Proposal to Transport Deserters to North America, 1757

A majestic 18th-century British transport ship cutting through tumultuous ocean waves under a brooding sky. The ship, with its towering masts and tattered sails, is heavily laden with a grim cargo—deserters of the British Army. These men were a motley crew, their uniforms in disarray, representing a spectrum of social classes and backgrounds united by their desperate decisions to flee. They are bound in iron shackles, their ankles and wrists raw from the unforgiving chains. (Jeffrey Campbell, Atlantic Crossing, 2024. Artist's rendition created with Perchance AI Image Generator)

Proposal to Transport Deserters to North America, 1757

To Their Excellencies The Lords Justices Generall and Generall Governours of Ireland

The Memoriall of John Earl of Rothes

Representeth,

That by the Returns of the Embarkation of His Majesties two Highland Battalions Commanded by Lieutenant Collonels Montgomery and Fraser dated the 27th of June last, it appears, that fifty six men belonging to these two Battalions are left behind sick at Corke or upon their march.

That Captain Donald Macdonald of Collo. Frasers Battalion is since the embarkation come from Scotland with one Subaltern and thirty one men belonging to that Battalion who are now upon their march to Corke.

That His Grace The Lord Lieutenant by his letter of the 14th of last month signified to you Execs His Majesties pleasure that as many of the Deserters as possible from those Regiments who have lately gone abroad shou'd be embarked with the Highland Battalions in order to be incorporated into His Majesties Regiments in North America, in consequence of which fourty five of these Deserters have already been sent off, and there are now at Corke and in the different goals [sic, gaols] of this Kingdom a considerable number of them ready for the same purposes.

Your Memorialist therefore Submits to your Excellencies whither it would not be for the good of His Majesties Service, that a Vessell be freighted for carrying the men abovementioned belonging to the two Highland Battalions to such place in North America as shall be thought proper and for carrying with them such Deserters from the Regiments abovementioned as now are in custody or may be apprehended before the embarkation.

[signed] 

Rothes

Cover sheet:
Memoriall The Earl of Rothes To Their Exes The Lords Justices, 11th July 1757;
Inclosed in the Lord Justices Letter of the 12 July 1757;
in the Lord Lieut of Ireland's of the 30th July 1757

Source:

Memorial of John, Earl of Rothes requesting provision of a vessel to carry the two Highland battalions commanded by Lieutenant Colonels Montgomery and Fraser and also all deserters caught in Ireland to North America. TNA, SP 63/415/3105.

©  Jeffrey Campbell, Fraser's 78th Regiment of Foot, 2022.

Decedents of the 78th Regiment of Foot, 1757-1763

A poignant burial at sea ceremony aboard the 18th-century British warship, HMS Enterprize, in the year 1757. The somber scene unfolds against a backdrop of rolling, cerulean waves and a vast, cloud-studded sky. The central focus is the ship's deck, where a group of Royal Navy sailors, clad in their period-accurate uniforms of blue coats, white breeches, and black tricorne hats, stand at attention, their faces etched with a mix of sorrow and stoicism. In the foreground, the lifeless body of a shipmate is meticulously wrapped in a canvas shroud, tied with thick ropes, with one end trailing over the side of the ship. (Jeffrey Campbell, A Somber Moment, 2024. Artist's rendition created with Perchance AI Image Generator)

Decedents of the 78th Regiment of Foot, 1757-1763

Thrusting your way through the muddied battlefields, you distinctly hear the rattles and cracks of ball and powder, the continuous striking of battalion drums, melodic whistling of company pipers, and the screaming cries of battle. There were no guarantees a soldier would it make home alive - and many did not. Whether soldiers were maimed or killed on the battlefield, or perhaps they succumbed to infectious disease (we know that scurvy alone killed over two million service members from the time of Columbus's voyage to the mid-19th century), life in the army during the Seven Years' War was sheer navigation for survival, no matter one's side of allegiance.

The follow is a chronicled list of both named and unnamed decedents in Colonel Fraser's 78th Regiment, 1757-1763, including some mentions of the wounded. While the deaths of officers were more prominently recorded in official army muster rolls, the many names of non-commissioned soldiers forced to terminate their careers (the wounded, the elderly, etc.) can be found in both our Invalids and Chelsea Pensioners lists.

1757 Decedents 

November 24, 1757

New York

N.B. on the bottom of the monthly muster report taken at New York reads: “By last return there are 164 Supernumeraries, of which 10 are dead, and 12 now taken by Earl of Loudoun’s order to replace 12 Men dead of the Battalion, there remains 142 Supernumeraries.” 

Source: Monthly Return of the Sixty Third Regiment of Foot, Commanded By Lieut. Colo. Commandant Simon Fraser. LO 4892, Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

November 26, 1757

New York

N.B. on the bottom of what appears to be an update monthly muster report taken at New York reads: "There were by last (return?) 164 Supernumeraries brought from Ireland, of which number there are 10 dead last return remain 154. After this return was given in upon Captain McDonald's coming over with Col. Whitmore. The Supernumeraries were reduced to 90 by deaths in Ireland and compleating the Batt. to 1000.

Numbers of unnamed casualities by company: Major Campbell - 1; Capt. Jno. McPherson - 2; Capt. Simon Fraser - 4; Capt. Donald McDonald - 1; Capt. John McDonell - 1.

Source: Harper, J.R. The Fraser Highlanders (1979).

