Great Letter o the Pudding Lane

Some of our Palaeography Group recently discovered a letter in the Walter Traill-Dennison Collection (Reference number D14) which was addressed to a man staying in a tavern in Pudding Lane in London. It was dated 1661, 5 years before the Great Fire of London which destroyed the whole area. 

Of course the Palaeography Group excitedly set out to transcribe it to see what it was all about and find out why Orkney captain Peter Winchester was there. 

Address on one side of the letter

However it has proved to be quite a difficult one to do, with the writer of the letter, Thomas Buchanan, using his own version of Secretary Script the common handwriting style of the day, his own abbreviations (which we have had to guess) and also using the letter "v" where we would use the letter "w". So words like "well", "what", "who", etc are "veil", "vhat" and "vho". You will see that there is no punctuation, so your guess is as good as ours where the sentences begin and end. But there are some funny bits...

So apologies for all the question marks for the words we were not sure of. If you have any suggestions of your own, do please let us know. 

Below is the Palaeography Group's transcription of the letter and below that and the image of the original letter is an English translation of our transcription, which shows that phrases like "al relations is veill" actually means "all relations are well". 

TRANSCRIPTION

 

[Address:]

For

Peitter Winchester

att Mr James Kinneirs

at the Kings Head Taverne

in Pudding Lane in Fish Street

London

F These

 

[Letter Text:]

Much respected                               Edin[burgh]: the 2: Ap[ri]ll: 1661:

This morning brought y[ou]r last to my handes dait 28 of the last vhereby* I

perceau* you are more nor greevet at such hard emountes you doo

meet vith pocks on the pack of them I clearly find you ane looser*

vhilk I have shown to Gairsay* and uthers if your first bargane had

stood good al had been veill  I wish you meet vith somevhat home =

vard to make up your losses outvard.

Know I re[ceived?] all your formes to me I think 3: tym[e]s sinc[e] my last to you

& had sent some of them home to arther & sall [----] for the rest

I delyvered yours to Mr Frait [Trail?] lykas to Gideon Muray I sall not omitt

your 3 last emptie cask to be sent home or to y[ou]r order for know that

Ja[mes] Trail & his merc[han]d Da[vid] Cragie were in hier 2 dayes sinc[e] v[i]t[h] contrair

vinds & storms from the coast of Noroway and all in a hazard

att spoiling & hating* lykas arth[u]r Cock v[i]t[h] Munt hooly vhen I have

sold some att 5:# [pounds] 12 sh[illings] & some att 5:# [pounds] 16 sh[illings] a bole they export

the bush* vas ready at Elwick vaiting a vind & now the esterne

vinds keep them in

Sir know as to your businesse I vas necessitat to use my power

& my [end?] vith [of?] Chanceller & after may als[o] obtined ane sus=

pention against them all v[hereu]pon my finding such ay and vhile

the signett be patent vhilk I have intimate & booked and

had extracted the act out of the books off L[e]ith? for our varrand

this is all to this purposse & al is veill

I have no more to add bot know all relations is veil in ork[ney?]

only Egilsha* his vyffe is dead the Lady Hoy also & I [tear in page]

Moodie is were heer & know that honest [Maurice?]* [fent?] has

your bill honestlie to me v[hil]k I have giwen Gairsay who took 50# [pounds]

bill on [hundreth/inn[te]rest?] & the rest heer in [muny?] as at meeting you war

heeroff comitting yow to the almightie I ewer rest and am

yours att Comand to serv[e] yow

Thomas Buchanan

 

* see notes below

1. The writer uses the letter v for the letter w

2. perceau = perceive

3. DSL has looser in under loser meaning one who has made a financial loss https://dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/looser

4. hating = Orcadian for heating

5. The Bush was a ship

6. Gairsay, Eglisha (Egilsay) and Munt Hooly (Mount Hoolie) were people who were referred to by the property they owned. 

7. After we thought this said "honest Maurice", we could not think what else it could be. Could it really be "honest Maurice"??? 

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

[Address:]

For Peter Winchester  at Mr James Kinnier's  at the Kings Head Tavern in Pudding Lane in Fish Street

London

[signed] F [Lese/Cese/Hese?]

 

[Letter Text:]

Much respected                               Edinburgh the 2nd April 1661

This morning brought your last [letter] to my hands dated 28 of the last [month] whereby I perceive you are more nor grieved at such amounts you do meet with pocks on the pack of them I clearly find you a loser which I have shown to Gairsay and others if your first bargain had stood good all have been well I wish you meet with somewhat homeward to make up your losses outward.

Know I received all your forms to me I think 3 times since my last [letter] to you & had send some of them home to Arthur & shall [---?] for the rest I delivered yours to Mr Frait/Trail? like as to Gideon Murray I shall not omit your 3 last empty casks to be send home or to your order for know that James Trail & his merchant David Craigie were in here 2 days since with contrary winds & storms from the coast off Norway and all in a hazard at spoiling & heating like as Arthur Cock with Mount Hooly when I have sold some at £5 12 shillings & some at £5 16 shillings a boll they export The Bush was ready at Elwick waiting a wind & now the eastern winds keep them in.

