It is this "vie intime" of
the Scot in Germany that is to form the main substance of the present
volume. The facts of the Scottish settlements have been stated; it now
remains to fill up the sketch and to present to the reader as complete a
picture as possible of how the Scot lived in those remote regions that
they had chosen as the scene of their enterprise.
Before entering upon our
task let us clear up two misconceptions that might arise out of our former
statements. We have almost exclusively spoken of the Scottish immigration
of the XVIth and XVIIth Centuries. We are now compelled to admit the
existence of the Scottish pedlar, in German called "Schotte," in the XIVth
Century, though not without hesitation. The word "Schotte" unmistakably
occurs in this sense in the Krämerrolle of Anclam, i.e. the
constitution of the guild of grocers or small merchants in the Pomeranian
town of Anclam, dating as far back as 1330. [The original document has
since been lost; it was first printed by Stavenhagen in 1773.]
Now as it is difficult from
Scotch sources to prove an emigration of Scotsmen to Germany at
that early date sufficiently large to warrant the expression "Schotte" for
the swarms of vagrant pedlars all over Germany, one is almost tempted to
inquire whether this name at the period we speak of might not have a
derivation altogether independent of nationality. But no other derivation
has been put forward, and all our lexicographers headed by the successors
of Grimm in the recent volume of the great German Dictionary adhere to the
old meaning. There are, moreover, other laws and constitutions nearly as
old as that of Anclam, which leave no doubt as to the meaning of "Schotte."
Among the oldest rules of the cloth
merchants at Stralsund, and dating back to about 1370, we find
this:
"Vortmer so schal nen Schotte
edder Engelsman varen in de lant, he sy we he sy"; [Cp. Scots in
Germany] and a little later, about the year 1412: "Nyn
borger de nicht hefft de werdicheit der cumpanien des wantsnedes, Schotten
edder Engelsman schal nicht varen yn de landen edder hyr bynnen der
stadt sniden he sy we he sy ane he hebbe de werdicheit der kumpanien des
wantsnedes," i.e. No citizen who has not obtained the dignity of a
guild-brother of the cloth rnerchant’s guild, no Scot or Englishman shall
travel about the country or cut (cloth) within this town, let him be who
he may be, without his being a member of the guild. Both these passages
prove by the addition of "edder Engelsman" that "Schotte" cannot be taken
in any other sense than that of Scotsman, a native of Scotland. We must
therefore assume a much earlier date for the itinerant Scot in Germany,
unless we suppose that the word Schotte, Scotus, in those earlier
centuries referred to the Irish. There seems to be some show of reason in
this, as the expression "Schotte" for a vagrant pedlar is also common in
Bavaria and the south of Germany, where the Irish had established the
so-called "Schottenkioster" [See Schmeller, Bairisches Worterbuch.
The Police Regulations of Nurnberg prohibit the harbouring or housing of
any vagrant Scotsman or Scotswoman in the town or within a mile around it
without permission of the magistrates (XV Century).] We are told as early
as the VIIIth Century that vagrant priests, called Scotti, passed
themselves off as bishops Be this as it may, of wide-spread Scotch
settlements properly so-called we hear nothing till eight or nine
centuries later.
A second misconception may
arise from passages [The Scots in Germany, p. 50] where it
was stated that the situation of the Scot in Germany was tolerable, that
his lot was not worse than that of the pedlar at home, that he suffered no
religious persecution and obtained many privileges These statements are
rather too favourable The obstacles put in the way of the Scot,
particularly of the travelling tradesman, were innumerable. Only when he
had succeeded in obtaining the rights of citizenship in the smaller or
larger towns of Prussia did his difficulties diminish; and to obtain these
rights was for many a hopeless task. Religious persecutions in the old
cruel sense, it is true, did not obtain, but nevertheless, the Calvinistic
Scot was not looked upon with favour by his proud Lutheran brother of
Germany; in his eye he was an Arian, worse than an unbeliever and an
anabaptist. This was a weapon that was used with virulence and success by
the hostile trades. Only the unwearied and indomitable energy of the Scot,
combined with physical endurance as great as his skill and his shrewdness
as merchant and banker, made him succeed in many cases and obtain the
highest honours in the country of his adoption.
SCOTLAND AND
PRUSSIA IN THE XVTH CENTURY.
