Branches

By Jack MacLean

Branches is a series of short stories tracing the activities of three families as they take part in historic events in Scotland, Ireland and America in the period 1600-1800. Members of MacLean, Fisher and McKeen families are involved in the
Siege of Londonderry (Ireland 1688), The Battle of Culloden (Scotland 1746), and engagements of Highland Regiments in America during the French-Indian War and the Revolutionary War (1757-1783). Stories of emigration to New England and Nova Scotia in the 1700s involve starvation, cannibalism, and piracy on various sea passages, as well as the rigors of establishing homes in a new land.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 5, 2010
• ISBN: 9781462815616

Jack MacLean

Jack MacLean grew up in Okanogan County in eastern Washington. He is now retired and lives in Santa Rosa, California with his wife, Marilyn. He has written fictional stories based upon family genealogical research and actual historic events that occurred as his ancestors moved from Scotland and Ireland to New England and Canada, and then to the western United States.

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Copyright © 2010 by Jack MacLean.

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Contents

Preface

Setting The Stage

Ancestors In 1600

Part 1

John And Martha

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Macleans At Coll

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Mc Keens And Cargills

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Part 2

Ancestor Locations In 1688

Apprentices, Weavers, & The Siege

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Part 3

A Peaceable Habitation

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Part 4

Jim At Culloden

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Part 5

Land Of Evangeline—1755

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Part 6

The 77Th And 78Th Highland Regiments

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Ticonderoga—1758

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Part 7

The Planters—1759 / 1760

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Part 8

Reunion

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Part 9

Quebec—1775

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Penobscot Bay—1779

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Yorktown—1781

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Part 10

St. Mary’s River Settlements

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Epilogue

Ancestors In 1800

Bibliography

Notes

This book is dedicated to my brother, Bill,

who did all the hard work on the roots.

PREFACE

When my father retired in 1952 he decided to write a few paragraphs about his life in Nova Scotia before he and my mother moved to Enterprise, Washington in 1923. Both my mother’s and father’s ancestors, Fishers and MacLeans, had lived in Nova Scotia since the late 1700’s. Since we lived so far away from there, Dad and Mother wanted their six children who grew up in the State of Washington to know something about the life and history of our relatives and ancestors in Nova Scotia. His few paragraphs grew to many as he began to write about all the relatives, where they lived, their occupations, and when the families first came to Nova Scotia. This soon became a full-scale genealogical search, and with the help of my brother Bill, over the next 20 years they traced not only the MacLean and Fisher families but they included the other related families in Nova Scotia of MacGrath, MacKinnon, McKeen, Kirk, Stewart, Logan, Taylor, MacKenzie, MacDougald, Cameron, MacDonald, Johnson, Duncan, Archibald, Cargill, and Todd. As Dad grew older my brother Bill became the mainstay in this project and in 1983 he compiled all their records into a manuscript entitled, MACLEAN AND FISHER FAMILY ANCESTORS, DESCENDANTS, AND RELATED FAMILIES.

It was relatively easy to trace the first four generations because some members of the families remained in the same general area in Nova Scotia, so family, county, and church records were available. However, it was not so easy to trace the emigrants in the 1700’s, some who came first into New England, some by way of the Highland Regiments in the French and Indian War, and others as passengers on the numerous Scotch-Irish emigrant ships from Northern Ireland. All of the families were originally from Scotland. Most had settled in Ulster in Northern Ireland in the 1600’s and early 1700’s, and from there emigrated to America between 1718 and 1790. Bill and Dad did a magnificent job in tracing these families and individuals and produced a remarkably complete genealogy of our relatives back to the 1500’s. Actually, Bill traced the MacLean’s back to Adam, but as you go back that far in time I’m reminded of what Huck Finn said about Mark Twain in his story, —he told the truth, mainly. There was things which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth. 1

