DUNDEE: ITS QUAINT AND HISTORIC BUILDINGS.*

MODERN Dundee resembles the scion of an old house, who, having made a fortune in trade, does not bestow a thought upon his knightly ancestors and the barren acres he inherited from them. The author of this work plays the part of an old friend of the family who endeavours to inspire the pros- perous merchant with a sense of his dignity as the bearer of a historic name. We cordially wish him success in his praise- worthy endeavour. Local patriotism gains greatly in dignity by an infusion of the historic spirit ; and it is nothing less than a misfortune that the rich historical memories of our English and Scottish cities are so little known and heeded. Dundee has substantial reasons to be proud of its linen, its jute, and its marmalade ; but it should not altogether forget that it played a not undistinguished part in the early history of Scotland. The name Dundee is of Celtic origin, and according to the probable etymology, it signifies the hill or fort on the Tay. Its beginnings were, however, older than its dame; for during the progress of excavations for railway works in 1878, a large " kitchen-midden " was discovered in the Stannergate, relics of a colony of fishermen who must have dwelt by the estuary of the Tay in prehistoric times. The natural harbour formed by the Tay was the safest on the east coast from Buchan Ness to St. Abb's Head; and at an early period the fishing village of pre-

• Dundee its Quaint and Historic Buildings. By A. C. Lamb, F.S.A. Soot. Oundee: George l'etrie. 1395.

historic days developed into an important centre of com- merce. The ships of Dundee went to England, France,

Flanders, Norway, and Sweden, and brought back imports from those countries in exchange for Scottish exports. Wine and other luxuries for the Royal palaces were usually brought through the Tay, and not by the water-road of the Forth. Mr. Lamb mentions that the merchants of Dundee hired the ships of the King's navy when they were not required for the defence of the coasts, because the armed vessels gave greater security to their goods against the English pirates.

It is probable that Dundee owed in part its early com-

mercial prosperity to the circumstance that it was Earl David's burgh. David, Earl of Huntingdon, was the brother of William the Lion, King of Scotland, the bearer of an English title, and allied by marriage to the Dukes of Brittany

and Holland. By means of his position and connections he was able to promote the interests of his burgh. Mr. Lamb quotes a document preserved in the Chancery Office, London,

and dated October 26th, 1199, whereby King John of England "grants to the burgesses of Earl David, brother of the King of Scotland, of Dundee, freedom from toll and all other customs of the Crown, except in the city of London." This is said to be the earliest recorded instance of commercial intercourse between Scotland and England.

The wealth of Dundee made it a tempting prize for the pirate and the invader, and towards the sea it was but ill defended, being what the chroniclers call a "nakit toun." When Edward III. invaded Scotland in 1335, the ships he sent from Newcastle entered the Tay and burned the greater portion of the city, including the Franciscan Monastery. An old chronicler thus describes the incident :—

"The ships of Newcastle burned the greater part of the town of Dundee, and the dormitories and schools of the Minorite Friars; and the great bell thereof they took away, and one Friar they burned, who in secular life had formerly been a soldier, but nevertheless a man of good parts and holy character. The bell they exposed for sale at Newcastle, which was bought by the preaching Friars of Carlisle for ten merks; the one not having the right to sell, nor the other the right to buy."

Although exposed to attacks by sea, Dundee was well

defended on the landward side. It possessed a strong castle, which changed bands more than once during the wars between Scotland and England in the fourteenth century. It was besieged by Sir William Wallace, was handed over to John Balliol by the command of Edward I., and for a time Sir Piers de Gavestone, the favourite of Edward II., resided in it as warden and lieutenant of the English King north of the Forth. It was taken and dismantled by Edward Bruce before the battle of Bannockburn, and from that time it disappears from history. While the people of Dundee did not escape their share in the warlike troubles of medieval Scotland, they appear to have been by choice men of industry and

peace. Hector Boece, who was a native of Dundee, describes it as a town where there were many virtuous and laborious people making of claith." This industry had been improved by the introduction of Flemish workmen who taught better methods to the native workmen.

