Early Life
MacPherson was the illegitimate son of a Highland laird, MacPherson of Invereshie, and a beautiful Tinker or gypsy girl that he met at a wedding. The gentleman acknowledged the child, and had him reared in his house. After the death of his father, who was killed while attempting to recover a "spread" of cattle taken from Badenoch by reivers - the boy was reclaimed by his mother's people. The gypsy woman frequently returned with him, to wait upon his relations and clansmen, who never failed to clothe him well, besides giving money to his mother. He grew up “in beauty, strength and stature rarely equaled.” MacPherson is reported as being a man of uncommon personal strength. He became an expert swordsman, and a renowned fiddler, and eventually became the leader of the gypsy band. The tinker-Gypsies then lived by buying and selling horses and seem to have been quite popular with the ordinary country folk.
Read more about this topic: Jamie Macpherson
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