Bannockburn

The Battle of Bannockburn, 23-24 June 1314, was the battle which secured Scotland’s future as an independent nation. It brought to a conclusion the war with England which had lasted nearly twenty years. The victory was won by King Robert the Bruce against the invading army of King Edward II and this coming weekend, the battle will be re-enacted at Bannockburn again.

Among the images representing the battle in the Smith’s collection is this little cigarette card, issued with Mitchell’s cigarettes in the 1930s. The card was one of many artefacts gifted by the late Bob McCutcheon (1939-2002), the Stirling historian and bibliophile, to the Smith. As Scottish history was rarely taught in schools in the early 20th century, the history cards issued by Mitchell played a significant part in keeping the past in the public eye.

Stephen Mitchell’s tobacco company was established in Glasgow in 1724, and the family funded the building of the Mitchell Library. The last Stephen Mitchell owned the estate of Boquhan at Kippen. He travelled to Glasgow by train every day, as did his cook, with fresh vegetables from the estate, to prepare the master’s lunch. The community rooms in Kippen were also funded by Mitchell.