William Schaw
Encyclopedia
William Schaw was Master of Works to James VI of Scotland, and is claimed to have been an important figure in the development of freemasonry
.
. Broich is now called Arngomery, a place at Kippen
in Stirlingshire. The family had links to the Royal Court, principally through being keepers of the King's wine cellar. The Broich family was involved in a scandal in 1560, when John Schaw was accused of murdering the servant of another laird. William's father was denounced as a rebel and his property forfeited when he and his family failed to appear at court, but the family were soon re-instated. At this time William may have been a page at the court of Mary of Guise
.
William first appears on his own account in the records in 1580 when he was listed by an English informant as a follower of Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox
, the king's favourite at the Scottish court. He signed the negative confession whereby courtiers pledged allegiance to the reformation. On 11 April 1581, he was given a valuable gift of rights over the lands in Kippen belonging to the Grahams of Fintry. In May 1583, William Schaw was in Paris at the death of the king's favourite Esmé Stewart and it was said that he took Esmé's heart back to Scotland. On 21 December 1583, James VI
appointed him principal Master of Works
in Scotland for life, with responsibility for all royal castles and palaces. Schaw had already been paid the first installment of his salary £166-13-4 as 'grete Mr of wark in place of Sr Rbt Drummond' in November. The replacement of the incumbent Robert Drummond of Carnock
with Schaw, a Roman Catholic,may have been a reaction to the Ruthven Raid. By the terms of his appointment, Schaw for the rest of his life was to be;
In November 1583 he travelled on a diplomatic trip to France
with Lord Seton
and his son Alexander Seton
, a fellow Catholic with an interest in architecture
. He returned in the winter of 1584, and became involved in building work for the Seton family. In 1585 he was one of three courtiers who entertained Danish
ambassadors visiting the court in Dunfermline
and St Andrews
. In 1588 Schaw was amongst a group of Catholics ordered to appear before the Edinburgh Presbytery
, and English
agents reported him as being a suspected Jesuit and holding anti-English views during the 1590s. By this time he had acquired the barony of Sauchie.
He was amongst the courtiers who accompanied James VI to Denmark to fetch his new queen Anne of Denmark
. He returned in early 1590, ahead of the rest of the party in order to prepare for their subsequent return. He busied himself repairing Holyrood Palace
and Dunfermline Palace
which had been assigned to the queen. He was also responsible for the elaborate ceremony greeting her arrival at Leith
, and he subsequently became master of ceremonies to the court.
By 1593 he was appointed as Chamberlain
to the lordship of Dunfermline, i.e. the household of Queen Anne, where he worked closely with Alexander Seton and William Fowler. The Queen gave him a hat badge in the form of a golden salamander
at New Year 1594-5. The badge was supplied by the jeweller Thomas Foulis. In 1598 he accompanied the Queen's brother, Ulrik, Duke of Holstein
on a trip to the Bass Rock
.
James VI built a new Chapel Royal at Stirling Castle
in 1594, which has no documented association with Schaw, but was probably built under his direction. The Italianate building was used for the christening of James' son.
His niece married Robert Mowbray, and following his death remarried Sir James Colville
of East Wemyss
in 1601, occasioning a family feud between Francis Mowbray, Robert's brother, and Schaw and Colville. Mowbray, an erstwhile English agent, wounded Schaw with a rapier
in a quarrel, was subsequently arrested for plotting against the king, and died following an escape attempt from Edinburgh Castle
. Another niece, Elizabeth Schaw of Broich, married John Murray of Lochmaben
who became Earl of Annandale.
