forth like a Scottish chieftain of old, to join | thy for all who were pursued by justice for the unfurled standard of the Stuart in the north. “The kettle drums clashed, and the trumpets were blown, He waved his proud arm, and the horsemen rode on." But if he then quitted his home with something of a gloomy foreboding, for it is recorded of him that he stopped and turned round, as he was losing sight of his old ancestral towers, to take a farewell look, and (as if with an instinctive apprehension of coming evil) exclaimed, "Oh! my bonny Drummond Castle, and my bonny lands!" -what must have been his feelings now? The final and decisive battle had been fought and lost. The struggle was at an end, and with it all the hopes and projects of the Stuart cause. Danger and death now pursued their footsteps wherever they went; and the gallant Perth felt keenly all the difficulties and perils of his present situation, as, after having taken leave of the duchess, his mother, and in the disguise of a peasant, he gained the woods by a private postern, and quitted his castle, in all human probability for ever. In pursuance of a preconcerted plan, he made his way to the sea-coast, and fortunately succeeded in getting on board a vessel, which landed him safely at South Shields, in the county of Durham. The earl thus at length happily effected his escape out of Scotland, the more immediate scene of danger, although he could not at the time meet with any ship bound for France. He had previously, with a view to lull suspicion, and to facilitate his projected attempt to escape, caused a report to be circulated that he had embarked for that country about three weeks after the battle of Culloden, and died on the passage, from the combined effects of his wounds and the excessive fatigues he had undergone; and this story, being currently believed at the time, answered the purpose for which it was intended. From South Shields he passed to Sunderland, a wellknown sea-port town about seven miles distant; and from thence proceeded up the river Wear to South Biddick, which he selected as the place of at least his temporary sojourn. Being a wild, sequestered spot, inhabited exclusively by colliers and keel-men, who were at that period a very lawless set,* and had an especial sympa * "The village of South Biddick is in a seques. tered situation, and was formerly inhabited by banditti, who set all authority at defiance. Nay, the officers of excise were afraid of surveying the two public-houses, unless protected by some of the most daring of the colliers, who were rewarded for their trouble. There were in the village about ten shops, or houses, where contraband spirits were publicly sold without any license. The press gang were at one time beat out of the place, with the loss of two men, and never more were known to venture into | it; for if they were known to be in the neighbour. any crime morally short of murder, Lord Perth thought that he might probably remain here for a considerable time, if necessary, safe from all danger and pursuit. The vicinity of the coal-mines added much to the security of any fugitive; as, in case of any sudden alarm, he could be plunged by the friendly colliers into the recesses of a mine several hundred feet deep, where it would be next to impossible to discover him. It is on record, in some of the accounts of the rebellion, that for this reason many of the Jacobite soldiers, who were unable to get abroad, fled for refuge to the coal districts. The particular locality thus selected by Drummond presented to his mind other advantages: it was at a convenient distance from Sunderland, where vessels were generally to be met with, bound for the ports of France and Holland; and in case any event should unexpectedly happen, prior to his final embarkation, at all favourable to the cause of the exiled family, he was in a situation from whence he could speedily and easily co-operate in any renewed effort which might be made. On his arrival at Biddick, the noble fugitive took up his abode under the humble roof of John Armstrong, a collier or pitman, who, without at all suspecting the rank and condition of his guest, received and entertained him with the greatest hospitality and kindness. And here it was that all the plans and prospects of the unfortunate Perth were destined, by Providence, to undergo a total and permanent change, to which the force both of public and private events irresistibly led. The family of Hanover, happily for the interests of the reformed religion, and the civil liberties of the kingdom, became, after the decisive victory of Culloden, still more firmly seated on the throne, and no further attempt was ever made on behalf of the expatriated Stuarts. Concurrently with this state of political affairs, a circumstance arose within the little fireside circle at Biddick, which fixed the destiny and the abode of Drummond for the remainder of his life. Armstrong had a daughter, Elizabeth, who was a girl of exquisite beauty, and of artless and most engaging manners. She was but a child, about twelve years of age, when Drummond first came under her father's roof; and he had taken great delight in instructing her, and aiding the growth and expansion of the superior intellect with which he soon perceived she was naturally hood, the "Biddickers" used to sound a horn, the signal for them to fly to arms, fires were lighted in various places, the keels in the river were seized, with which they formed a bridge of communication with Tratfield, (another place on the opposide side of the river, equally as lawless as their own,) and kept watch and ward till the danger was past: in consequence of which, it became a receptacle for such as had violated the laws of their country." Parson's History of the Counties of Northumberland and Durham, vol. ii. P. 271. endowed. Time rolled on; the stranger suitable schools, As, however, the boys still lingered at Biddick, where he had grew up, he was much perplexed how to disfound what proved to be a peaceful and pose of them. He could have wished to put secure retreat; and when Elizabeth Arm- them in some way of life not altogether unbestrong had entered on her sixteenth year, fitting their origin and descent; but he was he conceived a violent attachment for her, entirely destitute of the means to accomplish which she returned with all the warmth of this. William, the youngest, who frequently her affectionate and unsophisticated na- went down to Sunderland on the keels or ture. The unfortunate earl was as gene-barges, which convey the coals to the ships rous as he was brave. He spurned the bare waiting there for cargoes, conceived a liking idea of attempting to take any undue ad for a seafaring life, and was in due time placvantage