Sir know as to your business it was necessary to use my power & my [---?] with [--?] Chancellor & after may also obtain a suspension against them all whereupon my finding such [--?] and while the signet be patent which I have intimated & booked and had extracted the act out of the books of Leith for our warrant this is all to this purpose & all is well I have no more to add but know all relations is well in Orkney only Egilsay’s wife is dead the Lady Hoy also & I [tear in page] Moodie were here & know that honest [Maurice?] has [sent?] your bill honestlie to me which I have given Gairsay who took £50 bill on one hundredth interest & the rest here in money as at meeting you were hereof committing you to the almighty I ever rest and am yours at command to serve you

Thomas Buchanan

Another interesting fact we discovered while researching the Pudding Lane area is that it is in the parish of St Magnus the Martyr in London. So we wondered whether it was a particular haunt of Orkney travellers. 

Document Reference: D14/8/9 Letter 2nd April 1661 TB to PW

********Update*******************

We've had a fascinating update to our Puddling Lane letter. The Parish Clerk from St Magnus the Martyr Church sent us this photo from 1979, with the Great Fire memorial in the background. 

He said, "The Kings Head Tavern was a well-known hostelry in St Magnus parish dating from the 15^th century, which was famous for its wine.  It was situated in Kings Head Court between Fish Street Hill (New Fish Street) and Pudding Lane.  An Elizabethan ballad mentions the “Kings Head in New Fish Street where roysters do range." The King's Head had an unrivalled position close to the northern edge of old London Bridge and to the stairs at Billingsgate and Old Swan either side of the bridge, where one would have caught a boat to go down or up river.

Kings Head Court (with red car) can be seen on the far left side of the photo below, taken from the east side of Pudding Lane in 1979 (with the Monument in the background). At that time the area was still mainly occupied by fish and fruit merchants, but the site was redeveloped again as offices following the closure of old Billingsgate Market in January 1982. Unfortunately Kings Head Court disappeared at that time."

Peninsular House, 112-116 Lower Thames Street, 1979 

Hobley's Heroes (City of London archaeology) website. 

hobleysheroes.co.uk

"The Kings Head Tavern was next door to the baker’s house in Pudding Lane where the Great Fire started, but was rebuilt after the fire and survived until shortly after 1900 (when the City Corporation widened the stretch of Lower Thames Street between Fish Street Hill and Botolph Lane and the area was redeveloped).  In Victorian directories the Kings Head is listed at 5 Kings Head Court or 12 Pudding Lane."

Palaeography Group

We have started a new group in the Orkney Archive. It is an informal group for folk who wish to practice their skills reading Secretary Script, Scottish handwriting from the 16th and 17th centuries. There are various online sources that are useful, particularly Scottish Handwriting.com where you can begin your studies of this fascinating script. Once you have learnt the basics the only way to become proficient is to practice.

Our group is meeting on Monday nights in the Archive Searchroom from 5.45pm - 6.45pm. Please contact Lucy Gibbon, Assistant Archivist in the first instance if you would like to book a place. Her contact details are 01856 873166 or email archives@orkney.gov.uk

Each week Lucy picks one piece of writing, makes copies of it and the group sit around a table and read aloud what they think the words are, working through the document word for word or letter by letter depending on the level of difficulty. The others can agree or disagree. There will be reference books nearby to look up. Each week one member of the group has been happy to type up the transcription as we decipher it.

The group is organic and will evolve depending on who joins in or the level of skill in the room. Sometimes we will struggle and sometimes we will fly through a document.

We hope that learning from each other will enhance all our skills.

The first week, we started small with this document:

 

This document is from D2 which is the Balfour of Balfour and Trenabie papers and dated 1673.

 

Our transcription is this:

 

D2/23/1

 

We the Justices of his Ma[je]sties peace gentlemen, heritores, fewares, uddallers and otheris within the contrey of orknay doe by thir[these] pr[ese]nts testifie and declaire that the provost, baillies, counsell and inhabitants of the burgh of Kirkwall and their predecessores hes[has] of this long tyme bygone menteined and upholdine that great and ancient fabrek called St Magnus Kirk there.

Whill in January 1mvic&[1600] [space] years a pairt of the samyne was rewined[ruined] by a dreidfull and acidentall fyre from heavin And now the povertie of that place hes so increassed that they ar not in abilitie nor capacity to repaire naither that pairt that is rewined[ruined] nor uphold what is yet remaineing without the supplie and help of some Christiane charitie for that effect. In testimonie wh[e]r[e]of we have sub[scribed]t thir[these] p[rese]ntis with our hands at Kirkwall the [space] day of November 1673.

