John Lauder
Encyclopedia
John Lauder was Scotland
's Public Accuser of Heretic
s.
, (number 1136 dated at Edinburgh on 15 February 1532) - "the King grants Letters of legitimate
for John Lauder, bastard son of Sir Robert Lauder of The Bass
", knight, (who died before February 1508). These Letters were subsequently confirmed by Pope Clement VII
.
'in Pedagogio' (the science of learning) at the University of St Andrews
in 1508, and in a Decree Arbitral, dated at St. Andrews on 16 October 1518, he thus designates himself: "Ego sacris Apostolica et Imperiali auctoritatibus notarius, ac in officio Scriptori archivii Romane Curie matriculatus ac descriptus."
of Tweeddale
, and of Teviotdale. He was Principal Private Secretary to Secretary to Cardinal David Beaton
, and after him, Archbishop Hamilton. In a Feu Charter granted by David, Cardinal Beaton dated 6 October 1539 (RH6/1210), one of the witnesses was "John Lauder, Archdeacon of Tweeddale
, the Cardinal's Secretary". "John Lauder, Archdeacon of Teviotdale", had a personal armorial seal, noted from a document in 1539 as: a shield bearing arms
:- 1st & 4th: Three piles (charged with as many annulet
s?). 2nd & 3rd: A griffin
segreant contourne.
In the Treasurer's Accounts we find that he was frequently employed in ecclesiastical negotiations and in 1533 was sent to Rome
"in the Kingis erandis". In the National Archives of Scotland
(CH7/53B) are letters of Pope Clement VII addressed to King James V
acknowledging that John Lauder had delivered to him in the city of Marseilles the King's letter (dated at Stirling
10 June 1533) together with the process raised by the bishop
of Whithorn
and the abbot
of the monastery of Holyrood
against James, Archbishop of St. Andrews
. Although the cause had been committed to Laurence, Cardinal Campegio, he, nevertheless, resolved to despatch a special nuncio
to Scotland to settle it, the archbishop
until his arrival being detained in custody without prejudice to his spiritual jurisdiction. (dated at Marseilles, 31 October 1533).
King James V had sent Lauder to Rome
again the following year, with a letter, dated 5 November 1534, to congratulate Pope Paul III on his election, and "to testify to James's zeal and regard for the papacy."
The prosecution of Norman Gourlay, (sometime spelt Gowrlay or Galloway, described as vicar of Dollar, in Perthshire
and David Stratton, a brother of the Laird
of Lowrinstoun, both of whom were burnt at the stake in August 1534, was carried out by Lauder.
Patrick Fraser Tytler
chronicled the trial of Thomas Forrest, the martyr
, in 1539. Dean Thomas Forrest had also been vicar
of Dollar
, and a canon regular of the monastery of St. Colm's, Inch. He was tried along Sir Ducan Simpson (a priest), two black friars - Keillor and John Beveridge - plus a notary
in Stirling
by the name of Forrester, before a council held by Cardinal Beaton and William Chisholm, Bishop of Dunblane
. Bishop Crichton of Dunkeld
was also present. Lauder again prosecuted. During Forrest's own defence "his Bible
was plucked from his hand by Lauder, who denounced as heretical the conclusions he had drawn from it, and Forrest and his four companions were condemned to the stake". The sentence was carried out on the Castle Hill of Edinburgh on the last day of February, 1539.
John Knox
also wrote a lot about this John Lauder, and referred to him as "a monstere, full of the Popis thunder, so spytfull that the ignorant people dreded least the earth then wold have swallowed them up."
Knox on Lauder is also quoted by Robert Lindesay of Pitscottie, in an almost complete transcript of the trial, on 1 March 1546, of the martyr George Wishart
, whom Lauder "laidin full off curssingis written in paper.....cruellie accussit him and condemnit him to death." Cardinal Beaton presided over the execution of Wishart, with his faithful secretary and prosecutor, Lauder, at his side, in front of the Cardinal's Castle of St Andrews
.
