Jamie Kelly
DrJamie Kelly recently received his PhD from University of Glasgow. He is interested in the history of education, language & governance in post-Union Scotland, particularly the Highlands.
Location Glasgow, Scotland
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Jamie Kelly made a comment
Some great responses so far. Folk have noted the tone of despair and anger in MacDougall, contrasted with the tone of anger and optimism in Mairi. Many note residual cultural attitudes from the era of the clans that are still evident (same with Eilidh’s song in the last step).
The land is seen in noticeably spiritual terms: the people and the land prosper...
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Indeed, Julie! As in Ireland, the potato was crucial in growing/maintaining the Gaelic population who were living on relatively poor soil. This factored on both sides of the Irish Sea. It's interesting to look at the differing attitudes towards Scottish and Irish Gaels during the famine period – while there was out and out racism towards both, painting...
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This is a great bit of analysis, Jan. I can tell you've really understood the factors at work here. While the concept of Dùthchas would remain, chiefs now saw the relationship with the people purely in terms of their rights of oighreachd - their rights of lordship and property.
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Great discussion here, folks!
This is a really complex period where the final remnants of clan society dissolve away. Some of its cultural assumptions - dùthchas for example - will remain strong in the attitudes of the population - who will eventually use it to challenge the actions of the landlords. The chiefs now saw the relationship with the people...
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Don't forget the irony, that Flora and her family supported the British government in 1776 and ultimately returned to Scotland because of it! And yes – Flora's family did dabble in enslaved people, for the loss of which they were compensated after their flight from America.
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Thanks for this Rob. Not a writer I'm familiar with, but sounds poignant and very human in its themes.
'Us vs them' aside, we see plenty of evidence of reticence on the part of soldiers in both armies in 1745. My mind immediately goes to the sermon delivered by Rev. Adam Ferguson to the Black Watch (government regiment). Many of his soldiers, in following...
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Jamie Kelly made a comment
You're all great writers! I'm going to wait off for a few more to have their input, then Dr Mackillop and I will make some general points!
Well done here, not just for your historical acumen, but for your imagination!
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Wonderful and detailed comment, David. You clearly have a strong grasp of this side of the discipline, whereas archaeology often leave me scratching my head. Nevertheless, out knowledge would not be where it is today without them.
And yes – I feel your pain – but for good or ill, our studies often smash out preconceptions, even when they are super cool...
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This is exactly what we were hoping for, Rob, so it's great to hear.
As much as we like to pretend we bicker, Archaeologists and a whole host of historians stand to benefit from an interdisciplinary approach. The more we hold one another to account, and ask questions of one another's assumptions, the stronger our historical understanding!
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Fantastic, and debate-provoking, question Ineke.
My personal thoughts:
Archaeology (beneath all the dirt, dust and brushes) can provide fresh discoveries and raise new questions, which historians are forced to tackle. For example, the clustering of the Jacobite right and centre was always thought of as a function of natural terrain rather than...
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Jamie Kelly made a comment
Fantastic input so far. Main points I gathered from the comments:
- Surprise at the short duration of the battle (I know, right!?)
- Reinforced impressions of the brutality of its aftermath
- Ongoing debate whether the term 'ethnic cleansing' is applicable
- And many of you were simply disgusted by the horror, which is very important.I would like...
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Jamie Kelly replied to Susana Biemmi
I hear you, Susana. Something that needs to be asked in every conflict – and perhaps more relevant today that it was last time we ran the course due to ongoing conflict in Europe (for the first time since the 1940s).
"No fascination - only horror" – what a poignant quote. Sometimes it's necessary for historians to study these very things, not because they...
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Jamie Kelly replied to Mary R
I know, Mary. The '45 certainly has its fair share of horror stories. And remember that Culloden was the last pitched battle fought on British soil.
The example that always strikes me is the story of Alasdair Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair, the famed Jacobite poet. As he hid with his family, Hanoverian soldiers killed his pet cat, lest the family eat the cat for...
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Great analysis here, David. Proper historical toolset at work here.
