Robert Durie - Minister of Anstruther and Fife Adventurer
Son of the Reformer,
John Durie, and therefore a first cousin once removed to Abbot George Durie and
Bishop Andrew Durie, Robert had an interesting life.
Born probably in 1555, first or second son of John Durie, he studied at St Mary’s College, St Andrews. He accompanied his brother-in-law, James Melville to the Parliament at Linlithgow 1 December 1585, and also to Berwick in September 1586. He became assistant to the schoolmaster of
Dunfermline, was admitted in 1588 to the parish of Abercrombie [St Monans in Fife], presented to the vicarage by King James VI, and transferred on 1 February 1592 to the office of portership of the outer port of the Abbey of Dunfermline for life. This may well have been an honorific title, which he held alongside his pastoral duties in Anstruther.
The Fife Adventurers
In October 1598 Robert Durie, then minister of Anstruther, accompanied the Fife Adventurers to Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides.
Prior to Union of 1603, James VI was chronically short of money and, as ruler of a small, peripheral European state next door to powerful England, had little real power. The turn of the 17th century was a time of great turmoil - the authority of the crown was more or less respected although the King or Queen could be hated, slandered, assaulted, kidnapped and controlled during their minority. The doctrine of Divine Right to rule was being questioned, along with the primacy of Catholic teaching as against the Protestants’ view that the Bible was the word of God and all the teachings anyone needed without the intercession of priests and bishops.
The Reformation had taken away not only power from the Catholic church but also land and revenues, and had given it to the nobles and (to a lesser degree) to the Protestant Church. The King's rule meant even less in the feudal and largely Catholic Highlands and Islands, where the local Lords of Estate and clan chiefs had absolute power of life and death over their chiels and tacksmen and commanded fierce loyalty. The King's Law meant very little in real terms.
This period has been called the time when Scotland moved from Lordship to Patronage
— titles, tribute in kind or as military service, letters patent and Royal Charters to trade and colonise. But all for a cut of the take going to the Crown.
The reasoning was straightforward enough
 December 1597
May 1598
28June 1598
November 1598
December 1598
Winter 1598-99
Knowing this, Colonel Stewart and Spens of Wormiston tried to complete the provisioning mission, and in their absence Neil attacked the settlers with much killing and burning, to the King's fury.
July 1599
1600
October 1600
December 1601
Here endeth the first chapter - the Fife Adventurers were routed, Tormod was Chief of Lewis with Neil as his captain. Robert Durie escaped the slaughter, and leaves the story at this point.
One-Nil to the Lewis men.June 1602
March 1603
August 1605
Spring 1606
1607
Summer 1609
1610
1611
1613
Neil was found guilty of fire-raising, murder and
theft and his head was spiked where Murdoch's had been 13 years previously.
Later Mackenzie got his10,000 merks back by selling Spens and Hay the rights
to woods in Letterewe for iron smelting. Hay ran it and Spens stayed in James
VI's service, becoming General of the British mercenaries for the Swedish King
Gustav Adolphus. Later, he was ennobled by a grateful James as Earl of Kinnoul
(1633) having been High Chancellor of Scotland (1622).
Summary The whole episode can be seen as a tussle
between the honourable, distinguished and well-meaning Spens; the hooligan with
dynastic aspirations, Neil MacLeod; and the only person who really profited was
the wily Mackenzie.
Game, set and match to Kintail! |
