PL03 – Merchants


       
Stitcher: Edmund Dudley (Weymouth)

With the Polish gentry scorning trade, Scottish merchants entering Poland through the great port at Danzig were keen to reap the possible opportunities. Men like William “Danzig Willie” Forbes, whose commercial success in the Baltic funded the completion of Craigievar Castle, and later Robert Gordon who donated vast funds to Marischal College in Aberdeen, demonstrated the scale of the fortunes to be made. These Scots merchant communities protected themselves by establishing a Scottish Brotherhood with twelve branches across Poland, assuming responsibility for their own governance, internal justice, and the protection of special privileges. Such organisation ensured the Scots were an influential minority.

PL03 Malairtich
Leis na h-uaislean sa Phòlainn a’ coimhead sìos air malairt, bha luchd-malairt Albannach a bha ag inntrigeadh don Phòlainn tro phort mòr Danzig, dealasach a thaobh brath a ghabhail air na cothroman a bha rim faotainn. Bha fir leithid Uilleam “Danzig Willie” Foirbeis, a mhaoinich crìochnachadh air Caisteal Chreig Mhàrr tro a chuid soirbheachaidh coimearsalta sa Bhaltaig, agus às dèidh sin Raibeart Gòrdain a thug maoineachadh air leth mòr do Cholaiste Marischal ann an Obair Dheathain, a’ taisbeanadh meud an fhortain a ghabhadh a dhèanamh. Bha coimhearsnachdan nam malairteach Albannach gan dìon fhèin tro bhith a’ stèidheachadh Bràithreachas Albannach le dà mheur dheug dheth air feadh na Pòlainn, a’ gabhail thairis uallach airson an riaghlaidh fhèin, ceartas air an taobh a-staigh, agus dìon shochairean speisealta. Bha a leithid sin de bhuidhnean a’ dèanamh cinnteach gun robh na h-Albannaich na mionchuid a bha glè bhuadhach.