27th of September

Saints Cosmas and Damian, martyrs, about 303. St Elzear, Count of Arian, and his wife, St Delphina, 14th century.

Born. – Louis XIII. of France, 1601, Fontainebleau; Jacques Benigne Bossuet, eminent preacher and controversialist, 1627, Dijon.
Died. – Marco Girolamo Vida, author of Latin poems, &c., 1566, Alba; St Vincent de Paul, eminent philanthropist, 1660; Pope Innocent XII., 1700; Dr Thomas Burnet, author of the Sacred Theory of the Earth, 1715, Cherterhouse, London; Admiral René Duguay-Trouin, French naval commander, 1736, Paris.

On this Day in Other Sources.

But, as soon as [Lennox] heard, from St. Andrews, that the Queen had departed for Holyrood-house, he repaired thither, and was, graciously, received, on the 27th of the same month [September, 1564]

– Life of Mary, pp.78-98.

The queen and her husband were obliged, immediately after their marriage, to set about the suppression of a rebellion. The measure they adopted for raising troops was according to the custom and rule of the Scottish government. The feudal mode of raising an army was felt as a serious burden, particularly in the larger towns, where industry had attained, of course, the highest organisation. For the Rothschilds of Edinburgh, such as they were, there was another trouble. The mode of raising money adopted by Henry and Mary was not quite what would suit the views of modern men of that class. Sept. 27, [1565,] ‘Our soveranes causit certain of the principals of Edinburgh to come to them to Halyrudehouse, and after their coming, some of free will, and some brought agains their will, our soverane lady made ane orison to them, desiring them to lend her certain sowms of money, whilk they refusit to do; and therefore they were commandit to remain in ward within the auld tower wherein my lord of Morray lodgit, wherein they remainit.’ Ultimately, the two difficulties were in a manner solved by each other. 

– Domestic Annals, pp.30-34.

The traitor Bothwell, on the 27th of September, this year [1591], besets the palace of Holyroodhouse, to have taken the King, and kill William Shaw, master of his majesty’s horses, but failed of his main enterprise; 8 of his followers were apprehended, and hanged at the Girth Cross [Canongate], against the palace gate, the next day, without any assize;..

– Historical Works, pp.340-416.

ALEXANDER CAMPBELL THE LAIRD OF CALDER

HIS PURSMAISTERIS COMPT.

xxvij of September being Munounday passit out of 

Downbartane to Glesgow.

   Item giffin to Johne Caldar to pay for your hors being four in numbir quhilk came to Downbartane upon the xxij day of September and remanit ther till Munounday at ten houris the xxvij day of September, for ther stray  

xx s.

   Item giffin to Johne Caldar to pay for ther corne induring that space  

lvj s.

   Item for half pek of malt to your broun geldin  

iij s. iiij d.

   Item for braid to your geldin enduring that space  

v s.

   Item for candill  

xj d.

   Item giffin to Johne Caldar his wage fra the xxij day of September at none till Sonday in the morneing the xxvj of September  

xx s.

   Item the twa boyis wage that keipit your hors, Glassan and Michell, fra the xxij of September being Wednesday till xxvij of September being Munounday at evin  

xv s.

   Item giffin to Panttone his wage fra Satterday ay none the xxv till Mounounday at evin the xxvij day of September  

iij s.

   Item to James Deusour and his halk fra xxvj of September till Munounday at evin the xxvij  

xij s.

   Item the cuik Dauid for that space  

viij s.

   Item your chalmer fie for twa nychtis Satturday at evin and Sonday in Johne Boquhannanis hous  

xiij s. iiij d.

   Item giffin for oylling your buttis ther  

xij d.

27 of September 1591.

   Item quhen ye lichtit in Glasgow upon Munounday eftir none at twa houris ye came to your lodging in Androw Baillies hous the gude wyfe brocht to yow to your chalmer the lairdis Ellangirrik Barbrek Nether Craignes with uthiris money gentill men and refusit to drink na uther drink bot wyne Sak, of wyne Sack thrie pointis  

xxx s.

   Item ane quarter queyt braid  

viij d.

   Item for penis

xvj d.

   Item ane quart aill  

xx d.

   Item your collatioun at evin on Numounday the same persones with yow all ane point Spenis wyne  

x s.

   Item ane point of Frence wyne  

vj s. viij d.

   Item ane quart aill  

xx d.

   Item ane braid  

viij d.

– Sketches, Appendix VIII.

The earl of Huntly, after thus subduing his enemies in the north, now found himself placed at the ban of the government on account of an alleged conspiracy between him and the earls of Angus and Errol and the crown of Spain, to overturn the state and the church. The king and his councillors seemed to be satisfied of the innocence of the earls, but the ministers, who considered the reformed religion in Scotland in danger while these catholic peers were protected and favoured, importuned his majesty to punish them. The king yielding to necessity and to the intrigues of Queen Elizabeth, forfeited their titles, intending to restore them when a proper opportunity occurred, and to silence the clamours of the ministers, convoked a parliament, which was held in the end of the month of May, fifteen hundred and ninety-four. As few of the peers attended, the ministers, having the commissioners of the burghs or their side, carried every thing their own way, and the consequence was, that the three earls were attainted without trial and their arms were torn in presence of the parliament, according to the custom in such cases. 