This is exactly what we're looking for – yes, it is very fluid, and this reflects the shift away from guaranteed, top-down clan allegiance to a dynamic determined largely (if not solely) by the dynastic divide between Jacobite and Hanoverian
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The comments this time round have me thinking we could *maybe* be more clear about what it is we're looking for from you guys here.
So, beneath all the romance and tales, the reality was that the '45 involved taking boys and men (ages c.15-50) into conflict. If you look at the numbers in the tables and compare them against the figures in the map, we're...
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No worries, Joy. This is good to know, as we could perhaps do a better job of explaining!
What we're looking for is our learners to compare the number of fighting men raised in 1745 with the total number recorded in 1731, to gauge the potential impact (i.e. the amount of men removed and pushed into conflict).
For example, the MacLeods raised around 40%...
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Hiya Margaret – the reasons are much less interesting! The data was missing and the Glencoe MacDonalds simply weren't included on the map.
Sorry it's not more exciting!
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Indeed, Judi. Sample size is at work here, of course. We're looking at areas surrounding Lochaber, and the Isle of Skye – areas of notable Jacobite sympathy. Something that is very interesting, though, is that one of the most influential landowners in Skye, MacDonald of Sleat, was not out for the Jacobites, but many of his clansmen were.
In 1745, there was...
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Jamie Kelly replied to Simon Thomas
Well that's it @ReneeGravelle – in the present moment, leaders never find the time or energy to bring nuance to the table. Studying history has made me terrified of trying to interpret contemporary politics!
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Thanks for again Yvonne! Always great when you can put a face to a name, especially when there's a wee story behind it
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Jamie Kelly replied to Simon Thomas
Great points raised here, Simon. This would indeed become a point of contention among the loyal clans – the post-45 measures were wholesale, resulting in the disarming and de-plaiding of the Hanoverian Mackays just as much as the Jacobite MacDonalds of Keppoch.
Poets of the loyal clans would mock the government for leaving the loyal clans defensive, and...
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Jamie Kelly replied to Nicola James
Historians are still guessing at this. A big 'what-if', and for some a big 'wtf' as well.
But here are a few things we know for certain. While in Derby, Charles and the Scottish lords were disappointed when they did not receive news of the anticipated landings of French and Spanish troops. This was the main factor driving the retreat back north, but there...
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Thanks for sharing, @YvonneWilliams!
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This doesn't answer your question completely. Indeed, historians still speculate about the exact causes of the retreat. It truly is one of the great 'what-ifs' of Scottish history.
But here's some info:
While in Derby, Charles and the Scottish lords were disappointed when they did not receive news of the anticipated landings of French and Spanish troops....
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This was certainly one factor, Margaret. Interesting to note that many retreated home as the harvest season approached. Despite the projection of clan society as martial in nature, it was beneath the service largely pastoral, reliant on subsistence farming. And, regardless of the outcome of 1745, no harvest meant starvation!
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I think that was definitely one of the biggest factors!
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Jamie Kelly replied to Marie Curr
Great points, Marie. And, funnily enough, while Charles certainly capitalised on anti-union sentiment in Scotland to raise his army, his reluctance to consolidate once Scotland had been taken, and push to London, raises questions regarding his commitment to an independent Scotland
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Jamie Kelly replied to Rob Holmes
It is indeed, Rob! Lovat was an interesting, if somewhat sinister figure. He shows up absolutely everywhere in this period, and was always on the lookout for opportunities to advance his interests. But, as Sarah Fraser has shown, he was much more multi-faceted than previous scholars have acknowledged.
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Jamie Kelly replied to Jamie Kelly
I believe a 'rejection of commercial society'—or at least an objection to the pace, nature and agents of social and economic change—did have a role to play, particularly from a Highland perspective, but also from a wider Scottish perspective in the post-Union British state and empire.
Social upheaval, economic change, estate reorganisation, emigration from...
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Jamie Kelly made a comment
Each time the course runs, I like to play a little bit of devil's advocate to spark discussion.
So, as usual the least popular option is 'rejection of commercial society'. And you're spot on to decide against this old stereotype.
We now acknowledge that most Highland landowners and gentry—and a good number of tenantry—were just as improvement-minded as...
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Jamie Kelly replied to Rea Henry
"ALL OF THE ABOVE - MAYBE!?"
