied Colonel Fraser to North America in the summer of 1757. These women held numerous unofficial roles in the battalion, performing such duties as cooks, wives, seamstresses, and laundresses. They also played significant roles in providing emotional support for the well-being of their husbands and, at the same time, as mothers raising their children.

Very little information has been discovered about the children in Colonel Fraser's Regiment. And trying to piece together their experiences as dependents is more than a daunting task simply because there are no family journals or written letters describing their personal experiences available to source from. What were their daily activities? How did they handle growing up during the war? How much of a physical toll did the miles of marching take on their bodies? 

The following list represents known children in the 78th Regiment born between 1757 and 1763. And if you're aware of others, please let us know. We would love to publish their details.

Fraser

Boston, Massachusetts

Sent to the Alms House [Boston, Massachusetts] on the Province Accot. Jennet Fraser an Infant Child left by a soldier belonging to Colo. Frasers Regimt., at the House of John Adams Joiner. [A Report of the Record Commissioners of the City of Boston, Containing the Selectman's Minutes from 1754 Through 1763. Boston, 1887, Rockwell and Churchill, City Printers, p. 82. (Selectman's Minutes dated approx. April 1758)].

Gordon

Kingussie & Insh, Scotland

James son to James Gordon soldier in the Highland Regiment & Isobel Robertson his wife was born 9th Septr. & bapt'd 12th 1757. [Parish registers for Kingussie and Insh, 1724-1854. FHL, Microfilm 008075570, image 41a].

Note: The name Serjeant James Gordon appears with Captain Alexander McLeod of Colonel Fraser's regiment in 1763. Captain McLeod assumed command on 4 September 1759 from Captain Alexander Cameron, the original commander of Colonel Fraser's 12th company, established July 1757. Additional research should be performed to ensure both men are the same soldier.

Gunn

Stratford, Connecticut

In the Congressional Church records at Stratford, Connecticut, January 29, 1758, Reverend Izahiah Wetmore recorded a baptism of "bettee daughter of Daniel Gunn Drum major in Colonel Fraziers Regiment." Daniel was most likely Private Donald Gun [sic], recorded as a drummer in Captain Hugh Cameron's Company, and listed as an "invalid" soldier in 1762. Donald is carried on the final subsistence rolls taken in Aug. 1763. [First Congressional Church Records, 1688-1927 (Stratford, Connecticut). FHL, SLC, Utah, Microfilm 7833792].

Hamilton

Aberdeen, Scotland

July 1st, 1757

Thomas Hamilton Serjeant in Lovet's Highland Battalion, and Elisabeth Fraser, his spouse had a son born; baptised George by the rev'd Mr. Ogilvie, in Presence of Samuel Pillar, Stabler & George Leslie Wright. [Parish Registers for Aberdeen, 1560-1855 (Aberdeen, Scotland). FHL, SLC, Utah, Microfilm 7907672, image 559].

McDonald

Greyfriars Church, Glasgow, Scotland

April 25th, 1757

Donald McDonald Soldier in Collonel Frazers Battalion & Janet Cameron a L S [lawful son] Ranald born 24th Inst. Witts. Fergus McLean & Duncan McAllum Soldiers in same Battalion. [Church Records for Greyfriars Church, Glasgow, 1729-1965. FHL, SLC, Utah. Microfilm 007908717, p. 20].

McLean

Greyfriars Church, Glasgow, Scotland

August 8th, 1757

John McLean Surgeon in Collonel Frazers Regiment & Agnes Lang a L S [lawful son] John born 5 Witts. John Robertson Wright & Hugh McLean Writer William Lang Sponsor. [Church Records for Greyfriars Church, Glasgow, 1729-1965. FHL, SLC, Utah, Microfilm 007908717, p. 38].