 

Edward McLaw[rren]

W[illiam] Buchanan

Geo[rge] Sinclair            J Buchanan

John Elphinstone            James Fea

                                       Arthur Buchanan

James Sinclair                Will[iam] Douglas

Michael Rendall             O[liver] Kincaid

Robert Irving                 William Young

                                       N. Moncrieff

 

The names were interesting, but most of them could be found in the book, Kirkwall in the Orkneys by B H Hossack, first published in 1900.

 

Other reference books we used were The Concise Scots Dictionary; Scottish Handwriting 1150-1650 - an introduction to the reading of documents by Grant G Simpson.

 



If you disagree with our transcription, please comment below. We are here to learn and any help is greatly appreciated.

If you would like to join in, please contact Lucy Gibbon to book a place. We are limiting the group to 8 members, but so far the most we have had is 5. So it is always worth phoning or emailing to see if a place is free the night you want to come. If you have set up a similar group, we would be interested in hearing about it too.

Iron Box of Jewels #1

Happy New Year to all our followers. We begin the year with a new mystery...

The Palaeography Group have recently transcribed a document which brings to light a mysterious iron box of jewels itemised in an inventory in 1654. This is the time of Oliver Cromwell's occupation of Scotland, and indeed his Governor in Orkney is one of the witnesses to the inventory.

But where have these jewels come from? Why are they in Orkney? Why are they to be handed over to the Earl of Morton? The information and people listed in this document bring up many questions which the Palaeography Group are investigating. If you can add any information to help, we would like to hear from you.

D38/2531/1 Document from the Earl of Morton papers, dated 1654

"Inventar of the Jewels wes found in ane iron box which wes left besyds William Cragie of Garsay by James Keith sometime Laird of Benholme. Which box wes broken up publically at the sight of Charles Earle of Dunfermling, Major Henry Ronnall Governor of Orkney, William Stewart elder of Maynes, Captane Edmund Leister, Patrick Blair Shirreff of Orkney, Captane John Hobblethorne, James Stewart younger of Maynes, Williame Cragie of Garsay and Capt Robert Irving writer (writer) hereof at Kirkwall the 25th day of August 1654 yeers.

Item ane Rose (or cross heart) of small diamonds whein ther wes 14 peece with a cross of small leser diamonds therin

Item fifteen roses of pearles contenning four pearles in every rose

Item ane carhat of small sparkes of diamonds contenning threttie three small diamonds therin upon a blak threed

Item ane string of seed pearls contenning three yards long or thereabouts


An example of some pearls

Item ane ring sett with diamonds lacking three peece diam[ond]s

Item eightene peece of peared (paired) amatists (amethyists) or granatts (garnets)

Item a [------?] cast of gold with two [------?] therin of gold

Item on two strings ane hundredth and nyne blood beads with fourtie and one small beads of amber with fourty and one of small corall beads

Item ane small dowe (dove) of mother of pearle with gold wings lacking the head

These above writtin particullars wes deposited in William Stewart elder of Maynes his hands by mutuall consent of Charles Earl of Dunfermling and Major Ronnall Governor of Orkney to be secured by him the best way he can upon the [-----?] of the owners, until such tyme as they be made appear to belong to my Lord Mortone. After which tyme the Laird of Maynes is to delyver them to any haveing pouer (power) from the Earle of Mortone and his curators. This is witnessed to be a true inventory and conclusion as their subscription under writtin witneseth day and place above writtin"

In the line above "Item a [------?] cast of gold with two [------?] therin of gold", we struggled with the word blanked out here. It could be pikwoth, or bikworth, or something else entirely. Can you help us with this word? Could it be a measurement of gold not now used?

There are some interesting names mentioned here.  Who was James Keith and why was he in Orkney? Benholm is a parish in Kincardineshire on the mainland of Scotland. In the book Who was Who in Orkney, James Keith is listed as Provost of Kirkwall from 1650, but we don't know if it is the same James Keith who is involved in the document. In the book Dictionary of Eminent Scotsmen a James Keith of Benholm is described as being involved in a jewel robbery from Benholm Castle in 1622. Is this the same man 32 years later? Are these the same jewels?

If anyone knows about any of the people mentioned or have heard this story before, please do get in touch. It is an intriguing mystery. We will post updates of our research on future blogs, just click on the label "Iron Box of Jewels" below to see all blogs relating to this story.


Sources used: Who was Who in Orkney by W.S. Hewison pub.1998; Dictionary of Eminent Scotsmen Volume 3, edited by Robert Chambers, pub. 1850; D38/2531/1 Document from the Earl of Morton papers

Iron Box of Jewels #3

The documents transcribed in the last two blog-posts leave us these questions:
1. Where did the jewels come from?
2. Why were they in Orkney, when the main person connected with them came from Benholm in Kincardineshire?
3. Why were Cromwell's men involved in the inventory of the jewels?
4. Why were a group of men who were leaders and landowners of the county listing the contents of the box?
5. What happened to the jewels?

