A desire for revenge—such after the
defeat of Culloden, was one of the motives stimulating the conduct of
High-landers with regard to France. Trusting to their swords and
well-tempered dirks, they sought their fortunes on American soil, readily
entering into the scheme to dislodge the French from Louisbourg and
Quebec; in this deadly encounter, the ardent Scot shewed himself as true
in his allegiance to Britain, as he had been to France when his faith was
plighted and his arm raised, to smite the then traditional enemy of
France—England. We are not however
France. There are Guillaume Hay, Jacques Scrimgour, Helis de Guevremont (Kinrinmond)
Andrien Stievart Guillebert, Sidrelant (Sutherland), Alexandre de Jervin (Girvin)
Jehan de Miniez (Menzies), Nicholas Chambers, Sieur de Guerche, Coninglant
(Cunningham), Jean de Hume, George de Ramesay, Gohory (Gowrie or Govrie)
DeGlais (Douglas), D’Hendresson, Mauricon, Dromont (Drummond), Crafort
(Crawford), Leviston (Livingston) Bercy, Locart, Tournebulle, Moncrif,
Devillencon or D’Aillencon (Williamson) Maxuel, Herrison (Henryson),
Doddes, DeLisle (Leslie), DeLauzun (Lawson), D’Espence (Spence), Sinson
(Simpson), &c., &c. The Blackwoods play a distinguished part, and there
are also Thomas de Houston, seigueur and Robert Pittcloch, a Dundee man,
and many others. These exiles from their native land, in fact regenerated
France, at a time when the national pulse beat so feebly as to forbode
dissolution, the hardy sons of the north impregnated the veins of France
with their own vigorous Scotch blood. Like the Normans of England
centuries before, the Scot colony "was received as a sort of aristocracy
by race or caste; and hence it became to be a common practice for those
who were at a loss for a pedigree to find their way to some adventurous
Scot, and stop there, just as, both in France and in England, it was
sufficient to say that one’s ancestors came in with the Normans."—(The
Scot Abroad, Vol. 1, Page 93.)
In all biographies of the great
Colbert, he is said to be of Scottish descent. Moreri says that his
ancestor’s tomb is at Rheims; Sully, whose family name was Bethune.
Scottish enough of itself, though to trace relationship with the Beatons.
Moliere, to disguise the vulgarity of his pantronymic which was Poquelin,
suggested noble descent from a Scot. Mr. Burton mentions that some Scots,
who were petty landed proprietors in later times, found it to their
advantage to use the prefix "de" before the name of their petty holding.
John Law, of Lauriston, is a case in point, and the most ludicrous was an
invented title palmed off upon Richelieu. Monteith’s father was a
fisherman upon the Forth, and when the Cardinal asked him to what branch
of the Monteith’s he belonged, the candidate for patronage boldly replied
"Monteith de Salmonet."—(RATTRAY’s Scot in British North American, page
213.)]