The Regarde Bien
Issue No. 2
It has often been asserted by various writers that James Mulekyn of Florence in Italy, was the ancestor of the Mullikins of Scotland, an assertion that is unfounded. This assertion appears to have been the product of research that found its way into the Rev. Ridlon’s book on the Millikens etc, in 1907. I have extracted below all the known references to James Mulikyn found in Scotland and will give comments on each where appropriate. Our starting point is Robertson’s Index of Charters granted in the reign of David II.
Robertson’s Index of Charters granted in the reign of David II
Index A
1169: - Carte dicti Ade de dicto officio: - (35) To Ade Torrie of the deputrie of the exchange and Mulekin of Florence.
1203: - Carte Adami Corry de: - (23) To Adam Tore burgess of Edinburgh officio combiorum of exchanging in all Scotland.
1204: - Carte ejusdem Ade et Jacobi Mulekin de offico monete: - (24) To Adam Tore foresaid, and James Mullekin in Florence, the exchanging of all money in Scotland and the Cuinzie house and liberties. Edinburgh (no. 170)
1462: - Carte Jacobi Meallus pro officio monetarii: - (53) To James Mulekin of Florence of the Cunzie house (no. 101)
[Register of the Great Seal of Scotland 1306-1424, Vol. 1, appendix]
Of the three charters which refer to James Mulekyn of Florence, only two now survive, nos. 1204 and 1462, and are given in full below. It is worth noting that the last charter provides a clue as to James’s Latin surname – Meallus, translated as Mulekyn in Old Scots.
The Register of the Great Seal of Scotland 1306-1424
No. 170. Translation of a grant to Adam Torrie of Edinburgh, warden of the mint, and to James Mulekin of Florence, mint master, and other officers of the mint, of freedom from all kinds of taxes and contributions except those towards the king’s ransom. Edinburgh, 1st February [1358]
David be the grace of God king of Scots to all the honest men of his haill lands. Ye shall know that with advise of councill wee have given to our weell beloved and faithfull servitor Adam Torrie burgess of Edenburgh warden of the office of cunzieing of the haille kingdom appointed yrto be us of our councill and to James Mullekin of Florence mintmaster and to the rest of the workmen and servants apporinted to the said office wee make free and acqwitts of all challenges supports duties or contributions whatsomever either upon their lands tenements guids moveable or cattell or wares whatsomever to be sett or appointed exceptant only the contrabutione to be sett on them for the payment of our ransom and delivery and that the forsaid James and all thovyr officers under him shall stand at the decissione of the said Adam their master in all plaies and complaints wqhilks concerns them except only the plaie of free halding and our crown and that they shall not be put upon assyse juries or recognitions whatsomever and give perhaps the said James or his servants will or shall of yr accorde either be ymselves or with the commonality of our said kingdome grant and give us taxations it is our will that the said support or contributions be imputt and taken up be the said wairdon and that he also be taxed in sith supports yet swa that ne other person shall medle in any forme in the said contributions but only the warden. In witness wherof at Edenburgh the first day of Febr’ and of our regne the twentie eight yeir.
SOURCE. NAS, Gifts and privileges of the mint (E.105/1)(a text compiled in 1707), fo. Ir. At the head is a note, including the statement: ‘orginallie in lattin and translated by me John Rae master of the grammer scholle of Edenburgh’. REGISTERED. See RMS I, app. 2, no. 1204.
[Webster, David: Regesta Regum Scottorum of David II, no. 170]
No. 101. Litera data Jacobo Mulekyn monetario [letters to James Mulekyn]
David Die gracia rex Scottorum omnibus, etc. Sciatis quod concessimus Jacobo Mulekyn de Florencia, quod sit monetarius noster infra regnum [blackened by gall] durante te[m]p[ore] vite sue quem Jacobum et quoscunque [hard to read] suos et eorum bona ubique existencia [blackened by gall] …………… …… …….. inter nos …………. condicionibus ………….. confect. Apud Edinburgh, sexto die Octobris anno regni nostri tricesimo secundo [1361].
[Register of the Great Seal of Scotland 1306-1424, Vol. 1, no. 101]
Note: The second document, or set of letters, was written three years after the original grant made to James Mulekyn of Florence in 1358. It is significant that in the second, James is still styled ‘of Florence’ and not Edinburgh. If he had permanently settled in Edinburgh, one would at the very least have expected some indication of this.
Accounts of Adam Thor, burgess of Edinburgh – 1364
Et in solucione facta magistro Jacobo, monetario, pro diuersis debitis per dominum nostrum regem, vt patet per literas ipsius regis de precepto, et dicti Jacobi de recepto, ostensas super compotum, xxxix li.
[Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, Vol. II, p. 159]
Et Bonagio, monetario, pro tabulis de diuersis ymaginibus et aliis diuersis rebus, sculptis et depictis, receptis ad opus Regis, xjli. Xiijs. Iiij d., vt patet per literas domini nostri Regis de preceto et ipsius Bonagii de recepto, ostensas super compotum.
[Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, Vol. II, p. 160]
Et in solucione facta Donato Mulekyn, pro diuerisis artificiis factis ad vsum regis (paid for ornaments to the King), vt. patet per literas vt supra, vj li. v shillings, iiij pennies.
[Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, Vol. II, p. 160]
Note: It is evident, James's primary role and obligation had been completed by 1364, that is, to reform the royal mint, for by then, Banogio, another Florentine, had replaced him.
The Preface by George Burnett in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland Vol. II, 1359-1379
“David during his captivity seems to have given some attention to the institutions of England, and profited by their study. What knowledge he had acquired of the English Mint he turned to account in remodelling that of his own country. Artistically his coins are a great advance on those of his predecessors. Following the example of England, he introduced Italians – then the best workers in the precious metals – into the management of the Mint. Prior to 1357 the principal officer connected with the coin had been the moneyer (monetarius), who moved with the court from place to place, coining money whenever it was required. David introduced as the head of the Mint a new officer called the keeper of the money (custos monete), a post which conferred on Adam Tore, one of the most considerable citizens of Edinburgh, and one of the three burgesses of that place whom the burghs of Scotland collectively empowered to negotiate for the King’s ransom. Under him, discharging the function of master moneyer, was James Mulekyn of Florence, called in the rolls “magister Jacobus”, the respective duties of these officers being probably much what they were thirty-four years afterwards defined to be in an ordinance in Council ……. Tore must have been appointed as early as February 1357-8, as his account rendered in 1358-9 runs from that date; but on 1st July 1358 Tore and Mulekyn had charters or letters-patent conferring on them certain privileges connected with the coin” (see No. 170).
“We have two later accounts of Tore, one rendered in June 1361, the other in December 1364. In the former the King’s receipts from the seignorage of 7d. are £145, showing that in the fifteen months embraced in it £4971 8s. 7d. had been coined. In the latter, which includes three years and a half, the King’s receipts are £570 10s. 2d., the seignorage being still 7d., except during the last month, when it was raised to 8d. £30 are paid in the account of 1361 to the sculptors of the moneyers instrument, and £3 for steel and iron for making the instruments. The master moneyer must still have been “magister Jacobus”. In the account of 1364, in addition to his name there occurs that Bonagius, also a Florentine, his successor, who is paid “pro tabulis de diversis ymaginibus et aliis diversis rebus sculptis et depictis, receptis ad opus regis”.
“The first coinage after the remodelling of the Mint under Adam Tore seems to have been somewhat better than the coinage complained of, and nearly, if not quite, up to the English standard. Such, at least, must have been the case if the English annalist Knighton’s assertion is to be relied on, that David on visiting England in 1358 petitioned Edward that the money of the two countries should be interchangeably current, and that his request was granted. That the coinages to which Tore’s second and third accounts relate had fallen short of the same standard may perhaps be surmised from the terms of the second treaty regarding the ransom (20th June 1361), in which it was again stipulated that payment should be made in money of England or other gold money of its value; but its inferiority appears more clearly from the proceedings of the Council which met at Holyrood on 8th May 1366. It was there determined that the money to be coined in future should be of like weight and purity with that made by ‘magister Jacobus’, so as to come up to the standard of England, and that it should bear a ‘signum notabile’to distinguish it from previous coinages”.
[Burnett, George, Lyon King of Arms: Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, Vol. II, p. xcii-xcvii]
Note: There is no evidence to suggest that Jacobus Meallus alias Mulekyn ever settled in Scotland, but rather remained in Florence. He no doubt visited Edinburgh to undertake the huge task of reforming the royal mint, but the fact that Bonagio replaced him, confirms the view that his appointment was only temporary. This appears to be the implication of Burnett’s comments regarding the Scottish Council of 1366, for by then, the standard of coinage had evidently dropped below the level and quality of that produced at the time of magister Jacobus. It may also be implied from this passage that he had gained a working knowledge of the English Mint. All this of course is a far cry from the assertion made that he was the progenitor of the Mullikins of Scotland, let alone Edinburgh.
