Tales and Artefacts of James MacPherson from The Clan MacPherson Museum
James MacPherson was the illegitimate son of a Highland Laird and his mother a beautiful Gypsy girl. He was hung at the gallows in Banff on November 16th 1700, for being a Gypsy, only eight days after his capture.
In 1701, MacPherson’s Lament was printed on a broadside, and in 1788 Robert Burns published his own version of the famous ballad, calling it MacPherson’s Farewell. Sir Walter Scott later wrote his own account of MacPherson’s tale.
The Clan MacPherson Museum, Rhona Ramsay, The University of Stirling, Maggie MacPhee, Dr Jo Clement, Eilidh McLeod, and Article 12 in Scotland worked together on this project to revive the story of Jamie MacPherson.
Tellers of Wirds
Photos of James MacPherson’s fiddle courtesy of The Clan Macpherson MuseumMacPherson’s fiddle
Some come here to buy my fiddle
And others tae see me dee
Afore I ever gie my fiddle
I’ll brak it oer my knee
This verse is from a version of Macpherson’s Lament collected from Traveller, Lucy Stewart, in 1955.
Gypsies and Travellers have rich cultures of sharing words as stories, songs and ballads. The Law against the Egiptians states they are “tellers of wirds”.
James MacPherson sung a lament as he played his fiddle below the gallows, he then offered his fiddle to anyone who would claim kinship with him, when nobody came forward, he broke the fiddle over his knee.
Wha hingt Macpherson?
Photos of the Banff Town Clock courtesy of The Clan MacPherson MuseumThe Banff Town Clock
The reprieve was coming oer the brig o Banff
When they stood on the Galla Hill to see
They put the clock three-quarters fast
And hanged him tae a tree
This verse is from a version of the Lament collected from Travellers in the twentieth century.
It is said that a reprieve, possibly secured by his mother or sweetheart, was expected to arrive on the morning of Macpherson’s execution. To ensure that he was hanged, his enemies are said to have put the Banff town clock forward to ensure he was executed.
To this day, the insult – who hanged Macpherson – is still directed at folk from Banff.
Rob Roy of the North
Photos of a replica of James MacPherson’s sword courtesy of The Clan MacPherson MuseumMacpherson’s sword
Untie those bands from off my hands
And bring tae me a sword
There’s no a man in a Scotland
But I’ll brave him at his word
These lines from Burns’ Macpherson’s Farewell’ reflect the accusation within the trial that Macpherson would go ‘up and doun the country armed’.
This is a replica of a sword, which is said to have belonged to James Macpherson. Tales of Macpherson taking from the rich to give to the poor have meant he has sometimes been given the title Rob Roy of the North.
Photographs are credited to The Clan MacPherson Museum, Newtonmore, the Highlands of Scotland.
(Maggie McPhee stands with the fiddle)If you would like to read Maggie McPhee’s version of James MacPherson’s life from his mother’s perspective, you can see it here: Heartbreak Through Her Eyes
Maggie’s writing will soon be a part of the display of the fiddle at The Clan MacPherson Museum, a wonderful inclusion of James MacPherson’s Traveller heritage in the interpretation of the artefacts.