Sir Walter Scott’s Quaichs
Quaichshop’s visit in June to Abbottsford House, the former family home of Sir Walter Scott, spawned our June blog, entitled “The Waterloo Quaich“. As well as that finely crafted vessel, June’s blog noted the presence of a number of other quaichs amongst the Abbotsford House collection. Quaichshop has been in touch with the Curator of the Abbotsford House collection, who has provided interesting and valuable insights into Scott’s passion for these traditional drinking vessels, particularly relating to the incorporation of relics from Scotland’s history
It does appear that Scott was a genuine quaich enthusiast, although interestingly his spelling tends to be “quaigh” rather than the now more familiar “quaich”. He is widely reported to have had a number of such drinking vessels made, which he then encouraged his dinner guests to drink whiskey from – note the “e” in Scott’s spelling of Scotland’s national drink, in the quotation below. By 1818, he appears to have had a quaich made from Queen Mary’s Yew in his possession, the wood for which he apparently acquired from Cruikston (or Crookston) Castle, not without difficulty. In 1824, the year of the Wellington Quaich, Scott is quoted:
“I beg at the same time to thank you by anticipation for your very kind present of Irish oak from the roof of St. Patricks. It will be particularly acceptable at present as I have been making some old-fashiond Scottish quaighs (small drinking cups) out of such scraps of remarkable wood as I have chanced to collect- Wallaces oak-Sir John the Graemes yew tree and the like & I will certainly put it in my guests power if it be in their inclination to drink a tasse of highland whiskey out of Shilelah oak. I think you will judge from this circumstance what value I will put on your gift.”
Some football enthusiasts might be able to divine a certain irony from the fact that Scott had a favourite quaich made from the wood which originated from “St. Patricks”. If this reference is to St. Patrick’s Church in the Cowgate, Edinburgh, this is the spiritual home of the capital’s Hibernian Football Club. The Club was founded in 1875 in the Cowgate by Canon Edward Joseph Hannan (1836-1891), an Irish-born priest, to keep young Irish Catholic men off the mean streets of Edinburgh’s Old Town. On 25th July 1818, Scott published the seventh of Sir Walter Scott’s Waverley Novels, “The Heart of Mid-Lothian“. Fifty six years later, in 1874, Scott’s novel gave rise to the name of Edinburgh’s other major footballing institution, Heart Of Midlothian F.C. However, the “St. Patricks” in question may possibly be St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, which would rather spoil the story!
The Spanish Coin Quaich, also mentioned in June’s blog, may originate from a few years later, when Scott was apparently working with a friend who was an antiquarian (James Skene), and with a craftsman named Wrighton, to set coins into newly commissioned quaichs. One such quaich apparently incorporated a Cruikston dollar, so again he appears to have been creating a relic relating to Mary Queen of Scots. The Spanish Coin Quaich may also originate from this time, but this is not so far proven.
However much detail can or cannot be illuminated, it is clear that Scotland’s most famous author was very keen on quaichs (or quaighs), not only as beautiful items for display, sometimes as ways of preserving historical relics, but also as practical drinking vessels, which added further pleasure to the conclusion of an excellent dinner in his company!
Many thanks are due to Kirsty Archer-Thompson, Collections and Interpretation Manager, Abbotsford House, for her valuable and scholarly input.