Schaw died in 1602. He was succeeded as King's Master of Works by David Cunninghame of Robertland
. His tomb in Dunfermline Abbey was constructed at the expense of his friend Alexander Seton and a lengthy Latin inscription records Schaw's intellectual skills and achievements. The tomb inscription remains the most valuable source of biographic information, and was almost certainly the work of Alexander Seton, translated it reads:
The statute was agreed by all the master masons present, and arrangements were made to send a copy to every lodge in Scotland. The statute indicates a significant advance in the organisation of the craft, with shire
s constituting an intermediate level of organisation. These "territorial" lodges ran parallel to another set of civic organisations, incorporations, often linking masons with other workers in the building trades, such as wright
s. While in some places (Stirling
and Dundee
), the lodges and incorporations became indistinguishable, in other places the incorporation linked the trade to the burgh
, and became a mechanism whereby the merchants exercised some control over the wages of the building trades. In places like Edinburgh, where the proliferation of wooden buildings meant a predominance of wrights, the territorial lodge offered a form of craft self-governance distinct from the incorporation. Also, the masons and wrights used differing ceremonial motifs, at the respective events. The role of deacon provided a link between these incorporations and the lodges.
Copies of the statute (along with the Second Shaw Statute) were written into the minutes of Aitchison's Haven (Newbattle
) and Edinburgh Lodges.
and consisted of fourteen separate statutes. Some of these were addressed specifically to Lodge Mother Kilwinning
, others to the lodges of Scotland in general. Kilwinning Lodge was given regional authority for west Scotland, its previous practices were confirmed, various administrative functions were specified and the officials of the lodge were enjoined to ensure that all craft fellows and apprentices "tak tryall of the art of memorie
". More generally, rules were laid down for proper record keeping of the lodges, with specific fees being laid down.
The statutes state that Kilwinning was the head and second lodge in Scotland. This seems to relate to the fact that Kilwinning claimed predence as the first lodge in Scotland, but that in Schaw's scheme of things, the Edinburgh Lodge would be most important followed by Kilwinning and then Stirling. David Stevenson argues that the Second Schaw statutes dealt with the response from within the craft to his first statutes, whereby various traditions were mobilised against his innovations, particularly from Kilwinning.
The reference to the art of memory
may be taken as a direct reference to renaissance
esotericism
. William Fowler, who had been a colleague of Schaw both in his trip to Denmark and at Dunfermline, had instructed Queen Anne of Denmark
in the technique. Indeed Fowler had met Italian philosopher Giordano Bruno
at the house of Michel de Castelnau
in London
in the 1580s. The art of memory constituted an important element of Bruno's magic
al system. The statutes also address practical matters like health & safety concerns while working at heights. In his eighteenth article Schaw recommended that;
, Edinburgh, Aitchison's Haven and Haddington
, and were signed by Schaw himself in his capacity of Master of Works (but not General Warden). They are known as the First Sinclair Statutes as they supposedly confirm the role of the lairds of Roslin
as patrons and protectors of the craft. Once again it would suggest that Schaw's proposed reorganisation of the craft had encountered some problems. Indeed, it presaged an ongoing struggle between the Master of Works and the Sinclairs, which Schaw's successors in the post continued, following his death in 1602.
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
.
Biography
William Schaw was the second son of John Schaw of Broich, and grandson of Sir James Schaw of SauchieSauchie
Sauchie is a village in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies north of the River Forth and south of the Ochil Hills, within the council area of Clackmannanshire. Sauchie is located north-east of Alloa and east-southeast of Tullibody.- History :...
. Broich is now called Arngomery, a place at Kippen
Kippen
Kippen is a small village approximately west of the city of Stirling, Scotland. It lies between the Gargunnock and Fintry hills and overlooks the strath of the River Forth. The name is believed to come from Scottish Gaelic, ceapan, meaning "place of the little stump", "outcrop" or "block". The...
in Stirlingshire. The family had links to the Royal Court, principally through being keepers of the King's wine cellar. The Broich family was involved in a scandal in 1560, when John Schaw was accused of murdering the servant of another laird. William's father was denounced as a rebel and his property forfeited when he and his family failed to appear at court, but the family were soon re-instated. At this time William may have been a page at the court of Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise was a queen consort of Scotland as the second spouse of King James V. She was the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots, and served as regent of Scotland in her daughter's name from 1554 to 1560...
.
William first appears on his own account in the records in 1580 when he was listed by an English informant as a follower of Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox
Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox
Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox, 1st Earl of Lennox was the son of John Stewart, 5th Lord of Aubigny who was the younger brother of Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox...