McNaughten

Greyfriars Church, Glasgow, Scotland

April 10th, 1757

John McNaughten Soldier in Collonele Simon Frazers Regiment & Christian McAllum a L S [lawful son] Archd. [Archibald] born 25th March. Witts. Donald McNaughten Weaver & Jno. Bell Workman. [Church Records for Greyfriars Church, Glasgow, 1729-1965. FHL, SLC, Utah, Microfilm 007908717, p. 16].

Nobles

Saint-François-de-Sales-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud, Quebec

December 30, 1762

Baptism of Louise Nobles, Scottish, daughter of the marriage of Georges Nobles and Catherine Fraser, Scottish. Godparents: Pierre Boleau and Marguerite Morin. [Eglise catholique. Registres paroissiaux, 1733-1876. FHL, SLC, Utah, Microfilm 005471880, image 379].

Note: George Noble and Catherine Noble both appear with Captain Archibald Campbell in 1763.

Ouiam Ecossais

[Campbell]

Eglise Saint-Joseph de Deschambault, Quebec, Canada

November 17, 1761

The Seventeenth day of the month of November in the year one thousand seven hundred sixty one, and in the church of Cap Lauzon, seigneurie d'Eschambault, parish of St. Joseph was baptized a girl named Marie Joseph, a baptism of the legitimate marriage of Ouiam Ecossais and of Marie Joseph Chartier, a Canadian. The godfather was Michel Frenet and the godmother was Madeliene Girou, who declared they could neither write nor sign for the following ceremony, the baptism was performed in faith by the undersigned priest, pastor of St. Joseph's and signed in the parish house Cap Lauzon the day and year noted above. [Paroisse De St. Joseph, Deschambault, Quebec, Canada, 1739-1768. Volume 5. FHL, SLC, Utah, Microfilm 004267731, image 262].

Note: Although the surname listed in the parish register margin reads Ouiam Ecossais (William the Scotsman), Marie Joseph was the daughter of Alexander William Campbell, recorded as William with Captain Archibald Campbell in 1763.

Ross

Saint-François-de-Sales-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud, Quebec

February 2, 1763

Baptism of Anne Ross, daughter of the marriage of [Corporal] Hector Ross and Catherine Macdonell, Scottish. Godparents: Thomas Bedard and Marie Joseph Alary. [Eglise catholique. Registres paroissiaux, 1733-1876. FHL, SLC, Utah, Microfilm 005471880].

Note: Corporal Hector Ross and Catherine Ross both appear with Captain Archibald Campbell in 1763.

Vass

Saint-François-de-Sales-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud, Quebec

March 18, 1762

Baptism of Anne Vass, Scottish, daughter of the marriage of  [Wass] Nicolas Vass and Anne Grhame [sic, most likely Grahame]. Godparents: Jacques Beaudouin and Marie Josphe Alarie. [Eglise catholique. Registres paroissiaux, 1733-1876. FHL, SLC, Utah, Microfilm 005471880].

Note: Nicholas Wass and Agnes Wass both appear with Captain Hugh Montgomerie in 1763; While the name Agnes is found Latinised Agnetis and Agneta, it also appears as Annie, Annice, and Annes. [Donald Whyte. Scottish Forenames: Their Origins and History (Edinburgh, 1996)].

Ware

Boston, Massachusetts

On the 15th. Instant Sent to the Alms House [Boston, Massachusetts] on the Province Accot. by two Selectmen & one Overseer, Jannet Ware an Infant Child belonging to Daman Ware a Soldier in Colo. Frasers Regiment of Highlanders, whose wife being dead & no Person to take Care of the Child & not being able to maintain it himself Left it in the Town. A Report of the Record Commissioners of the City of Boston, Containing the Selectman's Minutes from 1754 Through 1763. Boston, 1887, Rockwell and Churchill, City Printers, p. 82-3. [Selectman's Minutes dated approx. April 1758].

Note: It is strongly advised to consult the original record as Daman Ware may be a transcription error for Duncan Weir, a serjeant with Captain Alexander Campbell.

