The Master of Works to the Crown of Scotland was responsible for the construction, repair and maintenance of royal palaces, castles and other crown property in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. The main buildings were;

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 ...

;

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. ...

;

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 ...

;

Linlithgow Palace The ruins of Linlithgow Palace are located in the town of Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland, west of Edinburgh. The palace was one of the principal residences of the monarchs of Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland in the 15th and 16th ce ...

; and

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 position was roughly equivalent to that of

Surveyor of the King's Works The Office of Works was established in the English royal household in 1378 to oversee the building and maintenance of the royal castles and residences. In 1832 it became the Works Department forces within the Office of Woods, Forests, Land Reven ...

in the English Royal Household.Colvin, p1155 The emergence of the position reflected a shift in responsibility from the masons, or administrators in holy orders, to designers with little hands-on knowledge of

stonemasonry Stonemasonry or stonecraft is the creation of buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone as the primary material. It is one of the oldest activities and professions in human history. Many of the long-lasting, ancient shelters, temples, ...

. Earlier holders of the office were often courtiers:

James Hamilton of Finnart Sir James Hamilton of Finnart (c. 1495 – 16 August 1540) was a Scottish nobleman and architect, the illegitimate son of James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran, and Marion Boyd of Bonshaw. Although legitimated in 1512 while still a minor, he conti ...

was the king's kinsman; John Scrymgeour was a

heraldic Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branc ...

expert; while

William Schaw William Schaw (c. 1550–1602) was Master of Works to James VI of Scotland for building castles and palaces, and is claimed to have been an important figure in the development of Freemasonry in Scotland. Biography William Schaw was the second ...

, an administrator, was a key figure in the development of

Freemasonry Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

, itself a 'craft' having little to do with building.Glendinning & McKechnie, p.66 Later holders filled a role similar to that of

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

s in the modern sense. Some Masters were craftsmen; Robert Robertson, who was master of work at Stirling Castle after the execution of the aristocrat Hamilton of Finnart, was a carpenter. During the reign of

James V 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 ...

there was also a Principal Master Wright or carpenter,

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 Auchterade ...

, and as well as building works he was concerned with the artillery and its logistics. In the 15th century, a Master of Works would be appointed to oversee an individual construction project, such as a new palace, or a rebuilding of an old one. Thus the exchequer records identify several postholders who might be regarded as accountants rather than architects. In the 16th century, during the reign of James V, the appointment of a Principal Master of Works began, with overall responsibility for all the king's works. The appointment was usually for life. Following the death of James Smith in 1714, the post became a

sinecure A sinecure ( or ; from the Latin , 'without', and , 'care') is an office, carrying a salary or otherwise generating income, that requires or involves little or no responsibility, labour, or active service. The term originated in the medieval ch ...

, with a salary of £400, and the post declined in importance. In 1808 Robert Reid was named Architect and Surveyor to the King in Scotland, and he became Master of Works following the death of James Brodie in 1824. However, in 1831 the Scottish Office of Works was merged with the English Office of Works, and when Reid retired in 1840, he was not replaced. The Office of Works was later reconstituted as the Ministry of Works.

Principal Masters of Works to the Crown of Scotland

The dates given are those of their appointment. These appointments were made by the issue of a warrant recorded in the ''Register of the Privy Seal.''

William MacDowall William MacDowall (died 1580) was a Scottish priest and Master of Works to Mary, Queen of Scots, her mother Mary of Guise, and James VI of Scotland. The title 'sir' was used in Scotland by a priest without a master's degree. The name appears var ...

, though acting as master of work never had a warrant, and some appointments ran concurrently. *1529: Sir James Nycholay, or Nicolson, Master of Work at

. *1537: John Scrymgeour *1539: Sir

*1541: Robert Robertson (Principal master wright in Stirling Castle) *1543: John Hamilton of Milnburn *1579: Sir

Robert Drummond of Carnock Sir Robert Drummond of Carnock (died 1592) was Master of Work to the Crown of Scotland from 1579 to 1583. This was the responsibility for building and repair of palaces and castles. His appointment was made to be "as Sir James Hamilton of Finnart ...

*1583:

*1602–1607: Sir

David Cunningham of Robertland Sir David Cunningham of Robertland, in Ayrshire, was Master of Works to the Crown of Scotland from 1602 to 1607, and Surveyor of the King's Works in England from 1604 to 1606 Career Exiled for murder Involved in the murder of the Earl of Eglinto ...

, also

in England, 1604–1606.McKean, Charles (2001). ''The Scottish Chateau''. Sutton Publishing. . p.158. *1607–1634: Sir James Murray of Kilbaberton ::*1615: Walter Murray (Assistant Master of Works) *1629–1637: Sir Anthony Alexander ::*1632: William Govane of Cardrona and James Murray Jr. (Assistant Masters of Works) *1637–1641:

Henry Alexander, 3rd Earl of Stirling Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) * Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

*1641: Sir

John Veitch of Dawyck Sir John Veitch of Dawyck was a Scottish landowner, administrator, and Master of Work in Scotland for Charles I. He was the son of James Veitch of Dawyck and Christian Murray, a daughter of John Murray of Black Barony. The family estates were ...

*1643–1644: John Carmichael *1645–1649: Sir David Carmichael of Hyndford *1649: Sir Robert Montgomery *1660–1668: Sir William Murray of

Dreghorn Dreghorn is a village in North Ayrshire, Scotland, east of Irvine town centre, on the old main road from Irvine to Kilmarnock. It is sited on a ridge between two rivers. As archaeological excavations near the village centre have found a signifi ...

The office was unoccupied from 1668–1671. *1671–1678: Sir William Bruce of Balcaskie, Baronet *1678–1683: David Maitland (acting Master of Works) *1683–1788: James Smith *1689–1700: Sir Archibald Murray of Blackbarony, Baronet *1700–1704: James Scott of Logie *1704–1705: Sir Francis Scott of Thirlestane *1705–1714: John Campbell of Mamor *1705–1717: John Urquhart of Meldrum *1707–1714: James Smith (position renewed) *1717–1743: Sir John Anstruther of Anstruther *1743–1761: George Dundas *1761–1764: William Stewart of Hartwood *1764–1768: James Duff, of the Middle Temple, London *1768–1809: Lieutenant-Colonel James Pringle *1809–1824: James Brodie of Brodie *1824–1840: Robert Reid

References

Bibliography

* * * {{Stonemasonry Lists of office-holders in Scotland