4th April, 1216: In the western part of Scotland, which is called Galloway, there appeared a change in the form of the moon, marvellous beyond belief, and such as our age had not hitherto witnessed. William, abbot of Glenluce, a man worthy of all credit, and a monk of holy conversation, sent an account of it in writing to the lord prior and the holy convent of Melrose. In effect, " It happened then that a certain convert of our order... was on a journey, towards the dusk of the evening of... [4th April] and lo! as this convert was looking at the moon (which was at this time full and round) at that very time he saw, as it were, a black and dusky rope cutting the moon in two halves. The blackness of this rope diffused itself over that half of the moon which was towards the north, and made it become darker and duskier than the other part; whereupon, in the twinkling of an eye, that half which had lost its colour appeared to take itself off and separate itself from the other portion, from which it became detached about the eighth part of a mile; and so great was the violence with which that paler half of the moon was separated and plucked asunder from the other, that it emitted sparks, like a dragon when it is flying through the sky. Some little delay now occurred, after which that paler part of the moon gradually and slowly advanced nearer and nearer to the other half; at one time drawing itself back, as if in fear, and again driven onwards, as if by constraint. A cloud intervened for a short time, then when it reappeared, the moon had expanded and assumed the form of a beautiful castle..... but now the moon left off the shape of a castle, and assumed the form of a ship with a single man aboard.... then it resumed the form of a castle.... then resumed its normal shape. A little later a little dusky tower appeared on the moon for a brief space of time, then disappeared. For a while the moon continued pale and discoloured, then assumed its normal hue.

(The Chronicle of Melrose; translated from the latin by Joseph Stephenson)

I interpret this vision as a layman's understanding of a comet or asteroid striking the moon, producing an explosion followed by debris thrown up by the impact. The other fanciful aspects of the tale can be put down to embellishment resulting from shock.

Date: 18 Nov. 1606. Meeting of assize (court) regarding turbulence of locals. The assize above written all in one voice (= agreed) minutes of above assize, John Walker being the presiding officer, convicts Alexander Lockhart, servant (= employee) of John Anderson, younger, dyer, based on his own confession of contravention of the town's statutes for punishment of drunkards and night walkers[people who are abroad at night for bad purposes, prostitutes, etc.], by drinking last night in Janet Thomson's (public) house in the netherton[lower town] until twelve hours at night with Peter Dron, late servant of David Stewart and likewise in contravention of the laws concerning rights of way and entries at the back yards of houses by coming in to Robert Walwood's back yard at midnight, and last in coming to the said David Stewart's house at twelve hours at night accompanied by the said Peter Dron , and there with cobbles from the street, tossing them at the said David's windows and troubling him and sundry Noble personages, gentlemen lodged in his house, being than all abed. The court finds the said Alexander to have greviously offended in all these points and ordains [ orders ] the said Laws to be enforced against him --------- and --------- ordains (= instructs) him to be placed in the stocks and detained there until 4 pm and to be detained in jail until he finds guarantors for bail of £20. If he repeats the offence he may be banished and receive further punishment according to the gravity of the offence. And ordains him also to make amends upon his knees to the said David and his wife and to ask them forgiveness for committing the said offence.

[Extracts from the burgh records of Dunfermline in 16th and 17th centuries; Carnegie Dunfermline Trust, 1951]

Among the sources for family information there may be published material relating to our ancestors' careers or occupations. Here's a good example where several generations of a family line of lawyers (HORNE) can be traced from a directory alone. Horne, Donald, of Langwell: Apprentice to James Horne, his uncle. Second son of John Horne of Stirkoke, Caithness - Born 20 May 1787, married 1 June 1821 Jane (died 30 May 1834) daughter of Thomas Elliot Ogilvie of Chesters, Roxburghshire. Died 23 June 1870.

Horne, James, of Langwell: Apprentice to James Marshall. Son of William Horne, Tacksman of Scouthill, Watten, Caithness. Died 29 September 1831, aged 79.

Horne, Thomas: Apprentice to and eldest son of, Thomas Elliot Ogilvie Horne, W.S. - Born 26 June 1854. married 6 August 1885, Horatia Georgina Ramsay, second daughter of Major James Wardlaw, Belmaduthy, and widow of William G.C. Asher, farmer, Belmaduthy. Died 24 September 1934. Firm - Horne and Lyell.