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Always an interesting thing to think about. It has been said that his first words upon landing in Eriskay were "I am come home". Dynasties in exile did still feel a connection to their 'ancestral home', and the Stuarts were undeniably a Scottish dynasty by origin, much more so than an English one
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Indeed, Jessica. While the Highlands did provide plenty of manpower for the Jacobite cause, the Northeastern Lowlands were also a Jacobite heartland.
Murray Pittock's book 'Myth of the Jacobite Clans' makes a convincing case that the bulk the army of the '45 were actually Episcopalian Lowlanders from the NE. Many regiments wore Highland dress – an attempt...
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Also bear in mind that the Stuarts had lost Scotland as well in 1689-90. The Claim of Right, passed by parliament in 1689, declared Ana arguably more revolutionary settlement than the English – James VII/II had not simply vacated the throne; by his Catholic faith and violation of the laws of the land had 'forefaulted', that is resigned, the throne.
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You're not alone, Fiona! This is one of the ways the Jacobite risings have been immortalised in hindsight in a polar fashion – as a battle between Protestant and Catholic, Civilisation and Barbarism, modernity/progress vs tradition. Of course, history is always never this clean cut.
But it's not just 'popular' history. Christopher Duffy in his excellent...
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I know, right? I have this safely saved on my hard-drive for all future eventualities. Also helped with my thesis!
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Oh, and the In Our Time podcast episode on the Massacre of Glencoe: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00pxrr7
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Jamie Kelly made a comment
I always like to share some links here for the eager. Think of the article as an appetiser!
I've noticed a few folk thought it'd be handy to have a timeline of all the Jacobite goings on across the century. We've got you covered with this website: https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofScotland/The-Jacobite-Revolts-Chronology/
The above site...
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Jamie Kelly replied to Simon Thomas
This is a fantastic, Simon. You're really onto something here.
Indeed, as the importance of dùthchas withered in the minds of clan chiefs, it assumed a new importance lower and lower down the social scale. As you will see, when we get into the era of clearance, going up to the Napier Commission in the 1880s, and even into the 20th Century, the concept of...
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Jamie Kelly replied to Margaret Crombie
You might be disappointed, Margaret – well, not disappointed, but you'll find something slightly different this week. By the turn of the 18th Century, the days of traditional clan feuds were all but gone. The last *proper* clan battle was the Battle of Mulroy (Lochaber) in 1688, fought between the MacDonalds of Keppoch (with heavy Cameron support) against the...
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100% Jan. Tacksmen operated on a hereditary basis, they were bred from childhood to fulfil their purpose, but they needed to demonstrate leadership, competence and managerial acumen. They were a lynchpin between chief and community, and needed to curry the favour of both
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Great evaluation, Pam. Important to draw out the fact that tacksmen were in many ways the organisational cement of clan society, bridging the gap between chief and tenantry and seeing that the priorities of the former did not impinge (too much) on the interests of the latter!
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Jamie Kelly made a comment
Well done everyone!
You've really grasped the central point: that is the need to understand the absolutely central importance of the tacksman. When we think 'clans' we think 'chiefs' and 'clansmen' - but we have go to understand the layered and complex social order than made up the wider imagined community. As a lot of you noted, these men needed to be...
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Middle management of the day is a good way of looking at it! In another sense they were the (upper-)middle class of Gaelic society, providing the social glue that bound the ordinary tenantry and with the clan elite.
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Jamie Kelly replied to Heather M
Good question Heather. This would not have been taken to too kindly – everyone was expected to do their bit, so you can be certain that the community would apply pressure and social/church-based leverage on this individual to remind their of their duty to the clan.
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Jamie Kelly made a comment
Given the mundane subject matter, there's a really excellent sense of engagement with the topic.
What we're looking at here is a population dependent on, and with a close relationship with, the land. Land was not simply a resource to be extracted or exploited to maximise profit, but one that need be treated with respect and care to ensure sustainability....
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18th Century – around the 1770s. It is a sketch by English artist John Frederick Miller.
