Events this week in Scottish History

5th September 1750: Robert Ferguson, Scots writer born in Edinburgh.
Robert Ferguson on Jeff Nisbet’s Edinburgh – Facebook Page

5th September 1808: John Home, Scots writer, minister and historian, died at Merchiston Bank, near Edinburgh.

6th September 1715: John Erskine, the 6th Earl of Mar,”Bobbing John”, raised the Standard for James Francis Edward Stuart, the “Old Pretender” at the Braes o’ Mar, at the start of the 1715 Rising.
Braemar, Scotland : History & Folklore

6th September 1876: John James Richard Macleod, discoverer of insulin, born near Dunkeld.

6th September 1914: The start of the Battle of The Marne which halted the German advance into France. While this is seen as a French victory, the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) under General French played a prominent part.

7th September 1306: Sir Simon Fraser (The Patriot), captured at St John’s Town was hanged, drawn and quartered in London and his head was displayed on London Bridge alongside William Wallace’s.
Sir Herbert Morham and Thomas Le Boys were beheaded at the Tower for supporting the Scots’ Cause. Sir Christopher Seton, a Yorkshire knight married to Bruce’s sister Christian, also captured at St John’s Town was hanged, cut down and beheaded.

7th September 1736: Captain John Porteous was seized by a mob from the Edinburgh Tolbooth and hanged from a dyer’s pole in the Grassmarket for his alleged role in firing on a crowd earlier that year.

7th September 1775: John Leyden, poet and orientalist, was born at Denholm.

8th September 1468: Christian I of Denmark, Sweden and Norway contracted the marriage of his only daughter Margaret Oldenburg, Princess of Denmark to James III (after discharging the Annual of Norway for Man and the Hebrides) with a dowry of 60,000 florins, 10,000 florins to be paid before her departure, and Orkney being pledged for 50,000 florins. References: International Law in Historical Perspective, J. H. W. Verzijl p 391 Publication of the Stair Society p. 448 SCAN Catalogue – person record The Annexation of the earldom of Orkney and lordship of Shetland to the Crown, 20th February 1472

8th September 1650: Princess Elizabeth, daughter of Charles I, died of neglect at Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight and was buried at Newport Parish Church, Sts Thomas.

9th September 1513: James IV and the Flower of Scotland fell in battle at Flodden Field, near Branxton, Northumberland, to the billhooks of the Earl of Surrey’s English Army. James IV had invaded England as a consequence of the “Auld Alliance” in response to Henry VIII‘s invasion of France.

9th September 1543: Mary Queen of Scots crowned at Stirling Castle.

9th September 1758: Alexander Nasmyth, Scots painter, born in Edinburgh.

10th September 1547: The Battle of Pinkie, between Musselburgh and Wallyford on the Esk, part of an English attempt to force a union of the kingdoms by attempting to marry Mary Queen of Scots to Prince Edward (later Edward VI) saw the Scots lead by the Earl of Arran defeated by an English Army led by the Duke of Somerset. Over half the Scots Army was killed or wounded, but the English plan failed as they were prevented from reaching Edinburgh, and their attack precipitated Mary’s marriage to the Dauphin of France..

10th September 1621: Sir William Alexander, later 1st Earl of Stirling and later 1st Viscount of Canada, was granted Nova Scotia by a Royal Charter from James VI. The charter came with a title of Baronet of Nova Scotia. He later created the Knights Baronets of Nova Scotia.

10th September 1763: James Thomson born. He wrote chiefly in the local vernacular describing Currie. He died in 1832.

10th September 1847: The Caledonian Railway opened its line from Carlisle to Beattock.

11th September 1297: The Battle of Stirling Bridge. The Scots Army led Andrew Moray and William Wallace defeated and destroy half the English Army, led by Hugh de Cressingham, drawing them onto boggy ground, across the bridge, and cutting them off from the rest of the English Army, led by John de Warenne, Earl of Surrey.

12th September 1848: William McNab, the curator of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, who moved the garden to its current location at Inverleith Row, died.

Source: The Scottish Invention of America, Democracy and Human Rights By Alexander Leslie Klieforth, Robert John Munro ISBN-10: 0761827919

13th September 1644: The Battle of Aberdeen. The Marquis of Montrose captures the city from the Covenanters led by Lord Burleigh.

13th September 1645: The Battle of Philiphaugh. The Marquis of Montrose was defeated by General David Leslie. The Battle of Philiphaugh Memorial, Philiphaugh Estates