Introduction to the Rothes Papers Wrowntreg E Bodie*
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Proc Antiqc So Scot, 110, 1978-80, 404-31 Introduction to the Rothes Papers WRowntreG e Bodie* In 1966 the Rothes Papers were discovered in the roof space of an old farm building. The building was one of several situated near the stables of Leslie House, once the home of the Earl f Rothesso . Leslie House lies withi designatee nth toww f Glenrothesne no d e th are f o a , fare th m Fifed buildinproperte an , th s f Glenrothegwa yo s Development Corporatioe th t a n tim Papere eth s were discovered loan o Kirkcaldo nt w . no The e yar District Museume Th . Papers I have seen cover dates from 1580 to 1830. Among them are bills, farm tacks, business letters accountd an , s relatin coao salgd t an tl workings 17th-centure On . y scroll measuret f s6 in length. Many have to do with the factoring of the estates of Leslie House, its policies and lands. The Earl Rothef so descendante sar Hungariaa f so n noble, Bartolf camo Scotlano wh e,t d in 1067, was granted the lands of Leslie in Aberdeenshire, and took the name of Leslie. The title stems from the lands of the Leslies at Rothes in what was the County of Elgin. The interest Lesliee ofth Fifn si e came Normar froSi ma n Leslie acquirin lande g th f Fythkillso , whice hth Barony of Leslie was then called, around 1282. The first Leslie to become Earl of Rothes was George, whose second wife was a daughter of Walter Halyburton of Dirleton. It was about 1457 creates whewa e dnh Earl. thire Th d Earkilles wa Floddeln do fourte th f no h Earln Fieldso , A .Norma n Leslies wa , on f thoseo e responsibl murdee th r f Cardinaefo o r l Beato n 1546ni . Another Norman Leslie conspired with others who slew Archbishop Sharp on Magus Moor in 1679. The earliest date I have seen, 1580, appears in items listed relating to land tenure. The seventh item reads 'Tacta wilielm murray Terram De pitcauhar apud Tillibardin 20 De mensis August! 1580' .158n I (fi . 0g1) Mary Quee prisoneScotf a n o s swa Englandinvolven s ri wa e dSh . with the fifth Earl who was a supporter of the Protestant party and a signatory of the Book of Disciplin 156n ei 1 which deeply offended Queen Mary. Afte murdee th r f Rizzio r 1566n oi o t , be revenged on the Lords who slew him, she gave appointments to the former Lords who had been in disfavour. Among them was Rothes. He was one of those who exposed the plot. When Darnle murderes ywa 1567n di , Andrew jur'voteo e th d y wh f d,an o Eare f Rotheo on l s wa s acquitte saie dth d Jame ssaie Ear parth d d Bothwelf f slaughteo lo an t t Kine ' . ar th . f gf . lo o r (Davison 1965, 293). The sixth Earl became a Covenanter. Along with the Earl of Loudoun he was the chief instrumen gettinn i t g agreemen signine Nationae th th o t f go l Covenan Greyfriarn i t s Church. He died in 1641. The seventh Earl supported Charles II. He and Lord Balcarres each commanded cavalry regiments raised in Fife, and fought at Worcester. Both Rothes and Balcarres were taken prisone lodge d Towee an rth f n Londondi o r . Rothe lates wa sr move Newcastlo dt e whers ehi Countess visited him. His lands were sequestrated in 1658 but later that year he was allowed Barnto3 *1 n Park Gardens, Edinburgh BODIE: INTRODUCTION TO THE ROTHES PAPERS 405 • ^Q_^_.yD (,-U-r-t—.- -^—>-^Yi c^,, -<3~i o —— ' -V t-9 J- ^ /T" ' •••«=W" " -^L/ ' TZ ^, .--^ 4^/Tx-^J^jb11 " i ^-"y^^-^TriUp:^ /A-/,-»V>-<?-/ fl^^-~-^^^v^f>- C iw>~^v/'<-tv»--e~* ^5 jv/*" / / L- / I I ) ,S^^*^yaA-l- __7j n ^- 'I ..—- —"^<- ^ 7/J -^ ^ -/ ^ ** - r^--r~ . /-7C-.L:, ^t S- .-->w-^•O° ^«*<>^—j^ix'-T-tV-e——>. » 7?