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 James V (10 April 1512 – 14 December 1542) was King of Scotland from 9 September 1513 until his death in 1542. He was crowned on 21 September 1513 at the age of seventeen months. James was the son of King James IV and Margaret Tudor, and du ...

. 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 or Strath Earn (, from gd, Srath Èireann) is the strath of the River Earn, in Scotland, extending from Loch Earn in the West to the River Tay in the east.http://www.strathearn.com/st_where.htm Derivation of name Strathearn was on ...

, 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." The gift was from the young king with the advice of his mother

Margaret Tudor Margaret Tudor (28 November 1489 – 18 October 1541) was Queen of Scotland from 1503 until 1513 by marriage to King James IV. She then served as regent of Scotland during her son's minority, and successfully fought to extend her regency. Ma ...

Royal buildings

A Drummond family history attributed to him the fine timber work at Stirling Castle including the ceiling medallions known as the "Stirling Heads" and the roof of

Drummond Castle Drummond Castle is located in Perthshire, Scotland. The castle is known for its gardens, described by Historic Environment Scotland as "the best example of formal terraced gardens in Scotland." It is situated in Muthill parish, south of Crieff ...

set up in 1493. Records of the royal exchequer of Scotland outline the career of the Master Wright with more certainty. John Drummond was first recorded as a wright (carpenter) in 1506. In December 1508

James IV James IV (17 March 1473 – 9 September 1513) was King of Scotland from 11 June 1488 until his death at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. He inherited the throne at the age of fifteen on the death of his father, James III, at the Battle of Sauch ...

gave him a pension of £10 from the customs of Edinburgh, which he later surrendered for the gift of the mill of Milnab. James V made him Principal Master Wright on 8 June 1532. In Spring 1538 he went to Tantallon Castle and

Dunbar Castle Dunbar Castle was one of the strongest fortresses in Scotland, situated in a prominent position overlooking the harbour of the town of Dunbar, in East Lothian. Several fortifications were built successively on the site, near the English-Scotti ...

with William Hill, the master-smith, to oversee repair works. John Drummond 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 built a part of the Register House in Edinburgh Castle and also worked at the castle of

Crawfordjohn Crawfordjohn ( gd, Creamhain Eòin) is a small village and civil parish of 117 residents located in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.The Imperial gazetteer of Scotland. 1854. VOL.I (AAN-GORDON) by Rev. John Marius Wilson. p.315 https://archive.org/ ...

which had been forfeited to the crown by James Hamilton of Finnart. In March 1540 he organised repairs and re-slating of the roof of the great hall of Edinburgh Castle. In December 1541 he made an organ-loft at Edinburgh Castle and it was carried in carts down to

Holyroodhouse 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 Edinburgh ...

to be installed for Christmas.

Moving and mounting the royal artillery

In 1515, John took the guns off two warships, the ''James'' and '' Margaret'', at

Dumbarton Dumbarton (; also sco, Dumbairton; ) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. In 2006, it had an estimated population of 19,990. Dumbarton was the ca ...

, which had been returned from France by the

Duke of Albany Duke of Albany is a peerage title that has occasionally been bestowed on the younger sons in the Scottish and later the British royal family, particularly in the Houses of Stuart and Hanover. History The Dukedom of Albany was first granted ...

, 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. In 1528 he and another gunner, Robert Borthwick, advised the Master of Artillery, Alexander Jardine of Applegarth on cannon and equipment required to besiege Tantallon Castle. Drummond also had an armoury in a building at the gate of

rented from the priest of St. Leonards. On 8 August 1536, John delivered guns to George Stirling of Glorat at

Dumbarton Castle Dumbarton Castle ( gd, Dùn Breatainn, ; ) has the longest recorded history of any stronghold in Scotland. It sits on a volcanic plug of basalt known as Dumbarton Rock which is high and overlooks the Scottish town of Dumbarton. History Dum ...

. These included four great guns furnished with stocks, wheels, vices and wedges, six

falcons Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Falcons are widely distributed on all continents of the world except Antarctica, though closely related raptors did occur there in the Eocene. Adult falcons ...

with stocks and wheels, 33 hagbutts, four iron

culverin A culverin was initially an ancestor of the hand-held arquebus, but later was used to describe a type of medieval and Renaissance cannon. The term is derived from the French "''couleuvrine''" (from ''couleuvre'' "grass snake", following the ...

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 (died 1552) was a member of the powerful Red 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. Initi ...

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 The Mormaer or Earl of Angus was the ruler of the medieval Scottish province of Angus. The title, in the Peerage of Scotland, is held by the Duke of Hamilton, and is used as a courtesy title for the eldest son of the Duke's eldest son. Histor ...

. After James and his French bride,

Madeleine of Valois Madeleine of France or Madeleine of Valois (10 August 1520 – 7 July 1537) was a French princess who briefly became Queen of Scotland in 1537 as the first wife of King James V. The marriage was arranged in accordance with the Treaty of Rouen ...

, 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

and an officer of the Scottish royal ordnance that 16 great cannons or

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 Drummond was also in charge of the manufacture of gunpowder at Edinburgh. At the start of the war with England called the

Rough Wooing The Rough Wooing (December 1543 – March 1551), also known as the Eight Years' War, was part of the Anglo-Scottish Wars of the 16th century. Following its break with the Roman Catholic Church, England attacked Scotland, partly to break the ...

, John Drummond was at the siege of Glasgow Castle in April 1544, and 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

, and led the artillery train from Edinburgh Castle to the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh. John was given livery clothes at Christmas, the last time in 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

Restalrig Restalrig () is a small residential suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland (historically, an estate and independent parish). It is located east of the city centre, west of Craigentinny and to the east of Lochend, both of which it overlaps. Restalri ...

. 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.''Register of the Privy Seal: 1513-1546'' (Edinburgh, 1883), p. 102 no. 453, p. 357 no. 1603, p. 535 no. 2338.

References

* Thomas, Andrea, ''Princelie Majestie, the Court of James V'' (John Donald: Edinburgh, 2005) * Paton, Henry, ''Accounts of the Masters of Work for Palaces and Castle'', vol. 1 (HMSO: Edinburgh, 1957).

External links

Mylne, RS., 'Master Wrights of Scotland', ''Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries Scotland'', (1890), 288-297
{{DEFAULTSORT:Drummond, John Year of birth missing Year of death missing 16th-century Scottish people Court of James V of Scotland Scottish military engineers Court of James IV of Scotland Lairds