Andrew Beaton (died 1577) was a Scottish courtier, and Master of the Household to

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 ...

in England.

Family background

He was a son of James Beaton of

Balfarg Balfarg is a prehistoric monument complex in Glenrothes, Fife, Scotland. It is protected as a scheduled monument. With the development of Glenrothes new town in the latter half of the 20th Century an adjacent residential area was developed around ...

and Helen Melville. One of his brothers,

James Beaton James Beaton (or Bethune) (1473–1539) was a Roman Catholic Scottish church leader, the uncle of David Cardinal Beaton and the Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland. Life James Beaton was the sixth and youngest son of John Beaton of Balfour ...

, was

Archbishop of Glasgow The Archbishop of Glasgow is an archiepiscopal title that takes its name after the city of Glasgow in Scotland. The position and title were abolished by the Church of Scotland in 1689; and, in the Scottish Episcopal Church, it is now part of the ...

, who became an important ally of

, after she was deposed in Scotland.

Career

In 1565 Andrew Beaton carried letters from

Charles IX of France Charles IX (Charles Maximilien; 27 June 1550 – 30 May 1574) was King of France from 1560 until his death in 1574. He ascended the French throne upon the death of his brother Francis II in 1560, and as such was the penultimate monarch of the ...

and

Catherine de' Medici Catherine de' Medici ( it, Caterina de' Medici, ; french: Catherine de Médicis, ; 13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Florentine noblewoman born into the Medici family. She was Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to King ...

to Mary, Queen of Scots and

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 ...

. He delivered a letter from Mary to

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". El ...

. An English diplomat,

John Tamworth John Tamworth (died 1569) was an English courtier, Member of Parliament (1563), and ambassador to Scotland. Career He was a son of Thomas Tamworth and Elizabeth Denkaring. The surname is sometimes spelled "Tomworth" or "Thomworth". He seems to ha ...

, was sent to Scotland for clarification. On Beaton's return, Mary attempted to bolster confidence in her rule by claiming Elizabeth would not meddle in the quarrel between her and her lords. At the beginning of the

Chaseabout Raid The Chaseabout Raid was a rebellion by James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, against his half sister, Mary, Queen of Scots, on 26 August 1565, over her marriage to Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. The rebels also claimed to be acting over other causes ...

she sent him to

and back to France. In 1572 Beaton, followed another brother John Beaton in becoming Master of Mary's household in England, in charge of her servants and household expenses. He hoped to marry

Mary Seton Mary Seton (1542 – 1615) was a Scottish courtier and later a nun. She was one of the four attendants of Mary, Queen of Scots, known as the Four Marys. She was a sister at the Convent of Saint Pierre les Dames in Reims at the time of her death. ...

, one of the queen's companions. She had made a vow of celibacy, so Beaton travelled to obtain a dispensation. Mary wrote to him from

Sheffield Castle Sheffield Castle was a castle in Sheffield, England, constructed at the confluence of the River Sheaf and the River Don, possibly on the site of a former Anglo-Saxon long house, and dominating the early town. A motte and bailey castle had been ...

on 22 August 1577, with political news, instructions, and a reminder to get her some novelties from the shops in Paris. Beaton had an audience with

in London.William Boyd, ''Calendar State Papers Scotland, 1574-1581'', vol. 5 (Edinburgh, 1907), p. 568 no. 645. He died in France in 1577. His replacement as Master of the Queen's Household was

Andrew Melville of Garvock Andrew Melville of Garvock (died 1617) was a Scottish courtier and servant of Mary, Queen of Scots. Family background Andrew Melville was a younger son of John Melville of Raith in Fife and Helen Napier of Merchiston. His older brother James M ...

, who married

Jane Kennedy Jane Kennedy may refer to: * Jane Kennedy (courtier) (died 1589), Scottish courtier *Jane Kennedy (actress) (born 1964), Australian actress and comedian *Jane Kennedy (politician) (born 1958), British Labour Party Member of Parliament See also *Ja ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beaton, Andrew Court of Mary, Queen of Scots 1577 deaths 16th-century Scottish people