F. S. Mackenna M.A., F.S.A.
Eighteenth-century Scottish annular brooches of brass and silver are still fairly common, but only a few possess a pedigree linking them to the original owner. One of these rarities is illustrated here, the property of Mrs. Eilidh Scobbie, who has kindly supplied its history. It is of silver and bears on the obverse a pattern common in the 1700's (which will be dealt with later), and on the reverse the initials DMCA and MMCK, and the date 1748. The latter initials represents Malcolm MacKeith, but at the moment Mrs. Scobbie is unable to recall who D Mc A was, but knows she has the information somewhere. The story attached to the brooch can be paraphrased as follows from the information given by Mrs. Scobbie.
Until recently there were MacKeiths living in Saddell, some of whose ancestors, many generations back, crossed the hill to Barr Glen on the west side of Kintyre. One family settled in Arnicle and another in neighbouring Amod, where, in 1811, was born Mrs. Scobbie's great-grandmother. Some of the Arnicle MacKeiths eventually scattered to Blary, to Drumnamuchlach near Killean (this branch dropped the Mac), to Tipertich near Kilmartin, to Jura and to Mull.
Family tradition avers that Malcolm made the brooch from Kintyre silver for his bride-to-be. So much for the story, but what can be learned from the brooch itself? Family traditions are notoriously untrustworthy and here we have yet another example. The claim that it was made from 'Kintyre silver' can be dismissed out of hand, and the assertion that it was made by Malcolm is equally to be disregarded. The brooch is in fact an example of a very common routine article made by travelling 'cairds' and initialled to order. The whole performance lacks any great degree of skill not even the inner circumference is a true circle. The engraved decoration of roundels and 'anchors' has been carried out in nielle - an easy type of ornament to produce, using a black pigment of copper, silver, lead and sulphur to fill in engraved passages; when heated moderately it forms a species of enamel. The lay-out and execution of the engraved design does not display any great degree of proficiency, although very much more than could have been attained by Malcolm in a 'once-off' effort. In particular the interlace in the roundels in quite inept.
For our purposes the reverse is the more interesting part, for here we have not only the initials already quoted but also between '12 and 2 o'clock' there are definite 'ghosts' of other initials, which have been obliterated by file, so that they cannot now be recovered. This at once raises questions. Quite possibly the brooch has been re-used. Was it a second-hand one obtained from a travelling caird, or was it a family one adjusted to suit Malcolm's needs? Impossible now to decide, but one curious aspect is that no signs remain of the date having been altered, which seems to rule out a family provenance. But a second-hand caird-bought article implies quite quick foot-work on the part of the caird if the date did not require alteration. It can be accepted that any brooch at that period carrying initials of two persons would be dated.Lastly there is the idea that the brooch was new, was being inscribed by the caird, he made a blunder and had to start again. Was there perhaps a dram in it, on a Saturday night? It is curious that the female initials come first, usually the position taken by the donor's. Of the three hypotheses the last seems the most likely, but speculation must remain.
A point of minor interest lies in the form of the woman's initials, which should correctly be D NcA (nic is the accepted contraction of nighean, signifying the female patronymic) but by the time the inscription was done the correct designation was beginning to be less rigidly adhered to.
The pin of the brooch was broken 50 or 60 years ago and a new shaft grafted on to its head. Apparently the brooch had strayed from the family, for Mrs. Scobbie says that it was returned to her father 'as rightful heir' by the last Campbell laird of Saddell.
Annular Scottish brooches varied greatly in size from little more than an inch in diameter to enormous examples such as those referred to by Martin Martin in 1716 - 'The antient Dress worn by the Women .... called Arisad .... was tied before on the Breast with a buckle of Silver, or Brass,....l have seen some .... broad as any ordinary Pewter Plate."
Mrs. Scobbie's brooch is shown in the drawing on the front cover of this number, and may perhaps be regarded as of average proportions.
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