Hackston – The Reformation
David Hackston.
Although a lesser light among the Covenanters in terms of preaching , David Hackston of Rathillet, stands tall among the soldiers of the Covenant as the leader of “The Cameronians “ as the armed supporters of Richard Cameron became known. Hackston came from an old Scottish and reasonably well off family in the Parish of Kilmany, Fife whose ancestry goes back to Sir John de Haukerston who swore fealty to King Edward I in 1296. The area is also known as Halkertoun and the family name was often given as Halkerston. David Hackston or Halkerston was heir to his father James on 3 March 1670 and on his death in 1680 the estates passed to his nephew Robert Halkerston. David Hackstone was present at two Declarations – the Sanquhar Declaration and the Rutherglen Declaration , and was likely to have been at many other important events doing his duty as the able lieutenant and bodyguard. As a soldier of the Covenant he was present at the Magus Moor assassination of Archbishop Sharp; he fought valiantly at Drumclog ; Bothwell Brig and Ayrsmoss. But he rests in memory as having suffered a dreadful death for his beliefs and doing his duty.
Magus
Moor Saturday 3rd May 1679
We first come across David Hackston the soldier in 1679 when he was a member of a group of Covenanters who had determined to chastise William Carmichael, a drunken and dissolute magistrate who had been appointed to be Sheriff depute of Fife. He had been particularly energetic pursuing Covenanters and was not averse to brutality or from filling his own pockets with illegal fines. It is not clear whether they intended to kill the Sheriff or merely frighten him off, be that as it may, but on the day fortune seemed to conspire against them and their quarry eluded
them.
Thus about midday on Saturday 3rd of May 1679 the party were at Ceres saying their goodbyes prior to dispersing when a farm boy came running to them with the news that the Archbishop Sharp himself would be passing in a few minutes. After brief discussion Hackston was elected leader for the new challenge but he declined on the grounds that he had a known private grievance with Archbishop Sharp ( concerning rents) and it would detract from the testimony of
action taken by the Covenanters.
John Balfour of Kinloch, nicknamed Burley, who was David Hackston`s brother in law, took the lead and rode to intercept the coach closely followed by James Russell of Kettle, George Fleming and George Balfour; David Hackston, Andrew and Alexander Henderson, William Daniel and Andrew Gillan.. They knew that the Archbishop`s daughter, Isabel, was in the coach and were anxious to avoid harm coming to her and demanded that Sharp come out of the coach . But he refused to do so, and in anger Fleming and George Balfour shot at him seated within, while others thrust at him with their swords. Seemingly , despite this onslaught , Sharp was not injured and was given away by his daughter sobbing “
there`s life yet “
Balfour told Sharp that they were not slaying him from personal malice but for causing the death of Covenanters, They shot at him again in the coach and one stabbed him. Finally Sharp emerged and crawled to the mounted figure of Hackston to ask for protection . Hackston said that he would not lay a hand upon him and the others with swords drawn turned to complete their deed. Too late Hackston tried to intercede but the murder on Magus Moor had taken place and there would soon be a terrible vengance exacted for it. Not only for David Hackston but for five prisoners taken at Bothwell Brig who had nothing whatsoever to do with the assassination who were hanged on Magus Muir on 25 November 1681 in retribution. The five were Thomas Brown, James Wood,
Andrew Sword, John Waddel and John Clyd.
Drumclog
Sunday 1st June 1679
On the 29th May 1679 at aboiut seven o`clock in the evening some seventy or eighty armed men appeared in the streets of Rutherglen led by Sir Robert Hamilton , in whose company road David Hackston, John Balfour and James Russell. It was a day of celebration for The King`s Restoration and a bonfire was blazing in the street which the men doused. They went to the Town Cross and there read a declaration condemning the government for its actions since 1660 and then, lighting their own fire, burnt the Acts of Parliament and of the Privy Council which had been against the
Covenanters.
John Claverhouse and his troops were at Falkirk and, hearing of the demonstration, immediately set out to arrest the perpetrators. On the way he seized a Presbyterian chaplain and some fourteen other people who were tied together in pairs and driven along in front of the horsemen. They had stopped for the night at Strathaven when Claverhouse learnt of a proposed conventicle nearby at Loudon Hill. where Thomas Douglas was due to preach and he decided to attack it the following morning, Sunday 1st June. However, Claverhouse was suprised to find that there was an armed look out who gave warning to the assembled throng, and that there were others present with arms. These included Sir Robert Hamilton with his Rutherglen bodyguard, Henry Hall of Haughead, William Cleland of Douglas, John Balfour, James Russell and David Hackston. In all there were some forty horsemen, fifty footmen carrying guns and about 150 with ancient halberds and farm pitchforks who had girded their loins to do battle with roughly the same
number of troops.