Over the past few years as I read and reread Bill’s manuscript I was intrigued to learn that my ancestors were involved in historic events such as the Siege of Londonderry in Northern Ireland, the Battle of Culloden in Scotland, and the Battle of Quebec in Canada. Even more fascinating tales were suggested in reading about the events my ancestors encountered as the first settlers in Nutfield (Londonderry), New Hampshire in 1718; as part of the Planters replacing the deposed French (reference Evangeline) in Truro, Nova Scotia in 1760; and as passengers aboard the emigrant vessels some were subjected to starvation and considered cannibalism such as The Starved Ship in 1740. Our ancestor, Samuel Fisher, was selected as the first victim—but he was saved when they were re-supplied by a passing ship! Also, as a westerner, I have often been reminded of the part that the Scots and Scotch-Irish played in the fur and mining ventures in the opening of western US and Canada, and that many of these adventurers came from Nova Scotia and eastern Canada.

All of this has led me to try my hand at providing a supplement to Bill’s manuscript by writing a few fictional short stories around actual events involving our ancestors, with a brief history of the times to provide a background for these events. Not all of the people involved are MacLeans or Fishers, but with 18 families traced in Bill’s book, it doesn’t take much of a stretcher to claim that at least some of our ancestors were involved in all of these stories. In any event the people involved were part of the Scotch and Scotch-Irish emigration that provided America with a hardy, industrious breed of people who craved liberty and, to a much greater degree than their numbers would indicate, contributed greatly to every aspect of creating and building the United States and Canada.

The reader should be aware that I am not a historian, and everything I have stated in the historic portion of this dissertation is based on my understanding of the writings of legitimate historians. I’ve tried my best to convey correct overall impressions, but if I haven’t presented events accurately, I plead guilty. This period of Scotland and Ireland, between 1600 and 1800 is confusing at best, a minor sideshow of world events, with little coverage by history books. The book The Scotch-Irish, A Social History by James G. Leyburn, published in 1962 by The University of North Carolina Press, is an excellent reference for any who want to learn more about the life and migration of the Scotch-Irish; and two books by Fitzroy MacLean, A Concise History of Scotland published by Viking Press in 1970 and Highlanders published by Viking Penguin in 1995 were especially helpful in tracing the turbulent events in Scotland during this period. The book Scotch Irish Pioneers in Ulster and America provided an excellent account of the emigrations from the Bann River area in Northern Ireland in the early 1700’s.

SETTING THE STAGE

LIFE IN 1600

The stories begin in the early 1600s with the movement of many lowland Scots to Northern Ireland as part of the Ulster Plantation. Prior to this time, generations of Scottish clans lived in fairly well defined territories with relatively little migration. For the most part, their life was simple and agrarian, they were poor and the climate in the highlands was harsh, but life was seldom dull. The history of the clans over several hundred years is a recitation of one battle after another as the clans strove for domination. As a member of the English Parliament commented in 1607, The Scots have not had two kings die in their beds in the last 200 years.

The 100 years from 1500 to 1600 were the age of discovery, voyages to the new world, expansion of the European empires of Spain, Portugal, and England. In the early 1500s, Magellan circumnavigated the globe, Verazzano traced the coast of North America, Crimean Tartars sacked Moscow in 1571, and the Ottoman Empire advanced into Hungary threatening the Holy Roman Empire. The Ming dynasty in China was under constant pressure from the Mongols. In 1590, Japan was reunited under Hideyoshi, and in India, Akbar restored the rule of the Mughal Empire.

In England, the Elizabethan age was at its peak in 1600. The Spanish armada, sent by Phillip II of Spain to avenge the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots and winning England back to the Catholic faith, was defeated in 1588. When Queen Elizabeth died in 1603, James VI of Scotland, son of Mary, also became king of England as James I. In 1605, Guy Fawkes led a group who tried to blow up the Parliament building with James I in attendance, but the plot against the king failed and Fawkes was hanged on November 5, which is observed every year by the English. The Puritans, opposed to the Church of England, were seeking opportunities to emigrate. During the late 1500s about 200,000 people lived in London. Merchants in London were prosperous, forming trading companies such as the East India Company, the Virginia Company, and the Hudson’s Bay Company. Shakespeare (1564-1616) was at his peak as a playwright and poet. Romeo and Juliet first appeared in print in 1597.