, the king's favourite at the Scottish court. He signed the negative confession whereby courtiers pledged allegiance to the reformation. On 11 April 1581, he was given a valuable gift of rights over the lands in Kippen belonging to the Grahams of Fintry. In May 1583, William Schaw was in Paris at the death of the king's favourite Esmé Stewart and it was said that he took Esmé's heart back to Scotland. On 21 December 1583, James VI
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
appointed him principal Master of Works
Master of Work to the Crown of Scotland
The Master of Works to the Crown of Scotland was responsible for the construction, repair and maintenance of royal palaces, castles and other crown property in Scotland. The main buildings were; Holyroodhouse; Edinburgh Castle; Stirling Castle; Linlithgow Palace; and Falkland Palace. The position...
in Scotland for life, with responsibility for all royal castles and palaces. Schaw had already been paid the first installment of his salary £166-13-4 as 'grete Mr of wark in place of Sr Rbt Drummond' in November. The replacement of the incumbent Robert Drummond of Carnock
Robert Drummond of Carnock
Sir Robert Drummond of Carnock was Master of Work to the Crown of Scotland from 1579 to 1583. This was the responsibility for building and repair of palaces and castles. His appointment was made to be "as Sir James Hamilton of Finnart had it."...
with Schaw, a Roman Catholic,may have been a reaction to the Ruthven Raid. By the terms of his appointment, Schaw for the rest of his life was to be;
'Grit maister of wark of all and sindrie his hienes palaceis, biggingis and reparationis, - and greit oversear, directour and commander of quhatsumevir police devysit or to be devysit for our soverane lordis behuif and plessur.' or, in current words; 'Great master of work of all and sundry his higness' palaces, building works and repairs, - and great overseer, director and commander of whatsoever policy devised or to be devised for our sovereign lord's behalf and pleasure.'
In November 1583 he travelled on a diplomatic trip to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
with Lord Seton
George Seton, 7th Lord Seton
George Seton V, 7th Lord Seton was a Lord of the Parliament of Scotland, Master of the Household of Mary, Queen of Scots and Provost of Edinburgh. He was the eldest son of George Seton, 6th Lord Seton and Elizabeth Hay, a daughter of John Hay, 3rd Lord Hay of Yester...
and his son Alexander Seton
Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Dunfermline
Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Dunfermline was a Scottish lawyer, judge and politician. He was Lord President of the Court of Session from 1598 to 1604 and Lord Chancellor of Scotland from 1604 to 1622....
, a fellow Catholic with an interest in architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
. He returned in the winter of 1584, and became involved in building work for the Seton family. In 1585 he was one of three courtiers who entertained Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
ambassadors visiting the court in Dunfermline
Dunfermline
Dunfermline is a town and former Royal Burgh in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. According to a 2008 estimate, Dunfermline has a population of 46,430, making it the second-biggest settlement in Fife. Part of the town's name comes from the Gaelic word...
and St Andrews
St Andrews
St Andrews is a university town and former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland. The town is named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife....
. In 1588 Schaw was amongst a group of Catholics ordered to appear before the Edinburgh Presbytery
Presbyterian polity
Presbyterian polity is a method of church governance typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or consistory, though other terms, such as church board, may apply...
, and English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
agents reported him as being a suspected Jesuit and holding anti-English views during the 1590s. By this time he had acquired the barony of Sauchie.
He was amongst the courtiers who accompanied James VI to Denmark to fetch his new queen Anne of Denmark
Anne of Denmark
Anne of Denmark was queen consort of Scotland, England, and Ireland as the wife of King James VI and I.The second daughter of King Frederick II of Denmark, Anne married James in 1589 at the age of fourteen and bore him three children who survived infancy, including the future Charles I...
. He returned in early 1590, ahead of the rest of the party in order to prepare for their subsequent return. He busied himself repairing Holyrood Palace
Holyrood Palace
The Palace of Holyroodhouse, commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace, is the official residence of the monarch in Scotland. The palace stands at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh Castle...
and Dunfermline Palace
Dunfermline Palace
Dunfermline Palace is a former Scottish royal palace in Dunfermline, Fife. It is currently a ruin under the care of Historic Scotland and an important tourist attraction in Dunfermline....
which had been assigned to the queen. He was also responsible for the elaborate ceremony greeting her arrival at Leith
Leith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
, and he subsequently became master of ceremonies to the court.