Calderwood
also mentions the "Trial of Adam Wallace, 1550.........at the farther end of the chancellarie wall (in the church of the Blacke Friars in Edinburgh), in the pulpit, was placed Mr. Johne Lawder, Parson of Marbottle Morebattle
[- see note above, this fell within his remit as Archdeacon of Teviotdale], accuser, cled in a surplice, and a reid hood." Foxe also gave an account of this trial.
, and John Guillermi, Provost of Seton
, of a Feu Charter by Andrew, abbot of Melrose
, to Arthur Sinclare of the lands of Lessudwyne except the lands of Newtoun, Elistoun, Maxpeffill, Cammestoun and Plewland, with the mill of Newtoun and thirlage
of Newtoun, Lessudwyne, Eliston, Cammestone, Maxpeffill, Murehouslaw and Plewland except the fishings on the Tuede (Tweed
) belonging to said lands of Lessudwyne, dated 26 February 1541.
In 1541 Lauder, Archdeacon of Teviotdale, paid the third rental for the parsonage and vicarage of Morebattle
, in Roxburghshire
, amounting to £73/15/7. It is mentioned that this formed the prebend of the Archdeacon of Teviotdale, which post was held by Lauder from 1534 to 1551. His successor was John Hepburn
, who held the post from 1544 to 1564. [Hepburn was later Bishop of Brechin
, and brother to the wife of the Archdeacon's half-brother, Robert Lauder of Bass].
On 5 January 1542 we find him as "the Cardinal's Secretary" representing Cardinal David Beaton
at the reconsecration of the restored and ancient St Baldred
's chapel on the Bass Rock
, his father's stronghold.
In the Calendar of Writs preserved at Yester House
there is an instrument upon the receipt by Robert Lawder of Bass
of £80 Scots in redemption of the lands of Kylpallet, constabulary of Haddington
and shire of Edinburgh
, wadset to him by John Lord Hay of Yester; Done at the instance of the said Lord's procurator, Mr. Thomas Hay, provost of Bothanis Abbey St Bathans, place of Biel
, 2 p.m., 21 March 1542. Witnesses: John Lawder, natural son of the laird of Bass, John Lawder in Stenton
and Thomas Wait. John Manderstoun is the notary public
. (Seal of Robert Lauder appended in fair condition.)
John Lauder, Archdeacon of Teviotdale, Cardinal's Secretary, is a witness to a charter by David Betoun, Cardinal Archbishop of St. Andrews, dated there 15 March 1545/6. This charter gives a lot of detail on the family of the Cardinal. (Laing)
Master John Lauder was one of the auditors of the Chamberlain's Accounts for the Archbishopric of St. Andrews from 1540 to 1549, wherein he is styled Archdeacon of Teviotdale.
Cardinal Beaton was himself finally murdered by a mob of reformists
not long after Wishart's execution, and subsequently Lauder is noted in February 1551 as a notary public of St. Andrews, and "Secretarius" to Archbishop Hamilton, Beaton's successor, who was also later hanged by the mob, in 1571.
Lauder's fate is unknown.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
's Public Accuser of Heretic
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
s.
Family
In the Great Seal of ScotlandGreat Seal of Scotland
The Great Seal of Scotland allows the monarch to authorise official documents without having to sign each document individually. Wax is melted in a metal mould or matrix and impressed into a wax figure that is attached by cord or ribbon to documents that the monarch wishes to make official...
, (number 1136 dated at Edinburgh on 15 February 1532) - "the King grants Letters of legitimate
Legitimacy (law)
At common law, legitimacy is the status of a child who is born to parents who are legally married to one another; and of a child who is born shortly after the parents' divorce. In canon and in civil law, the offspring of putative marriages have been considered legitimate children...
for John Lauder, bastard son of Sir Robert Lauder of The Bass
Robert Lauder of The Bass
Sir Robert Lauder of The Bass, was a Scottish knight, armiger, and Governor of the Castle at Berwick-upon-Tweed. He was also a member of the old Scottish Parliament...
