Controversy Surrounding the Clearances: Accusations against Patrick Sellar, 1815

Description:In the early nineteenth century two men named William Young and Patrick Sellar visited the Sutherland Estates. Young and Sellar had implemented a policy of clearance in Moray and managed to build a new fishing community at Hopeman in the Scottish Highlands. Influenced by their success, James Loch and Lord and Lady Stafford (The Marquis of Stafford, George Granville Leveson-Gower and his wife Lady Elizabeth Leveson-Gower, Countess of Sutherland) made the decision to pursue a similar scheme in Sutherland. In 1810 the sheep farmer Patrick Sellar was appointed to manage the Sutherland estates in the Scottish Highlands and oversee the removal of tenants to the coast. However, tenants were often reluctant to leave their properties, and in 1814 a number of allegations were made against Sellar concerning his brutal treatment of the Sutherland tenants.

Many of these accusations were published in the media, causing concern and distress to Lord and Lady Stafford. Sellar was imprisoned but was acquitted of committing any inhumane acts following his trial in 1816. Shortly after the ruling Sellar was removed from his management role and the Clearances were overseen by James Loch and Francis Suther.

The allegations published against Sellar caused a great deal of controversy. A number of letters in the personal papers of Lord and Lady Stafford reflect the difficulties caused by the sensational publication of the accusations.

In August 1815 Lady Stafford wrote to Lord Sidmouth complaining about the publication of allegations against Sellar. Lord Sidmouth, Henry Addington (1757-1844) had served as Prime Minister from 1801-1804, and was appointed as Home Secretary from 1812 to 1822.

In a letter dated August 24th 1815, Lady Stafford writes ‘I have the honor of transmitting to your Lordship a Copy of a newspaper which has this day been sent me (with an anonymous note,) for the purpose of calling your Lordship’s attention to a paragraph in it entitled Murder in Scotland’. The article referred to the charges made against Patrick Sellar who was awaiting trial for accusations made against his treatment of tenants on the Sutherland estate. Lady Stafford tells Sidmouth that the article states ‘that a charge of murder had been fully proved against a person employed in the management of the Sutherland Estate’.

Lady Stafford writes that ‘while attacks upon the management of this property were confined to the common newspapers, they were treated by Lord Stafford & myself with the contempt they appeared to us to merit’. However, the account Lady Stafford refers to in her letter had been ‘published in a paper under the authority of government’. Outraged by this, Lady Stafford writes ‘I feel it incumbent on me to have recourse to your Lordship for your interference’

Referring to the accusations, Lady Stafford informs Lord Sidmouth that Sellar had always appeared to be ‘a faithfull & zealous agent in our service’, adding that she had ‘every reason to feel confident that he will be able to exculpate himself from…the charges that have been urged against him.’

However, following this Lady Stafford adds ‘I need not add it is our wish that full justice should be done & that every enquiry be made’. Concluding her letter, she requests that ‘the authors of so wicked a libel…may be traced & punished’.

Click on the image on the left to learn what happened next…