The actual truth concerning the life of James MacPherson has been long lost in the mists of time. However, as with the truth concerning Liberty Valance we are really concerned with the legend. Legend has it that MacPherson and his gang swept through the lands of the north east Scotland, plundering, stealing and making many enemies amongst the rich and the landowners. MacPherson quickly became known for sharing his takings with the poor of the land. This clearly would have added to the woe of the powerful.

In my mind I have imagined MacPherson as a young boy learning, initially from his father about the importance of honour and fairness. The fact that MacPherson’s father treated him as he would have done if he had been “legitimate” when he could have quite easily denied everything and had nothing to do with him shows that there was something about MacPherson senior that was not of his age.

After the death of his father MacPherson was re-embraced into the heart of his mother’s family. He would have learned by the light of the fire, the tales of his travelling family, of their skill with  their wits. MacPherson would have learnt to dance, to sing and to play the fiddle. He would have learnt the joys of life, of being able to feed himself and his family, to catch and kill every wild animal local to that part of Scotland. MacPherson would also have learnt how to ride horses and to select the best horses both legally and not so legally. Indeed there is some evidence that MacPherson was a legitimate horse dealer.

I suspect he started with members of his extended family, learning to reive the cattle off the land. A small irony considering that it is believed that it was reivers that killed MacPherson’s father. Eventually he had formed his own band to reive.

MacPherson developed a reputation by raiding the wealthy farms of Banffshire and Aberdeenshire. Very quickly he became the public enemy number one of Duff of Braco, a wealthy and increasingly dangerous enemy. Duff organised a posse to try and catch MacPherson. MacPherson was in the eyes of the poor of these lands, a latter day Robin Hood. He shared what he stole with them and thus they helped him stay clear of the likes of Duff of Braco.

Once MacPherson was actually captured and was held in the jail at Aberdeen. Such was MacPherson’s standing and reputation amongst the ordinary folk that an escape plan was hatched. MacPherson’s cousin, Donald MacPherson and a gypsy named Peter Brown, heavily aided by local Aberdeen folk broke into the prison, distracted and disarmed the guards and to delight of his rescuers he fled the prison to cheering crowds.

MacPherson appears to have gained praise and favour from one of the landowners, the Laird of Grant, who adds to the legend and perhaps also, MacPherson’s growing sense of himself, by stepping in on more than one occasion to help the young man.

Eventually, as Butch and the Kid discovered, all good things must come to an end. And of course, it came through betrayal and deceit. Such was MacPherson’s fame that he decided to alert everyone to his coming by having a piper playing at the head of his gang. Clearly this must have added to his legend and his status. However it meant he was becoming somewhat lax and predictable in his actions. The dreaded Mr Big of this tale, Duff of Braco, guessed that MacPherson could not stay away from the St Rufus fair in the town of Keith. Indeed he was right and Duff of Braco set a trap.

There are various versions of the capture. One suggests that MacPherson had had a fall out with one of his own men over a woman. This led to his betrayal with a Judas style kiss. However this seems unlikely as we will see when we come to MacPherson’s own version of his capture. My feeling is that Duff of Braco knew that MacPherson liked to parade at public events and thus set a trap. A fight broke and during the fight one of MacPherson’s gang was killed. MacPherson was forced to flee through a particular narrow street. As he did so a pre-arranged trap kicked into play. As MacPherson passed through the very narrow street in Keith, a woman in a house above the street threw a blanket over MacPherson and men rushed him from all sides. Duff of Braco must have been delighted. His nemesis, the criminal mastermind had finally been caught.

As MacPherson was waiting in prison he composed the song that has now become the main reason that we still remember the story of James MacPherson.

The lyrics he wrote are as follows:

Fareweel, ye dungeons dark and strang, fareweel, fareweel tae ye,

MacPherson’s time will no be lang on yonder gallows tree

Chorus

Sae rantinly and sae wantonly, sae dauntinly gaed he

For he played a tune and he danced aroon, below the gallows tree

 It was by a woman’s treacherous hand that I was condemned tae dee

Above a ledge at a window she sat and a blanket she threw ower me

There’s some come here tae see me hang, and some come tae buy my fiddle

But before that I would part wi her I’d brak her through the middle

And he took the fiddle intae baith o his hands and he brak it ower a stane

Sayin, nay other hand shall play on thee when I am dead and gane

The reprieve was comin ower the Brig o Banff tae set MacPherson free,

But they pit the clock a quarter afore, and they hanged him frae the tree.

Additional verses

The Laird o Grant, that Hieland saunt, that first laid hands on me,

He pleads the cause o Peter Broon, tae let MacPherson dee

Untie these bands frae aff my hands and gie tae me my sword,

And there’s no a man in all Scotland but I’ll brave him at a word.

Even as MacPherson was found guilty in a courtroom full of Duff of Braco supporters and sentenced by a Sheriff that was one of Duff’s men there was an attempt to reverse this decision. A friend of MacPherson fled on a horse to Aberdeen and sought out a reprieve. Amazingly the reprieve was granted and MacPherson’s life seem to be saved. However as MacPherson stood on the gallows, Duff of Braco saw the friend of MacPherson’s fleeing towards them. Duff ordered the clock in the centre of Banff to be set 15 minutes early.

MacPherson defiantly played his fiddle for the last time, letting everyone gathered to see him hang hear his “rant” and rather than let someone else get it after his death, he broke it.

James MacPherson was hanged on 16th November 1700. His friend arrived just too late to see him spared his execution.

The story of James MacPherson and his song came to the attention of Robert Burns who re-wrote the lyrics and renamed the song “MacPherson’s Farewell.” Naturally this is the most well known version of the song.

MacPherson’s Rant is an important song because it underlines the power of song to transcend history, time and even death. It is doubtful that the story of James MacPherson would be known 312 years almost to the day of his death without the legacy of his song.

MacPherson