A database entry for Jannet Ware appears in Children Bound Out, 1756-1806, a transcribed collection of records for children who were "bound out." According to the Children Bound Out database, "Binding Out" was a labor system that connected host families with poor boys and girls willing to serve their master and mistresses as apprentices or servants. In Boston, the majority of the children bound out were from the almshouse rather than from their family home, which filled a thriving market at the time for indentured children. Almshouse, workhouse, poorhouse, poor-farm, etc., all refer to the same thing: "indoor relief for the poor." https://bit.ly/3oA6WmC. [Acc: 30 January 2021].

Name: Ware, Jannet

Gender: F

Master: Wyman, Johnathan

Trade: Housewifery

Town: Woburn

County: Middlesex

Date Bound: 4/3/1765

Date Free: 11/15/1775 [age 18]

Days: 3878

Years: 10.60

Jannet Ware's Indent to Mr. Jonathan Wyman, April 3d 1765

[Courtesy Boston Public Library, Boston, Massachuestts]

This Indenture Witnesseth, that John Barrett Esqr.; The Honble. Royall Tyler Esqr.; Benja. Dolbeare Gent.; Isacc Smith & Melath Bourn Esqrs.; Jona. Mason Gent.; Joseph Gardner Esqr.; William Whehoell; Hendn. Inches; Benja. Hammatt & Ebenr. Storer Gentm. & John Avery Esqrs., 

Overseers of the Poor of the Town of Boston in the County of Suffolk in New England, by and with the Consent of two of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace for said County, Have placed and by these Presents do place and bind out a poor Child names Jannet Ware unto Jonathan Wyman of Woburn in the County of Middlesex Yeoman and his wife Martha and their Heirs, and with them after the Manner of an Apprentice to Dwell and Serve, from the Day of the Date of these Presents, until the Fifteenth day of November which will be in the year of our Lord One Thousand seven hundred & seventy five at which time if the said Apprentice should be Living she will arrive at the age of Eighteen years ~

During all which said Time or Tern, the said Apprentice her said Master & Mistress well and faithfully shall Serve, their Secrets shall keep close, their Commandments lawful and honest every where she shall gladly obey; she shall do no Damage to her said Master or Mistress, not suffer it to be done by others, without letting or giving seasonable Notice thereof to her said Master or Mistress she shall not waste the Goods of her said Master & Mistress nor lend them unlawfully to any; At Cards, Dice, or any other unlawful Game or Games she shall not play; Fornication she shall not commit; Matrimony during the said term she shall not contract; Taverns, Ale-Houses, or places of Gaming she shall not haunt or frequent; From the Service of her said Master & Mistress by Day or Night she shall not absent herself; but in all Things and at all times, she shall carry and behave herself towards her said Master & Mistress and all theirs as a good and faithful Apprentice ought to do to the utmost of her ability during all the Time or Term aforesaid. And the said Master doth hereby Covenant and Agree, for himself his said Wife & Heirs to teach the said Apprentice or cause her to be taught to Knit Sew & Spin & all other Branches of good Housewifry ~ Also to Read & Write.

And also shall and will, well and truly find, allow unto, and provide for the said Apprentice, sufficient and wholsome [sic] Meat and Drink, with Washing, Lodging, Cloathing and other Necessaries, meet and convenient for such an Apprentice, during at the Time or Term aforesaid; And at the End and Expiration thereof shall Dismiss the said Apprentice with Two good Suits of Wearing Apparel fitting for all parts of her Body, the one for Lords Days and the other for Working Days suitable to her Degree ~

In Testimony Where the said Parties have to these Indentures interchangeably set their Hands and Seals, the Third Day of April In the 5th Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George 3d King of Great Britain - France &c. Annoque Domini, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty five.

Signed, Sealed and Delivered in Presence of Us.