Whilst we hear but little
of Scottish settlements in Germany at this time, notices are not wanting
of the brisk commercial intercourse between Scotland and Danzig and
between Scotland and the Teutonic Order, which from a religious Society of
Knights for the defence and the spreading of Christianity had rapidly
grown not only into a territorial Power, but also into a huge commercial
trading society. Thus King Henry IV. of England requests the Hochmeister
von Jungingen to grant the Scottish shipmasters who were then sailing to
Prussia in order to bring home cargoes of food-stuffs, neither favour nor
protection (Dec. 7, 1401). Königsberg writes to the Gubernator of
Scotland, Rupert, "duci Albaniae et comiti de Fiff," with the request to
order the restoration of goods confiscated from some Konigsberg merchants
(July 23, 1418); whilst the magistrates of Edinburgh petition the
Hochmeister to make the city of Danzig raise the arrest put upon the goods
of various Scottish merchants in Danske, notably of James Lawdre, Jacob
King and Robert Young, "for Scotland had been altogether innocent of the
alleged spoliation of Danzig merchants." [The undated letter is to be
found in the Koniglichen Staats Archiv at Konigsberg. On account of Jac.
Lawdre Queen Mary also writes to the Hochmeister in 1448.] In a similar
case King James I. writes two letters to the Hochmeister blaming a
Prussian merchant called Claus Zarn or Czarn for the arrestment of
Scottish goods (10th of March and 26th of 142?].
The dreaded Earl of March
appears again in the records of Danzig writing about the liberation of a
Danzig citizen called Johann Lange, and charging a Scot, Ricardus de
Camera, with the conclusion of a commercial treaty. [Letter written 26th
August, N.D., in the Kgl. Staats Archiv, Danzig.]
Under the date of April
13th, 1438, there exists the rough draught of a letter of the
Hochmeister to the King of Scotland and the Guild of Merchants in
Edinburgh, praying them to hand over the goods which the merchant Heinrich
Holthusen left behind him at his death in Leith, to the Danzig merchant
Johann Fischmeister. [Kgl. St. Archiv, Konigsberg.]
Mayor and Bailies of "St
Johann" in Scocia (Perth) announce in a letter that by a decision of the
law-courts the claim of the Danzig skipper, Hanneke How, must be
disallowed (Jan. 20, 1439). Somewhat later King James recommends
the Edinburgh merchant, John Foulis, who with some business friends is
travelling to Danzig, to the notice of the magistrates there (March 28,
1475); "quatenus auxilio Dei et vestro salve redeant." A letter of
recommendation is also given by the magistrates of Edinburgh to Jacob
Crag, who is going to Danzig on law business (1480). Similarly,
Queen Margaret and King James intercede on behalf of the Scottish
merchants, Thomas Halkerston, Thomas Lewis, and Robert Paisley (April 8,
1482). In every way the interest of the Scottish trader seems to
have been well taken care of. Instances of this are found in two other
letters addressed to Danzig. In one of them Edinburgh declares that
Stephen Lawson, a citizen of Haddington, had honestly paid for all goods
which he had brought from Danzig to Leith about four years ago (June 5,
1483). Interesting is a letter from the magistrates of Aberdeen to Danzig
in which they express themselves grieved at the fact that ships from that
city for some time past sail to more remote ports of Scotland instead of
to Aberdeen; and they declare themselves willing to indemnify the cloth
merchant of Danzig who had suffered loss at Aberdeen on account of
spurious money being given to him in payment, if he would personally
appear before them. They pray that the old commercial intercourse should
be restored. [Letter dated Aberdeen, May 1st, 1487, Kgl.
Staats Archiv., Danzig.] About the same time Aberdeen further proves
her goodwill by explaining to the Danzig magistrates that all assistance
would be given to the Danzig citizens, Vasolt and Conrad (or Connert), on
their arrival in Scotland, to obtain payment for goods sold; and in a
later letter she explains to Danzig the measures taken for this purpose,
adding the testimony of merchants from Stralsund, Greipwald and Stettin.
[Letters dated Aug. 6, 1487, and July 18th, 1489, Kgl.
Staats Archiv, Danzig.]
The brothers John and
Francis Tulane are appointed to take care of the commissioner sent by
Conrad to Aberdeen.
Besides Aberdeen and Leith,
Dundee is again mentioned in 1492 as trading with Danzig, and the
name of Thomas Spalding occurs in this connection.
How important the trade
between the Baltic ports and Scotland was, is also seen from a notice in
Weinreich’s Prussian Chronicle, where it is stated that between the
years 1474 and 1476 twenty-four Scottish ships entered the harbour
of Danzig. [Dr Theod. Hirsch, Weinreich’s Chronik., p. xi.]
