Genealogical Collections : Baird Letters cont...

From GILBERT BAIRD to ANDREW BAIRD.
From Banff the xx. Septr. 1605

Honourable Sir, and his maist weill beloved brother, My duty of commendation being maist heartfully recommendit unto you, pleis, I ressavit your letter from your guid frind, William Kircaldy, burges of Kinghorn, daitit at Lyons in France the 8th day of June 1604, and perseves be your letter your present estait, therefore I thank God gretly of your guid helthe and that ye are presently alyfe, yit I am sorry that ye haif taen you to sic an mein calling, being one of the best scholars, as is reported, in all France, quhairof I wonder gretly, for, if ye had pleised, ye myht haif been promotit to mony mair honourable office, nor the office ye have called yourself to, qulk wald haif been a greater contentment to yourself and your frindis, both, for your frindis disowns you meikle, that ye haif taen you to that form of lyfe, and I will assure you that they think very ill of it, and I, also, for my awin part,-disesteem of it maist heartily; for, if ye wald haif cum home to your awin native country
I suld haif provydit for you in mair honorable present lyf afoir the warld, nor the lyf qulk ye have drawn yourself to, sa lang as I had guids, or geir, land, or heritage, for I suspect ye have tane sum apprehension, and displeasure, for the want of your geir, qulk, the Italian tuik from you, qulk was but a matter of ane hundred crowns, or twa, as William Kircaldy informit me, swa, gif ye had tain you to ony uther calling, nor the calling qulk ye tane yourself to, ye might have cum be geir again that wald have baith plesured you and your frindis also; your frindis here esteem you to be a lost man, in respect of your calling that ye have tane you to, for I culd nevir weil understand your calling full now, that this gentleman William Kircaldy spak with you, face to face, quha has told to me, at great lenth, the certainty of your present estait, and ressavit your letter from you the last of July, in this instant yeir of God, 1604, for he was not passing to twa months after he came from you, until he delivert your letter to me, and I gaif this gentleman, William Kircaldy, gryt gains to cum to that country and visit you, and to know your perfit estait, qulk, I look it for to have been better nor it is, yet, notwithstanding, gif ye be weil yourself, it matters the less, for it appears be your letter that ye haif quitit the warld and warldly guids and geir, and that you will dispense with that geir, qulk your father left you, to me, or my wyfe, or any of our bairns, qulk we wish to give to.
I would to God that I had been obleist for twyes as meikil to you, gif ye had tane an uther course with yourself, for I thocht, gif ye had been in a better estait nor ye are into, til have sent over one of my sons to you; and as to that geir that ye dispense with, and that ye will have no geir that appertains to your father, and that ye will dispense with it to me, or my wyfe, we think ourselves the mair obleist to you; yit, I think your gryt necessity suld have ado with it, yit, seeing your calling is so sempill and has no moyen, but that, qulk ye get out of uther people's hands for your teaching, swa I thocht guid to wreat this meikle to you and to advertise again with the next commodious bearer, what is the very course that ye will take with yourself, or gif ye will continue in that estait all your days; write to me the certainty thereof and direct your letter to Dieppe, to the house thair, called the bons hommes, and cause the bons hommes direct the letter to John Mew in Dieppe, quha is factor to Alex Pearson, burges of Edinburgh, and he will direct it to Alex Pearson, in Scotland, and swa your letter will cum to my hands.
I haif also endorsit your letter on the back, as ye directit me, to the bons hommes, with the form of endorsation on the back as ye wreit-" a mon frere, frere Andro Baird, religieu.:v minnime au convent des minnimes a Lyons."-My wyfe, your sister, and all your frindis heir and brethren has recommdit themselves heartily to you.-Committing you to God.-From Banff the xx. Septr. 1605. Your affect. and loving brother ever to be commandit at his pouer. Gilbert Baird

Brother, I luikit that ye suld have remembered your frind and mine, William Kircaldy, for his pain staking in visiting you, for, as I am informed by him, ye have not acknowledged him in nothing, qulk, I wonder of and desyrs you to advertis me thereof, because he reportit of you to me.