Nathan Wyman

Elijah Wyman

Jonathan Wyman

Suffolkss. Boston April 22d 1765

Assented to by Belcher Noyes; William Story

Justices of the Peace

While the events with Jannet Fraser and Jannet Ware occurred in Boston, Massachusetts, one can only wonder how many more events like these took place in other cities visited by the regiment in Connecticut and New York, including the different towns throughout Quebec, Canada.

Source:

Boston (Mass.). Overseers of the Poor. Document of indenture: Servant: Ware, Jannet. Master: Wyman, Jonathan. Town of Master: Woburn. Selectmen of the town of Woburn. Autograph document signed to the Overseers of the Poor of the town of Boston: Endorsement Certificate for Jonathan Wyman. 03 Apr 1765. Web. 25 Mar 2021 [https://ark.digitalcommonwealth.org/ark:/50959/4j03d6149].

©  Jeffrey Campbell, Fraser's 78th Regiment of Foot, 2021. 

Last updated 18 July 2024.

Return of 200 Acres of Land for Evan Cameron, 1765

An 18th-century landscape painting, masterfully capturing the tranquil beauty of the Hudson River as it meanders through Albany County, New York. The sun, a fiery orb of gold and crimson, is dipping below the distant horizon, casting a warm, ethereal glow over the serene waters. The riverbanks are adorned with lush, verdant foliage, a testament to the fertility of the region. A few wooden sailboats, with their sails furled for the evening, glide gracefully along the river, their reflections mirrored on the calm surface. In the foreground, a small group of Native Americans and early European settlers are engaged in trade, their vibrant attire standing out against the backdrop of the wilderness. (Jeffrey Campbell, Hudson River, 2024. Artist's rendition created with Perchance AI Image Generator)

Return of 200 Acres of Land for Evan Cameron, 1765

Pursuant to an order in Council from the Honble Cadwallader Colden Esquire Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief of the Province of New York and the Territories Depending theron in America bearing Date the 8th Day of May last Past ~

Survey'd for Evan Cameron late a Corporal in his Majesty's Seventy Eigth Regiment of Foot. All That Certain Tract of Land Situate lying and being on the East Side of Hudson's River in the County of Albany. Beginning at the Southwest corner of a Tract of Land Survey'd for Roderick Fraser and runs thence East Sixty Chains and Sixteen links Then South thirty five Chains Then West Sixty Chains and Sixteen links. Then North Thirty five Chains to the place where this Tract first began Containing Two Hundred Acres of Land and the usual allowance for Highways.

Given under my hand this twenty third Day of July 1765

Alexr. Cowell [?] Survey GL

Cover sheet:
July 23 1765

Return 200 Acres of Land on the East Side

of Hudson's River in the County of Albany

for Evan Cameron late Corporal in the 78th Regt.

Source:
New York State Department of State Applications for Land Grants, 1643-1803. Series A0272, volume XIX, p. 113. New York State Archives, Albany, New York.

© Jeffrey Campbell, Fraser's 78th Regiment of Foot, 2021.

Swords of the 78th Regiment, 1757-1763

A bustling 18th-century metalsmith workshop, its ambience suffused with the fiery glow of forges and the rhythmic clanging of hammers against metal. At the heart of the scene, skilled artisans are hard at work crafting basket-hilted army swords, a symbol of protection and valor during this era. The workshop is a maze of wooden benches laden with various tools and unfinished pieces, from the gleaming steel blades to the intricately woven basket hilts that will soon encase the swords' handles. (Jeffrey Campbell, Broadswords, 2024. Artist's rendition created with Perchance AI Image Generator)

Swords of the 78th Regiment, 1757-1763

The traditional “go-to” weapon of the highland clansman, the Scottish basket-hilt sword has sown fear into the hearts of enemies for centuries. Designed and manufactured long and sleek, its both single and double-edged blades and distinctive basket-hilt, combined with the traditional dirk (a long-bladed thrusting-type dagger), has proven to be more than a match for soldiers on many battlefields. The small amount of information that has been discovered about both the initial manufacturing of the weapon, including the final disposition of these killing tools at the end of the Seven Years’ War when the 78th Regiment officially disbanded, is what we find intriguing.

