Memoirs of the War Carried on in Scotland and Ireland, 1689–1691 (1833) - Searchable PDF & Surname Index

Uncover Your Ancestors in the Primary-Source Chronicle of the 1689–1691 Scottish Highland & Irish Wars

Originally printed at Edinburgh in March 1833 for the aristocratic Bannatyne Club from original manuscripts in the Advocates' Library and the charter-chest of the Earl of Leven and Melville, Memoirs of the War Carried on in Scotland and Ireland (M.DC.LXXXIX.–M.DC.XCI.) by Lieutenant-General Hugh Mackay of Scowry (c. 1640–1692) is one of the rarest and most important primary sources for late-17th-century Scottish, Highland, and Irish family history. Written by King William III's Commander-in-Chief in Scotland—himself a Highlander of the noble house of Mackay, Lord Reay, in Sutherland—this volume combines Mackay's personal campaign memoirs with 78 original military and state letters (1689–1690) that record hundreds of Highland clan chiefs, Lowland lairds, regimental officers, dragoons, prisoners of war, and fallen soldiers' widows during a turbulent era when parish kirk registers across northern Scotland and Ulster are frequently missing or incomplete.

What's Inside This Enhanced Fairbairn's Crests Digital Edition:

• Complete 388-Page Archival Digital Edition: Includes 4 pages of newly written Fairbairn's Crests Front Matter (Pages i–iv), all 373 retained pages of the original 1833 Edinburgh quarto volume, and a newly compiled 11-page Back-of-Book Alphabetical Surname, Clan, Parish & Regiment Index.
• Pure White (#FFFFFF) Archival Page Restoration: Every retained historical page has been professionally cleaned and whitened to a crisp, pure white (#FFFFFF) background with high-contrast dark ink—completely removing the heavy brown paper tint, foxing, 11 blank flyleaves/versos, and the institutional Wellcome Library stamp page while preserving William Barnard's 1833 frontispiece portrait engraving of General Mackay and the 1690 Old Meldrum autograph letter facsimile.
• Every-Word Searchable OCR Layer (Modern & Archaic Spellings): Embedded invisible OCR text across all 388 pages allows instant Ctrl+F / Cmd+F searches for both original 17th-century spellings (including medial long-s forms like Livingfton, Ramfay, and Inuernefs) and normalized modern surname and place spellings.
• 456-Entry Alphabetical Surname & Place Index: Newly compiled Back-of-Book Research Index cataloging 288 surnames, clan chiefs, regimental officers, and Bannatyne Club members alongside 168 parishes, castles, straths, passes, rivers, naval vessels, and military regiments, complete with exact Printed-to-PDF Page Offset conversion formulas.
• Four Major Historical & Genealogical Divisions in One Volume: (1) Memoirs Touching the Scots War, 1689–1690 (pp. 1–124); (2) Mémoires Touchant la Dernière Campagne d'Irlande, 1691 (pp. 125–168); (3) Lettres ou Dépêches Écrites au Roy Guillaume III et au Comte de Portland, 1690 (pp. 169–217); and (4) Appendix of 78 Original Letters Relative to Military Affairs in Scotland, 1689–1690 (pp. 221–359), plus the complete 1833 Membership Roll of the 100 peers, judges, and antiquaries of the Bannatyne Club.

Historical & Regional Overview

Spanning the length and breadth of Scotland north and south of the Tay as well as the decisive battlefields of Williamite Ireland, General Mackay's memoirs and dispatches document every stage of the first Jacobite Rising against William and Mary. Researchers will find firsthand accounts of the siege and capitulation of Edinburgh Castle under the Duke of Gordon; the pursuit of John Graham of Claverhouse, Viscount Dundee, through Angus, Kincardine O'Neil, Strathbogie, Elgin, Forres, Inverness, Strathspey, and Badenoch; the uncovering of the Jacobite treason plot among the officers of Sir Thomas Livingston's Dragoons at Colnakyle; and the bloody clash at the Pass of Killiecrankie in Athole on 27 July 1689, where Viscount Dundee was slain and Mackay's brother (Lt.-Col. Robert Mackay) and Brigadier Barthold Balfour fell. The narrative and correspondence further chronicle the heroic defense of Dunkeld by Lt.-Col. William Cleland's Cameronian Regiment (the Earl of Angus's foot), Sir Thomas Livingston's rout of Major-General Buchan and Brigadier Cannon at the Haughs of Cromdale on 1 May 1690, Major William Ferguson and Captain Edward Pottinger's naval expedition to the Isle of Mull aboard H.M.S. Dartmouth, and Mackay's construction of Fort William at Innerlochy in Lochaber in July 1690.