In America, in the 1500s, Cortez conquered the Aztec empire in Mexico, De Soto discovered the Mississippi River, the Spaniards founded St. Augustine in Florida in 1565 and established Santa Fe in 1610, Drake landed on a bay in California during his voyage around the world in 1579. On April 26, 1607 the first permanent English settlement was established at Jamestown, Virginia, sent by a group of London merchants known as the London Company. In December 1620 the Pilgrims, Puritans from England, landed at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts.

In Scotland, one of the poorest and most backward countries, life still lingered in a medieval culture and economy. John Knox, with fierce eloquence, led the Protestant movement based on Calvinist principles, and in 1560 formulated the creed of the new Protestant Church of Scotland which was governed, not by bishops, but by lay elders and Presbyteries. King James VI was a Protestant, but believed in his divine right to rule and wanted to appoint bishops under his control, putting him in conflict with the Presbyterian form of church government. When he also became king of England, he wanted to unite the two kingdoms with a joint Parliament, and in 1607 the English parliament passed an act to Unite the Crowns, but it was rejected by the Scots, particularly the independent Highlanders.

The Highlands were the home of the clans with their kilts and tartans. By 1600 few clans remained in the Lowlands. The Lowland Scots, enjoying many years of relative peace and prosperity, were often more in sympathy with the English than with their northern Highland countrymen. Travel in the Highlands was very difficult. Roads did not exist so travel was by horseback or on foot. Peasants were robust and profane but God-fearing. Few could read or write. They spoke Gaelic. Speaking or understanding English was an uncommon accomplishment. Life and death were short and brutal.

It is difficult to imagine the daily life of the average farmer or village tradesman in Scotland in 1600. The squalor of country life, the filthy conditions of the home, living in the same room with the farm animals during the winter, no effective medicine or dentists, life expectancy of less than forty years, is hard to envision. Yet the people were cheerful and took part in fairs and festivals, with little thought of changing the social institutions. We know quite a bit about life in England at that time, and even more about the colonists who came to Jamestown, Virginia in 1607 and the Puritans who landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620, how they dressed, worked, and lived before and after their crossing of the Atlantic. But most of us know little of the lowland Scot who agreed to become a settler in one of the Plantations in Northern Ireland at this same time.

The Puritans were relatively well off and well educated seeking religious freedom in a new land, whereas the Scot was poor, with little education leaving a hard and dreary life as a tenant farmer or tradesman for what he hoped would be a life of land ownership and independence. The colonists in America replaced the native Indians and, at first, they received a friendly welcome, whereas the Scot was replacing the native Irish who deeply resented being forced from their homes, leading to conflicts that resulted in massacres within 30 years.

ANCESTORS IN 1600

All of my ancestors lived in Scotland in 1600. The villages and cities in which they lived are listed below:

The following is a brief history of three ancestor families. The stories, primarily about these families, are fiction but they are based upon actual events cited in various historical narratives.

FISHER

The Fisher clan lived for several hundred years in and near Stirling, Scotland. In 1612 John Fisher and his family moved to County Antrim in Northern Ireland as part of the Ulster Plantation. His son, James Fisher moved to Londonderry in 1641. They were weavers by trade and Presbyterians by religion. Two generations lived on Bishop Street in Londonderry. William and James Fisher took active part in the defense of the walled city of Londonderry in 1689. William’s son John, born in 1675 was a weaver and lived in Londonderry. His sons were William, born in 1716 and Samuel, born in 1722.

