The Soldier, His Wife and Their Gold Ring

 

Many Caithness men went to fight in the Peninsular War and at Waterloo. Many never came home.

Caithness families were very proud of the sons they sent as soldiers to serve Queen and Country and indignant at the later treatment they received at the hands of landowners whose country they had so bravely defended.

• The Peninsular War (1808 – 1814) was a military conflict for the control of the Iberian Peninsular during the Napoleonic Wars, waged between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom and Portugal.

• The Battle of Waterloo was fought on 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in Belgium. It marked the final defeat of Napoleon who conquered much of Europe in the early 19^th century.

Battle of Waterloo By William Sadler - Napoleon.org.pl, Public Domain

 

George Robertson was a son of a Caithness family who lived at Landhallow near Latheronwheel in Caithness. George was born on 26 September 1785. His father James was the local Parochial School Master. His mother was Jane Robertson MS Sutherland.

Landhallow near Latheron

The children of this family were (at least) Elizabeth b 1774, Sinclair b 1777, 1779 (name not known), Hellen b 1783, George b 1785, Donald b 1787, Louisa b 1789, Katherine b 1792, Patrick b 1794, Robert Gun b 1796, Elizabeth Clunes b 1799, John b 1801,

George married Ann MacDougall in Latheron on 29 July 1808 probably before he left for the Peninsular War. I don’t know if it was customary at the time for men to wear a gold ring, but Ann gave George one. It suggests the bond between them and how hard it was for them to be parted. George treasured it. 

In 1901 there were several articles published in the Northern Ensign remembering and naming some of the brave men who went off to war. John Sutherland of Baldoo, Latheron listed names, regiments and conflicts of as many Latheron men as he could remember. He states:

“George Robertson, Landhallow, Latheronwheel, parish of Latheron, Peninsular and Waterloo -  lost an arm, and when discharged became a noted mechanic with his one arm”.

Northern Ensign 5 March 1901

With further reference to George Robertson, Landhallow, John Sutherland states: “He lost an arm at Waterloo. Previous to his going on foreign service his sweetheart put a gold ring on one of his fingers, and the hand which he lost in the battle contained the ring. After the fighting was over Robertson went back to the scene of his misfortune and having found his lost arm removed the ring and brought it back to his native county. Was this worthy of a VC!”

Northern Ensign 2 April 1901

Its hard to imagine the horror and carnage left on the battlefield at Waterloo. There were certainly many dead and dying. George’s arm would have likely been with the bodies of other men he knew. He would have also been in pain and shock from his own amputation. For him to get back there somehow, find his mutilated hand and arm, retrieve his precious gold ring and return to his regiment beggars belief.

Then still showing his mettle George got his discharge, went back home to Landhallow and Ann, overcame his terrible disability and worked successfully as a mechanic. 

Taken from Landhallow, Latheron, Caithness

The census records of 1841, 1851 and 1861 show George and Ann living together and George being a Chelsea pensioner. I have not located records of any children they may have had.

George lived to be 80 and died at Landhallow in 1866.  Ann died a few years later. 

George Robertson death record

I wonder which one of them took the gold ring to their grave. It will still be lying there with the beloved.