Protestant Exiles from France/Book First - Chapter 14
Chapter XIV.
ADDITIONAL ENQUIRIES CONCERNING SCOTLAND.
I have already alluded to the probability that the welcome given to Huguenot refugees by Scotland brought a Huguenot element into the population. The result of searches made in parochial registers and minutes of Commissary Courts is scanty. The Edinburgh registers begin early in 1595. On 16th June 1595 there is the marriage of Andro Groser to Christiane Neilsonne. There is a conjecture that the surname of Grosart is of French refugee origin; perhaps we have found the veritable refugee. At the baptism of his first child, Francis, on 24th November 1596, the witnesses were Francis Naper and Mr. Seyer, “of the Coynie House;” the latter may have been a French Protestant of some distinction employed in the Scottish Mint. To be associated with a “Naper” was to be in good company. On “Wednisday, 2 Aprile 1595,” there is the baptism of Johne, son of “Robert Naper, marchant” — “witnesses, John M‘Moraine, ballie, and John Naper of Merchestoun.”
We come to an indubitable Frenchman on “Wednisday, 6 August 1595,” the day of the baptism of William, son of “Pasquers Tollet, marykin-maker.” (The Christian name is evidently Pasquier mis-spelt, usually registered 'Pasqueir'.) The trade of marikin-maker (as the registrars afterwards spell it) was apparently introduced by him and by another Frenchman, Jonas George (the French form of the name is Georges), who first appears as a witness to the baptism of a son of Tollet, named after him, on 28th May 1598. Jonas George, marikin-maker, married Agnes Glorie (or Gloriez); their first child was baptized on 11th April 1602; it is not till January 1608 that the register gives mothers’ names. In 1602 a witness to a baptism in the George family was Joshua Hamia, maltman; in 1603 a witness was Jaques D’labougne, merchant; in the year 1610 George returned his friend’s compliment by naming a son Pasquier. On 28th August 1597, Helen, daughter of Thomas Heriot, hatmaker, was baptized, the witness being Pasquier Tollet, marikin-maker.
The word marikin is derived from the French marroquin, of which the dictionary definition is, “a goat’s skin dressed after the manner used in Morocco.” In Jamieson’s Scottish Dictionary there is “Mariken” or “Maryskyn,” a dressed goat-skin (a word used in the Acts of King Charles II.); and a quotation is given from Cotgrave’s French-English Dictionary: “Marroquin — Spanish leather made of goats’ skins, or goats’ leather not tanned but dressed with galls.” The phrase “morocco leather” (now “morocco” only) is comparatively modern, and in 1688 was not known to Miege, whose dictionary has the phrase, “Marroquin de Levant, Turkey leather.” We meet in the Edinburgh baptismal register with the name of Robert Ray, marikin-man, on 7th October 1604, and of William Hepburn, marikin-dresser, on 28th January 1619; the witness to the baptism of Anne Ray was Andrew Hart, buik-seller.
At some of the earliest dates, surnames with the prefix D’ occur occasionally. On 30th November 1597 there is the baptism of Susanna, daughter of Christiane D’Carll, carpenter; on 18th June 1598, Christiane, daughter of Peter D’Hunger, litstar (i.e., dyer); on 22d April 1599, William, son of Jaques D’Unseir, suttonman (here Jamieson fails me), witnesses, William D’Royther, Ferdinando D’Cuitmezzer. If the Christian name Jaques betokens French ancestry, then we may claim some persons named Barroun; on 25th May 1600, Jaques Barroun, merchant, was a witness of the baptism of James, son of Alexander Barroun, chirurgeon, the other witness being Johne Nasmyth, chirurgeon. Jaques D’labary, merchant, appears as a witness to a baptism on 17th September 1605.
On 25th October 1601, Adrian Bolldollingie, knockmaker (i.e., clockmaker), has a son Jacob baptized, the witnesses being Harie Wilsoune and Jaques D’bargaur, merchants. Another, and perhaps a rather more correct spelling of his name, occurs on 2 st April 1608, when “Adrien Bowdellingie, knokmaker,” is registered as witness to the baptism of Marion, daughter of Josias Riccard, croslet-maker. Isobell, daughter of Nicolas Foucart, liorologier, was baptized on 4th February 1603. And on 14th April 1611, when his daughter Margaret was baptized, he was registered as “Horolograr to the Queins Majestie.”