From ANDREW BAIRD to GILBERT BAIRD.
Lyons, June 4, 1607

Richt honerable and maist deirly beloved brother, After my thinking long to heir of your weilfare, wyfe and bairns, I thocht guid to wreat thir few lyns unto you being at leisure, to the end that seeing we are sa far separate, that we may not haif any consolation be mutual presence, at the least, we may visit the one ane uther be aft writing, gif ye think guid.
I heir that God blessit your house in generation of many blessit children, the qulks gif ye bring up in the fear of God, ye will make into the world and into hevin eternal memorials cum of you.
I am sorry that I am not able to do you such service, to quhom I am so obleist, as I haif done to many uthers without any obligation, but of courtesie and free will; zeit, thanks be to God, I am in no ways miserable, howsoever it seems to the warld and to them that knawis not what my calling means. I wish to God that a guid part of your and our brethren's children were at sic a point.
I pray you excuse the exceeding luif I bear to my awin bluid; quhairfore, the best part of guids and geir that ye may leif unto them, is, the virtue and guid intructions that they sall learn in their youth-heid. God gif I might part with them, the little knowledge that God of his goodness has giffen unto me, and if thair war any means to be had, I suld not fail to bestow with all my heart my tyme and travel.
Now presently, God willing, I am bound to a town called Marigues, en Auvergne, to preach this caresme to after pasch: But as soon as God sall give me grace to cum to Lyons, I sall write to Naples to our General, gif I may haif licence to come and remain at Dieppe, quhair we haif a monastery, to the end, it may be nearer to the country, and offer my servis to all guid frindis. In the meantyme, seeing we are fischemen, and eats na uther sort of meatts, and ye have a commodity of salmond, I pray you bestow upon us sum barrel of salmond once in the year. I remember that your father Walter Baird provydit to me, every year, three or four. Buit nevir in my lyfe haif I ressavit from any Scotsman any guid deed sens I am in France. I am wraith to put you to charge, but, because I know that costs you nothing, or very small, I am mair bauld. Not- withstanding, ye sall do as ye think guid. Your wyfe, my sister, in remembrance of her guid mother, will not forget me, and I am altogedder persuaded that gif it might be her will, its not, that I die in France, but abyding your answer I will be short, praying you to haif ever before your eies our auld fathers, their lyf and religion, in honouring God and his children. I sall ever remain after my heartty commendations to yourself, wyfe, and bairns, brethren, and all guid frindis.
Your most affect. brother and servant. Aw. Baird

I heir say it is dangerous mater to write over the sea of matters of religion, or of Estait, quhairfore, unto the time I know mair perfectly, baith of your religion and Estait, I thocht good to ask your advys before I write anything. Among many Scotsmen we haif in France, there is ane Courreiar, an unwary Coureur et vagabond; he makes £1, or acts the minister, in to a town called Issoire near quhair I preiche. He has beguild me and himself meikle mair; -he causit me to understand that we were kin and countrymen; -it sall pleis you to ask of him.

THOMAS BAIRD to his Father, GILBERT BAIRD of Auchmedden.
Rouen the lst Novr. 1607.

Richt honorabell Sir, After my heartty commendations made, not forgetting my mother, my brethrine, and sisters, and all guid frindis, it will pleis you to wit I am in guid health, praisit be God, desyrand the same of you and all your guid frindis. After my away cumming out of Leith we fund the wadder and waund very contrarious, so that we were forst be storm of wadder to gang into divers pairts of Ingland and France, sic as Tynemouth, Newcastle, Yarmouth pairts of lngland, and Callis in France, all these pairts before my cuming to Dieppe.
At my departer from Jhon Pearson out of Rouen, I ressavit fra him the sum of Twenty crowns to transport me to Lyons by the sillar he disbursit for me before my way ganging fra him. Nocht troubling you further, but my heartty commendations to yourself and mother, with the rest of the bairns, and all guid frindis not forgetting Walter Lesly.¹ I rest. Your obedient son at command, TOMAS BAIRD
Being in danger coming to France, I promised forty shillins to the coure, quhilk it will pleis you give at hame.erif"

TOMAS BAIRD to his father GILBERT BAIRD.
Lyons, 9th Jany. 1609.

Rycht honerabil Sr. and maist deirly beloved father, my maist humble serveis being remembered; it sall pleis your wisdom to understand, since my cuming into France the mettar has been very hard with me unto the time I did meet with my uncle. There is now fyve or sax months past that I haif taken the habit of religion quharin I sall not failzie, nicht or day, to pray God for your estait and weilfare,- also my mother, brothers, and sisters, and commending you to the protection of the Almighty God. I remain.

GILBERT BAIRD of Auchmedden to his brother ANDREW
Auchmedden, Sept. 7, 1614.

