George Munro, 1st of Newmore

Sir George Munro, 1st of Newmore was a 17th century Scottish soldier from the Clan Munro, Ross-shire, Scotland. George was born in 1602 and was seated at Newmore Castle.

Family

George was a great-grandson of chief Robert Mor Munro, 15th Baron of Foulis. George was the third son of Col. John Munro, 2nd of Obsdale, who in turn was a son of George Munro, 1st of Obsdale, younger son of Foulis. George's elder brother was Sir Robert Munro, 3rd Baronet of Foulis who became chief of the Clan Munro in 1651. As a cadet of the Munros of Obsdale, George is also sometimes referred to as George Munro of Obsdale.

Thirty Years' War

George Munro, 1st of Newmore grew up a bold, powerful and fearless man, playing a conspicuous part in the history and feuds of his time. He entered the army and accompanied his famous uncle, General Robert Monro and his great-uncle, chief Robert Munro, 18th Baron of Foulis to the Continental Thirty Years' War, in which he very rapidly, highly distinguished himself. In 1629 when the war broke out between Sweden and Austria, George Munro tendered his services to Gustavus Adolphus, under whom he served with distinction. At the Battle of Lutzen, on 6th November 1632, George Munro, 1st of Newmore commanded the left wing of the Swedish army. The Swedish army was victorious and the Imperialists were forced to retreat. However after Lutzen, arguing ensued amongst many of the officers of the Swedish army and as a result they were defeated at the Battle of Nördlingen. The petty differences on the part of those in command led to no properly defined plan of attack. George Munro was so discusted with these matters that he returned home to Scotland. ["History of the Munros of Fowlis", p.176 -177, by Alexander MacKenzie.]

Irish Confederate Wars

George Munro, 1st of Newmore fought in the wars in Ireland under his uncle Robert Monro who commanded the Scottish Covenanter army. Between 1642 and 1648 George and his uncle Robert were generally successful against their enemies, the O’Neils. During that time the Munros put down a rebellion in Ulster in 1642 and captured Belfast in 1644.

However in May of 1648 George Munro, 1st of Newmore brought clansmen home to deal with the Civil War in Scotland and England, after the Battle of Benburb in Ireland in 1646 where his uncle was defeated. In September 1648Carrickfergus Castle was surrendered to George Monck and George’s uncle, Robert Monro was imprisoned by Oliver Cromwell in the Tower of London. When George returned to Scotland he supported the Scottish Parliament which was seeking the restoration of Charles I to the English throne.

In 1649 George Munro returned briefly to Ireland where he supported the royalist siege of Derry and opposed Cromwell's Irish campaign until forced into a final return to Scotland in April 1650 as a result of the rout Scottish royalist army at the battle of Lisnagarvey.

Civil War in Scotland

Battle of Preston

At the Battle of Preston (1648) an argument ensued because George refused to serve under the Duke of Hamilton's second-in-command, the Earl of Callendar, for whom he had an intense dislike, and Callendar saw no reason why Munro should be allowed an independent command. However after the battle George Munro and his men joined up with the remnants of the defeated royalist Scottish army. [http://www.electricscotland.com/history/genhist/hist47.html General History of the Highlands 1645 - 1649 (Part 2)@ElectricScotland.com] (Originally compiled around 1830 with some updates done in the late 1870's, Edited by John S Keltie F.S.A. Scot.)]

After the battle the Scottish army retired during the night towards Wigan, where it was joined by the Duke of Hamilton next morning, but so reduced in spirits and weakened by desertion as to be quite unable to make any resistance to the victorious troops of Cromwell, who pressed hard upon them. The foot, under the command of Baillie, continued to retreat during the day, but were overtaken at Warrington, and, being unable either to proceed or to resist, surrendered. The number which capitulated amounted to about 3,000. The few who had the good fortune to escape joined George Munro and returned to Scotland.

