Scotland, Social and Domestic. Memorials of Life and Manners In

SCOTLAND SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC MEMORIALS OF LIFE AND MANNERS IN NORTH BRITAIN ReV. CHARLES ROGERS, LL.D., ES.A. Scot. HISTORIOGRAPHER TO THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OE GREAT BRITAIN. %,»a# LONDON CHARLES GEIFFIN AND CO. STATIONERS' HALL COURT 1SG9 THE GRAMPIAN CLUB. Office-bearers, 1869. HIS GEACE THE DUKE OF ARGYLE, K.T. THE MOST HON. THE MARQUESS OF BUTE. THE RIGHT HON. THE EARL OF DALHOUSIE, K.T. THE RIGHT HON. THE EARL OF ROSSLYN. SIR RODERICK I. MURCHISON, Bart., K.C.B., F.R.S., D.C.L., LL.D., Hon. Member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and Member of the Institute of France. SIR JAMES Y. SIMPSON, Bart., M.D., F.R.S.E., F.S.A. Scot. GEORGE VERE IRVING, Esq., of Newton. ROBERT CRAWFORD, Esq., of Westbrook, F.A.S.L., London. Council. THE RIGHT HON. THE EARL OF MAR. COLONEL SYKES, M.P. SIR PATRICK M. COLQUHOUN, Q.C., LL.D., F.R.S.L. GEORGE STIRLING HOME DRUMMOND, Esq., of Blair Drum- mond. T. L. KINGTON OLIPHANT, Esq., of Gask. J. ROSS COULTHART, Esq., F.S.A. Scot., F.R.S. Lit. CHARLES MACKAY, Esq., LL.D. REV. CHARLES ROGERS, LL.D., F.S.A. Scot. REV. JOHN GRANT WRIGHT, LL.D. WILLIAM EUING, Esq., F.R.S E., F.S.A. Scot. F. W. RAMSAY, Esq., M.D., of Inveresk. GEORGE EDWIN SWITHINBANK, Esq., LL.D., F.S.A. Scot. RICHARD BENNETT, Esq. GEORGE W. GIBSON, Esq. Secretarrj. LOUIS CHARLES ALEXANDER, Esq. A. GLIDDON, Esq., The City Bank, Tottenham Court Road, W. Offices :—FALCON COURT, 32, FLEET STREET, LONDON, E.C. — PREFACE. Lord Macaulay, in one of his essays, thus writes : "To call up our ancestors before us, with all their peculiarities of language, manners, and garb,—to show us over their houses, to seat us at their tables, to rum- mage their old-fashioned wardrobes, to explain the use of their ponderous furniture ; —these parts of the duty, which properly belongs to the historian, have become appropriated by the historical novelist." In these pages I have endeavoured to present a portraiture of Scottish life and manners from the Reformation downwards, dis- sociated from fiction, and founded on original materials. I have collected my information from many sources. I gathered much in the course of antiquarian rambles in different parts of Scotland. The ecclesiastical records have been of especial service. Annals, journals, diaries, provincial histories, club books, and books privately printed, have yielded a store of information. MSS. relating to Scotland in the British Museum, and the Public Record Office, London, and in the Library of the Faculty of Advocates, and the General Register House vi Preface. Edinburgh, have been laid under tribute. I have been favoured with communications from intelligent persons in various parts of the country. My special acknowledg- ments are due to Captain Dunbar Dunbar, author of " ; Social Life in Moray " to John Gorrie, Esq., Advocate ; and to Hugh Barclay, Esq., LL.D., Sheriff-Substitute of Perthshire. To my accomplished friend, Thomas Laurence Kington Oliphant, Esq., of Gask, I have been deeply indebted for many valuable suggestions during the progress of the work at press. My thanks, lastly, are due to the Grampian Club, for printing this work as the first of their issues. Snowdoun Villa, Lewisham, Kent. July, 1869. —— CONTENTS. Introduction—Conflicting opinions respecting the character of the Scots —Recreant Scotsmen—The Reformation—The people and their rulers- Persecution of Romish priests —Demolition of ancient churches—Mo- numents and tombstones condemned — Runic crosses demolished — Church-building in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries—Con- secrated places abhorrent to the Presbyterian Reformers—Costume of the Presbyterian ministers after the Reformation— Sir Andrew "Weldon on the" Scots —Postures in public worship— Church organs, their pro- hibition and recent restoration— Presbyterian psalmody—The Church services — Attendance on ordinances made compulsory — Sleeping in church prohibited—Episcopal Church government enforced —The High Commission Court—Law against conventicles—Character of Graham of Claverhouse—Re-establishment of Presbyterianism—Presbyterian dis- cipline — Kirk-session courts—Persecution for witchcraft— Degraded habits of the clergy and causes thereof — Stipends of the clergy Lawless manners of the nobility—Ignorance of the humbler classes Drinking practices — Claret an acceptable beverage — Dinner parties and their accessories — Festive clubs — The Convention of Royal — Burghs — Burghal institutions ' High jinks ' — The Glasgow clubs —Municipal corruption — George Dempster, of Dunnichen — Corrupt practices at Stirling—A burghal compact— Municipal imposts— Inno- vators unpopular- Street nomenclature — The Edinburgh Highland guard — Burghal vandalism — The rural hamlets — Peasants' huts The country churchyards—A