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The Revolution has been
accomplished and the new regime inaugurated, greatly, on the whole, to the
satisfaction of the country—at least to that of the Presbyterians. Culross
is affected by the change like other places, as is unmistakably evidenced by
the meeting of town council which is held on 16th January 1689, in obedience
to an order issued a fortnight previously by the Scottish Privy Council.
This order itself had proceeded on a petition
“Presented by certain persons
for themselves, and in name and behalf of the inhabitants of the said burgh
of Culross, showing that the present magistrates of the said burgh were
iUegallie elected, contrar to law and the constitution of the burgh, and
have exerced the office of magistrates in the said place throw ther
unwarrantable establishment since the month of Jany. Jaivic™-eightie-seven
[1687], during which tyme they have misapplied the common good, and
converted the same to their own uses; and for promoting the Popish interest
and their designes, and siclyke, James Mackie and Daniel M'Donald, two of
the present baylies, are truelie and actuallie Papists, and have been
severall tymes at mass in the Abbay; [This must refer to the King’s Chapel
attached to Holyrood House, which James 11. had converted into a Roman
Catholic place of worship.] and not only so, but for to adde to their
insolence and arrogance, for advancing Poperie they have reallie seduced
Archibald Bowie, couper, in Glendevon, to comply with their hellish purposes
and doctrine, and have also been using sinistruous methods to prevaill to
that same purpose upon severall others.”
This is pretty strong
language, but probably did not greatly overstep the truth, considering the
general misgovemment since the Restoration, and the special policy and aims
of James II. At all events, the Privy Council, who may possibly indeed have
prompted the petition in the first instance, responded to it by granting
warrant to those magistrates and councillors who had been in office previous
to the usurpation by the Crown of the elective privileges of the burghers,
to resume their functions, and continue in them till the following
Michaelmas. At that date there was to be a new election, in accordance with
the original constitution of the burgh; and the same Earl of Kincardine who
had superintended the arbitrary nominations in 1687 and 1688 was now ordered
to see to the proper reinstatement, as far as possible, of the old and
regularly elected town council. A thorough “purge,” not unlike that of Pride
and Cromwell, was accordingly carried out with regard to the existing
magistracy and council, some members of which showed great recalcitration,
both in giving up office and rendering an account of their stewardship.
In the succeeding month of
February, a missive having been received by the town clerk “ from his Hienes
the Prince of Orange, for calling the whole burgesses for electing a
commissioner for representing the burgh at the meeting of the estates at
Edinburgh on the 14th March next,” the council file out in grand procession
to the market-cross, where the community are assembled. A tremendous uproar
takes place there, in consequence of the two sons of ex-Bailie Mackie, the
Papist, falling foul of the town clerk after he had finished reading the
document in question, and hurling at him the epithets of “rascall and
villain.” The magistrates order the arrest of these disturbers of the peace;
but this is fiercely resisted by the Mackies, who, moreover, when an
unfortunate deacon of the name of Halliday was endeavouring to aid the town
officers in the exercise of their duty, “ did enter upon the said Alexander
Halliday, and hang on his hair most masterfullie and cruellie.” Next, on the
bailies summoning them forthwith to the court-house, James Mackie, along
with ex-Bailie Dalgleish, “ did most insolentlie challenge and controvert
their authoritie as magistrates.” Not being able apparently to enforce the
attendance of the two last-named offenders, the council, on the report of
the bailies, sentence, in absence, Mackie and Dalgleish in a fine of £100
Scots. It does not appear whether this was exacted or not; but the new
magistrates succeed, at all events, in carrying out the nomination to the
ensuing Convention of Royal Burghs at Edinburgh, and “ Mr William Axeskine,
lawful sone to the deceast David, Lord Cardross,” is chosen.
The Mr Erskine thus chosen as
commissioner for Culross was Colonel William Erskine, brother of Colonel
John Erskine, the celebrated “ Black Colonel,” of whom we shall afterwards
hear a good deaL The two brothers were the sons of David, second Lord
Cardross, by his second wife, Mary Bruce, daughter of the second George
Bruce of Camock, and sister of Edward and Alexander, first and second Earls
of Kincardine. Their half-brother by their father’s first marriage was
Henry, third Lord Cardross, who suffered severely for his Presbyterian,
proclivities, and had to take refuge with his brother John in Holland, from
which they returned at the Revolution with William of Orange. John Erskine,
generally styled, from his complexion, the “Black Colonel,” became
afterwards purchaser, by judicial sale, of the greater portion of the
estates of the Kincardine family, and was thenceforward known as Colonel
John Erskine of Camock. His elder brother William, now elected a member of
the town council of Culross, became the proprietor of the estate of Torry,
in the adjoining parish of Torrybum, and was the father of a Colonel William
Erskine, who, from his fair complexion, has been generally identified with
the personage known as the “White Colonel,” in antithesis to the “Black
Colonel,” his uncle. But as I shall afterwards show, the idea is erroneous,
the real Simon Pure or “White Colonel” being one of the Erskines of Alva.