Perhaps the name of Molière is represented among our refugees. On 12th April 1607, Daniell Molier, doctour in medicin, brings his infant son Archibald for baptism. When he reappears on 19th September 1609 with Elizabeth Lendman, his wife, and another infant named George, he is registered as “Daniel Meler, doctor of medicin.” Probably the first spelling is the more correct one. There was another medical doctor, whose name the registrar represented by varied spelling. “23 July 1598. Mr. Martone Schonerz, doctor in medicine, A.S.N. Edward — W., Mr. Edward Bruce. Commendator of Kinloss, Gilbert Primros, chirurgeon.” “28 August 1603. Mr. Martene Schoneir, doctor in medicine, A.D.N. Elizabeth — W., William Fouller, merchant.” [The above are specimens of the form of a registration in Edinburgh. A.S.N. = a son named; A.D.N. = a daughter named; W. = witness, or witnesses.]
Of course, in searching the register, I paused at every outlandish name. 31 Dec. 1505. Peter Tollas and Thomas, his son. 25 Dec. 1603. Henrie Stallingis, pesement-maker, A.S.N. Peter — W., Peter Zippis, Jaques Seggat. The above Peter Zippis, merchant, appears on 17th September 1605 and 20th December 1607. 27th January 1605, Andrew Zicart. On 16th April 1607 we find “Johne quhippo, baxter (i.e., baker), tua twines (i.e., two twins), the ane A.S.N. James — W., William Smaill, James Stevinsone, baxters, the uther A.D.N. Christin — W., Gawan Stevinsone, baxter." 20th September 1607, Michaell Flabame, merchant. 23d October 1607, Hew Charlevie, merchant. Mrs. Jonas George had two brothers, Thomas and Alexander Glorie. Alexander, who was a wright, married Beatrice Trotter, and their son William was baptized on 12th April 1612 — witnesses, William Penstoune and Pasquier Tollet. Pasquier Tollet had three children, William (1st August 1595), Jonas (28th May 1598), and Janet (26th October 1600). Jonas George had eight children, Johne (1602), Jaques (1603), William (1604), Margaret (1605), a second Johne (1607), Duncan (1609), Pasquier (1610), and a third Johne (1613). After 1613 there is no indication of French ancestry in parents” names registered in Edinburgh.
As to Glasgow, there is one singular indication that there may have been a French congregation in that city. The Town Council Minutes begin in 1573; the first surviving registration of a baptism is dated 3d August 1609, and the first marriage on record, 1st November 1612. The one entry to which I allude is a minute of Town Council, dated 23d February 1628, “Ordanes the dean of gild to aggrie with Dunlope, and to reseave him burges and gild brother, and gif his fyne to Maister Robert Scott for releis of the Frainche ministeris sonnes debt.”
It is remarkable that most families in Scotland who claim Huguenot refugee ancestry descend, if their tradition is well founded, from the earlier refugees. The biographer of Sir James Young Simpson, Bart., M.D., declares confidently that the maternal grandmother of that distinguished Professor belonged to “the Huguenot refugee family of Jarvey.” This surname was originally Jervay, which looks like a corruption of the French Gervais. But the first occurrence of that surname is evidently Scotch. In the Commissariot of Edinburgh, 21st May 1577, Malie Browster, widow, succeeds to her deceased husband, James Jervay, farmer in Holenebuss (i.e., Hollybush), on the estate of Lord Fleming. Apparently in this case, as in two or three others, a modern surname may represent two distinct ancient surnames. There is, however, another point of departure for Scoto-Huguenots brought to light by the industry of old John Pointer, M.A., of Oxford, in his “Chronological History of England”:—
“1669. Dec. 8. There was published in Scotland an Act for the Naturalisation of Strangers of the Protestant Religion, that should bring their Estates, or set up new Works and Manufactures amongst them.”