of the innocent and beautiful girl. ed under the care of the master of a trading He felt that she was necessary to his future vessel belonging to that port. His elder and happiness: the hopes of the Jacobites had only brother, James, was of a more quiet and become finally extinguished: he quite de- studious turn, and his father was very desirspaired of ever recovering his estates, or ous of educating him for the church, but to resuming his former station; and even if this poverty presented an insuperable bar. he should, the voice of love unhesitatingly Meantime the boy lingered at home, someassured him that his Elizabeth would adorn times taking his father's place in the little it: he obtained the joyful assent of both ferry-boat, and sometimes accompanying her parents to their union; and in the John Armstrong, his grandfather, down the month of November, 1749, she being then profound recesses of the coal-mine where he in her seventeenth year, he led her to the worked, to gratify his youthful curiosity, by altar at the parish church of Houghton-le- witnessing the operations there. He was exSpring, and their hands and their desti-tremely partial to his grandfather; and in nies became inseparably united. this way he gradually conceived a liking, Some time after their marriage, they re- strange as it may seem, for the rude occupamoved to a cottage, called the boat-house, tion which the old man followed. Children the occupation of which was kindly grant- generally experience a degree of pride and ed to Drummond by Nicholas Lambton, gratification on being allowed, for the first Esq., of Biddick Hall. It is clear that this time, to participate in the employment of fullgentleman knew, even at that time, a part, grown men. The boy was too young, as yet, at least, of the history and misfortunes of to be trusted with the secret of his father's the stranger who had thus mysteriously real rank. He longed to be able to carry appeared and settled in his vicinity; as it something home to his beloved mother on a is remembered by Mrs. Peters, one of the Saturday night, to add to the common stock earl's daughters, who still survives, that and common comforts of the family; for, as Mr. Lambton, on that occasion, addressed his sisters grew up, he perceived that the her father in the following words:--"I difficulty which his parents had in maintainknow you well enough; you are one of the ing their humble household increased. WithDrummonds, the rebels; but I will give out his father's knowledge he got himself you the house and garden for all that." placed, through the intervention of Armstrong, on the colliery establishment; and at the end of a week, during which his parents had observed that he was more than usually absent with his grandfather, he brought his little earnings, and with all the pride of independence, and all the warmth of filial and fraternal love, he poured them into his mother's lap, as she sat conversing with his father at the door of their little cot tage. Attached to the cottage, which was close to the river, was a ferry-boat, there being no bridge across the Wear within less than two or three miles of Biddick; and from the profits of this boat the exiled Perth contrived to procure a scanty subsistence for himself and his rising family. While he was employed in the humble occupation of rowing over the passengers, his wife had the management of a small shop, which added a little, and but a little, to their very limited means of existence. However, here he experienced peace, and a high degree of comparative happiness, in the society of his beloved Elizabeth. In the course of a few years she had borne him a family of six or seven children; and it was his great delight and employment, in the intervals of his occupation on the river, to give them that instruction himself which he could not afford to procure for them at * Biddick is in the parish of Houghton-le-Spring, though upwards of three miles distant from it. The Rev. E. S. Thurlow, the present rector, a nephew of the celebrated Lord Chancellor of that name, has held the living for the long space of half a century. This was probably the most severe and painful trial which the unfortunate Perth had ever experienced. It is true that, for some time past, his fate and fortunes" appeared to have been quietly merged in those of the unknown Drummond, the humble ferryman. All search and inquiry after him had long ceased; for the story of his death on his passage to France had obtained general credit, and had contributed much to his subsequent security. He had been attainted of high treason by act of parliament, along with others of the Jacobite chiefs, within a few weeks after their final defeat at Culloden. He was not only dead in law, but dead to the world at large; none but a few of his friends in France,* and one or two of those in his native Scotland, being at all aware that he was still in existence. He had long despair. ed of any change in his affairs, or in those of his exiled master; and had, as he fancied, resigned himself to his apparent destiny. But though he might have resigned to it himself alone, the voice of nature was strong within him, and he now felt acutely, that he * There is a letter addressed to him at Biddick, from his brother, Lord John Drummond, at Boulogne, still extant, and in the possession of Mrs. Peters, his daughter. It bears date exactly twelve months after the battle of Culloden, and alludes to the report which had been circulated, of the earl's having died on the passage from Scotland, at the same time recommending him then, for his own security, to rejoin his friends in France. Other let. | had not yet resigned his children. All that they at the present moment were, and all that they should and might have been, had never risen in such strong and painful contrast before him, as on this beautiful summer's evening, when his eldest boy gave so touch. ing a proof of the native independence of his feelings, and the excellence of his heart. ters have been recently discovered amongst the "Stuart Papers," written by the earl, or duke, from Biddick: and depositions have been made by the Countess de Genlis, and other persons of distinc. tion in France, to prove that it was always known in that country, both by the pretender and his im. mediate adherents, that the Duke of Perth never embarked at all after the defeat at Culloden, but had found an asylum in the north of England, where he married, and continued to reside in obscurity, Recollections of Ancient Literature. By an Irish Barrister. Cicero. Oliver Goldsmith's Nephew and the Lottery Ticket Lord Killikelly. By Abbott Lee The Colony of Newfoundland. By a Gentleman some time resident in that PAGE 63 76 85 86 92 97 103 104 112 112 122 122 |
