James MacPherson (2)
I was telling you about the famous freebooter, James MacPherson from
Badenoch. He was in prison in Aberdeen. But a group was trying to free
him. A butcher was stopping them. He was fighting with James’s cousin,
Donald MacPherson.
The butcher was growing weak. He asked his dog for help. Donald took an
item of his clothing off and he put it around the butcher. The dog
attacked his master. And the fighting between the two men ceased. James
got out of prison and made for Badenoch on horseback.
One day in the year 1700, James and some others were in Keith. Duff of
Braco had a team in pursuit of them. They saw their opportunity. They
attacked James. James took out his sword. But a women threw a blanket
over him from a window up high, and he was captured.
James was put in prison in Banff. In the court case, there was evidence
from twenty-one witnesses. As we saw last week, some people were
accusing James of being an ‘Egyptian’. They were meaning ‘traveller’.
It was reported that those people spoke another language in addition to
Gaelic.
James and another man, James Gordon, were found guilty. They were
sentenced to death. The judge said James was an
‘Egyptian and vagabond’
and that he would lose his life on the gibbet. A day was chosen when
there would be a large population in the town. The gibbet was built
next to the mercat cross in the middle of Banff.
A different verdict was handed down on three others –
‘
three young rogues’. Their ears were cut off, they were burned on their
cheeks and they were scourged through the streets of Banff. That was
‘justice’ at that time.
The hanging day came. And a weird thing happened, as we’ll see next week.
Seumas Mac a’ Phearsain (2)
Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun cheatharnach ainmeil, Seumas Mac a’ Phearsain à
Bàideanach. Bha e sa phrìosan ann an Obar Dheathain. Ach bha buidheann a’
feuchainn ri a shaoradh. Bha bùidsear a’ cur stad orra. Bha e a’ sabaid le
co-ogha Sheumais, Dòmhnall Mac a’ Phearsain.
Bha am bùidsear a’ fàs lag. Dh’iarr e taic air a chù aige. Thug Dòmhnall
ball-aodaich aige dheth, agus chuir e timcheall a’ bhùidseir e. Thug an cù
ionnsaigh air a mhaighstir. Agus sguir an t-sabaid eadar an dithis fhear.
Fhuair Seumas a-mach às a’ phrìosan agus rinn e air Bàideanach air muin
eich.
Latha a bha seo anns a’ bhliadhna seachd ceud deug (1700) bha Seumas agus
feadhainn eile ann am Baile Chè. Bha sgioba aig MacDuibh à Braco air a
thòir. Chunnaic iad an cothrom. Thug iad ionnsaigh air Seumas. Thug Seumas
a chlaidheamh a-mach. Ach thilg boireannach plaide thairis air bho uinneag
gu h-àrd, agus chaidh a chur an grèim.
Chaidh Seumas a chur don phrìosan ann am Banbh. Anns a’ chùis-chùirte, bha
fianais ann bho aon neach-fianais air fhichead. Mar a chunnaic sinn an
t-seachdain sa chaidh, bha feadhainn a’ cur às leth Sheumais gur e ‘ Egyptian’ a bha ann. Bha iad a’ ciallachadh ‘neach-siubhail’.
Bhathar ag aithris gun robh cànan eile aig an fheadhainn sin a bharrachd
air a’ Ghàidhlig.
Bha Seumas agus fear eile, Seumas Gòrdan, air am faighinn ciontach. Chaidh
binn-bhàis a chur orra. Thuirt am britheamh gur e ‘ Egyptian and vagabond’ a bha ann an Seumas agus gun cailleadh e a
bheatha air a’ chroich. Chaidh latha a thaghadh nuair a bhiodh sluagh mòr
anns a’ bhaile. Bha a’ chroich air a togail ri taobh crois na margaidh ann
am meadhan Bhanbh.
Thugadh binn eadar-dhealaichte air triùir eile – ‘ three young rogues’. Bha an cluasan air an gearradh dhiubh, bha
iad air an losgadh air an gruaidhean agus bha iad air an cuipeadh tro
shràidean Bhanbh. B’ e sin ‘ceartas’ aig an àm sin.
Thàinig latha a’ chrochaidh. Agus thachair rud iongantach, mar a chì sinn
an-ath-sheachdain.
