John Scrimgeour of Myres
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John Scrimgeour of Myres Castle near Falkland, Fife was Master of Work for royal buildings for James V and Mary, Queen of Scots, and Precentor of the Scottish Chapel Royal.
He and his father held their lands by right of an hereditary office as sergeant-of-arms or macer to the King of Scotland.[1] John Scrimgeour kept the building accounts for most of the works of James V from 1529, especially for Falkland Palace and Holyroodhouse, and most of these accounts survive. As well as supervising building work and contracts, Scrimgeour was also involved in collected taxes, mostly from church lands, which James V had allocated to the works.[2]
From a tax on church lands granted to James V for his expenses in France, from October 1536 to September 1538, Scrimgeour received £4996-7s-10d Scots.[3]
Scrimgeour was briefly eclipsed between 1538 and 1540 when Sir James Hamilton of Finnart was appointed Principal Master of Work with higher authority, and again in the first years of the regency of James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran who employed a kinsman, John Hamilton of Milnburn. During the war of the Rough Wooing, in October 1545 Scrimgeour became the treasurer of a force of 1000 border horseman, administering a tax of £18,000 raised for their wages. He was to spend three months in the Merse and Teviotdale attending the musters of this defence force.[4]
A case was brought against Scrimgeour in the Stewartry Court of Fife, held in Falkland Palace on 9 February 1548, when William Bonair of Rossy disputed his rights to the lands of Glasstullo.[5]
In September 1553 he spent £2333-6s-8d on Arran's building works.[6] Subsequently he was employed by Mary of Guise and her daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots.[7] He seems to have died in the year 1563. He was succeeded by sir William MacDowall, who had long been a clerk in the works.[8]
Manuscript
The National Library of Scotland has a volume of heraldic writings which belonged to John Scrimgeour, including a bestiary. The text of The Deidis of Armorie also includes advice for heraldic officers, including the Captains of castles and towns, who were instructed to keep certain and sure watch both day and night for fear of the return of plague.[9]