Today in 1774 the Rev. Henry Duncan, founder of the first ever savings bank, was born at Lochrutton.

A great champion of the poor, he set the bank up in his parish of Ruthwell, Dumfriesshire. At the time, other banks required a ten pound minimum deposit, making them completely out of reach for the vast majority of the populace. The savings banks only required a minimum of sixpence, and 1% of the interest of the combined deposits went to a charity fund.

Today in 1515 saw the birth of Margaret Douglas, countess of Lennox. Granddaughter of King Henry VII of England, niece of Henry VIII, and cousin of Queen Elizabeth I, Margaret was a leading Roman Catholic and an inveterate intriguer during the reign of Elizabeth. Her designs to set a member of her family on the throne were eventually realised when her grandson, James VI of Scotland, succeeded to the English throne as James I. The portrait features her son, Henry, Lord Darnley, father of James.

Today's recipe: combine prawns and in-season butternut squash for a mouth-watering family-sized curry.