The Scottish town that was rebuilt from the ashes and prospered

There is also a continuing dispute as to where one of the most humiliating episodes in Scottish history took place, but my own research has convinced me that it was at Montrose and not Brechin that King John Balliol was stripped of his kingship – and his fine clothes – and sent into exile by King Edward I of England. More about that later.

Firstly, let me give you an update on where we are in this series about Scotland’s ancient towns, and if you have missed any and are an online subscriber it is easy to read any of the past columns. I have already written about St Andrews, Stornoway, Elgin, Falkirk, Arbroath, Ayr, Paisley, Dumbarton, Dumfries, Lanark, Tain, Brechin, Rutherglen, Dunbar, Dunkeld and Haddington and still to come are Hamilton, Kilmarnock, Forfar, Kilwinning, Irvine and Renfrew.

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Despite a plea from a reader, I have rejected Leven in Fife, because it doesn’t quite meet my criteria for inclusion in this series. To be included in the list of ancient towns I set the following rules: they all have to have played a part in the history of Scotland and be “ancient”, which I interpret as being established as a town, usually a burgh, before the Reformation in 1560. Anyone who wants to promote their town for a column should email me at nationalhamish@gmail.com.

Readers will already know I am concentrating on the earliest history of these towns, because self-evidently that is what makes them “ancient”. I also want to write about towns whose history has been thoroughly researched – history writers like myself depend on real historians for our facts and I am grateful once again to electricscotland.com for their online publication of a truly remarkable work first produced in 1866: The History Of Montrose, Containing Important Particulars In Relation To Its Trade, Manufactures, Commerce, Shipping, Antiquities, Eminent Men, Town Houses Of The Neighbouring Country Gentry In Former Years &c.

Local historian David Mitchell compiled this book and it’s a comprehensive account of the town as it stood in the 1860s. This week and next I will try to emulate Mitchell and give a thorough account of this fascinating town.

Like many of our ancient towns, Montrose owes its development and later importance to its strategic location, in its case on the east coast between the mouths of the rivers North Esk and South Esk. Midway between Aberdeen and Dundee, its natural harbour made it an obvious place for settlement, and archaeological finds have confirmed that the area was occupied in Neolithic times, while all around the tidal basin that juts inland from the town there is evidence of early Christianity in the area.

There have been arguments about the name Montrose, but it is generally accepted that it derives from the Gaelic words Moine and Ros, meaning “moss” or “moor”,

and “promontory”. Later tradition has it that the name comes from “mount of the roses” hence the town motto: mare diktat, rose decorat, which means “the sea enriches, the rose adorns”.

As with other places in Angus, Montrose was a settlement of the Picts, and it was a substantial township by the tenth century. We know that to be the case because it was frequently raided by the Vikings and it was Danish invaders from across the North Sea who burned the first Montrose to the ground in 980.

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As with so much of Scottish history from the early mediaeval period, little is known about the development of Montrose, but it did benefit from being associated with Christian institutions, though frankly there is still a lot of investigation required about Montrose’s links to the church in the latter part of the first millennium.

Montrose was definitely rebuilt and had a castle by the early 12th century, for it was in the reign of King David I (1124-53) that the town was given a royal charter, effectively creating a royal burgh known by its old name of Salloch or Sallorch.

That charter was confirmed two centuries later by King David II, but the wording is thought to have been taken directly from the original charter by the first King David: “With the territories, and common pasture of the said burgh, adjacent thereto, with the fisheries, within the waters of Northesk and Southesk, by cruives, yaires, and nets of old accustomed, and belonging to the said burgh, with the wind and water-mills, and their multures, with tolls, petty-customs, courts, and their issues, to be held and kept in the appointed and accustomed places of the said burgh, with muirs and marshes, paths and ways, as also with all and every the liberties, advantages, easements, and rights, thereto belonging whatsoever, as well within said burgh as without, as well below as above the earth, pertaining to said burgh, in future, as freely and peacefully, fully, wholly, and honourably, rightly, and agreeably as to any others of our burghs in Scotland, is granted.”

What a remarkable advantage this royal patronage gave to the burgh, especially in trading links. King David I’s successor, Malcolm IV (“the Maiden”, above on coinage), also gave Montrose his attention, and noted its salt pans and water mills. Sometime around 1180, Malcolm’s successor King William I (“the Lion”) built a stone fortification at nearby Lunan and often resided there for the many hunting trips he made.

In 1194, King William granted the castle and surrounding estates to his royal chamberlain, Walter de Berkely, and his family and later occupants extended the castle, making it a sandstone enclosure which a deed of 1286 referred to as “Rubeum castrum”, or “Red Castle”, the name by which it is still known.

(It is not to be confused with Montrose Castle of which nothing remains except its possible location.)

