Francis Stewart, 5th Earl of Bothwell (c. December 1562 – November 1612), was Commendator ofKelso Abbey andColdingham Priory, aPrivy Counsellor andLord High Admiral of Scotland. He was a notorious conspirator who led several uprisings against his first cousin,King James VI (they were both grandsons ofKing James V of Scotland), all of which ultimately failed, and he died in poverty in Italy after being banished from Scotland. Francis's maternal uncle,the 4th Earl of Bothwell (by the first creation), was the chief suspect in the murder of James VI's father,Lord Darnley.
Francis Stewart was a son ofJohn Stewart, Prior ofColdingham (d. 1563), who was an illegitimate child ofJames V of Scotland by his mistress Elizabeth Carmichael. Francis' mother wasJane Hepburn, Mistress ofCaithness, LadyMorham (d. 1599), sister ofJames Hepburn, 1st Duke of Orkney and 4thEarl of Bothwell. Francis is said to have been born in his mother'stower house at Morham.
In 1565,Mary, Queen of Scots, gave Francis a set of red serge bed curtains.[1] When Mary was pregnant in 1566 she made awill bequeathing her jewels. If she had died in childbed, Francis would have received several sets of gold buttons andaiglets, and a slice of unicorn horn mounted on silver chain, used to test for poison.[2]
Regardless of his youth, in December 1564 he was made Lord Badenoch and Enzie, and in 1566 he was appointed (nominal) Commendator ofCulross Abbey. He was, before 1568, Commendator ofKelso Abbey inRoxburghshire, which position he had exchanged withJohn Maitland, in place of the offer ofColdingham Priory which Maitland then held until his forfeiture in 1570. Some historians giveSir Alexander Home as Maitland's successor; he in fact declined to accept his appointment, and Priory charters record Francis Stewart as the next Commendator. Francis was succeeded as Prior of Coldingham by his second son, John.
On 10 January 1568, Francis was confirmed in the lands and baronies formerly held by the Earls of Bothwell. These included:Hailes,Yester,Dunsyre,Morham,Crichton, Wilton, Bothwell and many others in the sheriffdoms of Edinburgh, Roxburgh, Lanark, Dumfries, and Berwick, and the Stewartries of Annandale and Kirkcudbright.[3]
A letter ofMarie Pieris, Lady Seton toMary, Queen of Scots mentioned that Francis was "at the Schools, and in good health" in August 1570. His sister Christine was in the king's household atStirling Castle, but another sister (who is less well-documented) had been sent away byAnnabell Murray, Countess of Mar.[4]
Francis was 'belted' asEarl of Bothwell by his cousin, James VI, in the Great Hall ofStirling Castle on 27 November 1577, in the presence of his guardian,the 4th Earl of Morton, four days before his marriage to Margaret Douglas, formerlyLady Buccleuch and daughter ofthe 7th Earl of Angus, inHolyrood Abbey.[5] Francis studied at theUniversity of St Andrews before travelling in 1578 to the Universities of Paris and Rouen (and possibly also to Italy). Recalled to Scotland by the king, he landed at Newhaven in June 1582.
On 29 May 1583, the King, against the advice of theEarl of Gowrie and the other Lords of theRaid of Ruthven, who had controlled him for the past nine months, left Edinburgh, progressing first toLinlithgow Palace, accompanied by the Earls of Mar, Angus, Bothwell and Marischal. At Linlithgow, Bothwell played football with theEarl Marischal. Bothwell knocked him over, then he kicked Bothwell on the leg. They decided to fight a duel the next day, but theEarl of Angus and the king,James VI, reconciled them. After this, Bothwell returned to Crichton.[6]
Bothwell quarreled with David Home ofManderston at Linlithgow Palace in November 1583.[7] He killed him in 1584, and on 23 October 1584 he wrote from Crichton Castle toSir Patrick Vans of Barnbarroch asking him to meet him at Dalkeith and support him at his trial in Edinburgh.[8] He also fought with Alexander Home,Prior of Coldingham, and his brother in the Canongate near Holyrood Palace in November 1583.[9]
On 13 May 1585, Bothwell, with others, was commissioned to assist the Warden of the Scottish Marches dealing with rebels. In June 1586 Bothwell was one of three Commissioners appointed by James VI to negotiate a military alliance between the English and Scottish Crowns, which was formally concluded on 5 July. He quarrelled withWilliam Stewart of Monkton and then they fought on Blackfriar's Wynd. Bothwell stabbed him with his rapier and Stewart tried to hide in a cellar, where Bothwell's men "stobbed him with whingers till he was despatched".[10]
The following year Bothwell and other nobles felt that the beheading ofJames VI's mother Queen Mary demanded an invasion of England, a course of action the king disagreed with. Bothwell was warded for a time in Edinburgh Castle for his activities in trying to advance this course of action.