Before the defeat of the Duke of Hamilton’s royalist army at Preston, the Earl of Lanark had raised three regiments of royalist horse, which were now under his command. These, with the accessions of force which were daily arriving from different parts of the kingdom, were quite sufficient to have put down the insurrection in the west; but instead of marching, Lanark, to the surprise of every person, proceeded through East Lothian towards the eastern borders to meet Sir George Munro, who was retiring upon Berwick before the army of Cromwell.

Battle of Stirling

In declining to attack covenanter David Leslie, the Earl of Lanark acted contrary to the advice of George Munro and his other officers. According to Dr. Wish art, Lanark’s advanced guard, on arriving at Musselburgh, attacked some of covenanter David Leslie’s outposts, who defended the bridge over the River Esk, and Lanark’s advanced guard, though inferior in number, immediately put them in great disorder, and killed some of them without sustaining any loss. This success was reported to the Earl of Lanark, and it was represented to him, that by following it up immediately, while the enemy continued in the state of alarm, he might, perhaps, obtain a bloodless victory, and secure possession of the city of Edinburgh and the town of Leith, with all the warlike stores, before sunset.

However ever since the Earl of Lanark’s march to the borders to meet Sir George Munro, Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll had been busily employed in raising men in his own territory to assist the covenanters. Shortly afterwards, Sir George Munro and his clansmen who acted as the Earl of Lanark’s advance forces defeated the advance forces of the Marquess of Argyll at the Battle of Stirling (1648). After this victory, George Munro urged Lanark to continue and attack David Leslie but he was over-ruled and in the coming weeks the Earl of Lanark made peace with the Marquess of Argyll and David Leslie. [* [http://www.scotwars.com/html/battle_of_stirling.htm Battle of Stirling 1648, @ScotsWars.com] ]

Knighthood

During the year of 1649 George Munro visited Charles II in Holland where he received the honour of knighthood with a new commission from the exiled King. ['Foulis Castle and the Monros of Lower Iveagh' by Horace Monro "Canon of Southwalk". P.24.] In 1650 Munros fought at the Battle of Carbisdale against the royalist army of James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose who was defeated and later against Cromwell’s New Model Army at the Battle of Worcester in September 1651 where the royslists were defeated.

Royalist rising of 1651 to 1654

After the defeat of the royalists in England, Oliver Cromwell came to occupy Scotland but many of the Highlanders waged a war against him. The Royalist uprising, led by the Earl of Glencairn in support of the exiled King Charles II began in 1651. General John Middleton, 1st Earl of Middleton, a veteran of the wars against Cromwell, was appointed commander-in-chief of the royalist forces, and both he and Glencairn agreed to unite their respective forces at Dornoch in Sutherlandshire. Sir George Munro, 1st of Newmore served as an officer in General Middleton’s force.

However the two factions of the royalist force engaged in petty disputes and quarrels between each other. This eventually led to a duel between Sir George Munro and the Earl of Glencairn himself, with Broadswords (known in Scotland as Claymores), in which both were wounded and the duel soon split up. [Clan Munro magazine, issue #6 (1950's), quoting: Scotland and the Protectorate, ed Firth (1899).pp.88-89, quoting: A letter from Col. Robert Lilburne to the Lord Protector, Dalkeith, 20th April 1654.] Soon afterwards Glencairn was placed under arrest by the orders of Middleton and his sword was taken from him. However the following day two junior officers from the two camps had a duel of their own in which one was killed and the other was later arrested and hanged. The royalist rising of the Highlanders although having various successes in skirmishes against Cromwell was not enough and ended by the fall of 1654. [ [http://www.historylinks.org.uk/Dornoch17.htm Dornoch in the 17th century@History links.uk.org] ]

Restoration

“The Restoration” of King Charles II took place in 1660 and Sir George Munro, 1st of Newmore commanded the King’s forces between 1674 and 1677. [ [http://www.clanmunro.org.uk/information/info19.htm The Munros in history [e-mail]] ] George's first marriage was to Anne Munro, his second marriage was to Christian Hamilton. He had ten children. George died in 1693 at his seat, Newmore Castle and was succeeded by his eldest son, Hugh Munro, 2nd of Newmore.

References

*A Sketch of The Munro Clan by James Phinney Munroe.