Three silver cylinder shaped boxes, placed behind each other, first box with the lid is decorated in leaf and scottish thistle motifs and a crown with three feathers in the center. Two boxes are plain silver with gilded interior. The middle box contains gold cutlery.
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Bonnie Prince Charlie's silver travelling canteen

History and cultures, Scotland

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This elaborate set of travelling cutlery and two wine beakers was made by the Edinburgh goldsmith Ebenezer Oliphant in 1740-41. It may have been a 21st birthday gift for Prince Charles Edward Stuart.

Who was Bonnie Prince Charlie?

Prince Charles Edward Stuart was born in Rome in 1720. Better known as ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’ or the ‘Young Pretender’, he was his family’s last hope in the fight to regain their lost kingdoms.

In 1744, he took up active pursuit of the claim to the three kingdoms and set out on his journey to regain the crown for his father.

He landed in Scotland in 1745 to raise forces to restore the Stuart monarchy to the British throne.

A detail of a bust portrait showing a young man turned sideways, wearing a white ruffled wig, red jacket with buttons, a star medal on the right hand side and a blue ribbon over his left shoulder.
Portrait of Prince Charles Edward Stewart (detail from a miniature, watercolour on bone, artist and date unknown). Credit: National Museums Scotland

The travelling canteen and the Jacobite cause

The outer case of the travelling canteen is decorated with the three-feathered badge of the Prince of Wales. The lid is chased with bands of linked thistles and a figure of St Andrew surrounded by the motto ‘Nemo Me Impune Lacesset’. All represent the collar and badge of the Most Nobel Order of the Thistle. In Jacobite eyes, Prince Charles was created Prince of Wales on his birth in 1720, and was made a Knight of the Thistle shortly after.

The base of the canteen shows the initials of its maker, Ebenezer Oliphant. He was a member of the staunchly Jacobite family of the Oliphants of Gask, in Perthshire. His brother and nephew (both called Laurence) were ‘out’ with Prince Charles’s army during the 1745-6 Rebellion.

Image gallery

  • A highly decorated silver object with an open lid which shows various gold objects.
  • Three silver cylinder shaped boxes, placed behind each other, first box with the lid is decorated in leaf and scottish thistle motifs and a crown with three feathers in the center. Two boxes are plain silver with gilded interior. The middle box contains gold cutlery.
  • A silver surface with the initials EO as well as other embossed markings.
  • A decorative silver lidded container beside a plain silver container holding various gold objects.
  • The top of a silver container with a decorative engraving of a saint. In the background are various gold objects held together in a green velvet wrapping.
  • A silver lidded object decorated with thistles and flowers.

When did the canteen arrive in Scotland?

Charles brought the canteen with him to Scotland in 1745. At first his campaign went well. Having gathered support from the Highland clansmen, Charles marched south, defeating the British government’s army at Prestonpans, in East Lothian. He then crossed the border to England and successfully laid siege to Carlisle.

Charles and his army reached as far south as Derby, causing panic in London. On the advice of his commanders, they reluctantly retreated to Scotland . After defeating government forces again at Falkirk, the Jacobite army headed north.

When the Rebellion came to an end in April 1746, with the defeat of the Jacobite army at Culloden, Charles had the canteen with him in his baggage.

How did the canteen come into the museum collection?

The victorious government commander, William, Duke of Cumberland, captured the canteen. He gave it to one of his aides, George Kepple, later the Earl of Albemarle. It remained in his family until 1963.

The canteen (museum reference number H.MEQ 1584.10) was acquired by the Museum in 1984, after a successful public fundraising campaign to prevent it being sold abroad.

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