John Drummond of Milnab
Encyclopedia
John Drummond of Milnab was a 16th-century Scottish carpenter in charge of the woodwork of the palaces, castles and guns of James IV of Scotland
and James V of Scotland
.
John Drummond was the second son of James Drummond of Auchterader. A family history narrates that in 1521, John Drummond was given the lands and mill of Milnab in Strathearn
, and the royal charter described him in Latin as; "Machinarum bellicarum ejaculator et carpentarius noster," - "keeper of the throwing machines of war and our carpenter."
and the roof of Drummond Castle
set up in 1493.
A number of records of the royal exchequer of Scotland describe the career of the Master Wright with more certainty. John Drummond was first recorded as a wright (carpenter) in 1506, and made Principal Master Wright on 8 June 1532. In Spring 1538 he went to Tantallon Castle
and Dunbar Castle
with William Hill, the master-smith, to oversee repair works. John and his two workmen went to France in 1538 on the ships that brought the king's bride Mary of Guise
to Scotland. In 1541 he was building a part of the Register House at Edinburgh and also working at the castle of Crawfordjohn
which had been forfeited to the crown by James Hamilton of Finnart
. In December 1541 he made an organ-loft at Edinburgh Castle
and it was carried in carts down to Holyroodhouse to be installed for Christmas.
, at Dumbarton, which had been returned from France by the Duke of Albany, and took the cannon to Edinburgh overland via Glasgow. John was often based at Edinburgh Castle
where carpenters and ironworkers maintained the royal artillery. He directed the transport of these heavy guns. Drummond also had an armoury in a building at the gate of Holyroodhouse rented from the priest of St. Leonards. On 8 August 1536, John delivered guns to George Stirling of Glorat at Dumbarton Castle
. These included four great guns furnished with stocks, wheels, vices and wedges, six falcons
with stocks and wheels, 33 hagbutts
, four iron culverin
s, bullets, gunpowder and ramrods. John took away a 10 foot long brass gun barrel.
Drummond went with the King to France in 1536. A friend of the exiled Douglas family, John Penven, wrote to George Douglas of Pittendreich
describing how he went to Newhaven by Dieppe to speak secretly to 'John of Drummond.' Drummond was charged with keeping the King's treasure ship and would not speak with Penven. However, John Barton, the mariner, told Penven that the King had spoken to Drummond during the voyage, telling him how he played James Hamilton of Finnart
against the Earl of Angus
. After James and his French bride, Madeleine of Valois, arrived at Leith in June 1537, Drummond and two helpers spent six weeks taking the guns from the ships off their sea-stocks and mounting them on land-stocks.
Drummond sailed to France to collect Mary of Guise, the King's second bride. His work continued at Edinburgh Castle, making and mounting new guns. In March 1539, the English messenger Henry Ray
was told by a "secret friend" who was an associate of the banished Earl of Angus
and an officer of the Scottish royal ordinance that 16 great cannons or culverin
s and 60 smaller guns had been refurnished or newly made in Edinburgh Castle. All the guns would be ready 20 days after Easter.
After working at Crawfordjohn and cladding the new Register House at Edinburgh Castle with imported 'Eastland' oak boards in July 1541, in August he went to the woods of Calder for twenty days and cut down 'ane hundredth grete treis' to make wheels for the artillery carts. For this he paid the forester a duty of fourpence a tree and then the timber was carted to Edinburgh. In March 1542, when a cannon had been successfully cast at Edinburgh Castle, Drummond paid the wood-carver Andrew Mansioun
to engrave the royal arms and date on the barrel. In the same month the Mary Willoughby
delivered three cannons bought from Hans Anderson in Flanders. Drummond directed the workmen who unloaded the double-cannon and two great culverin-moyanes at Leith and laid them on the Shore. After an extra difficulty when the draught horses refused at the gate of Edinburgh castle, the guns were mounted using a crane. John was also in charge of the manufacture of gunpowder at Edinburgh.
