Memoir of the Chisholm

Chapter I

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. FAMILY DESCENT. — EARLY

CHILDHOOD OF THE CHISHQLM.

When the writer of the following Memoir complied with the request made to him, that he would arrange the materials of which it was to be composed, he was quite aware that the pleasure which he felt in undertaking to do this would be diminished by causes which were inherent in the nature of the work itself.

To that portion of the public, for instance, whose sated appetite craves ever for excitement, he saw that the contents of the papers entrusted to his hands would not be welcome ; for they consist, for the most part, only of letters written by the late Ohisholm to two of

B

2 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.

his nearest relatives, who were the most anxious for their publication, on account of the moral advantage which they believed would result from a more extended knowledge of the character therein set forth. They supply not, however, any train of stirring enterprise or varied incident ; neither is the mental history w ? hich they illustrate remarkable for those sudden changes and contrasts which so often create an interest in the speculative observers of human nature.

By those, again, who were not personally acquainted with the subjeet of this Memoir, and remembered only the general outline of the position which he occupied in the world, he felt that the doubt might possibly be entertained, whether any circumstances associated with his public character could author rize the intrusion of them upon public notice ; and this very doubt, he apprehended, would make such persons indifferent to the statements which might be advanced respecting him.

To those, moreover, who knew and loved his excellencies, as they witnessed them in their daily converse with him, and who believe

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 6

that the further knowledge of them by others may, under the Divine Blessing, be found to work as an instrument of good among the professing members of the Church of Christ, he was conscious that he might appear painfully deficient in his attempt to delineate the character of the ircommon friend. For, not only was he subject to the difficulty incident to all such attempts, — that of adequately describing qualities which are already enshrined in the memory and affections of those who knew them, — and the greatness of which difficulty the heathen orator confessed, when he was called upon to speak over the grave of his departed fellow-citizens l ; but he knew that it was likely to be increased, in the present instance, from the scantiness of the documents placed at his disposal, and from his not being able to make good this deficiency by his own knowledge of the places or persons mentioned in them.

These facts are adverted to, not from any

vain belief that the obstacles connected with

them could be overcome, but simply from the

conviction in the mind of the writer, that, in

1 Thucyd. ii. 35.

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4 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.

spite of them all, it was his duty to comply with the request made to him. For, the character here exhibited is that of a Christian Gentleman, possessing rich gifts of intellect and warm affection, of hereditary rank and influence ; and, in the prime of his manhood, when temptations were not wanting to beguile him of them, devoting these instruments of usefulness to the service and glory of God who gave them. A character not rare, indeed, in this our day; yea, rather, let the acknowledgment be thankfully made, that it is one out of many glorious witnesses to tell us that the blessings vouchsafed to our spiritual Zion are not bestowed upon it in vain ; and, that, amid much which causeth shame and confusion of face, there are those, on the right hand and on the left, standing in the high places of the earth, and wielding successfully its energies of wisdom and of might, who confess, by their daily Christian walk, that, in the possession of external advantages, a louder call is addressed to them to remember whose they are and whom they serve. In the hope, therefore, that the number of such men may be more and more enlarged, by delineat-

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. O

ing, howsoever faintly or imperfectly, a portrait which they may contemplate, — that they, who are to follow in the path of worldly distinction, may, by marking the course which has been traversed by one like themselves, in their turn, be animated and sustained, and follow him as he followed Christ; and that they may be the more incited to do this, by the testimony which his early death supplies, that their " sun," like his, may go " down while it is yet day 2 " and the darkness of the grave overspread their life in its brightest noontide ; — that such lessons may be learnt, such encouragements and warnings derived, from these pages, has been, and is, the single desire, the earnest prayer, of him who now commends them to the notice of the reader.

The subject of this Memoir was, as his name bears witness, the Chief of a Highland Clan which, although not numerous, is ancient. It may not be void of interest to give some few notices of his family descent, for which the writer is indebted to the kindness and research of a dear and valued college

2 Jer. xv. 9.

FAMILY DESCENT.

friend. It forms, of course, no part of his plan to enter into any minute details upon this subject ; still less is he prepared to offerany opinion upon the question whether the Ohisholms are to be ranked, as they themselves maintain, among the Gaelic clans, or, with others, of Norman origin 3 ; neither does he presume to say upon which side lies the strongest argument in the controversies for precedency which, from time to time, have been carried on between the Ohisholms of the Highlands, and the family of the same name who were early settled in Berwick and Roxburghshire \ He confines himself only to the extracts which have been kindly forwarded to him, and finds there that the first of the name who was known in the North was Sir Robert Chisholme, who had numerous lands in Urquhart, and was keeper of the royal castle of Urquhart on Loch Ness, in the reign of Robert II. 5 He was married to a

3 See Appendix to the Second Volume of Skene's Highlanders of Scotland, and Macculloch's Letters on the Highlands to Sir Walter Scott, vol. iv. p. 410.