By 1593 he was appointed as Chamberlain
Chamberlain (office)
A chamberlain is an officer in charge of managing a household. In many countries there are ceremonial posts associated with the household of the sovereign....
to the lordship of Dunfermline, i.e. the household of Queen Anne, where he worked closely with Alexander Seton and William Fowler. The Queen gave him a hat badge in the form of a golden salamander
Salamander
Salamander is a common name of approximately 500 species of amphibians. They are typically characterized by a superficially lizard-like appearance, with their slender bodies, short noses, and long tails. All known fossils and extinct species fall under the order Caudata, while sometimes the extant...
at New Year 1594-5. The badge was supplied by the jeweller Thomas Foulis. In 1598 he accompanied the Queen's brother, Ulrik, Duke of Holstein
Ulrik of Denmark (1578–1624)
Prince Ulrik John of Denmark, was a son of King Frederick II of Denmark and his consort, Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow...
on a trip to the Bass Rock
Bass Rock
The Bass Rock, or simply The Bass, , is an island in the outer part of the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland. It is approximately offshore, and north-east of North Berwick. It is a steep-sided volcanic rock, at its highest point, and is home to a large colony of gannets...
.
James VI built a new Chapel Royal at Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep...
in 1594, which has no documented association with Schaw, but was probably built under his direction. The Italianate building was used for the christening of James' son.
His niece married Robert Mowbray, and following his death remarried Sir James Colville
James Colville, 1st Lord Colville of Culross
James Colville, 1st Lord Colville of Culross was a Scottish soldier and courtier.His first marriage was in 1570 to Isabel Ruthven, daughter of Patrick Ruthven, with whom he had five children. In 1599 he remarried Helen Schaw, niece of William Schaw, an event which caused a feud with Francis...
of East Wemyss
East Wemyss
East Wemyss is a village situated on the south coast of the Kingdom of Fife, Scotland. In the United Kingdom Census 2001 the population was recorded as 1841.- History :...
in 1601, occasioning a family feud between Francis Mowbray, Robert's brother, and Schaw and Colville. Mowbray, an erstwhile English agent, wounded Schaw with a rapier
Rapier
A rapier is a slender, sharply pointed sword, ideally used for thrusting attacks, used mainly in Early Modern Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries.-Description:...
in a quarrel, was subsequently arrested for plotting against the king, and died following an escape attempt from Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
. Another niece, Elizabeth Schaw of Broich, married John Murray of Lochmaben
Lochmaben
Lochmaben is a small town in Scotland, and site of a once-important castle. It lies four miles west of Lockerbie, in Dumfries and Galloway.-Notable people:*Angus Douglas - Scottish internationalist footballer...
who became Earl of Annandale.
Schaw died in 1602. He was succeeded as King's Master of Works by David Cunninghame of Robertland
David Cunninghame of Robertland
Sir David Cunninghame of Robertland, in Ayrshire, was Master of Work to the Crown of Scotland from 1602 to 1607.Involved in the murder of the Earl of Eglinton in 1585, Cunninghame spent some time in exile at the royal court of Denmark, and the Danish government wrote to James VI of Scotland to...
. His tomb in Dunfermline Abbey was constructed at the expense of his friend Alexander Seton and a lengthy Latin inscription records Schaw's intellectual skills and achievements. The tomb inscription remains the most valuable source of biographic information, and was almost certainly the work of Alexander Seton, translated it reads:
"This humble structure of stones covers a man of excellent skill, notable probity, singular integrity of life, adorned with the greatest of virtues - William Schaw, Master of the King's Works, President of the Sacred Ceremonies, and the Queen's Chamberlain. He died 18th April, 1602.