You can find more info about the image here:
https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/inside-of-a-weavers-cottage-in-islay -
Important to note that crofting, as a system of landholding and management, wasn't actually introduced until much later in the 18th Century. What we see in this period can be most accurately described as runrig or 'subsistence farming'. But you're spot on – harsh climate and poor quality soil made access to land a matter of life and death for many clans. It is...
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Jamie Kelly made a comment
Good to see enthusiasm from those commenting. Remember to keep it up and exchanging ideas among yourselves as much as possible. It's always more effective if you, the learners, shape the conversation as much as us teaching the course :)
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Jamie Kelly replied to Peter McKenna
Glad we can count on your enthusiasm for the start of Week 2, Peter!
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Jamie Kelly replied to Jillian Smith
The harsh environment certainly played a role, Jillian. And in this context reinforces the important of landholding and clan territory. For every inter-clan conflict, competition for the scarce resources was usually an important factor at the heart of the issue.
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Indeed! And it's all about the character and audience of this "showing off". We'll find, as time goes on, and chiefs gravitate southwards, showing up starts to mean dressing up in fine clothes, living in fancy Edinburgh townhouses and consuming goods esteemed by their lowland noble peers. And this 'conspicuous consumption' would lead to a fair level of debt,...
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Jamie Kelly replied to Jamie Kelly
Also NB – By 1700 only 4% of Scotland was still Catholic. So the Reformation is very successful. But Scottish Protestantism divided between Presbyterian and Episcopalianism - with only tiny pockets of Catholicism left - mostly in the Highlands!
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Jamie Kelly made a comment
I spiel a similar spiel every time I revisit the religion step, but it always bears repeating for those approaching religion in early modern society.
The topic always comes with at least some controversy. We live in an age where religion is largely separated from politics, society and most of our daily lives. So we often see it in very secular, 'exercise of...
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Jamie Kelly replied to Graham T
Well put, Ann.
We often find that religion provides an important social glue, and mode of social control in historical societies (and still do today). This is something that cannot be overstated, even though, in our modern secular world, religion no longer assumes the importance it once did.
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Also names! Note that patronymics (e.g. John, son of Rory, grandson of John) were used in parallel with clan surnames (e.g. John MacDonald/Iain Mac Dhomhnaill), serving different functions i.e. patronymics emphasised the position of an individual within the clan, while surnames could be adopted to tie an individual to a clan when operating outwith their...
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Jamie Kelly made a comment
I'll be sure to revisit this step when more answers have come in, but the major theme touched on so far is social kinship and bonds. Well picked up on!
Larger, or more dominant, clans often comprehended smaller clans, offering protection and hospitality in exchange for adopting the name of the dominant kindred. Bonds of friendship served as treaties (of...
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Ooh, great question Simon.
One of the big pitfalls in older historiography is presenting clanship and law and order as diametric opposites. But indeed the clans were a largely legal institution – by design and necessity. It was in the interest of a clan chief to work with the government, sometimes to combat rival clans, other times to ensure social...
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We'll get to that in Week 3 i.e. modern media representations of clan society. But I agree – Outlander did a great job with a lot of its presentations!
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This is a wonderful modern-day illustration of the patronymic still working!
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Interesting question, Heather! The clan surname was only one way of identifying an individual and their kin group, and was much more commonly applied by those on the outside looking in.
So the MacDonalds would have known their were Campbells and Camerons to their south, just as Lowlander commentators would know lands predominantly inhabited by these clans....
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Exactly, Thelma. When looking at social systems such as clanship, we need to be wary of (1) assuming they were always destined to fail and (2) projecting romantic ideas backwards.
Putting out critical scholarly hats on, we should be asking how and why clanship worked for so long and how it could adapt.
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Great points, Peter.
With this in mind, it is perhaps to the poets we should look for evidence of the breakdown/decline of clanship – at least as far as chiefly authority goes.
For example, Roderick Morrison’s ‘Oran do Mhac Leoid Dhun Bheagain’ (A Song to MacLeod of Dunvegan) criticises Roderick Macleod, chief from 1693 to 1699, for borrowing money to...
