22nd of March

St Paul, Bishop of Narbonne, 3d century. St Basil, of Ancyra, martyr, 362. St Lea, widow, of Rome, 384. St Deogratias, Bishop of Carthage, 457. St Catharine, of Sweden, Abbess, 1381.

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Born. – Sir Anthony Vandyck, painter, 1599, Antwerp; Rosa Bonheur, artist, 1822.    

Died. -Jean Baptiste Lully, Father of French dramatic music, 1687, Paris; Jonathan Edwards, Calvinistic minister, 1758, New Jersey; J. W. von Goethe, German poet and prose writer, 1832, Weimar.

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PETER CUMMIN.

March 22, 1724, was buried in Alnwick churchyard, Peter Cummin, a day-labourer reputed as upwards of a hundred and twenty years old.  His name could not be found in the parish register of baptisms, because all previous to 1645 were lost. In his latter years this venerable person used to live from house to house amongst the gentry of the district. It is related of him that, coming to the house of Mr Brown, of Shawdon, near Alnwick, he looked round him, and expressed wonder at the great changes that had taken place since he was there last. He was asked how long that was ago, when, on a comparison of circumstances, the family found it was just a hundred years.¹

It may be added that, at Newcastleton in Roxburghshire, they point to a field in the neighbourhood, where one day about 1770, amongst those engaged in reaping, was a woman of great age, but still in possession of a fair share of strength. Chatting with some of her neighbours, she told them she had once reaped in that field before, when she was a girl; and after some discussion, this proved to have been exactly a hundred years before.

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¹  Antiquarian Repertory, iii. 435.

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On this Day in Other Sources.

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In the year 1483, from Charles [VIII.], the French King, came Bernard Stewart, Lord Aubigny, Marshal of France, and Peter Mallart, a doctor of the civil and canon law, to King James, to renew the ancient league and amity between both realms, which was accorded, and [was] sworn and subscribed the 22nd day of March. 

– Historical Works, pp.189-214.

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The infant Queen executed, at Meudon, near Paris, on the 22nd of March, 1554, a discharge to the Duke of Chattelherault, of all his intromissions, with her treasure, and other concerns, while Reid, the Bishop of Orkney, her curator, countersigned the same document. The Duke, perceiving that the Queen mother had obtained the general consent of the nobility, resigned his charge, at the Parliament of April 1554, which passed, in his favour, an act of exoneration. 

– Life of Mary, pp.15-41.

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There occurs also in the burgh records a curious series of charges for wines and confectionery purchased by the magistrates and disposed of as gifts to parties to whom they were indebted for services rendered to the town, or whom they desired to propitiate. Between Dunbarton and Glasgow there never was any great cordiality, yet in 1607 a sum is paid “to Symon Stewards wyfe for vyne presented to the baillies of Dunbarton.” In 1668 there is a payment of nearly £80 sterling “for some wynes was disposed of to some noblemen for their courtesie and favour showne to the towne.” In 1670 there is again a considerable sum “for twa hogheids French wyne, twa rubors, and ane butt of sek, sent to Edinburgh to some persones.” A few years afterwards, 1674, Donald McGilchrist has a warrant for 240 pounds Scots “debursit be him for French wyne given be the toun to Sir John Harper at severall tymes for service done be him to the said burgh.” In 1686 the council “appoints the provest baillies and Dean of Gild to gratifie such of the tounes friends as they sall think fitt by sending them what wynes they think convenient on the touns accompt.” In 1688 the treasurer is ordained to pay to Bailie Bell the sum of £12 sterling “for ane hodgeshead of sack, and £14 sterling for half ane tun of French wyne, and £7, 16s. 8d. more for two cask of rasenis and two cask of figs, all furnished by him on the touns account whilk were given to severall of their friends the last year.” On one occasion a warrant is granted to the treasurer for the sum of £10 sterling, which had been paid by him in Edinburgh “to ane friend for doeing the towne ane guid turne.”¹

– Old Glasgow, pp.215-237.

¹  22d March, 1656.

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In the same way they had to submit to the disgraceful order of the privy council which required “the wyfes and families of all vtted ministers” to be expelled from the city.¹ in 1645 they showed a want of discretion when, on the victory of Montrose at Kilsyth, the magistrates then in office gave expression to their sympathies with what they thought to be the winning side by inviting the marquis to Glasgow and entertaining him sumptuously. But they speedily paid the penalty of their indiscretion, for in the following month, Leslie having gained the battle of Philiphaugh, his first act was to lay Glasgow under a heavy contribution, which he jeeringly told the magistrates was to pay the interest of the money they had expended in entertaining Montrose. 

– Old Glasgow, pp.215-237.

¹  22d March, 1679.

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35. JOHN LUKE, Younger of Claythorn.

Born about 1665; died, 1731. 

Merchant. Son of John Luke of Claythorn (No. 102). Married Martha, daughter of Matthew Miller of Glenlee, by whom he left issue. “Left to the poor of this House 4000 Merks Scots, the interest to be given to a decayed merchant yearly. He died the 22nd day of March, 1731, in the 67th year of his age.” His widow died, 1762, aged 86. 

– Memorial Catalogue, Gallery 1.

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The work [at Glasgow Cathedral] was probably begun in the year 1492,..¹

– Scots Lore, pp.85-94.

¹ Referring to the Screen, Mr. John Honeyman said that, “after a good deal of consideration and examination, he was of the opinion that it was much older than Archbishop Blacader’s time. There was pretty good evidence that it was erected before the middle of the fifteenth century. The ornamentation was entirely different from anything done by that Archbishop, and the designs were more refined and more elegant in detail. He was inclined to think that it was done during the time of Bishop Cameron, earlier in the century.” Glasgow Herald, 22nd March, 1889. My comment will be found in the following pages.