Subject: Re: [Lanark] Lesmahagoe 1797 At the same time, 1790s, the Fifeshire Fencibles (Durham's Fencilbles for Sir James Durham, Largo Fife, raised in 1795) were in Co. Kilkenny, Ireland, to put down yet another Irish to-do. By 1803 the Fifeshire Fencibles had been disbanded and sent back to Scotland, perhaps to embark with another unit to thwart the possibility of an invasion. From what I have read, the soldiers had to pay their own way back to Scotland from Ireland, leaving many disgruntled. I do not know, but I wonder if my forebear decided to stay in Co. Kilkenny because of this, after the Fifeshire Fencibles disbanded, i.e., as I have copies of the christening of two children to this Joseph Pope and Margaret McBride in St. Mary's Church of Ireland in 1800 and 1808. Eventually the family ended up in Glasgow, not in Fifeshire where the Fencibles were established. Joseph Pope became a shoemaker, but he did not live a 'salubrious' life and when he died he was buried in common ground (pauper), Glasgow Cathedral grounds, along with dozens of others. I have absolutely nothing on his wife Margaret McBride, where she was born or died. I am assuming she died in Glasgow, however. Robert Burns had a say-so about the French Revolution which almost labeled him as a traitor when he attempted to send four colonnades to the French Assembly. The later excesses of the French Revolution no doubt reminded him of his poem called 'Man was made to mourn: A Dirge in 1784,' Man was made to mourn: A Dirge Many and sharp the num'rous ills Inwoven with our frame! More pointed still we make ourselves Regret, remorse, and shame! And man, whose heav'n-erected face The smiles of love adorn, - Man's inhumanity to man Makes countless thousands mourn! In essence, then, there was a lot of wars and petty wars going on in the mid to late 1700s. Maisie From: Nivard Ovington Sent: Thursday, September 12, 2013 12:23 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Lanark] Lesmahagoe 1797 Hi Catt It was the fear of war or invasion by the French due to revolution in France and unrest in Europe Various measures were taken to try and make sure that preparations were in place for defence and to establish what was available in the way of men, arms, transport etc Amongst other things there was a militia Act in Scotland in 1797 Various listings were made to establish what people had to help defend or help the military Over the next few years there were lists drawn up of who had arms or weapons of any sort, what transport was available, horses, animals, feed and crops ------------