Among the living he dwelt fifty-two years; he had travelled in France and many other Kingdoms, for the improvement of his mind; he wanted no liberal training; was most skilful in architecture; was early recommended to great persons for the singular gifts of his mind; and was not only unwearied and indefatigable in labours and business, but constantly active and vigorous, and was most dear to every good man who knew him. He was born to do good offices, and thereby to gain the hearts of men; now he lives eternally with God.
Queen Anne ordered this monument to be erected to the memory of this most excellent and most upright man, lest his virtues, worthy of eternal commendation, should pass away with the death of his body."
First Schaw Statutes
On 28 December 1598 Schaw, in his capacity of Master of Works and General Warden of the master stonemasons, issued "The Statutis and ordinananceis to be obseruit by all the maister maoissounis within this realme". The preamble states that the statutes were issued with the consent of a craft convention, simply specified as all the master masons gathered that day. Schaw's first statutes root themselves in the Old Charges, with additional material to describe a hierarchy of wardens, deacons and masters. This structure would ensure that masons did not take on work which they were not competent to complete, and ensured a lodge warden would be elected by the master masons, through whom the general warden could keep in touch with each particular lodge. Master masons were only permitted to take on three apprentices during their lifetime (without special dispensation), and they would be bound to their masters for seven years. A further seven years would have to elapse before they could be taken into the craft, and a book-keeping arrangement was set up to keep track of this. Six master masons and two entered apprentices had to be present for a master or fellow of the craft to be admitted. Various other rules were laid out for the running of the lodge, supervision of work, and fines for non-attendance at lodge meetings.The statute was agreed by all the master masons present, and arrangements were made to send a copy to every lodge in Scotland. The statute indicates a significant advance in the organisation of the craft, with shire
Shire
A shire is a traditional term for a division of land, found in the United Kingdom and in Australia. In parts of Australia, a shire is an administrative unit, but it is not synonymous with "county" there, which is a land registration unit. Individually, or as a suffix in Scotland and in the far...
s constituting an intermediate level of organisation. These "territorial" lodges ran parallel to another set of civic organisations, incorporations, often linking masons with other workers in the building trades, such as wright
Wright
Wright is an occupational surname originating in England. The term Wright comes from the circa 700 AD Old English word "wryhta" or "wyrhta", meaning worker or shaper of wood. Later it became any occupational worker , and is used as a British family name...
s. While in some places (Stirling
Stirling
Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...
and Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
), the lodges and incorporations became indistinguishable, in other places the incorporation linked the trade to the burgh
Burgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
, and became a mechanism whereby the merchants exercised some control over the wages of the building trades. In places like Edinburgh, where the proliferation of wooden buildings meant a predominance of wrights, the territorial lodge offered a form of craft self-governance distinct from the incorporation. Also, the masons and wrights used differing ceremonial motifs, at the respective events. The role of deacon provided a link between these incorporations and the lodges.
Copies of the statute (along with the Second Shaw Statute) were written into the minutes of Aitchison's Haven (Newbattle
Newbattle
Newbattle is a village in Midlothian, in the ancient Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Andrews, about seven miles from Edinburgh. There was an abbey there founded about 1140, being the second of the six Cistercian Monasteries established by King David I of Scotland.-Newbattle Abbey:Newbattle Abbey was...
) and Edinburgh Lodges.
Second Schaw Statutes
The Second Schaw Statutes were signed on 28 December 1599, at HolyroodhouseHolyrood Palace
The Palace of Holyroodhouse, commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace, is the official residence of the monarch in Scotland. The palace stands at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh Castle...
and consisted of fourteen separate statutes. Some of these were addressed specifically to Lodge Mother Kilwinning
Lodge Mother Kilwinning
Lodge Mother Kilwinning is a Masonic Lodge in Kilwinning, Scotland under the auspices of the Grand Lodge of Scotland. It is number 0 on the Roll, and is reputed to be the oldest Lodge not only in Scotland, but the world...
, others to the lodges of Scotland in general. Kilwinning Lodge was given regional authority for west Scotland, its previous practices were confirmed, various administrative functions were specified and the officials of the lodge were enjoined to ensure that all craft fellows and apprentices "tak tryall of the art of memorie
Art of memory
The Art of Memory or Ars Memorativa is a general term used to designate a loosely associated group of mnemonic principles and techniques used to organize memory impressions, improve recall, and assist in the combination and 'invention' of ideas. It is sometimes referred to as mnemotechnics...
