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The More Taubronar (died 1507) was a musician of African origin at the court of James IV of Scotland and his wife Margaret Tudor. His name is unknown.Mairi Cowan & Laura Walkling, 'Growing up with the court of James IV', Janay Nugent & Elizabeth Ewan, Children and Youth in Premodern Scotland (Boydell, 2015), p. 25: Imtiaz Habib, Black Lives in the English Archives, 1500–1677: Imprints of the Invisible (Routledge, 2008), pp. 29–30. A "taubron" was a kind of drum, the word is related to the modern form "tabor". 'taburne', DOST/DSL The word "More" or "Moryen" was used for people of African origin at the Scottish court.Nandini Das, João Vicente Melo, Haig Z. Smith, Lauren Working, Blackamoor/Moor, Keywords of Identity, Race, and Human Mobility in Early Modern England (Amsterdam, 2021), pp. 40–50: 'Mor(e), Moir', Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue Archival records credit the More Taubronar as the producer of a costumed dance or masque performed at the Scottish royal court in 1505.Miranda Kaufmann, Black Tudors (London, 2017), p. 11: Louise Olga Fradenburg, City, Marriage, Tournament: Arts of Rule in Late Medieval Scotland (University of Wisconsin Press, 1991), pp. 175–6.
James IV travelled with this drummer and four Italian minstrels to Dumfries, Eskdale and Peebles in September 1504.Miranda Kaufmann, Black Tudors (London, 2017), p. 311 fn. 66. At Dumfries James IV gave 28 shillings to a musician called "Cloffies" whose "tabroun" drum had been taken by Cuddy Rig, who is identified as a fool and fiddler. "Cloffes" was also bought a coat of kersey at Dumfries. It is not clear if "Cloffies" (perhaps "Clovis") was the king's African drummer. Accounts of the Treasurer, 1500–1504, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), pp. 323, 457–8. The name does not appear in the royal accounts again, but "Clofois" or "Cloffas" played for the Edinburgh craft of Hammermen in 1502, 1503, and 1505.John Smith, The Hammermen of Edinburgh and their altar in St. Giles church (Edinburgh, 1906), pp. 27, 30, 32.
The Italian minstrels and the "More taubronar" joined the king on his trip to the north to Brechin, Darnaway Castle and Elgin in October 1504. There were dances, performed by the maidens of Darnaway, Elgin, and Forres. They visited Huntly Castle, then known as "Strathbogie" on their journey back. Accounts of the Treasurer, 1500–1504, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), pp. 462–6, 457, 458, 459, 463–4. The king may have paid for the drummer's childcare during this trip to the Mounth, paying his "cheldis expens", alternatively the word 'child' may refer to the drummer's servant. While James was away in the north, Margaret Tudor stayed at Dunfermline Palace with four young African women known as the "Ellen More". Accounts of the Treasurer, 1500–1504, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), p. 458, 466, 468. 'Child', DOST/DSL
In February 1505 the African drummer devised a masque or dance for the tournament held on Shrove Tuesday, called "Fasterins Eve". Twelve dancers wore costumes in black and white fabrics, by "the More taubronaris devis". Accounts of the Treasurer, 1500–1504, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), 477: Miranda Kaufmann, Black Tudors (London, 2017), p. 11: Katie Stevenson, Chivalry and Knighthood in Scotland, 1424–1513 (Boydell, 2006), p. 90.
A coat was made for the "More taubronar" of camlet fabric woven with black and red threads, with a damask doublet in grey and tanny (purplish brown), and begarried (striped) hose in December 1503. Accounts of the Treasurer, 1500–1504, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), p. 329. 'Begary', DOST/DSL In March 1505 he was given 28 shillings to pay for painting his drum, and was paid 14 shillings on 25 March as a reward with other court musicians. This payment was grouped by the accountant with the money given to four Italian "schawmeris", players of the woodwind shawm, 'Schalmer', DOST/DSL presumably the Italian minstrels mentioned in 1504. Accounts of the Treasurer, 1506–1507, vol. 3 (Edinburgh, 1901), p. 132.
