1709 in Scotland explained

Events from the year 1709 in Scotland.

Incumbents

• Secretary of State for Scotland: The Earl of Mar, until 3 February 1709; then The Duke of Queensberry

Law officers

• Lord Advocate – Sir James Stewart; then Sir David Dalrymple, 1st Baronet
• Solicitor General for Scotland – William Carmichael; then Thomas Kennedy, jointly with Sir James Steuart, Bt.

Judiciary

• Lord President of the Court of Session – Lord North Berwick
• Lord Justice General – Lord Tarbat
• Lord Justice Clerk – Lord Ormiston

Events

• 1 or 2 February – marooned Lower Largo-born privateer Alexander Selkirk, the original Robinson Crusoe, is rescued after four years living on the Juan Fernández Islands and begins his return to civilisation.^{[1] [2]}
• 26 April – Act of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland for the provision of public libraries in presbyteries.^[3]
• 3 May – Elspeth Rule becomes the last person in Scotland to be tried before the High Court of Justiciary for witchcraft; the judge, sitting at Dumfries, orders her to be burned on the cheek and banished from Scotland for life.^[4]
• 1 July – Treason Act 1708 comes into force, harmonising the law of high treason in Scotland with that of England.
• Summer – bad weather causes a poor harvest with consequent distress.^[5]
• 5 October – last Scottish coinage issued by a mint in Scotland, at Edinburgh.
• Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge established by royal charter.^[5]
• Appointment of the first Chair of Oriental Languages in the University of Glasgow, Charles Morthland.
• First clout archery competition for the Edinburgh Arrow held by the Royal Company of Archers and won by David Drummond, advocate.

Births

Date unknown

• John Armstrong, physician and poet (died 1779)

Deaths

• 24 June – Robert Lauder of Beilmouth, lawyer and Clerk of Exchequer

See also

• 1709 in Great Britain

Notes and References

1. Book: Penguin Pocket On This Day. Penguin Reference Library. 0-14-102715-0. 2006.
2. Book: Ober, Frederick A.. Our West Indian Neighbors: the Islands of the Caribbean Sea. New York. James Pott & Company. 1912. 11.
3. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/church-scotland-records/acts/1638-1842/pp432-440#h3-0012 Act XI
4. Web site: Notable Dates in History. The Scots Independent. 2016-03-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20160126115905/http://scotsindependent.scot/oldsitearchive/scotind/dates1-d.htm. 26 January 2016. dead.
5. Book: Ross, David. Chronology of Scottish History. Geddes & Grosset. New Lanark. 2002. 1-85534-380-0.