December 8 1 BC The Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary celebrated. Actual date was first week of August, or midway between the summer soltice and autumnal equinox.

1135 Stephen probably reached his own estate on the edge of London by 8 December and over the next week Stephen began to seize power in England. His brother, Henry of Winchester, delivered the support of the church. Contemporary painting of Henry of Winchester, Stephen’s brother, with his bishop’s staff and ring.

1174 Valogne. Henry II King England treaty with prisoner William the Lion King Scots [TG4-56]. To obtain liberty, William became liegeman of Henry for Scotland, delivered to English the castles of Roxburgh, Berwick, Jedburgh, Edinburgh and Stirling, to give brother David and Chief barons as hostages. The Scots church was independent which clause was asserted before the Papal legat in a council at Northhampton in 1176. Tytler’s Britannica.

1214 Alexander II, coronation of King of Scots.

Coronation of Alexander II on Moot Hill, Scone. Alexander was sixteen when he took his place on the hallowed coronation stone at Scone – according to legend, it was the stone on which Jacob slept at Bethel when he dreamed of angels going up and down between heaven and earth – and the King’s lineage was ceremoniously recited all the way back to Kenneth MacAlpine and beyond him to Scota, the daughter of Pharaoh. www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/death-alexander-ii-scots

Alexander’s death sans posterity would lead to the contests for the throne leading to Robert Bruce, Lord of Annandale.

1318 Scone. Parliament. Sometime in December. Marjorie Stewart died March 2, 1316 from a horse fall, pregnant, her son was born (drawings suggest surgery, Caesarian). The death of Edward Bruce and Princess Margaret, required a new succession to the throne. The Parliament proclaimed Robert Stewart, infant son, age under two, as proclaimed heir to the crown in the event of King Robert Bruce death without male issue. Tytler’s Britannica.

1533 Letters of James IV, HMSO (1954), 252, 8 Dec. 1533 published discussing Alexander Stewart (Archbishop of St Andrews) (c. 1493 – 9 September 1513) was son of King James IV of Scotland and his mistress Marion Boyd daughter of Angus Boyd

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who was Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus’s brother in – law through his second wife. Alexander was an elder brother of Catherine Stewart his only full sibling, a half brother to James Stewart, Margaret Stewart and Janet Stewart the other royal natural children of James IV and his mistresses. He was an older half brother of James V. At the age of four James IV received a dispensation from illegitimacy by Julius II enabling Alexander to join the church. By September 1502 Alexander was archdeacon, when Alexander’s uncle James, Duke of Ross died in 1504 James IV King nominated Alexander at age 11 as the new Archbishop of St Andrews.

Ross A hand holding a garland of juniper Proper. Motto: SPEM SUCCESSUS ALIT.
[“Success nourishes hope”].
Badge: juniper or bearberry. Chief: David Campbell Ross of Ross and Balnagowan The 19th century historian W. F. Skene listed this clan’s badge as uva ursi, which is sometimes known as bearberry

St Leonard’s College was founded in 1512 by Alexander Stewart, Archbishop of St Andrews, and John Hepburn, Prior of St Andrews. It was originally to be a ‘college of poor clerks’ associated with the Priory of St Andrews, primarily intended for the education, in arts and theology, of novices of the Augustinian Order and was located on the site of the hospital of St Leonard which seems to have been used by pilgrims to the shrine of St Andrew. St Leonard’s college.

Hepburn clan. Crest: A horse’s head couped Argent, bridled Gules. Motto: KEEP TRYST.

1542 JAMES 5TH told that he had a daughter, Mary Stewart, heir, Queen of Scots was born. Mary I, Queen consort of France 1542–1567 [TG28-50] “Is it so?” James V, reflecting on the alliance which had placed the Stewart family on the throne; “then God’s will be done. It came with a lass, and it will go with a lass.” James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran (1475–1529), married firstly in 1490 Elizabeth Home by whom he had two daughters; he divorced Elizabeth in 1504.

Home Crest: On a cap of maintenance Proper, a lion’s head erased Argent. Motto: A HOME. A HOME. A HOME. Badge: broom. Chief: David Douglas-Home, 15th Earl of Home

Arran married secondly in 1516, Janet Bethune, daughter of Sir David Bethune, 1st of Creich and Janet Duddlingston. by whom he had three children including his heir, James Hamilton, Duke of Châtellerault, 2nd Earl of Arran (c.1516- 22 January 1575), heir presumptive to the Kingdom of Scotland (2 July 1536 – 22 May 1540), (April 1541- 8 December 1542), (14 December 1542 – 19 June 1566), (29 July 1567 – 22 January 1575); Regent of Scotland (1542–1554)) .

Mary I, Queen of Scots the birth of Mary Queen of Scots, on December 8, 1542. In the bit of text above from “The Abbot”, Sir Walter Scott brings in much of her life after first husband Darnley’s murder.  In particular, Earl Bothwell, who was related to the Sinclairs of Roslin is mentioned. “Ay, ay,” replied the falconer, “Queen she was then, though ye must not call her so now. Well, they may say what they will–many a true heart will be sad for Mary Stewart, e’en if all be true men say of her; for look you, Master Roland–she was the loveliest creature to look upon that I ever saw with eye, and no lady in the land liked better the fair flight of a falcon. I was at the great match on Roslin Moor betwixt Bothwell–he was a black sight to her that Bothwell–and the Baron of Roslin, who could judge a hawk’s flight as well as any man in Scotland–a butt of Rhenish and a ring of gold was the wager, and it was flown as fairly for as ever was red gold and bright wine. And to see her there on her white palfrey, that flew as if it scorned to touch more than the heather blossom; and to hear her voice, as clear and sweet as the mavis’s whistle, mix among our jolly whooping and whistling; and to mark all the nobles dashing round her; happiest he who got a word or a look–tearing through moss and hagg, and venturing neck and limb to gain the praise of a bold rider, and the blink of a bonny Queen’s bright eye!–she will see little hawking where she lies now–ay, ay, pomp and pleasure pass away as speedily as the wap of a falcon’s wing.”