William Fisher and his brother Samuel came to America on the vessel known as The Starved Ship. They landed at Boston in 1740 and settled at Nutfield (later named Londonderry), New Hampshire. Samuel Fisher’s home built in 1749 in Londonderry, New Hampshire was still standing in 1926 ( see picture, page 32, ‘Janet Fisher Archibald’). In 1760 William Fisher moved to Truro, Nova Scotia as part of the Planters replacing the deposed French Canadians (Evangeline). In 1805, James Fisher, together with his two sons, William and David, moved from Truro to the St. Mary’s river area, where they built and operated a lumber mill, now known as Fisher’s Mills near Aspen.

McKEEN

William McKeen (spelling various as MacKean, McKean, and McKeen) was a native of Argyleshire, Scotland. When Charles I sent troops to Scotland to enforce the decree that all his subjects join the Church of England, McKeen along with the other Covenanters resisted. In 1643 the Covenanters were defeated. McKeen and family escaped to Northern Ireland to Ballymoney in County Antrim. His son, James McKeen, born in 1665 in Ballymoney, took part in the defense of Londonderry in 1689. James Sr. later moved to Londonderry and established a ship building plant.

In 1718 James Sr. built five ships which were used to transport 327 Scotch-Irish from Londonderry and the Bann river valley to America. They arrived in Boston in August, 1718. After spending the winter in various locations, they settled in Nutfield, New Hampshire in April 1719. The name of the settlement was changed from Nutfield to Londonderry in 1723.

James McKeen had three sons, all born in Ballymoney, Northern Ireland. They were James—born in 1665 (ancestor of the New England branch); John—born in 1668 (ancestor of the Nova Scotia branch); and William—born 1704 (ancestor of the Pennsylvania branch and grandfather of Thomas McKean, signer of the Declaration of Independence). In 1760, John McKeen, Jr. moved his family to Truro, Nova Scotia.

MAC LEAN

Rev. John MacLean I was born on April 7, 1664 in Grishipoll on the island of Coll which is located off the west coast of Scotland. He became rector of the church in Arran, an island near the mouth of the Clyde River. In 1701 he moved to County Antrim in Northern Ireland and became the Vicar of Antrim from 1701 to 1715. His son, Rev. John MacLean II became minister of Clocher, Antrim, Northern Ireland in 1725. They had three sons, all born in Clocher. They were General Lauchlan MacLean ( military governor of Upper Canada); Captain James MacLean (ancestor of the East River Jordan/New Town Nova Scotia MacLeans); and Henry MacLean (ancestor of the Dutchess County, New York State MacLeans). MacLean’s from Mull and Movern took part in the Battle of Culloden in 1745. Because of the severe English suppression of the Highland Clans following this battle, many Scots took advantage of the English army recruitment of Highland Regiments, formed under their own officers, to fight the French in America (the French and Indian War of 1756-1763), with the inducement of receiving grants of land in the colonies (now Canada) if the French were defeated.

Lauchlan and James MacLean took part in the battles against the French at Louisbourg, Fort Duquesne, and Quebec. After the peace of 1763 James MacLean received a large grant of land and settled at East River Jordan (Shelburne), Nova Scotia. Later, his wife (Rosanna Vance) moved to Philadelphia to be near her brother, Arthur Vance. Their son, Timothy MacLean stayed in Nova Scotia and in 1793 moved his family from Shelburne to Pictou County, Nova Scotia. In 1802 Timothy MacLean moved to the St. Mary’s river near Aspen.

SCOTLAND

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Ancestor Locations in 1600

PART 1

SCOTLAND TO NORTHERN IRELAND: 1600-1685

At one point the coast of Northern Ireland is only 12 miles across the North Channel from Scotland (Kintyre to Antrim). Over the centuries hundreds of Scots crossed the channel and settled in villages on the eastern coast of Ireland. By 1600 the Antrim coast villages north of Belfast were primarily inhabited by Protestant Scots with close ties to the Scottish mainland. The rest of Northern Ireland was sparsely populated by Catholic Irish farmers controlled by the Irish chieftains.

