John Scrimgeour of Myres facts for kids
John Scrimgeour lived at Myres Castle near Falkland, Fife. He was a very important person for the kings and queens of Scotland. He was the Master of Work for royal buildings. This meant he looked after all the palaces and castles for James V and Mary, Queen of Scots. He also helped with music as the Precentor of the Scottish Chapel Royal.
Contents
John Scrimgeour's Career
John Scrimgeour and his father had a special family job. They were like royal assistants or messengers to the King of Scotland. This job was passed down through their family.
Working for King James V
From 1529, John Scrimgeour was in charge of keeping records for King James V's building projects. He managed the money and plans for many royal buildings. Some of his most important work was at Falkland Palace and Holyroodhouse. Most of these old records still exist today.
Besides watching over building work, Scrimgeour also collected taxes. These taxes mostly came from church lands. King James V used this money to pay for his building projects. For example, between 1536 and 1538, he collected a large sum of money for the King's travels in France.
Challenges and New Roles
For a short time, between 1538 and 1540, another person, Sir James Hamilton of Finnart, took over as the main Master of Work. He had more power than Scrimgeour. Later, during the time when James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran was in charge, a relative of his also took over some of Scrimgeour's duties.
During a war called the Rough Wooing, Scrimgeour had a different job. In October 1545, he became the treasurer for a group of 1,000 horsemen. He managed £18,000 that was raised to pay these soldiers. He spent three months in the Merse and Teviotdale areas. His job was to check on these defence forces.
Later Years and Legacy
In 1548, Scrimgeour had a legal case about some land. A man named William Bonair of Rossy challenged his right to the lands of Glasstullo. The case was heard at Falkland Palace.
By September 1553, Scrimgeour was still busy with building projects. He spent a lot of money on new works for the Earl of Arran. After this, he worked for Mary of Guise and her daughter, Mary Queen of Scots.
John Scrimgeour seems to have died in 1563. He had a very long and important career in his royal job. After he passed away, Sir William MacDowall took over his role. MacDowall had worked as a clerk in the royal building department for a long time.
Scrimgeour's Manuscript
The National Library of Scotland has a special book that once belonged to John Scrimgeour. This book is about heraldry, which is the study of coats of arms and family symbols. It also includes a bestiary, which is a book with descriptions and drawings of real and imaginary animals.
The book also has advice for people who worked with heraldry. It even told the Captains of castles and towns to keep a close watch day and night. This was to make sure they were ready if the plague returned.
Family Life
John Scrimgeour was married to Helen Little or Littil. They had children, including a son named William.
Scrimgeour and his wife owned a building in Edinburgh. From this building, they paid a yearly rent to a special altar in St Giles' Kirk.
Royal Building Projects
John Scrimgeour oversaw many important building projects for the Scottish royals.
Tournament Preparations
In May and June 1538, Scrimgeour supervised the building of wooden 'lists'. These were barriers and stands for a special tournament in St Andrews. This event was to welcome Mary of Guise when she arrived in Scotland.
Managing Royal Palaces
Scrimgeour kept detailed records of all the building work for King James V's royal palaces. These records cover the years from 1529 to 1541. They were used to check all the spending. These important documents are still kept in the National Archives of Scotland. They were even published in a book in 1957.
His records show projects at many famous places, including:
- Holyroodhouse
- Stirling Castle
- Edinburgh Castle
- Falkland Palace
- Linlithgow Palace
- And other smaller building jobs.
Working with Mary of Guise
A letter from John Scrimgeour to Mary of Guise shows that she was very interested in the details of building work. She had asked him to check her home in Edinburgh. He brought glaziers (people who work with glass) and slaters (people who fix roofs) with him. They found that the building needed repairs.
Scrimgeour hired a slater to fix the roof and a glazier for the windows. He also hired other skilled workers. He sent lead to Falkland Palace to fix its roof after the winter frosts. He planned to spend eight days inspecting Falkland Palace himself. He asked Mary of Guise to announce that carters (people with carts) were needed. They would carry stones and bring timber from Leven or Levenmouth. His son stayed in Edinburgh to help supervise the work on Mary of Guise's home.
