Alexander Park (merchant)

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Alexander Park
Born
Scotland
Died1570 (1571)
Edinburgh
Occupation Merchant
Known forImporting textiles and selling wine to Mary, Queen of Scots
SpouseElizabeth Stevenson
ChildrenMargaret and Elizabeth Park

Alexander Park (died 1570) was a Scottish merchant based in Edinburgh. He and his wife imported textiles and sold wine to Mary, Queen of Scots.

Contents

Career

Alexander Park supplied Spanish iron to Edinburgh Castle in 1553. [1] He imported French wine from Dieppe and Bordeaux. In 1564, Park and his servant Thomas Dicksoun supplied barrels of Bordeaux and Vin de Graves for the household of Mary, Queen of Scots. [2]

Park was married to Elizabeth Stevenson, who died in July 1569. In early modern Scotland, women did not use their husband's surnames. [3] [4] Her will reveals another significant aspect of their business, listing an extensive stock of imported luxury textiles, which were to be sold to tailors. Their merchant booth contained chamlet fabrics, bonnets lined with velvet, figured crepe velvet, satin, taffeta, counterfeit serge, and dornick linen for napkins. Customers included Lord Fleming and William Maitland of Lethington. [5] Alexander Park sold a length of fine lawn linen for the use of Mary, Queen of Scots, in Edinburgh Castle when she was pregnant. [6]

Alexander Park served as treasurer of the burgh council of Edinburgh and was Dean of Guild in 1564. He was involved in building projects for the town, often in consultation with William MacDowall. [7] In 1552, Park supervised or made an account for building work at the pier at Leith. The structure, continuing the line of The Shore at the mouth of the Water of Leith, was known as the "bulwark". Stone was brought by boat for the work from a quarry at Granton. [8] In July 1557, he viewed the ruinous chapel of St Roque at the Burgh Muir and works at the harbour at Newhaven with MacDowall. In November 1557, he was involved in repairs to the town wall at Blackfriars. [9] [10] In August 1564, Park organised work at Leith to clear the storm damaged harbour. [11] The Comptroller of Scotland, John Wishart of Pitarrow, gave a tip or "drinksilver" of twenty shillings to carpenters working for Park. [12]

In 1554, Park contributed £30 towards a loan of £1000 made to Henri Cleutin, a French diplomat who worked for Mary of Guise when she became Regent of Scotland. For New Year's Day 1555, the burgh council gave Mary of Guise two silver gilt cups bought from Alexander Park and the Flemish merchant Oglier Coqueil. Park's cup cost £42 and was described as a "goblet double overgilt". [13]

In August 1559, Elizabeth Stevenson settled a business debt to John Cant of Leith. The notary at their meeting on the High Street was Gilbert Grote. [14]

Another merchant Luke Wilson was town treasurer when Mary, Queen of Scots, returned to Scotland in 1561. Park and Wilson discussed a gift of a cupboard of silver plate for the queen. [15]

Park was involved in Edinburgh's Yule or New Year's Day gift to Mary, Queen of Scots, for 1564. The burgh council asked Park to buy wine as a gift at Leith with flambeaux torches worth £20. The plan was changed and subsequently the council asked Park to reimburse the Queen's sommelier Master Louis for three tun barrels of wine and give him enough fine satin to make a doublet. [16]

Thomas Dicksoun died at Campvere, the Scottish Staple, in November 1568. He had a large sum of gold, and a shipment of wine worth £160 Scots was on its way. He left his money to his relations and his possessions in his chamber in Park's house, a tin basin and jug, to Park's daughter Elizabeth. Details of the will suggest that Dicksoun was at the point of setting up as a merchant after his years of service with Park. [17]

Alexander Park died in February 1570. His registered testament includes a stock of textiles, as narrated in his wife's will, and merchandise held by Nicoll Udwart. [18]

James Hathoway

James Hathowye or Hathoway (died 1579) was Park's nephew, the son of his sister Elizabeth Park. Hathoway was Park's agent in Bordeaux. Some time before February 1574 he married the Edinburgh money lender Janet Fockart. [19] [20]

Margaret Park

Margaret Park lived at Craigcrook Castle Craigcrook Castle - geograph.org.uk - 2418192.jpg
Margaret Park lived at Craigcrook Castle

His eldest daughter was Margaret Park (died 1569). [21] She married William Adamson in 1566. Adamson was a young man with three legal curators, William Maitland of Lethington, John Bellenden of Auchnoule, and David Borthwick of Lochill. As part of the marriage contract she was given property at King's Cramond. [22] William Adamson was the heir of his uncle who had been killed at the battle of Pinkie, and he became the laird of Craigcrook in the parish of Cramond. Margaret Park's testament lists the farm stock at Craigcrook. Their children included Elizabeth Adamson who married John Broun younger of Fordell (Perth) in 1581. [23]

