127179740.23.Pdf
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
-£4, $es. shs 92 l OF SCOTLAND ^QtNBURQT^ PUBLICATIONS OF THE SCOTTISH HISTORY SOCIETY THIRD SERIES VOLUME XI THE JOURNAL OF THOMAS CUNINGHAM OF CAMPVERE 1927 SCHOTSCHE HUIS, VEERE E. N. Naylor, 1926 THE JOURNAL OF THOMAS CUNINGHAM OF CAMPVERE 1640-1654 WITH HIS THRISSELS BANNER AND EXPLICATION THEREOF Edited by ELINOR JOAN COURTHOPE, M.A.(Edin.) EDINBURGH Printed at the University Press by T. and A. Constable Ltd. for the Scottish History Society Printed in Great Britain CONTENTS EDITOR’S PREFACE vii CUNINGHAM’S INTRODUCTION ... 3 HIS PREFACE TO THE THRISSELS-BANNER . 11 HIS EXPLICATION OF THE THRISSELS-BANNER 13 HIS REGISTER OF THE CONTENTS OF HIS JOURNAL ...... 29 THE JOURNAL OR QUOTIDIAN RECORD . 37 Appendix I. Missive to Factors at Campvere, 11th March 1644 . .251 „ II. CUNINGHAM TO COMMITTEE OF ESTATES, APRIL 1646 . .251 „ III. CUNINGHAM TO THE CHANCELLOR, JUNE 1648 . 252 „ IV. Notices in Clarendon State Papers . 255 PREFACE The Journal and the Thrissels Banner The Journal of Thomas Cuningham came into the pos- session of the University of Edinburgh with the Laing MSS., having been bought by David Laing in 1842 at Mr. Chalmers’s sale. According to notes inside the cover, Mr. George Chalmers bought it ‘ from a Mr. Bartholomew in the city, who said it had been brought over from Walcheren by a Mr. Henderson, a dissenting minister, at the time of the expedition to that island, and was pro- bably found at Flushing.’ David Laing adds : ‘ The Rev. John Henderson mentioned in this note was admitted minister of the English Church at Flushing, 16th July 1797, and continued pastor till the town was finally evacuated by the British troops in 1809. Mr. Henderson latterly became minister of the Chapel of Wanlockhead in the parish of Sanquhar, where he died, 14th September 1814.’ The Journal is written in a very small but beautifully clear hand, and Cuningham has taken infinite pains to reproduce the signatures of all his correspondents. His own signature, reproduced on the title page, is interesting. A curious arrangement of figures incorporated with his name presumably indicates his age at the time of writing, with the day, month and year of his birth. The fraction behind his name represents the day and month of his birth, the figure overhead his age at the time of writing, whilst this coupled with the date given below gives the year in which he was born. This original style of signature was used by Cuningham throughout his life, and was viii JOURNAL OF THOMAS CUNINCxHAM adopted, with slight variations, by several of his sons. His use of the Cuningham shakefork as a framework for scriptural reference on the title page of the Explication is also of interest, and the introduction of his name in the verse below Thrissels Banner. Cuningham’s original pagination has been preserved in the margin throughout the printed Journal in accordance with his Register of Contents given at the beginning. The capital R which occurs frequently in the accounts (see page 55) seems to refer to payments received. Two copies of Thrissels Banner printed on white satin were known to exist in 1888, one of which was exhibited that year in the Historical and Archaeological Collection in the Bishop’s Palace, Glasgow, whilst the other copy was then at Dundee. A photograph and description of the Glasgow copy appear in the book printed as a record of the 1888 collection, entitled Scottish National Memorials, edited by James Paton and others and published by James MacLehose in 1890. This work also mentions a curious description of the Dundee copy given by Johnston in his Treasury of the Scottish Covenant, in 1887, which refers to the Banner as ‘ A national standard which was borne by the Covenanters when with a gallant army they marched into England, August 28th, 1640, and took possession of Newcastle.’ But, as the editor of Scottish National Memorials says, ‘ no one who has seen either of the original copies will agree with him in supposing that it was carried in battle. It is much too small and elaborate for that.’ The editor was evidently unaware of the exist- ence of the copy of Thrissels Banner and the Explication which are bound up with Cuningham’s Journal, as he refers to the satin copies as the only ones in existence. A second copy of the Banner on paper is preserved in the National Library at Edinburgh ; but, as far as is known, this copy of the Explication is the only one in PREFACE ix existence. It is curious that not more have survived, seeing that Cuningham tells us on page 5 that he ‘ caused ingrave the Banner in copper and print of it 200 upon whyte satin and 1800 upon paper with alyke number of Explications.’ Cuningham’s Journal runs from 1640 to 1654, and opens with the deposition of Sir Patrick Drummond from office by the Estates of Parliament, owing to the ‘ contraventions and transgressions ’ committed by him in his office as Conservator. He had been Conservator at the Scottish Staple Port since 1625, and there is no doubt that his deposition in 1640 was due more to his open sympathies with the Court party and his leanings towards prelacy than to his faults in the administration of his office. In his position as Conservator, Sir Patrick was nominally in complete control of the factors of the Staple, and had also extensive powers of supervision over all export and import trade at the Staple Port. The Committee of Estates were looking to the Nether- lands for the main supply of arms and ammunition for the equipment of the Scottish army, the provision of which was in the hands of Thomas Cuningham, James Weir and James Eleis, three factors of Veere, who since 1639 had been shipping over to Scotland ‘ great quantity of armes, ammunition, cannon and other warre- like necessaries.’ In these circumstances Sir Patrick Drummond’s presence in Veere as supreme officer of the Staple was no doubt extremely inconvenient; and it is not to be wondered at that the Committee of Estates thought fit to bring about his deposition and to instal Thomas Cuningham in his place. Owing to the refusal of Charles I. to recognize Sir Patrick Drummond’s deposition, there was some delay before Cuningham took up his work at the Staple Port; but in November 1641 he decided to take the charge JOURNAL OF THOMAS CUNINGHAM upon him ‘ in a modest private way.’ In 1644 he re- ceived his commission as Ordinary Agent for Scotland in the Netherlands, followed by his official appointment to the post of Conservator by Act of Parliament. In 1650 Charles II. ratified Cuningham’s commission and appointment, and at the same time ‘ laid the knighting sword ’ upon him; but the royal favour was short-lived, for at the Restoration Sir Patrick Drummond was reinstated in office and was granted a new appointment for life as Conservator of the privileges of the Kingdom of Scotland in the Low Countries. The Journal tells its own tale of Cuningham’s diffi- culties, and of his faithful services to the cause of the Covenant, closing with his departure for London in 1654 to obtain recognition of his office from the Commonwealth Government, and to secure Scotland’s exoneration from the debt due to Messrs. Lampsins of Zealand for monies advanced towards the purchase of arms and ammunition for the Parliamentary armies. The Cuninghams of Veere It has been possible to trace something of the Cuningham family, and of their long connection with the town of Veere, from documents at Middelburgh and Veere, the chief sources being the Town Records of Veere, the ‘ Weesboek ’ or Orphan Book of Veere, the ‘ Sessioune book of the Scottische Staple Church at Campheir ’ (1630 to 1682), and various other documents. Most grateful thanks are due to Heer Meerkamp van Embden, Archivist for the State of Zealand, and his staff at Middel- burgh, and to Mr. J. W. Perrels of Veere for their kindness in allowing access to the documents in their charge, and for their help in translating. From the constant references to the Cuninghams in PREFACE xi the town records of Veere it is evident that they were for many years one of the leading families of the town, and were held in high esteem not only by the Scottish com- munity at the Staple Port but also by the Dutch. Hailing originally from Dumfries, the family settled in Veere as merchants and shipowners at the end of the sixteenth century, and for upwards of a hundred years played a prominent part in the life of the Staple Port, a Thomas Cuningham holding the office of factor during three generations, whilst Arnold Cuningham, son of the Con- servator, was for many years a member of the town council of Veere, and burgomaster in 1673. The family took a keen interest in the welfare of the Scottish church at Veere, and were connected with it from the first appoint- ment of a minister there in 1614, each Thomas Cuningham in succession, besides other members of the family, bearing office. From their first appearance in Veere they inter- married with the Dutch ; and it is interesting to note that Smallegange in his Nieuwe Cronyk van Zeeland includes the shakefork of the Cuninghams amongst the arms of the noble families of Zealand. They seem to have disappeared from the public life of Veere towards the end of the seventeenth century. It is possible that with the decline of the Staple they moved to other parts of Holland. The first member of the family to settle in Veere was Thomas Cunningham, father of the Conservator, who came over to the Netherlands in his youth, and served as factor at the Staple Port, being appointed on several occasions to act as their depute by the Conservators Racket and Denniston.1 He was chosen by the Burghs to collect the impost appointed for the minister’s stipend at Veere in 1614 and following years.