December 24, 1757

New York

Drummer Roger McDonald, 63rd Foot, initially appears on the regiment’s embarkation muster roll on the Unity transport ship at Cork, Ireland, however, his name does not appear on the final list of arrivals at New York two months later. Presumably, he died at sea en route.

Source: Returns of the Men Belonging to the Two Highland Battalions Who Arrived at New York With Captain Donald McDonald. LO 5042, Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

December 25, 1757

New York

Writing to his friend Baillie James Fraser addressing the loss of men on his Regiment's march from Kilravock to Glasgow, Scotland, Colonel Fraser states: "...I did not lose a man by either [death or desertion] from the day we left Glasgow and but 7 before."

Source: Macdonald, A. (1934). The Old Lords of Lovat and Beaufort (p. 135).

December 27, 1757

Stratford, Connecticut

Corporal James Mackay, 63rd Foot, was stabbed and killed at the hands of his battalion-mate, Serjeant Alexander Fraser, on December 27, 1757, as the regiment garrisoned in Connecticut. A special military Court of Inquery [sic] was held 3 January 1758 by Lieutenant-Colonel Simon Fraser of his Majesty's 63rd Foot (or Second Highland Battalion) concerning the death. Serjeant Fraser was eventually brought to civilian trial at Fairfield Superior Court and acquitted of the charges brought against him.

Sources: Proceedings of a Court of Inquery held by order of Lieut. Colonel Simon Fraser of his Majesty's 63d or second Highland Battalion, concerning the Manner of the Death of Corporal James Macky of the above Regiment, 3 January 1758. NRS, GD45/2/29/2b; Rex vs. Alexander Fraser, Connecticut State Archives, Fairfield County Superior Court, Papers by subject, Box 6, acc#1919-026.

1758 Decedents 

April 15, 1758

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. 

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

Source: Anon. (1887). A Report of the Record Commissioners of the City of Boston, Containing the Selectman's Minutes from 1754 Through 1763 (p. 82-3).

June 8, 1758

Louisbourg, Nova Scotia

Killed at Louisbourg were Captain Charles Baillie, Lieutenant John Cuthbert, Lieutenant [Macgregor] John Murray, Lieutenant Simon Fraser, and 12 unnamed non-commissioned officers and private soldiers.

Sources: Clan Fraser Society of Canada. Officers of the 78th Regiment of Foot, 1757-1763 (Toronto, Canada, 1998-2006); Return of the Killed & Wounded in the Several Regiments on the Island of Cape Breton From 8 June 1758 to 26 July 1758. LAC, W.O. 1, vol 1, pt. 2, p. 348-9.

September 28, 1758

Springfield, Massachusetts

Captain Thomas Fraser, of Colonel Simon Fraser's Regiment, died on the march to Albany, New York, at Springfield, Massachusetts, September 28, 1758, of fever; "an elderly gentleman, whose death was greatly lamented."

Source: Drake, Samuel G. (1886). The History and Antiquities of Boston, From its Settlement in 1630, to the Year 1770 (p. 645, footnote); death announcement also appears in the local Boston newspaper, issue dated October 2, 1758.

1759 Decedents

June 5, 1759

Neptune at sea

In a June 1759 army return compiled aboard the Neptune transport ship at sea, the 78th Regiment reported the deaths of 32 soldiers "...since the reduction of Louisbourg."

Source: Doughtry & Parmelee (1901). The Siege of Quebec and the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, Vol. I. (Embarkation Return of His Majesty's Forces, destin'd for an Expedition in the River St. Lawrence, under the Command of Major General Wolfe. Neptune at Sea. June 5th 1759).

July 31, 1759

Beauport, Canada

In a handwritten army return from the Battle of Beauport (also known as the Battle of Montmorency), the 78th Regiment reported the deaths of eight unnamed "rank & file" soldiers. 

Source: Isaac Barre, Deputy Adjutant General (1759). Return of the Kill'd, Wounded & Missing, at the Attack of the Enemys Works, on the 31st of July. LAC, Northcliffe Collection: Series 1: Robert Monckton Papers: C-366, image 70.

September 13, 1759

Quebec, Canada

An army return of officers from the 78th Regiment killed on the Plains of Abraham includes Captain Thomas Ross, Lieutenant Roderick McNeil, and Lieutenant Alexander McDonell. Additionally, the regiment reported the deaths of 14 unnamed "rank & file" soldiers and also 148 men wounded.

Source: A Return of the Kill'd & wounded & Missing of the Army Under the Command of General Wolfe at the Battle of Quebec 13th Septr. 1759. LAC, War Office Records: Amherst Papers. Correspondence between the Governors of Cape Breton Island and the Commander-in-Chief, New York, 1758-1762. W.O. 34, vol. 17, pp. 82-3.

Note: In a separate, undated, and anonymous handwritten army return entitled, Return of the Kill'd Wounded & Missing on the 13th of September at the Battle of Quebec, the 78th Regiment reported the deaths of three officers, one serjeant, and 14 "rank & file" soldiers. The difference between the two records is Lieutenant Rory McNeil listed in place of Roderick McNeil in addition to the death of one unnamed serjeant.

Officers wounded: Captain John McDonnell; Captain Simon Fraser; Lieutenant Ranald McDonell; Lieutenant Archibald Campbell; Lieutenant John Douglas; Lieutenant Alexander Fraser, Senior; Ensign James McKenzie; Ensign Alexander Gregorson; Ensign Malcolm Fraser, Senior.

