Michael Pearce

@michaelpearce.bsky.social

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History, Scotland. Probably writing about material culture, costume, household accounts, letters, recipe books, and the fine grain detail of Scottish royal revenue. Website: https://vanishedcomforts.org/about/

Testament and Memoir of William Douglas of Lochleven. National Records of Scotland GD150/2234
Page from a household book describing expenses for feeding Regent Arran and his army for 11 days in June 1547.
Remains of the castle at Langholm
White cottage seen from a distance across orchard valley
Image of a letter Cotton Nero BVI f.397, d'Esneval describes his progress commissioning a portrait of James VI in Edinburgh, a copy of new picture (he is getting another for Catherine de' Medici), August 1586, written at Falkland Palace.
image of TNA SP 46/60 f.179, letter from Thomas Gayton to his wife Margaret
imaginative watercolour reconstruction of Craignethan Castle, with gleaming whitewashed walls, painted by Charles McKean
Dialogue of the Fares at Theobalds, image Folger Shakepeare Library, X.d.475, f.2v.
The monument of Sir Robert Denniston of Mountjoy, Greyfriars' Churchyard, Edinburgh, photographed by Joe Rock of RCAHMS (NGS)
Dirleton Kirk, East Lothian (photo: Robin C Mitchell), showing the aisle or transept with 17th-century gable
St Bride's Douglas, South Lanarkshire, seen from Main Street, a surprising viewpoint, if you're not familiar with the layout.
Image of a letter of the usher Anthony Wingfield to his wife Elizabeth Wingfield, mother of the maids, 13 October 1575, Folger: https://digitalcollections.folger.edu/bib244373-309964-xd428_127
Entry in the 1634 accounts of David Cunningham of Auchenharvie, TNA E101/439/2, and his signature at the bottom of the page.
Somewhat faded entry in the 1634 of royal income made by David Cunningham of Auchenhavie for 1634, TNA E101/439/2, for payment to the musicians Thomas Miller and John Taillor
Italian master maiolica painters (seated in chairs) served with glaze colours from a suspended circular tray by their assistants. I have some doubts about this.
Pair 17th century oak carvings
Upcycled crocodile umbrella and walking stick stand
TNA SP 89/2 f.125, these particulars of Murre the Scottishe kings pleasant servante ... he did plucke of a golde button from his dublet ..
National Library of Scotland, Morton papers MS 75 f. 38 no. 41. William Keith of Delny cut small slits up the left hand side of this letter, and was interested in novel methods of sealing letters.
Ardrossan Highland games 2024, photo by Charlie Gilmour
National Records of Scotland E35/11, 11 July 1573.
Cowgate and Cardinal Beaton's house, from Herbert Maxwell, 'Edinburgh: A Historical Study'.
HES Trove image: https://www.trove.scot/image/2956109
Page has a shiny rectangular area where a few lines of handwritten text have been erased. In the erased area 'mensis vero J-' remaining from a Latin date can be seen
Everyone called Adrian went to the christening in 1595
British Library Add. MS 33531 f.270, signatures to a document suggesting ways of raising revenue from royal parks; includes "halhill, carmichael, Neubottle, Young, MYoung, Parbroath comptroller, durhame of duntarvie"
Two dogs in a May garden in formal poses
Text, 'To cherrishe Apple trees', A booke of the arte and maner how to plant and graffe all sortes of trees (London: John Wight, 1575), p. 75. https://archive.org/details/bookeofartemaner00masc/page/n5/mode/2up
handwritten text "Ethel Dugdale, Sezincote"
how to make water for the eyes Take eye bright white hunnisukles woodbine leaves fenell desies plantane white roses honslick each of thes a handfull and a brance or tuo or wormwood chop all thes small and sprinkell them with the urine of a man chyld then distill it and use it as you list (Moray Papers 5:16)
Account of Anna Gordon, Countess of Moray, showing payments for items her daughter Mary, later Lady Grant of Freuchie (died 1662). Moray Papers
Mary Magdalene attributed to Scipio Pulzone
Historic Environment Scotland conservation record for Carnock House, Stirlingshire (demolished). Photograph shows decorative plasterwork to be salvaged.
NRS E32/11 f.11r., 'oncosts' for 26 November 1550, includes a boat at Crossford, and the hire of two horses to carry supplies and plates from Lanark to Craignethan.
Craignethan Castle, handy for taverns in Lanark
TNA SP 14/109 f.100, quoted David M. Bergeron, The Duke of Lennox (Edinburgh, 2020), p. 190. The harper was Donell Dubh Ó Cathail, or Daniel O'Cahill.
To mak iumboules: Tak a quarter of a pound of fine flouer tua ounces of fyn sugger tua eggs a spoonfull of seck a spoonfull of creame and mak past of it and mold it of leters and knottes and so baik it
.... toto inclyto regno ac nomine Danica arctissimam conjunctionem, quam nos perpetuo atque inviolabiliter colere constituimus, ... Rigsarkivet
Engaving of the death of Henri II