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Notices of the King's Master. Weights of Scotland, With

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Notices of the King's Master. Weights of Scotland, With III. NOTICEE KING'TH F SO S MASTER. WEIGHT F SCOTLANDO S , WITH WRIT THEIF SO R APPOINTMENTS . MYLNEREVS E . R TH . Y B ., M.A., B.C.L. OXON. The King's Master Wright was a personage of less importance than the King's Master Mason or the King's Master of Work. Still, the history of his office resembles in many respects that of the two last- named officials, and we find him and his assistants mentioned from tim e earl timo th et yn ei record f Scotlando s e numbeTh . f wrighto r s in the royal employment seems to have varied considerably, according to e variouth s exigencie e Crownth f d theso s an ; e wrights could readily turn their hands to boat-building, the construction of instruments for military warfare, or the internal fittings of the Eoyal Palace. Some notices of the wrights and carpenters employed by the Kings of Scotlandin early times maybe Exchequerfoune th n di Rolls. Thus 129n ,i 0 Alexander Carpentere th , s wor,hi receiver k fo execute y spa Stirlinn di g Castle by the King's command. In 1361 Malcolm, the Wright, receives £10 fro e fermemth f Aberdeeno s d thian ,s payhien repeates i t laten di r years. Between the years 1362 and 1370 Sir William Dishington acted as Master of Work to the Church of St Monan's in Fife, and received from Kine Th g . alsOd of £613 . o pair 7s Kinm fo d, su ge Davith . II d carpenter's wor t thika s 137churcn I , 7. 13s hDavi£6 4d . d Bell, Arch- deacon of Dunblane, receives money from the King for expenses incurred in connection with the building of Edinburgh Castle. John of Preston NOTICES OF THE KING'S MASTER WEIGHTS OF SCOTLAND. 289 and Eoger Hog were also connected with these works. In 1380 Duiican Wright, Carpente Edinburgf o r h Castle, receive s year'shi £1 r s0fo fee, and agai 138n n i subsequen d 1an t years n 138I . 3 Dedericu r Theo(o s - doricus) e Carpenterth , s paii , d £2r makin0fo greaga t ' machiner fo ' warfare. In 1426 Martin Wright receives 262 boards for the King's work at Edinburgh Castle, which cost £6, 18s. 5d., besides £4, 18s. 9d. for carriage, etc. from Leith. In 1429-30 John Wright receives £6, 10s. Od. by command of the King- accoune Th Johf o t n Wei r workfo r t Linlithgoa s w Palace, rendered in the year 1451, includes wright's work amongst other particulars. In 1454 Friar Andrew, the Wright, " servitor domini regis," receives for his yearlsiege th iror £10 e f Blacknesr e also d , yfo fe n12sfo . oan ,£1 Od . s Castle. In the same year William, the heir of Gilbert Wright, receives 5 fro £ e fermemth f Aberdeeno s . Thi paymend ol s t keeps recurring from time to time, and seems to be hereditary. n 145 I Frence 7th h Smith receive a cottags e frer lifen 146I fo e. 0 Friar Andrew, the Wright, receives £7, 2s. Od. for the carriage of the King's artillery from Pertpore Leithf th o t o hthencd t an , Edinburgo et h Castle. In the same year David Wright, the King's Smith, receives £3, 6s. 8d. in part payment of his fee. In 1462 he receives £16, and in 1467 receives 10sr visitinfo . d removinan g g bombard n Dunbari s . Friar Andrew (Lisouris), a lay brother of Cupar, is now the King's Carpenter, buys joists for Ravenscraig, and timber for Edinburgh Castle, repairs the Royal Chapel at Stirling, prepares timber for roofs in Darna- way Forest, and sends timber from Moray for the works at Linlithgow. In 1476 Robert Lourison became King's Carpenter. In 1474 David Wright receives the brass for the artillery, and a grant of £4 from the lands of Drumtennand. He dies in 1477, when £3, 6s. Sd. is paid to s widohi w King'e Janeth y b ts repeates gracei d an , d in 147 1479d 8an . In 1494 James IV. employed a number of wights in the construction of a large barge at Dumbarton, and he took his wriglits with him to the raid of Ellem and the raid of Norham. In 1497 he had wriglits at work "e Hannith rooe o f nth o f s toure Dunbarf "o . VOL. xxxiv. T 0 29 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MARC , 190012 H . Edinburghn I elsewheres a , wrighte th , s were closely connected with renownee th masonse n th i d dan , capita f Scotlano l d were incorporated intsociete oon y hy charte e yeath rn i r1475 , havin e aisl altad gth f ean