In the second half of the volume, Mackay's French memoirs of the 1691 Irish Campaign provide an extraordinary operational record of the Allied army under General Godert de Ginkel, the Duke of Württemberg, the Marquis de Ruvigny, Major-General Tettau, and Major-General Tollemache—tracing the march from Dublin and Mullingar to the capture of Ballymore, the daring June 1691 storming of the River Shannon ford at Athlone, the decisive victory at the Battle of Aughrim on 12 July 1691, and the capitulation of Galway and Limerick. For genealogists, the 78 Appendix letters from the Leven and Melville muniments—including Sir James Leslie's December 1689 intelligence muster of the Jacobite clans north and south of Loch Ness and General Mackay's pension petitions for the widows and wounded officers of Killiecrankie—offer irreplaceable proof of kinship, landholding, and military service.

Surnames & Families Indexed in This Volume:

Aberdeen, Adam, Annandale (Johnstone), Appin (Stewart), Ardkinglas (Campbell), Argyle / Argyll (Campbell), Arnault, Arran (Douglas-Hamilton), Ashintully / Ashuntily (Spalding), Athole / Atholl (Murray), Balfour (Ballfour), Ballechin / Balleachan / Baleuchan (Stewart), Ballindalloch / Ballandalach (Grant), Balnagown / Balnagowen (Ross), Bannatyne, Barclay (Barcklay / Berckley), Bargany / Bargeny (Hamilton), Barnard, Baxter, Bayne (Tulloch), Belhaven / Balhaven (Hamilton), Bell, Bellasyse (Bellasis), Bennet (Grubet), Bentinck (Portland), Beveridge (Bevrish / Beuuridge), Bie (de Bie), Binny (Hamilton), Blair, Blantyre / Blantire (Stuart), Blathwayt (Blaithwait), Bliss, Bohun, Borthwick, Breadalbane / Broadalbin / Braidalbin (Campbell), Brewer (Bruer), Brodie, Bruce, Buccleuch (Scott), Buchan, Burnet, Calder / Cawdor / Caldell (Campbell), Caley, Callendar / Calender (Livingston), Cameron (Lochiel / Locheyl / Laugheale), Campbell, Cannon (Canon / Cannan), Cardross / Cardrofs (Erskine), Carnegie (Southesk), Chambers, Chisholm (Chiesolm), Churchill (Marlborough), Clanranald / Glenrannald (Macdonald), Cleland, Clerk, Cluny (Macpherson), Cockburn, Colchester (Savage), Collier, Columbine (Colombin), Condé, Constable, Corehouse (Cranstoun), Corrimony / Corremonie (Grant), Coul / Coull (Mackenzie), Coventry, Craig, Cranstoun, Crawford / Craford / Crafurd (Lindsay), Creighton (Crighton / Creichton), Cromwell, Culloden / Colodin (Forbes), Cunningham (Cunninghame / Cuningham), Dalhousie (Ramsay), Dalrymple (Stair / Staires), Dennistoun, Douglas, Doune / Downe (Stuart), Drumlanrig / Drumlenrig (Douglas), Drummond (Perth), Duff (Duf), Duffus (Sutherland), Dumbarton (Douglas), Dundas, Dundee / Dundie (Graham of Claverhouse / Clevers), Dunfermline / Dumfermling (Seton), Durie (Duree), Edinglassie (Gordon), Eglinton / Eglingtoun (Montgomerie), Elphinstone (Elphiston), Eppinger, Erle (Earle), Erskine (Araskin / Mar / Cardross), Farquharson (Inverey / Innerey), Fascally / Fascaly (Robertson), Ferguson (Fergufon), Fergusson, Fielding (Feelding), Flahault, Fletcher (Sletcher), Forbes, Forêt (Laforest), Foulis (Foules), Fraser (Fraiser / Frazer / Friser / Lovat), Fullerton (Foulerton), Ginkel (Ghinckle / Ghinekell), Glencairn / Glenkairne (Cunningham), Glencoe / Glenco (Macdonald), Glengarry / Glengary / Glengarie (Macdonald), Glenlyon (Campbell), Gordon, Gott, Graham (Claverhouse / Inchbrakie / Montrose), Grant, Gray, Grenville, Grubet (Bennet), Guthrie, Haddington (Hamilton), Hall, Halyburton (Pitcur / Pitkur), Hamilton, Hastings (Haftings), Hawley (Hauly), Hay, Hayford, Herbert, Hesse-Darmstadt, Hill, Hog, Holtzappel (Holtsapel), Home / Hume (Polwarth / Polwart), Hope, Innes, Inverey / Innerey (Farquharson), Inverurie / Innerurie (Keith), Irving, Ivory, Jackson (Jackfon), Jameson, Jamieson, Jardine, Jeffrey, Johnstone (Annandale), Juel (Joel), Keay, Keith (Kintore / Inverurie), Kennedy, Kenmure / Kenmore (Gordon), Keppoch / Kepoch (Macdonald), Kerr (Newbattle / Lothian), Kinloch, Kinnear, Kinnoull (Hay), Kintore (Keith), Kirke (Kirck), Laing, Lamy, Lanier (Laniere / Laneir), Lauder (Lawder / Laudor / Lauther), Lauderdale (Maitland), Lee, Leinster / Leynster (Schomberg), Leith, Leslie (Leflie / Lefly), Leven / Levin (Melville), Leveson (Levison), Lindsay (Crawford), Livingston (Livingfton / Levingfton / Levinston), Lochiel (Cameron), Lockhart, Lothian (Kerr), Lovat / Lovet / Lowet (Fraser), Lyon (Strathmore), Macdonald (M'Donnald / Glengarry / Keppoch / Glencoe / Sleat / Clanranald / Morar), Macfarlane, Mackay (M'Kay / M'kai / Makay / Scowry / Lord Reay), Mackenzie (M'Kenzie / Seaforth / Tarbat / Coul / Redcastle), Mackintosh (Mackentoish), Maclean (Macklean / M'Lean), Macleod (Macleud), Macpherson (Cluny), Madden, Maidment, Maitland, Mar / Marr (Erskine), Marlborough (Churchill), Maxwell (Maxuel / Pollok), Meldrum (Urquhart), Melville (Melvill / Melvil / Leven), Menzies (Weem / Weemb), Miller, Minto (Elliot), Monck, Moncreiff, Montgomerie (Eglinton), Montrose (Graham), Morar / Murrar (Macdonald), Morton (Douglas), Munro / Monro / Monroe (Culrain), Murray (Athole / Blackbarony / Elibank), Nairne, Napier, Nassau, Newbattle / Newbottle (Kerr), O'Donnell (O'Donel), Ormelie (Campbell), Palgrave, Panmure (Maule), Pereira (Pereras), Perth (Drummond), Petrie, Pitcairn, Pitcur / Pitkur (Halyburton), Pollok (Maxwell), Polwarth (Hume), Portland (Bentinck), Pottinger, Pringle, Provensal, Queensberry (Douglas), Ramsay (Ramfay), Reay / Rae (Mackay), Redcastle / Redcastel (Mackenzie), Reid, Richardson, Robertson (Struan / Fascally), Rollo (Rolo of Woodside), Rooke, Ross (Rofs / Rosse / Balnagown), Rosslyn (Erskine), Rutherfurd, Ruvigny (Ruvignie), Saint-Ruth (St. Ruth), Savage (Colchester), Schomberg (Shonberg), Scravenmore (Shravemoer), Seaforth / Seafort (Mackenzie), Selkirk (Douglas), Seton (Dunfermline), Shepherd, Sinclair, Skene, Sleat / Slait (Macdonald), Smythe, Solms (Solmes), Southesk (Carnegie), Spalding (Ashintully), Spencer, Spottiswoode, Stair / Stairs (Dalrymple), Stewart / Stuart (Appin / Ballechin / Blantyre / Castle Stuart), Strathmore (Lyon), Strathnaver / Stranever (Gordon), Straton, Struan / Strouan (Robertson), Sutherland (Southerland / Gordon), Tarbat / Tarbet / Tarbot (Mackenzie), Tessé, Tettau (Tetau), Thomson, Tollemache (Talmash / Talmoush), Trench (Trenche), Trevelyan, Tulloch (Bayne), Turenne, Tytler, Urquhart (Meldrum), Van der Esch, Van Hill, Villiers (Vilars), Vittinghoff (Vitkimhof), Warrender, Wauchope (Wachop), Weem / Weemb (Menzies), Winram (Windrome), Wishart (Wifheart), Wolseley (Woufly), Wrangham, Württemberg (Virtemberg).

