George Wishart of Drymme facts for kids
George Wishart of Drymme was an important person in 16th-century Scotland. He owned land, worked as a lawyer, and managed money for Mary, Queen of Scots. His job was to help collect taxes and manage royal finances.
Wishart's Family and Home
George Wishart came from an important family in Scotland. He was related to John Wishart of Pitarrow. George's family lands were called "Drymme" or "Drum". These lands were in a place called Maryton parish, close to Montrose in Angus, Scotland. There was another place nearby also called Drymme, but George's home was the one near Montrose.
Collecting Taxes for the Queen
In 1562, George's relative, John Wishart of Pitarrow, got a big job. He became the main tax collector for Scotland. This meant he collected "teinds," which were like taxes on church incomes. These taxes were based on the value of farms and other earnings.
John Wishart gave George Wishart a job as a sub-collector. George helped collect these royal taxes. He kept detailed records of the money he collected and how it was spent. These records are still kept today by the National Records of Scotland.
The money George collected, especially from the "thirds of benefices" (a part of the church's income), helped pay for the household of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Other family members also helped collect taxes. John Wishart's older brother, Alexander Wishart, collected taxes from Coupar Angus Abbey. George Wishart collected payments from people living nearby. This included Walter Wood of Balbegno and Ninian Guthrie of Kingennie.
Some of George Wishart's records show payments for the Royal Guard and for the fortress island of Inchkeith.
The historian Gordon Donaldson found interesting details in Wishart's accounts. George made payments to important people in the Queen's household. This included David Rizzio, who was an Italian secretary. George also paid the famous church minister John Knox. These payments were for Knox's salary and for his servants.
John Wishart of Pitarrow later supported the Earl of Moray in a political conflict. Because of this, John lost his job. After that, George Wishart is no longer mentioned in the tax records. We don't know when he passed away.
George Wishart's Family Life
We know some things about George Wishart's family. He married Elizabeth Guthrie, who passed away in 1583. Elizabeth was a grandmother to a well-known merchant from Dundee, David Wedderburn.
George and Elizabeth had a daughter named Eufame Wishart. She married Archibald Campbell of Clavers. Elizabeth Guthrie's will (her last wishes) mentioned the farm animals at Drymme. This included plough oxen, work horses, and sheep that grazed near the Montrose Basin.
George Wishart's son, also named George Wishart, took over his father's lands at Drymme before June 1605. This younger George married Elizabeth Erskine. She was the daughter of Robert Erskine from the nearby House of Dun. Her grandfather was John Erskine of Dun, an important leader during the Scottish Reformation. In 1609, George Wishart of Drymme and his son owed money to a tailor from London.