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DRAWING-ROOM, LINLITHGOW PALACE, which lies twenty miles west of Edinburgh, WHERE QUEEN MARY WAS BORN.

The Spell of Scotland by Keith Clark, 1916 to the Lord Marischall, Boston The Page Company. P.184.

1697 Ebenezer Mack (1ZP4-7x) born, Lyme, New London, Connecticut, father of Solomon Mack, father of Lucy Smith (nee Mack), mother of both Joesph Smith (1805) and Hyrum Smith. Prophets, Seers and Revelators, and Apostles in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

1710 History of the Scots Guards (1642–1804) Part of the War of the Spanish Succession. The regiment took part in the Battle of Brihuega, The regiment’s name was changed to the 3rd Regiment of Foot Guards,

1710 Also sometime this year, Captain Hugh “Seafoam” McDuck was born in Scotland in 1710. Seafoam settled in Glasgow in 1727 and turned to the sea for a living. He became successful and obtained his own ship, named “The Golden Goose”. He grew wealthy transporting merchandise between the United Kingdom and the West Indies.

1745 Duke of Cumberland, was lying at Litchfield, while Prince Charles was at Derby, did not learn for two days that the Highlanders had left Derby for Ashburn on the 6th ; and did not commence any pursuit until the 8th. [TG80-234] Tom Jones (fictional hero) was enlisted in the Duke’s regiment, per Henry Fielding, author, published by Andrew Miller VI, (1705-1768) London by the Strand.

1746 Charles Ratcliffe, brother to the Earl of Derwentwater. Charles had been partaker in the Earl’s treason of 1715, and had been condemned for that crime, But escaped from Newgate. In the latter end of the year 1745 or beginning of 1746, he was taken on board a French ship of war, with other officers. The vessel was loaded with arms and warlike stores, bound for the coast of Scotland, for the use of the insurgents. [TG85-396] Sad honours of the axe and block.

1815 Colonel the Hon. Archibald Campbell Fraser of Lovat, died. 20th MacShimidh (1736–1815) was British consul at Tripoli and Algiers, and later colonel 1st Inverness local militia. Upon the death of his brother, Simon Fraser (1726–1782), Archibald assumed the Chiefship of Clan Fraser, and replaced his brother as Member of Parliament (M.P) for Inverness-shire, which he represented in succeeding parliaments down to 1796

Wikipedia. Miniature of Archibald Campbell Fraser, 1795, Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

1841 Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester created for later Edward 7th

5 year old  Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay (Scotland) Portrait of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, by Winterhalter.

1937 James Gordon MacArthur (December 8, 1937 – October 28, 2010) was an American actor. He was Danny “Danno” Williams, of the fictional Hawaiian State Police squad in Hawaii Five-O. (clans Gordon and MacArthur). Played David Balfour in the 1960 Kidnapped the Memoirs of David Balfour, by Robert Louis Stevenson, again on the Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color, in 1963 and 1964.Played Ensign Ralston in The Bedford Incident 1965, David McGovern on Gunsmoke 1966, Dr. Richard Wilson in Tarzan 1967, Bob Graham on Fantasy Island 1981,

Kidnapped poster, with ‘David Balfour’ behind. Wikipedia.

1942 Sergeant S. Wallace, captured Dec 8 at the Pointe de Grave (near Le Verdon) and revealed only certain information during their interrogation. Operation Frankton, the December 1942 raid by canoe-borne British commandos on shipping in Bay of Biscay port of Bordeaux Harbour. Royal Navy submarine HMS Tuna (N94) left from Holy Loch in Scotland.

Crews encountered 5 feet (1.5 m) high waves and another canoe Cuttlefish capsized and was lost. The raid canoes approached a major checkpoint in the river and came upon three German frigates. Lying flat on the canoes and paddling silently they managed to get by without being discovered.

1968 Michael Sean Coulthard, (born December 8, 1968) play-by-play announcer for World Wrestling Entertainment. Scots descent.

1981 Piper Aircraft Co. v. Reyno, 454 US 235 – Supreme Court 1981 decided. Suits filed in California, Pennsylvania, and United Kingdom. In July 1976, a small commercial aircraft crashed in the Scottish highlands during the course of a charter flight from 239 Blackpool to Perth. The pilot and five passengers were Scottish subjects and residents, as are their heirs and next of kin. There were no eyewitnesses to the accident. The plane was subject to Scottish air traffic control. The aircraft, a twin-engine Piper Aztec, was manufactured in Pennsylvania by petitioner Piper Aircraft Co. (Piper). The propellers were manufactured in Ohio by petitioner Hartzell Propeller, Inc. (Hartzell). The aircraft was registered in Great Britain and was owned and maintained by Air Navigation and Trading Co., Ltd. (Air Navigation). It was operated by McDonald Aviation, Ltd. (McDonald), a Scottish air taxi service. Both Air Navigation and McDonald were organized in the United Kingdom. The wreckage of the plane is now in a hangar in Farnsborough, England.

 

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