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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Topic started by: Daonnachd on Saturday 09 December 17 14:11 GMT (UK)
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Hi,
I have found an ancestor - Major Joseph Learmonth - who appears to have been involved in the Battle of Rullion Green in 1666. Could anyone please let me know where I might get some more information about this battle. I would also like to find out more about the Bass Rock prison, and the fates of the prisoners, and the specific circumstances around Major Learmonth's release. Doing a general search online hasn't produced many results so far. :-\
Thanks everybody for reading this! :)
Lindsey
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Try googling "google books chronological notes of scottish affairs from 1680 till 1701 john lauder"? and search inside for "learmonth"?
There's a snippet on page 23
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Will do - thank you!
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There's a lot online about the battle & the prison;
http://www.douglashistory.co.uk/history/Places/bass_rock.htm
http://www.thesonsofscotland.co.uk/thebattleofrulliongreen1666.htm
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file:///C:/Users/Richard/Downloads/Pentlands_Hills_Guide_2011.pdf
There's an article (upside down!!) headed "SOME KEY ASSOCIATIONS" - the last para mentions Joseph and a plaque to him in Dolphinton Church.
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Don't know what your googling threw up but did you spot
https://drmarkjardine.wordpress.com/2014/09/11/covenanters-secret-tunnel-discovered-in-lanarkshire/
The snippet I directed you to mentions something about a tunnel
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Lyndsay, Dr Mark Jardine's website is a mine of info about the Covenanters, sign up for his newsletter
https://drmarkjardine.wordpress.com
Skoosh.
Hanes beat me too it! ;D
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Thank you all so much - I've got some work to do ;D
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Skoosh,
and I'm focusing more on the footie on the wireless!!
Try googling "google books the history of the state and sufferings of the church of scotland from the restoration to the revolution archibald martin 1762"
search inside for "learmont" (no "h") - snippet on page 137
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https://books.google.co.vi/books?id=04lbAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&q=learmont&f=false
9 hits for "learmont (no "h") - not all Joseph.
It includes a description of the battle (page 181)
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Once again thanks to everyone - It'll keep me out of mischief while the weather stops me working on the allotment. Hanes - I hope the footie went your way ;)
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According to the book "Scottish Covenanter Stories" by Dane Love - Major Joseph Learmont of Newholm was in command of the Kings troops who are alleged to have started the actual battle by firing into the Covenanters.
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Perhaps a different man as the poster's Joseph Learmont was in charge of the Covanentor's Horse & imprisoned.
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Lyndsey,
Great to hear about the allotment - that's where I'd be at this moment if the weather was better.
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Hi Falkryn,
That seems odd, as Major Joseph Learmont(h) is listed in other sources as one of the Covenanters imprisoned on Bass Rock, then later released (I believe) after William of Orange took the Crown.
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Hi Falkryn,
That seems odd, as Major Joseph Learmont(h) is listed in other sources as one of the Covenanters imprisoned on Bass Rock, then later released (I believe) after William of Orange took the Crown.
I have always found Dane Love's works well researched and as he is also listed as an Honorary Secretary of the Covenanter Memorial Society he may know a thing or two about the Covenanters.
My own knowledge of the times and affairs is limited.
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According to J King Hewison in his 1913 book "The Covenanters" Major Joseph Learmont, laird of Newholm, was in command of the Covenanters' horse on the left wing at Rullion Green.
Later in the book he writes that in 1682 "On 7th April , four notable prisoners stood at the bar - Major General Joseph Learmont, the "bonny fighter at Pentland and Bothwell Bridge, now almost an octogenarian..... " They were condemned but on petition clemency prevailed. Hewison goes on to say that "Learmont remaining steadfast and for punishment relegated to the Bass, whence he issued in five years to look forward to the happy Revolution, which he saw".
