A Dundee merchant’s letter offering dress fabrics, June 1573

Peter Clayhills wrote to Agnes Leslie, Lady Lochleven, sending her order of fabrics. He offered her summer dress fabrics, and velvet from the stock that had ‘come home’, and cloth he expected to arrive at midsummer.

One fabric was ‘very light for gowning in summer’.

This kind of letter is very rare. The text is worn and faded at the fold. Below, the letter is transcribed in Scots and modernised spelling.

Madame, after my hartly of service, please wit I have delivered to the bearer according to your Ladyship’s writing 6 quarters and a half red carmoysie satin which I have bought cost £4 the ell extends to £6-10s, more 11 quarters black stemming of serge price of the ell £3-6s-8d, a hank of silver another of gold, price of the hank 36s, 9 quarters of bombasie at 15s the ell.

As for any other wares there is common sorts of all come home, but no new sort of wares. I have some sticks of borasse which are very light for gowning in summer and well-lustered velvet black and tanny of sundry [?parts. Midsummer is now] at hand at which time your Ladyship will get all sorts of gear at pleasure. In the mean time the wares I have is at your Ladyship’s command.

This commits your Ladyship in to the protection of god, from Dundee the 1 of June anno 73 be your Ladyship’s servant at power,

Peter Clayhills

And closer to the original spelling:

Madame, efter my hartly of servyce, pleiss wit I have delyverit to the barer according to your /L/ wryting vj quarters and ane half red carmoysie sating quhilk I have bo[cht] cost iiij lib the ell extends to vj lib xs mair xj quarters blak steming of serge price of the ell iij lib vj s viij d ane hank of sylver ane uthir of gold, price of the hank xxxvj s, ix quarters of bombasye at xv s the ell.

As for ony uthir waris their is comone sortts of all cum hame, bot no new sort of waris. I have sum sticks of borasse quhilk ar verray lycht for gwning in symmer and weill lusterrit velvet blak and tanne of syndry [?parts Mydsomer is nou] at hand at quhilk tyme your /L/ will get all sorts of gair at plesour In the mein tyme the waris I have is at your /L/ command.

This commits your Ladyship in to the protectione of god, frome Dunde the 1 of Junj anno 73 be your L servand at powar,

Peter Clayhills