296 Dumfries Treasurers' Accounts. 



English name for the German thaler. Its value in recent 

 times was about 3 marks (2s iid), but in Scotland in 1638 

 we know from these Accounts that its value must have been 

 about 4s 6d sterling-. Another coin of foreign origin men- 

 tioned in these Accounts is the angell, or angell-noble, origin- 

 ally a new issue of the noble, having as its device the arch- 

 angel Michael standing upon and piercing the dragon. The 

 coin was first minted in England in 1465 in imitation of the 

 French angelot, and last minted by Charles II. It was 

 known in Scotland as early as 1488 (Tytler, Hist. Scot. 

 (1845), ii^-' 512). Its original English value was 6s 8d 

 sterling, but it steadily increased to los. Another coin men- 

 tioned in these Accounts is the " double angell." Adam 

 Cunynghame, the town's advocate in Edinburgh, received 

 " ten double angells with the profeit," which we are told 

 represented .^^140 Scots. A double angell at this period was 

 a gold coin formally known as the " Unit," first coined in 

 1625 (Cochran-Patrick, i., clxix.). Its value was ;£i sterling 

 or £12 Scots. Ten double angells were therefore worth 

 ;^.i2o Scots, leaving ;^2o Scots to represent the " profeit." 



It would be surprising if the ecclesiastical ferment 

 through which the country was then passing found no echo 

 in these accounts. The Church policy of Charles I. took a 

 fresh turn in May, 1637, when he substituted the Service Book, 

 commonly called Laud's Liturgy, for Knox's Book of Com- 

 mon Order. It was received with riot in St. Giles, Edin- 

 burgh,- and with uproar throughout the country. Petitions 

 poured in against the innovation, and the Privy Council and 

 Courts of Law had to leave Edinburgh owing to popular 

 clamour. The opposition was definitely organised into com- 

 mittees or " Tables," who at once assumed command of the 

 revolt and arranged the movement, whereby the mass of the 

 people in February, 1638, signed the National Covenant. 

 Dumfries was not behind the main national current. Numer- 

 ous items that year indicate the town's share in the movement. 

 Mr James Hamilton, the minister, went to Edinburgh. He 

 was followed by Thomas M'Burnie (who later became the 

 Cromwellian Provost of the burgh), William Maxwell, 

 notary, and Robert Glencorse, who were to act as Commis- 