Rycht honorabill Sr. and Loving Brother, My affectionate duty with my commendations remember it maist heartily, pleis I ressavit a letter of yuirs from a Scotsman, whom they call William Blackater, a Kinghom man, quha died presently after the delivery of your letter to me, quhen he said to me that it was meikle of twa years since he ressavit your letter before the delivery of it to me; for your letter was dated from Besancon, in Bourgoigne, the 12th of Oct. 1612 yeirs, and I ressavit it not till the 6th of August 1614 years, with anither letter written to you by ane whom they call Mosieur Kircaldy; quhilk letter I have considered, and my awin, both that ye sent me, and I complain as heavily as ye do, in not writing to me often nor ye do, for I have writin sindrie tymes within these twa or three years with the young Laird of Schives, and with ane servant of his likewise sensyne: Quhilk Laird of Schives dwalls within 12 myles to my house, for he cums aft to France because his wyfe is thair, and is an Catholique, and will not grant to cum to Scotland, for she is the Lady Gicht's sister, and remains in France for the religious cause; as also, I ressavit a letter from Mr. Adam Scot, a brother of yours, since I ressavit ony of yours, quha dwallis in Paris, as ye knaw, and has an brother in Scotland quham they call George Scot who dwallis in Persiaw in Buchan, quha wrote a letter to me repertand that ye was in guid health and my son both, but that my son was sumthing hard ingynd, and wrote in his letter to me that he had ressavit an barrel of salmond out of Dieppe in the bons hommes, and had sent the same to you, -an thing that ye esteem not much worth there, and gat it not half a yeir after I had sent it.
As to this last letter ye write to me concerning William Kircaldy, he has bein in the wrong to you and me both, and has informed you what I sould haif promised him any guid deed for his coming over to France, but, having the occasion to gang over both to France and Flanders, sum ados of his ain, I directit my letter with him to give you, as a passenger and as a friend, that he wuld convey that letter to you, and not that he will say on his credit that I promisit him any guid deed, but that he promisit to carry it thair in kindness, that, not withstanding at his hame coming with the answer, I gaif him sufficient recompense for his painstaking, quhairby he had na cause to cumplain, I will assure you, but because he was your maith, he thocht to have gottin sum geir of you, and that was a thing that troublit him maist, being a man seeking his fortune, and came haim worse than he gaid a field. For, afoir he came unto you with that letter, he was a whyle in Flanders at the wairs, and that scheme misgaif him, and syne he cam over to you with my letter quhen the wairs had failed him.
As to my son Thomas, I persaive ye haif an great care of him, and is weil and lives as ye do, and a guid boy, servicable, but has not our great will of letters, nor born thairto, as ye alledged, quhairof of I am sorry that he suld be so hard ingynt always,² God maik him his servant, with your assistance, quhairinto I think myself meikle bound to you that ye haif tane the care of that boy, under God, to make him an schollar, quhillk he may be able to do by himself, quhairin his mother and I baith thinkis us meikle bound to you for the samen, that relieves us of all his charge and expenses, and is very burdenable to you, as I doubt not, in all necessarys, and is not able as yit to do for himself. Sr, gife thair be any thing here in Scotland that I, or my wyfe, can pleis you with, advertis us thairof, it sall not be unsent to you nether for travel nor yet expense, and write to us what manner of calling our son will be of, or what he is maist inclined to, for I never resavit ane letter fra himself since he came to you; thairfore cause him wreat to me baith in French and Scottis the next commodious berir, for I haif directit this letter of yours with a Scottis man quhom they call William Laing, to Paris, burges of Aberdein, and has wisht him either to deliver this letter to Mr. Adam Scot in Paris, or then to Mr. James Gordon, the Earl of Huntly's father's brother, quha has remained in Paris thir twa or three years, as I am informed; I doubt not gif ony letter cam to their hands, but they will convey them to you with all diligence, for this William Laing is cum to Paris to bring haim the Erle of Huntly his bairns, twa sons quham his Lordship has thair in France.
As also, ye was myndful to write to me touching the heids of religion, quhilk I percave ye haif defered, and has na will to trouble me in that point for the present, but wishes to God that ye war neir to me for a little tyme, that we might confer together in matters of salvation. All I could wish with my heart that we met ye and I, gif it pleasit God, ere we died, and I wad be content that myself maik the travel, and sall cum to ony part of France, either in Paris or Dieppe, upon your advertisement, with the assurance that I may find you in Paris in special, or in ony other town in this side of Paris, as it pleases you to appoint; for ye are the man in the world that I would fainest see and have conference with, and I will know be your next letter if ye be as well myndit to see me as I am to see you. Sua to your advertisement thairin I rest. My wyfe, your sister, has recommendit her heartily to you, with all the rest of your brethrin and frindis heir.- Yours.

ANDREW to GILBERT
Besanqon, Feb. 10, 1615.