4 Ragman Rolls.

5 Reg. mag. sig. Sir R. Chisholme is styled dominus ejusdem in 1362. Regist. Morav.

FAMILY DESCENT.

grand - daughter of Sir Bobert Lauder of Quarrelwood ; and it was by that marriage he acquired at least part of his lands in Inverness-shire 6 . On the 2nd of January, 1364, he gave his daughter Janet in marriage to Hugh Rose, of Kilravoch, with the lands of Cantray and others in Strathnairn 7 , which he warranted equal to a ten merk land, and engaged to procure an heritable title to them from his grandfather, Sir Robert Lauder. In right of his wife, Sir Robert Chisholme succeeded to the estates of Quarrelwood, Kinstearie, and Brightmonie, in the shires of Elgin and Nairn 8 ; and his son and heir was John Chisholme of that ilk and of Quarrelwood, whose succession went w r ith his daughter Morella to the Sutherlands of Duffus.

Alexander, the brother of John Ohisholm, who became heir, upon the death of his brother without male issue, acquired lands in the Aird, held under the bishop of Moray, by marriage with Margaret, a daughter of the family of Arde, in 1368 9 .

G Kilravoch Writs. 1 Ibid. 8 Regist. Morav.

9 The mode in which these lands were made over is

8 FAMILY DESCENT.

In 1403 there is an indenture between William de Fen ton and Margaret de la Arde \ of Ercles, together with Thomas de Oheshelme, her son and heir, dividing numerous lands in Forfar, Perth, Lanark, Aberdeen, and the lands of the Arde in Inverness-shire, of all which Fenton and Margaret were heirs portioners. From that period, the Chisholms appear to have held the lands of Corner in Strathglass, with Ercles, &c. ; and in 1443 the name of Vylandus de Oheshelme appears as a witness to a charter of the Lord of the Isles. In 1498, there is another document bearing the name of Weland Chisholm, of Comer; again, in 1517, is found Willein Chisholm, of Comer-moir ; and, in 1539, William Chisholm of Comer.

Without tracing, however, the subsequent descents of the family, or enumerating the

EARLY CHILDHOOD. ^

various charters from the Crown, by which they hold possession of their lands, &c. it may only be stated further, that their Highland residence has acquired for them the clan name of " Siosalach," or Chisallich 2 , and the Laird for the time being, in his own country, is styled "The Chisholm."

Alexander William Chisholm, the subject of this Memoir, was born at Castle Hill, near Inverness, on the 15th of February, 1810. His father died at Collumpton in Devonshire, w 7 hen Alexander was not more than seven years old ; by which event, the care of himself, his brother Duncan Macdonnell, and his sister Jemima, who was born three months after her father's death, devolved almost entirely upon their mother, who was the second daughter of Macdonnell of Glengarry. His mother was subsequently married to Sir Thomas Ramsay, of Balmain, Baronet. Mr. Charles Grant, (now Lord Glenelg,) Mr. John Peter Grant, of Rothie-

2 See Appendix, p. x. in the First Volume of Major- General Stewart's Sketches of the Character, Manners, &c. of the Highlanders of Scotland.

10 EARLY CHILDHOOD.

merchus, (now one of the judges in the Supreme Court at Calcuttta,) Sir Hugh Innes, of Loch Alsh, Bart, (since dead), and Wm. Mackenzie, of Muirton, esq., W. S., were associated, with their mother, as guardians of the children ; but the main charge of carrying on and watching over their education devolved, of course, upon their mother: and to this duty she devoted herself, with an assiduity and care that knew no weariness.

Soon after the death of their father, the two brothers were placed at school, under the care of the Rev. William Reid, of Midsummer Norton, near Radstock, in Somersetshire ; but remained there only for a short period, on account of the weak state of Alexander's health, which had been brought on by a severe rheumatic fever, and made him, for many months afterwards, the object of deep anxiety to his mother. She removed him successively, for change of air, to Clifton, Weymouth, Malvern, and Bath ; at which latter place his brother had meanwhile been left at school. And, as Soon as his health and strength were restored sufficiently to allow him to leave once more his mother's roof, the two brothers were

EARLY CHILDHOOD. 11

entrusted to the charge of the Rev. Mr. Fendall, of Nazing, in Essex, with whom they remained until the autumn of 1822, when, by the advice of Mr. Charles Grant, their guardian, — who directed in this, as in the former and subsequent instances, the course of their tuition, — they both went to Eton.

