Ancestral Lines of Chester Everts Howell - (PDF ... - Adkinshorton.net

Archibald the IX Chief (1675-1763) was called Gillesp-na-Crannaich; is describedas a close-fisted but respected church-active Presbyterian. In the "trouble of 1745"he was not of course of the same faith as Prince Charlie but many of his neighborswere. Called upon to support the government and not of an age expected himself toserve, he sent a substitute, supplying the arms to Duncan ban Maclntyre, theScottish bard. The sword was lost on Falkirk battlefield; Gillesp refused to pay forthe poet's services. Whereupon in retaliation was composed by him "The Song ofthe Sword of Fletcher, " a Gaelic song highly uncomplimentary both to the weaponand its owner. Translation of part:"Then I homeward wended--To Gillespie of the OldWood where he raged as savage minded as a graybrock in his hold would at his loss great was hisworry The heirloom claymore of hisgranddad Mickle iron with edge full littlebending, starting & fell brittle; Bruised it left myhip e'er after Twas heavy as an alder rafter. "Living as a neighbor in the Glen was the chief of the Macgregor Clan, Rob Roy,made famous by Walter Scott; in his novel (1893 edition p.xxvi) Rob's trustedLieutenant is pictured as a John MacCanlister. This John is supposed to have beenthe second son of the 8th chief, a brother of Gillesp. He was later called John ofInveroran. In the historical collection of Ian Fletcher of Dunans, is a whistle thataccording to the story, once belonged to Rob Roy. Dunans is near Glendaruel,Argyll.Interest in John of Inveroran is due to the fact that Alexander Fletcher ofOntario in 1846 willed "the old Inverora sword" to his eldest son John. SeveralScottish place names begin with "Inver" but still other factors suggest that Alexander'sprized weapon came from Inveroran. Argyll is a large shire and if it werenot for the special mention in the will of the sword, attention would not have beendrawn to this place. In the account of the Fletcher family of Glenorchy that is to befound in the Library of Congress (the 1916 edition of J. C. C. Fletcher's) no mentionis made of any son of John of Inveroran except that of John (Jr. ) To fit into ourrecords it would be necessary that John of Inveroran should also have had a sonArchibald born sometime between 1698 and 1749 who survived long enough to have ason born 1769. Parish records did not help-did not even show the baptism of JohnJr. (born in 1727 according to other records.)However, the name Archibald as a son of John Fletcher of Inveroran, wassupplied in John MacGregor's Collection (of the history of the Clans occupying theGlen of Orchy, Argyll from earliest times). To a large extent the same recordsare in Sir Angus Fletcher's Collection at East Hampton, L.I.This Archibald Fletcher was born about 1725 and died in 1796, leaving a sum ofmoney in care of the Church, interest from which was given to Flora Fletcher forseveral years. MacGregor's records do not name her as his wife. But her nameis found in our own Fletcher Sketch written by her greatgrandson. The MacGregorpapers say both Archibald and his son Angus lived 'for some time' at Ardbrecknishjust south of Glen Orchy and east of Loch Awe. In 1813 Angus the son erected stonesfor his son Ronald and for Archibald. These stones, like all others but one in this104