![Stirling Heads - Henry VIII](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Stirling_Heads_-_Henry_VIII.JPG)
Andrew Mansioun, or Mentioun or Manschone or Manson, (d. 1579) was a French artist who worked at the court of
James V, King of Scots. He was the master carpenter of the Scottish artillery for
Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567.
The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...
and
James VI of Scotland
James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until hi ...
.
Works
Andrew is recorded carving decorative wood-work, engraving metal and making moulds for cast-iron decorations and gun-founding. He may have worked on the surviving 34 'Stirling Head' oak medallion portraits c.1540 at
Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological ...
with
John Drummond of Milnab
John Drummond of Milnab (d. c.1550) 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 Auchterad ...
. His projects included; the fittings of the royal suite on the yacht ''Unicorn;'' an engraved brass for the tomb of
David Beaton's parents at
Markinch in 1541; and a carved lion and a Latin inscription for the tomb of James V in 1542. He made a cradle for
Prince James, the short-lived son of James V and Mary of Guise, and a bed for
Regent Arran. Andrew made moulds for use in the gun-foundry at
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. ...
, for placing the royal arms and ciphers on cannon barrels, and also engraved ciphers and dates on the guns. He was appointed a gunner in the Scottish artillery on 3 August 1543 with a monthly salary of £3.
On the basis of the commission for Cardinal Beaton at Markinch, the historian David McRoberts raised the possibility that Mansioun was responsible for the carved oak "Beaton panels" now in the
National Museum of Scotland
The National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland, was formed in 2006 with the merger of the new Museum of Scotland, with collections relating to Scottish antiquities, culture and history, and the adjacent Royal Scottish Museum (opened in ...
, which carry the Cardinal's heraldry.
Stirling Heads
![Reverse of Stirling Head no 29](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Reverse_of_Stirling_Head_no_29.jpg)
The Stirling Heads, the portrait roundels made for the ceiling of the King's Presence chamber at
Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological ...
in 1540, were carved from oak grown in forests in
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
. They were originally painted, and traces of blue-grey paint made with
indigo
Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin word ''indicum'', m ...
which depicted the steel armour of some figures were identified by conservators. Some similar carvings, in stone, can be seen on the facades of
Falkland Palace
Falkland Palace, in Falkland, Fife, Scotland, is a royal palace of the Scottish Kings. It was one of the favourite places of Mary, Queen of Scots, providing an escape from political and religious turmoil. Today it is under the stewardship of ...
. The stone medallions at Falkland may have been the work of
Nicolas Roy
Nicolas Roy (;born February 5, 1997) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). Roy was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes, 96th overall, in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. Roy won th ...
. The subjects depicted may relate to the ancestry of the Stewart kings, classical mythology, and Bible stories. For the restoration of the palace at Stirling in 2010, a new set of medallions were carved by John Donaldson, and they were painted by a team led by John Nevin and Graciela Ainsworth.
During the examination and conservation of the Stirling Heads a drawing made by one of the original carvers was discovered by a
conservator-restorer on the reverse of one medallion
a woman in masque costume (STC029) depicting a baluster flanked by
mermaid
In folklore, a mermaid is an aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Mermaids are sometimes asso ...
s holdings masks, a typical renaissance design. This drawing may have been the work of Andrew Mansioun.
Carved roundels with the coats of arms of
Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise (french: Marie de Guise; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was a French noblewoman of the House of Guise, a cadet branch of the House of Lorraine and one of the most powerful families in France. She ...
,
Henry II of France
Henry II (french: Henri II; 31 March 1519 – 10 July 1559) was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559. The second son of Francis I and Duchess Claude of Brittany, he became Dauphin of France upon the death of his elder bro ...
, and
Regent Arran decorated a house in Blythe's Close on the Castlehill, the upper stretch of the
Royal Mile
The Royal Mile () is a succession of streets forming the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland. The term was first used descriptively in W. M. Gilbert's ''Edinburgh in the Nineteenth Century'' (1901), des ...
in Edinburgh. It is thought the house may have been a lodging used by Mary of Guise. These carvings were acquired by the
National Museums of Scotland
National Museums Scotland (NMS; gd, Taighean-tasgaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government. It runs the national museums of Scotland.
