Old photograph of the interior of Saint Duthac Chapel in Tain, Easter Ross, Scotland. Tain was granted its first royal charter in 1066, making it Scotland's oldest Royal Burgh. The charter, granted by King Malcolm III, confirmed Tain as a sanctuary, where people could claim the protection of the church, and an immunity, in which resident merchants and traders were exempt from certain taxes. These led to the development of the town. The early Duthac Chapel was the center of a sanctuary. Fugitives were by tradition given sanctuary in several square miles marked by boundary stones. During the First War of Scottish Independence, Robert the Bruce sent his wife and daughter to the sanctuary for safety. The sanctuary was violated and they were captured by forces loyal to John Balliol. The women were taken to England and kept prisoner for several years. John Ross, born 29 January 1726, Tain, died March 1800, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was a merchant during the American Revolution. He early relocated to Perth, Perthshire, Scotland, and entered into mercantile pursuits, but in 1763 he went to Philadelphia, where he became a shipping merchant. He was on familiar terms with George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Robert Morris, and several entries in General Washington's diary, during the sittings of the convention to frame the United States Constitution, tell of engagements to dine with Mr. Ross at his country place, Grange Farm or the Grange, named after the home of Lafayette. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
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