ro t JohS Evangelise nth Collegiate th n i t e Churc t GileS f so h allotter dfo their special use, with the privilege of duly maintaining the same. Some rulee regulationod th f san s connected with this charte e curiousar r , as ; for instance, thaa craftismeie "tw th t i shall cauhavd an se thair placis and roomes in all generate processions lyk thai haf in the towne of Bruges, or siclyk gud townes " : and another regulation was that each apprentice, in case of disobedience, should pay for his first fault one pound of wax to t Johnaltae S th f o r . In the early accounts—A.D. 1513-4—for building the bridge of Dun- keld, by Bishop Thomas Brown, there is mention of wrights. Thus, Thomas Wrycht, carpenter hires t wa Martinma,d a s 151 t fort1a y merks yearly, and received, "in complete payment of his wage," in money £37, 6s. 8d. He seems also to have had a chalder of meal and eight bolls of barley fro e keepee granarymth th f o r . Malcol Donald man d Sawar were working with himbesided an , s wages, dined wit Bishoe hth p when t homea s r receiveo ,wa e h a pennd r dinnefo y s absentr whewa e .h n Other wrights, carpenters, and sawyers were also employed on the work. In 1508 John Drummond, the King's Carpenter, receives a grant under Greae a yea th n consideratioi 0 rt £1 Sea f o s servicel e hi th f o no t s Crown 23rn O d. July 1547 John Drummond receives confirmatiof o n lande th Ballincreif so d Milnaan f b unde e Greath r t Seal s thiI e .sth same person as the King's Carpenter ? On 22nd October 1561 John Mylne was made Wright in Edinburgh Castle. Thomas Brown was Master Smith in 1626-7, and rendered accounts for work at Holyrood, etc. Amongst other smiths, etc. mentioned, and .apparently working unde directions hi r :—Abrahae ar , m Hamilton, James Murray (wright), William Storie (wright) ans sonhi d , Thomas JJeimet and John Eeid. NOTICEE KING'TH F SO S MASTER WEIGHT F SCOTLANDO S . 29i William Wallace, whose name is so closely associated with Heriot's Hospital, is frequently designated the Carver in the royal accounts, almost as if this were an office under the Crown. In 1643 Thomas Storie, wright, is found amongst the list of burgesses of the Canongate. In 1648 John Scott, wright, is employed by the Corporatio f Edinburgo n t GilesS n o h' steeple, together with John Mylne, Muster Mason. Februarn I y 1668 James Bain, "His Majestie's Wright," agrees with the Earl of Pamnure for the execution of the whole of the wright work erectioe th n i Panmurf no e Hous r 450fo e 0 merks e alsH o. stipulated for a suitable lodging with fire and candle, and the Earl agreed to pro- vide timber and iron, requiring the " great staircase to be made up after the order of the staircase at Donybryssel, and what better Bain pleases himself." Durin buildine gth f Holyroogo d Palace, various wrights wer t worea k unde e directioth r f Jameo n s Bain s Majesty'Hi , s Principal Master Wright, whose name frequehtly occurs in the accounts; as, for instance, on 4th March 1674, when he receives £5667, 12s. Od. Scots for various kinds of timber. On 13th May 1675 his assistants received £2850, Scot. Od wagess 15ssa . On 23rd January 1677 Thomas Oliphant, wright, receive a specias l payment r furnishin"fo f timbero g d makinan , f mouldo g s thereof e paternb o t f certaie o smeaso th f o nn . work,ScotsOd . ." 2s £14, Marcd On2n h 1678 James Porteous, wright , r makinreceivefo 4 g£2 s "a moddel e Cupuloe sai th e Gatth d th f f o o lf ePallace o e , wite hth moddel Pedestale th f o l Ballasterers.d an l " On 22nd February Jan Vansantvoort, the Carver, received £408 for " cutting, carving, and upputting of several pieces of carved work upon the chimney and door-pieces of His Majestie's appartement in the East quarter " ; and Alexander Eizatt, wright, £1360, 19s. Od. for " upputting of severall lyneings of windowes, doors," etc., etc. r WilliaSi m Binnin f Waliefoorgo d supplied twenty-nine dozen great joists for £2212, 16s. Od. 292 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 12, 1900. John Callende s employewa r s smitha d d Jaco an e ,Wett—th D b e Dutchman—execute principae dth l paintings. James Bain is also found at work at Edinburgh Castle, Stirling, and in 168 Bass namthe his 1 and ;e occurs amongs listhe royaof t l official claio obtaid wh ms an n exemption from taxation.
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