The Palaeography Group have clues and/or theories for each question.

1. Where did the jewels come from?
The jewels are linked to James Keith of Benholm. Benholm is a parish in Kincardineshire about 30 miles south of Aberdeen. The Keiths were the lairds of Benholm and they lived at Benholm Castle. According to The Dictionary of Eminent Scotsmen, James Keith was involved (with his mother!) in a burglary of Benholm Castle in 1622.

BDES volume 3, p297



BDES volume 3, p298

Could the jewels described here be some of the Jewels in the Iron box? Some of them sound very similar: "a rich jewel set with diamonds...a chain of ''equall perle'' wherein were 400 pearls great and small...a diamond set in a ring...other rich stones in gold". It also states that the case was eventually dropped by the courts but that James Keith was "outlawed for not appearing". The hoard worth £26,000 in 1622 would be worth £6,246,602 in today's money.

2. Why were the jewels in Orkney, when James Keith was from Kincardineshire?
In July 1643, in return for his help to Charles I, the 7th Earl of Morton received a grant of the Earldom of Orkney and Lordship of Zetland. James Keith turns up in Orkney records in November 1649, when the 8th Earl of Morton (Robert Douglas) grants him a commission to be co-factor for his estate alongside his brother John Douglas.

Transumpt off Commissione be the Earle of Mortown to the Laird off Benholme, Novr, 1649.

Why did the Earl of Morton pick James Keith? Well, after some internet searching and a bit of genealogy, we find that James Keith's sister Lady Anne Keith was mother to Robert Douglas, the 8th Earl of Morton.

You'll see also from this small family tree that James Keith of Benholm had a son called James Keith. We have not found out anything about this man yet. At the moment, we are not ruling him out as being the man who brings the Iron Box to Orkney, except that he is not termed as being "of Benholm".

3. Why were Cromwell's men involved in the inventory of the jewels?
These were turbulent times in Scotland and Orkney. Scotland was still an independent country in 1649 with a shared monarchy with England, Wales and Ireland. The king, Charles I, was beheaded in 1649 and Oliver Cromwell invaded Scotland in 1650. Major defeats at Dunbar and Worcester resulted in Cromwell's troops taking over Scotland, even though the Scots had crowned Charles II as their king.

Orkney, siding with the Royalists and Charles II, had sent 1000 men to the Battle of Carbisdale in April 1650, where the Royalists were also defeated. The Earl of Morton fled Orkney and a garrison of Cromwell forces moved in in 1651. They built two forts on either side of Kirkwall Bay to defend the town, and were known to stable their horses in St Magnus Cathedral. Nothing remains today of either fort, except the name of the one on the east of the bay.

Cromwell's Fort, Kirkwall. The Ordnance Survey Name Book (ONB) notes from 1881 state that 'very little of the original of this fort remains -when Cromwell's soldiers penetrated as far north as Orkney, they threw up a rude temporary fort on the spur of the headland to the east of Kirkwall Harbour. It is now converted into a fort or battery for the use of the 1st Orkney Artillery Volunteers'.

In April 1654, the Council of State issued an Ordnance for uniting Scotland into one Commonwealth with England, which would be the "Commonwealth of England Scotland and Ireland", under the authority of the Instrument of Government that made Cromwell Lord Protector. This remained the legal basis of the union until the Ordinance became an Act of Union under the Second Protectorate Parliament on 26th June 1657.

4. Why were a group of men who were leaders and landowners of the county listing the contents of the box?

The group of men who witnessed the opening of the box were:
Charles was Charles Seton, Earl of Dunfermline who features on the family tree above as being married to the 8th Earl of Morton's sister Mary Douglas.
Major Henry Ronnall, was Cromwell's Governor of Orkney.
Captain Edmund Leister and Captain John Hobblethorne were probably captains of the garrison stationed in Orkney.
Patrick Blair, of Littleblair,  Sheriff of Orkney
William Stewart, elder of Maynes and James Stewart, younger of Maynes - we don't know much about these two yet.
William Craigie of Gairsay, related to Hugh Craigie who was a Member of Commonwealth Scottish Parliament in 1652.
Captain Robert Irving, writer.
So probably a mixture of Cromwell's men and those loyal to Charles II.

As to why they were listing the box of jewels, we are very grateful to the work of Dr Charlotte Young whose PhD subject is invaluable to our mystery and describes sequestration in the time of Oliver Cromwell. Here is a quote from her PhD page:

"Sequestration was the process by which land, money and goods were confiscated from delinquent families during the English Civil War. This tactic was primarily utilised by the Parliamentarians as a method of reducing the revenue available for Charles I to draw upon, and simultaneously finance their own military campaign, but the Royalists also launched their own sequestration policy in the mid-1640s, albeit on a smaller scale."