substitute for bridges—Epidemic dis- eases — Sanitary condition of Edinburgh in the eighteenth century —Present state of the peasantry in the "Western Isles —Reverent ob- servance of Sunday—The parish schools—Rise and progress of Scottish civilization — Scottish adventurers in the reign of James VI. — The political union of 1707 — Church patronage an unmitigated evil— Arianism in the Scottish Church—Anecdotes respecting presentations to churches — Disputed settlements — Secessions from the Established Church— Social irregularities—The administration of justice— Baro- nial and Regality Courts—Practices of the Assize Courts—Burgh magis- trates—The public executioner and his functions—Ancient modes ol punishment—Villenage and serfdom— Persons kidnapped— Bonds of manrent—The levying of black mail—Schools and schoolmasters The printing press — Origin of Scottish newspapers — Smuggling and illicit distillation— The chapmen and their wares—Modern Scot- tish hawkers — Beggars and 'jockies' — The gaberlunzies and the King's bedesmen — Ballad-makers, bards, and minstrels — Stage coaches and the difficulties of travelling—Modern practices— Scottish enterprise . .13- —— Vlli Contents. CHAPTER I. Social Customs— The farmer and his hinds— The ha' dinner— Morning and evening meals at the farmhouse — The steak of venison — The introduction of tea—Home-brewed ale— The mart and 'crook' ewes The parish tailor—Costume of the Scottish farmer a century ago The farmer's wife and her clothing — "Wages of hinds and female servants —Discovery of coal—The old turnpike roads—The waste lands and drawbacks to their cultivation—The burden of dairy tribute—The •thirling' system— The 'infield' and 'outfield' portions of a farm- Attachment to the ancient owners of the soil—The ' brewster wife ' Act of the Privy Council forbidding the importation of claret into the Western Isles—Usquebaugh or whisky—Ancient drinking vessels —Anecdote of Sir Walter Scott and ' the lion-beaker of Glammis ' ' The bicker of St. Magnus ' — Dining-rooms of country landowners in the sixteenth century— 'Redfische' or salmon— The Jockteleg — Special festive occasions—The Scottish fashionable dinner-party early in last century—An Edinburgh Corporation Dinner in 1703—The character of after-dinner conversation—Convivial excesses—Curious letter of Mrs. Brodie of Brodie—Ancient love of music—Musical instruments of the Scots—Sir William Rogers and his musical school David Rizzio —Ancient harps—The clairschoe, monicordis, and bagpipe —The feast of St. Cecilia at Edinburgh in 159-5—Establishment of dancing assemblies — Dignified reserve of Scottish gentlewomen a century ago—The house and street dresses of ladies of fashion—An ancient sumptuary enactment—Costume of the Scottish gentlemen of the last century—The Highlander's costume—Origin of tartan—Insignia of the Highland clans — Household of a Highland chief—Accommo- dations of the Lowland baron—The farm-house and its arrangements —The farm-club — Glasgow merchants and their domestic habits- Hand- fasting— Forms of rural betrothal—Proclamation of banns—Pecu- liar practices attending the celebration of marriage—Rural weddings Penny bridals condemned by the Church— Dreaming bread—Winning the broose— Creeling the bridegroom—Kirrywery, a burlesque sere- nade — Pay weddings—Gretna Green marriages—Ruglen or Rutherglen marriages—Practices at births—Supposed origin of the coin styled 'the bawbee' —The 'groaning malt' — Customs attending occasions of death and burial—The passing bell—The lykwake or latewake The coronach—Funeral dances—The dargies or dirgies—Anecdote of practical jesting at a latewake—Contemplation of the latewake by dying persons—Drinking excesses at funerals—Funeral processions Anecdotes relating to the funerals of several notable and distinguished persons— Mode of invitation to funerals—Some funeral practices Instances of remarkable longevity—Epitaphs of the old times, com- plimentary and sarcastic —Unpublished lines addressed to the memory of Sir William Alexander of Menstry, Earl of Stirling . 79- — ——, Contents. CHAPTER II. Drolleries — The Royal jester or King's fool — Archy Armstrong and Archbishop Laud—Necromantic entertainments—Manners of the Scot- tish Court during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries— Popular games encouraged by James I. —Dancing an ancient Scottish recreation—Mor- rice dances practised in the reign of James IV. — Promiscuous dancing proscribed by the Presbyterian reformers— Killie-kallum, or the sword dance—Climbing the greasy pole—The sack race—Dr. Tennant's poem of 'Anster Fair' — Meetings for the practice of Scottish games — The Northern Meeting—The Braemar Gathering—Tennis and quoits ' Hallowe'en and its rites— Bonfires on the hills—The observances of Beltein—Gathering dew on May-day—The rocking—Yule, or Christmas —Hogmanay and its

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