Quick Scottish History - 18. 21 June - 27 June

1. Quick
Scottish
History
Issue 18 21 June – 27 June
This week in Scottish history…
21 June 1221 – King Alexander II marries Princess Joan of England
22 June 1679 – Covenanter army defeated at the Battle of Bothwell Bridge
23 June 1952 – First display of Dali’s ‘Christ of St John of the Cross’ in Glasgow
24 June 1314 – The Scots defeat England at the Battle of Bannockburn
25 June 1891 – First publication of Sherlock Holmes in ‘The Strand’ magazine
26 June 1695 – Darien Company set up to build a Scottish Empire. It failed.
27 June 1746 – Flora MacDonald sails ‘over the sea to Skye’ with Prince Charlie
A weekly guide to
Scotland’s past with
@mrmarrhistory
What is the English translation of the Scottish word, Oxter?
Last week’s answer: The Gaelic for whisky is Uisge Beatha. In English, this literally translates
as the ‘water of life’.
The life
of …
James
Black
The Beaker People
The Beaker people were a group of people lived across Europe and
settled in Scotland around 4500 years ago.
The name ‘Beaker People’ is based on the types of beaker pottery
which has been found that the people used.
Numerous examples of the Beaker People’s time in Scotland have
been found. This includes skeletons in Caithness and items of
pottery in various places too.
The Beaker People are known to have introduced metal working to
different parts of Scotland.
It is believed that the Beaker People helped changed the look of
people in Scotland due to having lighter skin, bluer eyes and
blonder hair than other people in Scotland.
Studies have also found that the Beaker People made use of bones
when decorating their pottery, including some types only found in
Scotland and not elsewhere in Europe.
To suggest topics get in touch via Twitter: @mrmarrhistory #quickscottishhistory
Weekly
quiz
James Black was a Scottish doctor and pharmacist who won the Nobel Prize for Medicine.
Black was born in Uddingston in 1924. He studied medicine and graduated from St
Andrew’s University before working as a teacher in Singapore. He then moved to Glasgow
where he worked in the Veterinary School at Glasgow University.
In Glasgow, Black’s studies helped develop treatment for heart disease and stomach ulcers.
He later became Chancellor of Dundee University. Black died in 2010.
Bullet point history
Bannockburn 1314
• Scots led by Robert the Bruce,
English led by Edward II
• Fought over two days – 23 June
and 24 June 1314
• First day saw Bruce kill an English
knight, Henry de Bohun
• Scots attacked the English the next
day, with huge losses for the
English army
• Edward II fled the field and sailed
back to England
• Did not end the Wars of
Independence – that did not
happen until 1328