In a message to us she also added: "It's possible that Keith did fear a sequestration raid and so sent his most precious possessions as far away as he possibly could to stop them being confiscated. I've got multiple examples from England of people leaving valuables with friends and relatives because they know they're about to be raided and they want to protect things."

5. What happened to the jewels?
It is likely the jewels would have been secured as per General Monck's instructions in document 3, possibly sent to Leith and used to fund Cromwell's army.


I received yors of the 9th December conteining the jewells into the
iron chist belonging to the Laird of Benholme and desired yow that
yow will secure the same till forder (further) order. I have writtin to the commissioners
for sequestration concerning the same whose directions therin I would
have you observe I likeweell yow and yor [---?] caire in ordering
the keeping of the fast the first of November in regaird my letters came
to yow after the day of the observation of it heer and in England.
I remaine                         yor very loving friend and servant
Subscryved thus George Monck
Dalkeith the 18th Jan 1654
For Major Henry Ronnall Governor of Orknay

Can you help us find out more? What do you think of our theories and answers? Do you agree? Have you got theories or answers of your own? Please do get in touch. Personally, I would like to know more about James Keith of Benholm and where the jewels went next and more about Orkney during this time.  This is certainly a fascinating time period of history.

Sources used:
Who was Who in Orkney by W.S Hewison, 1998 [Orkney Room 920 Y]
A Biographical Dictionary of Eminent Scotsmen, Volume III edited by Robert Chalmers, 1855. [Archive Reference 920]
Cromwellian Scotland 1651-1660 by F D Dow, 1979 [Adult non-fiction 941.06]
Orkney and the Earls of Morton, 1643-1707 by Jane N Ross, 1977 [Orkney Room 941.06 Y]
D24/9/106 Baikie of Tankerness Papers: Authentic transumpt and copy of the commission by the Earl of Morton to James Keith of Benholm, 6 Nov 1649 [Original document]
GD150/2531/3 General statement made before the Sheriff regarding the iron box of jewels, 1654 [Original document]
TK032 - Photograph of Kirkwall from Cromwell's Fort area by Tom Kent
Ordnance Survey Name Books (ONB), 1881 [on Microfilm in the Archive Searchroom]

Iron Box of Jewels #4

Our last post has inspired our group and other researchers to try different sources and find more information about James Keith and the jewels. 

We now have two leads for the origin of the jewels:
a) with James Keith from Benholm and Dunnottar Castles or 
b) a shipwreck in Shetland.
Option a) was our first lead and the family which were intricately connected with the Keiths during this time period were the Strachans. The Clan Strachan Society website has information on the story of the robbery from Benholm Castle 

I wrote to the Clan Historian, who replied with the following information:

I would refer you to an article in our newsletter, page 3. I wrote it from a Strachan perspective, but it has some information you may be interested in, much of it from the book "Bonnet Lairds" by Colin Thornton-Kemsley:

"early 1623, while the Earl Marischal, then aged 70, was away from his castle of Dunnottar, his Countess, her son James and Sir Alexander Strachan - in secret and cover of darkness - carried the whole furnishings and valuables from Benholm Castle and Dunnottar to Thornton, where the Countess went to live with the Laird while the Earl Marischal was still alive"

Thornton Castle, near Laurencekirk

Regarding your blog, it was not just James Keith and his mother, but Alexander Strachan of Thornton (his mom's lover) who all took belongings and valuables from Dunnottar and Benholm back to Thornton, where they all lived while the Earl Marischal was still alive. This tells you about the relationship (or lack thereof) James Keith had with his father. The three of them took up residence at Thornton thereafter. Also

After some legal banter back and forth, a settlement was agreed upon by the parties. The Countess Marischal, now married to Strachan, had to yield up the heirlooms but she was permitted to retain her share of the jewellery and a large proportion of the plenishings. The lands and barony of Benholm were conveyed by James Keith to his stepfather Sir Alexander Strachan who then surrendered them to the new Earl Marischal.

It appears James was born about 1600, and Alexander Strachan of Thornton was born 1587. It is my opinion that Alexander and Margaret were both dead before 1648, when the Thornton Estate was taken possession by a remote relative, James Strachan of Inchtuthill (Alexander Strachan had no children). I would suggest a high probability the case of jewels were his mothers (Margaret Ogilvy, the ex-countess Marischal), and were likely given to him by his step-father Sir Alexander Strachan of Thornton, Bart. when she died. I would also suggest a moderate to high probability that James Keith was residing at Thornton, with his mother and step-father between 1624 to no later than 1647-1648. Alexander Strachan of Thornton, who despite the scandal, maintained a high political profile/office with the Crown and was frequently absent from Thornton. It seems reasonable to think James Keith remained at Thornton to manage the Estate for his mother and step-father."

One question remains to me that if the jewels rightfully belonged to James Keith, then why were they to be conveyed to the Earl of Morton when possible? 