The new regime having dow
established itself on a tolerably secure basis, the Culross magistrates find
themselves at leisure to turn their attention to domestic matters. The
influence of restored Presbyterian strictness is evidently again beginning
to exert itself in the regulations for the better observance of the Sabbath
and suppression of nocturnal revels. But, as usual, the “middings” are still
the bite noire of the municipal authorities, under all governments,
Presbyterian or Prelatic.
On 15th January 1690 there is
registered in the burgh minutes a “list and inventor of the books and
registers lying in the register chist, belonging to the burgh of Culros,
within the tolbooth therof, this present day truly taken up.” A supplemental
list is made up on 24th January. These, and the discussions regarding them,
form an important epoch in the burgh history, and present matter of equally
the highest interest and regret. We learn from them that in 1690 all the
books, charters, and papers mentioned in the two lists were in existence,
and in the custody of the magistrates in the town repositories of Culross.
They must have contained much valuable information, and ought to have been
carefully preserved, whether their contents affected the material interests
of the burgh or not. At least the town’s charter and accompanying documents,
with the council minute-books, ought all to have been guarded with the most
religious care. But how many of them are in existence now, or how many of
them can be produced ? I am sorry to say, scarcely one ancient writ or
evident from the charter of erection downwards is now to be found. There are
indeed copies of the charters of 1490 and 1588, erecting Culross
respectively into a burgh of barony and a royal burgh. But what has become
of the rest, or where are they now? It must be admitted that almost all the
registers of sasines of property within the burgh have been carefully
preserved, as involving matters of tangible and pecuniary import. And all
the council minute-books, or, as they are termed, “register books of courts
and councills,” from 1653 to the present time, are now in existence. But the
three minute-books recorded at the commencement of the list, extending from
1602 to 1650, are nowhere to be found. There still, however, exists the
dilapidated volume (not included in the catalogue of 1690) of which I have
already availed myself, as containing the history of the civic transactions
from the erection of the burgh in 1588 to the end of the century. But it is
most disappointing to find missing the records of so important a period as
that from the accession of James VI. to the British throne to the
commencement of Cromwell's rule in Scotland. As regards the disappearance of
many of the individual documents, it appears that on different occasions
they were lent to various parties. Lady Veronica, Dowager-Countess of
Kincardine, seems to have had the town charter for a time in her possession;
and in the many profitless lawsuits in which the burgh became engaged, its
agents in Edinburgh would naturally have the town papers transmitted to
them, and might sometimes retain them either in security of their business
accounts or from mere forgetfulness. Antiquarians and others, too, might
occasionally have the loan of them, and not be too scrupulous in duly
returning them. They may even have been turned to baser uses. The eighteenth
century is notorious for its vandalism, and for the ruthless and wanton
destruction which took place during it of many interesting relics of the
past, monumental and chirographic. And as regards the missing minute-books,
there is some evidence to show that if they have not “melted into air, into
thin air,” they have at least been resolved into elemental gases. There is a
tradition in Culross, not altogether unsubstantiated, that a town clerk of
former days, rather noted both for inebriety and impecuniosity, was confined
by an importunate creditor within the walls of his own official tolbooth.
Companions were allowed to visit him in the evenings, and mitigate, by
jovial converse, the monotony of his captivity. They were all votaries of
the fragrant weed, and pipe-lights were in frequent requisition. Acting on
Dean Swift’s advice to servants to use whatever came to hand for the
purposes of the moment, they are said to have dragged from their obscurity
and most unceremoniously made light of the old council minute-books.
The following extracts serve
to connect the town of Culross with the naval history of the time, when King
James, with the assistance of the French king, was endeavouring to regain
footing in England, and the Channel was the scene of various naval
operations, terminating in the brilliant victory over the French fleet at
Cape La Hogue:—
“3 February 1690.
“The quhilk day the councell,
being convened within the tolbuth of the burgh, and conforme to the
proclamation for voluntarie seamen, and the giving in of a list, and for the
reporting of the samyne in manner and efter the forme and tenor of the said
proclamation and letter direct be the Earll of Crawfurd for that effect: In
obedience therto, and conforme to the Act of councell, the said Robert Blaw,
one of the present baillies, past to the marcatt crose of Alloway and
Clakmanan and Kincardine, as also Baillie Adam and Baillie Gray past to
Torrie and Yaleyfield, and ther caused beatt drums to the effect and for the
causes forsaid.