Finally, in a second undated and anonymously authored handwritten army return entitled, Return of the Killed and Wounded &c. During the Campaign, the 78th Regiment reported the deaths of three officers, two serjeants, and 42 "rank & file" soldiers.

September 24, 1759

River St. Lawrence, Quebec, Canada

In an army return compiled approximately two weeks after the battle on the Plains of Abraham, the 78th Regiment reported, "since the last return," the deaths of eight unnamed soldiers and also “27 others killed.” The eights deaths were presumably of sickness, while those killed were probably from the battle.

Source: Doughtry & Parmelee (1901). The Siege of Quebec and the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, Part III. (Monthly Return of His Majesty's Forces in the River St. Lawrence, Under the Command of Brigr. Genl. Robert Monckton, Septr. 24th 1759).

1760 Decedents

April 28, 1760

Sillery, Quebec, Canada

In a handwritten army return after the Battle of Saint-Foy, the 78th Regiment reported the deaths of Captain Donald McDonell and Lieutenant Cosmo Gordon. Additionally, it was reported three unnamed serjeants, one drummer, and 51 "rank & file" soldiers were killed.

Officers wounded: Lieutenant Archibald Campbell; Lieutenant Hector McDonnell; Lieutenant Donald McBean; Lieutenant Alexander Fraser, Senior; Lieutenant John Nairn; Lieutenant Arthur Rose; Lieutenant Alexander Fraser, Junior; Lieutenant Simon Fraser, Senior; Lieutenant Archibald McAllister; Lieutenant Alexander Fraser (Grenadier Company); Lieutenant John Chisholm; Lieutenant Simon Fraser, Junior; Lieutenant Malcolm Fraser; Lieutenant Donald McNeil; Ensign Henry Munroe; Ensign Robert Menzies; Ensign Charles Stewart; Ensign Duncan Cameron; Ensign William Robertson; Ensign Alexander Gregorson; Ensign Malcolm Fraser; Captain-Lieutenant Charles McDonnell. Additional unnamed soldiers wounded included 10 serjeants and 119 "rank & file" soldiers.

Source: James Murray (1760). Return of the Officers that were Killed, Wounded, Taken Prisoners, Missing [at] Sea, on the 28th of April 1760. LAC, Northcliffe Collection: Series 1: Robert Monckton Papers: C-366, image 707.

Note: It has been purported Lieutenant Simon Fraser died October 4, 1760 of causes unknown.

October 24, 1760

Saint-Francois-de-Sales-de-la-Riviere-du-Sud, Quebec

The death of John McGlasney, Scottish Highlanders, grenadier, is recorded in the official parish cemetery records.

Source: Eglise catholique. Saint-Francois-de-Sales-de-la-Riviere-du-Sud. Index des baptemes, mariages, sepultures, 1733-1876. Family History Library, SLC, UT, Microfilm 5471880, image 375.

1763 Decedents

Captain Charles McDonnell, Esqr., the sole member of the 78th Regiment who served in Newfoundland, he received a mortal leg wound in gaining from the enemy the advantageous post of Signal Hill on 15 September 1762. He died a few months later on 21 January 1763 at Newfoundland.

Source: Charles McDonald's epitaph. Papers of the Cuninghame Family of Thorntoun. NRS, GD21/486.

©  Jeffrey Campbell, Fraser's 78th Regiment of Foot, 2022.

Over 900 Reinforcements Arrive in North America in 1758

An 18th-century British war ship, proudly flying the Union Jack, as it is moored in the bustling harbor of Greenock, Scotland. The year is 1758, and the ship's towering wooden masts, intricate rigging, and billowing sails are a testament to the era's maritime prowess. The sun casts a warm glow over the scene, highlighting the ship's meticulously maintained hull as it reflects the rippling waters of the Firth of Clyde. On the pier, a flurry of activity unfolds: sailors in their traditional attire of white breeches and blue jackets scurry about, securing ropes and hoisting cargo onto the ship. Soldiers in red coats stand at attention, their muskets slung over their shoulders, ready to embark for their mission to North America. (Jeffrey Campbell, Underway, 2024. Artist's rendition created with Perchance AI Image Generator)

Reinforcements for North America in 1758

While recruiting for Colonel Fraser's original 10 companies was complete by April 1757, three additional companies consisting of about 300 men were authorized formation for service three months later, in July. These augments (including over 600 men from the 42nd and 77th Foot) embarked on 16 November for their two-month voyage to North America. 

It's interesting to note any children that may have accompanied their family overseas were not separately accounted for, as recorded on other regimental returns.

Letter of Lord Barrington to Henry Fox, Paymaster [1]

War Office 21 July 1757

Sir

His Majesty having thought fit to add thee comps. to each of the Highland Corps mentioned in the Margin hereof each Company to consist of Four Serjeants four Corporals two Drummers & one hundred Effective Private Men besides Commission Officers their Pay to commence from the 25 Of April 1757 and to allow £3 p man Levy Money I have the Honour to acquaint you therewith that you may be pleased to lay a Memorial before the Rt. Honble the Lords Commrs. of His Majesty's Treasury for the Money wanting for this Service.

I am

Sir  &c

Barrington

[Margin entries]

Lord John Murrays

Lt. Col. Montgomery 

Lt. Col. Fraser 

Letter of John Cleveland, Esq. [2]

Navy Office 26 Novr. 1757

Sir, 

Mr. Rowland who we appointed to act as agent for the Transports at Greenock, being returned from thence, and acquainted us that the Embarkation of the Nine Additional Companies was compleated at that place the 16th inst. And he having made us a Return of the said Embarkation, we send you on the otherside a copy thereof, for the information of the Right Honble the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty and are

Sir

Your very humble Servants

Tho. Slade; G. Adams; John Cleveland Esqr.; Rich'd [...]; Tm Brett

Embarkation of Troops

A return of the number of men and women embarked at Greenock [Scotland] of the nine additional companies of Highlanders.