", knight, (who died before February 1508). These Letters were subsequently confirmed by Pope Clement VII
Pope Clement VII
Clement VII , born Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, was a cardinal from 1513 to 1523 and was Pope from 1523 to 1534.-Early life:...
.
Education
Lauder was a licentiateLicentiate
Licentiate is the title of a person who holds an academic degree called a licence. The term may derive from the Latin licentia docendi, meaning permission to teach. The term may also derive from the Latin licentia ad practicandum, which signified someone who held a certificate of competence to...
'in Pedagogio' (the science of learning) at the University of St Andrews
University of St Andrews
The University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between...
in 1508, and in a Decree Arbitral, dated at St. Andrews on 16 October 1518, he thus designates himself: "Ego sacris Apostolica et Imperiali auctoritatibus notarius, ac in officio Scriptori archivii Romane Curie matriculatus ac descriptus."
The Church
He was subsequently ordained and became at different stages of his career ArchdeaconArchdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...
of Tweeddale
Tweeddale
Tweeddale is a committee area and lieutenancy area in the Scottish Borders with a population of 17,394 at the latest census in 2001 it is the second smallest of the 5 committee areas in the Borders. It is the traditional name for the area drained by the upper reaches of the River Tweed...
, and of Teviotdale. He was Principal Private Secretary to Secretary to Cardinal David Beaton
David Beaton
The Most Rev. Dr. David Cardinal Beaton was Archbishop of St Andrews and the last Scottish Cardinal prior to the Reformation.-Career:...
, and after him, Archbishop Hamilton. In a Feu Charter granted by David, Cardinal Beaton dated 6 October 1539 (RH6/1210), one of the witnesses was "John Lauder, Archdeacon of Tweeddale
Tweeddale
Tweeddale is a committee area and lieutenancy area in the Scottish Borders with a population of 17,394 at the latest census in 2001 it is the second smallest of the 5 committee areas in the Borders. It is the traditional name for the area drained by the upper reaches of the River Tweed...
, the Cardinal's Secretary". "John Lauder, Archdeacon of Teviotdale", had a personal armorial seal, noted from a document in 1539 as: a shield bearing arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
:- 1st & 4th: Three piles (charged with as many annulet
Annulet
Annulet can refer to:* Annulet , a mark in distinction* Annulet , a fillet or ring encircling a column* The Annulet, Charissa obscurata, a species of moth in the family Geometridae...
s?). 2nd & 3rd: A griffin
Griffin
The griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle...
segreant contourne.
In the Treasurer's Accounts we find that he was frequently employed in ecclesiastical negotiations and in 1533 was sent to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
"in the Kingis erandis". In the National Archives of Scotland
National Archives of Scotland
Based in Edinburgh, the National Archives of Scotland are the national archives of Scotland. The NAS claims to have one of the most varied collection of archives in Europe...
(CH7/53B) are letters of Pope Clement VII addressed to King James V
James V of Scotland
James V was King of Scots from 9 September 1513 until his death, which followed the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss...
acknowledging that John Lauder had delivered to him in the city of Marseilles the King's letter (dated at 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...
10 June 1533) together with the process raised by the bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Whithorn
Whithorn
Whithorn is a former royal burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, about ten miles south of Wigtown. The town was the location of the first recorded Christian church in Scotland, Candida Casa : the 'White [or 'Shining'] House', built by Saint Ninian about 397.-Eighth and twelfth centuries:A...
and the abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of the monastery of Holyrood
Holyrood Abbey
Holyrood Abbey is a ruined abbey of the Canons Regular in Edinburgh, Scotland. The abbey was founded in 1128 by King David I of Scotland. During the 15th century, the abbey guesthouse was developed into a royal residence, and after the Scottish Reformation the Palace of Holyroodhouse was expanded...
against James, Archbishop of St. Andrews
James Beaton
Dr. James Beaton was a Scottish church leader, the uncle of Dr. David Cardinal Beaton and the Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland....
