Publications of the Scottish History Society, Vol. 36

Publications of the Scottish
History Society, Vol. 36

The Project Gutenberg eBook, Publications of the Scottish History
Society,
Vol. 36, by Sir John Lauder, et al, Edited by Donald Crawford
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: Publications of the Scottish History Society, Vol. 36
Author: Sir John Lauder
Release Date: July 17, 2004 [eBook #12930]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK
PUBLICATIONS OF THE SCOTTISH HISTORY SOCIETY, VOL.
36***
E-text prepared by Robert Connal and the Project Gutenberg Online
Distributed Proofreading Team from images generously made available
by gallica (Bibliothèque nationale de France) at http://gallica.bnf.fr

PUBLICATIONS OF THE SCOTTISH HISTORY SOCIETY,
VOLUME XXXVI
LAUDER OF FOUNTAINHALL'S JOURNALS
MAY 1900

[Illustration: LORD FOUNTAINHALL.]

JOURNALS OF SIR JOHN LAUDER LORD FOUNTAINHALL
WITH HIS OBSERVATIONS ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND OTHER
MEMORANDA
1665-1676
Edited, with Introduction and Notes, by DONALD CRAWFORD
Sheriff of Aberdeen, Kincardine, and Banff

[Illustration: SIR JOHN LAUDER, FIRST BARONET. (Lord
Fountainhall's Father.)]

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
JOURNALS:--
I
Journal in France, 1665-1667,
II
1. Notes of Journeys in London. Oxford, and Scotland, 1667-1670,
2. Notes of Journeys in Scotland, 1671-1672,
3. Chronicle of events connected with the Court of Session, 1668-1676,
4. Observations on Public Affairs, 1669-1670,
III
APPENDIX
i. Accounts, 1670-1675,
ii. Catalogue of Books, 1667-1679,
iii. Letter of Lauder to his Son,

PORTRAITS
I. LORD FOUNTAINHALL
II. SIR JOHN LAUDER, first Baronet, Lord Fountainhall's father
III. JANET RAMSAY, first wife of Lord Fountainhall
IV. SIR ANDREW RAMSAY, Lord Abbotshall
All reproduced from pictures in the possession of Lady Anne Dick
Lauder.

INTRODUCTION
THE MANUSCRIPTS

There are here printed two manuscripts by Sir John Lauder, Lord
Fountainhall, and portions of another. The first[1] is a kind of journal,
though it was not written up day by day, containing a narrative of his
journey to France and his residence at Orleans and Poictiers, when he
was sent abroad by his father at the age of nineteen to study law in
foreign schools in preparation for the bar. It also includes an account of
his expenses during the whole period of his absence from Scotland. The
second,[2] though a small volume, contains several distinct portions.
There are narratives of visits to London and Oxford on his way home
from abroad, his journey returning to Scotland, and some short
expeditions in Scotland in the immediately following years,
observations on public affairs in 1669- 70, and a chronicle of events
connected with the Court of Session from 1668 to 1676; also at the
other end of the volume some accounts of expenses. The third[3] may
be described as a commonplace book, for the most part written during
the first years of his practice at the bar and his early married life, but it
also contains some notes of travel in Fife, the Lothians, and the Merse
in continuation of those in MS. H., and a list of the books which he
bought and their prices, brought down to a late period of his life. These
manuscripts have been kindly made available to the Scottish History
Society by the owners. The first is in the Library of the University of
Edinburgh. The second is the property of the late Sir William Fraser's
trustees. The third has been lent by Sir Thomas North Dick Lauder,
Fountainhall's descendant and representative.
[1] Referred to as MS. X.
[2] Marked by Fountainhall H.
[3] Marked by Fountainhall K.
It was Lord Fountainhalls practice, during his whole life, to record in
notebooks public events, and his observations upon them, legal
decisions, and private memoranda. He kept several series of notebooks
concurrently with great diligence and method. In all of those which
have been preserved there is more or less matter of value to the student
of history. But at his death his library was sold by public auction. The
MSS. were dispersed, though their existence and value was known to
some of his contemporaries.[4] Some are lost, in particular the series of
Historical Observes, 1660-1680, which, judging from the sequel, which
has been preserved and printed by the Bannatyne Club, would have

been of great value. According to tradition the greater part of what has
been recovered was found in a snuff-shop by Mr. Crosby the lawyer,
the supposed original of Scott's Pleydell, and purchased at the sale of
his books after his death by the Faculty of Advocates.[5]
[4] Preface to Forbes's Journal of the Session, Edinburgh, 1714.
[5] MS. Genealogical Roll of the Family of Lauder by the late Sir
Thomas Dick Lauder, in possession of Sir T.N. Dick