NMS is one of the country's National Collections, ...
in 2021. Perhaps in 1558, similar roundels were carved for the audience chamber of
Holyrood Palace
The Palace of Holyroodhouse ( or ), commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace or Holyroodhouse, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinbu ...
. These armorials were originally painted with bright colours using
orpiment
Orpiment is a deep-colored, orange-yellow arsenic sulfide mineral with formula . It is found in volcanic fumaroles, low-temperature hydrothermal veins, and hot springs and is formed both by sublimation and as a byproduct of the decay of another a ...
and
azurite
Azurite is a soft, deep-blue copper mineral produced by weathering of copper ore deposits. During the early 19th century, it was also known as chessylite, after the Type locality (geology), type locality at Chessy, Rhône, Chessy-les-Mines near ...
. No documentation survives to name the carvers of the Edinburgh armorials.
Making and decorating cannon
Andrew Mansion made moulds or patterns for six cannon with lion heads and fleur-de-lys, cast under the direction of Hans Cochrane in December 1540. James V employed French, Flemish, Danish, and German gunners. A French master of ordinance, Christopher Grandmaseaw, was sent to France and other countries in 1541 to buy equipment.
The gun foundry was in Edinburgh Castle. The
Treasurer's accounts detail Andrew Mansioun's work engraving the royal cannon in March 1542 in these words;
Gevin to Andres Mensioun for graving of the Kingis grace armes with unicornis, thrissillis, and flour de lyces upoune the samin piece, and graving of the dait of yere upoune the mouth thairof, and upoun ..., sindry utheris pieces sett in task by Johnne Drummond to him, £13-6s-8d.
Four Scottish
falconets
The typical falconets, ''Microhierax'', are a bird of prey genus in the family Falconidae. They are found in southeast Asia and the smallest members of Falconiformes, averaging about in length and in weight. The smallest members of the genus ...
with 'IRS' (Iacobus Rex Scotorum) royal ciphers were captured by the English at the
battle of Solway Moss
The Battle of Solway Moss took place on Solway Moss near the River Esk on the English side of the Anglo-Scottish border in November 1542 between English and Scottish forces.
The Scottish King James V had refused to break from the Catholic Chu ...
, and another was recovered from
Castle Semple Loch
Castle Semple Loch is a 1.5-mile-long (2.5 km) inland freshwater loch at Lochwinnoch in Renfrewshire, Scotland. Originally part of an estate of the same name, it is now administered by Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park as a watersports centre. ...
and is now in the
collection of Glasgow Museums.
St Giles' Kirk
Andrew Mansioun also worked for Edinburgh town with an annual retainer of 10
merks
The merk is a long-obsolete Scottish silver coin. Originally the same word as a money mark of silver, the merk was in circulation at the end of the 16th century and in the 17th century. It was originally valued at 13 shillings 4 pence (exactly ...
. He made stools for
St Giles Cathedral
St Giles' Cathedral ( gd, Cathair-eaglais Naomh Giles), or the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in the Old Town, Edinburgh, Old Town of Edinburgh. The current building was begun in the 14th century and extended ...
and in 1554 he completed the quire stalls and a new door to the quire. During this work Mansioun had a team of three carpenters working for him, described as his servants, and the town employed two labourers, Home and Hainslie, to fetch and carry for him.
Edinburgh tolbooth and the fortress on Inchkeith
The gunners' expertise with ropes lifting cannon was also used by the town council. On 22 February 1555, Andrew and two Flemish colleagues from the royal artillery met the town's master wrights to discuss how the new timberwork of
Tolbooth belfy and steeple would be hauled into position. The following Monday the work began, and in the next week the framework of the belfry, called a "brandrauth" was raised by 28 men "by force at once."
In the autumn of 1555, Mansioun was based on the island of
Inchkeith where he was in charge of horses and winches during the building of a fortress designed by a Siennese architect Lorenzo Pomarelli for
Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise (french: Marie de Guise; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was a French noblewoman of the House of Guise, a cadet branch of the House of Lorraine and one of the most powerful families in France. She ...
.
An altarpiece for Chapel Royal at Holyrood Palace
In May 1559 Mary of Guise had a new altarpiece installed in the Chapel Royal at Holyrood House. Exchequer documents show that she ordered paintings from Flanders for the altarpiece, and Andrew Mansioun contributed to making the frame.