“The same day compeared
Robert Wright, John Peacok, James Peacok, Patrick Andersone, James Peirrie,
John Stevensone, and voluntarly offered themselves as seamen for his
Majestie’s service, conforme to the proclamation and conditions therin
mentioned. The magistrats and town counsell offeres the pay conforme to
proclamation, they always finding caution for ther entering to service when
requyred.”
On 14th October 1690 we find
the town council nominating their commissioners (probably for the first time
since Cromwell’s conquest) to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
in Edinburgh. The individual chosen was John Erskine of Bal-gownie, one of
the principal heritors in the parish, and an ancestor of the present
Cunningham family, who through him are descended from the Earls of Mar.
There is also made the same day an order for taking account of and returning
a report on the number of hearths throughout the burgh, in view of the tax
or “ hearth-money ” which had recently been imposed by the Government. It
must have been a very unpopular impost, and almost as objectionable, on the
score of health and comfort, as the window-tax, only abolished about thirty
years ago.
A grand visitation is made to
Culross in August 1691. The Convention of Burghs had appointed certain
commissioners
“To be here at Culross, for
taking trayell and inspection of the present condition of this burgh of
Culross, and to be heare upon Mononday next; and for their attendance and
giving trew information, with the magistrates they nominatt the persones
following—to witt, Bobert Hunter, elder, laitt baillie, James Barklay, laitt
baillie, the Dean of Gild and Theasorer James Blaw, James Neasmuth, George
Gray, John Sharpe, and to be waitted and intertayned upon the toune’s
expenses.”
It is evident that great
expectations were formed of the benefits and relief which the town was to
receive from this visit. It was resolved to spare no expense or trouble in
propitiating the commissioners, and securing a favourable report from them
to the Convention:—
"18 Auguri 1601.
“The qlk day being convened
within the tolbuth of the burgh the magistratta and a pairt of the toune
councell nominatt the last counsell day for waitting upon the commissioners
of burrowes, who compered this day, John Mure, Provost of Aire, and Mr James
Smollett of Bonnell, two commissioners of burrowes, for taking of
information of the condition of this place, who is instantly admitted
burgesses of this burgh, and admitted to the freedom therof, and hes given
ther oath more, burgi honorifico, and Tobias Smollett their clerk, with
their servants—who hes trewlie promised to shew forth to the borrowes the
staitt and condition of the toun, and the debts therof, with the staitt and
condition of the scoll, peire, and herbor, and for that effect hes taken ane
nott of information allong with them.”
Some interest may be felt in
the above extract when we see among the names of the commissioners that of
James Smollett of Bonhill, afterwards known, as Sir James Smollett, one of
the commissaries of Edinburgh, and grandfather of the author of 'Roderick
Random/ He figures in that novel in no very complimentary guise as the
hero’s grandfather. George Smollett, probably a son of his, was at this time
the agent for the Convention of Burghs. And another son of his, doubtless,
was the Tobias Smollett mentioned above, who gave his name to the great
novelist, his nephew. Let us now see how the commissioners were entertained
at Culross :—:
“22 August 1691.
“The quhilk day the
magistrates and toune councell being convened within the counsell hous of
the burgh, and conforme to the lait Act of toune councell, peust upon the 13
day of August current, appointing the commissioners of borrowes to be
intertayned upon the toune’s expenses; and these commissioners having come,
and hes taken trayell and inspection of the toune’s affares, and of the sad
staitt and condition therofP, and of their debts, who is to report the
samyne to. the borrowes; and being intertayned in Baillie Adam his hous, the
expenses thereof and partiiculare accompt follows, viz.—
And which particulare accompt
extends to sixteen punds three shilling sixpennies; and the counsell
ordaynes the samyne to be payed with the first of the toune’s money that
came to hand.”
Notwithstanding all this
magnificent entertainment, including a grand dinner, a sail on the Firth
afterwards, and a solemn bonailie at Dunfermline, whilst the very bell that
welcomed them had a brand-new rope provided for the occasion, there is
little reason to believe that any material benefit accrued to the town, from
the visit. She continued to flounder on through her difficulties, and only
experienced, after many years, a temporary alleviation of them through the
generosity of Sir George Preston.
There now occurs a strange
episode in the municipal history of Culross, which has repeated itself in
our own day. An interregnum or deadlock, similar to that which took place
recently, marks a period of four years in the last decade of the seventeenth
century. From 1691 to 1695 the burgh was destitute of a magistracy, and an
Act of the Scottish Parliament had to be procured for authorising the
re-election of a town council and the imposition of a stent. Four persons
are by the said Act appointed as overseers to conduct the levying and
application of the impost—viz., the Earl of Kincardine, Sir Alexander Bruce
of Broomhall, Mr William Erskine, and the Laird of Balgownie. There appears
to have been in 1691 a resignation of the magistrates, from a dread of being
involved in liability for the town’s debts. |
