William MacDowall
William MacDowall (died 1580) was a Scottish priest and Master of Works to
Career
He was first employed by
As master of work for Edinburgh burgh council, MacDowall measured quantities and made contracts with masons, including works at
After the death of Mary of Guise he remained in Edinburgh Castle and was charged with neglecting his duties as a warden and Master of St. Pauls Work.
Although MacDowall was not again employed by the town, he worked for Mary, Queen of Scots, and repaired a pair of organs at Holroodhouse.[11] He visited the island of Inchkeith with Captain Robert Anstruther on 12 September 1561 to direct repairs to the fortress. In November 1561, with David Rowan, an expert gunner from Edinburgh castle, he surveyed the fortifications at Dunbar Castle.[12] MacDowall was working at Stirling Castle in October 1566, on an archery range at Holyroodhouse in February 1567, and other projects at Linlithgow Palace and Edinburgh Castle.[13] Works continued in Edinburgh from August 1567 to February 1568, and with repairs at Blackness Castle to December.[14] As master of work he surveyed the work of craftsmen appointed by the crown to look after the palaces; such as William Robertson, the slater, and Steven Loch, glass-wright, both appointed by Mary, Queen of Scots 28 April 1562.[15]
In September 1570 he began work at Stirling Castle,
In October 1579 he completed works in preparation for the
Church appointments
The historian Gordon Donaldson noted MacDowall as an example of a pluralist since in addition to wages and fees for his royal building work, as a priest MacDowall not only gained by royal patronage the incomes from several altars and churches but also exemption from paying dues back to the crown.[21] MacDowall gained the vicarage of the parish of Leswalt in Whithorn diocese on 1 January 1559.[22] After William's death, in March 1580, his vicarages of Leswalt and Inch, were given to Richard Waus, a natural son of Patrick Vans of Barnbarroch. Drummany (Dalmeny) was given to its Minister, George Lundy, after James, son of James Stewart of Craigiehall, was found inadequate to be appointed Reader.[23]
Bannatyne's Memoriall Buik
George Bannatyne (1545–1608), an Edinburgh merchant who made a collection of Scottish poetry, compiled a family "Memoriall Buik" in which he recorded the names of the godparents of his siblings. The list includes William (1557), and another priest sir Robert Danielstoun or Denniston, Parson of Dysart (1551) whose brother served as a master of work, and keeper of Linlithgow Palace.[24]
References
- ^ Paton ed. (1957), 302, 303, 305, 306, 307.
- ^ HM Paton ed., The Accounts of the Masters of Work for building Scottish Royal Castles and Palaces, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1957), pp. xxvii, 147-9.
- ^ Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland, vol. 9, (1911), 336, 347, 401, 444.
- ^ Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland, vol. 10 (Edinburgh, 1913), pp. 240, 296-7: Extracts from the Council Register of Aberdeen (Spalding Club, 1844), p. 297.
- ^ James Balfour Paul, Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland, vol. 10 (Edinburgh, 1913), pp. 409-10, 418, 431-4.
- ^ Robert Adam ed, Edinburgh Records, The Burgh Accounts, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1899), see McDougall in index.
- ^ Edinburgh Records - The Burgh Accounts, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1899), p. 74.
- ^ Extracts from the records of the burgh of Edinburgh, 1557-1571 (Edinburgh, 1875), pp. 67-8: Calendar State Papers Scotland, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1898), p. 429.
- ^ Marguerite Wood, Extracts from the Burgh Records of Edinburgh, 1604-1626 (Edinburgh, 1931), p. 52.
- ^ Alan R. MacDonald, The Burghs and Parliament in Scotland, c1550-1661 (2007), pp. 140-3.
- ^ Robert S. Mylne, Master Masons to the Crown of Scotland (1893), p. 53.
- ^ James Balfour Paul, Accounts of the Treasurer, vol. 11 (Edinburgh, 1916) pp. 85, 114-6.
- ^ Accounts of the Treasurer of Scotland, vol. 12 (Edinburgh, 1970), pp. 30, 47, 58.
- ^ Accounts of the Treasurer of Scotland, vol. 12 (Edinburgh, 1970), 95, 177.
- ^ Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland, vol. 5, part 1 (Edinburgh, 1957), p. 263 nos. 1018, 1019.
- ^ Charles Thorpe McInnes, Accounts of the Treasurer, 1566-1574, vol. 12 (Edinburgh, 1970), p. 216.
- ^ Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland, vol. 12 (Edinburgh, 1970), pp. 216, 255, 340, 348, 381, 383, 387, 392.
- ^ Henry Paton, Masters of Works (Edinburgh, 1957), pp. 302-307: Accounts of the Treasurer of Scotland, vol. 13, pp. 148, 150, 162, 166.
- ^ Accounts of the Treasurer, vol. 13 (Edinburgh, 1978), p. 292.
- ^ James David Marwick, Trinity Church and Hospital (Burgh Record Society, 1891), p. 109.
- ^ Gordon Donaldson, The Scottish Reformation: ed., Accounts of the Thirds of Benefices, SHS
- ^ Register of the Great Seal of Scotland, vol. 5, part 1, HMSO (1957), 160, no. 725.
- ^ Register of the Privy Seal, vol. 7 (Edinburgh, 1966), p. 370 nos. 2241-2, 2312
- ^ Theo Van Heijnsbergen, 'Literature and History in Queen Mary's Edinburgh', in Renaissance in Scotland, (Brill, 1994), p. 225.