Andrew Halyburton orHaliburton (before 1490 – 1507) was a Scottish merchant.
Andrew Halyburton was stationed atMiddelburg inFlanders where he was 'Conservator of the Scottish Staple,' or 'Conservator of the Scottish privileges in the Low Countries.' A surviving letter in French calls him, 'Conservateur de la Nasion des Eschosoys a Midelburg.'[1] Thisconsular role administered to the Scottish import and export trade with the county of Flanders. However, few official Scottish or Flemish records of Andrew's administration survive.[2] In two letters to the town of MiddelburgJames IV of Scotland called Andrew 'our merchant' and 'the King's familiar servant,' and 'privilegiorum nationis in istis terris conservator,' - conservator of our nation's privileges in your lands. The letters reminded the council of Middelburg of Andrew's jurisdictions over Scottish trade issues, and how he should speak in their courts on behalf of Scottish sailors and captains.[3]
One of Andrew's ledgers survives in which he recorded a series of accounts he opened with Scottish clients who sent money and goods to him in Flanders, often to fund special purchases.[4] Some of the cargoes were carried in the ships ofAndrew Barton ofLeith.[5] Halyburton's ledger provides evidence on the exchange rates for the gold and silver coins used in international trade.[6] Primarily, Andrew's clients sent him wool or skins to sell. A letter from Andrew to a Scottish client survived with the ledger, advising hides would sell best at Eastertide 1502; he wrote,
"Thar standis yet ii sekkis of woll of youris unsauld, and quhen thai are sauld, I shall send you your reckoning of all things between us. ... Please you to wit that here is an evil mercat, sa help me God, except your woll, ... Hydis, I trow, shall be the best merchandise that come here at Pasche, for thar is many folkis that speris (ask) about thaim"
(modernised) There stands yet 2 sacks of wool of yours unsold, and when they are sold, I shall send you your reckoning of all things between us. ... Please you to know that here is an evil market, so help me God, except your wool, ... Hides (skins), I believe, shall be the best merchandise that come here at Eastertide, for there is many folk that ask for them[7]
Halyburton's account forJames Stewart, Duke of Ross andArchbishop of St Andrews, includes a payment in September 1497 apparently for letters sent toMargaret of York fromPerkin Warbeck and his wife,Lady Catherine Gordon, who was known as the White Rose, "Item, gyffyn Davy Rattrye quhen he passed to (blank) with the quhit ros lettrys to my lady, 10 shillings."[8]
The Duke of Ross sent money to Halyburton, which he banked with Cornelis Altanitis inBruges, the money was to be paid out in Rome to purchasePapal Bulls. Halyburton also commissioned two carved stone tomb sculptures for the Duke, which he called 'throwchts.'[9] Andrew sent the stones toVeere in abarge he called aSchout, from where they were shipped to Scotland.[10]
Halyburton paid money to the Italian merchant and financierJerome Frescobaldi, in Antwerp and Bruges, on behalf of his clients and business partners. Frescobaldi supplied luxury goods to theRoyal Court of Scotland.[11]
In Edinburgh, the churchman and lawyerPatrick Paniter acted on Andrew's behalf, enforcing the payment of rent at Andrew's house on theRoyal Mile near theMercat cross in May 1506. Andrew was described as an 'agent in Flanders.'[12] On 31 December 1507, James IV appointed John Francis as 'Conservator of the Privileges in Flanders,Brabant,Zeeland, andHolland', to replace Andrew, who had died.[13]
Andrew Halyburton bought painting materials in Antwerp for an Edinburgh merchant, Thomas Cant, in June 1497. Thomas Cant had sold cloth, clothes, and hats to the royal wardrobe since 1474, and Master John Cant, probably his son, bought aMass book forMargaret of Denmark, Queen of Scotland.[14] The painting materials includedgold and silver leaf,vermilion,red lead andwhite lead.[15]
In September 1505 Halyburton hired a Flemish painter, 'Piers', to come to Scotland and work for James IV.[16][17] This was possibly Peerken Bovelant, an apprentice ofGoswijn van der Weyden in Antwerp,[18] who joined theGuild of St Luke in 1503.[19] Few details are known of Piers' work, except his assistance in painting costumes and heraldry for tournaments, but the King gave him a salary and accommodation, and it is likely that Piersmade portraits for the court.[20]
Andrew Halyburton married Cornelia Bening, the daughter of a Flemish painter,Sanders Bening (1448–1519) member of the guilds of Ghent and Bruges, (their nieceLevina Teerlinc (fl. 1545–1567) painted at the court ofHenry VIII of England).[21][22] Cornelia Bening's mother Katheline was a daughter (or sister or niece) ofHugo van der Goes (d. 1482), who had paintedan altarpiece for Edinburgh'sTrinity College Kirk.[23]
Cornelia's younger brothers were the paintersSimon Bening (1483–1561) father of Levina, and Paul Bening.[24] It has been tentatively suggested that thepainters in Scotland called 'Binning' during the sixteenth century were connections of the Flemish Bening family.[25]
Andrew Halyburton and Cornelia's children included a son Thomas and a daughter Cornelias.
Andrew Halyburton was well-connected in the close-knit society of Edinburgh merchants. His sister Helen Halyburton was married to Laurence Taillefer who was joint 'Customar of Edinburgh' withAndrew Moubray senior. The role of the Customar was to collect trade taxes in Edinburgh for the crown. Helen Halyburton had previously married a member of theMossman family, and had a son, Sandy Mossman.[26]
Andrew Moubray senior was married to a Jonet Halyburton, who was perhaps Helen and Andrew's eldest sister. Jonet's brothers James and David Halyburton served in theGarde Écossaise.[27] In his ledger, Andrew Halyburton described a trading colleague, William Hoppar, the brother ofIsobel Hoppar and father of the younger Andrew Moubray's wife Katrine, as his 'gossop,' a Scots word meaning relative. He called an associate, the Edinburgh textile merchantJames Hommyll, his "brother".[28]
Andrew Halyburton died in 1507. His house on the north side of theRoyal Mile was granted to John Mossman, as attorney of Andrew's son, Thomas Haliburton. The 'sasine' of this transaction was disputed by a neighbor John Knollis.[29] Thomas was dead by 1534, and his sister Cornelia was his heir.[30]