History, Wonder Tales, Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends The Flemish | Page 68

The 12th and 13th centuries were a time of consolidation and further settlements of
Flemings in Scotland: David I’s wife, Mathilda, brought with her to her new home a
court of Flemish nobles. For the sake of his wife David “changed the coarse stuffs of
his own land for priceless vestments and covered its ancient nakedness with purple
and fine linen.” Many of these new fabrics came from Flanders and the fashions of the
nobles who formed the court spread throughout Scotland.
David I’s son encouraged more Flemings to come and settle in Scotland, particularly
in Clydesdale, and from these early settlers many of Scotland’s greatest families have
come. Some of these knightly settlers were granted land and became strong
supporters of the King. But there were also more humble followers of these knights
and they soon resumed their agricultural pursuits and their skills of weaving. Soon
these Flemings began to rise to positions of authority. We have, for example Michael
Fleming as Sheriff of Edinburgh about 1200 and Gilbert Fleming, a baillie of Biggar in
1322.
David I was known as a ‘sair sanct for the croon’ and he certainly had a great
influence on the life and organisation of the church in Scotland. He was responsible
for the foundation of many abbeys, including Kelso in the Scottish Borders. Soon after,
its neighbour, Melrose, was established and both these abbeys became involved in
sheep farming and the wool trade. Their position near the East Coast meant that their
wool was exported to Flanders. In 1 182 Philip, Count of Flanders, granted exemption
of taxes to Melrose who had requested free passage to sell their wools. In 1 225 again
the monks of Melrose asked permission to sell their woof in Flanders. But also in the
13th century, Guy de Dampierre confiscated the property of Scottish merchants.
The wool trade of Melrose was sometimes interrupted by the wars with England,
which meant that the monks could not use the port of Berwick but must send their
wool through Scottish ports such as Leith. In 1296 Melrose exported through Berwick
2.000 fleeces, 3.000 sacks of wool to Bruges.
But it was not just wool which formed the links between Scotland and Flanders in the
Middle Ages. In the Melrose records we read how, in 1441 Cornelius Aeltre of Bruges;
carpenter; contracted to make a set of choir stalls, after the model of a church in
Flanders. He received full payment beforehand. Unfortunately, immediately after the
contract there was a great f inancial crisis and he had to pay his workmen in good new
money while he himself had been paid in the old. Moreover there had been a strike
and a riot in Bruges. As the stalls were not delivered the case was pleaded before the
aldermen of Bruges by John Crawford, monk of Melrose. The stalls were stored in the
Franciscan house of Bruges for many years.
But it was not only the monasteries which benefited from the wool trade with Flanders.
From the time of David 1 onwards the Scottish records are full of laws which were
enacted to regulate the trade. In the Leges Burgorum ofDavid I, it was said that all
Flemings must treat only with burgers merchants.
In 1348 a Treaty of Fair Trade and perpetual friendship between Scotland and
Flanders was made and this was renewed in 1459 and again in 1394.
Matters however were not always so friendly. In 1412 the merchants League of
Flanders declined to purchase from Scotsmen either at Bruges or at any other place.

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