Major Hugh Buntine's Nightcap

 A nightcap in the Glasgow collection has an attached label which states: “this cap belonged to Major Buntine, uncle of William Baillie of Monkton.”

Little if anything is known of Buntine’s early life. He joined the Covenant army, and served under Lesley at the Battle of Philiphaugh (13^th September 1645) Oliver Cromwell rewarded him by making him ‘Muster-Master of the Horse’ for Scotland. In late 1659 George Monck sent him with a letter to Robert Montgomery with a view to using the English army in Scotland to assist with the imposition of a political settlement. A letter from Moray to Bruce in April 1660, indicates that he was in Breda at the time that Charles II made his Declaration. In 1670, he bought an estate which included Law Castle in West Kilbride. Soon after, an Act of Parliament granted ‘in favour of Major Hugh Buntine, … the lands and barony of Kilbride’. He died in 1681.

The nightcap is in red silk velvet, constructed from six conical sections, embroidered in silver threads, silver-gilt braid and gold spangles worked in basket weave, plaited braid with twisted couching depicting stylized fruit motifs, including pomegranates. The highlights are embroidered over thick cords to create the raised and padded effect. It is lined with undyed  linen.

For further information see Rebecca Quinton, Glasgow Museums: Seventeenth century Costume (Glasgow: Unicorn Press 2013) and the museums online entry  http://collections.glasgowmuseums.com/mwebcgi/mweb?request=record;id=447014;type=101

 Buntine's nightcap. Glasgow Museums. CCNC 4.0