In December 1505 he was given clothes made from Bruges satin and tanny fabrics, the same costume as the four Italians. Another "taubronar", Ansley, was given a slightly less expensive costume. Accounts of the Treasurer, 1506–1507, vol. 3 (Edinburgh, 1901), pp. 108–9. In May 1506 the "More taubronar" was given a yellow coat lined with taffeta. This was for a special occasion when the king sailed to the Isle of May, a place of pilgrimage in the Firth of Forth. Accounts of the Treasurer, 1506–1507, vol. 3 (Edinburgh, 1901), p. 115.
The "More taubronar" was somehow injured in June 1506 at Holyrood. The king gave his physician 9 shillings in July, and made another payment in August. The accountant called the healer a "leech". Accounts of the Treasurer, 1506–1507, vol. 3 (Edinburgh, 1901), pp. 197, 206, 330. In March and May 1507 James IV gave 14 shillings to his wife and child. Accounts of the Treasurer, 1506–1507, vol. 3 (Edinburgh, 1901), pp. 377, 388. The Middle Scots word is "barne", perhaps meaning a baby. 'Barne', DOST/DSL These payments suggest the African drummer had died.Mairi Cowan, 'In the Borderlands of Periodization with "The blythnes that hes bein": The medieval / early modern boundary in Scottish history', Journal of the Canadian Historical Association 23:2 (2012), p. 26.
In February 1506, James IV gave 28 shillings to a nurse that brought the "Moris barne" to him "to see",Nadia T. van Pelt, Intercultural Explorations and the Court of Henry VIII (Oxford, 2024), p. 30: Imtiaz Habib, Black Lives in the English Archives, 1500–1677: Imprints of the Invisible (Routledge, 2008), p. 284. which may suggest this child, possibly the drummer's, was an object of exotic interest to the king.Mairi Cowan & Laura Walkling, 'Growing up with the court of James IV', Janay Nugent & Elizabeth Ewan, Children and Youth in Premodern Scotland (Boydell, 2015), p. 26.
Extracts from the treasurer's accounts mentioning the musicians at the court of James IV were first published in the 1830s by Robert Pitcairn and William Dauney.Robert Pitcairn, Criminal Trials, 1:1 (Edinburgh, 1833), p. 123: William Dauney, Ancient Scottish Melodies (Edinburgh, 1838), pp. 355–361. It has sometimes been suggested that another individual recorded in the same sources, "Peter the More", was the same person, although Peter is not mentioned as a musician.James Taylor, The pictorial history of Scotland, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1859), p. 554: Accounts of the Treasurer, vol. 2, p. 450. In March 1501 "Peter More" was granted a yearly fee of 20 French crowns by privy seal letter. Matthew Livingstone, Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1908), p. 96 no. 666 Italian and French trumpeters received similar fees. Peter the More was sent to France on royal business in May 1501 and left royal service in August 1504.Imtiaz Habib, Black Lives in the English Archives, 1500–1677: Imprints of the Invisible (Routledge, 2008), pp. 27–9, 274–9.
In Scotland, dancing in Margaret Tudor's chamber was memorialised in a poem by William Dunbar.Michelle Beer, Queenship at the Renaissance Courts of Britain (Woodbridge, 2018), pp. 93–4. One of the drummers at the Scottish court, Guilliam, taught the king's daughter Lady Margaret to dance. Treasurer's Accounts, vol. 3 (Edinburgh, 1901), pp. 117, 129 He produced dances at Holyrood Palace in February 1507, to celebrate the birth of a prince, Treasurer's Accounts, vol. 3 (Edinburgh, 1901), pp. xxxii, 371 and in February 1511. Guilliam played for Margaret Tudor aboard the Great Michael or Margaret on 3 August 1512. Accounts of the Treasurer, 1507–1513, vol. 4 (Edinburgh, 1902), pp. 330–1, 356.
