These extracts are from "Registrum Secreti Sigilli Regum Scotorum" (Privy Seal of Scotland, Volume 3, 1542-48).

2170 At Edinburgh 26 Feb [1546/7]

Ane respite maid to WILLIAME LORD RUTHVEN, PROVOST, BAILIES, COUNSALE and COMMUNITE of the burgh of Perth.

Patrik Maister of Ruthven, Patrick Ruthven of Ardonochy, Williame Ruthven of Cowgask, David Ruthven, parrocheclerk of Tybuirmure..... Johnne Murray of Tybrmure, Williame Murray his servand...

[Then way down the first column...]

Johne Cre, Johne Layng, Henry Dene, Johne Smetoun, Andro Finlay, Johne Bennat, James Cuthbert, Williame Johnnsoun, Johnne Millar, Andro Millar, Alexander Malloch, James Millar, Thomas Levingtoun, Robert Malloch, Richart Cre, Thomas Suerde, Johnne Gothray, James Burn, Patrick Pyrne, Johnne Suerd, William Richardsoun, Walter Cre, Patrick Cre...

[A page or so later...]

Williame Moncreif of that Ilk, Archibald Moncreif of Eister Moncreif,

[Then at the end, what it's all about. This was a respite, which seems to be a pardon, or at least a suspended sentence (of 19 years?)...]

- for thair tresonable cuming with Matho sumtyme Erle of Levenax [Lennox], Archibald, Erle of Angus, Williame, Erle of Glencarne, Gilbert, Erle of Cassilis, and utheris thair complices to Leith in arrayit battell againis oure soverane ladyis tutour and governour... and for all actioun and cryme (etc.);... And for xix yeris indure etc.

Commentary

This commentary is based on an article first published in Cree News 11, October 1995

FOLLOWING PUBLICATION of Cree News 10, I was exploring the shelves of the excellent local history collection in Leicester University Library and found they had copies of the Registers of the Great Seal and Privy Seal of Scotland, so I decided to check through all the name indexes. In Volume 3 of the Registrum Secreti Sigilli Regum Scotorum (Privy Seal 1542-48) I found in the index: "Cree, John, Patrick, Richard, Walter, respited - 2170." Looking up the reference I found this transcription.

I got really excited at seeing it was about Perth and contained three (large) pages of names, starting with Patrik Maister of Ruthven. Then I found the Cree names, listed among many other surnames familiar to me from my researches into Perth deeds of the 1570s-90s. When I saw Williame Moncreif of that Ilk followed by another eight or so Moncreifs I remembered something I had seen in Burke's Peerage under Moncreiff after Trevor Cree had sent me a map showing Crieff where it probably meant Moncreiff. I was starting to realise that this was no ordinary deed mentioning the Crees by chance.

I looked up my history books when I got home. What this document shows is not only that there were four Crees in or around Perth in 1544, 25 years earlier than our previous earliest reference, but also that they were involved in matters central to the history of the nation. This was the occasion when the "Four Earls" appeared arrayed in battle against the Regent Arran at Leith in 1543/4 as part of the power struggles within the nobility during the minority of Mary Queen of Scots. Whether the Crees were also with Lennox at the Battle of Glasgow Muir or at the Battle of the Brig of Perth in 1544 I do not know. William Moncreiffe was certainly at both, the latter being a private affair led by the Master of Ruthven against Lord Gray (Burke's Peerage under Moncreiffe)

WILLIAM MONCREIFF OF THAT ILK... took part with 10 other Moncreiff gentlemen on the side of the 4 earls who were arrayed in battle at Leith against the Regent Arran in 1543/44, and again with Lennox against Arran on the Muir of Glasgow 1544...

[His younger brother] Alexander, respited for appearing arrayed in battle at Leith against the Regent Arran 1543/44...

In 1543, when the traitorous Scottish nobles of what was named the English faction, leagued with Henry VIII. to achieve a marriage between his son Edward, a child five years of age, and the infant Queen of Scotland, the Earl of Lennox, who was at the head of the movement, attempted an insurrection, and, marching with all his adherents to Leith, offered battle between that town and Edinburgh to the Regent and Cardinal Beaton, who were at the head of the Scottish loyalists. Aware that the forces of Lennox were superior in number to their own, they amused him with a pretended treaty till his troops began to weary, and dispersed to their homes; and Henry of England, enraged at the opposition to his avarice and ambition, resolved to invade Scotland in 1544.

It is difficult to find references to this "affair of the four earls" in the standard Scottish histories.

The first two quotations here are from Burke's Landed Gentry (18th edition Vol. 2, p 446)). The William Moncreiff reference is to the actual event and the Alexander Moncreiff one is the the respite (or pardon) given to the participants, including the Cree supporters of the Moncreiffs, about three years later (26 Feb 1546/7)

The last piece is from Cassell's Old and new Edinburgh: its history, its people, and its places by James Grant, (pub. Cassell 1881) Vol. 5, p 169