St Theodoret, priest and martyr, 362. St Severin, archbishop of Cologne, confessor, 400. Another St Severin or Surin, bishop. St Romanus, archbishop of Rouen, confessor, 639. St Ignatius, patriarch of Constantinople, confessor, 878. St John Capistran, confessor, 1456.
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Born. – Marshal Andoche Junot, French commander, 1771, Bussy-les-Forges; Francis, Lord Jeffrey, eminent critic, 1773, Edinburgh.
Died. – Anicius Manlius Torquatus Severinus Boethius, Latin philosopher, beheaded by King Theodoric, 524; Jean Foy Vaillant, eminent medallist, 1706.
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On this Day in Other Sources.
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The 23rd day of October, this same year [1581], the King called a parliament, which held at Edinburgh; wherein, among many statutes for the [good] of the church and state herein enacted, the controversy [between] the towns of Perth and Dundee, [about] the place of precedency in parliament was remitted by the estates to the decision of the royal burghs. This parliament likewise granted a commission for composing all debateable matters [between] the Gordons and Forbeses; as also, the parliament granted a privilege of silk making to Robert Dickson.
– Historical Works, pp.340-416.
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Great care appears also to have been taken to prevent any one going to or coming from places where “the pest” happened to be prevailing. For example, on 23d October, 1588, there is an order of the council “that in consideratioune of the apparent danger of the pest now in Paisley na persone indwellar within this toun, because of the mercates of Paisley and Kilmalcolm approcheing, pas or repair furth of this toun thairto vnder the pane of fyve pundis to be tane of ilk persone repairing thairto, and banisched furth of the said toun for ʒeir and day, without lief asked and geven be the baillies.”
– Old Glasgow, pp.266-276.
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But at the time when Camerarius wrote the ancient bell was probably almost worn out, and in 1640 we find an order by the town council directing a new one to be made. The order is as follows:- “Anent ane deid bell: The said daye ye deid bell delyverit to Patrick forsyth, qm. ordaines to give ye half of ye pryces [emoluments] of his part of ye bell to William Bogle during his lyfetime. And ordaines ye Dean of gild to caus mak ane new deid bell to be runge for and before ye deid under hand.”1 The new bell then made, after having been in use for many years, disappeared, but in 1867 it was discovered and restored to the corporation, in whose possession it now is.
– Old Glasgow, pp.19-29.
1 Council Records, 23d October, 1640.
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It was written here to Aberdeen, that Kentoun battle at Banbury,1 wherein his majesty was victorious, has in vision been seen seven sundry times sin-syne.’ – Spal.
– Domestic Annals, pp.257-277.
1 The battle of Edgehill, fought on the 23d of October 1642.
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65. JOHN CROSS.
Born, 1671; died, 1732.
West India proprietor and merchant. Dean of Guild, 1694, and Bailie, 1692 and 1695. Father of Sheriff Cross (No. 66). M’Ure, in his “History of Glasgow,” says that “in 1669 there were five merchants concern’d in the Easter Sugar-house, viz., John Cross, James Peadie, John Luke, George Bogle, and Robert Cross, who put in a joynt stock for carrying on another sugar-work, and built large buildings… and employed a German to be master-boiler. This project likewise proved effectual, so that their stock wonderfully increased; the representers of four of those partners does now enjoy the same, viz., John Graham of Dougalston, the heirs of Provost Peadie, Robert Bogle, and Robert Cross.” And in the 1830 edition of the same work, the following extracts are given from the family Bible of Robert Cross (No. 69), father of our subject, and Dean of Guild and Bailie of Glasgow, 1684, 1685:- “October 23, 1663. – – I was maried in the Laighe Churtch, at on a cloke in the afternoon, by Maister Edwart Wright, then Principall of the Coledg of Glasgow, upon Joanet Peadie, secound dochter to Thomas Peadie, merchant in Glasgow:
– Memorial Catalogue, Gallery 1.
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On October 23rd, 1693, “Mr. Charles Maitland, son to the Earl of Lauderdale,” presented a Latin folio to the library, and it is not improbable that the stone may have been gifted at the same time. If so, it formed in all probability the beginning of the whole collection.
– Scots Lore, pp.316-326.
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On the 23rd of October, 1861, the foundation-stone of the new General Post-office was laid, on the east side of the North Bridge, by the late Prince Consort, amid much state and ceremony, the letter-carriers, all clad for the first time in blue, in lieu of their old scarlet, being drawn up in double rank within the galleries which occupied the site of the old Theatre and which were crowded by a fashionable audience. This was almost the last act of Prince Albert’s public life, as he died two months subsequently. At his suggestion the crowning row of vases was added to the façade.
– Old and New Edinburgh, pp.353-358.