Of the Lee-Penny it may justly be said that, thanks to
the Talisman of Sir Walter Scott, it is the most widely known of
all the Scottish amulets. Although it has already been repeatedly
described, it is necessary that it should be included in the present
notice of Scottish charms, otherwise this paper would be incomplete. The
amulet consists of a small, dark-red stone, of an irregular triangular or
heart shape, set in the reverse of a groat of Edward IV., of the London
Mint. According to tradition, the stone was brought in the fourteenth
century by Sir Simon Lockhart of Lee from the Holy Land, where it had been
used for the cure of fevers, etc. When used for healing purposes in
Scotland, the Lee-Penny was drawn once round a vessel filled with water
and then dipped three times into the liquid. In an "Account of the Penny
in the Lee," written in 1702, it is stated that the amulet "being taken
and put into the end of a cloven stick, and washen in a tub full of water,
and given to cattell to drink, infallibly cures almost all manner of
diseases," and that "the people come from all airts of the kingdom with
their diseased beasts." About the year 1629 the "routting ewill, a strange
and suddane diseas," prevailed in Scotland, "quhairthrow" an ox "was nevir
able to ly down, bot routted continuallie till he deid." To cure this
disease some persons travelled from East Lothian "to the laird of Leyis
house and cravett the len" of "his cureing stane—quhilk was refuisit be
the lady; but [she] gave thame ane certaine quantitie of water in
flaccones quhairin the said stane was dippit, quhilk being gevin as drink
to the bestiall haillit thame." For this conduct the parties were
subjected to ecclesiastical censure and appointed to undergo penance in
the church of Dunbar, although they urged in extenuation of their offence
that such was the ordinary practice of "husbandmen of the best soirt." It
is said that "in one of the epidemics of the plague which attacked
Newcastle in the reign of Charles I., the inhabitants of that town
obtained the loan of the Lee-Penny by granting a bond of £6000 for its
safe return. Such, it is averred, was their belief in its virtues, and the
good that it effected, that they offered to forfeit the money and keep the
charm-stone." But "the most remarkable cure performed upon any person was
that of a Lady Baird of Sauchtonhall, near Edinburgh, who, having been bit
by a mad dog, was come the length of a hydrophobia; upon which, having
sent to beg that the Lee-Penny might be sent to the house, she used it for
some weeks, drinking and bathing in the water it was dipped in, and was
quite recovered. This happened about eighty years ago [that is, about
1707], but it is very well attested, having been told by the Lady of the
then Laird of Lee, and who died within these thirty years. She also told
that her husband Mr Lockhart and she were entertained at Sauchtonhall by
Sir Baird and his Lady for several days in the most sumptuous manner, on
account of the lady’s recovery, and in gratitude for the loan of the
Lee-Penny so long, as it was never allowed to be carried away from the
house of Lee."
Towards the latter end of the seventeenth century the Lee-Penny formed the
subject of a complaint by Gawen Hammiltoune of Raplocke to the Presbytery
of Glasgow, the result of which was the following deliverance by the
brethren :
"Apud Glasgow, the
25 Octobr. Synod Sess. 2.
"Quhilk daye, amongest the
referries of the brethren of the ministrie of
Lanerk, it was propondit to the Synode, that Gawen
Hammiltoune of Raplocke had preferit an complaint before them against Sir
James Lockart of Lie, anent the superstitious using of an stene set in
selver for the curing of diseased cattell, qik, the said Gawen affirmit,
coud not be lawfully used, and that they had differit to give ony
decisioune therein, till the advice of the Assemblie might be had
concerning the same. The Assemblie having inquirit of the muaner of using
thereof, and particularlie vnderstoocle, by examinatioune of the said
Laird of Lie, and otherwise, that the custome is onhie to cast the stene
in sume water, and give the diseasit eattil thereof to drink, and yt the
sam is dene wtout using onie words, such as charmers and sorcerers use in
their unlawfull practicess; and considering that in nature they are mony
thinges seen to work strange effects, qr of no humane witt can give a
reason, it having pleasit God to give vnto stones and herbes special
virtues for the healing of mony infirmities in man and beast,_-advises the
bretheren to surcease thir proces, as q’rin they perceive no ground of
offence; and admonishes the said Laird of Lie, in the using of the said
stone, to tak heed that it be vsit heirafter wt the least scandal that
possiblie inaye bie.—Extract out of the books of the Assemblie helden at
Glasgow, and subscribed be thair Clerk, at thair comand.
"M. Robert Young,
"Clerk to the Assemblie at Glasgow."
Henderson mentions a piece
of silver called the Lockerby Penny, which he states is still preserved at
Lockerby, in Dumfriesshire. When used for the cure of madness in cattle
"It is put in a cleft stick, and a well is stirred round with it, after
which the water is bottled off and given to any animal so affected. A few
years ago, in a Northumbrian farm, a dog bit an ass, and the ass bit a
cow; the penny was sent for, and a deposit of 50l. actually left
till it was restored. The dog was shot, the cuddy died, but the cow was
saved through the miraculous virtue of the charm. On the death of the man
who thus borrowed the penny, several bottles of water were found among his
effects, stored in a cupboard, and labelled ‘Lockerby Water." |