0 0
33 6 8

266 13 9

s. d. 21 6 8 17 6 8 6 13

C. LXXIII.

Wall de Tulach Deput Cam oñat se p Custū de Aɓden

L.266 13 9

L.6000 7 10

Ancient.
L.768 15

de custu q'nq milliū trecētaz t octogit pelliū
lanut carcat' in eisd nauib' p ide temp9
de custu septēdecē dacît sex corioz carcat. ut
sup*

...

Itē lidm ofat se de custu t'ginta septē lasť noue sept
petř cũ dj petî lane carcat. in decē nauib' apud portu de
Abirden

505 15 0

12435 7 11

...

de custu duaz miłłū Pcentaz sexaginta sex pełł lalanuz carcat. in sept nauib' apud port̃ū pdēm

...

de custuma octo last quatuordece dač t qtuoz cor carcat. in octo nauib?

23 5 1

...

571 14 32

CHAPTER

CHAPTER III.

SECTION I.

Battle of Harlaw-Sir Robert Davidson, Provost, slain-Ransom of King James I.-Sir Alexander Irvine of Drum Governor of the Town-fortified with Walls-King James II. and the Queen visit the Town-Supreme Court at Aberdeen-Bond of Man-rent to the Earl of Huntly-King James III. encouraged foreign trade—Slain at Stirling-Propositions from Lord Forbes, and other Lords, to revenge his death-Sir Andrew Wood's Claim to the Castlehill and Stocket set aside by the Lords of Council-King James IV. visits the Town—the celebration of his Marriage, attended by the Magistrates-Visit of the Queen-Battle of Flodden-Attack on the Citizens by Seton of Meldrum-King James V. visits the Town-his Remission to the Community-Licence for fortifying the Town with Walls-Contest with Lord Forbes, &c.-The Provost and twentyfour Citizens tried before the Justiciary Court at Linlithgow, and acquitted-Visit of the King-Ships of war fitted out by Aberdeen -John and George Faw, Gipsies-Battle of Solway-the Earl of Huntly Provost of Aberdeen-Battle of Pinkey, in which many of the Citizens were killed-the Earl of Arran and the Dowager Queen Mary visit the Town-Miscellaneous Occurrences.

FROM A. D. 1398 To A. D. 1539.

FROM this period, the sources of information with regard to local A.D. 1398. matters becoming more copious, our details will be more minute, and our narrative more connected, than in the preceding chapters. The journals of the successive councils of the borough, and of the judicial proceedings in the different law courts, now commence. From these, incidents and transactions may be more copiously collected, and confidently stated; their causes, progress, and effects, more clearly traced; and the customs and manners of the people more distinctly

H

A.D. 1398. distinctly delineated, than from our former vague, detached, and scanty sources of information. At the same time, it will be necessary, occasionally, to have recourse to national histories, for matters of a more general nature, connected with the object of the present inquiries.

1406.

The reign of Robert* III. was of short duration; but, during the greater part of it, tranquillity had prevailed between the two British nations. Being a prince of slender capacity, and infirm from his youth, he committed the administration of public affairs to his brother Robert, Duke of Albany, who seems to have entertained designs April 4. of acquiring the crown to his own family. After the demise of the king, a parliament, to which Aberdeen sent its commissioners,† asJune. sembled at Perth, and appointed Albany regent of the kingdom. On assuming the reins of government, he found the affairs of the nation in the greatest disorder, and anarchy every where prevailing. James, the only son of Robert, and his successor in the throne, had been seized by the English during the continuance of a truce, and was unjustly detained a captive in England, where he remained for many subsequent years. The nobility, who aspired to independence, had assumed the whole power of the state. Being divided by mutual jealousies and inveterate animosities, they lived in a state of perpetual hostility with each other; and, the authority of the established government being little regarded, their quarrels were generally decided by the sword. Among the most turbulent and formidable of these chieftains was Donald, Lord of the Isles, who scorned all subjection to the delegated power of the regent. He had long considered himself as an independent prince, and was united to England by treaties of alliance, which were not sanctioned by the 1408. government of his country. About this time the Earldom of Ross having fallen into the hands of the Regent, on the death of the former Earl, Donald of the Isles asserted his claim to it, in right of his wife, the presumptive heiress; but motives, characteristic of the times,

* His name was John; but, on his accession to the throne, he changed it to that of Robert, by the advice of his Parliament.

↑ Council Register, vol. i. p. 278.

Rymer's Fædera, vol. viii. p. 527.

times, induced the Regent to deny this claim. Donald, incensed at A.D. 1411. this refusal, speedily raised an army of 10,000 men, within his own territories, for the purpose of vindicating his pretensions. With this force he took possession of the earldom without the least opposition. Elated with his success, he advanced southward, and invaded the fertile provinces of Moray, Strathbogie, and Garioch, committing many acts of plunder and devastation in the course of his progress. He now promised himself and his followers considerable advantages from the spoils of Aberdeen; but, whatever objects he may have had in view, his further advances were prevented by Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar, the Regent's nephew, who had collected an army in the low country,* to oppose him. In this situation of affairs, the citizens of Aberdeen, ambitious to show their loyalty and their attachment to the established government, and dreading the approach of those hostile invaders, marched from the town, under the command of Sir Robert Davidson, their alderman; and, along with several barons of the county, joined the army under the Earl of Mar. The army, thus reinforced, having encountered the invaders at the village of Harlaw, about eighteen miles north of the town, a bloody July 24. conflict ensued, which was uncertain in its issue; and the night, rather than victory, put an end to the battle. The loss on both sides was very considerable, and each of the contending armies retreated on the following day, having no inclination to renew the combat. In this action Sir Robert Davidson fell, with many of his friends and followers,† who were long lamented by their fellow citizens. His body was brought to the town by his surviving companions in arms, and entombed in the north wall of Saint Nicholas Church, before the altar of Saint Ann, which had been founded by his father, many years before, near the great arch of the steeple. § The place of his sepul

* Fordun, lib. xv. cap. 51.-Buchanan, lib. x. c. 18.

+ Among many other Barons, Sir Alex. Irvine of Drum was slain in this battle. His body was buried on the field, where, in ancient times, a cairn marked the place of his interment. It was long known by the name of Drum's cairn.-[M. S. Advocate's Library.]

Cartulary of St. Nicholas Church, fo. 6.

§ The event appears to have been recorded in the Cartulary of St. Nicholas Church some years afterwards :-" Potens vir Robertus filius Davidis, &c. Et erat vir in cunctis prospe agens, fortis et