Alan Breck Stewart facts for kids
Alan Breck Stewart (whose name in Scottish Gaelic was Ailean Breac Stiùbhart) lived from about 1711 to 1791. He was a Scottish soldier and a Jacobite. Jacobites were people who supported the return of the Stuart royal family to the throne of Great Britain. Alan Breck Stewart became famous because he was involved in a mysterious event that inspired popular novels by famous writers like Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson.
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Alan Breck Stewart's Adventures
Alan Stewart and his brothers grew up with a relative named James of the Glen in a place called Appin, Scotland. This was part of a Highland tradition where children were sometimes raised by other family members. Alan got the nickname "Breck" because it meant "spotted" in Gaelic. His face had marks from a sickness called smallpox.
In 1745, Alan Stewart joined the British Army. This was just before a big event called the Jacobite rising of 1745. During this time, people who supported the Stuart royal family tried to take back the throne. Alan fought in a battle called Battle of Prestonpans. But then, he decided to leave the British Army and join the Jacobites instead.
After the Jacobites lost a major battle called Battle of Culloden, Alan had to escape to France. He joined a Scottish group in the French Army. Later, he was sent back to Scotland. His job was to collect money for the exiled Jacobite leaders and to find new soldiers for the French king.
The Appin Mystery
On May 14, 1752, a royal agent named Colin Roy Campbell of Glenure was killed. He was in charge of collecting rents from the Stewart family lands. Alan Stewart had previously said he would harm Glenure and had asked about his plans for that day. Because of this, the authorities wanted to arrest Alan. However, he managed to get away.
Alan was put on trial even though he wasn't there. He was found guilty and sentenced to death. His foster father, James, was also found guilty of helping with the crime and was hanged. Later investigations suggested that Alan Stewart might not have been the person who committed the crime.
The British government was worried that Jacobites might start attacking their agents. They also feared that old rivalries between the Campbell and Stewart families might start again. The hanging of James of the Glen made the Stewart family even more unhappy. But in the local area, especially after he appeared in books, Alan Breck Stewart was seen as a brave and romantic figure.
No one knows for sure what happened to Alan Stewart after the trial. One popular story, told by Sir Walter Scott, says he went back to fight for France. He supposedly fought against the British in North America during the French and Indian War. Another story, passed down through the Stewart family, says he went to Ireland and started a farm. Many Stewart descendants live in Ireland today.
Alan Breck's Prestonpans Volunteer Regiment
In 2007, a group called the Alan Breck's Prestonpans Volunteer Regiment was started. This group helps people learn about history by re-enacting battles from the 1745 Jacobite Rising. Half of the group dresses as British soldiers, and the other half dresses as Jacobites. They chose Alan Breck's name because he fought on both sides of the conflict. The group is based in Prestonpans, Scotland, but they perform at events all over the country.
Images for kids
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Statue of Alan Stewart (left) and the fictional David Balfour (right), from Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped.