Option b) might explain this. Our last post (Iron Box of Jewels #3) was shared on the Institute for Northern Studies Facebook page and we received this suggestion from Colin Dicke:

"On the 2nd March 1653 the VOC [Dutch East India Company] flute Lastdrager went aground on the Island of Yell in Shetland. The ship had previously been damaged in a storm as it attempted to navigate the English Channel on the way to Batavia (present day Jakarta).

It was rumoured that the ship was so heavily laden with contraband that the Captain would not allow the cargo to be unloaded for proper repairs to be undertaken on the island of Texel. So when it set sail again, it was already in poor condition when it was hit by a second storm, and quickly broke up on the rocks.  One survivor was an 18 year old boy who later gave a detailed account of the events that followed. After finding refuge in a blacksmiths workshop, the boy (Johannes) and the other 22 survivors managed to rescue a few chests of silver and brandy. Johannes troubles were only beginning, however, as the men drank the brandy and squabbled over the silver, with some attempting to kill the others to make away with their share. Johannes however managed to convince a smaller group to attempt to get back to Holland, and together they managed to recruit the assistance of the local laird, Ninian Neven. With the aid of Neven, the remaining crew managed to fend off other attacks from the breakaway group. And, using some of the retrieved silver they purchased a ship suitable to take them back to Holland. The remaining treasure was buried nearby.

The Lastdrager may have looked like this

On the 29th March (Johannes gives the date as 8th April), James Keith of Benholm arrived in Yell with a band of 60 soldiers in search for the shipwrecked treasure. According to Johannes, Keith was unsuccessful in stealing any of the silver, but in the skirmish that ensued Nevens daughter was attacked, then shot. She died soon afterwards. Eventually Johannes and the others made his way back to Holland and in the following year to his destination of Batavia. On the 11th January 1684 he was appointed Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies. In the 1970s the site of the shipwreck was dived by the underwater archaeologist Robert Stenuit, who recovered many items including early examples of golf clubs and clay pipes. No more silver or valuables have been publicly recovered.

This may be irrelevant to your quest, but it could well be possible that Keith was able to recover some of the contraband treasure. Some of which may be referred to in the documents you cite."

So, if Keith was able to recover some of the treasure and as he still factor for the Earldom Estate at the time would he have acted on behalf of the Earl of Morton? Would that be why the jewels should be passed on to the Earl when he came out of exile? The Palaeography Group are currently transcribing a document from 1653 which mentions James Keith, Shetland and silver. Hopefully it will shed some more light on this particular story. 

One of our regular followers helped us to discover a word in the original document which we were puzzling over. The word looked like pikworth at first and we thought it might be a measure of gold, as the phrase looked like "a pikeworth case of gold".

Extract from Morton Earldom Papers GD150/2531/4

Our follower GenKnit (and her daughter) soon discovered that we were wrong and that the word was in fact "piketooth" which today would be "toothpick" and therefore the phrase would be a "a piketooth case of gold". Here is what one might have looked like, taken from this website.

Thank you to all who have helped so far. We will continue to research this mystery and report any findings we make. If you have any ideas for information, please comment below or contact Orkney Library & Archive through our Facebook or Twitter pages. http://www.orkneylibrary.org.uk/

Did Captain Scarlet come from Orkney?

The Orkney Archive Palaeography Group have recently transcribed this beautiful document which is a disposition written for Magnus Baikie transferring ownership of a property in Kirkwall to his son Thomas in the event of his death, which if you read to the end, is sadly quite imminent. 

Reading through it you might think it is just a boring old legal document with lots of jargon and repetition. 

BUT 

these types of documents can sometime be very interesting and throw up some interesting names, occupations and relationships that help us to know who was who in Orkney around the time it was written. 

D14/5/1 Disposition 1660

In this document we have names such as Magnus Baikie and his son, Thomas. From other research we know that Magnus had an older brother, James, who was 78 in 1668, so we think Magnus would have been mid-seventies in 1660. He is described as skipper and burgess. Skipper means he was captain of a ship, burgess means he was able to trade in the burgh of Kirkwall. Magnus' brother John is also mentioned towards the end of the document as a witness. 

Other names shown are Patrick Watterstoun, minister in Orphir, his deceased father Michael and Patrick's wife Barbara Henrysone. Thomas Moncrieff and William Hayr, minister. William Mudy of Breckness, Sir John Buchanan of Scotscraig [in Fife], his brother Thomas Buchanan of Sound [in Shapinsay] and Thomas's son George Buchanan of Sound. David Moncrieff another skipper and his brother Harry. David Anderson was the notary public who wrote the document on behalf of Magnus Baikie. 

The most fun name for us in this document is John Skarlett, skipper in Kirkwall and tenant of Magnus Baikie. As before we know that skipper can also mean captain, which in our modern minds turns him into Captain Scarlet. Who knew?  Captain Scarlet came from Orkney.

Looking into it more logically, Scarlett IS a surname that is associated with northern Scotland. But it did make us chuckle. 

