Feas of Clestrain \ James I \ James II \ James III \ James IV \ James V \ James VI \ Jacobite Cause \ Burning of Sound

Officers Version

When they and their party came to the House of Sound they used the Lady with the greatest of civility and expressed much Regret for the orders they were obliged to execute of burning her House.  Before they set fire to the House they allowed the Lady two hours to remove what was the most valuable and set a Guard thereupon at the Time that Nothing might be stolen as Clestrain’s own Tenants and Servants had soon conveened to pillage and steal that they could get.  The Officers themselves assisted in carrying the Papers downstairs and they were afterwards carried to Clestrains’ storehouse and thereby saved.  The story of firing a gun or drawing a Cutlace to the Lady was absolutely false.  Some of the common soldiers indeed having at length got into the cellar drunk heartily of the Liquors there and possibly might committ some Rudeness which the officers did not see nor could prevent, but the officers themselves did all behave with the utmost civility and particularly Lieutenant Sutherland led the Lady by the Hand to ane Elbow Chair set before the House and begged her to go to one Mr Nisbet a neighbouring Minister’s House that she might not be present at the disagreeable sight of her own House being set on Fire.  But she would not go away till the House was burnt down and then Lieutenant Sutherland supported her in Walking to the said Mr Nisbet’s which was about a mile off and in the Way she did indeed dislocate her Ancle being a Woman of huge Bulk and Lieutenant Sutherland was so long detained in attending her that he very near lost his passage the Boats being just going off before he could get returned.”

Extract - From Orkney Feuds and the '45, R P Fereday, pages 91-92