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| The portrait in oils of Dr Pratt belongs to Saint James's, Cruden Bay, and is currently in the care of the Arbuthnot Museum in Peterhead |
Gerald Stranraer-Mull writes of a scholar priest and the secret Jacobite network he revealed
Dr John Burnett Pratt is buried close to the Nave Altar in Saint James’s Church, Cruden Bay. A memorial stone within the Church says simply JOHN BURNETT PRATT, PRIEST, AUTHOR AND FOR FORTY FOUR YEARS RECTOR OF SAINT JAMES’S.
Scottish Episcopal Clergy, the fine book by Dr David Bertie, gives more details. Dr Bertie describes every Episcopalian priest and every Parish between 1689 and 2000. Of Dr Pratt he says: 'Born 1798 Slacks of Cairnbanno, New Deer. Son of William Pratt and Jean Gray. King’s College, Aberdeen, MA 1820 LL.D 1864. Ordained 1821 by the Bishop of Aberdeen (Bishop William Skinner, (youngest son of the Bishop John Skinner and grandson of Dean John Skinner of Longside). Incumbent Old Deer 1821-25; Incumbent Cruden 1825-1969. Examining Chaplain to the Bishop of Aberdeen. Died March 20th 1869. Married December 6th 1832 Anna Radcliffe (born 1798 died December 4th 1872.'
There follows a list of the publications he produced -- sixteen of them -- beginning with The Life and Death of Jamie Fleeman, the Laird of Udny’s Fool in 1833, which first appeared as a series of articles in The Aberdeenshire Magazine, followed by other historical books (usually explaining the unique place of the Scottish Episcopal Church or the lost Jacobite cause) and some theological works and then in 1858 the first edition of Buchan, an account of travels through the towns and villages of the north-east, before turning his attention once more to theology. Scandinavian Churches: their doctrine, worship and polity was published in 1863 and his final work, the editing of the Episcopal Church Communion service, in 1866.
His work on the Scandinavian Lutheran Churches was far ahead of its time. It brought a resolution in the Diocesan Synod to see whether there could be inter-communion. It didn’t happen then, and not for nearly a century and half, when the Porvoo Agreement between the Episcopalian Churches and the Scandinavian Churches was signed in 1996.
Adam Mackay, the Church of Scotland Minister of Cruden, writing in the early years of the 20th century, said that an 1840 book by Dr Pratt book was published across the English speaking world and endeared him to his own Communion. It certainly has a title whose length contends for entry into the Guinness Book of Records - The Old Paths where is the Good Way, or, The Notes of the Church in connection with which the Child of the Church is examined concerning Ecclesiastical Principles.
During his ministry in Cruden John Pratt oversaw the building of the Erroll Schools in 1834, persuading King William 1V and Queen Adelaide to subscribe to the cost; Saint James’s itself in 1843 and The Rectory in 1845.
Throughout his life he wrote books - and for Buchan, an iconic account of fourteen walks, he travelled from the Parsonage at Cruden across the north-east of Scotland. Adam Mackay said He brought to his task a cultured mind, a charitable disposition and a playful humour.
Let part of one journey serve for the all the others. The River Ythan is the southern boundary of Buchan and Dr Pratt’s walk to Ellon took him by way of Auchmacoy and along the riverbank, past Waterton. He describes Ellon as having three inns: 'The New Inn lately erected and with the Town Hall forming part of the design, the Buchan Hotel at the north end of the bridge and the Commercial Inn on the west side of the Square'.
There were three banking houses and a post office. Markets were held on the first and third Mondays of the month and an extensive business was conducted in cattle, grain, coals, lime and bone-dust. There were also fairs of older usage, the chief of these being the Marymas Fair on the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (a day still kept as the Mary Festival at Saint Mary-on-the-Rock Church in Ellon each year).
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| Ellon today: the view from Hillhead |
A principal industry at the time of Dr Pratt’s visit was the knitting of stockings, a hundred pounds a week being paid by Aberdeen merchants for them. There was no such thing as a clothes shop in the country districts of Buchan and so people were either reliant on the town merchants or itinerant tailors who moved from house to house making clothes for all (fisher blue or cottar brown being the usually available colours for men). The tailors were also chroniclers of news, scandal and gossip as they moved from house to house.
Dr Pratt said that could the annals of Ellon be recovered from the grave of centuries they would provide insight into the time when the Thane of Buchan came to Ellon three times a year to hold Court.