On 10 May 1587, Bothwell and other nobles protested their innocence over a raid on Stirling Castle in November 1585. The king accepted their oaths and declared them to be his "honest and true servants".
Francis, Earl Bothwell, swore an obligation in Council on 8 July 1587 as Keeper ofLiddesdale to keep the peace there, and on 29 July he was made a full member of thePrivy Council of Scotland – a body he had been attending since at least 1582. He attended the wedding ofHenrietta Stewart and theEarl of Huntly in July 1588, and his own appearance "set around with mirrors" drew attention.[11]
One of the honours he received with his earldom was that ofLord High Admiral of Scotland, and on 1 August 1588, he was ordered "to attend upon his awne charge of admirallitie" in order to resist theSpanish Armada. He remained active at sea, and on 12 November of the same year Frederick Freis, master of the Swedish shipUnicorn, brought an action in the Scottish Privy Council against the Earl Bothwell for the seizure of his ship. The Council ordered Bothwell to restore the ship to Freis within 24 hours.
Bothwell was imprisoned inHolyrood Palace in May 1589, and called to James VI who was in the garden for his release. The king ignored him, and he was transferred toBlackness Castle andTantallon Castle. Bothwell was so angry that he beat his wife and any of his servants who came near him.[12] In 1589 an English pirate called Captain Coupland stole one of Bothwell's ships or barques and sold its cannon atBridlington andGreat Yarmouth.[13]
Bothwell, with others, including theEarl of Huntly, was charged withtreason for engaging in an armed uprising and plotting to seize the king atHolyroodhouse. He surrendered himself on 11 May 1589 and their trial took place on 24 May. All were found guilty, but sentences were deferred for the king's consideration.
In January 1591 he was reported to have bought theIsle of May and to be building a house nearKelso not far from the English border. This may refer to the repair of Moss Tower atEckford.[14]
Bothwell was arrested onaccusations of witchcraft on 15 April 1591.[15] Charged with trying to arrange the king's death through sorcery, he was imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle. These allegations arose through the events of the marriage of James VI toAnne of Denmark in September 1589. She had been expected to sail from Denmark but was prevented by storms three times. The Danish admiralPeder Munk attributed the storms to witchcraft. The same weather caused an accident in theRiver Forth resulting in the drowning ofJane Kennedy, whom James had appointed to be chief of Anne's ladies-in-waiting. James then asked Bothwell, as Admiral of Scotland, to prepare a fleet to fetch Anne. Bothwell's estimate of the costs involved was high and James decided to raise funds and make the voyage himself.
Bothwell remained in Scotland and was given a share of the government. Subsequently, in November 1590 those accused of witchcraft in North Berwick were tortured and made confessions about causing the storms by magic. The historian Christina Larner proposed that thecharacter of the witch hunt with the"demonic pact" which featured in the confessions was influenced by Danish practice. In July 1590 a number of so-called witches had been arrested in theCopenhagen witch trials in Denmark, includingAnna Koldings, for causing the storms. One of the Scottish accused, healerAgnes Sampson, according toJames Melville of Halhill, claimed the devil had shown her a picture of James VI saying he should be "consumed at the instance of a noble man Francis Erle Bodowell." Another, magician Ritchie Graham, confessed and insisted he had conspired with the earl, leading to his arrest in April 1591.