Most of the Scottish Kings were occasional visitors to Dundee, and some came frequently and presided at Exchequer Chambers. The migrating habits of mediaeval Kings helped to keep alive the sentiment of loyalty, and created an interest in national affairs in places remote from the capitals. The

last of the ancient race of Kings who visited Dundee was the Chevalier de St. George, who passed through it in 1716 on his way from Glamis Castle to Perth. Till the present reign,

the Hanoverian Sovereigns, for the most part, avoided Scot- land, which was suspected of a lingering attachment to the old dynasty. Dundee has, however, been twice honoured by a visit from her Majesty Queen Victoria, who has more than compensated to Scotland for the neglect of her predecessors.

Dundee has its full share of ecclesiastical associations. It has sometimes been called "The Scottish Geneva," because

of the part it took in the Reformation of Religion. George Wishart, the martyr, preached in it, according to tradition, at the Cowgait Port, although Mr. Lamb thinks that the East Port, from which he preached, was in the Seagait. A

memorable Assembly of the Church was held in Dundee in May, 1595, at which James VI. was present in person. He desired to persuade the Assembly to adopt certain resolutions which were designed to pave the way for the introduction of Episcopacy. The most dreaded opponent of the Royal designs was Andrew Melville, Professor of Theology at St. Andrews. Melville received a hint that it was the King's wish that he should leave Dundee, and return home. As the sturdy Presbyterian leader refused to comply unless ordered, although threatened with the "dint of the King's anger," he was summoned to the Royal apartments. James intended to be conciliatory, but Scotch tempers are short when ecclesiastical affairs are in question, and after some interchange of pre- liminary courtesies, they both "heckled-to," and disputed for more than an hour in tones so loud that they were heard through the whole house, and beyond it ! James Graham, of Claverhouse, who has been termed the " hero-fiend " of Scottish history, took his title from Dundee. One of the Scrymgeours of Dudhope had been created Viscount, and afterwards Earl, of Dundee. On his death, without issue, the lands of Dudhope passed into the bands of the Earl of Lauderdale, who was succeeded by his son Richard, Lord Justice-General of Scotland from 1681 to 1684. Mr. Lamb says that Lauderdale sold Dudhope Castle and the estate to Claverhonse. According to other authorities, they were transferred to him by Royal grant, Lauderdale having forfeited them by a decree of the House of Lords against him in consequence of his malversations with regard to the Scottish Mint. Claverhouse brought his wife to Dudhope after his marriage, and resided there, filling for a time the office of Constable of Dundee, in which capa- city he showed moderation and humanity. He was a favourite of James II., who, shortly before his abdication, conferred upon him the title of Viscount Dundee, which he lived to enjoy only for a few months. Mr. Lamb quotes a poem which represents Claverhouse as raising the standard for the Northern War at the top-of the Law of Dundee. For this, as far as we know, there is no historical authority. When Claverhonse left Edinburgh, he retired to Dudhope; but the gates of Dundee were shut against him. He had to leave Dudhope and go to Glen Ogilvy to avoid capture, and it was from Glen Ogilvy that he made his way to the North to raise the standard for King James.

A word of praise must be given to the illustrations which adorn Mr. Lamb's sumptuous volume. Some of these are of general historical interest,—for example, the facsimile of the map of Great Britain by Matthew of Paris, the original of which is in the British Museum, and the facsimile of another map belonging to the thirteenth century from the Bodleian Library. There is also a fine drawing of one of the few remaining architectural glories of Old Dundee, Saint Mary's Tower, or as it is familiarly called, the Old Steeple. Sir Gilbert Scott wrote of it :—" It is not only one of the noblest towers in Great Britain, but the originality of its design, and the bold simplicity of its entire ideal, combined with wonder- ful effectiveness, gives it a very high rank in the works of our great medimval architects." Many of the old buildings and streets, of which drawings are given, have been removed to make way for modern structures. This should render the illustrations all the more acceptable to citizens of Dundee, who will be able by their help to picture to themselves the aspect of their city in past times. Mr. Lamb deserves high praise for his painstaking and interesting work, which must have cost many years of self-denying labour. It is too large and costly to pass into the hands of the general public, though a judicious selection might easily be made for their use ; but many in Dundee can well afford to purchase it, and they ought not to miss the opportunity of possessing themselves of a splendid memorial of their ancient city.