At the start of the war with England called the Rough Wooing, John was with the gunners who defended Edinburgh Castle from Lord Hertford's army
in May 1544. In September 1545, Drummond was summoned from his home to help carry the artillery towards the English border. In September 1547 he was working at Dunbar Castle
, and led the artillery train from Edinburgh Castle to the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh
. John was given livery clothes for Christmas 1550, and thereafter there is no further record.
. John's brother, David Drummond, succeeded him at Milnab. A royal charter of 7 May 1527 sets out that his daughter Jonet and her heirs would inherit Milnab. A charter of 19 July 1536 gave lands near Haddington
with Milnab to him and his wife, Christiane Brogy, without mentioning Jonet. A subsequent charter of 20 April 1541, apportions the lands to all three. The latest charter also seems to be the one mentioning 'bellicarum ejaculator' quoted but wrongly dated by the family historian . It would seem that from this sequence that Christiane Brogy was John's second wife, but there is no record of Jonet's marriage. The lands near Haddington at Ballencreiff neighboured those granted to other royal servants, Robert Borthwick, gun founder to James IV, and Robert Gibb of Carriber, a master of the stable of James V.
James IV of Scotland
James IV was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all...
and James V of Scotland
James V of Scotland
James V was King of Scots from 9 September 1513 until his death, which followed the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss...
.
John Drummond was the second son of James Drummond of Auchterader. A family history narrates that in 1521, John Drummond was given the lands and mill of Milnab in Strathearn
Strathearn
Strathearn or Strath Earn is the strath of the River Earn, in Scotland. It extends from Loch Earn in Perth and Kinross to the River Tay....
, and the royal charter described him in Latin as; "Machinarum bellicarum ejaculator et carpentarius noster," - "keeper of the throwing machines of war and our carpenter."
Royal buildings
The later Drummond family history attributed to him the fine timber work in Stirling CastleStirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep...
and the roof of Drummond Castle
Drummond Castle
Drummond Castle is located in Perthshire, Scotland. The castle is best known for its gardens, described by Historic Scotland as "the best example of formal terraced gardens in Scotland." It is situated in Muthill parish, south of Crieff. The castle comprises a tower house built in the late 15th...
set up in 1493.
A number of records of the royal exchequer of Scotland describe the career of the Master Wright with more certainty. John Drummond was first recorded as a wright (carpenter) in 1506, and made Principal Master Wright on 8 June 1532. In Spring 1538 he went to Tantallon Castle
Tantallon Castle
Tantallon Castle is a mid-14th-century fortress, located east of North Berwick, in East Lothian, Scotland. It sits atop a promontory opposite the Bass Rock, looking out onto the Firth of Forth...
and Dunbar Castle
Dunbar Castle
Dunbar Castle is the remnants of one of the most mighty fortresses in Scotland, situated over the harbour of the town of Dunbar, in East Lothian.-Early history:...
with William Hill, the master-smith, to oversee repair works. John and his two workmen went to France in 1538 on the ships that brought the king's bride Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise was a queen consort of Scotland as the second spouse of King James V. She was the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots, and served as regent of Scotland in her daughter's name from 1554 to 1560...
to Scotland. In 1541 he was building a part of the Register House at Edinburgh and also working at the castle of Crawfordjohn
Crawfordjohn
Crawfordjohn is a small village and civil parish located in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.It is west of Abington and north east of Leadhills, near junction 13 of the M74. It lies to the north of the Duneaton Water, a tributary of the River Clyde. It is known for the manufacture of curling stones....
which had been forfeited to the crown by James Hamilton of Finnart
James Hamilton of Finnart
Sir James Hamilton of Finnart was a Scottish nobleman and architect, the illegitimate son of James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran, and Mary Boyd of Bonshaw....
. In December 1541 he made an organ-loft at Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
and it was carried in carts down to Holyroodhouse to be installed for Christmas.
Moving and mounting the royal artillery
In 1515, John took the guns off two warships, the James and MargaretScottish warship Margaret
The Margaret was a Scottish warship of the 16th century.She was built at Leith around 1505 by order of King James IV of Scotland, as part of his policy of building a strong Scottish navy. He named it after his new wife, Margaret Tudor...