In the 1550’s Queen Mary of England sought to strengthen English rule over Ireland by establishing colonies of loyal Englishmen in the country. The Irish fought the overwhelming English armies that accompanied the settlers but every uprising was crushed and the Irish were driven from their lands. However, the English colonists could not be induced to stay because of the harassment of the native Irish and the harsh weather. In Ulster (comprised of nine counties in Northern Ireland), the Irish chiefs rebelled, but by the time of the Queen’s death in 1603, after suffering starvation and defeat, the Irish chiefs submitted to English rule.

In 1603, two Scottish lords, Hugh Montgomery and James Hamilton, secured large portions of Antrim and Down counties by helping the Irish chieftain in that region, Con O’Neil, escape from prison. They subsequently helped him obtain a pardon from newly crowned King James I (VI of Scotland), with the condition that the lands should be planted with Protestants. Over the next few years Montgomery and Hamilton induced hundreds of Scots from the nearby Lowlands to come over the 12 miles of channel as settlers. By 1607 approximately 8,000 Scots were farming in the Antrim fields.

In 1607 some of the Irish chiefs in Ulster began correspondence with Spain, requesting help in their continuing rebellion with England. Their letters were intercepted and in fear of punishment, they fled the country. This ‘Flight of the Earls’ placed 3 million acres in Ulster at the disposal of King James I. Because of the success of the Montgomery settlements, James decided to colonize Ulster with Protestant farmers from England and Scotland. To accomplish this he granted large parcels of land to English and Scottish lords who would agree to plant Protestant farmers on the land. In 1609, articles of agreement known as the Ulster Plantation were established. King James limited grants to Scottish lords from the Lowlands because of his concern about the loyalty of many Highlanders. It has been estimated that 30,000 to 40,000 Scots came to Northern Ireland in the first years of the Plantation. By 1640 there were 100,000 Scots in Ulster. Many of the new Scots settled in Derry (renamed Londonderry) and in nearby Coleraine and other villages along the Bann River in Antrim County.

In 1641 a massacre in Ulster resulting from atrocities carried out by both Irish Catholics and Scots converted the country to a field of blood. The bloodshed continued unabated. In England, civil war raged, Charles I was beheaded, Cromwell and the Commonwealth came and went. Cromwell crushed all resistance. In 1649, Cromwell’s army crossed over into Ireland and, meeting stiff resistance at Drogheda, slaughtered 3000 inhabitants including women and children. After Cromwell’s death in 1660, King Charles II rescinded his promises to the Covenanters, and forced the churches to submit to the authority of Church of England bishops. In Scotland the 1680’s became known as the ‘Killing Time’ because of the numerous battles in Scotland between the Covenanters and the King’s troops. During this period thousands of Covenanters fled to Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland, the terrible animosity between the ejected Irish and the Scots resulted in unending confrontations and atrocities that continue to this day.

MINI-HISTORY OF THE STORIES:

John and Martha: In 1611 John Fisher moved from Stirling, Scotland to Irvine and then moved to Antrim in Northern Ireland in 1613. In 1641 his sons moved to Londonderry, Ireland.

MacLeans at Coll: The MacLeans, Presbyterian ministers, lived on the islands of Coll and Arran until 1701, when Rev. John MacLean moved his family, first to Belfast, and then to Ballymoney, Northern Ireland.

McKeens and Cargills: The McKeens and Cargills moved from Scotland to Northern Ireland in 1643 after the Covenanter army, in which they served as officers, was defeated by King Charles’s Royalist army.

