Sir Harry Munro, 7th Baronet

Sir Harry Munro, 7th Baronet (c. 1720 – 12 June, 1781) was 25th Baron and the 28th chief of the Clan Munro. He was a Scottish soldier and politician. He was loyal to the Hanoverian dynasty and served as a Captain in Loudon's Highlanders Regiment 1745-48. Harry married Anne, daughter of Hugh Rose of Kilravock, chief of the Clan Rose.

Sir Harry's military career seems to have started when he was among nine young gentlemen appointed Ensigns in Bisset's Regiment later the 30th Regiment of Foot in May 1742. In June 1745 he was appointed on the recommendation of Lord Stair and Henry Pelham as one of the company commanders in a new Highland Regiment being raised by the Earl of Loudon.

Harry Munro's company was one of three in the process of being raised in the North when the Commander in Chief in Scotland, General Sir John Cope arrived at Inverness on 29th August. Harry's uncle George Munro of Culcairn met Sir John Cope and agreed that the Munros "should instantly take arms and join the King's troops" and the next day Harry brought in 200 of his men in three companies.

Harry joined Sir John Cope at the Water of Nairn and when the army marched for Aberdeen on 4th September Loudon's Highlanders regiment included his three companies, while George Munro of Culcairn's detachment acted as scouts. Sir John Cope remained in Aberdeen where a fourth company of Loudoun's regiment joined the others until 14th September from whence they sailed to Dunbar and their infamous defeat at the Battle of Prestonpans. Harry was among 70 officers taken prisoner and for a time was imprisoned in Glamis Castle but by mid January 1746 he was among 31 men released who arrived at Edinburgh, where he learnt the tragic news of his father, Robert and uncle Duncan's death after the Battle of Falkirk (1746).

Meanwhile the main body of Munros having escorted Sir John Cope successfully to Aberdeen had returned to the north under George Munro of Culcairn and were not present at Prestonpans.

The Earl of Loudoun and Sir John Cope had escaped by sea to London after the Battle of Prestonpans from whence Loudoun later returned north to Inverness to take command in the north but was forced with the Lord President Forbes and George Munro of Culcairn to withdraw through the Black Isle into Ross-shire being pressed by a much larger Jacobite force.

The commander of British forces the Duke of Cumberland had no wish to have the support of any Highland troops at the time for he distrusted them all and deliberately gave the Earl of Loudoun no help to extricate himself from his difficulties with the Jacobites in the north.

However three other companies of Loudoun's, regiment raised in Argyll from the Clan Campbell came under the Duke of Cumberland's command in his march north from Stirling but they were used mainly as scouts and baggage guards. Although several of them, including one officer were killed when they fought at the Battle of Culloden. Harry Munro was listed as absent "by HRH leave" presumably to try and deal with the problems at Foulis Castle.

After the suppression of the rebellion, Loudon's Highlanders later took part in the mopping up operations based at Fort Augustus. The regiment remained in Scotland until May 1747 when they embarked at Bruntisland to join the allied army under Cumberland in Flanders.

The Munro company under Harry appears to have stayed in Scotland but in a letter from another officer in March 1748, Sir Harry is said to be going over to join the regiment. However with the ending of the war in Flanders, Loudan's regiment was ordered back to Scotland and reduced at Perth in June of that year.

In politics Harry Munro was a supporter of the Duke of Newcastle, a prominent Whig who was Prime Minister 1754 - 1756 and 1757 - 1762. He also served as MP for Ross-shire 11th December, 1746 - 1747 and for Tain Burghs 1747 - 1761.

ee also

*Munro Baronets
*Clan Munro
*Scottish clan

ources

*Clan Munro Magazine No. 14 by R W Munro.