Page:The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth century (1887) - Volume 2.djvu/541

 WINTOUN HOUSE 525 FOURTH PERIOD Wintoun House was designed and built by William Wallace, who then held the office of King's Master Mason for Scotland." Wallace was the first builder of Heriot's Hospital, and, in Dr. Laing's opinion, architect as well. Dr. Balcanquall, Dean of Rochester, who was executor to George Heriot, has been put forward as having been the architect of the Hospital, which claim Dr. Laing disproves, and goes on to say with regard to Wallace : " The house of Wintoun in the parish of Tranent, may have contributed,, through the recommendation of Mr. Robert Balcanquall, then minister of that parish, to his brother Dr. Balcanquall, along with his established character, and the personal know- ledge of his fellow-citizens in Edinburgh, to his being employed in the erection of the new hospital." The Hospital was begun in 1628. Wallace, of whom only a few facts have been gleaned by Dr. Laing, was admitted a burgess of Edinburgh in 1621. He was deacon of the Freemasons' Lodge there, and was employed for repairs on Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace, and for "his guid, trew and thankfull service" done there he was appointed Master Mason to the King in 1617. He died suddenly in October 1631. The following seems to be the notice on which Dr. Laing founds his conclusion as to Wallace having designed Wintoun House. It is from the Register of Confirmed Testaments, 12th December 1632, regarding an allowance granted to him for special services to the Earl of Wintoun. " Item : Thair was awin to the said umquhill William Wallace be George Earle of Wintoun, in acknowledgment of his panes in his Lordship's works, conforme to his Lordship's tiket, subscrivit with his hand, the sowme of 500 merkis, quhilk sowme of 500 merkis is upliftit sen the Defunctis deceas be Nicoll Adwart, baillie, and as yit is in his handis and custodie. Item : Be his Majistie's Thesaurer for the Defunctis fees as Master Massone to his Majistie, and for his leveray clothes due, to be pait be his Majisties Thesaurer and Ressareris, the last of October 1631, 330 merkis." While the above does not prove Wallace to have been the designer of Wintoun House, it is evident from the last paragraph that he was the King's architect, and from the date we see that it must have been in connection with the enlarging and enriching of the house to which we have already referred, that he was employed. When describing Glamis Castle (page 124) we found that the Earl of Strathmore took blame to himself for not having consulted the " Public Architecturs," " or such as in this age were known, and repute to be the best judges and contrivers " when engaged at his works at Glamis, and we think that there can be no doubt that Wallace was the kind of man referred to by the Earl. That he was a man skilled in architecture may be inferred from what we know about him in connection with Heriot's Hospital. Thus his receipt to the treasurer in August 1629 for 100