Scribes and period of compilation

BDL is the work of a group of scribes from the Fortingall area of Perthshire.  The MS itself takes its name from one of the three scribes who identify themselves in it, namely dominus James MacGregor, titular Dean of Lismore, who records his name and refers to the MS (pp. 27, 185) as his liber.  At his death in 1551, James MacGregor held the benefice of Fortingall, his native district, together with the office of Dean of Lismore, of which he had possession from at least 1514 (Watson, SV, xiv–v).  There is no evidence that he was active in Lismore, though the significant Hebridean and western dimension of the MS might lead one to suppose that he and his family had more than a superficial, professional interest in these districts.  James does not appear to have had a university education, since he uses the style dominus (‘sir’) rather than magister (Scots maister) signifying a graduate in Arts of a Scottish university. James’s brother Duncan was likewise involved in the compilation of the MS, which contains several of his poems.

The MS may attest the signature of Dugall MacGregor (Dubhghall mac Eoin Riabhaich), the father of the MacGregor scribes, but his contribution to the MS is difficult to determine.  In a poem which is addressed to him in the MS, he is portrayed as a man of literary taste, capable of compiling a duanaire (‘poem-book’).  It has been suggested that the duanaire which he produced as a result of the poet’s exhortation is BDL, although he may have delegated the work to his sons.  This, however, is by no means certain, since the poem does not occupy a prominent position in the MS itself. Dugall acted as a notary public, as did his son James, and both are recorded in this capacity in a document of 1511. 

The MS (p. 301) also contains the signature of William Drummond, a curate in Fortingall, who contributes a brief Latin note.  The Drummonds were a conspicuous Perthshire kindred (Steer and Bannerman, 160–1).  Drummond’s signature does not necessarily imply that he contributed to the compilation of the MS; it may indicate merely that it came into his possession at some point.  This in itself might suggest that the MacGregors were part of a coterie of learned clerics, with strong literary interests.

It would seem that BDL was compiled between 1512 and 1542, the earliest and latest dates recorded in the MS (pp. 35, 144; 82).  The dates recorded between these years suggest that the scribes worked on the MS fairly consistently over a period of 30 years.