Letter: from the council, 4 March 1693, Edinburgh

Act, 28 December 1693, Edinburgh

Att Edinburgh the Fourth Day off March Jaj vjc nyntie three years

A1693/3/91

Letter: from the council

Letter to the secretary anent the tumult and Mr Calder

A Letter from the Councill to the secretary of state to be Communicat to the Kings Majestie Giveing accompt of the Late tumult and the discoveryes made by Mr Robert Calder a depryved Episcopall minister read votted and approven And appoynted to be subscryved be the Lord High Chancellour In name of the Councill and recomends to His Lordship to cause dispatch the same with a fleeing packett this night at eight of the cloak off which Letter the tenor followes Right Honourable The particulars following appearing to us to be of Importance And of so much the greater that we cannot as yet know what may be there consequences especially in this criticall Juncture wee thought it our duety to give his majestie notice thereof by this Letter dispatched to yow by a fleeing pacquet, upon some advyce advyce2 The Justice Clerk hade receaved about the search of Doctor Monro’s papers at London he acquanted the Kings advocat And Imediatly they cause seize the persones of Mr Robert Calder and Mr Andrew Cant tuo of the Episcopall Clergie depryved for not praying for there majesties when the guaird came to Mr Cants house He told the Captain plainly That Haveing observed in a news Letter That Doctor Monro and his papers were Lookt after at Londone He hade put away all the papers he hade So that nothing wes found in his house Save a few old useles papers and some coppies of sermones And all that the Advocat and Justice Clerk could doe wes to put him under baill Bot they Lykewayes found by examining one Mr Hendersone keeper of the Bibliotheck of the Colledge of Edinburgh That Mr Cant and Mr Calder hade both of them Corresponded with and served Doctor Monro in getting him a coppie of a manuscript out of that Bibliotheck Craig against Dolman Touching the succession to the Croun as themselves confessed, At Mr Calders house There wes a great many papers Amongst which when searched The advocat and Justice Clerk found many notes scrolls and Letters which relate to some Scandalous pamphletts that have been lately published at London againest this church and there majesties government And which shew that Mr Calder hath been a great traffiquer alswell for the Composeing as for the publishing of these pamphletts They Found Lykewayes books of verses in manuscript Containing severe Scurilous Satyres againest the Kings majestie and the Late Generall assembly But Cheifly A Manifesto drawen up in wreitting Entituled the manifesto of the Noblemen and Gentlemen of the north of Scotland who are now in armes in there oune defence Againest oppressiones and free quarterings And for the restauration of Episcopall government And of which wee herewith send yow a full coppie When Mr Calder wes questioned herewith about this paper He acknowledged That it wes his oune frameing and all wreitten with his oune hand And that aneother rude draught of it might be found amongst his papers that were seized And that he wrot it about ane year and ane half agoe upon the occasione as he said of one Don Pedro (as he called him And declared him to be the sone of the late Sir Alexander Fraser) his goeing to the North And that he heard That he and others there were for Episcopacy But he refused to confess that any other persone wes privie to the drawing of this paper or hade so much as seen it And this confessione he signed And Lykewayes marked the Coppie found with his oune hand wee found also that tho the man wes a minister at Neuthorne in the Merss yet he is of the shyre of Murray in the North And wes Lately in that countrey and keeps a correspondence with it There wes Lykewayes found a note book of his oune hand wreitting wherein he hath marked his preaching at severall tymes and in severall places with some benevolences That he hath received from benefactors Amongst which There stands noted Item of King James’s money from Doctor Cockburne eighteen pound and when farder enquyred He declared that this wes a pairt of the Tuo Hundreth pound Sterling Sent by King James to the Late Arch Bishop of Glasgow to be distributed among the outted Clergie, And that this Doctor Cockburne hade the distributione of it, And he got the Eightein pound from the Doctor as his pairt And that this money wes sent to Scotland more then a tuelve moneth agoe Upon this discovery wee have Committed him closs prisoner And have also seized the persone and papers of the said Doctor who is one Mr John Cockburne a depryved minister for not praying for there majesties And Confesses himself to be the persone appointed for receaveing and destributeing of all money given for the use of the outted Clergie And him wee have Lykewayes made closs prisoner till his papers that are seized be visited and considered
The other particular is That on thursday last There happened a tumult in this citie upon this occasione That day the annuall horse race wes at Leith And by the way comeing from it, a baxters servant and one of Sir James Leslies souldiers fell a quarrelling about a baxter young man said to have been pressed in the Canongate upon this The baxters servants there gathered together and threattened to force the guaird And search the Canongate tolbooth But the guaird standing to there armes And it being told them That there wes none of there oune number in the tolbooth They went off But Imediatly stirred up the baxters and other trades servants in the citie with whom some other young fellowes Joyneing They went and seized and shutt the Nether Bow Port And then Sett upon the Court of guaird in Edinburgh And pretending that some of there number were taken into the guaird, They keept adoe in the streetts and about the guaird from fyve a cloack In the afternoon till after Seven The magistrates endeavouring in the mean tyme to quyet them by treatie and being Loath to cause beat drums and Call out the toun Companyes Least it might occasione ane greater uproar Bot about Eight acloack at night The young fellowes became so Insolent That they sett upon the guaird house And because the guaird hade been forbid in former occasiones of this kynd To shoot Sharp or with bulletts They offered to break the doores and pull doun the house untill at Length The guaird not being then above tuenty or thretty on duety yeilded to them the house to prevent greater mischeiff And they haveing possest the house and port all night And the magistrates Keeping them in parlies about the morning when tuo or three of the toun companys were drawen together They dropt off and evanished, All the misscheiff done except some dry blowes wes that tuo Innocent onlookers happen to be killed with one shott And its said that one or tuo more are deadly wounded Wee have ordered the magistrates to take the principall actors in custodie and severall of there accomplices And have also Issued out a proclamatione dischargeing all tumults or any to appear in them under the highest paines of Law And allowing the guaird to shoot sharp in all such occasiones wee understand they hade also Instigators whereof one in prisone And some others whose names are knowen are appoynted to be apprehended And wee haveing Called the Magistrates befor us have given the necessarie orders for secureing the place3 of the place And Lykewayes have appoynted a Comittee of our oune number to Enquyre farder into the wholl matter And to consider what may be the fittest remedies to prevent the Lyke dissorders for the future Both these things happening in this Juncture wherein dangers both from without and within doe threatten wee thought it our duety to give his majestie the above wreitten accompt which we desyre yow to Lay befor him That wee may receave his majesties farder Comnds This In name and at Comand of the Councill sigifyed to yow by Your most Humble servant sic subscribitur Tweeddale cancel: J p d: Directed to Secretarie Johnstoun

