Fintry link to Napoleon?
Was French military hero a Scot? Yea or Ney
Details of a remarkable connection between Napoleon and the village of Fintry can be heard at the Smith Art Gallery and Museum on the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo.
The Smith’s education officer David Smith is to give a talk on the astonishing tale and evidence of the connection.
Napoleon and the Stirlingshire village of Fintry may seem strange bedfellows.
But details of a remarkable connection between the two can be heard at the Smith Art Gallery and Museum on the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo.
Napoleon’s supposed right hand man was Marshall Ney - who it is now said was born and brought up in Fintry as Peter MacNee, brother of portrait artist and President of the RSA Daniel MacNee, several of whose works are held by The Smith.
The Smith’s education officer David Smith said Fintry is hoping to create its own village museum in partnership with the Stirling Smith.
And it was during this research that locals uncovered the incredible tale in the approach to the 200th anniversary of Waterloo.
David added: “Few know of the connection between Napoleon and Stirlingshire.
“Marshall Ney’s story is an astonishing tale of courage, subterfuge, leadership and massive cover-up.
“It has so many twists and turns and was researched by the very well respected historian Tom Johnston, Secretary of State for Scotland during World War II. He lived in Fintry and uncovered much of the evidence.”
David is set to give a one hour talk with accompanying pictures and evidence at the Smith gallery theatre on Thursday (June 18) at 2pm.
He said: “Peter McNee was born over 200 years ago in Croftinstilly, Fintry, a farm cottage in the original village known as Clachan of Fintry.
“He became a teacher and was moved by the plight of workers in Scotland as the industrial revolution created massive mills and work for all. Families were crammed into tiny homes rented by the mill owners.
“Fintry now has a population of about 600, but back then had over 1000 living in a fraction of today’s space.
“Peter spoke out against the conditions and talked at public rallies in Glasgow. This made him a marked man as the authorities wanted to calm local riots.
“It seems that he escaped to France where the Revolution was bigger and more dramatic.
“There he possibly joined the army, changing his name and working his way up through the ranks.
“It is claimed that he ultimately became Napoleon’s right hand man, Marshall Ney, and was a brilliant strategist and totally loyal to France.
“After Waterloo he was captured and court marshalled. He was due to be executed and even Wellington, on the other side, argued with the French Court that he was too great a general to be executed. “However, the firing squad happened. “But what happened next is quite astonishing. It seems there was a plot to fake the death.
“Our lecture will tell how things happened and where he ended up. Lawyers in the USA as well as the historian Tom Johnston found the paperwork that linked Peter to Marshall Ney and to Fintry.
“But of course people will have to come along to the talk on Thursday to find out the real story. It really is quite astonishing.”
Entry to David Smith’s talk at the Smith on Thursday is £5 at the door or telephone 01786 471917.