THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
27 
and carried in solemn procession to Holyrood House, from wlience she was 
taken by James IY. to the siege of Norham Castle. 
In the Scottish Treasury accounts of this time are many interesting notices 
of our bombard. She was mounted on a new carriage for the occasion, as 
appears by the following entries:— 
July 24, 1497. “Item, to pynouris to bere ye trees to be Mons new 
cradill to her at St Leonard's quhare scho lay, iij sh. vi d." 
July 28. “Item, for xiij stane of irne to make graitli 2 to Monsis new 
cradill and gavilokkis 3 to gu with her, xxx sh. iiij d." 
“ Item, to vij wrights for twa dayis and a half ya maid Monsis cradill, 
xxiij sh. iiij d." 
Among other entries of the same period we have :— 
“ Item, for viij elne of canwas to be Mons claiths to cover her." Another 
item is for painting the canvas. 
“Item, to the Minstralis that playit before Mons doune the gait, xiij sh." 4 
In 1501, 1527, 1532, and 1539 various payments are recorded for the 
well-keeping of Mons and her carriage. On one occasion she is “ourelaid 
with reed leid" and her “quheles and extreis creischit 5 with Orknay 
butter." 6 
In 1558, on the rejoicings consequent on the marriage of Queen Mary 
with tlie Dauphin of France, the great gun was again in request; for, on the 
3rd of July in that year, we find this payment made by order of the Queen 
Eegent: “To certain pyonaris for thair labouris in the * * * of 
Mons furth of her lair, to be scliote, and for the finding and carrying of hir 
bullet efter scho was schot, fra Weirdie Mure 7 to the Castell of Edinburgh, 
x s. viii d." 8 
In 1578, among the “Towellis, Plenissingis, 9 Artaillierie and Munitioun 
within the Castell of Edinburgh, pertening to our Soverane Lord and hienes 
derrest Moder," our bombard again appears as “Ane grit peice, of forgit 
yron, callit Mons." 8 
In 1633, when King Charles I. visited Edinburgh, Mons was found 
unfit to join in the salute which welcomed His Majesty from the Castle : 
“Item, to * * * * for rining and wining of,the tuich hole of the iron peice 
that had beene poysoned thir many yeares by gane, iij * * *." 8 
At the surrender of Edinburgh Castle in 1650, Mons appears under a new 
style and title: “ The great Iron Murderer called Muckle Meg;" and in 
another document she is denominated “ the Great Mag." 8 
Sir John Lauder, Bart., of Fountainhall, in his Historical Notices of Scottish 
Affairs, records that in October, 1680, “the Duke of York having visited 
the Castle of Edinburgh,—for a testimony of. joy, the gun called Minis Meg 
being charged by the advice of ane English Canonier, in the shooting was 
2 Gear.— Jamieson. 
3 Iron crows.— Ibid. 
4 Tytler, as above ; and Letter of A. Macdonald, Esq., Curator of the Museum of the Society of 
Antiquarians of Scotland, to the Board of Ordnance, Oct. 1835. See also Sir Walter Scott’s 
“Provincial Antiq. of Scotland,” Vol. I., p. 21. 
5 Wheels and axletrees greased. 
6 Macdonald, as above. 
7 Wardie is fully two miles from the castle.— Wilson p, 131. 
8 Macdonald. 
9 Eurniture.— Jamieson. 
