Events in Scottish History
April
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	1		April		1820		Placards which would start the Radical War of 1820, otherwise known as the Scottish Insurrection, were displayed in Glasgow.
	1		April				"April Fool's" day used to be known as "Hunt the Gowk" (a gowk is a cuckoo). Lost in antiquity some suggest origins in 16th century in France, when the new year was changed from 1 April to 1 January, and mocks those slow on the uptake of the change. In France the day's symbol is a fish.
	2		April		1593		A charter to found The  College of New Aberdeen, later Marischal College was issued by George Keith, the Fifth Earl Marischal of Scotland.
	2		April				"Preen-Tail Day" or "Tailie Day" following All Fool's Day when paper tails were attached to the backs of unsuspecting people as a joke.
	3		April		1728		James Anderson, lawyer, historian, genealogist and antiquary, died.
	3		April		1820		The first day of the Radical War of 1820, otherwise known as the Scottish Insurrection. Work stopped and workers marched on the Carron Iron Works intent on seizing weapons
	4		April		1617		John Napier of Merchiston, inventor of logarithms, died.
	4		April		1849		The Clydesdale Joint Stock Agricultural & Commercial Company was established "for the purpose of acquiring land in some suitable locality in the United States of America, in which to establish by means of the united capital and industry of its partners, a comfortable home for themselves and families, where they may follow a more simple, useful and rational mode of life than is found practicable in the complex and competition state of society, from which they have become anxious to retire.” The members were John Jack, James Love, John Craig, John McAndrews, James Shanks, James Gardner, Robertson Sinclair, John Davis and John Campbell." See also Alexander Gardner
	4		April		1840		Reverend John Campbell, Missionary, died in South Africa.
	5		April		1820		The Striking Workers of the Radical War of 1820 on their way to the Carron Iron Works were attacked by Hussars at Bonnymuir.  The leaders were subsequently executed and many others convicted and transported to Australia as criminals.
	6		April		1320		The Declaration of Arbroath was drawn up at Arbroath Abbey. It was a letter, in Latin, from the Scottish nobility to Pope John XXII asserting Scotland's independence and warning of their right to dethrone King Robert I should he "give up what he has begun, and agree to make us or our kingdom subject to the King of England or the English." The Declaration of Arbroath is said to have influenced the US Declaration of Independence in 1776.
	6		April		1773		James Mill, the Scottish philosopher and historian was born. His son was the philosopher, John Stuart Mill.
	7		April		1718		Dr Hugh Blair, born in Edinburgh.
	8		April		1783		John Claudius Loudon, landscape gardener and architect, born at Cambuslang, Lanarkshire.
	9		April		1747		Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat, beheaded at Tower Hill for his part in the Jacobite Rising of 1745, at the age of 80.  On the scaffold he encouraged his nervous executioner with the words "Cheer up thy heart man, I am not afraid. Why should you be? "
	10		April		1512		James V born.
	10		April		1840		Alexander Nasmyth, Scots painter, died in Edinburgh.
	11		April		1839		John Galt, novelist,   died Greenock, Renfrewshire.
	12		April		1606	UF	The first Union Flag adopted as the Flag of Scotland, England (and Wales) initially a Royal flag and was first known as "the British Flag" or the "Flag of Britain". (The current version which incorporated Ireland dates from 1801).
	12		April		1941		Charles Murray, North East poet, died at Banchory, Aberdeenshire.
	13		April		1951		The Stone taken from the Coronation chair in 1950 by Scottish Students was returned to Westminster, after having been found at Arbroath Abbey. Is that Stone, now in the Perth Museum, the "Stone of Destiny"?
	13		April		1912		King George V signed a Royal Warrant establishing the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) on 13th April 1912. The first Officer Commanding the RFC was General David Y Henderson (born Glasgow 11th August 1862), who took the Corps to France in 1914. 2012 marked the centenary of the founding of the Corps.
	14		April		1582		Charter granted by James VI which would lead to the foundation of University of Edinburgh in 1583
	15		April		1641		Sir Robert Sibbald, physician and geographer, born.
	15		April		1710		William Cullen, physician, chemist and metallurgist, born.
	15		April		1714		Adam Gib, Secessionist minister, born. (Other sources note 7th or 14th April but this is from his memorial at Greyfriars Churchyard)
	15		April		1746		The Battle of Littleferry/Bonar Bridge/Skirmish at Golspie near Dunrobin, the Jacobite Earl of Cromartie's Regiment defeated by Sutherland Militia loyal to the Government.
