Jamie Macpherson facts for kids

Jamie Macpherson (1675–1700), also known as James Macpherson, was a famous Scottish outlaw. He is well-known for a song called "Macpherson's Lament." People say he wrote this song the night before he died. It is also known as "Macpherson's Rant" or "Macpherson's Farewell."

Jamie Macpherson's Early Life

Jamie Macpherson was born in 1675 in Scotland. His father was a wealthy landowner from Invernesshire. His mother was a tinker or Gypsy woman. Jamie's father accepted him as his son and raised him.

Sadly, Jamie's father died trying to get back cattle that had been stolen. After his father's death, Jamie went to live with his mother's Gypsy community. Jamie and his mother often visited his father's family. They helped him by giving him clothes and money. People said Jamie was very strong. He was also a skilled swordsman and could play the fiddle well.

Jamie Macpherson's Outlaw Adventures

Jamie Macpherson was known as an outlaw. But many people said he was a fair one. He never hurt or robbed people who were weak or in trouble. Some stories say he was betrayed by someone from his own group. This person wanted to rob a house where a family was mourning. Jamie disagreed with this cruel plan.

Jamie was captured in Banff. This happened just before an old law about local power was changed. He had made some rich landowners angry. One of them, Duff of Braco, gathered a group of people to catch him. Jamie was active in the areas of Aberdeen, Banff, and Moray.

Jamie was caught several times before his final capture. But he always managed to escape. In Aberdeen, his cousin Donald and a Gypsy named Peter Brown helped him. They got help from the local people to free him from prison. Later, he was caught again. But the Laird of Grant helped him escape once more.

Capture and Trial of Jamie Macpherson

Jamie Macpherson and his group were very powerful. They would even march into markets in Banff, Elgin, and Forres with a bagpiper. He was hanged in Banff in 1700. This was because he carried weapons at Keith market.

At the Saint Rufus Fair in Keith, Duff of Braco's men attacked Jamie. He was captured after a tough fight. One of Jamie's friends was killed. A story says a woman dropped a blanket over him from a window. This trapped him, and he couldn't use his weapons. Duff then took him to Banff prison with many guards.

Back then, it was against the law in Scotland just to be a Gypsy. Jamie was tried under this old law in November 1700. He and others were accused of stealing. Jamie Macpherson was sentenced to death by hanging.

Macpherson's Lament Song

While Jamie was in jail, he is said to have written his famous song. It is known today as "Macpherson's Lament." The story goes that he played this song under the gallows. A gallows was a structure used for hangings. After playing, he offered his fiddle to his family. He wanted them to play it at his wake. A wake is a gathering to remember someone who has died.

But no one came forward to take the fiddle. So, Jamie broke the fiddle over his knee or on the executioner's head. He then threw the pieces into the crowd. He said, "No one else shall play Jamie Macpherson's fiddle." The Clan Macpherson Museum in Newtonmore still has parts of his fiddle.

Jamie was hanged on November 16, 1700. Some stories say he jumped from the ladder himself. This was one of the last times someone was executed under an old local law in Scotland.

People say Jamie Macpherson was incredibly strong. His bones were found many years ago. Everyone who saw them agreed they were much stronger than average bones.

There is a legend that a pardon was on its way to Banff. A pardon is an official forgiveness. It would have saved Jamie's life. The story says Duff of Braco saw a rider coming. He thought the rider had the pardon. So, Duff supposedly changed the town clock. He made it 15 minutes fast. This was to make sure Jamie's execution happened before the pardon arrived. The town's leaders were supposedly punished for this. The town clock was said to be 15 minutes fast for many years after.