27th of December

St John, apostle and evangelist. St Theodorus Grapt, confessor, 9th century.

Born. – Jacques Bernouilli, mathematician, 1654, Basle; Pope Pius VI., 1717; Arthus Murphy, dramatist and miscellaneous writer, 1727, Ireland.
Died. – Pierre de Ronsard, poet, 1585, St Cosme Priory, near Tours; Henry Home, Lord Kames, lawyer and metaphysician, 1782; Prince Lee Boo, of Pelew [Palau], 1784, London; Dr Hugh Blair, eminent divine, 1800, Edinburgh.

On this Day in Other Sources.

It follows from the above (1) that none of the provost’s heirs either owned the barony of Foulden, near Berwick, or transmitted the worthy man’s “eminent blood” to the Earls of Glasgow; (2) That there were four Wilkies, all contemporary or nearly so, viz., Mr. John of Broomhouse (wherever it is), his son James, one Sir John said to have married an Agnes Carmichael, and another Sir John styled “in Foulden,” whose wife in 1661 was a Dorothy Orde – unless these two knights were the same man under different aspects! (3) That if either Mr. John or his son James had a daughter Agnes, she could not carry Foulden to any one – still less could Agnes, daughter of the Sir John who lived about Lanark, or Mary the daughter of the other Sir John of Berwick, as she died a child under ten.1

– Scots Lore, pp.141-148.

1  To increase the confusion, in the Complete Peerage of “G. E. C.”, James 1st lord Carmichael, so created 27 Dec., 1647, who died 27 Nov., 1672, at 94 (thus born 1578), is said to have married Agnes, sister of John Wilkie of Foulden – the date or authority not given.

   “This Day a Bill of Indictment was preferr’d and found against Brigadier Campbell, and the following Persons were arraign’d and pleaded Guilty, viz. Mr. Carstairs, Mr. Alexander Mackenzie of Frazerdale, James Carnegie, Surgeon, James Rollo, Alexander Forbes, Walter Graham, and Mr. Thomas Drummond. Mr. Tho. Tulloch was arraign’d and pleaded Not Guilty, and upon Motion by his Council that he had some Witnesses, which he daily expected from Scotland, his Tryal is put off till Friday next. Mr. William Hay appear’d, and put in a Demurrer to the Jurisdiction of the Court, and the King’s Council joining in Demurrer, the Council for the Prisoner, two Scotch Advocates, viz. Mr. Graham and Mr. Hay, made long Arguments, assigning for Cause of Demurrer, That by the Articles of Union, the Courts of Justiciary in Scotland were to remain as formerly, and that no Scotchman for Treason committed in Scotland, could be carried out of Scotland and be try’d in England; but the Demurrer was over-ruled by the Judges, upon which the Council for the Prisoner moved for Time to consult with the Prisoner, whether or not he would withdraw his Plea to the Jurisdiction, upon which the Court granted them Time till to Morrow.”  

– Stamford Mercury, Thursday 27th December, 1716. 

Treaty of Union Articles, 1700-1750.

2623. Letter from Lord George Murray to Provost, Magistrates, and Town Council of Glasgow announcing the entry of “a parte if not the whole of his Highness Armie… tomorow.” Hamilton, 27th December, 1745.

– Memorial Catalogue, Gallery 1.

A Teacher’s Work for a Scullion’s Wages.

We should like to know what are the usual wages of an ordinary maid-of-all-work in Scotland? They must be what good housewives call very reasonable indeed, if those of extraordinary maids-of-all-work are not generally more unreasonable than those offered in the subjoined advertisement extracted from a Scotch newspaper:-

WANTED.

A TEACHER, for the Ladies’ Seminary, Portsoy, capable of Teaching English, Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Grammar, Geography, History and Music, as well as Knitting and Plain and Ornamental Needle-work. The Teacher must have a Government Certificate of Merit, or be prepared to be examined by HER MAJESTY’s Inspector for such Certificate. Salary – Eight Guineas per Annum. 

Immediate application, inclosing Testimonials, to be made either to the REV. P. MURRAY, or the REV. A. COOPER, Portsoy. 

December 27, 1856.

Here are ten branches of knowledge to be taught, and a proposal to allow a remuneration for teaching them, at the rate of 16s. a-year each to the educational maid-of-all-work. Is “Ladies’ Seminary” an euphemism? Does the phrase really mean ragged school? Or is the above announcement to be considered as a piece of Scotch practical “wut,” put forth by some humorous party desirous of ridiculing the parsimony practised towards teachers at the establishment in question; a parsimony really extreme, but of which the terms stated are a jocose exaggeration? If not, is not there a mistake in the statement that a “Government Certificate of Merit” will be required of the teacher? Surely the document intended to be specified – under the idea that a certain plan has been pursued by Government with female equally with male convicts, and that a reformed lady-thief might be willing to accept any terms as a teacher – must be a Ticket-of-Leave. – February 7, 1857., p.54. 

Punch.

Leave a Reply