Nathaniel Jeffreys

Nathaniel Jeffreys (or Jeffries, Cutler to His Majesty) was first identified in documentation as a supplier of swords in 1759. Generally speaking, the coutelier, or cutler, was a manufacturer of knives, scissors, razors and other sharp instruments, usually for domestic use. Cutlers could also make sword blades, daggers, and halberds for the military, as well as surgical instruments. The weapons were made by hand, from the blade to the handle, and the manufacturing generally involved one or a combination of processes: stock removal, forging to shape, welded lamination or investment cast. Primitive weapons were made from bronze, copper, brass, iron, obsidian, and flint. [1]

In October of that year he delivered 3500 "broad swords with iron basket hilts and paste-board scabbards" at five shillings each to the Board of Ordnance, a British body first established in 1683 for the overseeing of weapons and firearms. Two years prior to his contract with the Board, he supplied swords to Colonel Fraser's 2nd Highland Battalion. And while no records exist regarding the actual manufacturing of Colonel Fraser's swords, it is thought that Jeffreys subcontracted for the finished guards, pommels, and blades from a Birmingham, United Kingdom supplier (possibly Samuel Harvey) and assembled them at his London workshop utilizing his own grips and grip coverings. [2]

Swords Identification

As discussed by Anthony Darling in his book, Swords For the Highland Regiments, 1757-1784, when identifying a particular marking on Colonel Fraser's swords (for example, when engraved on the guard is "2/60"), he writes: "...These markings indicate the 60th private of [Colonel] Fraser's second battalion company." Another example might read "3/36." This marking represents the 36th soldier of the third company. The blades of the swords are also stamped with a crowned cipher /GR/IEF/RIS, the mark of a member of the Jeffreys (or Jeffries) family of London cutlers.

Members of the Jeffreys family whose dates are known are: [3]

1763 - Daniel Jeffries: Strand

1765-1768 - Thomas Jeffries: Charing Cross

1769-1777 - Thomas Jeffries: Cockspur Street

1768-1779 - Nathaniel Jeffries: 32 Strand 

Darling further explains, "...The swords of Fraser's Highlanders have guards of 'convention' form that had evolved in Scotland by c.1700 constructed of a series of vertical bars interconnected by two junction plates, two sideplates, and a flattened knuckle-bow. The ends of the three branches created by these bars fit into a groove cut into the slightly cone-shaped pommel. The plates and knuckle-bow are crudely pierced with small circles and triangles. There is a slight vertical groove at the base of each triangle so as to give the appearance of the arrowhead. The edges of these plates are not scalloped but some simple line engraving, now much worn, is in evidence. The hilt was fabricated with a wrist guard (now missing) and a double loop guard at the front."

Swords Disposition [4]

War Office 1st Dec. 1763

My Lord

The King having been pleased to sign Orders for disbanding the 78th Regiment of Foot at Glasgow in N. Britain, I have the honor to acquaint your Lordship therewith that you may be pleased to order proper Officers to collect and receive the Arms of the Non-commissioned Officers and private Men, of the said Regiment, together with the Swords of the Corporals, Drummers and private Men, which are ordered to be delivered into His Majesty's Stores of Ordnance, and to give acquittances for the same.

I have the honor to be

My Lord &c.

W Ellis

Rt. Honble the

Marquis of Granby

Master General of Ordnance &c &c &c

Swords with Known Provenance to Fraser's Highlanders, 1757-1763

The following identifications appear in a research note entitled, Swords With Known Provenance to Fraser's Highlanders, 1757-1763, written by Earl Chapman in 2009. To date (the date of this article), there are eight surviving swords with known provenance that can be traced to Colonel Fraser's 78th Foot, 1757-1763.

Mr. Chapman notes:

Swords 1-7: All have plain hilts conforming to the basic "Glasgow" style. All were manufactured by Nathaniel Jeffreys of London, c.1757. All marked "2= HB" (2nd Highland Battalion).

