History Scotland Magazine: Review - Montrose: Cavalier in Mourning, re-print, Ronald Williams

Montrose: Cavalier in Mourning, re-print

Ronald Williams

House of Lochar, Isle of Colonsay, 2001. ISBN: 1 899863 59 1 443 pages, 7 b/w illustrations, 11 maps, pb 17.99

The eventful life of James Graham, the 5th Earl and 1st Marquis of Montrose (1612-50) has attracted many historians over the centuries. A contemporary of the marquis, George Wishart, published a biography as early as 1647. Since then, the accounts of Mark Napier, John Buchan, C.V. Wedgwood, and latterly, Edward J. Cowans definitive study, have added considerably to what has become a vast body of literature on the subject of this most controversial of mid-seventeenth century Scottish army commanders. One unforeseen consequence of this attention, has been a more recent attempt by scholars to shift the focus away from his figure, towards gaining an understanding of other aspects of the royalist response in Scotland during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms of 1638-60. It is now widely accepted that progress in this field may have been hindered due to the surfeit of attention paid to Montrose, particularly his career in the mid-1640s. This was a point that emerged from David Stevensons accounts of Alasdair MacColla, a scion of Clan Donald South. MacColla proved to be a highly successful warlord in his own right, and, along with his bands of Gaelic soldiery, is now commonly perceived as having been equally, if not more responsible for the string of dramatic battlefield victories achieved by the marquiss army over the forces of the Covenanters during an eleven month period from September 1644 through to August 1645. Stevensons studies and others have also highlighted some other, neglected features of that period. In particular, a more detailed understanding of the actions of the rural magnates and intellectuals of the north-east, and the reasons for their participation (or lack of) in the Montrose-MacColla campaign, would add considerably to current knowledge.

Despite these efforts, Montrose, in all his complexity, continues to attract readers in 2002, as he did in 1975, when Williams book was first published. For instance, Wedgwoods accessible study from 1952 was reprinted as recently as 1998, while Buchans and Tranters imaginative versions of the story continue to sell. Williams joins these writers in being a great enthusiast for his subject. At over 400 pages long, on its first appearance this book must have seemed an original and spirited attempt to assess the career of this equally loved and loathed individual.

Things look a little different today. It re-emerges in identical form now, 27 years on, and thus suffers from the fact that it has not been revised to take account of some of the important developments in research since then. This is despite the fact that Williams himself has published several books in the interim on Clan Donald, Clan Campbell and other themes, through House of Lochar, the Colonsay-based publishers who have chosen to go with this reprint. For specialist readers, a new introduction, or at least a foreword, might have been a useful addition, in that it would have provided the author with a chance to reassess his earlier conclusions, in the light of the findings of Cowan, Stevenson and others. Another possible weakness in the text is the authors lack of consultation of some of the most significant original manuscripts. Williams makes reference to many archival sources (eg. the Montrose Charter Chest, the Breadalbane MS. and Wodrow MSS) but in most cases he seems to have relied on printed versions, particularly the voluminous documents published by Napier. This is a pity, since it seems likely that these and other primary sources, if analysed with greater objectivity than was often the case amongst earlier biographers, might still shed some new light on the subject.

That said, these problems should not disguise from the fact that this book is a gripping read that deserves a wider audience. Throughout the narrative, Williams is unable to conceal a strong sympathy towards the cause of his subject, yet is careful to show sensitivity in his coverage of difficult topics such as Montroses early support for the National Covenant, the tense relationship with Archibald Campbell, the 8th earl of Argyll, that led to his signing of the Cumbernauld Band in 1640, through to his emergence the following year on the opposing side, supporting Charles I. More generally, the author provides a colourful, enjoyable account, but one which never veers far from the material evidence. Williams ability to evoke an atmosphere through, for example, the use of literary sources, is outstanding. Hence the narrative although complex, remains easy to follow throughout. Particularly strong in this sense are the sections on the battles of 1644-5. The descriptions of the royalist victories at Inverlochy and Auldearn are especially vivid and memorable, while the progress of the entire campaign down to 1650 is traceable through the inclusion of some helpful maps. Another useful chapter is that on Montroses childhood and university education. Unfortunately, it remains frustrating that much of the detail of the young earls first trip to the continent from 1633 to 1636 remains obscure. His experiences there, coming at the midpoint of the Thirty Years War of 1618-1648, must have been hugely influential on his character, and perhaps on his later military strategy.

Accounts of Montrose are rarely dry affairs, and this book is no different in that respect. Academic readers will be disappointed if they open it expecting an assessment of current work in the field. However, others will enjoy a beautifully-written account of one of the most dramatic stories in Scotlands past.

David Worthington,
National University of Ireland, Maynooth.