Francis broke out of the castle on 22 June 1591, while the king was away at the wedding ofLilias Murray andJohn Grant ofFreuchie atTullibardine, and headed south.[16] He was convinced that theChancellor,John Maitland of Thirlestane, was behind his accusation. He wasproclaimed an outlaw three days later. James VI gave his lands and offices and the castles of Crichton and Hailes to theDuke of Lennox.Anne of Denmark tried to intercede for Bothwell, but found the king so "moved", so angry with those who had requested her intervention, that she dropped the issue. Bothwell spent his days at Crichton but hid at night in woods and other places. One of his chief confederates,Archibald Wauchope of Niddrie, abandoned him.[17]
In July 1591William Hunter sent news toWilliam Cecil of the search for the rebel earl. James VI had gone to Kelso but there was news of Bothwell at Aberdeen. Hunter wrote, "Mirrie companyouns say atte thair wyne that all our trubillis ar bott tryfills to gett moir gowld frome Ingland, and thay seik my Loird Boithwell whear thay knaw he is nott, for Aberdene is neir fowr scoir mylis derrect north frome Edinburgh and Kellso is twenty eight mylis derrect sowth frome Edinburgh" - Merry companions say at their wine that all our troubles are but trifles toget more gold from England, and they seek my Lord Bothwell where they know he is not, for Aberdeen is near four score miles direct north from Edinburgh and Kelso is twenty eight miles direct south from Edinburgh.[18]
An English observer wrote of rumours that Bothwell had practiced with witches in some unlawful matter between him and Anne of Denmark, which had made him odious to the king.[19] Bothwell was thought to be in Leith on 18 October, where his wife was staying, and the king hunted for him there.James Sandilands captured his servant Robert Scott, brother of theLaird of Balwearie and Valentine, the earl's best horse, but the earl could not be found.[20]
On 27 December Bothwellbroke into Holyroodhouse attempting to seek reconciliation, or as his opponents claimed, trying to assassinate James and Anne.[21] The twins Patrick and John Schaw were killed trying to defend the king.[22] Some of his supporters were captured, includingDavid Cunningham of Robertland, and some sentenced to death. Anne of Denmark pleaded with James VI for their lives, especially for surgeonJohn Naysmyth.[23]
Reports of Bothwell atMorham, his mother'stower house, andColdingham resulted in the king leading a party from Holyroodhouse on 13 January 1592 to apprehend him. However, the King's horse threw him into a pool of water, from which a local yeoman had to rescue him "by the necke", and the chase was abandoned. Early in 1592, Bothwell addressed a letter to the clergy of Edinburgh, indignantly disowning the witchcraft charges. On 7 April the King again went in pursuit of Bothwell, crossing the Forth to travel north, Bothwell having been heard of inDundee, and the Privy Council of Scotland denounced Ross ofBalnagown, theMaster of Gray and his brother Robert, and others for assisting Bothwell.
When theParliament of Scotland met on 5 June 1592 for the first time after nearly five years and thePrivy Council was reconstituted, a proclamation was issued denuding Bothwell of honours, titles and lands. On 28 June, between one and two o'clock in the morning, Bothwell, leading 300 others, attempted to capture Falkland Palace and the king. Forewarned, the king and queen and his immediate courtiers withdrew to the tower and locked it from within. Bothwell gave up and left with the horses from the royal stables. The Englishborder reiverRichie Graham ofBrackenhill and his companions sacked the Falkland town, taking horses, clothing and money.[24] On 29 and 30 June proclamations were issued for Bothwell's pursuit and the arrest of his accomplices, includingJames Scott of Balwearie, Martine of Cardone, and Lumsden of Airdrie.
Certain Borders lairds were ordered in June to assemble for his pursuit and were joined by the king himself on 6 July. They did not find the fugitive Bothwell and the pursuit was finally abandoned on 7 August, but the Crown obtained possession of all his houses and strengths. Several of Bothwell's supporters were locked up, including the Earl Marischal, Lord Home, Sinclair of Roslin andJohn Wemyss of Logie.
On 13 July 1592, a new warrant was issued against Bothwell's supporters in the Borders, includingWalter Scott of Harden and Dryhope and John Pennycuik of that Ilk. On 14 September, the Privy Council ordered an armed muster to attend the king intoTeviotdale in pursuit of Bothwell's supporters. The king left Edinburgh forDalkeith on 9 October and thereafter proceeded toJedburgh. However, little or nothing was achieved in the expedition. October saw a new round of Cautions issued by the Privy Council to supposed supporters of Bothwell.