. Although the cause had been committed to Laurence, Cardinal Campegio, he, nevertheless, resolved to despatch a special nuncio
Nuncio
Nuncio is an ecclesiastical diplomatic title, derived from the ancient Latin word, Nuntius, meaning "envoy." This article addresses this title as well as derived similar titles, all within the structure of the Roman Catholic Church...
to Scotland to settle it, the archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
until his arrival being detained in custody without prejudice to his spiritual jurisdiction. (dated at Marseilles, 31 October 1533).
King James V had sent Lauder to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
again the following year, with a letter, dated 5 November 1534, to congratulate Pope Paul III on his election, and "to testify to James's zeal and regard for the papacy."
Prosecutor of heretics
Lauder famously became Scotland's Public Accuser of Heretics.The prosecution of Norman Gourlay, (sometime spelt Gowrlay or Galloway, described as vicar of Dollar, in Perthshire
Perthshire
Perthshire, officially the County of Perth , is a registration county in central Scotland. It extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south...
and David Stratton, a brother of the Laird
Laird
A Laird is a member of the gentry and is a heritable title in Scotland. In the non-peerage table of precedence, a Laird ranks below a Baron and above an Esquire.-Etymology:...
of Lowrinstoun, both of whom were burnt at the stake in August 1534, was carried out by Lauder.
Patrick Fraser Tytler
Patrick Fraser Tytler
Patrick Fraser Tytler was a Scottish historian.-Life:The son of Lord Woodhouselee, he was born in Edinburgh, where he attended the Royal High School. He was called to the bar in 1813; in 1816 he became King's counsel in the Exchequer, and practised as an advocate until 1832...
chronicled the trial of Thomas Forrest, the martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
, in 1539. Dean Thomas Forrest had also been vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
of Dollar
Dollar, Clackmannanshire
Dollar is a small town in Clackmannanshire, Scotland. It is one of the Hillfoots Villages, situated between the Ochil Hills range to the north and the River Devon to the south. Dollar is on the A91 road, which runs from Stirling to St. Andrews. The town is around 3 miles east of Tillicoultry...
, and a canon regular of the monastery of St. Colm's, Inch. He was tried along Sir Ducan Simpson (a priest), two black friars - Keillor and John Beveridge - plus a notary
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
in 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...
by the name of Forrester, before a council held by Cardinal Beaton and William Chisholm, Bishop of Dunblane
Dunblane
Dunblane is a small cathedral city and former burgh north of Stirling in the Stirling council area of Scotland. The town is situated off the A9 road, on the way north to Perth. Its main landmark is Dunblane Cathedral and the Allan Water runs through the town centre, with the Cathedral and the High...
. Bishop Crichton of Dunkeld
Dunkeld
Dunkeld is a small town in Strathtay, Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It is about 15 miles north of Perth on the eastern side of the A9 road into the Scottish Highlands and on the opposite side of the Tay from the Victorian village of Birnam. Dunkeld and Birnam share a railway station, on the...
was also present. Lauder again prosecuted. During Forrest's own defence "his Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
was plucked from his hand by Lauder, who denounced as heretical the conclusions he had drawn from it, and Forrest and his four companions were condemned to the stake". The sentence was carried out on the Castle Hill of Edinburgh on the last day of February, 1539.
John Knox
John Knox
John Knox was a Scottish clergyman and a leader of the Protestant Reformation who brought reformation to the church in Scotland. He was educated at the University of St Andrews or possibly the University of Glasgow and was ordained to the Catholic priesthood in 1536...
also wrote a lot about this John Lauder, and referred to him as "a monstere, full of the Popis thunder, so spytfull that the ignorant people dreded least the earth then wold have swallowed them up."
