Artefacts For The Clan Museum

This small gold portrait badge or brooch depicts Prince Charles Edward Stuart, Bonnie Prince Charlie himself. Another photograph of it, shot against Robertson Hunting tartan as background, takes pride of place on the 2020 Clan Annual. Expert antiquarian opinion dates the badge to 1745, the year of the final great Jacobite rising. Tradition says that these rare badges, this one being of very fine quality, were struck in Edinburgh immediately after the publication of the famous contemporary engraving by Sir Robert Strange, showing the Prince with the symbols of the Orders of both the Garter and the Thistle. The brooch mount, of lesser quality gold, undoubtedly dates to the much later Victorian era, probably 1860/1870. By that time, the open wearing of this particular image would no longer have risked the life of its wearer, as would surely have been the case in the aftermath of the failure of the Jacobite risings.

Expert opinion dates this blade, or at least its principal ‘working part’, to the very late 17th century, probably about 1690. This is the blade of what is a dirk, the Scottish stabbing knife the smaller version of which, the sgian dubh, was and still is worn in the stocking, while this larger and more deadly version was worn at the belt. The blade is of particular interest to our Clan because of the engravings on either side, which it is thought were probably added some time after the blade itself was made.

One side bears the single word REDEAT, which is Latin for ‘May He Return’. This is a reference, well-known to experts on Jacobite era memorabilia, to the hope of their supporters for the return to their country and to the throne first of the exiled James, ‘The Old Pretender’, and then of his son Bonnie Prince Charlie. This addition is thought likely to have been made for one of the two great 18th century risings, 1715 or 1745. The other side bears the inscription I. Robertson, so the dirk clearly belonged to one of our Clansmen. The letter ‘I’ could represent either an ‘I’ or a ‘J’, Iacobus (for example) being the Latin equivalent of James.

Adding to the interest of the dirk blade is the ornate ivory or bone handle, considered quite likely to be ‘continental’. It is thought to have been added/substituted some time after the blade and its likely simpler original handle were made. The leather scabbard with its silver fitting is also probably not the original one. It is fascinating to speculate whether the dirk’s owner may have spent time in exile in Continental Europe, perhaps even in France and – who knows – perhaps even at one time in the company of the Poet Chief himself.

This travelling fiddle was found in the captured coach of General Sir John Cope, Commander of the Government army defeated by the Jacobite clansmen at the Battle of Prestonpans. Their elderly Chief was too old to lead his clansmen into battle so his cousin Donald Robertson of Woodsheal took his place. The old Chief was present as a spectator.

Cope's coach and its contents was given to the Clan Donnachaidh as part of their reward for their role in the victory. They installed their old Chief in the coach and took him home. Four miles from the Chief’s home the road finished so the Clansmen took off the wheels and carried him the rest of the way, still in the coach!

Among the items in the coach was the General's travelling fiddle.