Quite a number of people have contacted me regarding the Millikins of Dromore in Co. Londonderry in the province of Ulster (not to be confused with the Millikins who lived near the town of Dromore in Co. Down) and other families bearing the surnames Milliken and Millican, who emigrated to North America from Co. Londonderry. Rather than attempt to write an individual reply to everyone, it seemed more expedient to include a series of articles in this News Letter, that aim to examine the main genealogical sources related to the county and known family histories.
There are two important genealogical sources for the 1600s that list the names of individuals of tenant status in Co. Londonderry, the 1630 muster rolls (which lists the names of Protestant male tenants above the age of 16 years) and the 1663 hearth money rolls (a partial listing of heads of households), but neither record the surnames Milliken, Milligan or Mulligan. Of the 46 parishes of the county, only two have records surviving from the 1600s, namely, St. Columbs Church of Ireland in the City of Derry (which date from 1642) and the Presbyterian Church of Ballykelly (which date from 1699). Other important sources include the Will Indexes for the Diocese of Derry and the Prerogative Court of Ireland, but neither list the surnames.
1. Parish of Templemore, City of Derry
St. Columbs Church of Ireland (baptisms, marriages & burials 1642-1703)
Elizabeth Muligane widow buried the 5 Feb. 1657
James sonne of Robert Mulakine bapt. 28 June, 1668
2. Parish of Tamlaght-Finlagan
Ballykelly Presbyterian Church (baptisms 1699-1709, marriages 1699-1740)
Gilbert Milliken and Margaret McClelen both in this parish of Ballykelly are alowed the benefite of Proclamation April 12, 1712
For the 1700s, the picture begins to improve, the most important source being the Religious Survey of 1740. In that year, the Irish House of Commons commissioned a survey of Protestant householders in the North of Ireland. The original returns, however, were destroyed in 1922, but copies survive in the Tenison Groves transcript in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, called the Londonderry Survey, for 37 of the 46 parishes in Co. Londonderry. Later in 1766, the Irish House of Lords commissioned a survey instructing the clergy of each Church of Ireland parish to prepare a return of the number of Protestant and Roman Catholic families in their parishes. Returns survive for 13 of the 46 parishes in Co. Londonderry and of these, some are only numerical returns but others give the names of the heads of families.
Protestant Householders - 1740
Aghadowey ................... William Miliken, Robert Milikin
Tamlaght O Crilly ....... John Milliken
Kilrea ............................. Patt O'Mallican, Donaghy O'Mullighan
Maghera ........................ George Miliken
Termoneeny ................. Thomas Millikin, Josh Miliken
Ballynascreen ................ And Miliken, Wm. Miliken
Desertmartin ................ Pat Mulloghan
Magherafelt ................... Daniel Mulligan, Thomas Miliken
Desertlyn ....................... James Miliken
The parishes of Tamlaght O Crilly, Kilrea, Maghera, Termoneeny, Ballynascreen, Desertmartin, Magherafelt and Desertlyn are all located in the district of Loughinsholin, which takes in the southern part of Co. Londonderry. Only three of the parishes listed above are represented in the 1766 Religious Survey and of these, only two list M surnames all of whom were dissenters, in other words - Presbyterians.
Religious Survey - 1766
Ballynascreen Parish
Dissenter - Samuel Milliken, Andrew Milliken, William Milliken & James Milliken
Magherafelt Parish
Dissenter - James Milliken
As part of a Government scheme to encourage the linen trade, free spinning-wheels or looms were granted to individuals planting a certain area of land with flax. The list of those entitled to the award was published in 1796 and recorded only the names of individuals and the civil parish in which they lived. The original publication is held in the Linen Hall Library, Belfast, and only the following names appear in connection with Co. Londonderry.
Flax Grower of Ireland - 1796
Agivey .................................. Thomas Millikin 1
Tamlaght-Finlagan ............ David Milliken 2
I have included the Flax Growers list to draw a comparison between it and the 1740 Religious Survey for two reasons. In the first instance, the parish of Agivey is usually incorporated with the parish of Aghadowey, and in the second, the 1740 Survey fails to record any references to the surname Milliken in the parish of Tamlaght-Finlagan. The significance of the latter point will become evident in the next issue, when I begin to examine the biographical notes recorded in the Rev. G. T. Ridlons book in relation to the Millikins of Dromore in Co. Londonderry. Finally, it should also be noted, that neither the Will Indexes for the Diocese of Derry nor the Prerogative Court of Ireland, list the surnames Milliken or Milligan in the 1700s.
Queries To
June, 1999.