Peter Williamson

Peter Williamson (1730 – 19 January 1799), aka "Indian Peter", was a Scottish memoirist who was part-showman, part-entrepreneur and inventor. Born in a croft in Aberdeenshire, he was forcibly taken to North America at an early age, but succeeded in returning to Scotland where he eventually became a well-known character in 18th century Edinburgh. He adopted the pseudonym "Indian Peter" due to his time spent with native Americans and his self-exploitation of this in an autobiography and by touring Scotland and England in the guise of a "Red Indian".

Williamson was born the son of James Williamson in a croft in Hirnlay near Aboyne. He described his parents as "reputable though not rich" and at an early age was sent to live with a maiden aunt in Aberdeen.

Though little acknowledged in history, there was in those days a thriving slave trade in stolen children, most of whom were taken to North America. In January 1743, Williamson fell victim to the trade when he was kidnapped while playing on the quay at Aberdeen. His autobiography gives his age as eight at the time. Some of the Aberdeen bailies were suspected of colluding with the traffickers; an estimated 600 children disappeared from the port when the trade was at its height between 1740 and 1746.

Williamson was taken to Philadelphia and sold for £16 as an indentured servant for a period of seven years to a fellow Scot, Hugh Wilson. Wilson had himself been kidnapped as a boy and sold into slavery, but, like many white slaves, had earned his freedom. He may have therefore sympathised with Peter's situation.

Williamson said Wilson treated him kindly, and when the latter died in 1750, just before the end of the indenture, he bequeathed the boy £120 plus his best horse and saddle and all his clothes. This helped bring about a change in Peter's fortunes.

At the age of 24, Williamson married the daughter of a wealthy plantation owner and was given a dowry of 200 acres of land close to the frontier of Pennsylvania, where he settled down to life as a farmer.

On the night of 2 October 1754 his farm was attacked by Cherokee Indians and he was taken prisoner. The house was plundered and burned to the ground. Williamson related that he was forced to march many miles acting as a pack-mule for the Cherokees and that, whilst with them, he witnessed many murders and scalpings.

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