Expert on the Battle of Culloden dies
Tributes have been paid to a Jacobite historian and leading authority on Culloden who helped to change understanding of the battle and the land where it was fought.
Dr Christopher Duffy has died at the age of 86 after a period of ill health. He was a highly regarded military historian who took special interest in Jacobite campaigns, with his knowledge on the Battle of Culloden and events of April 16, 1746 hugely admired.
When the battlefield came under increasing threat from developers and housebuilding in recent years, Dr Duffy’s work led to greater understanding of the site and its historic boundary. His research showed Culloden was fought over an area far bigger than previously thought.
Michael Nevin, chair of the 1745 Association, described Dr Duffyas“undoubtedlytheleading Jacobite scholar of his generation”.
He said: “Over the years, he worked tirelessly for the preservation of the Culloden Battlefieldagainstencroachingdevelopments, and its conservation will be one of his enduring legacies.
“Those of us who knew him will miss him greatly and his death is a sad loss to our association and the preservation of the Jacobite heritage.”
Mrnevinsaiddrduffy’sbook, The '45: Bonnie Prince Charlie and the untold story of the Jacobite Rising (2003), was likely to remain the authoritative work on military history of the 1745 Rising, with the historian’s research comprehensively disproving the then conventional wisdom the campaign was doomed to failure from the outset.
Dr Duffy read history at Balliol College, Oxford, graduating with first-class honours. He received a Dphil in 1961 and taught military history at the
Royal Military Academy Sandhurstandthecollegeofthebritish General Staff.
The scholar published widely on military history, with a particular focus on the 18th and early19thcentury,includingthe Seven Years' War and the Napoleonic Wars.
Dr Duffy served as chairman ofthe1745associationbetween 2014 and 2016 and was, at the time of his death, an honorary vice-chair of the association. Although he became physically frail in later life, his scholarly workandresearchneverabated
and his work on Culloden continued.
Drduffywasawitnessadviser in the High Court on a number of cases, including the Hatton Gardens burglary of 2015. He used his knowledge of forensic techniquestodeepenhisunderstanding of Culloden.
Andrew Grant Mckenzie, the former manager of Culloden, last walked the battlefield with Dr Duffy in 2021, when the scholar was last able. Mr Mckenzie,founderofhighland Historian tours, said: "We discussed many flashpoints in the
battle,butalsoourfuturehopes for the conservation of the site.
"His work on mapping the site accuratelyduringthepandemic mustberegardedassomeofthe mostimportantconservational historical research ever developed. His wider knowledge and range of topics were incredible to discuss. He was also a very caring man and I will fondly remember cancelling an afternoon of looking for evidence at Culloden to assist a lamb that had its head stuck in a tree.”