Horne, Thomas Elliot Ogilvie: Apprentice to, and son of, Donald Horne, W.S.. Born 1 January 1829. Married Priscilla Moore (died 15 October 1884). Died 26 June 1884. [History of the Society of Writers to his Majesty's Signet; Constable, 1936]. (Writer was an old name for a lawyer; and Writers to the Signet originally drew up legal papers for the Crown in Scotland; now equivalent to solicitors in England)

From a gravestone inscription in Cluny parish, Aberdeenshire: "In memory of Robert Burnett esq. of Sauchen died 1768 aged 84 and Jean Barclay his spouse died 1786 aged 71. Son Andrew died 1770 aged 24; daughter Mary died 1784 aged 45. Ja[mes] Scott late tenant in Achath, grandson of above Robert Burnett, died 18 Jan 1815 aged 39; Elizabeth Cruickshank his spouse died Aberdeen 7 Aug 1856 aged 72. David Scott late tenant in Achath their son died Aberdeen 3 May 1864 aged 53; William Scott of Paterangi, New Zealand their son died 19 Aug. 1882 aged 70 & is interred there. Catherine Scott, wife of Rev. William Polson, minister of Wemyss, their daughter died Manse, Wemyss, 11 Mar.1884 aged 70."

David Primrose's son, Henry Primrose married Margaret Redheuch, one of the daughters and heirs of Peter Redheuch, their contract of marriage being dated 19 May 1574. By that date David Primrose was dead and his widow, Jonet Blaw, mother of Henry, was living in a new lodging in Culross which had belonged to him. She had the liferent of it and after that it was to go to Henry and his wife (Acts and Decreets of the Court of Session, CS7/76 f.422 recorded 19 December 1579). Margaret Redheuch's sister, Issobell's contract of marriage was dated 24 January 1565 (Register of Deeds of the Court of Session - RD1/19, f. 208).

Note:She married Alexander Murray of Drumfin.

Barony of Callander. This barony has reaped great advantages from the limestone quarry at Leanie since they had access to it by the road made by Mr. Buchanan of Auchlessie, for the making of which the Board allowed £60 sterling. He sells the stone at the quarry at 5 shillings per chalder. There has been none burnt at the quarry for some time past, but when burnt there it was sold at half a merk per boll slaked lime. The usual way of [farmers] cropping their ground near Callendar is the same as Kinbuck, but some have abolished the practice of having outfield [distant poorer ground] since they have had access to the lime, and what was formerly outfield now produces better bear [an old kind of barley] than the infield.

(Reports on annexed estates, 1755-1769; H.M.S.O., 1973)

King William I has granted to Glasgow Cathedral Church the sum of 40 shillings annually form the revenues of his burgh of Rutherglen, intended for the lighting of the said church, and payable half at Martinmas and half at Whitsun. The grant is undated, but between 1182 and 1190.

(Regesta Regum Scottorum, vol.2)

Edinburgh, 11 October 1694: The Lords of their majesties' Council do hereby recommend to Sir James Steuart, their Majesties' Advocate, to cause ship aboard in the first man-of-war which shall sail from the river of Forth to the kingdom of England, the persons following, viz: Lieutenant Michaell Carmick, Richard Dobin, Barnaby Wedd, Bryan McGrae, Robert Playhay, Evis Jarden and Simeon Morgan, who had been aboard a French privateer lying before Stranraer, and having come ashore were seized and are now prisoners in the Tolbooth of Edinburgh; and in the meantime to write to the Secretaries of State that when the said persons are shipped and shall come to England in case they shall be changed with other prisoners, to endeavour that the persons who shall be exchanged for them be Scots men.

(The Old Scots Navy from 1689 to 1710; Navy Records Society, 1914).

Mary Queen of Scots eats well while in custody in England: An order signed by Lord Burghley and Sir Walter Mildmay to Robert Petre, to pay the Earl of Shrewsbury [who had charge of her] the sum of £51:8 shillings: 4 pence for the "diet" of the Queen of Scots for one week and 5 days (at the rate of £30 a week), from December 1-16, 1584. At the value of money in 1584 this was a considerable sum of money for her meals and drink!

(MSS of the Marquess of Bath, vol.V, 1533-1659; HMSO,1980)

December, 1512: King James IV has received a petition imploring him to write to the king of Denmark seeking justice for a Scottish citizen. John Lamb, a Scot living in the town of Mulwe [?Muleby?], died there some time ago, and his sister, Isabella Lamb, has had trouble obtaining the goods she should have inherited from her brother. King James has now written to King John of Denmark, asking him to order his chancellor and the magistrates of the place to hear the case and hand over the goods to the sister of the defunct if she has a right to them, just as his subjects would have justice in Scotland.

(The Letters of James IV, 1505-1513; pub. Scottish History Society, 1953)