Thus the names of the great
Baltic ports were well known to the trading communities of Scotland, and
the way was prepared for the Scottish emigrant.
What attracted them to
Danzig besides the shipping facilities was a tradition that there they
would be the recipients of numerous privileges granted—perhaps in grateful
recollection of military assistance—by the Hochmeister to the English and
Scots. Frequently they refer to these privileges in their
petitions—chiefly to a free retail trade throughout the country—but, as
their adversaries tauntingly said, they "could never produce them." They
remained merely traditional, though the names of the Hochmeisters, Paul
von Russdorf—about 1426—is mentioned in connection with the matter. At any
rate, if they ever possessed these privileges, every trace of them was
lost in the XVIth Century, as indeed it was much more in the spirit of the
times to disfranchise people than to grant them trading liberties.
However this may be, the
Scots are present in Danzig, though not in great numbers, early in the
XVth Century. [English cloth is mentioned in Danzig in 1388.]
They are not unfrequently
met with in the minutes of the courts of justice (Schoppenbucher) there.
Walter, a Scot and a dyer by trade, owns to certain debts in 1447; in
1453, on the 23rd of March, the Magistrates compose a quarrel
between a citizen and a Scottish merchant; another Scot, called Thomas,
sues a citizen for the debt of twenty-six marks in 1469. More
serious is the following entry: "A settlement has been arranged between
Claus Wugerson, on the one part, and Peter Black, a Scot, on the other, on
account of manslaughter committed by the aforesaid Peter Black against
Reemer Wugerson, brother of the aforesaid Claus." Peter consents to pay
certain sums of money, and to undertake a "Sühn-reise," i.e. a
journey of expiation "to the holy Blood at Aken (Aix la Chapelle), to
Einsiedelen, a famous place of pilgrimage in Switzerland, to St Jacob of
Compostella, and to St Adrian, and to bring good proofs of his having
visited these places" (1471). [Kgl. St. Archiv, Danzig]
A similar compromise is
entered upon four years later in 1475 between Wylm (William) Watson
and Zander (Alexander) Gustis (?) "on account of a wound given by Zander
to the aforesaid Wylm." [Kgl. St. Archiv, Danzig.] They
decided that the culprit should bear all expenses, and undertake a
pilgrimage to the Holy Blood, and, moreover, give to the Altar of the
Scots in the Church of the Black Monks at Danzig two marks, and likewise
two marks to Our Lady’s Church at Dundee in Scotland. Therewith all
dispute should be ended for ever ("geendet unde gelendet ").
That the Scots had their
own Altar at the Schwarzmönchenkirche, as it is called, is an additional
proof of the importance of their commercial intercourse with Danzig.
The names of other
Scotsmen, together with their debts, are entered in the Schoppenbuch;
e.g., John Wylinck, curiously enough called "de swartte Schotte," the
black Scotsman; William Simpson, Robert Lofftus and Richard, in 1427;
also Will. Patrick in 1429, and Fenton and Grant in 1430.
In consequence of the many
acts of piracy in Scottish waters Heinrick Vorrath, the Burgomaster of
Danzig, advises the Prussian and German ships to carry arms and ammunition
(March 12th, 1437). [Hanserecesse, 2nd
Series, ii. 49.]
Another curious light is
shed on the political state of Great Britain and the neutral attitude of
the Teutonic Order, by a complaint of the English merchants in the year
1439. They tell the woeful tale of a ship from Hull to Prussia
called Peter and carrying a rich cargo. "When we came to the Baltic, we
came upon three ships from Scotland by which we were in warlike manner
attacked during the night. But by the Grace of God the English held their
own, and took the Scottish ships together with their goods. Then the
Scottish said to the English: "We know that we have done you great harm;
therefore we ask you from a full heart to make known to us the estimate of
the damage." And it was estimated then at two hundred and forty pounds
sterling. And the Scottish placed five of their number as hostages on
board of the English ship whilst the others were allowed to sail away
unhurt. Now when the English brought these five with them into Prussia,
they were compelled by the Hochmeister to set them free and release their
goods, and it was done. After this the Komptur of Danczke sent for the
skippers and the merchants of the said ship, and ordered thirteen of them
to be cast into prison, where they were nearly suffocated and scarcely got
out alive. Still they had to pay to the Komptur twenty-four mark in
Prussian coin, and a piece of cloth to the value of twenty mark in order
to be liberated.
On the whole, the
information to be gathered regarding the Scots in Prussia during this
century is but small. It is only in the next century that light is thrown
upon the difficulties and hardships of their life.
