On this day, the Duke of Montrose issued a warrant for the arrest of Rob Roy MacGregor in Scotland. MacGregor had borrowed a considerable sum of money from Montrose with the intention of increasing his cattle herds and selling them in England, but his partner ran off with the money and left him with a large debt. MacGregor tried to clear his name but was declared an outlaw by Montrose. A feud ensued in which Montrose evicted MacGregor from his home and MacGregor retaliated by collecting and keeping for himself the rent money due to Montrose from his tenants. MacGregor also stole Montrose’s cattle whenever he could. Montrose, suspected of corruption, was not a popular figure locally and when a fictionalised account of MacGregor’s life, “The Highland Rogue“, was published in 1723, Rob Roy quickly became a legend in his own lifetime.
