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Flora MacDonald
was a member of the Macdonalds of Sleat, who helped Charles
Edward Stuart evade government troops after the Battle of
Culloden in April 1746.
Flora was born in 1722 at Milton on the island of South Uist in
the Outer Hebrides, third and last child of Ranald MacDonald (d.
1723) and his second wife Marion. Her father was a member of the
minor gentry, being tacksman and leaseholder of Milton and
Balivanich; she had two brothers, Angus, who later inherited the
Milton tack and Ronald, who died young.
Her father died soon after her birth and in 1728, her mother
remarried Hugh MacDonald of Armadale, Skye. Flora was brought up
by her father's cousin, Sir Alexander MacDonald of Sleat and
suggestions she was educated in Edinburgh have not been
confirmed. While some MacDonalds remained Catholic, particularly
in the Islands, her family was part of the Presbyterian
majority.
Flora was visiting Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides when Prince
Charles and a small group of aides took refuge there after the
Battle of Culloden in June 1746. One of his companions, Captain
Conn O'Neill from County Antrim, was distantly related to Flora
and asked for her help.
MacDonald of Sleat had not joined the Rebellion and Benbecula
was controlled by a pro-government militia commanded by Flora's
step-father, Hugh MacDonald. This connection allowed her to
obtain the necessary permits but she apparently hesitated,
fearing the consequences for her family if they were caught. She
may have been taking less of a risk than it appears; witnesses
later claimed Hugh advised the Prince where to hide from his
search parties.
Passes were issued allowing passage to the mainland for Flora, a
boat's crew of six men and two personal servants, including
Charles disguised as an Irish maid called Betty Burke. On 27
June, they landed near Sir Alexander's house at Monkstadt, near
Kilbride, Skye. In his absence, his wife Lady Margaret arranged
lodging with her steward, MacDonald of Kingsburgh, who told
Charles to remove his disguise, as it simply made him more
conspicuous. The next day, Charles was taken from Portree to the
island of Raasay; Flora remained on Skye and they never met
again.
Two weeks later, the boatmen were detained and confessed; Flora
and Kingsburgh were arrested and taken to the Tower of London.
After Lady Margaret interceded on her behalf with the chief
Scottish legal officer, Duncan Forbes of Culloden, she was
allowed to live outside the Tower under the supervision of a
"King's Messenger" and released after the June 1747 Act of
Indemnity. Aristocratic sympathizers collected over £1,500 for
her, one of the contributors being Frederick, Prince of Wales,
heir to the throne; Flora allegedly told him she helped Charles
out of charity and would have done the same for him.
She later married Allan MacDonald and the couple immigrated to
North Carolina in 1773. Their support for the British government
during the American War of Independence meant the loss of their
American estates and they returned to Scotland, where Flora died
in 1790.
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