Abby Connolly
In the 1700s, there was a Scottish woman who not only impressively became the first female colonel in Scotland but also was one of the most notable military leaders during the country’s Jacobite movement.
Anne was born at Invercauld Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in 1723. When she was 19-years-old, Anne married Angus Mackintosh, chief of the Clan Mackintosh, in 1741.
Angus was anti-Jacobite, meaning he was against the political movement known as Jacobitism. Jacobites believed that monarchs were appointed by God and supported the House of Stuart.
Despite her husband’s beliefs, Anne was a loyal Jacobite and remained one even after getting married. In 1745, while Anne’s husband actively fought against the Jacobites, Jacobite Prince Charles Edward Stuart landed in Scotland.
Anne was only 22-years-old at the time and powerfully recruited a whopping 200 to 400 men to fight for the prince. While her husband was away working, Anne disguised herself as a man and enlisted support for the Jacobites.
Through this brave and courageous action, Anne was given the name ‘Colonel Anne’ and was highly praised by the prince.
In 1746, after many of her men died during the Battle of Culloden, which is considered the final confrontation of the Jacobite rising, Anne was arrested and turned over to the care of her mother-in-law.
Although they fought on opposite sides of the Jacobite rising, Anne and Angus went on to live together peacefully after the dust had settled.
Despite Anne’s arrest and the defeat at the Battle of Culloden, Anne’s support for the Jacobites never faltered.
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