SCARLETT

"Lambertus Sclarlet de Anandia [Annan] gifted six pennies annually from the toft of Roger Pacok in the same town in the thirteenth century (Register, Priory of St Bees, p354).

Nicoll (or Richard) Scarlett had a charter from Robert I of the lands of Forgund, Inchmertein, and Velathis (or Velachis) forfeited by John Balliol (RMS., I, App.II, 478).

From the fourteenth century to the sixteenth century a family named Scarlat or Scarlet held lands in Caithness. Thomas Scarlet held the lands of Westyrclithe and Nethirgreneland there in 1377 (RMS., I, 666).

Patrick Skarlet was tacksman of Negarth in Evy, Orkney 1492 (REO., p411).

John Scarlet was servitor of Alexander Keith, captain of the Castle of Akirgill, Caithness, 1547 (OPS., II, p779).

Caution was found for James Skarlott in Blackruthven in 1589 (RPC., iv, p350)

Marion Scarlet in Watten is in record in Caithness, 1664 (Caithness) "

Surnames of Scotland by George F Black, The New York Public Library, 1946

P711-712

TRANSCRIPTION

D14/5/1

[Title: ]

Disposition be Magnus Baikie in favoure of Thomas Baikie his sone of ane tenement of land or ludging contaning the dwelling house, and of ane ruynous tenement next adjacent yrto[thereto] lyand in the Midtoun of Kirkwall 1660

In another land: 1660    Tenement at Bridge Kirkwall

[Document: ]

Be it kend till all men be thir[these] present lres[letters] Me Magnus Baikie skipper burges of Kirkwall heritable proprietar of ye[the] tenements of land and others rexive[respective] underwrittin being for the present infirme in body bot praised be to god prefyke[perfect] in mynd and memorie, and knowing nothing more certane then death and nothing more uncertane then ye[the] hour and place therof and being most willing to satle my wordly estate in my owne tyme in the persone of Thomas Baikie my only lawfull sone and to secure him yrintill[thereuntil] in my lyftyme by making and granting of thir[these] p[rese]nts, Therefore witt ꝣe me to have sauld annalied and disponned lykas I be ye[the] tennor herof sell annalie and simplr[contraction of simplicitor?] dispone from me and my aires to and in favours of ye[the] said thomas Baikie my sone his aires and assigneyis qtsoevir[whatsoever] heretably, and irredimably unto my maner of reversion redemption band promise or condition of reversion redemption or regres qtsoevir

All and haill that my tenement of land or ludgeing with houses bigings closses yairdes taill and pertinents therof sometime pertaning heretably to the deceassed Mr Patrick Watterstoun minister at Orphar after the deceasse of umqle Michael Waterstoun his father lyand in ye[the] Midtoun of Kirkwall in Orknay abone St Olais bridge their sometyme possest be umqle Thomas Moncreiff and william hayr Minister and whilk was sold and dispouned by ye[the] said umqle Mr Patrik Waterstoun w[i]t[h] consent of umqle Barbara henrysone his spouse to me my aires and assigneyis heretably and irredimably in manor speit[specified] in ye[the] lres[letters] of disposition chartor and instrument of saising following thereupon contaning tuo duelling houses on the foir gate under ane ruiff with the office houses yrof on the back part of ye[the] samen betwixt and the yaird of ye[the] said tenement and whilk is p[rese]ntly possest be me and john skarlett skipper in kirkwall my tenent respectively Bonded and having the tenement and land sometyme pertaning to umqle william mudy of breknes thereafter to umqle sir john Buchanan of scottscraig knyt[knight], thereafter to umqle thomas Buchanan of sound his brother, and now To Mr George Buchanan of sound sone to ye[the] said umqle thomas On ye[the] south, the lands of papdaill. On the east the heigh streat of Kirkwall stryt[1] and to St Olaisbridge on the west,  the said umqle Mr Patrik his other tenement possest be umqle Magnus guid couper and John Auchinleck wright in Kirkwall, And the tenement of umqle William Sklatter lyand waist and the closse entring yrto[thereto] on ye[the] north parts

And siclyk[such like] all and haill that tenement of land and houses now ruynous with ye[the] yairds and pertiments yrof sometime pertaning to Nicoll Sklaitter as air to umqle Patrick Sklaitter indueller in Kirkwall His father and was sold and disponed be ye[the] said Nicoll to me Conforme to his rights and securities granted to me of ye[the] same lyand in ye[the] Midtoun of Kirkwall Bonded and having ye[the] lands and tenement abovewritten sometyme pertaning to ye[the] said umqle Mr Patrik Watersone and now to me On ye[the] east, south and west parkes[2] and the common passage of ye[the] said burgh of Kirkwall entering to ye[the] said tenement on the north parts yrof[thereof] Within the Maineland and sherifdome of orknay