Having so far succeeded, the ministers, instigated by the Queen of England, now entreated the king to send the earl of Argyle, a youth of nineteen years of age, in the pay of queen Elizabeth, with an army against the Catholic earls. The king, still yielding to necessity, complied, and Argyle having collected a force of about twelve thousand men, entered Badenoch and laid siege to the castle of Ruthven, on the twenty-seventh day of September, fifteen hundred and ninety-four. He was accompanied in this expedition by the earl of Athol, Sir Lauchlan Maclean with some of his islanders, the chief of the Mackintoshes, the laird of Grant, the Clan-Gregor, Macneil of Barra with all their friends and dependents, together with the whole of the Campbells, and a variety of others whom a thirst for plunder or malice towards the Gordons had induced to join the earl of Argyle’s standard. The castle of Ruthven was so well defended by the Clan-Pherson, who were the earl of Huntly’s vassals, that Argyle was obliged to give up the siege. He then marched through Strathspey, and encamped at Drummin, upon the river Avon, on the second day of October, from whence he issued orders to Lord Forbes, the Frasers, the Dunbars, the Clan-Kenzie, the Irvings, the Ogilvies, the Leslies, and other tribes and clans in the north, to join his standard with all convenient speed. 

The earls, against whom this expedition was directed, were by no means dismayed. They knew that although the king was constrained by popular clamour to levy war upon them, he was in secret friendly to them; and they were, moreover, aware that the army of Argyle, who was a youth of no military experience, was a raw and undisciplined militia, and composed, in a great measure, of Catholics, who could not be expected to feel very warmly for the Protestant interest, to support which, the expedition was professedly undertaken. The seeds of disaffection, besides, had been already sown in Argyle’s camp by the corruption of the Grants and Campbell of Lochnell. 

– History of the Highlands, pp.213-232.

The laird of Frendraught had scarcely reconciled himself with Rothiemay, when he got into another dispute with the laird of Pitcaple, the occasion of which was as follows:- John Meldrum of Reidhill had assisted Frendraught in his quarrel with old Rothiemay, and had received a wound in the skirmish, in which the latter lost his life, for which in jury Frendraught had allowed him some compensation; but, conceiving that his services had not been fairly requited, he began to abuse Frendraught, and threatened to compel him to give him a greater recompense than he had yet received. As Frendraught refused to comply with his demands, Meldrum entered the park of Frendraught privately in the night time, and carried away two horses belonging to his pretended debtor. Frendraught, thereupon, prosecuted Meldrum for theft, but he declined to appear in court, and was consequently declared rebel. Frendraught then obtained a commission, from the lords of the privy council, to apprehend Meldrum, who took refuge with John Leslie of Pitcaple, whose sister he had married. Under the commission which he had procured, Frendraught went in quest of Meldrum, on the twenty-seventh day of September, sixteen hundred and thirty. He proceeded to Pitcaple’s lands, on which he knew Meldrum then lived, where he met James Leslie, second son of the laird of Pitcaple, who had been with him at the skirmish of Rothiemay. Leslie then began to expostulate with him in behalf of Meldrum, his brother-in-law, who, on account of the aid he had given him in his dispute with Rothiemay, took Leslie’s remonstrances in good part; but Robert Crichton of Couland, a kinsman of Frendraught, grew so warm at Leslie’s freedom, that from high words they proceeded to blows. Couland then drawing a pistol from his belt, shot at and wounded Leslie in the arm, who was, thereupon, carried home apparently in a dying state. 

– History of the Highlands, pp.287-313.

After spending three days in inglorious supineness, Argyle put his army in motion in the direction of Kintore. Montrose, on hearing of his approach, concealed his cannon in a bog, and leaving behind him some of his heavy baggage, made towards the Spey with the intention of crossing it. On arriving at the river, he encamped near the old castle of Rothiemurcus; but finding that the boats used in passing the river had been removed to the north side of the river, and that a large armed force from the country on the north of the Spey had assembled on the opposite bank to oppose his passage, Montrose marched his army into the forest of Abernethy. Argyle only proceeded at first as far as Strathbogie, but instead of pursuing Montrose, he allowed his troops to waste their time in plundering the properties and laying waste the lands of the Gordons in Strathbogie, and the Enzie, under the very eyes of Lord Gordon and Lord Lewis Gordon, neither of whom appear to have endeavoured to avert such a calamity. Spalding says that it was “a wonderful unnaturalitie in the Lord Gordon to suffer his father’s lands and friends in his own sight to be thus wreckt and destroyed in his father’s absence;” but Lord Gordon likely had it not in his power to stay these proceedings, which, if not done at the instigation, may have received the approbation of his violent and headstrong younger brother, who had joined the covenanters’ standard. On the twenty-seventh of September [1644], Argyle mustered his forces at the Bog of Gicht, which were found to amount to about four thousand men, but although the army of Montrose did not amount to much more than a third of that number, and was within twenty miles distance, he did not venture to attack him. After remaining a few days in Abernethy forest, Montrose passed through the forest of Rothiemurcus, and following the course of the Spey, marched through Badenoch. 

– History of the Highlands, pp.342-364.

In 1674 the magistrates, with an equal regard to the advantage of the inhabitants in the matter of creature comforts, appointed one Michael Leiper to be made a burgess gratis, “and to be keeped frie of quartering and localitie, for his better encuradgment to tak ane guid hous for serving the leidges as ane commoune coock within the same.”1 This trade appears to have thriven, as some seventeen years afterwards we find “Margaret Hamiltone Widow” applying for leave “to keep ane common cookrie within this burgh,” and offering to pay a premium of fiftie merks Scots to the toune” for the permission.

– Old Glasgow, pp.276-289.

1  27th Sept. 1674.
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A friend had suggested I look out for gravestones with seashells decorating them. He wasn’t sure if they had any particular meaning. I did make a point of asking on the tour but was told they probably really are just for decoration rather than indicating a seafaring link to the occupant.

JOHN BUCHANAN, LATE OF GLENLORA

DIED 27TH SEPTEMBER 1880

Glasgow’s Cathedral & City Necropolis.

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