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Quick follow up, but I found a wonderful example:
Roderick Morrison’s ‘Oran do Mhac Leoid Dhun Bheagain’ (A Song to MacLeod of Dunvegan) criticises Roderick Macleod, chief from 1693 to 1699, for borrowing money to finance his purchase of foreign goodies on the security of the MacLeod lands:
Thig e mach as a’bhuth
leis an fhasan as ur bho’n Fhraing, ... -
Great analysis, Sara.
It's important to note – and this will be touched on in coming weeks – that poets could and did deploy verse to criticise those who were seen to shirk their chiefly obligations, and subvert the values of clan society.
While this poem can be read as simpering praise, the fact that many Gaelic poets (from as the 17th C onwards) were...
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That's a very incisive way of presenting it, Mary – straight to the bone.
Forbes *is* very top down in his view – it's all about the allegiance the chief commands, while the agency or wishes of the clansfolk is not considered. They're just the blind, undifferentiated masses, following the big man.
Iain Dubh gives us another perspective – what we're...
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Iain Dubh on the other hand is a key insider for clan society – a poet of the largely Catholic Clanranald branch of the MacDonalds. Yes, the poem aggrandises the chief, pointing to his virtues in maintaining social order and welfare among his people. And of course this does have propagandist value, which would have served to cosy Iain up to the chief.
BUT,...
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Many fantastic and stimulating answers here. Most importantly, both commentators recognised the importance of the relationship between chief and clan.
Most folk have picked up on the descriptive, almost clinical description of clanship given by Duncan Forbes of Culloden. While an insider insofar as he was a local politician who owed allegiance to the Forbes...
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Jamie Kelly replied to Joy Hamilton
Thanks so much Joy! This is all so interesting, and a great starting point :)
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Excellent perspective, Fiona.
Indeed, Forbes is one of these men at the top – an estate owner and a trained lawyer, someone who viewed land not as a resource for sustaining the people, but for raising profit (albeit with the higher purpose of benefitting the country at large).
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Jamie Kelly replied to Jamie Kelly
For those of you who are interested in reading more about women in Gaelic society, I recommend this article by Domhnall Uilleam Stiùbhart: https://atrium.lib.uoguelph.ca/xmlui/handle/10214/1919
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Jamie Kelly made a comment
Some very interesting observations here. A few of you raised questions about women, which is always good to see. You'll see that women were key to things like marriage alliances, really central in the music and poetic culture of clan society, and in the economy.
The lived experience of a women would have been highly dependent on her social status. The...
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Jamie Kelly replied to Jennifer Harkness
Wonderful point, Jennifer. Yes – the key factor here was land: access to land, farming of land and preservation of population on land. As clans grew (in population and military capacity) there was pressure to expand to ensure the resources were available to feed and provide for the clan. And on many occasions, the inexorable growth of a clan (including the...
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Jamie Kelly replied to Joy Hamilton
Very interesting, Joy. We will touch on this in weeks 2 and 3, but there was indeed what could be described as a 'hangover' to clanship. When emigration began in the 1730s, many did travel abroad to preserve their way of life. By the 19th Century, such attempts to preserve or revive 'clan society' were contrived, romanticised and idealistic, often harking back...
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Jamie Kelly replied to Peter McKenna
Great input Peter. This is what is referred to in academic jargon as a 'functionalist' approach to clanship. Rather than looking backwards assuming its ultimate demise, we should look at the institution on its own terms in its own historical concept and ask ourselves how and why it survived so long, and adapted so well to ever-changing circumstances.
And...
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Fair point, Catherine!
You just know that everyone would opt for both – and indeed they'd be right!
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Very sensible, Joy!
These bit are optional – the important thing is that the lessons get you thinking about the weighting of different historical factors :)
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Very welcome piece of analysis, Simon. That is certainly how the Stuart crown would have viewed the matter. The crown aspired to be Primus Inter Pares (first among equals) and perhaps more – and this meant that any opportunity to disrupt MacDonald power would be lunged at!
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Important point, and something that definitely requires consideration, Fiona. Can a crown with imperial pretensions tolerate another power bloc in its backyard? Even if neither is diametrically opposed to the other, it could cause issues in the future.
Themes which still resonate today.
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Excellent, balanced analysis here, Peter. And captures the nuances that can't quite be included in a "this or that" poll!
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Great point! Adds credence to the old adage of "the bigger they are, the harder they fall" as well, Jimmy.