The town was once again burned to the ground during one of the many struggles between nobles in the 13th century, probably in 1244. Again it was rebuilt.

It was at Montrose Castle that Edward Longshanks (above) stayed during his conquest of Scotland after the Battle of Dunbar in 1296. Though modern historians say the English king’s humiliation of King John Balliol took place either in Brechin or StrathacroStracathro, I prefer the account of the chroniclers Andrew de Wyntoun and Blind Harry, who say that Balliol was taken to Montrose in July, 1296 and stripped of his kingship by forced abdication.

Longshanks then had all Balliol’s finery removed, earning him the nickname of “Toom Tabard” or “empty shirt”. A dozen burgesses of Montrose were recorded as doing homage to Edward I in that same year, which is presumably why the town did not suffer the grisly fate which was visited by the English king on Berwick.

Such was Scottish anger at the English treatment of their king that after the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297 Sir William Wallace came north to Montrose and destroyed the town’s castle, and not a stone of it now remains.

There is evidence that Montrose had its own grammar school by the 1320s, and certainly the town had at least two churches at that time.

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In 1357, Montrose is recorded as being among the burghs which met in Edinburgh to arrange the payment of the ransom for King David II, who had been captured by the English at the Battle of Neville’s Cross in 1346. A magistrate of the town named John Clark was one of the group of hostages who went to England in place of the king, who himself visited Montrose in 1369.

Prospering as a port with strong links to the Hanseatic League of towns on the Continent, Montrose grew in importance throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, again helped by royalty, particularly King James IV, who granted a renewed charter on September 20, 1493.

It was worded thus: “[To] our lovittes, the aldirmen, balzies, consale, and communitie of our burgh 6f Montrose, and their successoris perpetuallie sifc like privilege, freedoun, charges and ankerages, to be raist and taken at the pere, port, and havin of our said burgh, of all schippis, crearis, and botis, pertening to oure leigis, and strangaris, as is grantit and given be our maist nobill progenitors to the ports of Leyth and Dundee, or any otheris within our realme.”

David Mitchell records that “in virtue of this charter, the magistrates levy shore-dues, anchorage, and plankage at the harbour, by which they uphold piers, buoys, and moorings within the harbour”.

Montrose was attacked by the English navy and accompanying soldiers in 1548 during the Rough Wooing wars. Fortunately the Provost was John Erskine of Dun. I don’t know why more is not made of the remarkable defence of the town which he led, but Mitchell has left us a stirring account of the action: “Provost Erskine, upon the first intelligence, immediately sent orders through the burgh, that every person capable of bearing arms, should forthwith accoutre himself in the best manner possible, and proceed with all expedition to the links.

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“In the meantime he quickly armed his own retainers and servants, and, having waited the arrival of his troops (who were composed of a few soldiers, and a great multitude of merchants, tradesmen, and apprentices hastely armed), he divided them into three bands, and gave his prompt directions to each … The Provost, fighting at the head of his men, gradually retired before the enemy; and although the townsmen disputed every step of ground with the English, yet it appeared evident to them, that the undisciplined burgesses were yielding with decency and honour before the more numerous and courageous soldiery who headed the invasion.

“To flatter the enemy with this idea was the intention of Mr Erskine’s gradual retreat before them; and the effect was equal to his wish, for the English were thus imperceptibly drawn from their landing place to the ramparts of the Forthill, when, upon a signal being given, the first division of the townsmen rushed from behind the ramparts, and joined the second company under the Provost.

“For a moment the English paused; but, being encouraged by their leader, they renewed the conflict with redoubled vigour against the increased power of the townsmen, who, possessing now the advantage of the rising ground, as well as an increase of forces, successfully combated and cut down their enemies.

“The English precipitately fled towards the landing place; and being hotly pursued, great numbers of them were cut down in the way, and many more were slain in the hurry and confusion of embarking.

“The number of English who landed upon this expedition has been differently stated – probably they amounted to eight hundred; for although their loss in the Fife adventure was great, they had on board at least twelve hundred soldiers, previous to their descent upon the Scottish coast.

“Thus was Montrose at that time delivered, by the prompt measures of Mr Erskine, out of the hands of the English, whose intention was to plunder, despoil, and bum it; and this, too, was almost the last blood shed between Scotland and England as two different kingdoms.”

Even before he became Provost, Erskine of Dun had been a benefactor of the town, importing teachers from France so that Montrose’s school became the first in Scotland to have Greek on its curriculum. The school became a centre for the process of Reformation, with George Wishart – who was burned at the stake for heresy by Cardinal David Beaton in 1546 – being educated there, as were James and Andrew Melville.

I will write more about Erskine of Dun next week when I will also write briefly of the town’s most famous citizen, James Graham, the Marquis (Marquess) of Montrose.