Corpus of Modern Scottish Writing (CMSW) - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/cmsw/

Document : 563

Title: Letter Home from London on 1715 Uprising, No. 1

Author(s): Morthland, Mr Charles

R. Sr.


London
7ber 27 1715



I had your short letter of the 19th wherein you tell me you are going to Stirling & yt
you had advanced pay for 50 men, I am of opinion that the beſt way to keep our
men either together or under Diſcipline is to pay them, however I was glad to hear that
that our folks made so handſome an appearance & showd so much alacrity and goodwill
in so honeſt a cauſe which I am confident wants not the goodwill of Heaven, since
every day affords us new Inſtance of its Interpoſition in our behalf. In my Laſt I gave
you an account of Sir Wm Windhams eſcape but that ſome papers of great conſequence
had been found upon him and brought to London, had not Sr Wm been [¿] it
had been eaſy for him to have taken theſe papers from the Meſſenger, for there was no
body but Coll. Huſk with the meſsenger and beſides Sr Wms Servants show now upwards of 20
workmen about his houſe. I told you Likewiſe that one Mr Harvey of Coum was ſeized,
that Gentleman was on Sunday night examind before a Committee of Council and offerd
his pardon for his Life & Eſtate providing he would explain and diſcover what he knows
concerning the aſsociation for the pretender, but he was obſtinat and ſeemd to be
ſurprizd that he should have been ſuſpected of any ſuch thing, he was told that
he would do well to be Ingenuous for that they know how far he was Concernd
in that matter & yr upon produced ſuch undeniable evidences of his Guilt that
he was Confounded however all the effect it had upon him [¿]ways was only to
Strike him ſo dumb that he would not ſpeak another word, upon which he was
remanded to the meſsengers hands in order to have been sent yeſterday to Newgate
but yeſday morning he was found wreſtling in his blood having Stabd himſelf
three times with a penknife in the breaſt, whether the wounds were mortal or not
I cannot tell for yeſterday the surgeons were uncertain themſelves, but this horrid
act could be ye effect of nothing Leſs yn a conſciousness of some Curſed villany
he had deſigned to perpetrate, and indeed we are told that this same Gentleman
aſ soon as the Arms and Ammunition that were ſhip'd att Havre [¿], but
now diſloaded again, should have Landed in the weſt of England, and the Rebels
there should have made an Inſurrection as alſo in yr part of the Country
att the same time when Mar was making a buſtle in the Highlands. I ſay this
ſame perſon was to have Laid hold on that juncture, and with his accomplices
sett fire to ſome houſes in Palmal & St James Street and during that Confuſion
to have seiz'd on the Royal Family in the palace, but thanks to God that
the Wicked are often [¿] in the Snares which they prepare for oyrs.
Mr Crawly son to Sr Ambroſe Crawly the famous Iron man has alſo been
taken up and tho he afford 100 thousand [¿] it was [¿], I
hear that Gent: had brought arms for a 1000 of his Iron workers in order to have
[hounded] you in the Rebellion, but as the Neck of it is now broken & the Govt
fully acquainted with the particulars of the whole Conſpiracy ſo I hope it
will turn to the Confuſion of the Contrivers & the Kings throne & Government ſo better

fixd & ſetted than ever to the Comfort & Satiſfaction of all good men & the happyneſs of theſe
Lands, my Ld Lanſdown was ſent to the tower yeſday, and I hear that my Ld Paris will be tryd
at the Old Bailie very shortly. We have certain advice that the pr was at Bar-le-duck
the 20th Inſtant, and Ormond and Bolingbrok at Paris, so that I believe Mar will have a
winter Campaigne of it before he ſee him. The Duke of Montroſe has gott another ſon
who I hear will be nam'd Lord George. The Earl of Derby is made Capt of the
Band of penſioners in place of the E of Uxbridge.

adieu