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From Crookshank's 1762 description of the battle
"They (the Covenanters) were scarce formed in this manner when an alarm came that a body of men was approaching them; they found it was Dalziel's van, which had cut through a ridge in the Pentland hills, and came upon them undiscovered, til they were within a quarter of a mile, upon a hill over against them. Colonel Wallace upon this sent Captain Arnot, who repulsed Lieutenant General Drummond, who was sent by the General (Dalziel) with a select party to begin the attack ...... When the Lieutenant General was driven back, there was no small confusion among Dalziel's army, of whom not a few threw down their arms. Major Lamont made the second attack, and repulsed the enemy; Duke Hamilton narrowly escaping. The last encounter was after sunset, when the General's foot, flanked with their horse upon all hands, overpowered the Colonel's little army, and routed them"
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Before I retired I managed properties belonging to the University of Edinburgh. One of these was Rullion Green Cottage which lies adjacent to the site of the battle. There is a stone commemorating those who died on the hillside just above the cottage.
Isobel
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I would agree that a man named Learmont was in charge of the mounted Covenanters on the left flank - he was tentatively identified by a letter (page 68 of Pentland Rising published in 1904
" A letter from Edinburgh on 27 November, 1666, speaks of Learmont as
"Jos. Learmont, a foolish fellow, not worth 500/" {Cal.
State Papers, Dom. 1666-1667, P 295)
No mention of any ranks or title (through property) despite the disparaging terms used to describe him don't appear to give him much credit I suspect he must have had some means as another publication claims that several years before this he was fined £1200 (scots) under what was known as the Middleton Act. (even at the settled conversion rates of 12:1 thats quite a fine for the period)
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Further information about the Bass Rock Prison (and several mentions of Major Learmont) can be seen in : -
The Bass Rock : its history and romance by Phillimore, R.P published in 1911 although it implies that his stay at Bass Rock was brief.
(you can freely download the book from the Internet Archive at https://archive.org )
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Crookshank (again) 1762
"On the 7th (April 1682) Robert Fleming of Auchinsin*, Hugh Maclwraith of Auchinfloor*, Major Joseph Learmont and Robert Mclelland of Barscob, who with several others, had been forfeited in life and fortune, having been apprehended, were brought before the Judiciary, and, without any farther trial, ordered to be executed at the Grass Market of Edinburgh on Wednesday 12th; but it seems all of them got off through interest. Barscob made some compliances, and was of use to the managers afterwards"
(*cannot read my notes - not sure if I have captured the place correctly)
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Crookshank 1762
"On 15th August (1667) ..... John Nisbet, the King's advocate, produced a commission ....... for pursuing criminally and forfeiting the following persons in their lives and fortunes, as being in the late insurrection in the west viz. Colonel James Wallace, Major Joseph Learmont ...... Mcleland of Barscob ...."
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"Caldwell's estate was given to Dalziel, Kersland's to Drummond, Learmont's to William Hamilton of Woolhaw, Quarrelton's and his brother's to Mr John Hamilton of Halcraig"
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Thank you for the link Falkryn.
I was aware that he had his assets seized, but not about the fine.
As a rule of thumb, I believe that whether someone is described by others as foolish or brave, usually reflects which side the other person is on ;)
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Presumably these forfeit estates were returned at the Revolution?
Skoosh.
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I haven't found anything that specifically says his lands were returned to him, but it does look like it. I found a source - that incidentally gushes about his heroics! - stating that he died peacefully in 1693 at Newholme (the estate that was seized following his trial and handed to William Hamilton of Woolhaw).
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Lindsey, there is a list somewhere of estates returned to their rightful owners, Dr Mark Jardine might help!
Skoosh.
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Thanks Skoosh, I'll check it out.
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Does anybody have the lineage of Colonel James Wallace? I've seen that he had one son named William, but I can't find any other information about that son or his descendants.
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Does anybody have the lineage of Colonel James Wallace? I've seen that he had one son named William, but I can't find any other information about that son or his descendants.
Do you have any other information? approx date of birth/death/etc
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https://electricscotland.com/history/other/wallace_james.htm
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01nfj/
Malky