New Spalding Club > Records of Invercauld MDXLVII - MDCCCXXVIII [1547- 1828]

l8 RECORDS OF INVERCAULD.
His second wife, the date of whose marriage to him is not ascer-
tained, was also a widow of wealth and a considerable benefactor to the
estate. She built the wing in which were the billiard and drawing rooms
in the mansion house of Invercauld; and with other improvements in the
policies, she constructed a beautiful road or drive long known as " Carr's
Drive." She was alive in 1796, but died not long after. Her former
husband, a General in the Dutch service, was a son of the celebrated
General Mackay, who fought the Battle of Killiecrankie against Dundee.
She was advanced in life when .she married Mr. Farquharson, and but
little mention is made of her in the Invercauld papers.'
The Laird's own life was singularly uneventful. Of a quiet and
benevolent disposition, he mingled but little in the gaieties of society or
in the stir of politics, but bent his energies to the improvement of his
estate and to the promotion of the welfare of his numerous tenantry.
Such is the reputation he has left behind him, and such was his character
as evidenced in the estate papers. His military episode in early life,
though of short duration and but little known or seldom referred to, had
some features which displayed the fidelity and truthfulness of his
character.
In the month of March, 1745, while the soldiers of the original Black
Watch were serving abroad in Flanders, three new companies of the
regiment (then the 43rd, afterwards the famous 42nd Foot) were enrolled
in the Highlands. One of these — the Mclntoshes — was commanded by
Angus Mcintosh, the chief of the Clan, while his Brother-in-law, Young
Invercauld, was .second in command. These companies, on the outbreak
in August of the insurrection in favour of Prince Charles Edward, were
united to the government force under Lord Loudon stationed at
Inverness. They were here when Sir John Cope arrived on the 29th of
that month. Two of them — the Mclntoshes and the Athole companies
— with their officers he took with him on his hurried departure for the
south. In making his arrangements for the battle of Prestonpans, he had
the humanity to detach these Highlanders from the main army, and
station them some miles away from the field of battle as a guard over the
baggage. After the battle they were all of course taken prisoners by the
I. From John Gordon's letter of 17th Sepr., 1787, it would appear that at that date there was
no Mrs. Farquharson of Invercauld. His 2nd marriage must have taken place some time after.