The companions of Pickle: Being a sequel to 'Pickle the spy'Lang, Andrew
History
The companions of Pickle: Being a sequel to 'Pickle the spy'
Lang, Andrew
Jacobites
That Young Glengarry was concerned in the looting of the treasure in
winter, 1749, is certain from his own admission to Charles, corroborated
by the confession of Cameron of Glenevis to Colonel Crawfurd, in October
1751. In that confession appears the earliest charge of treachery against
Glengarry, who, Cameron vows, must have betrayed him (p. 153). At about
the same time (November 30, 1751, February 14, 1752) Holker (of Ogilvie’s
French Scots Regiment) and Blair anonymously warned young Edgar against
Glengarry. He is a friend of Leslie, ‘an arrant rogue,’ and is ‘known
to be in great intimacy with Murray’—of Broughton, the traitor, an
acquaintance which is proved by Murray’s own ‘Memorials,’ already cited.
Even if we discount Mrs. Cameron’s story, with those of Archy Cameron and
Glenevis, as Camerons were at feud with Macdonnells, we have no reason to
suspect hostile animus in Young Edgar, Blair and Holker.[134] They remark
(February 14, 1752) that ‘Mr. Macdonald of Glengarrie says that he is
charged with the affaires of his Majesty,’ in London.
Now, what was, in 1751 the real situation of Young Glengarry? He had left
Rome in September 1750. In January 1751 he was in Paris, and wrote to
Edgar, asking for money. He was confined to bed by a severe cold.[135]
At an uncertain date, probably April 1751, he was residing publicly in
London, for he thence announced to Charles his approaching marriage ‘with
a lady of a very Honourable and loyall familie in England,’ after which
he will repay his share of the Loch Arkaig gold. On this head he has
satisfied James. He discloses the embezzlements of Cluny![136] On July
15, 1751, he wrote from London to James, and to Edgar, with political
and loyal observations. Yet, in 1751, Glenevis believed, for very good
reasons, that Glengarry was already an informer. If the suspicions of
Glenevis were correct, Glengarry was an informer in 1751, the date
assigned by Pickle to the beginning of his own service is about 1750.
Thus, in 1751, Glengarry was tolerated in London by the English
Government, though still professing loyalty to James. As late as October
1754 he had not ‘qualified’ or taken the oaths. He must, therefore,
have made his peace with England—otherwise! He had resigned his French
commission. Moreover, while his accomplices in the Loch Arkaig affair,
the Camerons, were arrested, Glengarry, the ‘unqualified,’ was allowed to
go about London, and travel to France and Scotland, though the English
Ministry knew that he was at least as guilty as Glenevis and Downan.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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