". More generally, rules were laid down for proper record keeping of the lodges, with specific fees being laid down.
The statutes state that Kilwinning was the head and second lodge in Scotland. This seems to relate to the fact that Kilwinning claimed predence as the first lodge in Scotland, but that in Schaw's scheme of things, the Edinburgh Lodge would be most important followed by Kilwinning and then Stirling. David Stevenson argues that the Second Schaw statutes dealt with the response from within the craft to his first statutes, whereby various traditions were mobilised against his innovations, particularly from Kilwinning.
The reference to the art of memory
Art of memory
The Art of Memory or Ars Memorativa is a general term used to designate a loosely associated group of mnemonic principles and techniques used to organize memory impressions, improve recall, and assist in the combination and 'invention' of ideas. It is sometimes referred to as mnemotechnics...
may be taken as a direct reference to renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
esotericism
Esotericism
Esotericism or Esoterism signifies the holding of esoteric opinions or beliefs, that is, ideas preserved or understood by a small group or those specially initiated, or of rare or unusual interest. The term derives from the Greek , a compound of : "within", thus "pertaining to the more inward",...
. William Fowler, who had been a colleague of Schaw both in his trip to Denmark and at Dunfermline, had instructed Queen Anne of Denmark
Anne of Denmark
Anne of Denmark was queen consort of Scotland, England, and Ireland as the wife of King James VI and I.The second daughter of King Frederick II of Denmark, Anne married James in 1589 at the age of fourteen and bore him three children who survived infancy, including the future Charles I...
in the technique. Indeed Fowler had met Italian philosopher Giordano Bruno
Giordano Bruno
Giordano Bruno , born Filippo Bruno, was an Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, mathematician and astronomer. His cosmological theories went beyond the Copernican model in proposing that the Sun was essentially a star, and moreover, that the universe contained an infinite number of inhabited...
at the house of Michel de Castelnau
Michel de Castelnau
Michel de Castelnau, Sieur de la Mauvissière , French soldier and diplomat, ambassador to Queen Elizabeth, was born in Mauvissière, , Touraine about 1520...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in the 1580s. The art of memory constituted an important element of Bruno's magic
Magic (illusion)
Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means...
al system. The statutes also address practical matters like health & safety concerns while working at heights. In his eighteenth article Schaw recommended that;
All masters or "interprisaris of warkis be verray cairfull to see thair skaffaldis and fute-gangis (platforms) surelie sett and placeit, to the effect that throw thair negligence and sleuth (laziness), na hurt or skaith cum unto persons that works at the said work, under the pain of discharging of thame thairafter to to work as masters havand charge of ane work."
The Sinclair Statutes
Two letters were drawn up in 1600 and 1601 and involved the lodges of Dunfermline, St AndrewsSt Andrews
St Andrews is a university town and former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland. The town is named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife....
, Edinburgh, Aitchison's Haven and Haddington
Haddington, East Lothian
The Royal Burgh of Haddington is a town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is the main administrative, cultural and geographical centre for East Lothian, which was known officially as Haddingtonshire before 1921. It lies about east of Edinburgh. The name Haddington is Anglo-Saxon, dating from the 6th...
, and were signed by Schaw himself in his capacity of Master of Works (but not General Warden). They are known as the First Sinclair Statutes as they supposedly confirm the role of the lairds of Roslin
Baron of Roslin
Baron of Roslin was a Scottish peerage held by the chief of the Clan Sinclair.*William Sinclair, 1st Baron of Roslin, *Henry Sinclair, 2nd Baron of Roslin, *Henry Sinclair, 3rd Baron of Roslin,...
as patrons and protectors of the craft. Once again it would suggest that Schaw's proposed reorganisation of the craft had encountered some problems. Indeed, it presaged an ongoing struggle between the Master of Works and the Sinclairs, which Schaw's successors in the post continued, following his death in 1602.