Parishes, Townships, Castles, Regiments & Settlements Indexed:

Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Abergeldie Castle, Aboyne Castle, Alnwick, Angus (Forfarshire), Arbroath (Ardbroth), Argyllshire, Athlone, Athole (Atholl), Athenry, Aughrim, Badenoch, Balgonie (Balgeignie), Ballinasloe, Ballindalloch Castle (Bala Castle), Ballymore (Balimer), Balquhidder (Bochoider / Buchoider), Balvenie Castle (Balvany), Banagher (Banaker), Banff, Banffshire, Bass Rock, Belfast, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Blackness Castle, Blair Castle (Blair Atholl), Bogie River, Bognie, Bommel (Zaltbommel), Bo'ness (Borrowstounness), Brabant, Braemar (Braemar Castle), Brahan Castle (Braan), Brechin, Burntisland, Cairn o' Mount (Cairnmonth), Caithness, Cameronian Regiment (Earl of Angus's Foot), Camsmore, Canongate, Capel Mounth, Carlisle, Cashel, Castle Gordon, Castle Leod (Cultayleud), Castle Menzies (Weem), Castle Stalker (Islandstalker), Castle Stuart, Chanonry of Ross (Fortrose), Chester, Clonmel, Clova, Clunie, Colnakyle (Culnakeill), Corriehalloch, Cromar, Cromdale (Haughs of Cromdale), Culloden House, Cupar Angus, Cupar of Fife, Danish Royal Forces, H.M.S. Dartmouth, Dee River, Doune, Drumakill, Drummond Castle, Drumochter Pass, Dublin, Dumbarton Castle, Dumbarton's Regiment (Royal Scots), Dunblane, Dundee, Dunkeld, Dunstaffnage Castle, Earn Water, Edinburgh, Edinburgh Castle, Edinglassie House, Elgin, Enniskillen (Inch-killin), Erchless Castle (Eclass), Falkirk, Fettercairn, Finlarig Castle (Finlarie), Flanders, Forfar, Forres, Fort William (Innerlochy / Inderlochy), Forth River (Firth of Forth), Galway, Garva (Garvamore), Gelders (Gueldres), Glasgow, Glenelg, Glenisla, Glenlivet, Glenmoriston, Glenogilvy, Glen Roy, Glenshee, Glen Spean, Grampian Mountains, Greenock, The Hague, Hampton Court, Holland House, Holyroodhouse, Inverkeithing, Inverness, Killiecrankie Pass, Kilkenny, Kilsyth, Kincardine O'Neil, Kensington Palace, Kintail, Kintyre, Kirkcudbright, Knoydart, Lanesborough, Leith, Limerick, Linlithgow, Lochaber, Loch Derg, Loch Foyle, Lochgarry, Loch Ness, Loch Tay, London, Londonderry, Loughrea, Mearns (Kincardineshire), Meelick (Melicks), Menteith (Monteith), Meuse River, Mons, Montrose, Moray (Murray), Morpeth, Moulinearn (Mouillons), Isle of Mull, Mullingar (Molingar), Mount Talbot, Newmarket, Northwater Bridge, Old Meldrum, Perth (St. Johnstoun), Perthshire, Portumna, Rannoch, Roscrea, Ross-shire, Ruthven Castle in Badenoch, Scotch-Dutch Brigade, Scoury (Scowry), Seneffe, Shannon River, Isle of Skye, Spey River, Steinkirk, Stirling, Stirling Castle, Strathardle, Strathaven, Strathbogie (Huntly), Strathdee, Strathdon, Strathdown, Strathearn, Stratherrick, Strathglass, Strathnaver, Strathspey, Streamstown, Suck River, Suie Hill, Sutherland, Tay River, Strath Tay, Thurles, Urquhart Castle (Vrquett), Waal River, Whitehall, Yorkshire.