JOHN AND MARTHA

CHAPTER ONE

Stirling

The castle loomed high on the rock bluff above the village, dark and forbidding in the chilly November night, its shadowy form outlined by the pale moon. John Fisher, walking quickly along the road at the foot of Stirling castle, was returning from the village to the small cottage at the edge of town that he shared with his parents. He was in a good mood, humming softly, thinking about the loud, boisterous gathering at the Hamilton Arms Inn. John noticed two figures outlined in the moonlight, darting alongside a building on the road ahead and then disappearing into the shadows. He briefly wondered what they were doing, but continued along, remembering the arguments at the Inn.

The two gentlemen from London, who had given speeches at the fair in September promoting emigration to their Derry Plantation in Northern Ireland, had returned to recruit prospective settlers. They had created quite a scene at the Hamilton Arms Inn by asking everyone to join them in a toast to celebrate the anniversary of the hanging of Guy Fawkes, who had been arrested and hanged by English authorities five years earlier in 1606. Guy Fawkes had led a group of Roman Catholics intending to blow up the English parliament and kill King James, but the plot failed, and the Protestants in England used this date of November 5 to commemorate their continuing triumph over popes and popery.

The lowland Scots saw it differently. The large majority of Scots were Protestant, but had a loathing for the Church of England, now supported by King James. A minority of lowland Scots were Catholic. All were represented at the Inn, and all wanted an independent Scotland, free from English domination, leading to loud, sometimes vehement arguments put forth, helped by the vigorous pouring of ale by the bartender.

John Fisher had stopped at the Inn after working at the weavers’ hall, and stayed longer than he had intended because of the lively discussions. John smiled as he thought of his friend, James Murray, who strode over to the Englishmen’s table holding a glass of ale,

Screw these English bastards! he shouted to the crowd. Here’s to Robert Bruce and Scotland Forever!

John’s thoughts were roughly interrupted by two men, one grasping him from the back, pinning his arms to his side, the other smashing him in the face, causing John to collapse, falling to the ground. John was stunned, completely surprised by the attack, unable to respond as he writhed on the ground, blood pouring from his mouth and nose.

Stay away from Martha or I’ll kill you, said Robert Mar, the man who had hit him, standing over John, fists clenched.

Robert Mar, son of Lord Erskine, Earl of Mar, governor of Stirlingshire and Bill Meech, son of the governor’s adjutant, had been at the Inn having dinner with the visitors from London, enjoying the boisterous evening, having a goodly share of the free flowing ale. Over the past two months Mar became aware of the frequent meetings and the increasing intimacy between Martha and John. When Mar saw Fisher leave the Inn, he and his friend, Meech, decided to teach Fisher a lesson about the proper place for poor weavers in the local society.

Kneeling in front of John, Mar grabbed his collar and thrust his face directly into John’s,

Do you hear me you little shit? he shouted.

John, bleeding and in pain was unable to answer.

Do you hear me? Mar asked again as he shook John.

Meech lifted John, one arm around his neck, the other holding John’s arm to his back. Mar hit John in the stomach causing him to stagger backwards. Meech stumbled and fell, freeing John who lurched sideways against the stone wall of the building. Mar stepped toward John, fist clenched to hit him again. As Mar swung, John lunged at him, causing both to fall against the wall, smashing Mar’s head on a protruding stone. Mar fell backward, crashing to the ground. Meech knelt down by Mar.

John, bleeding and trembling, stared at the prostrate body.

Mar stirred, opened his eyes and then fell back, moaning.

Oh my god, his head is cut open! exclaimed Meech, holding the back of Mar’s head. Blood was running down his neck and coat.

Mar stirred again, raised his hand to the back of his head, then attempted to rise.

Help me, Mar cried.

Meech lifted Mar, who was barely able to stand, but began stumbling forward, leaning on Meech.

You’ll pay for this! Meech cried to John, holding Mar as they started up the street. The Sheriff will be after you. You’ll never get out of prison!

John, eyes wide open with fear watched them struggle away, then turned and ran as fast as he could down the road towards his parents’ cottage. It was a simple two-room building, with fireplace, kitchen, a weaver’s loom, John’s bed in the main room, and a small bedroom for his parents. John dashed into the cottage.