L:r John Murrays

Captains: 3

Lieutenants: 4

Ensigns: 2

Serjeants: 12

Corporals: 12

Drummers: 6

Private: 258

Servants: 9

Women: 18

Total: 324

Col: Montgomerys

Captains: 3

Lieutenants: 5

Ensigns: 1

Serjeants: 12

Corporals: 12

Drummers: 6

Private: 269

Servants: 9

Women: 18

Total: 335

Col: Fraziers

Captains: 3

Lieutenants: 6

Ensigns: 3

Serjeants: 9

Corporals: 10

Drummers: 4

Private: 245

Servants: 9

Women: 18

Total: 307

Letter of Loudoun to Barrington [3]

New York 16:th February 1758

My Lord,

By the Packet, which arrived in January, I had the honor to receive several duplicates of Letters from your Lordship, and a Letter with Orders, to send home Lord Charles Hay, which I forwarded to Major General Hopson along with the Letters to His Lordship.

I send your Lordship the returns of the Troops, enclosed, and likewise the returns of the drafts that came from Europe, amounting to 1559; and 101. Prisoners from France; part of the recruits from Germany, and some of last years drafts from Ireland, who had been taken at Sea and carried to France.

Of this years drafts I have discharged 22, on a Certificate, I send enclosed. No man with a rupture can serve here; for, whenever they March or are Employed in carrying of wood, or making Entrenchments in the Summer, it encreases it immediately to such a Degree, as to make entirely unserviceable ever after. Those I have returned with the Transports.

From your Lordships Letters, I see that it was expected, that the cloathing, the drafts brought with them, should serve till next cloathing; but as many of them, when they arrived, were almost naked; many having not received cloathing since September 1756, and a great number cloathed at Christmas 1756, as will appear from the enclosed return of them, made out from the returns, received from the officers of the different Corps who came along with them, and the returns of the Regiments that received them, who complain'd greatly of the cloathing of many of the men; and as we never can cloath in this Country, till the end of November and often in December; I found on an Examination, that it was absolutely necessary to cloath a great many of them; for which reason I have order'd, that all those men, that have received no cloathing since the 1st of March 1757, should be cloathed, which in the whole amounts to 578; as without that Order, those men would have been naked.

As this is the case, I hope your Lordship will think it reasonable, that the Regiments here, should not have the offreckonings stopped, for that number we have been obliged to new cloath with this years cloathing; for otherwise, that number of the Troops here, will be without cloaths next year, as the Soldiers cloaths are much worse in this Country at the end of a campaign, than they are in Europe; which happens, from their never having any straw after they march into the back Country, but are obliged to lay on boards & twigs of Trees, which wears out their cloathing immediately.

I have return'd the officers that came with the drafts in the Transports that brought out Lieut. Colonel Frazers Battalion, who by their Charter parties, were to remain on Pay till they returned to the River with the Convoy: there came no agent, neither with those nor with Lieut. Colonel Montgomerys Battalion; nor did I receive any directions about them. The ship which Admiral Holbourne sent here with Colonel Frazers Battalion, having got a Malignant Fever on board, was not able to proceed with those Transports; therefore Captain Darby, who came with the drafts, took the charge of them. The Admiral left it to me, to do with those Transports as I saw proper; but as I had no Orders, I thought it would be wrong to detain them.

Seven of the Transports that were sent to South Carolina, have absolutely refused their Discharge; as that was the case, I have order'd them here with the five companies of the Royal Americans now there, whom I have sent thither last Spring; as His Majesty has provided for the security of that Province, by sending a Battalion of a thousand men there.

I have likewise sent home with the Transports, forty two Invalides; part of them are from the Regiments that came last from Ireland, who brought over several unserviceable Men: I must beg, that as soon as those Men are received into Chelsea, I may be informed; as they must stand on Our returns, till that information arrives.

Enclosed, your Lordship has a List of the commissions I have signed.

As there were not Magazines at Halifase [sic, Halifax], capable to contain the whole of the Powder, I was obliged to leave part of it on board the Fleet; part of which they have carried back to England, which will make a further supply necessary.

As part of the light Field Train were lost at Fort William Henry, it would be of great use here, to have a Supply of the light brass 12 & 6 Pounders; as the Battery Train cannot be moved into this Country but by water, so that it comes to be of no use in the back Country, whereas we can always carry the light 12. Pounders.

I must beg leave, once more to mention, the Contingent Men, which are cut off from the Troops in this Service, which makes a great discontent among them, as they are allowed to all the other Troops in the Kings Service; and as the captains have no fund for the many contingencies that arise in this Country; they make very large contingent accounts, and those must contain Articles, that used to be bourne out of that Fund. I must beg that your Lordship will endeavor, to get the Contingent Men allowed.