Elizabeth Park and William Napier

His daughter Elizabeth Park married William Napier of Wrightshouses in the Grange, Edinburgh, around the year 1570. [24] A stone pediment from Wrightshouses with the date 1570 depicts their conjoined heraldry supported by hands issuing from clouds with their initials "WN*EP" and a Latin motto Ditat Servata Fides which can be translated as "honesty is the best policy". The stone was taken to North Queensferry and used in an archway in the garden of a house called St Margarets. After the structure was demolished the stone was taken to the Museum of Edinburgh at Huntly House. [25] [26] [27] The carved stone may date from the early 17th century, serving with others as a visual commemoration of the alliances of the Napier family. [28]

References

  1. ↑ James Balfour Paul, Accounts of the Treasurer of Scotland, 10 (Edinburgh: HMSO, 1913), p. 207.
  2. ↑ Michael Pearce, "Account of George Wishart of Drymme", Miscellany of the Scottish History Society, 17 (Edinburgh: SHS, 2025), pp. 5, 21. doi : 10.1515/9781805438243-001
  3. ↑ Jenny Wormald, Court, Kirk, and Community (London, 1981), p. 30.
  4. ↑ History Workshop, What's in a Surname? Rebecca Mason
  5. ↑ Cathryn Spence, Women, Credit, and Debt in Early Modern Scotland (Manchester, 2016), pp. 65–66: Cathryn Spence, "Women, Debt and Coverture in Scotland", Cordelia Beattie and Matthew Frank Stevens, Married Women and the Law in Premodern Northwest Europe (Boydell, 2013), p. 185: National Records of Scotland, Will of Elizabeth Stevinsone 1569, CC8/8/1, pp. 708–713.
  6. ↑ James Balfour Paul, Accounts of the Treasurer of Scotland, 11 (Edinburgh, 1916), p. 512.
  7. ↑ James David Marwick, Extracts from the Records of the Burgh of Edinburgh, 1557–1571 (Edinburgh, 1875), p. 8.
  8. ↑ Robert Adam, Edinburgh Records, 1 (Edinburgh, 1899), p. 80.
  9. ↑ Extracts from the records of the Burgh of Edinburgh, 2 (Edinburgh, 1871), pp. 7, 12.
  10. ↑ Sara Stevenson, "The Chapel of St Roque", Astley Ainslie Community Trust
  11. ↑ Extracts from the records of the Burgh of Edinburgh, 2 (Edinburgh, 1871), p. 178.
  12. ↑ Michael Pearce, "Account of George Wishart of Drymme", Miscellany of the Scottish History Society, 17 (Edinburgh: SHS, 2025), pp. 5, 33.
  13. ↑ Extracts from the records of the Burgh of Edinburgh, 2 (Edinburgh, 1871), p. 206: Robert Adam, Edinburgh Records, 1 (Edinburgh, 1899), p. 129.
  14. ↑ William Angus, Protocol Book of Gilbert Grote (Edinburgh: Scottish Record Society, 1914), p. 40 nos. 182, 184.
  15. ↑ Documents relative to the reception at Edinburgh of the Kings and Queens of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1822), p. 7.
  16. ↑ Extracts from the records of the Burgh of Edinburgh, 2 (Edinburgh, 1871), pp. 175, 178.
  17. ↑ Margaret H. B. Sanderson, A Kindly Place? Living in Sixteenth-Century Scotland (Tuckwell, 2002), pp. 62–63.
  18. ↑ National Records of Scotland, will of Alexander Park, 1569, CC8/8/2 pp. 102–108.
  19. ↑ National Records of Scotland, will of Alexander Park, 1569, CC8/8/2 pp. 102–108: Margaret H. B. Sanderson, A Kindly Place? Living in Sixteenth-Century Scotland (Tuckwell, 2002), p. 108: Martin Rorke, "Women Overseas Traders in Sixteenth-Century Scotland", Journal of Scottish Historical Studies, 25:2 (2005), p. 96. doi : 10.3366/jshs.2005.25.2.81
  20. ↑ Margaret H. B. Sanderson, Mary Stewart's People (Edinburgh: James Thin, 1987), pp. 90, 97.
  21. ↑ Michael Lynch, Edinburgh and the Reformation (Edinburgh: John Donald, 1981), p. 295, described as Alexander Park's sister.
  22. ↑ Gordon Donaldson, Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland, 5:2 (Edinburgh: HMSO, 1957), p. 50 no. 2639.
  23. ↑ Robert Riddell Stodart, Memorials of the Browns of Fordell (Edinburgh, 1887), p. 21.
  24. ↑ Henry Paton, HMC Laing Manuscripts in the University of Edinburgh, 1 (London, 1914), p. 254.
  25. ↑ David Masson, Register of the Privy Council, 7 (Edinburgh, 1885), p. 154.
  26. ↑ John Geddie, "The Sculptured Stones of Edinburgh, 4: Wrychtis-Housis", Book of the Old Edinburgh Club, 4 (1911), pp. 67–68 and fig. 10
  27. ↑ Dismantling of the Archway at St Margaret's Hope, North Queensferry, Fife Archaeological Watching Brief
  28. ↑ Charles McKean, "The Wrychtishousis: A Very Curious Edifice", Book of the Old Edinburgh Club, New Series 3 (1994), pp. 113–122.
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