During these years of boyhood, many evidences had been manifested, in the subject of this Memoir, of the character which marked his after life; and among these especially, may be noticed unshrinking openness, and abhorrence of deceit, combined with the most sensitive and acute feeling. From earliest childhood his mother had impressed upon him the lessons of Holy Scripture. She taught him his very letters from a large copy of the Bible, which was their constant companion, whether they were travelling or at home ; and, as soon as he was able, accustomed him to learn daily some portion of the Sacred Volume by heart. She also led him each Sunday to commit to memory, as well as to ponder upon the meaning of, the appointed Collect in the Book of Common Prayer ; and also to write a short exercise on some text of Scripture which she selected. In doing this, she did not fall into

12 EARLY CHILDHOOD.

the error of making the Bible a task-book, and thus create a weariness of and unholy familiarity with its sacred records ; but simply endeavoured to store up in his infant mind a portion of that heavenly seed which, as the event proved, was not without its fruit.

His deep affection towards the mother who thus trained him was most remarkable ; it seems to have been then, and ever afterwards, the prominent feeling of his heart. When quite a child, it is related of him, that, as he was one day reading aloud to his mother, which he often did for her amusement, he came to the following passage : " All that mother could do for son, or parent for child, she did for me ;" and that no sooner had he read these words, than he flung down his book on the sofa, and throwing his arms about his mother's neck, shed many tears, saying, "My dearest mother, this is what you have done for me." These were not feelings confined to his childish days. They followed him through life, curbing many an impetuous impulse of his youth, and, in manhood, leading him, at every interval of repose from public duties, to turn with affection, ever fresh and buoyant, towards her whom he delighted to honour.

Chapter II

GOES TO ETON. — HIS LETTERS, &C. DURING THE EARLIER PART OF HIS STAY THERE.

The young Chisholm and his brother entered upon their career at Eton under peculiarly favourable auspices ; for Mr. Ollivant, Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, (the present Vice-Principal of St. David's College, Lampeter,) accompanied them as their private tutor. His high principles, sound judgment, and distinguished success at the University, furnished the strongest possible guarantee of his fitness to hold the important trust conferred upon him ; and no one can regret more sincerely than the writer of this Memoir, that the benefit thus secured to the young Chisholm, for three years, should not have been prolonged yet further. But this season, although short, embraced a most important period in the history of his early life ; and, throughout the whole duration of it, a friendship, the most intimate and unreserved, existed between Mr. Ollivant and his pupils. Many circumstances contributed to effect this result ; for the two brothers lodged together with Mr. Ollivant, in a private house at Eton ; and, on account of the still delicate state of Alexander's health, he was allowed by Dr. Keate to keep a pony ; in consequence of which, Mr. Ollivant, who rode out with him, w 7 as enabled to be his companion in his hours of amusement as well as of study. The following letter may serve, in some degree, to show the footing on which they stood with respect to each other ; and, when the fact is borne in mind that it was written without dictation, by a boy of only twelve years of age, it must be admitted to bear strong testimony to the soundness of the principles thus early instilled into him, no less than to his kindly feelings and superior abilities.

" My dear Sir, — I received your letter of the 20th yesterday, and I have but just found time this evening to answer it. Mamma and all of us were so sorry at your going away so soon, that we did not know what to do after you had left the house. If you had gone earlier we should not have felt it so much, but after we had made up our minds to read, and had hoped to pass that evening pleasantly in your society, your sudden departure was very mortifying. I did not expect that you would have arrived at Slough so soon as you mentioned. I should like very much to have been with you when you walked over to Eton, accompanied by your torch-bearer. I shall often think of you, my dear sir, when I am far distant from you, and remember with feelings of the warmest gratitude your great kindness and care for me when I was ill at Eton ; and I shall always endeavour by every means in my power to prove both the deep sense which I entertain of your goodness and affection for us, and my respect and esteem for yourself.

"As to my duty to my dearest mamma, were it only for my own happiness and welfare, I would strive, by every act of duty, to repay those pains and cares, which, from the moment of my birth to the present hour, she has suffered for me ; and I would endeavour, by any way, however painful, through God's assistance, to deserve her affection. I am sure I am not among the number of those who think such an endeavour foolish and unmanly. Nothing, in my opinion, can be more honourable or more noble in youth, than obedience to parents, and no one can better keep God's commandments than by performing this duty.

