Footnotes

'POOR OLD ECCLEFECAN! – CARLYLE'S ANNOTATED COPY OF PATTEN'S HISTORY OF THE JACOBITE RISING OF 1715, read in Chelsea and later given to Louisa Lady Ashburnham. Robert Patten, the book's author, was a Jacobite chaplain who took part in the 'Fifteen both in an active military role and as a spy. He was captured at the Battle of Preston, where he was serving as an aide-de-camp. Thrown into prison in London, he turned king's evidence and became vociferously anti-Jacobite; the present history being one of the fruits of his conversion. Carlyle was of course well aware of this not altogether reputable history. Among the list of those captured at Preston, is entered 'Robert Patten one of the Chaplains, Minister of Allandale, Northumberland: he saved his Life by being an Evidence for the King', against which Carlyle writes "self!". Others of the dozen or so annotations made by Carlyle in this volume covers a range of responses. Some (which we have not counted) consist merely of pencil marks made against notable passage. Others have more to them, as for example: against Patten's account of 'a strong Detachment of Horse sent in the Night for Achilfichan' (his birthplace) Carlyle writes "poor old Ecclefechan! end of Octr 1715"; against the passage 'Here Mr Patten, being acquainted with the Country', he has written simply "Ego!"; against Patten's mention of the appalling Colonel Charteris, he has written "a beautiful man he! – "; against an anecdote told about Cromwell's near capture he snorts "Nonsense!"; and against Patten's asservation that the Highlanders have the 'unlucky Custom' of going home after battle, Carlyle points out "It is because they fling off their plaids on going into fight; and so, if beaten, are naked, -- says Marshal Keith".

The book bears clear evidence of having been given by Carlyle to his friend Louisa, Lady Ashburnham. She was the second wife of the second Lord Ashburnham, widower of Carlyle's beloved Harriet who had died in 1857. Louisa Ashburnham was chiefly responsible for building Melchet Court, begun in 1865 and completed in 1879, where this volume was to end up. Alongside Carlyle's original inked ownership inscription made in 1860, he has written in pencil "p.78". Turning to p. 78, we find the longest of his annotations, entered against Patten's account of Lord Seaforth: "The Seaforth, I find, was living in Caithness; compelling & persuading all the world there to rise in mass; for wh reason, as Sherrif Muir bro.t all that to nothing, he is little mentioned by Patten or the others...". Louisa was a direct descendant of the fourth Earl of Seaford, father of the fifth Earl, 'Black William' Mackenzie, subject of the note. Her mother was daughter and heir of the last Seaford and head of the clan Mackenzie.