Baillie John MacMorran (1553-1595), a merchant and

Baillie A bailie or baillie is a civic officer in the local government of Scotland. The position arose in the burghs, where bailies formerly held a post similar to that of an alderman or magistrate (see bailiff). Baillies appointed the high constables ...

of Edinburgh, was killed during a riot at

Edinburgh High School The Royal High School (RHS) of Edinburgh is a co-educational school administered by the City of Edinburgh Council. The school was founded in 1128 and is one of the oldest schools in Scotland. It serves around 1,400 pupils drawn from four feeder pr ...

. His house at Riddle's Court is a valued monument on Edinburgh's

Lawnmarket The Royal Mile () is the nickname of a series of streets forming the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of Edinburgh, Scotland. The term originated in the early 20th century and has since entered popular usage. The Royal Mile runs between two ...

Career

John MacMorran was a merchant involved in shipping, with shares in nine ships worth over £4,000 at his death, and had exported one cargo of wax and salmon worth £3,928, large amounts at the time, indicating he was one of the wealthiest merchants in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

. He built a large house in Edinburgh's

, which still survives, and is now known as Riddle's Court. A carved window frame with shutters from the MacMorran house was displayed at Edinburgh's Huntly House museum. MacMorran had been a servant of

Regent Morton James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton (c. 1516 – 2 June 1581) was a Scottish nobleman. He played a leading role in the murders of Queen Mary's confidant, David Rizzio, and king consort Henry Darnley. He was the last of the four regents of Scot ...

in the 1570s, obtaining a reward as Morton's "domestic and familiar servitor" in August 1576. It was said that he helped conceal the former Regent's treasure. The townspeople complained that MacMorran exported grain to Spain (a Catholic country) in times of dearth. In March 1590 MacMorran wrote to Archibald Douglas, a Scottish diplomat in London to help resolve a shipping dispute. MacMorran was in Dover, and was investigating an old claim against Edward Betts who had robbed one of ships four years earlier. He hoped to recover the cost of two cannon and a cargo of lead.

Death at the Edinburgh High School

The scholars at

were disputing the length of their holidays. They managed to shut themselves up in the building, at that time on the site of the old Blackfriars Monastery, near the present-day Drummond Street. After two days, on 15 September 1595, the town council sent John MacMorran, as a Baillie of Edinburgh, to end the

sit-in A sit-in or sit-down is a form of direct action that involves one or more people occupying an area for a protest, often to promote political, social, or economic change. The protestors gather conspicuously in a space or building, refusing to mo ...

. MacMorran and his men were about to break in, using a beam as a battering-ram, when he was shot in the forehead and died instantly. The shot was fired from a window by the 13-year-old son of William

Sinclair Sinclair may refer to: Places * Lake Sinclair, near Milledgeville, Georgia * Mount Sinclair, Canada * Sinclair, Iowa * Sinclair, West Virginia * Sinclair, Wyoming * Sinclair Mills, British Columbia * Sinclair Township, Minnesota * Sincl ...

of Mey, uncle and Chancellor of the

Earl of Caithness Earl of Caithness is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland, and it has a very complex history. Its first grant, in the modern sense as to have been counted in strict lists of peerages, is now generally held to hav ...

. The boys either fled or were captured. Justice was delayed for several months, as both the children' families and MacMorran's family were wealthy and able to ask the King,

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 ...

, to intervene. Lord Home made representations for one English culprit, the son of one Richard Foster, who was the first prisoner to be released. The English diplomat George Nicholson heard the town would benefit by raising contributions for building churches from the boys' supporters. Seven were released soon after James Pringle of Whytbank (who lived at

Moubray House Moubray House, 51 and 53 High Street, is one of the oldest buildings on the Royal Mile, and one of the oldest occupied residential buildings in Edinburgh, Scotland. The façade dates from the early 17th century, built on foundations laid . The te ...

), made a plea on their behalf to the Privy Council late in November. Eventually young William Sinclair and all the others were released without penalty. The schoolmaster, and prolific poet in Latin,

Hercules Rollock Hercules Rollock (fl. 1577–1599), Edinburgh schoolmaster and writer of Latin verse. He was born in Dundee, and an elder brother of Robert Rollock. He graduated at the University of St Andrews, was regent at King's College, Aberdeen, and then sp ...

, was sacked. John MacMorran was buried in the kirkyard of Greyfriars, and a memorial inscription in Latin praised his services to the town.

House at Riddle's Court

John MacMorran's house and contents, and his business, passed to his brother Ninian, to administer for John's children and his widow Katherine Hutcheson. At the time of his death, Bailie John owned part shares in several ships including the ''Anna'' (named for

Anne of Denmark Anne of Denmark (; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I. She was List of Scottish royal consorts, Queen of Scotland from their marriage on 20 August 1589 and List of English royal consorts, Queen of Engl ...

), the ''Grace of God'', the ''Pelican'', the ''Good Fortune'', the ''Elspeth'', the ''Fleur-de-lys'', and the ''Thomas''. He had a fortune in gold coins. An inventory of the furnishings of the house at John's death survives in the

National Archives of Scotland The National Archives of Scotland (NAS) is the previous name of the National Records of Scotland (NRS), and are the national archives of Scotland, based in Edinburgh. The NAS claims to have one of the most varied collection of archives in Europ ...

. A walnut dresser in his dining room was probably a French import. The house was described by the antiquarian and historian Daniel Wilson.

Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Dunfermline Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Dunfermline (1555 – 16 June 1622) was a Scottish lawyer, judge and politician. He served as Lord President of the Court of Session from 1598 to 1604, Lord Chancellor of Scotland from 1604 to 1622 and as a Lord High ...

rented accommodation from MacMorran, probably at Riddle's Court. In July 1597 James VI held a lengthy audience with the English ambassador Robert Bowes in Seton's garden.