Here, with an array of retainers, came all who were the Thane’s vassals, those who held land by his will. The place of assembly was the Moot Hill and great decisions were taken as well as criminal trials held. The “doomsman’s” place of execution was close-by. Ellon, said Dr Pratt, was not an insignificant village but an Assize town with a metropolitan character.
Dr Pratt found Ellon to be a thriving and rapidly increasing place. Besides the Parish Church -- which he didn’t much like, preferring the account of the mediaeval church -- there were places of worship for the Free Presbyterians, the United Presbyterians, the Independents and the Episcopalians.
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| The view from Ellon Castle, one which Dr Pratt would have known. The (former) Manse is on the left of the photograph and the (new) Parish church on the right. The (former) Rectory is in the middle distance and behind it is the only known picture of the Episcopal Church (1813-1870) which preceded the present Saint Mary-on-the-Rock |
The Parish School was close to the Parish Church and there was a Free Kirk School at the west end of the village, near the Free Church. There was also a girl’s school at the north-east corner of the village, said to be on the very spot on which a hundred years previously had been the house of Mr Montgomery, the friend whom Dean John Skinner of Linsart was visiting when he wrote the song Tullochgorum. Mrs Montgomery thought that the reel Tullochgorum needed words and she asked John Skinner to write them. Cromek’s Reliques of Burns says He gratified her wishes, and those of every lover of Scottish song, in this most excellent ballad.
Dr Pratt left Ellon following the north bank of the river upstream to the estate of Auchterellon and to Turnerhall, a centre of Jacobite intrigue before, during and after the Jacobite Risings. He paused at Kinharrachie on the Turnerhall estate at 'The pretty cottage occupied for many years by the Episcopal clergyman of Ellon'. This was Nathanial Grieve who served Ellon's Episcopalians for sixty years from 1803 until he retired in 1863. Kinharrachie then became the residence of the Turnerhall Factor, James Murray, Advocate.
Not far from Kinharrachie is the Hill of Dudwick, a place of importance for Aberdeenshire Episcopalians. Dr Pratt says that the once fine House of Dudwick stood on the western slope. It was demolished for building stone in 1865 and replaced by a farmhouse, 'a building of no interest to either the architect or the antiquarian'.
Dr Pratt quoted one of his predecessors at Cruden, Alexander Keith, who wrote 'The View of the Diocese' in the early 18th century. He says In the last age it was the seat of General King, created Earl of Ythan, by King Charles 1. It later belonged to General Fullerton of Dudwick who left it to his nephew John Udny, son to Auchterellon, on condition of changing his name to Fullerton, which he accordingly has done.
General Fullerton provided a farm and home at Overton of Dudwick for Ellon's priest during the persecution of Episcopalians following the failure of the Risings. The priest was John Skinner, a future Bishop of Aberdeen and Primus and also the father of the Bishop who ordained Dr Pratt.
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| The farm of Overton of Dudwick today |
John Burnett Pratt made no secret of his affection for the Royalist cause of the House of Stuart. This is clear from his very first book about Jamie Fleeman, the Laird of Udny’s Fool It was also among his most successful books and was constantly in print in edition after edition during his lifetime.
From mediaeval times up until about 250 year ago a professed Fool was in attendance at every great house. Jamie Fleeman had all the elements of the office -- wit combined with apparent stupidity, unbending fidelity together with reckless audacity.
Why though should Dr Pratt write about the laird of Udny’s Fool? The answer is that Jamie Fleeman was a Jacobite courier, travelling across Buchan from one great house to another, with no one suspecting that he was part of the secret Jacobite network.
Dr Pratt said, 'Fidelity to those whom they esteem is a trait generally found in the character of Fools. They cannot bear to hear anything to the reproach of their favorites, and when entrusted by them with any charge, they seem to have a pride in executing it with fidelity and precision'.
Jamie was never known to betray the confidence reposed in him. After the defeat at the Battle of Culloden many of the gentlemen of the north-east who had joined the Prince’s army were lying concealed in the neighbourhood of their estates. The Countess of Erroll at Slains Castle had taken an active part in promoting the Rising and after its end kept up links with those who remained. She looked after their safety and met their immediate needs for food and money as they lay hidden while the Government army sought them. Jamie Fleeman was much employed by the Countess at this time. He could keep secrets and was skilled, with his ready wit, at evading the most rigorous questioning.