I have mentioned, in my Letter to the Secretary of State, a proposal made by Lieut. Colonel Gage, in order to reduce the Expence the Rangers are now at, and in order to get, not only a cheaper but a more useful sett of Rangers, and one on whose Intelligence I may rely; I have so far agreed to it, as to allow him to raise the Regiment, and to chose, out of the Subalterns of the Troops, Officers for it, who remain on their Pay in the Regiment they now belong to, and to have their Pay made up, from the contingencies, to the rank they have in this New Regiment; but to take no Rank in the Army, by this commission, till the Kings Pleasure be known on this subject: nor will I look on those commissions as vacant, in the Regiment they belong to, till the King's Pleasure is known; which I beg you will communicate, as soon as His Majesty has signified it. Enclosed, I send your Lordship, Lieut. Gage's memorial to me.

I have advanced the money, for the cloathing and raising those men, on an obligation, from the Colonel to repay it, if the King thinks proper to accept of his Proposal.

I forgot to mention to your Lordship, that Lieut. Adam Williamson, lately promoted by me in His Majestys 22d Regiment of Foot, was Ensign in Lieut. Guise's Regiment: He is son to Lieut. Colonel Williamson, of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, is an Engineer in this Service, and stands strongly recommended to me by Lord Dupplin.

I am with the greatest Regard,

My Lord, your Lordships,

Most Obedient and Most

Humble Servant

Cover sheet:

The Earl of Loudoun

to Lord Barrington

Febry. 16th 1758

Duplicate

Sources:

1. War Office Records: Out Letters: Secretary at War. General Letters, Apr. 1757 - Oct. 1757. LAC, W.O. 4, 54 (Selections), p. 232.

2. National Maritime Museum: The Caird Library and Archive, London. ADM 354/157/205. John Cleveland served as Secretary to the Admiralty, 1751-1763; a further discussion regarding Colonel Fraser's original transport ships can be found here.

3. John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun (1705-1782) Ms.L.unsigned to [William Wildman, 3rd] Viscount Barrington; New York, 16 Feb 1758. Houghton Library, Harvard University. John Campbell Loudoun Papers Concerning the Siege and Fall of Quebec, 1756-1784 (MS Can 64). Cambridge, MA. https://bit.ly/2WbDiMv. [Acc: 19 Aug. 2021].

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

Marriages in the 78th Regiment, 1757-1765

A picturesque 18th-century panorama of Glasgow Green, a vast public park nestled in the heart of Scotland's bustling city of Glasgow, as seen from an elevated viewpoint in the year 1757. The lush, emerald landscape stretches out, dotted with clusters of mature trees that cast playful shadows on the gently rolling lawns. In the foreground, a group of well-dressed individuals are engaged in a lively conversation, while children frolic and laugh nearby. To the left, a majestic stone archway serves as an entrance to the green, adorned with intricate carvings that speak to the era's grandeur. (Jeffrey Campbell, Glasgow Green, 2024. Artist's rendition created with Perchance AI Image Generator)

Marriages in the 78th Regiment, 1757-1765

Undoubtedly, the number one question we receive from individuals researching their Highlander ancestry is, are there marriage records available for British soldiers who served during the Seven Years' War in North America? The simple answer is yes and no. Researchers will have far better success if their soldiers married in Scotland, rather than expecting to locate a marriage record in Quebec, Canada, before 1764. If you have confirmation of a marriage that occurred during the war, we would love to hear from you.

Researching my family's missing marriage document c.1761 in Quebec has been quite a daunting task, and it is evident others also share in my same predicament. Our Highlander ancestor, Private William Campbell (1731-1811; parents unknown), a soldier in Colonel Fraser's 78th Regiment, is purported to have married Marie Josephte Chartier (1732-1799; the proven daughter of Louis Chartier and Marie-Madeleine Lefevbre) either near the town of Berthier, which was established as regimental headquarters, or a few miles south near Deschambault-Grondines where their first child Marie was baptized in November 1761. In fact young Marie's baptismal entry in the parish records of Saint-Joseph-de-Deschambault even states: "...of the legitimate marriage of..." William and a small contingency of his battalion mates were stationed at Deschambault supporting a few companies of the 43rd Foot, both providing guard should any of the French begin traversing up the St. Lawrence River. However, 24 years later and still no record of a marriage has been uncovered. And after conversing with other researchers, I began to see a similar pattern emerge: there seems to be an archival black hole, so to speak, for British soldiers' marriage records between 1757-1763, in the various archives and parishes in/around Quebec. 

I recall reading that British military leadership excluded the destruction of parishes during the war [https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c369/389]. And although fires were deliberately set during the conflict to other buildings and farmhouses on both sides of the St. Lawrence River, places of worship, hospitals, and strategic garrisons were off-limits. Collateral damage, however, was and still remains a fact of war. Of course, natural disasters for the past few hundred years certainly could have also played a part in the missing records, too. Either way, I found this as both an anomaly and an opportunity to explore further 

The General's Orders [1]

Through my research in the Quebec Archives, one particular contemporary document was discovered, written in 1759 by General George Townshend, referencing General Jeffery Amherst, successor to General James Wolfe as commander of the British after he fell on the Plains of Abraham battlefield a few weeks earlier, on 13 September. Located within Townshend's Orderly book, this document appears to account for missing North American marriage records:

Quebec, 6 October 1759

"The General desires that the Commanding Officers of Regts. will not suffer their men to mary [sic] with the French."

In other words, senior leadership clearly established that British soldiers were forbidden from engaging in matrimony with the French Canadians during the conflict.

Religion

British soldiers of the Seven Years' War were primarily of the Protestant faith. Of the specific criteria outlined in the Recruiting Act, 1756-7 qualifying an individual for enlistment in the army, one particular bullet prohibited 'known Papists' from joining. Unlike their Irish counterparts, who were required upon enlistment to submit religious certificates attesting to their faith, [2] we've not uncovered supporting evidence requiring Scottish soldiers to provide the same documentation.