^^ +-OT»—>-r-•«> 'Ct^-«^-« ••'•*-x,'- ;••' /' • 7 . FI G1 Documen lann o t d tenure dated 1628 returo t Leslio nt permissioy eb f Generano l Monk. Popular wit appointes h Charlewa e h , dsII Genera Forcee th f Scotlano ln s i 168n i 0d 1666n di createan , d Duk Rothesf eo wifs Hi .e Anne,, daughter of the Earl of Lindsay, had strong sympathy with the Covenanters. He would say 'My hawk betted t tonights ha ou wil e u rLadyy b ltak yo m , o es , car youf eo r blackbirds'. (Watt 1913, e Duk195)Th e. die t Holyrooda receivee 1681n di H . elaboratn da costld ean y funeral 406 | PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1978-80 a whicfinancia s hwa l burdee familth r mann fo yno y years. Four engravings showing 'The Funera Johnf o l , Duk Rothesf eo exhibitee ar 'Scottis e th n di h National Portrait Gallerye Th . ceremon s continueywa n Fifdi e fine aw sd fro e Kirkcaldmth y Burgh Records dated 22nd Augl681: Thair bein glettea rEri e direcf Hadingtoth e o a fr t n inveiting buriele e theth th mf o t o l Diu f Rothesko father-in-laws hi , considerind an , greae mangd th an t y obligations that lies upon them mair nor uther burghes in this shyre, and that laitlie his Grace had purchased fra the King's Majestic ane gift to them of several impositions for building thair harbour; thairfore they appoin inhabitantl tal saie th d o burielt horst o sg ge quh o eln t upoaca n thair own expense d thaan ,t thair shal thirtie b l e murning cloaks provydet upo e toun'nth s expense heirbd an , y appoynt Edinburgho t Thesauree m sth sa ' . e . senth o . ,rt r dfo The Dukedom became extinct when Margaret the eldest daughter succeeded to the Earldom. Margaret's sister Christian marrie thire dth d Marques f Montrosso e whil marriee esh fifte dth h Earl of Haddington. Her son John became the ninth Earl of Rothes when she died in 1700, while her second son Thomas became the sixth Earl of Haddington. The ninth Earl fought on the government side at Sheriffmuir. He married Jean, the daughter of the second Marquess of Tweeddale, in 1697. When he died in 1722 their son John became the tenth Earl, and it was during his lifetime that Leslie House, except for the W front, was destroye firss fir y hi d1763n b ti ef wifo .n eUpo so Hanna deats a nhi s o 176n hi wa h wh t 7i succeeded to the title. Jane Elizabeth Leslie the sister of the eleventh Earl became Countess of Rothes in 1773. Her uncle, the Hon Andrew Leslie, whose schooldays at Haddington are men- tioned in the Papers, disputed her right of succession. The Papers were kept by a steward or factor described as servitor to the Earl in one bill of 1705. They provide a wealth of information regarding payments in kind, in pounds Scots, or sterling, over several centuries. Among names which appear in the Papers are those of Lady Elizabeth Kelly, Lady Haddington, Lady Balfou f Burleigho r , Lady Montrose, Lady Wemyss, Lord Yester, Lord Lindsa f Byresyo , Marques f Tweeddaleo s , Ear f Buteo l , Lor t ClairdS , Robert Mylne, George Dundas and John Adam. WHEN THE COUNTESS WENT TO EDINBURGH One bundle of papers was tagged 'Depurfed be me when yr Layp went to Edr the 17 Septr, r Layy d pabood an Comintime La , th r d eyr y Deef d of gan r y hor1696' da Leslio nt 4 t e I . eth covers the stay of the Countess in Edinburgh where it would seem she was preparing for the marriage of her second son, the sixth Earl of Haddington, to Lady Hopetoun. She left Leslie Hous coaca n ei h horsesf whico draw o mounte s tw e y hwa non b ,a y db postillion. Accompanying the coach were five hired horses carrying retainers, servants and baggage to the ferry-boat at Kinghorn. Her steward in his day-to-day record of expenses and wages reveals the activities of her guests and servants. It also contains information about various modes of travel. When the crossing of the Forth from Kinghorn to Leith was made, 9 shillings Scots was given 'to the Skipe Drinkmunie'n i r r entouraghe s a d e an ,passe o 'ydt r Ladys Lodginge', custom0 1 f o s shilling Nethee paiPorte th w b t sda o t Scot.Bo r d sha There are frequent references to money being given to the poor. At this time there was an agricultural depression causing famine in Scotland which increased the number of beggars in the capital and countryside. On Sunday, 20 September the Countess was given by her steward BODIE: INTRODUCTION TO THE ROTHES7 PAPER40 | S '4 ffive Shiling pefespassee poore sh givth o s t ' do A e.t dow Canongate nth 'Abaye th e o et sh ' distribute shilling2 d1 s Scots lated an , r wheTolbute wene th nsh o t t h Kirk shilling4 1 ' s Scots. When someone require a dseda nchairmeo chaitw s it r n were pai shilling4 1 d s Scots. Although sedan chairs had been in use in London since 1634 it was not till 1687 that Alexander Hay, a carpenter in Edinburgh, built six chairs and was granted permission by the Town Council to operate them exclusively for 11 years.