Such an Act may be accounted for by the condition of the Protestants of France at that date. Browning says in his History of the Huguenots:—
“An edict against emigration was issued in 1669; the tyrannical enactments on this subject afford materials for extensive commentary; edict followed edict in rapid succession; and the degree of penalty proceeded in an awful gradation from fine to imprisonment — the galleys — and death. Colbert’s influence was still in favour of the Protestants, and the threatened storm was for a time postponed. But the revocation of the Edict of Nantes was certainly contemplated in 1669.”
The Act of the Scottish Parliament for the Naturalisation of Strangers escaped the notice of Wodrow. It is dated at Edinburgh, December viii, mdclxix, and is as follows:—
"Our Soverane Lord, out of his innate bounty and royall inclination to favour and protect strangers, and for the incres and promoveing of trade and manufactories, being graciously pleased and willing to give incouragement to strangers to repair to and duell and reside within this kingdome, have therefor thought fit, lykas his Majestie, with advice and consent of his Estates of Parliament, doth heirby statute, ordeane, and declair That all strangers, being of the Protestant religion, either such who haveing estates shall think fit to bring the same to this kingdom to dwell and inhabite within the same, or who shall come to set up new works and manufactories therein, and shall repair to and satle their abode, dwelling, and residence within this kingdome, shall be and are heirby naturalised as native borne subjects of the kingdome of Scotland, and are to enjoy his Majestie’s royall protection, the benefite of the law, and all other priviledges which ane native doeth enjoy, als freelie in all respects as if they themselffs had been borne within the same; and that they shall have libertie and freedome of trade, and freedome to buy and purchese lands, heretages, and other goods moveable and unmoveable, and to enjoy the same be succession, pushes, or donation, or any other way, and to dispose therof and transmit them to their airs and successors who are to succeid therunto; and to enjoy all other liberties, priviledges, and capacities which doeth belong to, and are competent and shall belong to any native subject borne within the kingdome. And further, his Majesty doeth declare that, upon application to be made to him be these strangers, he will grant unto them the frie and publick exercise of their religion in their oune languages, and the libertie of haveing churches within this kingdom. It is alwayes heirby provydit that no person or persons shall have the benefite of this Act wntill first by petition to the Lords of his Majesties Privy Councill, containing ane exact designation of their names, places of their birth and former residence, and that they are of the Protestant religion, it be fund by the Councill that they are qualified according to this Act and ought to have the benefite therof. And it is heirby declared that these presents, with ane extract of the Act of Councill in favors of the saids persons to the effect forsaid, shall be unto them a sufficient naturalization to all intents and purposes; which extract shall be given unto them freelie without payment of any money or composition, save only the fee of nyne pund Scots money to the Clerks of Councill and their servants.”
It does not appear in the Minutes of the Scottish Privy Council that any French Protestants applied for naturalisation. The reason may be that the Town Councils of Royal Burghs could give them permission to reside and trade in towns, and thus no certificate of naturalisation was requisite, it being unlikely that any would resort to rural dwellings. On 26th June 1669 the Town Council of Edinburgh granted a warrant to Anne Salomon, Frenchwoman, to sell pebbles, precious stones, or other commodities she had to sell. On 26th March 1675 Lewis Defrance presented to the Council certificates that “he is well expert in that famous and excellent airt of musick, and hath ye most fyne and newest tunes which have beene sung in the Court of France, both French and Italian,” and petitioned for permission “to keep ane publick musick scholl for the benefeit of the inhabitants.” His petition was granted, on the understanding that it was an exceptional case, it being the rule that “no stranger of ane other nation shall have liberty.” Before the close of the year the music-school in Aberdeen desired a teacher, and he hastened to divest himself of his office in Edinburgh, and “Lues de France” was admitted master of the music school at Aberdeen on 24th November 1675 (see the printed Extracts in the Burgh Records Society’s publication). He was re-engaged at Edinburgh in 1682 (8th March), and there we leave him on 11th December 1685, receiving more liberal payments from the Town Council. On 11th January 1682, Jean Debaut, rop-maker, received a grant of a piece of waste ground beween Edinburgh and Leith, to set up a work for making rigging for ships. [There was on 25th October 1683 a Paul Dubois, rope-maker in Dublin.]