" We have arranged our time to go on with our lessons. We are called about six. I have not done many verses. I say my odes of Horace to mamma, and do not forget some Ovid's Electa. I have learnt ' Jam super Oceanum.' I believe Duncan has found out that he has not got too little to do, — Jemima and he join me in warmest love to you. Mamma desires her compliments, and we all look forward with pleasure to the happy time when we shall meet again.

" I am, my dear Sir,

" Yours very affectionately,

" A. W. Chisholm."

" -4. Ollivant, Esq.

It seldom happens that much care is taken to preserve the papers which a boy of so tender an age may write ; for they consist, for the most part, of nothing more than what is required in the ordinary course of daily instruction, and, unless stamped with the mark of peculiar excellence, possess little interest beyond that of the passing hour. The fragments, therefore, of the Ohisholm's exercises, although they evince an accuracy and refinement of scholarship above the ordinary rate, are yet neither numerous nor diversified enough to claim attention. Among some few documents, however, of another kind which are still in existence, is a short hymn, which he wrote when he was nearly thirteen years old. It was the spontaneous and unlaboured expression of his own mind. Mr. Ollivant found it one day in his study, and was so much struck with it, that he asked him to give it to him, and has retained it in his possession ever since.

Great Creator of Mankind,

Whom angels all adore !

Who canst still the stormy wind,

C

Bending from thy seat on high,

Listen to my humble tone, A wicked child's repentant cry,

Can I dare lift up mine eyes ?

Can I dare approach thy throne ? Shall I from the dust arise ?

Who shall for my sins atone ?

Yes, I can approach thy throne ;

Yes, I may lift up my head ; The Lamb shall for my sins atone,

His blood for all was shed.

This simple and unpretending composition is an index of the Chisholm's mind. It shows that at an age when 'careless childhood' strays joyously along the scenes that open upon its view, — when each object that marks those scenes is clothed with freshest beauty, — when fancy is most willing to believe their reality, and hope most eager to embrace them, there was a consciousness in him of the need in which he stood of further and more enduring help than any which they could render. It was no feigned or artificial sentiment which he here assumed, for he was truth itself. Neither was it any sullen or reserved temper which forced his thoughts thus back on his own mind, and led him to think of penitence and mourning, whilst bands of playmates were sporting around him, — for who, that knew him at that age does not remember the bright and happy c sunshine ' of his ' breast,' his laughing wit, his reckless courage, his quick and stirring energy? And yet he saw his weaknesses, his dangers, his help ; and, in accents which he never thought would be seen or noticed by mortal eye, the guileless boy poured out the deep workings of his heart before God.

This is not a solitary evidence of the earnest, fervent, devotion which then kindled within him. There is a letter written by him, whilst he was at Eton, to his mother, on the eve of his thirteenth birth-day, which shows, in the most remarkable degree, the fervour of his devotional feelings, and the growing ripeness of his judgment.

"My dearest Mamma, — I am very sorry that I should have so long delayed answering your kind letter of the 7th ult. I forgot to look at that chapter in Leviticus which you desired me. I have another to learn for Mr. c 2

Ollivant, which I have begun to learn, and, as soon as I have finished it, I will learn yours also. It is true, my dearest mamma, that many people, as well in this place as every where else, neglect to keep the Sabbath and to reverence the sanctuary of the Lord. There are a great many opportunities for vice to exercise her malicious spleen upon the meek and humble followers of virtue's path, particularly where I now am. And, although I have such an excellent tutor, it is impossible for me to avoid very frequently seeing and hearing many bad practices and wicked words. I do watch and pray, my dearest mamma, that God will be pleased to lend his aid, both to my brother and myself, to keep us from the commission of those crimes which too many unhappy boys are led to commit, who will live to repent them in their old age. I cannot be too thankful to God, for giving me such a parent as you, and such advantages as I have got : I will endeavour to prove my gratitude to Him, and to you, by trying to do my duty, to please you, and to gain the approbation of my tutor. I pray to that Being night and morning to bless us all ;— to bless my tutor, — more especially to pour his choicest blessings upon your head, my dearest mamma ; and to guard me, not only from evil actions, but also from evil thoughts, for from the thoughts proceed the actions, and c out of the heart are the issues' of good and evil. I was led by my evil thoughts, the other day, to commit, in a small degree, a sin ; but immediately, when I recollected myself, I fell down upon my knees to God, and asked his forgiveness. I was tempted to use a bad word, but nobody else, except myself, heard it. As soon as I came home I confessed it to my tutor, who was very much delighted at my thus making him my friend. But yet I can never be so free to him as I am to you. I will wait till we meet again, if it please God, when I can more freely open my mind to you. To-morrow, my dearest mamma, is my birthday. It has pleased God to spare me thus long. To-morrow's sun will dawn upon my thirteenth year. Oh that I am a year wiser, a year better ! and a year nearer perfection ! a year more considerate concerning my future welfare ! I will pray to God to make me so, to increase my knowledge as my life increases.