French-Canadians were primarily of the Roman Catholic faith. And while each religion recognizes and adheres to its practicing values, King George II did not recognize Roman Catholics during the war. Albeit we can only speculate his thoughts of the Catholic religion and its supporting people, General James Murray, a British soldier and governor of Quebec in 1760-68, in the summer of 1763, made his thoughts quite clear of the local inhabitants. In a September 1763 letter to General Amherst, Murray wrote: "...The present method of Cantoning the Troops in a new Conquer'd country, the Inhabitants of which, are of a different Religion from the Conquerors, and are of all the People upon the Earth the most ignorant, Superstitious, and Bigotted, consequently the most influenced by the Priesthood, seems to me very imprudent..." [3]

As it was clear King George II restricted his men in North America from marrying the local Quebecoise for many reasons (religion played a part, but the king also feared desertion through debauchery), the marriage order was rescinded in the summer of 1763, and the Roman Catholic religion was officially recognized in preparation for a new government. It was ordered in December 1763 that all public places of worship display a notice including a table of marriages.

Without Benefit of Clergy

In 2001, Marie Fraser of the Clan Fraser Society of Canada authored an article addressing the potential for marriages between British soldiers and local French ladies during the Seven Years' War. The following snippet appears in the article.

Some of these Fraser Highlanders turned to farming and raising a family in a strange land. It was inevitable that romances blossomed. However these conquering heroes faced a more formidable opponent in the form of the local priest, and his bishop, who were unwilling to solemnize marriages involving a Protestant groom. In Quebec in the 1760s and 1770s, many of the Scottish soldiers and their Roman Catholic brides lived without benefit of clergy, although their children were baptized, albeit in many cases the entry by the local priest noted that the child was illegitimate. Also, there were very few Protestant clergy in the country, and the women and their families would probably have been very unhappy about marrying in a Protestant church. Those who could afford to do so, had a marriage contract drawn up by the local notary as a means of legalizing their union. [Fraser, Marie (2005). 'The Old 78th Regiment of Foot'. 

https://web.archive.org/web/20061021041126/http://clanfraser.ca/78th.htm. Accessed 17 April 2023].

The Military Wedding

The following article first appeared on the Library and Archives Canada website and provides insight into "unofficial marriages" which may have been practiced among the British regiments. "Leaping over the sword" has its roots in ancient times and was said to constitute a military marriage.

When a relationship became serious enough, a form of wedding called "leaping over the sword" took place. In this ancient custom, the company would gather around a sword on the floor, in front of which stood the couple, hand-in-hand. A corporal or sergeant acting as the clergyman would order, "Leap, rogue, and jump, whore, and then you are married for evermore." The happy couple would jump over the sword hand-in-hand as the drum beat. From this moment, they were considered man and wife. The event was sometimes followed by a "hoisting," a ceremonial burial of bachelorhood ending in a small parade during which the groom was carried by two of his mates, preceded by a fife and drum playing "The Cuckold's March."

In principle, every soldier had to request official permission to marry. Very few did so, however, because the authorities did not look favourably upon their soldiers marrying. Not until the 1830s did they find a connection between the low desertion rate among married soldiers and the stabilizing influence of their wives. But even in 1863, after the social reforms had been introduced in the mid-nineteenth century, only eight percent of soldiers sent overseas were formally married. Given the many problems involved, it would appear that the vast majority preferred to remain single [http://www.cmhg-phmc.gc.ca/cmh-pmc/page-519-eng.aspx. Accessed 7 July 2023].

Marriage Records

The following is a list of transcribed marriage entries for soldiers that served in the 78th Regiment. Unless otherwise noted, the final disposition of each soldier has not been verified. Men may have transferred to other military regiments, suffered as a casualty of war, discharged in North America, or returned to Scotland at the end of their enlistment. And while approximately 50 Quebec marriage records for men who served in the 78th Foot have been recorded in the book entitled, Les premieres familles anglo-canadiennes issues des marriages mixtes au Quebec (Marcel Fournier, 2001), further analysis of each record needs to be performed to ensure its accuracy. Records will be added to this list upon verification.

It should be noted a predetermined number of women were authorized to accompany their husbands to North America and were instrumental in performing camp duties for the regiment, which would have included laundry, cooking, sewing, and caring for the children.

Anderson

n.p; n.d.

On October 3rd, 1757, the unnamed spouse of John Anderson is mentioned as having received £5 at Halifax, Nova Scotia, "for his [her husband's] use till clearing." [NAS, GD125-22-17-0003].

Cameron

The marriage contract between Thomas Cameron and Francoise Roy was drawn up by Jean-Claude Panet, Quebec notary, on 3 July 1772; the marriage occurred days later on 6 July 1772 at Saint Vallier, Bellechasse, Quebec, Canada. Although the contract does not support service in the 78th Regiment (1757-1763), that information is contained in his application for Crown land filed with the Quebec government on 26 August 1801. [Notarial records of Jean-Claude Panet housed at BAnQ, Montreal, Canada; LAC, Lower Canada Land Papers, RG 1 L 3L Vol. 54, pp. 27436-27440].

Chisholm

Kilmorack, Inverness, Scotland

October, 28th, 1766

There were married Duncan Chisholm in Craigscorie late Soldier in Coll Frasers Regt & [...] Donegal in Craigscorie. [Parish registers for Kilmorack, 1764-1854. FHL, SLC, Utah, Microfilm 007907499, image 702].

