Subject: laird 'lord'

Culture: Lowland Scottish

Setting: Stuart dynasty, Scotland 17thc

Evolution:

Context (Event Photos, Primary Sources, Secondary Sources, Field Notes)

* Orel/Snyder/Stokstad eds. 1981 p123-124 (Henry L Snyder, 'From the Union of the Crowns to the Union of the Parliaments: 1603-1707' p119-144)

"In 1633 Charles made his long-awaited visit to Scotland. He was met with apprehension and anxiety rather than joy, and the fears that preceded his arrival were soon realized. At his coronation ceremony in the chapel of Holyrood House, he ordered English rites used and prescribed white vestments, which smacked of popery to the more puritanical clergy present. But it was the king's orders to the Parliament that gave the true measure of his intent. The agenda was prepared by the Lords of the Articles, chosen after the model introduced by his father. The nobles chose eight bishops, all of whom were the king's men. The eight selected in turn found eight docile nobles from among the sixty or so eligible. The sixteen in turn co-opted eight commissioners of the shire and eight of the burghs. The thirty-two, clearly subservient to the crown, joined by eight officers of state, prepared a series of bills to the king's consequences. Sir James Balfour, a contemporary, deemed it 'the ground-stone of all the mischief that followed after, both to this king's Government and family; and whoever were the contrivers of it deserve, they and all their posterity, to be reputed by these three kingdoms infamous and accursed forever.'

"Like so much of what Charles did, the manner in which he did it was as much the problem as the act itself. To begin with, he rushed through its enforcement, forcing the issue, rather than working out a settlement gradually. The church lands had been granted out by his father to build up a body of new nobles who would be loyal to the crown and to set against the haughty, autonomous clan chiefs. Charles's action now alienated these lay supporters of the crown, forcing them into an alliance with the clergy. It was Charles's intention to permit the current holders to compound for their properties and retain their titles; of this he gave no intimation to allay their fears.

"Few families in Scotland were unaffected. He removed the civil judges, the Lords of the Sessions, from the Privy Council to insure an obedient majority to confirm his orders and then appointed commissioners to supervise the survey and negotiate the agreements. The surrender of teinds, or tithes, was most praiseworthy and farsighted. The ownership of tithes had largely fallen into lay hands. They were often rapaciously collected and then put to sectarian use. He permitted the heritors or life-tenants to buy out their obligation to pay the satisfaction and presented them to the Parliament. The three estates, deliberating and voting together, were not permitted to vote on individual bills has had to consider them en masse. Little wonder then that they passed 168 acts in ten days, including the ratification of the Act of Revocation."

Sword

* Coe/Connolly/Harding/Harris/LaRocca/Richardson/North/Spring/Wilkinson 1993 p72 (Anthony North, "Seventeenth-century Europe" p72-83)

"Mention should ... be made of the large two-handed claymores used in Scotland in the early part of the century. These are notoriously difficult to date, but is seems likely that the type with downward-curving quillons and two large shell guards continued in use throughout the seventeenth century, and may in fact be of later date than hitherto appreciated."

* Tarassuk/Blair 1979 p120

"One form of the Lowland sword had quillons in the form of an arched cross, and in the center a solid oval plate bent down as an extra guard for the hands. Although Lowland swords have been dated to the second half of the 16th century and those with arched quillons and plates have been dated to the early 17th, little evidence is at present available that would lead to more precise dating."

* Wilkinson 1978 p98

"The true claymore, the original great sword, claidheamh mór, was a large, two-handed weapon with a broad blade and acutely angled, down-sweeping quillons, ending in a pierced quatrefoil. These had been carried in Scotland from the sixteenth century and during the seventeenth century extra protection to the hand was given by a large plate situated at the centre of the quillons."

* Cannan 2009 p86

"The two-handed sword was still used, and would be until the late seventeenth century. Around 1600 the older Highland and Lowland varieties had been joined by a new type of two-handed sword. This was the 'clam-shellit' two-hander, so-named because of the clamshell-like guard that had been added to give extra protection to the hand. Yet again, their blades are usually German. Two-handed swords were used less and less as the century wore on."

Dagger

* Neumann 1973 p230

"Early Development, Circa 1650-1700 This period reflected the initial variance from the ballock dagger. It usually had a wide flat pommel, cylindrical wooden grip with minimal carving, two small rounded lobes at the base, and a long straight tapering single-edged blade (mostly from cut-down swords) averaging 12 to 17 inches."

Pistol

* Bull 1991 p115 caption (describing a Scottish 'snaphance' pistol, mid seventeenth century)

"Scottish pistols followed a line of development largely independent of English or European mainstream styles. Characteristic of Scottish weapons was the long-continued use of the 'snaphance' lock ball or lobate triggers and an extensive use of metal, even in butt and stock."

Costume