Alexander Durham (died 1584) was a Scottish courtier and administrator. His appointments included, clerk in the Exchequer, administrator of

John Stewart John Stewart may refer to: Business * John Aikman Stewart (1822–1926), American banker * John Killough Stewart (1867–1938), businessman and philanthropist in Queensland, Australia * John K. Stewart (1870–1916), American entrepreneur and inve ...

Coldingham Coldingham ( sco, Cowjum) is a village and parish in Scottish Borders, on Scotland's southeast coastline, north of Eyemouth. Parish The parish lies in the east of the Lammermuir district. It is the second-largest civil parish by area in Berwic ...

, and Master of the Wardrobe to

King James VI James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...

. He was also known as "Sandy Durhame" or "Durame". Another member of the family, "Andrew" or Alexander Durham, worked in the spice house of the kitchen of

Mary of Guise Mary of Guise (french: Marie de Guise; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was a French noblewoman of the House of Guise, a cadet branch of the House of Lorraine and one of the most powerful families in France. She ...

. Durham was ''argentier'' or "argentar" to Mary of Guise and

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...

. This role included taking receipt of an income funding the royal household called the "thirds of benefices" derived from

teind In Scotland a teind () was a tithe derived from the produce of the land for the maintenance of the clergy. It is also an old lowland term for a tribute due to be paid by the fairies to the devil every seven years. Found in the story of Tam Lin as ...

s. The money was collected by men working for the exchequer, like

George Wishart of Drymme George Wishart of Drymme was a Scottish landowner, lawyer, and a financial administrator for Mary, Queen of Scots. Family background George Wishart was kinsman of John Wishart of Pitarrow. His lands were at "Drynne", "Drymmie" or Drymme, also k ...

. From 1 October 1565 up to 2 January 1568 he received £4833-6s-8d on top of £23,351-13-4d already paid to him from the Thirds, for the expenses of the houses and "avery" (horse fodder) of Queen Mary and

James VI of Scotland James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until hi ...

. In August 1564 Durham took up a contribution of £124-10s-8d from

Coupar Angus Abbey Coupar Angus Abbey was a Cistercian monastery near Coupar Angus, in central Scotland, on the boundary between Angus and Gowrie. It was founded on the old royal manor of Coupar in 1161 x 1162 with the patronage of Máel Coluim IV ("Malcolm IV" ...

towards the expenses of the queen's hunting trip in

Atholl Atholl or Athole ( gd, Athall; Old Gaelic ''Athfhotla'') is a large historical division in the Scottish Highlands, bordering (in anti-clockwise order, from Northeast) Marr, Badenoch, Lochaber, Breadalbane, Strathearn, Perth, and Gowrie. Histor ...

and

Glen Tilt Glen Tilt (Scottish Gaelic: Gleann Teilt) is a glen in the extreme north of Perthshire, Scotland. Beginning at the confines of Aberdeenshire, it follows a South-westerly direction excepting for the last 4 miles, when it runs due south to Blair ...

and her journey to Inverness. He died in 1584 and was buried at the Holy Rude Kirk in Stirling.

Alexander Durham, Lord Darnley's page

His son Alexander, also known as "Sandy Durham" was present at the Scottish court, a page to Lord Darnley. According to the confession of Nicholas Hubert ''alias'' French Paris, Mary wanted Gilbert Curle in her service to replace "Sande Duram" shortly before the murder of Lord Darnley. According to French Paris, Mary distrusted Durham. As a former servant of

Lord Darnley Lord Darnley is a noble title associated with a Scottish Lordship of Parliament, first created in 1356 for the family of Stewart of Darnley and tracing a descent to the Dukedom of Richmond in England. The title's name refers to Darnley in Scot ...

in 1568, who was ready to work for James VI, being "of good mind to be employed to be employed in his minute and small affairs". He was made master of wardrobe of Prince James on 15 February 1567. Described as the late king's page, Alexander Durham was imprisoned in Edinburgh's

tolbooth A tolbooth or town house was the main municipal building of a Scottish burgh, from medieval times until the 19th century. The tolbooth usually provided a council meeting chamber, a court house and a jail. The tolbooth was one of three essen ...

