John Mylne (died 1657) facts for kids
John Mylne of Perth (around 1585 – 1657) was a very skilled Scottish builder, also known as a master mason. He even held an important job called the Master Mason to the Crown of Scotland. This meant he was the main builder for the King! John Mylne was born in Perth, just like his father, who was also a master mason.
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Family Life
John Mylne married Isobel Wilson in 1610. They had two sons, John and Alexander. Both of his sons followed in their father's footsteps and became builders too.
Early Building Projects
John Mylne learned his building skills by helping his father. One of their big projects was working on the Tay Bridge in Perth.
Moving to Edinburgh
In 1616, John Mylne was asked to come to Edinburgh for an important job. He needed to finish a statue of King James VI for the Netherbow Port, which was a main city gate. The previous builder had passed away before finishing it.
John Mylne also rebuilt the mercat cross in Edinburgh's High Street. A mercat cross was a special monument in market towns. Because of his great work, he became a "burgess" of Edinburgh in June 1617. Being a burgess meant he was an important citizen with special rights in the town.
Building Across Scotland
In 1620, John Mylne was hired to build a new church in Falkland, Fife. The contract said he had to build it exactly how Lord Scone wanted it, so John didn't have much freedom to design it himself.
Between 1622 and 1629, he built the tolbooth steeple in Aberdeen. A tolbooth was like a town hall and jail. For this work, he was made a burgess of Aberdeen in May 1622. He also became a burgess of Dundee in 1627, because his father had been one. After this, he worked on Drummond House for the Earl of Perth, adding a sundial in the gardens.
Royal Builder for the King
In 1631, John Mylne became the Master Mason to the Crown. This was a very important job, making him the King's main builder! He moved back to Edinburgh for this role.
Holyroodhouse Palace Work
His first big job for the King was in 1629, even before he officially became Master Mason. He built a large pond at Holyroodhouse Palace.
With help from his two sons, John Mylne also built a special sundial at Holyroodhouse for King Charles I. This was for the King's Scottish coronation in 1633. The sundial was shaped with many sides (polyhedral) and had symbols of the Stuart family. It's the oldest sundial of its kind still existing in Scotland! John Mylne was paid a lot of money for this amazing work.
He held the royal builder job for five years. In 1636, he decided to let his oldest son, John, take over the role, and he left Edinburgh.
Later Works and Legacy
In 1643, John Mylne became a burgess of Kirkcaldy after he helped repair and make the local church bigger. In the years that followed, he worked on several public buildings in Dundee. These included the church steeple, the tolbooth, and the town's defenses.
John Mylne was also a well-known Freemason. He was a member of the Lodge of Edinburgh from 1633 and was even the Master of the Lodge of Scone for several years.
He is buried in Greyfriars Burial Ground in Perth, near the southern wall. His grave stone has been repaired many times over the years.