Att Edinburgh the Fourth Day off March Jaj vjc nyntie three years

A1693/3/91

Letter: from the council

Letter to the secretary anent the tumult and Mr Calder

A Letter from the Councill to the secretary of state to be Communicat to the Kings Majestie Giveing accompt of the Late tumult and the discoveryes made by Mr Robert Calder a depryved Episcopall minister read votted and approven And appoynted to be subscryved be the Lord High Chancellour In name of the Councill and recomends to His Lordship to cause dispatch the same with a fleeing packett this night at eight of the cloak off which Letter the tenor followes Right Honourable The particulars following appearing to us to be of Importance And of so much the greater that we cannot as yet know what may be there consequences especially in this criticall Juncture wee thought it our duety to give his majestie notice thereof by this Letter dispatched to yow by a fleeing pacquet, upon some advyce advyce2 The Justice Clerk hade receaved about the search of Doctor Monro’s papers at London he acquanted the Kings advocat And Imediatly they cause seize the persones of Mr Robert Calder and Mr Andrew Cant tuo of the Episcopall Clergie depryved for not praying for there majesties when the guaird came to Mr Cants house He told the Captain plainly That Haveing observed in a news Letter That Doctor Monro and his papers were Lookt after at Londone He hade put away all the papers he hade So that nothing wes found in his house Save a few old useles papers and some coppies of sermones And all that the Advocat and Justice Clerk could doe wes to put him under baill Bot they Lykewayes found by examining one Mr Hendersone keeper of the Bibliotheck of the Colledge of Edinburgh That Mr Cant and Mr Calder hade both of them Corresponded with and served Doctor Monro in getting him a coppie of a manuscript out of that Bibliotheck Craig against Dolman Touching the succession to the Croun as themselves confessed, At Mr Calders house There wes a great many papers Amongst which when searched The advocat and Justice Clerk found many notes scrolls and Letters which relate to some Scandalous pamphletts that have been lately published at London againest this church and there majesties government And which shew that Mr Calder hath been a great traffiquer alswell for the Composeing as for the publishing of these pamphletts They Found Lykewayes books of verses in manuscript Containing severe Scurilous Satyres againest the Kings majestie and the Late Generall assembly But Cheifly A Manifesto drawen up in wreitting Entituled the manifesto of the Noblemen and Gentlemen of the north of Scotland who are now in armes in there oune defence Againest oppressiones and free quarterings And for the restauration of Episcopall government And of which wee herewith send yow a full coppie When Mr Calder wes questioned herewith about this paper He acknowledged That it wes his oune frameing and all wreitten with his oune hand And that aneother rude draught of it might be found amongst his papers that were seized And that he wrot it about ane year and ane half agoe upon the occasione as he said of one Don Pedro (as he called him And declared him to be the sone of the late Sir Alexander Fraser) his goeing to the North And that he heard That he and others there were for Episcopacy But he refused to confess that any other persone wes privie to the drawing of this paper or hade so much as seen it And this confessione he signed And Lykewayes marked the Coppie found with his oune hand wee found also that tho the man wes a minister at Neuthorne in the Merss yet he is of the shyre of Murray in the North And wes Lately in that countrey and keeps a correspondence with it There wes Lykewayes found a note book of his oune hand wreitting wherein he hath marked his preaching at severall tymes and in severall places with some benevolences That he hath received from benefactors Amongst which There stands noted Item of King James’s money from Doctor Cockburne eighteen pound and when farder enquyred He