Royal banquets

In 1598, two or more banquets were held in the house for Ulrik, Duke of Holstein, the younger brother of

. Robert Birrell noted the "great solemnity and merryness" at the banquet on 2 May 1598, attended by

and Anne of Denmark. Anne of Denmark's Danish cook, Hans Poppilman, was paid £10 Scots. The banquet involved sugar confections and sweetmeats made by a Flemish confectioner,

Jacques de Bousie Jacques de Bousie (floruit 1580–1610) was a Flemish people, Flemish confectioner known as a "sugarman" working in Edinburgh, Scotland, employed by James VI of Scotland, James VI and Anne of Denmark. Career Bousie was asked to make confections i ...

, who was a favourite of the queen. He was paid £184 Scots for sugar works, one of the most costly items on the bill. Wine was sweetened and spiced to make

Hippocras Hippocras sometimes spelled hipocras or hypocras, is a drink made from wine mixed with sugar and spices, usually including cinnamon, and possibly heated. After steeping the spices in the sweetened wine for a day, the spices are strained out th ...

by two apothecaries, John Lawtie and

John Clavie John Clavie or Clavee (died 1607) was a Scottish apothecary who worked for James VI and I and the royal family. Background Clavie was based in Edinburgh and moved with the court to London on the Union of the Crowns. He was probably related to "Jho ...

, and a third apothecary,

Alexander Barclay Dr Alexander Barclay ( – 10 June 1552) was a poet and clergyman of the Church of England, probably born in Scotland. Biography Barclay was born in about 1476. His place of birth is a matter of dispute, but William Bulleyn, who was a ...

made two pints of "vergeis" and a

mutchkin ''Disambiguation: a "mutchkin" can also refer a close-fitting Scottish cap''. The mutchkin () was a Scottish unit of liquid volume measurement that was in use from at least 1661 (and possibly as early as the 15th century) until the late 19th cent ...

of perfumed rose water. Tapestries were borrowed from

Holyrood Palace The Palace of Holyroodhouse ( or ), commonly known as Holyrood Palace, 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 Castle, Holyrood has s ...

. Two French experts, Estienne Pierre and Robert Barbier, arranged the table linen. Ninian MacMorran was compensated for the loss of his best damask napkins during the banquet. Another banquet was held for the Duke of Holstein on 25 May, hosted by the

Duke of Lennox The title Duke of Lennox has been created several times in the peerage of Scotland, for Clan Stewart of Darnley. The dukedom, named for the district of Lennox in Dumbarton Dumbarton (; , or ; or , meaning 'fort of the Britons (histo ...

, and another hosted by the king on 27 May. Surviving painted decoration may be a remainder of an "ephemeral festive architecture" for the visit of the queen's brother.

Patrick Geddes Centre

In the mid-18th century Riddle's Court was home to

David Hume David Hume (; born David Home; – 25 August 1776) was a Scottish philosopher, historian, economist, and essayist who was best known for his highly influential system of empiricism, philosophical scepticism and metaphysical naturalism. Beg ...

and he began writing "The History of England" here. In 1890, the building was restored for use as a university hall of residence by the educationalist and polymath

Patrick Geddes Sir Patrick Geddes (2 October 1854 – 17 April 1932) was a Scottish biologist, sociologist, Comtean positivist, geographer, philanthropist and pioneering town planner. He is known for his innovative thinking in the fields of urban plannin ...

, the house is now cared for by the Scottish Historic Buildings Trust (SHBT), and was previously in part used by the

Workers' Educational Association Workers' Educational Associations (WEA) are not-for-profit bodies that deliver further education to adults in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. WEA UK WEA UK, founded in 1903, is the UK's largest voluntary sector provider of adult edu ...

and the

Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland The Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland (AHSS) is a society dedicated to the protection and study of the built heritage of Scotland. It has around 1000 members and five regional groups responsible for commenting on planning applications in ...

. The building is now home to the Patrick Geddes Centre for Learning, an educational arm of the SHBT.Edward Hollis, ''A Drama in Time: A Guide to 400 Year's of Riddle's Court'' (Birlinn, Edinburgh, 2018). Professor Emerita

Maureen Meikle Maureen M. Meikle (1961-2023) was an academic historian. Her 1988 PhD thesis at the University of Edinburgh was titledLairds and gentlemen: A study of the landed families of the Eastern Anglo-Scottish Borders c.1540-1603. Maureen Meikle was a Fulb ...

gave a public lecture,'Anna of Denmark as Queen of Scots, 1590-1603', at the Patrick Geddes Centre on 30 October 2019.

References

External links for Riddle's Court

Michael Cressey, 'Riddle’s Court, Lawnmarket, Edinburgh: a merchant’s house fit for a king, ''Scottish Archaeological Internet Reports'', 102 (2023)

Riddle’s Court: a merchant's house fit for a king, by Dr Mike Cressey SAS

RCAHMS Canmore on Riddle's Court

SHBT on Riddle's Court

EWHT on Riddle's Court

The Patrick Geddes Centre at Riddle's Court
{{DEFAULTSORT:MacMorran, John 1595 deaths History of Edinburgh 16th-century Scottish people 16th-century Scottish merchants Scottish murder victims 1553 births 1595 in Scotland 1598 in Scotland Scottish merchants Old Town, Edinburgh Businesspeople from Edinburgh 16th-century Scottish businesspeople Scottish businesspeople in shipping Burials at Greyfriars Kirkyard Deaths by firearm in Scotland