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| Slains Castle on the clifftop at Cruden Bay: the building is now a ruin |
An example of this is when Jamie was carrying a message from Slains to Auchiries, the house in which Lord Pitsligo was hiding under the name of Mr Brown. En route Jamie passed the house of a laird who was a supporter of the Hanoverian government -- and, of course, Jamie had not much time for the likes of him.
"Where are you going?" asked the laird.
"To hell, sir," said Jamie and passed quickly on.
On his return they met again.
"What are they doing in hell", said the laird.
"Just fat they’re deeing here", Jamie replied, "Lattin’ in the rich fowk’ and keepin’ out the peer."
"What said the devil to you?" enquired the laird.
"Na muckle to me, sir," came the reply, "But he wis speering sair aboot you."
A Fool was no fool by modern usage of the word. One day Jamie went from Slains to Edinburgh with a message for the laird of Udny. When Jamie got to the city he did not know where the laird was living and so he watched the dogs in the streets until he recognized one from Udny, called it over as an old friend, tied a length of rope to it and said 'Hame wi’ ye'.
Jamie spent much of his early life at the house of Sir Alexander Guthrie but when that gentlemen fell on hard times he recommended Jamie to the Laird of Udny. Jamie possessed great strength and there is an account of his saving the charter chest of the Udny’s from a fire at Knockhall Castle at Newburgh-on-Ythan. The huge chest can still be seen at Castle Fraser. Afterwards the laird allowed Jamie a peck of meal and sixpence a week for life.
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| Jamie Fleeman |
Jamie's picture was drawn by an itinerant artist called Collie at an inn near Longside. Dean Skinner acquired it from the artist and it was begged from him by a gentlewoman of the neighbourhood and from her by Lady Erroll. Jamie’s picture graced the drawing room of Slains Castle. The Fool was held in high regard for his loyalty to his friends and to the King over the water.
Jamie was born at Longside and baptized there on April 13th 1713. He died at the age of 63. In the early summer of 1778 he was caught in heavy rain and soaked. He became ill and wandered from house to house until he came to Little Ardiffery, near Cruden Bay. There he was injured when the opening of a steading door caused a plank of wood to fall on his head.
Mr Johnson, the farmer, and his daughters cared for Jamie. He knew that death was close and said to Mr Johnson, 'When I’m deid dinna bury me in Cruden but tak me to Longside and bury me amang freens'.
Mr Johnson, not thinking the moment was close, said Na, na we'll try ye here furst and if ye winna ludge we'll cairry ye ower the hull. Jamie sighed and walked the eight miles across the hill to Longside. It took all his strength. He reached his sister’s cottage at Kinmundy and Martha prepared a bed for him.
As he lay there on his final day he made his last request: 'Dinna bury me like a beast for I am of the gentle persuasion'. It meant he wanted a Christian burial and specifically an Episcopalian funeral.
His grave is in the old churchyard in Longside, not far from that of Dean Skinner. The grave is marked by a pillar of Aberdeen granite, placed there in 1861 and paid for by shilling subscriptions. The words say simply,
ERECTED IN 1861 TO INDICATE THE GRAVE OF JAMIE FLEEMAN
IN ANSWER TO HIS PRAYER "DINNA BURY ME LIKE A BEAST"
John Burnett Pratt's writing went alongside his careful and caring wok for the people of Cruden., who always came first in his thinking. There were a large number of Episcopalians and he was also much appreciated by the Presbyterians. When a new parish minister came to Cruden it was Dr Pratt who, in ecumenical harmony, took him round the parish to introduce him to the people.
Dr Pratt died on March 20th 1869 and is buried within Saint James's, the Church whose building he superintended and in the parish to which he ministered for 44 years.
A newspaper obituary, dated March 26th 1869, says,
All who knew the man will learn with unfeigned regret the announcement of the death of one so long endeared to the district. About six weeks ago this revered clergyman was seized with an attack of jaundice, but so little did he apprehend the danger of his death illness that he continued to attend to all his duties for several Sundays after the disease was full upon him.
Few men have been more universally respected and more justly regretted by those who knew him. A single and warm-hearted friend, a kind and agreeable companion, an elevated and faithful pastor, he has gone from among us to enjoy the reward of a Christian life.
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| Saint James's, Cruden Bay |
Gerald Stranraer-Mull is Dean Emeritus of Aberdeen and Orkney
and was Rector of Saint James's, Cruden Bay, and Saint Mary-on-the-Rock, Ellon, from 1972 to 2008