declared that this wes a pairt of the Tuo Hundreth pound Sterling Sent by King James to the Late Arch Bishop of Glasgow to be distributed among the outted Clergie, And that this Doctor Cockburne hade the distributione of it, And he got the Eightein pound from the Doctor as his pairt And that this money wes sent to Scotland more then a tuelve moneth agoe Upon this discovery wee have Committed him closs prisoner And have also seized the persone and papers of the said Doctor who is one Mr John Cockburne a depryved minister for not praying for there majesties And Confesses himself to be the persone appointed for receaveing and destributeing of all money given for the use of the outted Clergie And him wee have Lykewayes made closs prisoner till his papers that are seized be visited and considered
The other particular is That on thursday last There happened a tumult in this citie upon this occasione That day the annuall horse race wes at Leith And by the way comeing from it, a baxters servant and one of Sir James Leslies souldiers fell a quarrelling about a baxter young man said to have been pressed in the Canongate upon this The baxters servants there gathered together and threattened to force the guaird And search the Canongate tolbooth But the guaird standing to there armes And it being told them That there wes none of there oune number in the tolbooth They went off But Imediatly stirred up the baxters and other trades servants in the citie with whom some other young fellowes Joyneing They went and seized and shutt the Nether Bow Port And then Sett upon the Court of guaird in Edinburgh And pretending that some of there number were taken into the guaird, They keept adoe in the streetts and about the guaird from fyve a cloack In the afternoon till after Seven The magistrates endeavouring in the mean tyme to quyet them by treatie and being Loath to cause beat drums and Call out the toun Companyes Least it might occasione ane greater uproar Bot about Eight acloack at night The young fellowes became so Insolent That they sett upon the guaird house And because the guaird hade been forbid in former occasiones of this kynd To shoot Sharp or with bulletts They offered to break the doores and pull doun the house untill at Length The guaird not being then above tuenty or thretty on duety yeilded to them the house to prevent greater mischeiff And they haveing possest the house and port all night And the magistrates Keeping them in parlies about the morning when tuo or three of the toun companys were drawen together They dropt off and evanished, All the misscheiff done except some dry blowes wes that tuo Innocent onlookers happen to be killed with one shott And its said that one or tuo more are deadly wounded Wee have ordered the magistrates to take the principall actors in custodie and severall of there accomplices And have also Issued out a proclamatione dischargeing all tumults or any to appear in them under the highest paines of Law And allowing the guaird to shoot sharp in all such occasiones wee understand they hade also Instigators whereof one in prisone And some others whose names are knowen are appoynted to be apprehended And wee haveing Called the Magistrates befor us have given the necessarie orders for secureing the place3 of the place And Lykewayes have appoynted a Comittee of our oune number to Enquyre farder into the wholl matter And to consider what may be the fittest remedies to prevent the Lyke dissorders for the future Both these things happening in this Juncture wherein dangers both from without and within doe threatten wee thought it our duety to give his majestie the above wreitten accompt which we desyre yow to Lay befor him That wee may receave his majesties farder Comnds This In name and at Comand of the Councill sigifyed to yow by Your most Humble servant sic subscribitur Tweeddale cancel: J p d: Directed to Secretarie Johnstoun

1. PC1/48, 618-21.

2. Sic.

3. Sic., probably ‘peace’ was intended.

1. PC1/48, 618-21.

2. Sic.

3. Sic., probably ‘peace’ was intended.