Notices of the King's Master-Gunners of Scotland, with the Writ Theif So R Appointments, 1512-1703
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
V. NOTICES OF THE KING'S MASTER-GUNNERS OF SCOTLAND, WITH THE WRIT THEIF SO R APPOINTMENTS, 1512-1703. BY . MYLNEREVS . R . , M.A., B.O.L. OXON. e offic f King'Th o e s Master Gunne a publi s wa cr positio f varyino n g importance accordin tho gt e politica militard an l y exigencie f tho se time. When there was war with England, or civil war prevailed at home, and the whole country was torn and rent with internal divisions, then the Master Gunner becam evera y prominen te safet e kingdopersoth th r f yo fo n: m for the time being seemed at all events placed in his all-powerful hands. dayn I prolongef so d peace, however generalle ,h y sank into insignificance. At first the Master Gunner was usually appointed to the charge of the artillery and guns in some particular castle. Afterwards, when numerous appointments of this kind had been made, a Principal Mastsr Gunner was selected to'superintend the other officials in this department of the service of the Crown. e MasteTh r Gunne s alswa or sometimes give e appointmenth n f o t Master Wright. Sometime hele sh office d th f armourer o e somr o , e other kindred office. From the Exchequer Rolls we learn that Robert Borthuik was the 186 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 13, 1899. principal Master Gunnee s thaKinth wa tn 1512f g i o yead r n an i ,r Dieppe on the King's business, doubtless making active preparation for campaige th n which terminate e disastrouth n di s battl Floddenf o e n I . 1508 John Drummond,1 King's Carpenter d receiveha , speciada l grant, under the great seal, of £10 a year in consideration of his services rendered to the Crown. Peris Eowane succeeds Borthui s wri hi f n appoint1532ki o t d an , - ment as Master Gunner under the privy seal is dated 30th April 1532. Davin succeedes i so e n 1545s di H hi y d,b thoug wris hf appointhi o t - t registereno men s i t d until 1548. Durin e regencyth g , before s abl undertako Jamet wa e . VI s e actuath e l administratio f affairsno , there seems some confusionlatea t a r d date charactean :th e e th f o r offic somewhas i e t changed title th alteres ei s a , Chieo dt f Engineer. Still, however, a continuous succession of holders of the office can he trace over o centuriesdfo tw r . Like other similar tenabls postswa t i e, for investes lifewa , d wit hfixea d yearly certaifeed an , n small perquisites. Like other similar posts, its importance rose with the rise of the House of Stuart, and vanished away after the Act of Union in the reign of Queen Anne. Sir Antony Alexander was son of the first Earl of Stirling, but the best know d mosan n t famou sr lis f Mastenamo ou t n i e r Gunnerr o s Chief Engineers is certainly that of John Abraham Slezer, a name mose spelth tn i tstrang d divergenan e t manne n contemporari r y docu- ments. Schlezer is the spelling adopted in the Index to the Privy Seal. Slezer is well known to the present generation by his maps and drawings made in various parts of Scotland, many of which still exist in a good state of preservation, and are of the greatest value for the illustration of contemporary history. In some cases the drawing can hardly be quite accurate t the e bu alway, yar se purpos usefuth r f fo comparisono le . Compare, for instance, the two old views of Linlithgow, given at page 44 of Mylne's Master Masons, with the four modern views immediately grana n 1I t unde greae th r t sea 18tn o l h June 1532 John Drummond is called " rerum nostrarum bellicavum machinator " as well as carpenter. NOTICEKING'E TH F SO S MASTER-GUNNEE F SCOTLANDO S 7 18 . followingviewd ol famouworthe s i e sth t th I notf f .yso o e thaon n i t Crown Steeple of the parish church of St Michael is distinctly shown, three th f ebeino anciene gon t Crown Steeple Scotlandn si . This steeple was unfortunately taken dow n 182i n savo t 0e cos f th necessareo t y repair! The other two—St Giles', Edinburgh, and King's College, Aberdeen—still remain goon intacti d d an condition, . Sleze s appointewa i d Principal Master Gunner r ratheo , r