, at Dumbarton, which had been returned from France by the Duke of Albany, and took the cannon to Edinburgh overland via Glasgow. John was often based at Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
where carpenters and ironworkers maintained the royal artillery. He directed the transport of these heavy guns. Drummond also had an armoury in a building at the gate of Holyroodhouse rented from the priest of St. Leonards. On 8 August 1536, John delivered guns to George Stirling of Glorat at Dumbarton Castle
Dumbarton Castle
Dumbarton Castle has the longest recorded history of any stronghold in Great Britain. It overlooks the Scottish town of Dumbarton, and sits on a plug of volcanic basalt known as Dumbarton Rock which is high.-Iron Age:...
. These included four great guns furnished with stocks, wheels, vices and wedges, six falcons
Falconet (cannon)
The falconet or falcon was a light cannon developed in the late 15th century. During the Middle Ages guns were decorated with engravings of reptiles, birds or beasts depending on their size. For example, a culverin would often feature snakes, as the handles on the early cannons were often decorated...
with stocks and wheels, 33 hagbutts
Arquebus
The arquebus , or "hook tube", is an early muzzle-loaded firearm used in the 15th to 17th centuries. The word was originally modeled on the German hakenbüchse; this produced haquebute...
, four iron culverin
Culverin
A culverin was a relatively simple ancestor of the musket, and later a medieval cannon, adapted for use by the French in the 15th century, and later adapted for naval use by the English in the late 16th century. The culverin was used to bombard targets from a distance. The weapon had a...
s, bullets, gunpowder and ramrods. John took away a 10 foot long brass gun barrel.
Drummond went with the King to France in 1536. A friend of the exiled Douglas family, John Penven, wrote to George Douglas of Pittendreich
George Douglas of Pittendreich
George Douglas of Pittendreich was a member of the powerful Douglas family who struggled for control of the young James V of Scotland in 1528. His second son became James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton and Regent of Scotland. Initially, George Douglas promoted the marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots and...
describing how he went to Newhaven by Dieppe to speak secretly to 'John of Drummond.' Drummond was charged with keeping the King's treasure ship and would not speak with Penven. However, John Barton, the mariner, told Penven that the King had spoken to Drummond during the voyage, telling him how he played James Hamilton of Finnart
James Hamilton of Finnart
Sir James Hamilton of Finnart was a Scottish nobleman and architect, the illegitimate son of James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran, and Mary Boyd of Bonshaw....
against the Earl of Angus
Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus
Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus was a Scottish nobleman active during the reigns of James V and Mary, Queen of Scots...
. After James and his French bride, Madeleine of Valois, arrived at Leith in June 1537, Drummond and two helpers spent six weeks taking the guns from the ships off their sea-stocks and mounting them on land-stocks.
Drummond sailed to France to collect Mary of Guise, the King's second bride. His work continued at Edinburgh Castle, making and mounting new guns. In March 1539, the English messenger Henry Ray
Berwick Pursuivant
Berwick Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary was a British office of arms created around 1460 for English service on the Scottish Marches based at Berwick-upon-Tweed...
was told by a "secret friend" who was an associate of the banished Earl of Angus
Earl of Angus
The Mormaer or Earl of Angus was the ruler of the medieval Scottish province of Angus. The title, in the Peerage of Scotland, is currently held by the Duke of Hamilton.-Mormaers:...
and an officer of the Scottish royal ordinance that 16 great cannons or culverin
Culverin
A culverin was a relatively simple ancestor of the musket, and later a medieval cannon, adapted for use by the French in the 15th century, and later adapted for naval use by the English in the late 16th century. The culverin was used to bombard targets from a distance. The weapon had a...
s and 60 smaller guns had been refurnished or newly made in Edinburgh Castle. All the guns would be ready 20 days after Easter.
