Page 46 - Fenning_Scoland

Mall delivered by Royal Messenger -1676

The Stuart kings required reliable communications between England and Scotland
Whitehall 24 June 1676 very late in order to facilitate the government of both kingdoms. In 1603, postmasters were
established along the Great North Road "for the service of His Majesty's packets as
Yours of this day ... with your date 18 and should be 17 June came to my hands yesterday. His Majesty was then at well by night as by day". Royal couriers carried the letters and this system for
Windsor having gone from this (Whitehallj yesterday at 4 in the morning. It was 9 this night before he came home, I
connecting the king and his court in London to the Scottish Privy Council in
met him in the gallerie at about 10. I got an opporlunity to show him your letter which by his command I did read him Edinburgh continued through the 17'n Century. On average, the journey took 6 days
every word. He was exceedingly pleased with it and is most fixed in his resolution. So that on Tuesday I shall have
no pleasing answer to return to our new Justice General who wrote me a letter which I received yesterday. I told the
King of it this night, but had no time to show it, but His Majesty shall Godwilling read it tomorrow, and I dare
prophesise the return will not please the writer of it. So then if he be wise he will comply speedily. It is so late it is
impossible to write more. My humble seNice to M. Atholl and all friends. So dearest brother, Adieu.

The writer, John Maitland, 1 51 Duke of Lauderdale, was Lord High
Commissioner to the Parliament of Scotland, the Scottish Sovereign's
personal representative to the Parliament. This role existed from James
Vl's accession to the English throne in 1603 until the Act of Union in 1707. ~ 4~/~·
I
Lauderdale was an ardent Presbyterian who took the Covenant, and, in i
I ,,
1643, was sent to England as a Commissioner for the Covenant. In 1647, ... ~' ~~?-~}
"'
he was commissioned by the Scottish Parliament to treat with King ...
Charles I and, shortly after, he commanded a regiment of horse at the
Battle of Marston Moor. Soon after, he had a change of heart and, by :n_~tt~
1648, had joined an alliance with the English royalists. After Charles I's
execution, he went to Holland to offer his services to the future Charles II.
In 1651, he was taken prisoner at the Battle of Worcester and he remained
in confinement in the Tower of London until March 1660.
After the Restoration, Lauderdale became a trusted advisor to King
Charles II and was appointed Lord High Commissioner for Scotland. He
lodged at Whitehall where he was "never from the king's ear nor council'. t4th June 1676. Letter from the Duke of Lauderdale, Lord High Commissioner to the
r,arliament of Scotland, at the Palace of Whitehall, London to his brother Lord
He took his seat in the famous cabinet council known as the CABAL
r alton, Treasurer-depute of Scotland, in Edinburgh.
administration, his initial 'L' giving the final letter to the word cabal (now
established in the English language to mean a clique), formed by the
!
initials of the five who composed the Council (Clifford, Arlington , lr 1676, these were the two most powerful men in Scottish politics, with Lauderdale
Buckingham, Ashley and Lauderdale). effectively governing Scotland on the king's behalf and Halton acting as a kind of
re-regent under his brother. This letter, in the Duke's handwriting but signed only
1
rother', was written within two hours of meeting with King Charles U in the Gallery
The addressee, Charles Maitland, Lord Halton, was His Majesty's Treasurer-depute of Scotland, and f Whitehall Palace to discuss a letter received from Halton the previous day.
sat in the Parliament of Scotland as a Great Officer of State. He assisted his brother, the Duke of
e letter required only 'in Scotland' on the address panel as the Royal Messenger
Lauderdale, in the management of public business in Scotland. In August 1682, upon the death of the f
Duke, Charles Maitland became 3rd Earl of Lauderdale. rrying it would have known where to find the Privy Councillors in Edinburgh.

The subject of the letter was Sir Archibald Primrose, 1 51 baronet, Lord Carrington, a Scottish judge. lJhe letter was sealed with a royal seal of state 'HONI SOIT ~
His opposition to the Duke of Lauderdale's policies and his authorship of the Rescissory Act of 1661,
which ended Presbyterianism until the Act of 1690 re-established it again, resulted in him being viewed by OUI MALY PENSE' surmounted by a crown and encircling
the Lauderdale family as an enemy. This letter from the Duke shows that malevolence towards Primrose. the Scottish lion rampant.

At the Restoration, Primrose was appointed Lord Clerk Register, an office that he held until 1676 when he
was removed from office following an intrigue, attributed to the influence of the Duchess of Lauderdale.
The office was then given to the Duchess's kinsman, Sir Thomas Murray. Primrose received the office of
Justice General which was inferior in emoluments. He was deprived of this office in October 1678.