I will ask Him to forgive me my sins, to lend me His grace, that I may fear more, and attend to my duty to Him, that I may love and be more grateful to you, and do my duty more to all men. This is the part which all Christians ought to act, and which I hope to act in future. Oh ! my dearest mamma ! may the Almighty bless and prosper you; may He grant you to live long and happily, to see many of my birthdays, and to view me grown up to man's estate, in the fear of God, in filial affection, and in charitable feelings to my fellow-creatures, as both you and my tutor have taught me. I will try to watch over my youngest brother. The next time you write, pray be so kind as write to Duncan. I will try, if I have time, to insert my other poem upon ' Esprit de Millefleur," which you recollect was made extempore. Duncan joins me in love to you, and I remain, my dearest mamma,

" Your affectionate son, " A. W. Chisholm."

" P.S. We thank you for the book. We have learnt the Litany. Adieu."

WHILST AT ETON. 2o

It will be observed, in the above letter, that the young Ohisholm speaks, in the most touching and simple terms, of his having been betrayed into the sin of uttering an improper word, and, that, when upon his bended knees he had implored the pardon of God, he sought still further relief from the sorrow which he felt, by confessing what he had done to his instructor and guide. It is an incident which bears favourable testimony to both parties; for what boy would have thought of drawing nigh to his tutor, in such a way and for such a cause, had he not first been taught the importance of watching and controlling the very smallest and earliest approaches to sin, and felt assured that in his tutor he would find a friend ?

There is one other record of his character which may fitly be quoted in this place, as exhibiting the same jealousy of himself, the same watchfulness against temptation, the same resolution to detect and amend whatsoever infirmity oppressed him. It occurs in an extract from a letter to his mother, which was communicated by her to Mr. Ollivant. There is no date attached to the extract, which is in the possession of Mr. Ollivant, but, from a loose memorandum lately found by him, which he had noted down in 1824, and which relates to some communication made to him by the young Ohisholm, complaining of the evil of his thoughts, the letter was most probably written in that year, with reference to that subject.

" I give the following extract of a letter I had from my darling Alexander, a few days ago. After telling me he had been guilty of what was wrong, he goes on to say, 'But when the evening came, I told my dear friend as well as honoured tutor Mr. Ollivant, and he gave me some little advice. I prayed to God more fervently when I went to bed. But I always find, my dearest mamma, that whenever I do not pray to God for aid, and endeavour to conquer my vices by strength not my own, I inevitably fall into a snare. This was the case with me then. I trusted too much to my own might. But I have confessed my sin to God, with whom there is abundance of pardon. I think I may say that God has given me somewhat more of his Holy Spirit lately, since I prayed to Him. And if He continues to do so, which I hope and trust He will, I shall become a vessel holy to the Lord, and, as far as mortal can be^ a tabernacle worthy the habitation of my God. I like confessing my sins to any earthly friend, after I have unbosomed myself to my God ; that is, after I have confessed myself guilty to Him. But to express them to you gives me inexpressible joy P "

That a boy of thirteen years of age should entertain such thoughts and express them in such language, is the strongest possible evidence of the fidelity and care of those who sought to bring him " up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord 1 !" A remarkable confirmation of this is found in the following letter written by his mother to Mr. Ollivant, in the autumn of 1823. She was then staying at Brighton with her family, but it was before the writer of this Memoir had come to Brighton, or been made acquainted with her son. She adds a few lines to a letter written by her son ; and, after having expressed her satisfaction at the good conduct

1 Ephes. vi. 4.

of both the brothers during the holidays, she goes on to say,

" I have told Alexander that, with a very few exceptions, your report of him was highly gratifying to me. We then talked over the faults you pointed out; and he has promised (I am sure with the utmost sincerity) to use every endeavour to correct them before you meet again. If your thoughts should ever wander to Brighton, you may picture us regretting your absence almost as often as we meet at table, or set out for a walk, and always when the duties of family prayer bring us together at the commencement and at the close of each day. Alexander reads the prayers with great propriety.

" The boys wish to know if there is any particular day of the week on which you would wish them to send their verses. I fear you will receive this on Sunday ; if you tell me that it is so, we shall endeavour to arrange better next time. Pray what day does Eton meet again ?