Walter Merlioun facts for kids
Walter Merlioun was a very skilled builder, known as a master mason, from Scotland. He lived in Edinburgh and worked on many important buildings, especially for King James IV. His family was well-known for building, and his father, Henry Merlioun, might have built Ravenscraig Castle. The Merlioun family even had a street in Edinburgh named after them, called "Merlin's Wynd."
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Building for King James IV
Walter Merlioun helped build many castles and churches across Scotland for King James IV.
Stirling Castle's Royal Home
Walter and his brother John Merlioun were the main builders of the "King's Old Building" at Stirling Castle. This was a special home for the king. They started work in June 1496. They brought a lot of wood from Leith for the project.
A priest named Thomas Smyth oversaw the building. Later, Andrew Aytoun, the castle's captain, took over. They even got advice from the master builder of Linlithgow Palace. The Merlioun brothers finished building the house by January 1497.
Although a fire damaged the building in 1855, some of the original stone walls are still there. The old entrance tower looks a lot like parts of Castle Campbell.
Other Important Projects
In 1496, Walter Merlioun also worked on St John's church in Perth.
The next year, in April 1497, he was at Dunbar Castle. He was paid for his work on the castle's main gate. By June, he had finished the arched ceilings of the hall and the stone work of the "Hannis tower."
Walter Merlioun received a special payment of £40 for life in 1499. In 1500, he began working at Holyrood Palace.
In 1501, John Merlioun and two workers went north to Darnaway Castle. They helped repair its famous hall.
In October 1502, Walter Merlioun started building a new chapel and a front entrance at Holyrood Palace. This entrance was a vaulted passage leading into the palace yard. You can still see parts of it today. A glassmaker named Thomas Peebles worked on the upper floor of this building. By November 1505, Merlioun was paid for building a new tower at Holyrood Palace.
Walter Merlioun was also known for paving Edinburgh's High Street. He became a bit of a legend in Edinburgh. People even thought he was French! A group of stones near his old house was said to be his coffin. This area was later cleared for the South Bridge in 1785. Marlin's Wynd is the old street found by archaeologists under the Tron Kirk in 1974.
Walter Merlioun passed away by 1521. His wife, Margaret Robisoun, sold her property in 1527. Records show that their building was damaged in May 1544 when an English army burned Edinburgh during a war called the Rough Wooing.
The Masons' Altar in St Giles
Walter Merlioun was involved with the masons' craft in Edinburgh. On March 3 and June 19, 1506, he gave money for the lamp at St John's altar in St Giles' Kirk. This altar belonged to the masons' guild.
On May 8, 1508, Walter Merlioun and his wife Margaret Robisoun gave income from a property they owned. This money was for the altars of St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist in St Giles. The Edinburgh Craft of Masons and Wrights (carpenters) took care of these altars.
Building for King James V
Later, another Walter and John Merlioun, likely their sons, continued the family's building work. They worked for King James V in the 1530s.
Falkland Palace Improvements
In 1538, "Johne Merilyone" was paid for big changes at Falkland Palace. He worked on the "East Quarter," which is now in ruins. He updated an older building by adding chimneys and new walls. He also built arched ceilings.
This renovation included seven rooms, the king's wardrobe, and the kitchens. Workers cleaned the new areas, and John Malcolm, a plasterer, plastered the seven rooms.
John Merlioun also built a new Register House at Edinburgh Castle in 1540. This building held important Scottish government records.
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