And For the said Thomas Baikie my sone and his forsaids greater and bettir security I bind and oblige me and my aires to duly and sufficiently infeft[3] and saise be charter of alienation titulo oneroso[4] w[i]t[h] precept and instrument of saising to follow thereupon the said Thomas Baike my sone his aires and assignyes forsaids heretably and irredimably as said is In all and haill ye[the] said tenement and ludgeing houses bigings back and fore under and abone w[i]t[h] ye[the] cloissis yairds parts pendicles and pertinents yrof[thereof] abovewritten

As als in all and haill the said tenement of land and houses now ruynous w[it]h ye[the] yaird and pertinents of ye[the] samen Both lyand and bounded in maner abovespe[cif]it And that be tuo several infeftments Ane yrof[thereof]  to be holdin of me and my aires in frie blensche ferme[5] and heretage for evir for payment of ane penny scots upon ye[the] ground of ye[the] saids tenements rexive[6] abovewritten at ye[the] feast of witsonday yearly in name of blensche ferme if it beis asked allanerly[7] And the other of the saids infeftments to be holdin of my laufull superior yrof[thereof] as freely as I or my precessor held or holds ye[the] samen ourselves either be resignation or confirmation as best sall[shall] please the said Thomas or his forsaids, Lykas I bind and oblige me my aires assigneyis and successors q[uha]tsoevir To warrand all and haill the said tenement or ludging As als ye[the] said ruynous tenement respectively abovewritten with houses bigings yairds parts pendicles and pertinents yrof[thereof] forsaids lyand possessed and bounded as is abovementioned To be free and saife to ye[the] said Thomas baikie my sone his aires and assigneyis abovespe[cif]it heretably and irredimably as said is from all perrells dangers and inconvenients q[uha]tsoevir bygaine present & to come from my owne propper fact and deed allanerly as accords of ye[the] law, That is to say that I have not made neither yet sall[shall] mak any uther disposition or right to ye[the] premissis to ony other persone or persones q[uha]tsoevir in hurt and prejudice herof in ony sort, And bind and oblige me and my forsaids To reiterat and renew thir[these] p[rese]nts to the said Thomas Baikie my sone & his forsaids toties quoties[8] as I sall[shall] be requyred yrto[thereto] keeping ye[the] effect and substance abovewrittin ay and whylk they find themselves sufficiently secured anent ye[the] premisses And for ye[the] more securitie I am content and consent that yir[these] presentis be insert and regrat[9] in ye[the] buikes of ye[the] court of justice sheriffe or commissers buikes of orknay To have ye[the] strenth of ane decreet of ony of ye[the] judges yrof[thereof] That lres[letters] and executorialls of horning upon ane simple chirge of six dayes only and others necessar be direct herupon And to that effect constituts My pro[curato]rs promising to ratifie & in witnes qrof[whereof] (writtin be David Andersone notar publick) and because I am unable of body by reason of my weaknes and siknes to subscrive myself the said David as notar hes sub[scrivi]t yir[these]  p[rese]ntis at my command At Kirkwall ye[the] eight day of march jmvic[10][1600] and thriescor yeeres befor yir[these] witnessis James Baikie of Tankernes David Moncreif skipper in Kirkwall Hary Moncrief his brother Patrick Traill skipper yr[there] and John Baikie merchand in Kirkwall brother to me ye[the] said Magnus Baikie abovedesigned wt[with] my hand tutching ye[the] pen of ye[the] notar undersubscriving at my command becaus I am unable for ye[the] tyme to wrat[write] in regard of my extream sicknes and weaknes of body the lord of his mercy now calling upon me out of this world to himself and yrfor[therefore] have given command to ye[the] said notar to subscrive ye[the] premissis for me So it is David Anderson notar publict at command of ye[the] said Magnus Baikie who is unable to writ himself inregard of his extream siknes and weaknes of body Have yrfor[therefore] sub[scrivi]t thir[these] p[rese]ntis for him witnessing my signe and sub’er[unknown contraction] mannall[12]

Moncrieff witnes

Pa[trick] Traill witnes

Hearie Moncrieff witness

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[1] a narrow passageway https://dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/strait_adj definition 3

[2] could also be ‘partie’ or ‘partis’

[3] Infeft - To invest (a person) with heritable property. https://dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/infeft

[4] titulo oneroso – Latin meaning: burdensome title https://translate.google.com/?sl=la&tl=en&text=titulo%20oneroso%20&op=translate

[5] blensche ferme - A small or nominal quit-rent or duty paid in money or otherwise https://dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/blancheferme

[6] rexive – abbreviated form of respective https://dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/rexive

[7] allanerly – literally means alonely. In DSL singly https://dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/allanerly

[8] As often as necessary https://dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/toties_quoties

[9] regrat – abbreviated form of ‘registration’ or ‘registered’  https://dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/regratt

[10] can also be read as ‘jajvic’ the ‘aj’ was written instead of the roman letter ‘m’ meaning 1000.

[12] by hand, see https://dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/manuale_adj