Margaret Home, Countess of Moray, died in 1683. Her son, Alexander Stuart, Earl of Moray, and Secretary of State for Scotland, was in London. His son, Charles Stuart, was in Edinburgh and Fife in May 1683, settling her affairs with their factor Hugh Paterson of Bannockburn. They made inventories, discovered a cache of silver plate hidden in a closet at Moray House in the Canongate, and visited the family’s Fife coal workings. Charles Stuart sent detailed updates to his father. One letter includes a mild joke about the Duchess of Lauderdale’s factor Edward Masters. Stuart declined to deliver one of her letters forwarded by Masters, as he was not Mr Master’s servant.

Charles Stuart’s letter to his father of 15 May 1683 describes a visit to the Fife coal works with a Mr Shaw and the laird of Killrie, with a view to make them more profitable. He offered to punish disobedient colliers, (NRAS 217 Box 6 no. 123):

“My Dear Lord, By last Saturday’s post, I could not give account of what I had done at Donibristle, not having then copied over the inventur, but I sent you Mr Shaw’s letter of what was done Relating to the coal, I shall begin in giving your lo[rdship] an account therof, Fryday last Mr Shaw, Bannockburen, Killrie, and I went first to Bouperie [Bouprie, Fife, near Aberdour] and in that hill ther is a place that Mr Shaw judged by all apirans that ther might be Coall found, then wee went to another place called Newtoune that belongs to your Lordship, and ther Mr Shaw and Killrie both in that hill thinks ther is better Apirans of Coall than in the other place at Beuperie, Efter wee hed viewed the grownd as [?niceilly] as possible we went to Bucklive Coall [Bucklyvie] and ther resolved that on Tuesday this day Mr Shaw and Killrie should meet at Bouperie And the oversman and two or three more with him should be at that place and begin a Boar in that hill first and then [faded] other, but befor they can knowe if anny Coall be ther [faded], but Killrie and Mr Shaw is to be two or thrie tymes a week ther and Killrie is to Aquaint me of the success, as he writts to me, I shall inform your Lordship, Thay are in good hopes which is all can be yit knowen,

As to your Coall at Buckleve, it hes another name then this, Mr Shaw did goe down himself underground and did sie the Coall, he says the Coalliers hes wroight carefully but he thinks the Coall will feall [fail] them, thay have set down another sink wher ther is good Coall, it is yit full of water, so wee concluded on drawing a mynd from the Coall thay are now working into this new sink, which will take a long tyme befor it will be done, thay are begun already, he louks to be an honnest man the oversman and understands his traid verie well because he hes the best skill, he is to stay at Bouperie wher he is to boar for a new Coall and the Coallgrive is to stay and oversee the work goe on at Buckleve,

I gave them two dollars Amongst them to drink your Lordship’s good health and to be diligent in ther work and to obay ther oversman as they have promised to doe, if thay doe not obay him Killrie befor Mr Shaw Bannockburen, & I told the Coalliers he would punishe any that did not severilly, I can say no more on this I doe not understand Coall matters well myself so I hope you will excuse me that I cannot express my self in the tearmes that is proper for it, Mr Shaw tells me that your Coall at Keltie goes on verie well, your Lordship must return thanks to Mr Shaw, …”