I have to leave Stirling, he shouted to his parents, asleep in their small bedroom. John hurriedly put his few belongings into a sack as his mother rushed into the room.

Leave! What are you saying, his mother cried, holding John by the arm. What happened? You’re bleeding!

I got into a fight with Robert Mar. He’s badly hurt. He fell and hit his head. It was bleeding bad. He’ll send the Sheriff’s men to arrest me. I have to get out of Stirling!

Overhearing John’s explanation, John’s father came out of the bedroom.

You hurt young Mar? That’s bad, John. Very bad. Mar will punish you. They’ll be here soon. You have to get away!

As he started to leave, his mother clutched him, crying,

John, where will you go?

Mother, I can’t stay. I’ll come back to see you. I have to go now. Good-bye. Good-bye father.

Dashing out of the cottage, John ran back to the village and up the hill to Martha’s home.

CHAPTER TWO

Martha

Martha Buchanan was fourteen, the daughter of the leading merchant of Stirling. She was a pretty and intelligent girl, but her impulsive and headstrong characteristics often put her in conflict with her stepmother. Her mother died during the cholera epidemic that had ravaged the village when she was two. Martha and her father survived, but her older brother as well as her mother died. A year later Martha’s father married again to Janet Trevor, an attractive and assertive young woman who was very much aware that she had improved her social standing by marrying Buchanan. Janet was especially pleased to meet Stirling’s leading citizen, the Earl of Mar and his family and friends.

Within six years Janet had three children, all boys, to Robert Buchanan’s delight.

Martha was the odd person out in the Buchanan household. Her father, absorbed in his business, spent little time with Martha. As her stepbrothers grew, her father spent his spare time with them, leaving Martha to Janet’s care. Work for women in 1611, even in relatively wealthy households was demanding and Martha was no exception. She arose early, prepared food from the garden, cleaned fish and fowl, cooked food in the fireplace kettles, helped care for her stepbrothers, and in her rare spare time, her stepmother asked her to sew and embroider.

I’m going to the fair with Elaine, Martha shouted to Janet as she stormed out of the house and quickly walked down the village street to Elaine’s home.

Martha’s stepmother planned for Martha to become the mistress of Robert Mar, the eldest son of the Earl. Robert, a haughty young man accustomed to having his way in everything, liked Martha and was frustrated in his attentions to her. She was cool and unresponsive to his every advance.

I just don’t like him, she confided to Elaine as they were walking to the fair.

Martha often thought about Robert Mar, aware of her parents’ plans for her. She knew that her life would be comfortable, with servants to do the housework, but in her heart she knew she would be unhappy. Martha pleaded with her parents to change their plans, but her stepmother, Janet, would not listen to her protestations.

You should be pleased to be the mistress of such an important person, she always responded to Martha.

Martha was not pleased. She knew that whenever she thought about the impending union, she was unhappy. As Martha and Elaine entered the marketplace, they noticed a young man at one of the food stalls and crossed the marketplace, stopping beside him as he was paying the vendor.

Hello, John, said Martha as he turned to leave.

Martha! I was hoping to see you here, John Fisher replied.

We just arrived at the square and saw you here, said Martha, smiling at John.

Will you join me? I have plenty of food for all of us, said John.

Martha and Elaine looked at one another, smiled, and Martha answered,

Yes, We’d like to. We have food in our basket so we’ll have plenty to eat. Let’s find a sunny place on the grass. There’s a spot near the musicians, answered Martha.

In the past, Martha had seen John in the village and at Holy Rude church, near her home, but she hadn’t talked to him until this summer. Martha’s father had contracted with the Weaver’s Guild for several shawls and other articles of clothing for his family. As the senior apprentice, John was assigned to the work. When he had finished, John took the clothing up the hill to the Buchanan home. Martha, the only