Chief Engineer, on 23rd December, in the year 1671, according to the Index to the Privy Seal f Scotland,s curiouo i t i t s bu tha e actuath t l writ does not seem to exist. On 4th July 1677 he was appointed under the privy seal to the office of Lieutenant to the Artillery. Durin e Civigth l War n 10to , h July 1649 fine w d, Colonel James Wemyss appointed Genera e Artillerth f o ld Maste l yOrdnancan al f o r e and Arms in England. So this office apparently existed iri both countries durin 17te gth h century. Ther s alse offic wa th eof King' o e s Armourer, whic s generallwa h y held together with the office of Bower. Thus, on llth October 1675, Captain Andrew Forrester was appointed Bower and Armourer to the King under the privy seal. On 19th January 1697 a similar appoint- ment was made in favour of John Monro, described as a Bower in Edinburgh n 24to hd an Februar, y 1718 Thomas Gemmil s madwa l e Master Armourer in -Scotland. In the grant he is stated to be the successor of " John Simpson, elder, Hammerman, Burgess of Glasgow," appointee b an o dt d " during pleasur exempo b e o t only, td " an fro" m watchin wardind gan g withi burgh.e nth " giv We lise a thirtee of t n Master Gunner Chieor s f Engineer thsto e Crow f Scotlano n d appointed unde e privr th wri f yo t seal d alsan o, f theso n e to writs r confirmationo , s thereof completn i , e form founs a , n di the Privy Seal Register. e stylAd tenouth s an e s veri r y simila n eaci r h century t i seeme, d unnecessar givo yt e them all. After the death of Queen Anne, the office seems to have fallen into disuse, like some other similar offices under the Crown in Scotland. 188 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 13, 1899. MASTER GUNNER CHIED SAN F ENGINEER E CROWTH SCOTLANDO F SNT O , APPOINTED UNDER WlUT OF THE PRIVY SEAL. 1512 Robert Borthuick. Dieppn i s i e e H thi e King's th yea n o sr business, acting undee th r directio f Andrewno , Bisho f Caithnesspo , Receive re Kingdooth f m of Scotland. He die 1531n si . 1532 Peris Rowane, Frenchman. f Aprio , 1532 m 30 lgrane confirmehi s i , Th o t t Februarn o d , y12 1533. Fro Exchequere mth Rolls leare w n tha receivee h t d special pay- ments fro Crowe mth 1533n n i agai d an ,1535 n ni . 1548 David Rowane. His appointment is dated April 15, 1548, but he had performed the duties of the office since his father's death in 1545. He also received a pension of £40 from the Crown. 1561 James Hectou Harid an r e Balfoure. They are both appointed, by separate writs of the privy seal, Master Gunners of Dunbar Castle on the same day in the same year. 1563 Harie Balfoure. mads i e eH sole Master Gunne Castle th f Dunbarf o reo . This gran s confirmei t d Octobe , 15654 r , unde re priv th wri f yo t seal. 1567 Harie Balfoure. s madi e eH Principal Master Gunner withi e Castlnth f Edino e - burgh, &c., by King James VI., with the advice of my Lord Regent. James Murray. He became Master of Works in 1607. 1601 James Murray, younger. s appointei e e officeH th n successioi o ,dt s s fatherwa hi o o nt wh , also Master Wright wels a , Mastes a l r Gunner. r AntonSi y Alexander. He was son of the famous Earl of Stirling, and was also Master of Works. 163n I fine 3w d Hunter mad ea gunne n Edinburgi r h Castled an , 163n i 4 Toftis mad ordinarn ea y gunner. 1637 Sir Archibald Stewart of Hessilsyde. 0 Scots salar£1 Hi s yi monthly , wit honesn ha t stan f clothedo s yearly. Homer Maxwell, Commissary of Dumfries. He is called " founder of the artillery" in 1644, was probably heir of Edward Maxwell of Crostane, in the barony of Lockendelow, Kirk- cudbright, in 1618. He was also Captain of Pioneers. diee H d 1646. 1646 John Mylne, Master Mason. This gran dates i t d mads Septembe Kiny wa b e d g an Charle , 4 r . sT when he was much pressed by the exigencies of the Civil War. See Mylne's Master Masons Crowne th o t of Scotland, . 141p . NOTICES OF THE KING'S MASTER GUNNERS OF SCOTLAND. 189 In 1655 George Brown, appointed in. 1626 a Master Gunner in the Castle of Edinburgh, is made a Burgess and Gild Brother in the city. 1664 John Mylne receives confirmatio e granth f f 164o o tn 6 from King Charles II., and dies in 1667.