Rycht honourabill sr. and most well beloved Brother, my humble duty being rememberit; it sall pleis you to wit that I haif ressavit your writing from Lyons, and thankis you maist earnestly and heartily of your guid remembrance. I am very sory that your letter has been taken, and that by the way, and that they are not cum to my handis, quhilk is the cause that I do not write to you sa aft as I wuld, for I feir that my letters being taken do you harm, albeit I have nevir written anything that may displeise any man, and prays you to assure every where that I am a faithful subject of the King's Majesty, and putting asyde matters of religion, thair is not a man that would mair willingly die for his Majesty than I, and I am very laith to truble his Majesty's estait and weilfare. As touching the desyr ye have to see me, ye are not so desyrous as I am to see you once before I die, gif it sall pleis God for his honour and glory. I thocht within this last month to haif dwalt near to you, to wit in Sundwert, be moyen of Mr. John Brown our guid kinsman, it sall pleis you to ressave him as he merits and your occasion sall be; he will schew you quhat is my estait and quhat meins we may haif to see us togidder, either this yeir or the next, God willing. I cannot tell unto you the courtesie I haif ressavit from him this fifteen yeirs bypast, that it sall pleis you to treat him as a guid friend, quhairanent I abyde your letters and meating be the first commodity. Your son, brother Thomas has writtin to you baith in Frenshe and Scottis, but in truth he is a better man and speiks better nor I, and is a scholler, but not very fine. He will be a good man, God willing, and prays God daily for you and his mother. When I sall go to Flanders I will bring him with me, in the meintyme, commending me heartily to you, to my sister, your childring and all, guid frindis and brethren and uthers, I commend you to God and remain, Yours.

Mr. J. BROWN to GILBERT BAIRD of Auchmedden³
Saint Andrews,April 4, 1615.

Richt honourable Sir, After my humble duty, pleis I ressavit sum letters from your brother Mr. Andrew, and from your son Thomas, to be sent to you, quhilk I do by the moyen of this gentleman, the bearer of them. Your brother writes to me you desyre to cum over to him, ye sall be wellcome heir to our puir house in S. Andrews, and sall ressaive sic cheir with us not as ye merit, but according to my small moyen, as this bearer will tell you. In the mean tyme I sall write for your brother and your son, quha knawing of your cuming, will cum heir incontinent, for they remain incontinent a hundred leagues from heir in Besancon, quhilk is a town of Bourgoigne, quhairfore I will request you to advertis me afoir ye cum over, to the end they may be warnit of your cuming afoir the hand. I remit all particulars to meeting, only I will tell you that Thomas, your son, has followed the footsteps of his uncle Mr. Andrew, and are all under one master and captain, and lykeways under the same servis, albeit I hald house heir. My commendations to your bedfellow Lillias, quhom I did knaw in her father's house with you quhen ye war new married folks in your father's tyme, and her father and mother's tyme, and was in your house when her mother died. At our meeting, with God's grace, we sall speik of auld fainzian-nocht else but God preserve you.- Your assurit frind to be commandit.

Mr. ANDREW BAIRD to his BROTHER, Auchmedden.
Besanqon, Bourgoigne, 2d of August, 1615.

Rycht honourabill Sir and maist dearly beloved Brother, my affectionate duty being rememberit, it sall pleis wit I haif ressavit your last letter in date of the first of May bypast, and I shall not weary you with lang letters at this tyme, because our General is to cum presently to this town, and thairanent, we haif meikle ado, and the ordinary of Flanders is upon his returning. I may not be long with you, nevertheless, it sall pleis you to understand that I am very glad, and prasis God Almighty, of your guid helthe, wyfe, and bairns, brethren and guid frindis; as to our meeting, when it sall pleis God, I see no means that it may be this year, because I may not travel before Thomas be profest, and that is in the beginning of Winter, and it is neir two hundred myles between this and Sandvert, and a very wicked way, and the wars that are in France and uther pairts. Of one thing it sall pleis you to be so guid as to assure me in truth, of your faith and religion, gif ye hald on with the guid auld faith of your guid auld father, in the quhilk, guid Walter Baird and Kathrine Grant bred us at Bamff, there my sister, your wyfe, was very affectionate to receive God's guid servants. That will be a great consolation to me, baith dying and living, unto the tyme I haif that grace from God as to meit with you, and it may be that we may haif great consolation be letters, and of meeting, gif thair be no danger for yourself in the matter, the quhilk, abyding of you at your best commodity, ye sall wit, God willing. I past this day to see your son, frere Thomas, and to recommend him to his superior, for he is a little sickly, be reason of the great heat that is this summer in thir pairts, in so far, that the wynes are almost lost and will be very deir this yeir coming.
I sall not fail to write to you at all occasions, but chiefly by the ordinary of Sandvert, seeing Father Crowe is their, who has done all he may to draw me down there to remain with him, the quhilk, I desyre with all my heart, but our superiors in these pairts will not consent, in any way, and has prayed our General to hear no request nor prayer of any man for that, quhairfore, well-beloved brother, I am constrained to take patience while it sall pleis God to cause sum guid occasion. Quhairupon, committing you to the protection of God Almighty, and hearty recommendations being remembered to yourself, my sister, and your bairns, with my brethren and guid frindis, I shall ever remain.

There are more letters that will be added in due course

Footnotes:

(1) His uncle, Kinninvie's son, who settled in Denmark.-W.B.
(2) See however, next letter. -Ed
(3) There is another letter in the MS., probably from this Mr James Brown to Gilbert, inclosing a letter to Andrew, to be sent with Brandane; but as it is of no particular interest, it is not printed here. -Ed.