Sword 8: Likely a family sword of the Thompson family, Tain, Scotland.

Sword 1:

Markings: 2/60

Manufacturer: Jeffreys

Location: Whereabouts unknown 

Notes: C; D; incorrect blade replacement, 38-1/2"

Sword 2:

Markings: 3/36

Manufacturer: Jeffreys

Location: Whereabouts unknown; sold by William Fagan as item 39 in his list #55 in 1991.

Notes: A

Sword 3:

Markings: 6/33

Manufacturer: Jeffreys

Location: Erik Goldstein Collection; unknown buyer (2022).

Notes: A

Auction: On April 9, 2022, this sword, described as being from the Erik Goldstein Collection, was offered for sale through an online auction website. Ten days later, on April 19, the sword sold for a record amount of $39,200 USD. https://rb.gy/k1zeh; https://rb.gy/rwviq. [Acc: August 19, 2023].

Lot 36 description of the sword is as follows:

C. 1757

Iron basket hilt with pierced circles and triangles, marked "2/HB" for the 2nd Highland Battalion, and very faintly “6 / 33” for the Company & weapon number, iron pommel, shagreen grip with spiraled wire slot, and a steel blade with a 3/4 length fuller. Marked “TB” over “C” on the quillon, for the name and location of an unknown hilt maker. Note: The backswords issued to Fraser’s 2nd Highland Battalion upon their raising at the onset of the French & Indian War are amongst the most important combat-used edged weapons of that conflict. Only a few are known today, and this example was weapon number 33 in the 6th company. Engaged at Quebec on the Plains of Abraham in September 1759, the Battalion is documented as having charged the French with their backswords drawn and having done some very nasty business with these weapons.

Blade lg. 31 7/8".Overall lg. 37 5/8"

From the collection of Erik Goldstein.

Sword 4:

Markings: 9/22

Manufacturer: Jeffreys

Location: Dean Castle, Kilmarnock (Walker Collection).

Notes: A

Sword 5:

Markings: 9/23

Manufacturer: Jeffreys

Location: Whereabouts unknown; sold to "SNG2069" on Ebay.com, 9 Apr. 2006.

Notes: A; D

Sword 6:

Markings: 9/101

Manufacturer: Jeffreys

Location: Whereabouts unknown

Notes: C; original blade

Sword: 7:

Markings: 13/2

Manufacturer: Jeffreys

Location: Canadian War Museum, Ottawa, Canada

Notes: B; 31-3/4" double fullered single-edged blade; hilt marked "I or T Brown"; serjeant's pattern (unique example recorded).

Sword 8:

Markings: None

Manufacturer: Unknown

Location: Canadian War Museum, Ottawa, Canada

Notes: Grenadier Serjeant James Thompson (family sword?).

Note A: Private correspondence with Erik Goldstein, Colonial Williamsburg Museum.

Note B: Anthony Darling, "Weapons of the Highland Regiments, 1740-1780."

Note C: Anthony Darling, "Weapons of the Highland Regiments, 1757-1784."

Note D: Anthony Darling, "A Relic of the First Raising (1757-1763) of Fraser's Highlanders"?

Mr. Chapman further notes two extant weapons over and above the eight previously mentioned might also exist, raising the total to 10 swords. The first of these two weapons originally belonging to Captain Malcolm Fraser, once held by Mme Thérèse-Caroline Fraser Lizotte, deceased, possibly now held by Le Manior Fraser in Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec, Canada. The second weapon originally belonging to Captain John Nairn, whereabouts unknown.

Supplemental Swords

It's worth noting that a very rare Scottish basket-hilted backsword purportedly of the Royal Highland Regiment, c.1755, sold on 25 July 2009 at Heritage Auctions online. 