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Jamie Kelly made a comment
Very close result! And very interesting to see folk come down on the side of internal MacDonald division. The first few runs of the course resulted in the opposite – and still to this day, the fall of the Lordship is often laid firmly at the door of Stewart meddling.
Some great observations on the nature of political power. Getting 'too big' or 'too...
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Awk I know! It is always both (: But at this point we're trying to get you to weigh up what you've read and attempt to come down on one side. A bit of an artificial exercise, but if we put "both" as an option, you can bet everyone would opt for it.
Great feedback though, Mireille. We need to keep thinking about ways to optimise the platform, which provide...
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The term 'cadet branch' will often be used to describe smaller clans under the protection of a larger clan. The history is a bit muddy, however. While it is believed that the Clan Craig once had a chief, this has never been recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms. Nevertheless, it is likely that those bearing the surname Craig would have lived under the...
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Jamie Kelly replied to Graham T
Harlaw is an old sticking point between myself (an Aberdonian) and Dr MacKillop, an islander ;)
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Jamie Kelly replied to Jamie Kelly
It is also important to note that language is completely central to understanding clans, the society they created and the world view of people who lived in these communities.
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Jamie Kelly made a comment
Delighted folk are enjoying the audio section of the Gaelic glossary. This is one of the things we added off the back of the first run of this course and from learner feedback.
With this in mind we encourage you to give us feedback whenever you feel it is warranted!
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Jamie Kelly replied to Linda Irwin
@LindaIrwin Hi Linda – if you click the words, they should play for you!
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Jamie Kelly made a comment
The word cloud is looking great – will be interesting to see once more answers come in!
'Family' is the largest single response. But a lot of very different themes emerged - the idea of respect, connection, tradition, security, and genealogy emerge as well. Your responses show already that clans are multi-levelled forms of community. They were about family,...
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There are definitely a few decent Covenanter courses on FutureLearn, Jennifer. But I promise this course will deal with the Covenanters (many Highland clans were supporters of the Covenant) and, after a few lesson steps, you'll actually get to participate in a poll where you can choose which side (Covenanter vs Royalist) you would have taken in the Scottish...
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Mor(r)ison is an interesting one, and there were several different Morrison families across Scotland, including in the Gaelic-speaking Highlands. One of the most famous Gaelic-speaking Morisons in my period (18th Century) was Ruaridh Morison, An Clàrsair Dall – the Blind Harper. He was blind, he was a classically trained Gaelic poet, and (as we shall see) much...
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Delighted to have you along for the ride, Graham. Fàilte!
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Oh – and in terms of origins, I hail from Aberdeenshire, a region with a not-too-distant Gaelic-speaking past.
Many thanks for your many interesting answers. Looking forward to hearing from all of you as the course progresses.
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Jamie Kelly made a comment
I've actually lost count of the number of times I've mentored on this course! But always happy to be here.
Just a little bit about myself to involve myself in the discussion.
I received my PhD from the University of Glasgow in Nov 2020. My thesis looks at the history of education and governance in the 17th and 18th century Highlands. More specifically,...
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Jamie Kelly made a comment
Thank you everyone for such kind comments! Always glad to be teaching this course, and delighted to have all of you along for the journey :)
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Jamie Kelly replied to Mireille Mc Kenven
Delighted to have you joining us from across the water, Mireille! I have family in Montreal – in fact, it's almost cliche for Scots to have family in both Canada and Australia.
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Jamie Kelly made a comment
Good evening everyone! Feasgar math a-huile duine!
Many thanks for joining us for this University of Glasgow/FutureLearn course on the Scottish Highland Clans.
My name is Dr Jamie Kelly, and I’m delighted to be your course mentor over the coming weeks. As he's already let you know, our course leader Dr Andrew Mackillop will be joining us from...
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Jacobitism could be a whole range of things to a lot of different people. Remember the Stuart claimant wasn’t publishing a manifesto each year - indeed, they tended to be careful about what they did say they would do to avoid disenfranchising potential allies.
We can conjecture that the Stuarts would have introduced toleration for Catholics, and maybe given...
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Definitely a mess
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Unholy!?