On 20 November 1592, the Countess of Bothwell was forbidden by decree to be in the king's presence and "none allowed to contenance her". A warrant was subsequently issued by the Edinburgh magistrates for her arrest, with numerous other "adherents of Bothwell still lingering about the town". In January 1593 Bothwell was in the north of England where he had a good reception, which much annoyed James VI. James wrote to Queen Elizabeth I on 7 June to ensure Bothwell's return to Scotland. He complained that Bothwell had been seen in public at a race meeting at Carter Moor nearPonteland, boasting of receiving financial support from Elizabeth, and was known to have stayed with William Fenwick atWallington.[25]
Lord Bothwell was formally attainted by Act of Parliament, dated 21 July 1593. However, on Tuesday, 24 July, the Earl, helped by Marie Ruthven, Countess of Atholl, smuggled himself intoHolyroodhouse and forced himself at last into the king's presence, in his bedchamber. It was said that Bothwell hid behind the tapestry or hangings until the best moment. Soon numerous Bothwell supporters also entered the room. The Provost of Edinburgh,Alexander Home of North Berwick, came to the palace to help, but the king said things were fine.[26] The king accepted Bothwell's protestations of loyalty and an agreement for his pardon was reached.[27] (It received the Royal and other signatures on 14 August). So, just five days after his forfeiture, Bothwell and his accomplices received a blanket Act of Remission and Condonation.
Bothwell rode to Durham on 2 August 1593, meeting Sir William Reed atBerwick-upon-Tweed on the way. He spoke to theDean of Durham,Tobias Matthew, and described his recent adventure in Holyroodhouse. He said he had 1,000 soldiers in his pay in Edinburgh.[28]
On Friday, 10 August, a formal trial (described by Spottiswoode as "a farce") of Bothwell was entered into on the old witchcraft charges in order to deal with them once and for all. The depositions of Ritchie Graham were read out, that he advised Bothwell to poison the king, or burn his effigy in wax, or enchant the king to stay in Denmark in 1590. Bothwell made speeches and other argument on his own behalf, and blamed his enemiesSir George Home andSir John Carmichael. He was acquitted.[29] The English ambassadorRobert Bowes described how on 15 August 1593 James VI and the Earl of Bothwell enjoyed a particularly Scottish form of banquet involving "small provisions of delicates having spice[sweet]meat and wines, of no great matter or value" at the Shore ofLeith before the king embarked in a ferry boat forKinghorn and Falkland Palace.[30] Bothwell conveyed the queen,Anne of Denmark, to Falkland the next day, and he gave the king two English horses and a dozen hounds.[31]
The King, however, was not yet finished, and when the Convention of Estates met atStirling on 7 September he conspired with those opposed to Bothwell to recall his pardon and Royal messengers went to meet Bothwell on the 11th, at Linlithgow, with the news that the king proposed to modify his blanket pardon, and added a condition that Bothwell would have to go into exile. He went first to Crichton, then to Jedburgh.[32]
It was thought at first that Bothwell had not taken this badly and would comply, but feeling betrayed he soon returned to his old ways and in the first days of October his partisans, the Earls of Atholl, Montrose, and Gowrie, had been seen in arms in the vicinity of Linlithgow. It is not clear whether Bothwell was with them. A warrant was issued against Bothwell and others on 11 October. Failing to appear, they were denounced rebels on the 25th. Bothwell had gone toCarlisle Castle and was received byThomas Scrope.[33]
The Privy Council issued a Proclamation for a muster atStirling for the pursuit of Bothwell on 2 April 1594, following a collision between the King's forces and Bothwell's in the fields between Edinburgh andLeith, nearArthur's Seat, called in some books "The Raid of Leith". There was not much bloodshed, the king remaining at theBurgh Muir, with Bothwell retiring toDalkeith en route again to theScottish Borders. Many thought had Bothwell pressed home he would have been the victor and had a warm welcome from the citizens of Edinburgh, as his Protestant cause was gaining popularity.[34]
In April 1594, James VI sentEdward Bruce andJames Colville of Easter Wemyss to London to complain about "secret intelligence" which had passed between the ambassadorLord Zouche and the rebel Earl of Bothwell. James VI wrote to theEarl of Essex asking for his support.[35]
In May 1594, Bothwell was in Northumberland and he heard that goldsmithJacob Kroger had stolen jewels fromAnne of Denmark. Bothwell found Kroger at Edward Delaval's house nearNorth Shields and took some of the jewels, hoping to use them to bargain his way back into the king's favour.[36] The Bailiff of Shields prevented him taking Kroger and his companion Guillaume Martyn back to Scotland.[37] Bothwell seems to have spent some time in Scotland, atHermitage Castle, in these months. In July,John Carey, an English officer at Berwick, heard that Bothwell had entered into a truce, arranged by Anne of Denmark's intercession, until after thebaptism of Prince Henry.[38] In August, Joachim von Bassewitz, the ambassador of theDuke of Mecklenburg (who was Anne of Denmark's grandfather), offered to speak with the English ambassadorRobert Bowes on Bothwell's behalf, but Bowes declined.[39]
As a result of his poverty and lack of support, Bothwell had no option left to him but to change religious sides. A new Privy Council proclamation against him, dated 30 September 1594, states that he had "thrown off the cloik of religioun" (meaningPresbyterianism) and openly allied himself in a new confederacy against the king with theRoman Catholic LordsHuntly,Angus,Errol, and others. The king proceeded north against them. The confederacy collapsed and Huntly and Errol agreed to go abroad.