Ferguson

County Lanarkshire, Scotland

May 1st, 1757

Daniel Ferguson Soldier in Collonel Frazers Battalion & Janet McAula L[awful] D[aughter] of the deceas'd Thos. McAula Hammerman in Glasgow. [Old parochial registers for Glasgow, 1612-1854. FHL, SLC, Utah, Microfilm 008075826, p. 90].

Note: Daniel and Donald are sometimes, but not always, interchangeable in Scotland, because Domhnall, the Gaelic version of Donald, may be Anglicised as Daniel.

Forbes

Kilmorack, Inverness, Scotland

January 31st, 1764

Hugh Forbes alias Grieasich in Aiges Soldier in Coll Fraser's Regt married to Ann Fraser in [...]. [Parish registers for Kilmorack, 1764-1854. FHL, SLC, Utah, Microfilm 007907499, image 701].

Fraser

Kilmorack, Inverness, Scotland

July 28, 1764

There was married at Beauly William Fraser late of Coll. Frasers Regmt. with [...] Hutchinson daughter of Alexr. Hutchinson there. [Parish registers for Kilmorack, 1764-1854. FHL, SLC, Utah, Microfilm 007907599, image 702].

Ganstone

Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland

January 13, 1764

William Ganstone late Soldier in Colonel Frazers Regiment of foot and Helen Grant/daur. to Donald Grant Blacksmith in PiterHead / both indwellers in Canongate gave up their names to be proclaimed in order to marriage. [Parish registers of Cannongate Church, Edinburgh, 1564-1872. FHL, SLC, Utah, Microfilm 7908857, image 630].

Note: In 1763, he is recorded as William Ganson in Captain John Nairn's Company.

Gillies

County Lanarkshire, Scotland

April 17, 1757

Neill Gillies Soldier in Collonel Frazers Battalion & Margt. Brown Residg. in Blantire. [Old parochial registers for Glasgow, 1612-1854. FHL, SLC, Utah, Microfilm 008075826, p. 90].

MacArthur

n.p; n.d.

On October 3rd, 1757, the unnamed spouse of Alexander MacArthur is mentioned as having received £5 at Halifax, Nova Scotia, "for his [her husband's] use till clearing." [NAS, GD125-22-17-0003].

McAndrew

Kilmorack, Inverness, Scotland

June 12, 1764

There was married William Fraser McAndrew late Soldier in Coll. Frasers Regt. in Annat with Ann [?] Fraser the daughter to Thos. Mcfarqhar in Killmorack. [Parish registers for Kilmorack, 1764-1854. FHL, SLC, Utah, Microfilm 007907499, image 702].

McIntire

County Lanarkshire, Scotland

April 17, 1757

Patrick McIntire Soldier in Collonel Frazers Battalion & Christian Bell Residg. in Glasgow. [Old parochial registers for Glasgow, 1612-1854. FHL, SLC, Utah, Microfilm 008075826, p. 90].

McLean

County Lanarkshire, Scotland

April 29, 1757

John McLean Surgeon of Collonel Frazers highland Battalion & Agnes Lang L[awful] D[aughter] of the deceas'd John Lang Mercht in Glasgow irregularly married & this day judicially adhered to before the South west session. [Old parochial registers for Glasgow, 1612-1854. FHL, SLC, Utah, Microfilm 008075826, p. 90].

Note: Appointed regimental surgeon 12 January 1757; the absent officer's list indicates "John MacLean, Surgeon, gone to England 20 October 1761 by leave of General Amherst." [Marie Fraser, Clan Fraser Society, Toronto, 2001].

McPherson

County Lanarkshire, Scotland

November 7, 1757

James McPherson Sergeant in Collonell Frazers Regiment & Mary Cameron Residg. in Glasgow. [Old parochial registers for Glasgow, 1612-1854. FHL, SLC, Utah, Microfilm 008075826, p. 96].

McRae

County Lanarkshire, Scotland

May 8, 1757

Hugh McRae Soldier in Collonel Frazers Battalion & Janet McDonald along with said Battalion. [Old parochial registers for Glasgow, 1612-1854. FHL, SLC, Utah, Microfilm 008075826, p. 90].

County Lanarkshire, Scotland

October 16, 1757

John McRae Soldier in Collonel Frazers Regiment & Isobel Campbell in the parish of Eastwood. [Old parochial registers for Glasgow, 1612-1854. FHL, SLC, Utah, Microfilm 008075826, p. 96].

Munro

Phillipe Munro, b. 1736; de Kilmour, province de Ross, Ecosse, and Charlotte Girard, married 1772; Soldat du 78e regiment ecossais, en 1757, au siege de Quebec. Il s'etablit a St-Charles-Boyer [Tanguay, Dictionaire Genealogique Des Familles Canadiennes, vol. 6, p.129].

Ross

County Lanarkshire, Scotland

October 16, 1757

John Ross Soldier in Collonel Frazers Regiment & Katharine McKinzie both in Glasgow. [Old parochial registers for Glasgow, 1612-1854. FHL, SLC, Utah, Microfilm 008075826, p. 96].

Sutherland

County Inverness-shire, Scotland

April 9, 1757

Marriage contracted March 1757. James Sutherland of Col. Fraser's Regimt. & Janet Polson. [Parish registers for Inverness, 1602-1854. FHL, SLC, Utah, Microfilm 007907493, p. 61].