Mary, Queen of Scots
On 28 December 1561, Mary, Queen of Scots made him 'Master Wrycht and Gunnare ordinare' for life. For this, Andrew had a monthly salary of £8-6s-8d. In August 1579, on his death, the position was given to his son Francis.
Mary, Queen of Scots had her own French carpenter in her household to make and mend her furniture, beds, coffers and palace fixtures, Nicolas Guillebault. He was described as a ''valet de fourriére'' and ''menusier''. His companion was Pierre Somville or Domville. There are several payments to "Nycolas Guillebank" in the treasurer's accounts, which show that he did some upholstery, but they do not give much detail of his work. The queen is known have had the configuration of some of her beds altered. It has been suggested a payment of £120
Scots in May 1566 was for making a cradle in expectation of the birth of
Prince James at Edinburgh Castle. "Nicholace Gilbout" was paid for uphostering a chair for James VI at Stirling Castle with blue velvet in October 1567.
Life and family
Little is known of Andrew's origins, but the Scottish exchequer records consistently describe him as French. As one of the royal gunners, Andrew was hurt defending Edinburgh Castle from the
English invasion of 1544 that opened the war of
the Rough Wooing. One of his own cannon had backfired, and in June 1544 he was given 44 shillings to pay for treatment to his hand. Later, his salary or pension was increased to compensate him for his hand's lameness.
Andrew stayed in Edinburgh, where he had his own workshop (a ''buith''), and the terms of his pension or retainer of 10 marks in 1544 mention his sons. He joined the Edinburgh incorporation of masons, wrights, glaziers, and painters. From September 1555 he was one of four master craftsmen who judged the assay pieces of tables or dressers made by carpenters who wanted to become free masters of the craft. He was also resident in the Canongate, at that a time a separate jurisdiction to Edinburgh, where he was an elder of the kirk in August 1567 and served on the Canongate burgh council in 1568.
He was paid his royal pension of £16 in January 1579 and a further £29 in April and this is last record of him. Another royal gunner, Robert Robertson, made furniture for James VI, including a table in September 1579.
Several descendants continued as carpenters (called ''wrights''). Francis, who took his place as a gunner at
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. ...
in August 1579, was probably the eldest son. Francis Mansioun was the official of the trade organisation in Edinburgh as 'Deacon of the Wrights' in 1595, and as such he was asked to comment on the repair of
St Giles Cathedral
St Giles' Cathedral ( gd, Cathair-eaglais Naomh Giles), or the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in the Old Town, Edinburgh, Old Town of Edinburgh. The current building was begun in the 14th century and extended ...
. Francis made an oak pulpit for the Kirk of
Falkland in August 1602. Joshua and Isaac Mansioun, probably siblings, were also Deacons of the Wrights in Edinburgh, and John Mansioun married to Barbara Kello was also a wright in Edinburgh in 1603.
James Rokno, the son of Mansioun's Flemish colleague Tibault Rokno, also stayed in Edinburgh and became a gunner of the royal artillery. James Rokno was made master wright and gunner as his "guid-father" James Hectour had been in 1584, and Rokno's old position was given to David Selkirk. In 1589 he was the gunner on the ''James'', the ship that took
James VI to Norway to meet his bride
Anne of Denmark
Anne of Denmark (; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I; as such, she was Queen of Scotland
The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional fo ...
.
[Miles Kerr-Peterson & Michael Pearce, 'James VI's English Subsidy and Danish Dowry Accounts, 1588-1596', ''Scottish History Society Miscellany XVI'' (Woodbridge, 2020), p. 29.]
References
Michael Pearce, 'A French Furniture Maker and the 'Courtly Style' in Sixteenth-Century Scotland', ''Regional Furniture'', XXXII (2018)
External links
Historic Scotland TV advert from 2011 featuring "Monsieur Andre Manson"*
Historic Environment Scotland , Stirling Castle: A Glimpse of MagnificenceCraftsmen in the royal accounts: Research on James V's patronage of artist-makers
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mansioun, Andrew
Court of James V of Scotland
Court of Mary, Queen of Scots
1579 deaths
British woodcarvers
Scottish soldiers
French artists
French expatriates in Scotland
Scottish military engineers
Year of birth unknown
French furniture makers
16th-century Scottish businesspeople
Material culture of royal courts