After working at Crawfordjohn and cladding the new Register House at Edinburgh Castle with imported 'Eastland' oak boards in July 1541, in August he went to the woods of Calder for twenty days and cut down 'ane hundredth grete treis' to make wheels for the artillery carts. For this he paid the forester a duty of fourpence a tree and then the timber was carted to Edinburgh. In March 1542, when a cannon had been successfully cast at Edinburgh Castle, Drummond paid the wood-carver Andrew Mansioun
Andrew Mansioun
Andrew Mansioun, or Mentioun or Manschone, was a French artist who worked at the court of James V of Scotland. He was the master carpenter of the Scottish artillery for Mary, Queen of Scots and James VI of Scotland.-Works:...
to engrave the royal arms and date on the barrel. In the same month the Mary Willoughby
HMS Mary Willoughby
Mary Willoughby was a ship of the Royal Navy. She was appears in the navy lists from 1535, during the reign of Henry VIII. She was named after Maria Willoughby, a lady-in-waiting and close friend of Catherine of Aragon. The ship was taken by the Scots in 1536 and joined the Royal Scots Navy, The...
delivered three cannons bought from Hans Anderson in Flanders. Drummond directed the workmen who unloaded the double-cannon and two great culverin-moyanes at Leith and laid them on the Shore. After an extra difficulty when the draught horses refused at the gate of Edinburgh castle, the guns were mounted using a crane. John was also in charge of the manufacture of gunpowder at Edinburgh.
At the start of the war with England called the Rough Wooing, John was with the gunners who defended Edinburgh Castle from Lord Hertford's army
Burning of Edinburgh (1544)
The Burning of Edinburgh in 1544 by an English sea-borne army was the first major action of the war of the Rough Wooing. A Scottish army observed the landing on 3 May 1544 but did not engage with the English force. The Provost of Edinburgh was compelled to allow the English to sack Leith and...
in May 1544. In September 1545, Drummond was summoned from his home to help carry the artillery towards the English border. In September 1547 he was working at Dunbar Castle
Dunbar Castle
Dunbar Castle is the remnants of one of the most mighty fortresses in Scotland, situated over the harbour of the town of Dunbar, in East Lothian.-Early history:...
, and led the artillery train from Edinburgh Castle to the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh
Battle of Pinkie Cleugh
The Battle of Pinkie Cleugh, on the banks of the River Esk near Musselburgh, Scotland on 10 September 1547, was part of the War of the Rough Wooing. It was the last pitched battle between Scottish and English armies, and is seen as the first modern battle in the British Isles...
. John was given livery clothes for Christmas 1550, and thereafter there is no further record.
Family and homes
According to the family history of 1681, his mother was a daughter of the Laird of Craigie-Ross. John married a daughter of the Laird of Logie-Bisset, and they had a daughter who married Sir Robert Logan of RestalrigRestalrig
Restalrig is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located east of the city centre, west of the A199 road, and to the east of Lochend, with which it overlaps. Restalrig Road is the main route through the area, running from London Road at Jock's Lodge, to Leith Links at the south edge of...
. John's brother, David Drummond, succeeded him at Milnab. A royal charter of 7 May 1527 sets out that his daughter Jonet and her heirs would inherit Milnab. A charter of 19 July 1536 gave lands near Haddington
Haddington, East Lothian
The Royal Burgh of Haddington is a town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is the main administrative, cultural and geographical centre for East Lothian, which was known officially as Haddingtonshire before 1921. It lies about east of Edinburgh. The name Haddington is Anglo-Saxon, dating from the 6th...
with Milnab to him and his wife, Christiane Brogy, without mentioning Jonet. A subsequent charter of 20 April 1541, apportions the lands to all three. The latest charter also seems to be the one mentioning 'bellicarum ejaculator' quoted but wrongly dated by the family historian . It would seem that from this sequence that Christiane Brogy was John's second wife, but there is no record of Jonet's marriage. The lands near Haddington at Ballencreiff neighboured those granted to other royal servants, Robert Borthwick, gun founder to James IV, and Robert Gibb of Carriber, a master of the stable of James V.