The Covenanters had chosen their ground well and the bog that lay between them and Claverhouse came quickly to their assistance. Claverhouses troopers were unable to find a way through and struggled in the morass while the Covenanters , knowing their way through the better, charged upon them furiously. In no time at all the troopers were overcome and they turned and fled with Claverhouse among them, not stopping until they had reached Glasgow and the protection of Lord Ross`s regiment. Thus ended
the Covenanter victory at Drumclog
Bothwell
Brig Sunday 22 June 1679
Now filled with the taste of victory the numbers of the Covenanting army grew rapidly to about six thousand. With hindsight one wonders if the gallant band had pursued Claverhouse into Glasgow, where the Covenanters had supporters, they might have forced him to flee to Edinburgh. But they did not and before the Covenanters returned to Glasgow Lord Ross had time to barricade the main streets and placed musketeers at vantage points. On the Monday morning the Covenanters appeared and split into two parties but their assault was futile and was repulsed.
There followed a lull in activity until the morning of Friday 6th June when the strengthened Covenanter forces drew up outside Glasgow. and awaited the orders of their leader, Sir Robert Hamilton of Preston and Fingalton. What followed , however, was great dissension among the people brought about by Hamilton`s stubborn insistence that he would not accept in his army those who had accepted the Indulgences (concessions by the Crown that allowed Presbyterian ministers to return to their churches and preach under certain severe conditions ). While the arguements and dissension went on the Royalist numbers increased to about 15,000 as support arrived from London led by King Charles` son,
the Duke of Monmouth.
Despite last minute entreaties Hamilton finally gave battle even though his force had shrunken by several thousands because of his stubborn refusal of help from other Presbyterians. The Covenanters did their best but badly led and unsupported in the field it was left to the likes of David Hackston to hold the Bothwell Bridge for many hours. With but three hundred men of Galloway they fought most valiantly to hold their ground; they begged for reinforcements, but none came; they pleaded for more ammunition but none came. Hamilton finally gave the order to fall back and Hackston and his warriors did so followed, much to Hackstons`s discontent, by the Royalist artillery that they had fought so hard to contain and which would soon cut the
Covenanters to pieces.
So Bothwell Brig was lost through bad management, stubborn pride, divisiveness and self interest. Over four hundred Covenanters died, and about twelve hundred were taken prisoner. Two ministers were executed at the Mercat Cross; five Covenanters who had nothing whatsoever to do with the assassination of Archbishop Sharp were taken to Magus Moor and executed. There followed the ordeal of imprisonment in the Greyfriars Prison from which some escaped, several hundred were released on their pledge of good behaviour, and the residual two hundred and fifty seven condemned to slavery and sent aboard the ill fated
“ Crown “ bound for the
American colonies.
Ayrsmoss
So we come to the last battle of David Hackston who was in the party totalling about 60 that travelled with Richard Cameron on Thursday 22 July 1680 . They were suprised by about 120 troops under Bruce of Earlshall . Richard Cameron and his brother Michael were killed along with seven others.; five were captured and of
these two died of their wounds. The killed were :
Rev Richard Cameron Michael Cameron
John Gemmel John Hamilton
James Gray Robert
Dick
Capt. John Fowler Thomas Watson
Robert Paterson
Among the prisoners was David Hackston who in the fight had wounded many and was finally taken by three dragoons who attacked from behind while he fought another with sword in hand. In no time the prisoners were taken to Edinburgh in a caravan of soldiers rejoicing in their victory and displaying the hacked off head of Richard Cameron to the people. Two died on the way leaving Archibald Alison of Evandale and John Malcolm of St Johns Dalry who were executed on 13 August 1680; and, their leader David Hackston for whom an especially grisly execution was ordered. He was sentenced to a barbarous and revengeful death. – to be drawn backwards on a hurdle to the Mercat Cross and there :
“ at the cross of Edinburgh, and there upon a high scaffold erected a little above the cross have his right hand struck off and after some time to have his left hand struck off, and then to be hanged up and cut down alive, and the bowels taken out, and his heart to be shown to the people by the hand of the hangman, and his heart and bowels to be burnt in the presence of the people, in a fire prepared for that purpose upon the scaffold, and afterwards to have his head cut off, and his body divided into four quarters, and his head to be affixed on the Netherbow, and one of his quarters with both of his hands to be affixed at St Andrews, another quarter at Glasgow, the third at Leith , the fourth at Burntisland, and that none presume to be in mourning for him, nor he to have a coffin, and that none be on the scaffold with him but two baillies, four officers, the executioner and his servants, and this sentence to be put in execution against him this thirtieth day of July instant,betwixt three and five o`clock in the afternoon. And ordained his name, fame, memory; and honours to be extinct, and his arms to be riven and delete furth of the books of arms, so that his posterity may never be able to
bruick
[ hold ] or joyse [ enjoy ] any lands, heritage, titles of dignities.within this
realm in time comming.
[Quoted
from the original order by Rev J H Thomson in `The Martyr Graves
of Scotland ` ]
His head was fixed alongside Richard Cameron`s at the Netherbow gate and both were lifted higher than other martyred souls displayed
there..
How perverse it is that this vile manner of execution by hanging, drawing and quartering, seems to be reserved for the bravest of the brave like David Hackston who had this death in common with
another Scottish warrior , the great Sir William Wallace.