Auction Description [5]

Lot #981157. The form carried by enlisted men of the famed "Black Watch" during the Seven Years (French and Indian) War. 32" single edge blade with a deep narrow fuller along the back. The blade is marked 8" from the hilt with a crown over GR/Drury. Drury being an English swordsmith who had most of the contracts for Scottish military swords during this period. All iron mounted, spiral carved wood grip with a double strand of twisted iron wire. Grip perfect, wire loose but present. All iron surfaces display a coat of generally very light pitting, blade with no nicks, guard with no bends or cracks. The Black Watch, the 42nd Regiment of Foot, served in America from 1757 to 1764, including the assault on Ft. Ticonderoga in 1758, The Battle of Bushy Run in 1763, and the subjugation of the Ohio Indians in 1764. An important Scottish military sword that saw service in America in the hands of one of the most famed regiments in British military history.

Subsistence and Sword Money [6]

The official list containing 170 soldiers authorized discharge in North America at the end of the war is a combined list to establish both subsistence and sword money payments for the soldiers. Both entitlements were also a way of putting a little extra money in the pockets of these men as they began life as a civilian.

Known today as  "Basic Allowance for Subsistence," this pays for the cost of a military member's meals when dining at their present duty station or in a "leave of absence" status. Since the British Army of the 18th century furnished rations while soldiers were in a "duty" status, they also paid for the meals when the men were "off-duty" and away on furlough. 

"Sword money" was an entitlement paid to the men for the return of their swords at discharge. The payments benefitted the British Army, as the weapons would then be re-used as needed.

The following pay rate was established for the two entitlements.

Pay rates

14 days subsistence: 7 shillings

Sword money: 3 shillings

Although soldiers of the 78th Regiment were authorized 14 days subsistence and paid 7 shillings, by following the King's Warrant dated 1 December 1763 requiring the officers to "...collect and receive the swords of the corporals, drummers, and private men," only those three ranks received the authorized sword money stipend. The serjeants' swords were not collected and, they did not receive the entitlement. A further examination of a similar roster for the 27th Regiment of Foot indicates their serjeants were not authorized sword money payments, either. [7] One theory for the non-payment at discharge is that the serjeants could have been paid in advance for putting personal swords into government service when joining the regiment. These may have been family swords or possibly weapons procured through previous military service. 

Did You Know?  

On August 5th, 1757, Benjamin Lewis, a Marine stationed aboard the Royal Ann, had five shillings deducted from his wages for losing his sword. It was discovered missing during a gunner's account of weapons issued. [TNA, W.O. 47/50, p. 129].

Sources:

1. "The Cutler." https://bit.ly/3tA0GPI. [Acc: 7 February 2021].

2. Darling, Anthony D. Swords for the Highland Regiments, 1757-1784. A. Mowbray, 1988, p-13-15; 53.

3. Austin, John C. Chelsea Porcelain at Williamsburg. Colonial Williams Foundation, 1977, ch. 32.

4. War Office Records. Out Letters: Secretary at War. General Letters, Nov. 1763 - Mar. 1764. LAC, W.O. 4, vol. 74 (Selections).

5. Heritage Auctions. "Scottish basket-hilted backsword." https://bit.ly/36T1RQr. [Acc: 7 February 2021].

6. An Account of His Majesty's Royal Bounty of Fourteen Days Subsistence, and Sword Money Paid the Following Men of the 78th Regiment Discharged in America. Canada East : Provincial Secretary Letterbooks, Quebec, Lower Canada and Canada East, LAC, Microfilm C-10462. Letterbook/Copie de lettres, 1763-1771, RG 4, C 2, vol. 1. 

7. Ibid., The amount of High Majesty's Royal Bounty pf 14 Days Pay, also Sword money paid to the Discharged Men of the 27th Inniskilling Regiment of Foot, Commanded by Lieutenant General Hugh Warburton whose names are undermentioned. 

 

©  Jeffrey Campbell, Fraser's 78th Regiment of Foot, 2021. 

Article last update 8 August 2023.