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The Cockstane at Finegand...
There is a large rock surrounded by trees at Finegand that is called "The Cockstane"
(O.S. Sheet 43, Ref. 141643). Stories handed down in the Glen through the
centuries have it that when the Clan MacThomas came to the Glen, they built their
first settlement near Finegand. One night a cock was heard crowing from the top of
the rock. Its cries were so loud that the clan was awakened. It being unheard of for
a cock to call at night, it was taken that something was seriously amiss and the call
to arms was raised, the men taking up defensive positions. As soon as this was done
the cock fell silent. After a while the MacThomas men were beginning to get restive
and think it was all for nothing when suddenly they heard the sounds of armed men
approaching and bumping into objects in the dark. It was a raid. The attackers were
taken completely by surprise when instead of a helpless sleeping village, they found
they were attacking a company of well armed and prepared clansmen. The raiders
were cut to pieces and few escaped. The clan realized they owed their survival to
the cock crowing from the rock and from that moment on the rock became the
central point for the clan. At times of danger when the Glen was being raided or
attacked the men would rush to the rock with their weapons and the chief or
chieftains would organize them into cohesive fighting units and coordinate defense
and counter attacks as required. The clan chief made counsel standing on the rock,
judgements, tribunals and all serious clan business were conducted by the chief and
lesser chieftains with the whole clan gathered around. Although long dispersed from
Glenshee, members of the Clan MacThomas Society return each year on the third
weekend of August to swear allegiance to their clan chief as he stands on the rock.
Finegand - The Tax Collectors...
Finegand takes its name from an incident that happened in the 16th century
(O.S.Map Sheet 43, Ref. 14653). Tax collecting in these times was done in a rather
forceful manner by bands of heavily armed men called Messengers at Arms or
Sheriff's Officers. A list of names and addresses with amounts due would be given to
the Chief Sheriff's Officer who would then assemble a group and make a sortie for
four or five weeks, visiting each address in turn and demanding the amount to be
paid on the spot. If cash was not available or forthcoming, then any livestock,
valuables or possessions of any kind whatsoever were seized, taken to the nearest
market and sold until the amount was raised. Anything left was supposed to be
given back to the owner, but this seldom happened. These tax collectors were
obviously not popular people and tax collecting was often done by force at the point
of a sword. A group of collectors appeared at a house at Forter, which is about six
miles south of Glenshee. The man of the house had died but this made no
difference, the wife was liable. She had little ready money. Therefore, all her
livestock, valuables and furnishings were seized by the Sheriff's Officers. The widow
was naturally very upset and sent a servant with a message to the headquarters of
the Clan MacThomas. The Chief, a man called MacCombie Mhor, gathered some of
his men and headed down the Glen to see what fuss was on his land. He met the
tax collectors crossing the ford of Finegand that is approximately four miles south of
the Spittal at Glenshee. An argument developed which broke into a fight. A tax
collector was killed, some were injured and the rest surrendered. One of them,
probably "in his cups" from some of the booty from the widow's house shouted
"MacCombie Mhor, we are the King's men and will bear witness against you". This
was a huge mistake. The answer came "there will not be witnesses". MacCombie
instructed his men to kill every one of the tax collectors. The clansmen proceeded
to do so with relish. He then ordered them to be decapitated and the heads thrown
in the burn. It is said that he then roared down the Glen "Now swim back to your
masters in Edinburgh and tell them what happens to thieves they send to Glenshee."
For this crime, the
MacThomases were eventually pursued and driven out of the Glen, but this took
another eighty years to accomplish. Because of the persecution most of the
surviving clansmen changed their names to Thomson, Thoms, and Thomas and
obviously thrived elsewhere in the world, as these names are very common. It has
been noted that tax collectors tended to avoid Glenshee for a considerable time
thereafter and it is said even to this day some Revenue men and tax collectors get
a funny feeling at the back of their necks when they pass Finegand.
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