If the Jervays came from France in 1669, their case is singular, because they were farmers. Sir James Simpson’s ancestor was Edward Jervay, farmer in Torwood, in the parish of Dunipace. His testament is in the Edinburgh Commissariot records, by which it appears that he died in the month of November 1675. His brother John was tenant of Larbert-Sheills, and died in December of the same year. A kinsman was tenant of Steinertishill or Stenhouse Hill, James Jervey, who died in 1677; whose grandson was Rev. Charles Jervey, M.A., of Glasgow, Presbyterian minister of Campvere in Holland, who died 13th August 1738, aged about thirty-seven. The descendants of “Torwood” removed into the parish of Bathgate, leaving in the Dunipace register what seems to be a protest that they were of Huguenot descent. On 16th October 1748 the baptism of Alexander, a son of William Jervy, had been registered; Jervy has been erased, and Gervie in bold characters has been written over the erasure.
I might give specimens of other names which are said to be Huguenot, and which date from an earlier period than 1685; for instance —
Cousin. As a Scotch name, spelt Cusing, it appears in the baptismal register of Dunfermline on 17th July 1586. In the Scotch registers I found it correctly spelt once only, namely, James Cousin, schoolmaster in New Greyfriars’ parish, Edinburgh, in 1755 and 1757; that he named a son Gideon might indicate Huguenot ancestry. As to spellings which may imply a French origin, we may note James Cusine, or Cousine, weaver and portioner of Uddingston, who died 13th January 1746; and John Cousines, formerly master of the good ship The Othello, latterly a ship-master in Greenock, who died in June 1765.
Fish. This is a Berwickshire surname. In the parish register of Chirnside there is the baptism of Catharine, daughter of John Fish, 7th May 1671, and other baptisms follow, down to 14th October 1687.
Dippie. Robert Dippe, or Deippe, or Dippie, upholsterer and trunkmaker, in “Caldtoune,” Edinburgh, made a marriage contract on 7th October 1663. Eupham Deippie, relict of Robert Moreson, burgess of Canongate, was buried in the Abbey of Holyrood on 17th May 1665. “Died at his son-in-law’s house, West Coates, Edinburgh, 16th January 1881, Peter Dippie, late of Chirnside, in his eighty-eighth year.”
*⁎* A young Scottish gentleman, Alexander Thomson, Esq., of Banchory (born 1798, died 1868), brought to light the medal struck by Pope Gregory XIII., in honour of the Massacre of St. Bartholomew, 1572, the existence of which had been denied by the Romanists and forgotten by most Protestants. Mr. Thomson was in Rome in the end of 1828 and beginning of 1829, and wrote the following account of his visits to the Papal Mint in the Vatican:—
“I went to the Papal Mint in the Vatican, and presented a list of a few medals I wished to purchase, among which I named Ugonotorum strages. The Custode read my list, and said, ‘I can give you all of these, but one, of which I am not certain, but I will go and look for it’ He returned in a few minutes, and said he had found one impression of Ugonotorum strages, which he handed to me, pointing out that it was badly struck; he, however, told me they had the original die, and would be happy to throw off a few, of which I might have my choice. I secured the damaged one, and arranged to return in a fortnight, when he said the others would be ready. I did so, and he produced six, telling me to choose any one I liked. To his considerable surprise I chose the whole, instantly paid for them, and walked off with my prize. In order to make them of general use, I distributed them among friends in different parts of the world. Somehow or other the medal attracted notice, and engravings of it were published in various books — for example, by the Religious Tract Society, on the title-page of tract 458, The Testimony of History against the Church of Rome. The fact of course became known in Rome, and I am informed that in consequence the sale of single medals has been stopped, and nothing sold less than a complete series, costing upwards of £100.” — Smeaton’s Memoir of Alex. Thomson, Edin., 1869, p. 95.