Regent Moray James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray (c. 1531 – 23 January 1570) was a member of the House of Stewart as the illegitimate son of King James V of Scotland. A supporter of his half-sister Mary, Queen of Scots, he was the regent of Scotland for his ...

in September 1567 on suspicion of involvement in Darnley's murder. He became the "provisour" of the household of Regent Moray and of the king's household at

Stirling Castle Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological ...

in the 1570s, and made a burgess of Stirling. Durham worked for

in 1568, providing for his household. In March 1572 Durham paid for cloth to make gown and smocks for six children, an Easter ceremony. The number of gowns matched the age of James VI. He arranged for harpers to play for James VI at Stirling Castle in June 1579. The family came to own and rebuild

Duntarvie Castle Duntarvie Castle is a ruined Scots Renaissance house in West Lothian, Scotland. It is located north of Winchburgh and east of Linlithgow, close to the M9 motorway. Constructed in the late 16th century, the building has been undergoing restora ...

Family

Alexander Durham married Elizabeth Murray: Their children included: * Alexander Durham younger, was a servant to Lord Darnley, and was bought green clothes in January 1566. In 1567 he was suspected of involvement in Darnley's murder. He was asked to bring a

marten fur This list of types of fur describes the characteristics of types of fur used in fur clothing. Each type of fur serves its own purpose and has its own unique characteristics in garment manufacturing. Chinchilla Characterized by their dense, velv ...

, a "couverture de maytres", a bedcover, from the Queen's chamber at the

Kirk o'Field The Collegiate Church of St Mary in the Fields (commonly known as Kirk o' Field) was a pre-Reformation collegiate church in Edinburgh, Scotland. Likely founded in the 13th century and secularised at the Reformation, the church's site is now covered ...

Margaret Carwood Margaret Carwood (died 1612), was a maid-of-honour at the court of Mary, Queen of Scots. Her wedding to John Stewart of Fincastle was celebrated at the time of the murder of Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, the Queen's consort. Background Margaret wa ...

. * James Durham of Duntarvie, a member of the royal household as clerk of expenses and a "daily servitour" who was suspected of involvement in the

Raid of Holyrood The Raid of Holyrood was an attack on Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh on 27 December 1591 by Francis Stewart, 5th Earl of Bothwell in order to gain the favour of King James VI of Scotland. Background Francis Stewart, Earl of Bothwell was a nephew o ...

in 1591. He served as Chamberlain for

Linlithgowshire West Lothian ( sco, Wast Lowden; gd, Lodainn an Iar) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and was one of its historic counties. The county was called Linlithgowshire until 1925. The historic county was bounded geographically by the Av ...

between 1595 and 1600. He married Margaret Hepburn. She was invited to wait on

Anne of Denmark Anne of Denmark (; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I; as such, she was Queen of Scotland The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional fo ...

at her coronation in May 1590. His daughter Janet Durham married James Durham of Pitkerrow (died 1633). * possibly, Elizabeth Durham, who married William Baillie, Lord Provand The main branch of the Durham family lived at the Grange of

Monifieth Monifieth is a town and former police burgh in the council area of Angus, Scotland. It is situated on the north bank of the Firth of Tay on the east coast. In 2016, the population of Monifieth was estimated at 8,110, making it the fifth largest ...

(near Dundee). Eufame Durham (died 1580) was the wife of John Strachan or Strathauchin, the builder of

Claypotts Castle Claypotts Castle is a late medieval castle in the suburban West Ferry area of Dundee, Scotland. It is one of the best-preserved examples of a 16th-century Z-plan tower house in Scotland. Now surrounded by modern housing, the castle is maintai ...

. She was a sister of Robert Durham of the Grange of Monifeith.Michael R. Apted, ''Claypotts, Angus'' (Edinburgh: HMSO, 1957), p. 12.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Durham, Alexander 1584 deaths 16th-century Scottish people Court of Mary, Queen of Scots Monarchy and money