A SUMMONS issued by the Jacobites 275 years ago today demanding that Paisley Town Council meet them and account for raising a local militia against them will be among the items that will go on display when Paisley Museum reopens following its £42 million redevelopment.
The summons, sent on December 29, 1745, is accompanied by a receipt from the Prince’s secretary for a £500 fine paid five days later by the people of Paisley. Other towns that were also fined were later reimbursed but Paisley wasn’t. Glasgow received £10,000 in 1749, and in 1750 Dumfries received £2800.
Paisley Museum social history research assistant Archie Henderson said: “The history of the Jacobites is full of fascinating tales and having the opportunity to re-interpret the museum’s collection, tell new stories and retell old stories in a more engaging way is all part of the museum’s redevelopment. Tomorrow is the 300th anniversary of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s birth, so what better time for us to remind people of this part of our town’s history?”
The redevelopment of the museum will enable the number of objects on display to be increased by 100%. Other significant items from the Jacobite collection that will go on view include a Culloden sword passed down from the Carlile family; a Jacobite silver medal commissioned by Bonnie Prince Charlie; a painting by David Wilkie (1819) of The Veteran Highlander; and a headstone originally from the grounds of Paisley Abbey commemorating John Orr, one of eight Paisley volunteers killed at the Battle of Falkirk in 1746.
The museum is due to re-open in 2022.
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