Wilkinson

Quebec, Canada

c.1760-63; [request for marriage license]

"Sir, please grant a License to Donald Wilkinson Soldier in the 78th Regiment to marry as He has no time to be proclaimed being obliged to go to Quebec in a few days P[lease] oblige Sir." [signed] John Campbell, Majr. 78th Regt. [Morphy Auctions online brochure, “French & Indian War Miscellany: Four (4) Military Documents and Letters,” Edged Weapons, Armor, & Militaria, Nov. 7-8, 2018, p.138. https://bit.ly/3ve11J5. Acc: November 17, 2019].

Note: Although the final disposition of Wilkinson's Quebec marriage license request remains unknown, he married Ann Tillow on 13 March 1761, at the Reformed Dutch Church, New Amsterdam, New York [Names of Persons for Whom Marriage Licenses were issued by the Secretary of the Province of New York Previous to 1784, Gideon Tucker, secretary of state, Albany, 1860; New Amsterdam Church Marriages 1750-1801]. 

Williamson

County Inverness-shire, Scotland

March 4, 1757

Marriage contracted February 1757. William Williamson of Col. Fraser's Regimt. & Margaret McGillvray. [Parish registers for Inverness, 1602-1854. FHL, SLC, Utah, Microfilm 007907493, p. 61].

Note: In May 1762, Private Williamson and his spouse Margaret are found serving in Captain Simon Fraser's Company, garrisoned on the North Shore of Quebec's St. Lawrence River [TNA,T1/414].

Sources:

1. Northcliffe Collection: Series 1: Robert Monckton Papers. LAC, Microfilm C-369.

2. William Congreve to Wilmot, 10 March 1757. T3019/3122, PRO, Ireland. 

3. Murray to Amherst, 27 August 1763. LAC, W.O. 34, vol. 2, no. 101.

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

This article was last updated on 4 April 2024.

Private Donald Gunn, 78th Regiment, 1757-1763

The quaint town of Stratford, Connecticut, nestled along the banks of the Housatonic River during the 18th century, as the sun descends beneath the horizon, casting a warm golden glow over the tranquil scene. The river reflects the fiery oranges and deep purples of the sunset, while a handful of wooden sailboats are moored at the docks. The town itself is a charming assortment of colonial-style buildings, with their shingled roofs and white-washed clapboard facades, many of which are adorned with candlelit windows, hinting at the lives unfolding within. (Jeffrey Campbell, Stratford Sunset, 2024. Artist's rendition created with Perchance AI Image Generator.)

Private Donald Gunn, 78th Regiment, 1757-1763

Donald Gunn was originally a soldier in Colonel Simon Fraser's Second Highland Battalion (of Scotland), later renumbered the 63rd Regiment of Foot, and finally the 78th Regiment of Foot. His regiment embarked at Cork, Ireland, in June 1757 for passage to North America to participate in the Seven Years' War in Quebec, Canada.

30 November 1757. The regiment arrived in Connecticut, and the ten companies were quickly divided into two companies per city, garrisoned in civilian homes at Stratford, Fairfield, Norwalk, Milford, and Stanford.

29 January 1758. In the Congressional Church records at Stratford, Connecticut, Reverend Izahiah Wetmore recorded a baptism of "bettee daughter of Daniel Gunn Drum major in Colonel Fraziers Regiment." [1] Unfortunately, the name of the mother is not recorded in the document, and she is not listed on the final muster roll taken in the summer of 1763. 

Daniel Gunn may have been assigned to Captain Baillie's Grenadier company at Stratford when his daughter was born. [2]

1762-63. Private Donald Gun,  a drummer in Captain Hugh Cameron's Company, is listed as an "invalid" soldier in 1762, and is also carried on the final subsistence rolls taken in September 1763. Invalids were typically soldiers no longer able to enter the battlefield for any number of reasons, but more often than not it was due to sickness or disability. They were then considered unfit for duty. [3, 4, 5]

6 January 1764. Daniel Gunn, aged 50, 24 years of service, from Caithness, Scotland, is recorded as admitted to Royal Chelsea Hospital, London, and listed as "worn out." Considering the 78th Regiment returned to Scotland in December 1763, his admittance to the hospital one month later is consistent with being an invalid soldier returning home. [6, 7]

Donald & Daniel are sometimes, but not always, interchangeable in Scotland, because Domhnall, the Gaelic version of Donald, may be Anglicized as Daniel.

Sources:

1. Wilcoxson, Wm. Howard, "History of Stratford, Connecticut, 1639-1939", Connecticut, 1939, p. 310; First Congressional Church Records, Stratford Connecticut, 1688-1927. FHL, Microfilm 7883792.

2. "Report of the Quarters of His Majesty’s 63d or Second Highland Battalion as Cantoned in the Government of Connecticut in New England, 1758." NAS, GD42/2/41/1-7.

3. Captain Cameron may have assumed command of the Grenadier Company upon the death of Captain Baillie, at Louisbourg.

4. LAC, W.O. 34, vol. 2.

5. Although Donald Gunn appears in Captain Cameron's Company on the final subsistence rolls (soldier #65), his spouse is not listed with him. As only a certain number of women per company were permitted to be carried on the regimental establishment, she could have returned home to Scotland with her husband, but not "on the list." Or, she may have died in childbirth.  

6. While no actual evidence has surfaced, with 24 years of military experience he was a prime candidate for potential service in the Austrian Succession (1740-1748) or the Battle of Culloden, 1746.

7. TNA, W.O. 116/5-3. 

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