	15		April		1865		Poet Walter Wingate born in Dalry, Ayrshire, author of "Sair Finger" and "Paper Kate".
	15		April		1877		Sir David Ross, philosopher, born in Thurso, Caithness.
	16		April		1728		Joseph Black MD born.  He was the first to identify CO2, laying the foundation of modern chemistry.
	16		April		1746		Battle of Culloden. Fought on Drummossie Moor near Culloden House, not an English Scottish Battle as often portrayed but the last battle for the Jacobite (exiled House of Stuart) Cause, with Scots on both sides. No Regiment has this as a Battle Honour.
	16		April		1953		HM The Queen launches the Royal Yacht "BRITANNIA" at the John Brown & Co Shipyard, Clydebank.
	17		April		1850		James Thom, the Ayrshire Sculptor, died in New York. Ref: The Every Day Book Of History And Chronology: Embracing The Anniversaries Of Memorable Persons And Events In Every Period And State Of The World, From The Creation To The Present Time (1858) Munsell, Joel ISBN: 0548583358
	18		April		1916		Wing Commander Harbourne Mackay Stephen CBE, DSO, DFC*, RAF retd, born in Elgin. As a Spitfire Pilot in the Battle of Britain he destroyed 20 enemy aircraft.
	19		April		1390		Robert II, son of  Robert the Bruce's daughter, Marjorie, died.
	20		April		1851		Young Tom Morris, golfer, born, St Andrews.
	20		April		1918		Mora Agnes Dickson, author and artist, and later founder with husband Alec of Voluntary Service Overseas, born in Glasgow. Ref: International Who's Who of Authors and Writers 2004 By Elizabeth Sleeman, ISBN:1857431790
	21		April		1671		John Law, economist, Scottish monetary reformer and originator of the “Mississippi scheme” for the development of French territories in America, baptised.
	21		April		1838		John Muir, America's most famous and influential naturalist and conservationist, and founder of the Sierra Club, born in Dunbar, East Lothian.
	21		April		1926		The future HM Queen Elizabeth born.
	22		April		1765		Rev James Grahame, poet and clergyman, born in Glasgow.
	23		April		1124		Alexander I died at Stirling Castle.
	23		April		1661		Charles II crowned at Westminster Abbey.
	23		April		1781		General James Abercromby (also Abercombie) commander-in-chief of British Forces in North America in the French and Indian War, died.
	24		April		1558		Mary Queen of Scots married the French Dauphin, François de Valois, at Notre Dame in Paris.
	24		April		1633		Privy Council issues a Warrant to Sir David Hepburn to raise a regiment of 1,200 men to fight in French Service. Hepburn's Regiment later became The Royal Scots, the oldest regiment in the British Army and served for 373 Years before being merged into the new Royal Regiment of Scotland in 2006.
	24		April		1882		Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding, Commander of Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain, born Moffat, Dumfries and Galloway.
	25		April		1058		Malcolm Canmore  crowned at Scone.
	25		April		1710		James Ferguson, astronomer, fellow of the Royal Society, born.
	25		April		1915		ANZAC Day which commemorates the landing of Australian and New Zealand (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) troops at Ari Burnu on the Gallipoli peninsula in 1915 marking the emergence of the young nations on the world stage and establishing a reputation for courage and determination that stands to this day. The main British Landings were at Cape Helles and Sedd-El-Bahr. The Lancashire Fusiliers famously won "six VCs before breakfast" at W Beach on April 25, and lost 164 men that day.
	26		April		1854		Henry, Lord Cockburn,who campaigned to protect and improve the beauty of Edinburgh  died at his home near the City.
	27		April		1650		The Battle of Carbisdale. The Marquis of Montrose's final Campaign, in the North of Scotland, came to an end when his Royalist force was surprised and overwhelmed by Colonel David Strachan.
	27		April		1794		James Bruce, explorer, died at Larbert.
	28		April		1842		Sir Charles Bell, surgeon, anatomist and physiologist died. His most notable achievements were his description of the exterior respiratory nerve ("Bell's nerve"), his discovery that lesion of the seventh facial nerve causes facial paralysis ("Bell's palsy"), and his demonstration of the motor function of anterior roots and the sensory function of dorsal roots in spinal nerves (the "Bell-Magendie law").
	29		April		1667		John Arbuthnot, scholar and Fellow of the Royal Society, born or baptised.
	30		April		1854		James Montgomery, the Scottish poet and hymn writer died. His hymns included 'Lift Up Your Heads Ye Gates of Brass'.