John Drummond of Milnab facts for kids

John Drummond of Milnab (died around 1550) was a very important Scottish carpenter in the 1500s. He was in charge of all the wooden parts of royal palaces, castles, and even cannons for two kings: James IV of Scotland and James V of Scotland.

Building Royal Castles and Palaces

John Drummond was known for his amazing work with wood. A family history says he created the beautiful wooden ceilings at Stirling Castle. These included special carved medallions, often called the "Stirling Heads." He also built the roof of Drummond Castle way back in 1493.

We know more about John Drummond's work from old royal records. He first appears as a carpenter, or "wright," in 1506. In 1508, King James IV gave him a yearly payment of £10. Later, he traded this payment for ownership of the mill of Milnab.

Becoming the King's Master Carpenter

King James V made John Drummond the main "Principal Master Wright" on June 8, 1532. This meant he was the head carpenter for the whole kingdom.

In the spring of 1538, John went to Tantallon Castle and Dunbar Castle. He worked with William Hill, the master-smith, to fix and repair these important castles.

Later in 1538, John Drummond and two of his workers traveled to France. They went on the ships that brought the king's new wife, Mary of Guise, to Scotland.

In 1541, he helped build a part of the Register House inside Edinburgh Castle. He also worked at Crawfordjohn Castle. This castle had been taken by the Crown from James Hamilton of Finnart.

John was very busy at Edinburgh Castle. In March 1540, he fixed and re-slated the roof of the great hall. In December 1541, he built a special organ-loft at the castle. This loft was then moved by carts to Holyroodhouse to be set up for Christmas celebrations.

Moving and Building Royal Cannons

John Drummond was also key in handling the king's powerful cannons. In 1515, he helped take large guns off two warships, the James and the Margaret. These ships were at Dumbarton and had just returned from France. John then moved the heavy cannons overland to Edinburgh, passing through Glasgow.

John often worked at Edinburgh Castle. This was where carpenters and metalworkers kept the royal cannons in good shape. He was in charge of moving these very heavy guns. In 1528, he and another gun expert, Robert Borthwick, gave advice. They told the Master of Artillery what cannons and equipment were needed to attack Tantallon Castle.

Storing and Delivering Weapons

John Drummond also had a special workshop for weapons. It was in a building near the gate of Holyroodhouse. On August 8, 1536, John delivered many guns to George Stirling at Dumbarton Castle.

These weapons included:

• Four large cannons with their stands and wheels.
• Six smaller cannons called falcons, also with stands and wheels.
• 33 hagbutts (early types of guns).
• Four iron culverins (another type of cannon).
• Bullets, gunpowder, and ramrods.

John also took away a long brass gun barrel.

Working with Kings and Queens

Drummond went with King James V to France in 1536. He was trusted to look after the King's treasure ship.

After King James and his first French wife, Madeleine of Valois, arrived in Scotland in June 1537, John Drummond and two helpers worked for six weeks. They took the guns off the ships and set them up on land stands.

Drummond later sailed to France again to bring back Mary of Guise, the King's second wife. His work continued at Edinburgh Castle, where he made and set up new cannons. In March 1539, an English messenger heard that 16 large cannons and 60 smaller guns had been fixed or newly made at Edinburgh Castle.

In July 1541, after working at Crawfordjohn and covering the new Register House with special oak wood, John went to the woods of Calder. For twenty days, he cut down 100 large trees. These trees were used to make wheels for the artillery carts. He paid a small fee for each tree, and then the wood was taken to Edinburgh.

In March 1542, a new cannon was successfully made at Edinburgh Castle. Drummond paid a wood-carver named Andrew Mansioun to carve the royal crest and the date onto the cannon barrel. In the same month, a ship called the Mary Willoughby brought three cannons from Flanders. Drummond directed the workers who unloaded these heavy guns at Leith. They faced a challenge when the horses refused to enter Edinburgh Castle, but they used a crane to lift the guns into place. John Drummond was also in charge of making gunpowder in Edinburgh.

Battles and Last Records

When a war with England, called the Rough Wooing, began, John Drummond was there. In April 1544, he was at the attack on Glasgow Castle. In May 1544, he helped the gunners defend Edinburgh Castle from Lord Hertford's army.

In September 1545, Drummond was called from his home to help move cannons towards the English border. In September 1547, he was working at Dunbar Castle. He also led the cannons from Edinburgh Castle to the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh.

John Drummond received new clothes for Christmas, with the last record of this in 1550. After that, there are no more records of him.

Family Life

According to his family history, John Drummond's mother was a daughter of the Laird of Craigie-Ross. He married a daughter of the Laird of Logie-Bisset. They had a daughter named Jonet. Jonet later married Sir Robert Logan of Restalrig.

John's brother, David Drummond, took over his property at Milnab after him. A royal document from 1527 says that his daughter Jonet would inherit Milnab. However, a later document from 1536 gave lands near Haddington and Milnab to John and his wife, Christiane Brogy, without mentioning Jonet. A final document from 1541 divided the lands among all three. It seems Christiane Brogy was John's second wife.

The lands near Haddington, at Ballencreiff, were next to lands given to other royal workers. These included Robert Borthwick, who made cannons for James IV, and Robert Gibb, who was in charge of the horses for James V.