the five was necessary, and the manoeuvrings by which the councils were persuaded to send the "right" delegate to vote in parliamentary elections were often exciting, and even a show of force was likely. Ross ascendancy was secure in Tain, and from 1716 to 1745 the Munros controlled Dingwall, with Robert of one of his brothers as provost—but not without something like two armed Munro "invasions" of the county town in 1721 and 1740, when opposing councillors were abducted to secure a favourable result (for the first incident Colonel Robert and his brother were fined £200 each, and after the second his parliamentary career came to an abrupt end with defeat at the 1741 election). Lieutenant-colonel of the 43rd Highlanders This probably mattered less to Sir Robert, as he was now securely back in the British Army. The Independent Companies, disbanded after the Jacobite rising, had been revived by General George Wade, and in 1739 the six companies were increased to ten and formed into a regular Highland regiment 780 strong under his command—famous in military history as the 43rd Highlanders, (later re-numbered the 42nd), Royal Highland Regiment, or Black Watch. Their uniform, approved personally by George II of Great Britain when Sir Robert presented a sergeant and private soldier to His Majesty in London in 1740, included a kilt of dark green "military" tartan, belted plaid, and blue bonnet with black cockade. The regiment's first colonel was John Lindsay, 20th Earl of Crawford, who was briefly succeeded by Hugh Sempill, 12th Lord Sempill, but Sir Robert Munro as lieutenant-colonel had the chief responsibility during the formative years. Among the Captains were his brother George Munro, 1st of Culcairn, Campbell of Carrick, and a cousin John Munro, 4th of Newmore. The surgeon was George Munro, 3rd of Auchinbowie, a distant clansmen. After mustering beside the Tay near Aberfeldy, and continuing the duties of the previous Independent Companies for some time in Northern Scotland, the regiment was ordered to London in 1743, where a serious incident occurred. Believing that they would not be required to serve abroad, and alarmed by rumours that they were to be sent to the American plantations, about 200 men (without their officers) decided to return home and began the long march north. They were overtaken at Oundle, Northamptonshire, where Newmore was one of the officers who disarmed and persuaded them to return. Three of those condemned