The king's pardon being revoked, another formal sentence of treason was proclaimed against Bothwell on 18 February 1595, the day of the execution of his half-brother,Hercules Stewart.[40] Hercules supported his brother, but was captured, along with another person, by John Colville and William Hume, who promised them their lives. However, they were hanged "in spite of much popular sympathy, at the Market Place of Edinburgh."[41]
Until April 1595, Bothwell continued to lurk aboutCaithness andOrkney but eventually embarked for France, landing at Newhaven inNormandy. On 6 May 1595Thomas Edmondes reported that Bothwell was in Paris and had reported himself to the king,Henry IV, seeking help.[42] James VI upon hearing this sent a special messenger to Henry IV asking for Bothwell to be banished from France, but the request was declined. After several months Bothwell left for Spain. Between 1598 and 1600 it was rumoured he visited London fromGravelines orDieppe. James VI heard he was in London with John Colville in August 1598 but did not believe it.Walter Raleigh advisedRobert Cecil that Elizabeth should detain Bothwell. Raleigh wrote that Bothwell "will ever be the canker of her estate and safety."[43]
In February 1602, a rumour circulated that he had left Spain for the Low Countries and was trying to bribe Colonel Edmond or CaptainWilliam Brog (who were said to be rivals in emulation), with their Scottish soldiers, to join the Spanish service.[44] In June 1602 there was a rumour thatSir George Home andSir Thomas Erskine wanted to recall him to Scotland to strengthen their faction, and that one of the Bothwell's daughters, who was "a very gallant lady", would marry the youngEarl of Morton. These rumours or plans came to nothing.[45] In July 1602 a marriage was contracted for Anna Home, the daughter of Sir George Home, and Sir James Home of Whitrig, Bothwell's nephew, and again it was thought that Bothwell himself might be restored.[46]
Bothwell lived in poverty inNaples, where he died in November 1612. The English ambassador in Venice,Sir Dudley Carleton, reported that Bothwell died at Naples after hearing news of the death ofHenry Frederick, Prince of Wales, who he had hoped would restore his fortune. The Spanish Viceroy of Naples,the Count of Lemos, arranged a lavish funeral for the Scottish earl.[47]
On 1 December 1577, Francis, Earl of Bothwell, marriedMargaret Douglas (d. 1640), daughter ofthe 7th Earl of Angus, and widow of Sir Walter Scott of Branxholme & Buccleuch (d. 1574). Initially, after a brief honeymoon, the new earl was not permitted to come within twenty miles of his new wife 'for reassone of his youngnes'.[48]
James VI made a proclamation against Margaret Douglas for her support of her husband in November 1592. She was said to be "a griter mellair", to have had more involvement in her husband's treasons, "than became a woman".[49]
They had at least four sons and four daughters:
Francis Stewart is depicted as a major character in the playsJamie the Saxt (1936) byRobert McLellan andThe Burning (1971) byStewart Conn. Both plays deal with the period of his conflict, as outlaw and rebel, with King James VI in the early 1590s.
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| Preceded by | Earl Bothwell 1587 – 1612 | Forfeit |
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