Samuel Mcdonald, a giant (Wellcome V0007445 cropped)

Sam McDonald (1762 – 6 May 1802), called "Big Sam", was a

Scotsman The Scots ( sco, Scots Fowk; gd, Albannaich) are an ethnic group and nation native to Scotland. Historically, they emerged in the early Middle Ages from an amalgamation of two Celtic-speaking peoples, the Picts and Gaels, who founded ...

of unusual height for his day who had a distinguished military career and was a noted "strongman". Most sources state his height as , with a burly build, although one 1822 source claims .

Life

Born in

Lairg Lairg ( gd, An Luirg, meaning "the shank/shin") is a village and parish in Sutherland, Scotland. It has a population of 891 and is at the south-eastern end of Loch Shin. Lairg is unusual in the northern Highlands in being a large settlement th ...

, Sutherland in 1762, he served in the 2nd Sutherland Fencibles 1779–83 and the

Royal Scots The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment), once known as the Royal Regiment of Foot, was the oldest and most senior infantry regiment of the line of the British Army, having been raised in 1633 during the reign of Charles I of Scotland. The regime ...

1783–1789 (where he served as Fugleman or drill-leader). From 1791 to 1793 he was employed by the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

as lodge porter at

Carlton House Carlton House was a mansion in Westminster, best known as the town residence of King George IV. It faced the south side of Pall Mall, and its gardens abutted St James's Park in the St James's district of London. The location of the house, no ...

, and during this time appeared at the

Drury Lane Theatre The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Drur ...

playing

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the ...

in "Cymon and Iphigenia". From 1793 to 1799 he was a sergeant in the 3rd Sutherland Fencibles, and from 1799 until his death in 1802 in the newly formed 93rd Sutherland. Due to his height and bulk he generally marched to the side of the formation, leading the regimental mascot, a deer. He was frequently detached for recruiting, and his image was later used on recruiting posters. Sergeant MacDonald died while stationed with the regiment on Guernsey. There exist several engravings of him, both in military uniform and while serving as a gatekeeper for the Prince of Wales, including three by noted Scottish caricaturist John Kay. His obituary in the ''

Sydney Gazette ''The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser'' was the first newspaper printed in Australia, running from 5 March 1803 until 20 October 1842. It was a semi-official publication of the government of New South Wales, authorised by Governo ...

'' was the first newspaper obituary printed in Australia; it appeared in the 12 March 1803 edition. A memorial stone and plaque for McDonald exists along Upland Road, St. Peter's Port on Guernsey, marking the former place of the Stranger's Cemetery where he was buried in 1802.

Colorful stories

A number of colorful stories were told of McDonald after his death. One said that the Countess of Sutherland, impressed by his size, had given him 2 shillings 6 pence a day extra pay to feed himself, since she figured he must eat prodigiously. Another concerned a challenge to a fight from an Irish "giant"; McDonald insisted on shaking hands before the fight, and when his grip squeezed blood from the Irishman's fingernails, the Irishman backed down. A third had McDonald assigned to guard a cannon outside on a cold night; after a while he carried the cannon, unassisted, to the fire in the guardhouse, saying he could just as well watch it there. Another story concerned McDonald and an Irish butcher in Dublin who didn't believe the stories of McDonald's strength; he challenged McDonald that if he carried a

bullock Bullock may refer to: Animals * Bullock (in British English), a castrated male bovine animal of any age * Bullock (in North America), a young bull (an uncastrated male bovine animal) * Bullock (in Australia, India and New Zealand), an ox, an adu ...

two miles back to the barracks, he could have it for free, and McDonald promptly did so.Burgoyne, p. 427

References

External links

Bio of McDonald in clan newsletter

Engravings of McDonald at National Portrait Gallery

"In pictures: 18th Century caricatures,"
''BBC News''

{{DEFAULTSORT:McDonald, Sam 1762 births 1802 deaths Royal Scots soldiers People from Sutherland Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders soldiers