Knox on Lauder is also quoted by Robert Lindesay of Pitscottie, in an almost complete transcript of the trial, on 1 March 1546, of the martyr George Wishart
George Wishart
George Wishart was a Scottish religious reformer and Protestant martyr.He belonged to a younger branch of the Wisharts of Pitarrow near Montrose. He may have graduated M.A., probably at King's College, Aberdeen, and was certainly a student at the University of Leuven, from which he graduated in 1531...
, whom Lauder "laidin full off curssingis written in paper.....cruellie accussit him and condemnit him to death." Cardinal Beaton presided over the execution of Wishart, with his faithful secretary and prosecutor, Lauder, at his side, in front of the Cardinal's Castle of 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....
.
Calderwood
Calderwood
Calderwood may refer to one of the following meanings:Places* Calderwood, East Kilbride, an area of East Kilbride in Scotland* Calderwood Dam, a reservoir and dam development project in Tennessee...
also mentions the "Trial of Adam Wallace, 1550.........at the farther end of the chancellarie wall (in the church of the Blacke Friars in Edinburgh), in the pulpit, was placed Mr. Johne Lawder, Parson of Marbottle Morebattle
Morebattle
Morebattle is a village in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, on the B6401, seven miles south of Kelso, Scottish Borders, beside the Kale Water, a tributary of the River Teviot.The nearby Linton Loch was drained in the 19th century to improve agriculture....
[- see note above, this fell within his remit as Archdeacon of Teviotdale], accuser, cled in a surplice, and a reid hood." Foxe also gave an account of this trial.
Other activities
In the National Archives of Scotland (GD111/6/2) is a Papal confirmation by John Lauder, archdeacon of Teviotdale, and John Coldane, Provost of MethvenMethven, Perth and Kinross
Methven is a large village in the Scottish region of Perth and Kinross, on the A85 road due west of the town of Perth. Methven is close to another Perthshire village, Almondbank...
, and John Guillermi, Provost of Seton
Seton
A seton or seton stitch is a medical term for a procedure used to aid the healing of fistulae.The procedure involves running a surgical-grade cord through the fistula tract so that the cord creates a loop that joins up outside the fistula...
, of a Feu Charter by Andrew, abbot of Melrose
Melrose, Scotland
Melrose is a small town and civil parish in the Scottish Borders, historically in Roxburghshire. It is in the Eildon committee area.-Etymology:...
, to Arthur Sinclare of the lands of Lessudwyne except the lands of Newtoun, Elistoun, Maxpeffill, Cammestoun and Plewland, with the mill of Newtoun and thirlage
Thirlage
Thirlage was the term used for the law in regard of the milling of grain for personal or other uses. Vassals in a feudal barony were thirled to their local mill owned by the feudal superior...
of Newtoun, Lessudwyne, Eliston, Cammestone, Maxpeffill, Murehouslaw and Plewland except the fishings on the Tuede (Tweed
River Tweed
The River Tweed, or Tweed Water, is long and flows primarily through the Borders region of Great Britain. It rises on Tweedsmuir at Tweed's Well near where the Clyde, draining northwest, and the Annan draining south also rise. "Annan, Tweed and Clyde rise oot the ae hillside" as the Border saying...
) belonging to said lands of Lessudwyne, dated 26 February 1541.
In 1541 Lauder, Archdeacon of Teviotdale, paid the third rental for the parsonage and vicarage of Morebattle
Morebattle
Morebattle is a village in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, on the B6401, seven miles south of Kelso, Scottish Borders, beside the Kale Water, a tributary of the River Teviot.The nearby Linton Loch was drained in the 19th century to improve agriculture....
, in Roxburghshire
Roxburghshire
Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh is a registration county of Scotland. It borders Dumfries to the west, Selkirk to the north-west, and Berwick to the north. To the south-east it borders Cumbria and Northumberland in England.It was named after the Royal Burgh of Roxburgh...
, amounting to £73/15/7. It is mentioned that this formed the prebend of the Archdeacon of Teviotdale, which post was held by Lauder from 1534 to 1551. His successor was John Hepburn
John Hepburn
John Hepburn, Prior of Saint Andrews was the son of Patrick Hepburn, 1st Lord of Hailes. He established Saint Leonards College at the University of St Andrews in 1512...
