Note 454 — NEIL MACEACHAIN’S NARRATIVE OF THE WANDERINGS OF PRINCE CHARLES IN THE HEBRIDES

Allan Macdowell is a mistake for Macdonell or rather Macdonald, as his name is afterwards correctly spelled. He was a ‘native of the Isles’ and a clansman of Clanranald’s; he went out with the clan as chaplain when the standard was raised, and continued with the army until the end of the campaign. He also acted as confessor to the Prince. He and Æneas M‘Gillis, the chaplain of Glengarry’s men, were the only priests that accompanied the Highlanders to Prestonpans. They wore the Highland dress, with sword and pistol, and were styled captains. At the battle of Falkirk Mr. Macdonald rode along the line and gave his blessing, which the Catholics received kneeling. From Culloden he accompanied the Prince in his flight and in the earlier part of his wanderings, leaving him at Scalpa. Later on he was apprehended in South Uist, and sent with some other priests to London in Ferguson’s ship the Furness. He and four other clergymen were examined by the Duke of Newcastle, who informed them that they might leave the country on finding bail for £1000 each not to return. They pointed out that the bail was quite beyond their power, on which the Duke smilingly replied that they were honest men and he would take each man’s bail for the other. Macdonald went to Paris, and in 1748 to Rome, where he lived for many years. (Bishop Geddes’s MS.) I do not know if he ever returned.