Pringill was given 18 shillings to mend his "tawberne" in May 1489. Accounts of the Treasurer, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1877), p. 110. At Easter 1501, the court musicians were given rewards in cash, the taubronars Adam Boyd, Guilliam, Ansle, and John Portwis or Portuous received 14 shillings. The same drummers, joined by the "taubronar of Leith", received New Year's Day gifts of 28 shillings in January 1502. Treasurer's Accounts, 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), pp. 102, 131. In January 1503, James IV was at Arbroath Abbey with two taubronars, and was entertained by mummering. Treasurer's Accounts, 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), p. 148. Quhynbore the taubronar got a New Year's Day gift in January 1504, and is identified as the taubronar of Leith in another entry. Treasurer's Accounts, 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), pp. 412, 436. Ansle or Anslie was enough of a favourite, or had sufficient status, to play tennis with the king. Treasurer's Accounts, 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), p. 153. The New Year's Day reward given to the More Taubronar in January 1505 was greater than the others, at 28 shillings. Treasurer's Accounts, 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), p. 472.
On 6 March 1497, a "tawbronar" played at Stirling Castle with a "spelare". Accounts of the Treasurer, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1877), p. 322. A "spelare" was an acrobat, performing some kind of physical theatre. The accounts mention and work on the "cord" or tightrope.Anna J. Mill, Mediaeval Plays in Scotland (Edinburgh, 1927), p. 132: 'Spelare', DOST/DSL In March 1497, Ansle the taubronar was given an Easter reward payment, and two "tawbronaris" Guilliame and Pais were given their reward payment jointly with a "spelare". Accounts of the Treasurer, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1877), pp. 326–7. Pais also performed with a fiddler called Bennet. Accounts of the Treasurer, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1877), p. 360.
A group of Italian acrobats was mentioned in July 1502, when James IV gave 42 shillings to Peter de Luca, "the spelaris master". Peter and Francis de Luca, the "spelar boy", had a pension of 20 French crowns.Mairi Cowan & Laura Walkling, 'Growing up with the court of James IV', Janay Nugent & Elizabeth Ewan, Children and Youth in Premodern Scotland (Boydell, 2015), p. 23. They may have been Italians from Lucca. Francis was given the pension money at Stirling Castle on 22 April 1502 and gave another performance at Stirling on 14 June. He performed at Perth in June 1503 and in August 1503 when Margaret Tudor arrived in Edinburgh. Treasurer's Accounts, 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), pp. lxxii, 96, 122, 132, 139, 145, 151, 153, 334–5, 377. Drummers, "tabretts", played merrily at Margaret Tudor's Royal Entry to Edinburgh, and the "young Italian" acrobat performed on the day after the wedding on the tightrope in the courtyard of Holyrood Palace.Thomas Hearne, Joannis Lelandi antiquarii de rebus Britannicis collectanea, 4 (London, 1770), pp. 280, 297 An English "spelar" who accompanied Margaret to Scotland and turned was given 5 crowns when he left in August. Accounts of the Treasurer, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1877), p. 387. The Italians also moved on, one of the acrobats was given 20 crowns when he left the court in April 1502, and another, presumably Francis de Luca, departed with £13 Scots on 24 August 1503. Accounts of the Treasurer, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1877), pp. 143, 389.
Acrobats at the English court at this time, entertaining Henry VII, included the tumbers Vonecorps and the Little Maiden, who performed on New Year's Day 1504.Samuel Bentley, Excerpta Historica: Or, Illustrations of English History (London, 1831), p. 131. Wages for a drummer of African origin, John Blanke, were recorded in the Tudor accounts and he was depicted in the 1511 Westminster Tournament Roll.Nadia van Pelt, 'John Blanke's wages: No business like show business', Medieval English Theatre 44 (Boydell, 2023), pp. 3–35.
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