, who held the post from 1544 to 1564. [Hepburn was later Bishop of Brechin
Brechin
Brechin is a former royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. Traditionally Brechin is often described as a city because of its cathedral and its status as the seat of a pre-Reformation Roman Catholic diocese , but that status has not been officially recognised in the modern era...
, and brother to the wife of the Archdeacon's half-brother, Robert Lauder of Bass].
On 5 January 1542 we find him as "the Cardinal's Secretary" representing Cardinal David Beaton
David Beaton
The Most Rev. Dr. David Cardinal Beaton was Archbishop of St Andrews and the last Scottish Cardinal prior to the Reformation.-Career:...
at the reconsecration of the restored and ancient St Baldred
Baldred of Tyninghame
Balthere of Tyninghame was a Northumbrian hermit and abbot, resident in East Lothian during the 8th century.-Dating:According to Hovendeus the date of Baldred's death is given as 756. Symeon of Durham says "the twentieth year of King Eadberht of Northumbria " and Turgot of Durham "the...
's chapel on 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...
, his father's stronghold.
In the Calendar of Writs preserved at Yester House
Yester House
Yester House is an early 18th-century mansion near Gifford in East Lothian, Scotland. It was the home of the Hay family, later Marquesses of Tweeddale, from the 15th century until the 1970s. Construction of the present house began in 1699, and continued well into the 18th century in a series of...
there is an instrument upon the receipt by Robert Lawder of Bass
Robert Lauder (d. 1576)
Robert Lauder of The Bass, was an important noble in Haddingtonshire, Berwickshire, and Fife. Stodart remarks that "to 1600 the barons of the Bass sat in almost every parliament"...
of £80 Scots in redemption of the lands of Kylpallet, constabulary of 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 shire of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, wadset to him by John Lord Hay of Yester; Done at the instance of the said Lord's procurator, Mr. Thomas Hay, provost of Bothanis Abbey St Bathans, place of Biel
Stenton
Stenton is a parish and village in East Lothian, Scotland. It is bounded on the north by parts of the parishes of Prestonkirk and Dunbar, on the east by Spott and on the west by Whittingehame. The name is said to be of Saxon derivation. In earlier times, when names were often written phonetically,...
, 2 p.m., 21 March 1542. Witnesses: John Lawder, natural son of the laird of Bass, John Lawder in Stenton
Stenton
Stenton is a parish and village in East Lothian, Scotland. It is bounded on the north by parts of the parishes of Prestonkirk and Dunbar, on the east by Spott and on the west by Whittingehame. The name is said to be of Saxon derivation. In earlier times, when names were often written phonetically,...
and Thomas Wait. John Manderstoun is the notary public
Notary public
A notary public in the common law world is a public officer constituted by law to serve the public in non-contentious matters usually concerned with estates, deeds, powers-of-attorney, and foreign and international business...
. (Seal of Robert Lauder appended in fair condition.)
John Lauder, Archdeacon of Teviotdale, Cardinal's Secretary, is a witness to a charter by David Betoun, Cardinal Archbishop of St. Andrews, dated there 15 March 1545/6. This charter gives a lot of detail on the family of the Cardinal. (Laing)
Master John Lauder was one of the auditors of the Chamberlain's Accounts for the Archbishopric of St. Andrews from 1540 to 1549, wherein he is styled Archdeacon of Teviotdale.
Cardinal Beaton was himself finally murdered by a mob of reformists
Protestant Reformers
Protestant Reformers were those theologians, churchmen, and statesmen whose careers, works, and actions brought about the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century...
not long after Wishart's execution, and subsequently Lauder is noted in February 1551 as a notary public of St. Andrews, and "Secretarius" to Archbishop Hamilton, Beaton's successor, who was also later hanged by the mob, in 1571.
Lauder's fate is unknown.