Alexander Home of North Berwick (floruit 1570–1597) was a Scottish landowner and

Provost of Edinburgh The Right Honourable Lord Provost of Edinburgh is the convener of the City of Edinburgh local authority, who is elected by City_of_Edinburgh_Council, the city council and serves not only as the chair of that body, but as a figurehead for the e ...

. His surname is sometimes spelled "Hume". He was a son of Patrick Home of Polwarth (d. 1578) and Elizabeth Hepburn (d. 1571) daughter of Patrick Hepburn of Waughton, and a younger brother of the courtier and poet

Patrick Hume of Polwarth Sir Patrick Hume of Polwarth and Redbraes (c.1550– June 1609) was a Scottish courtier and makar (court poet). Family background He was the eldest son of Sir Patrick Hume of Polwarth & Redbrayes (d. May 1599) and his spouse Agnes, daughter of ...

(d. 1599). He obtained the lands of

North Berwick priory St. Mary's Priory, North Berwick, was a monastery of nuns in medieval East Lothian, Scotland. Founded by Donnchad I, Earl of Fife (owner of much of northern East Lothian) around 1150, the priory lasted for more than four centuries, declining and ...

from his younger sister Margaret Home, the last Prioress, in 1562. The English diplomat Thomas Randolph mentioned him as a mutual friend of the envoy

Nicolas Elphinstone Nicolas or Nicoll Elphinstone (died 1579) was a Scottish courtier and diplomatic messenger. He was the son of Lawrence Elphinstone of Selmys, 1435-1515. He worked for James Stewart, Regent Moray and was involved in attempts to sell the jewels an ...

in 1571. He joined the court of

James VI James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

in October 1580 as a gentleman of the bedchamber, and was sent as an envoy to Queen Elizabeth. At first she refused to meet him in person in response to the treatment of her ambassador Robert Bowes in Edinburgh, and her disapproval of the king's favourite Esmé Stewart,

Duke of Lennox The title Duke of Lennox has been created several times in the peerage of Scotland, for Clan Stewart of Darnley. The dukedom, named for the district of Lennox in Dumbarton, was first created in 1581, and had formerly been the Earldom of Lenn ...

. Home was then allowed to discuss this matter, border administration, redress for losses to English pirates, and the rendition of a

border reiver Border reivers were raiders along the Anglo-Scottish border from the late 13th century to the beginning of the 17th century. They included both Scottish and English people, and they raided the entire border country without regard to their v ...

called Ekkie Turnbull. Lennox was said to be displeased with Elizabeth's answers and Home's efforts. In July 1592 he was made captain of

Tantallon Castle Tantallon Castle is a ruined mid-14th-century fortress, located east of North Berwick, in East Lothian, Scotland. It sits atop a promontory opposite the Bass Rock, looking out onto the Firth of Forth. The last medieval curtain wall castle to ...

Provost of Edinburgh

He was Provost of Edinburgh from 1593 to 1597, the leader of the town's council. In August 1592 the "goodman of North Berwick" and other members of the Home family were said to be in Anne of Denmark's disfavour. On Tuesday, 24 July 1593 the rebel

Francis Stewart, 5th Earl of Bothwell Francis may refer to: People *Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State and Bishop of Rome * Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Francis (surname) Places * Rural ...

smuggled himself into

Holyroodhouse The Palace of Holyroodhouse ( or ), commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace or Holyroodhouse, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh ...

and forced himself into the King's presence, in his bedchamber. Home came to the palace to help, but the king said things were fine. On 3 April 1594 he fought in a battle at

Leith Leith (; gd, Lìte) is a port area in the north of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith. In 2021, it was ranked by '' Time Out'' as one of the top five neighbourhoods to live in the world. The earliest ...

against the rebel Earl using the town's artillery. On 30 June 1594 Home was at

North Berwick North Berwick (; gd, Bearaig a Tuath) is a seaside town A seaside resort is a town, village, or hotel that serves as a vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on th ...

and received news that the Earl of Bothwell and his companions were in Edinburgh and their horses were nearby at Dean Mills. Home returned and captured the horses and shut the town's gates, but failed to arrest the earl. In January 1595 he captured

James Scott of Balwearie James Scott of Balwearie (died 1606) was a Scottish landowner and supporter of the rebel earls. He was the son of Walter Scott of Balwearie and Janet Lindsay, a daughter of John Lindsay of Dowhill. His mother had been married to Andrew Lundie, a ...

an agent of the rebel earls. Around this time, Home and the English diplomat Robert Bowes took witness statements from the crew of the ''

Bruce The English language name Bruce arrived in Scotland with the Normans, from the place name Brix, Manche in Normandy, France, meaning "the willowlands". Initially promulgated via the descendants of king Robert the Bruce (1274−1329), it has been a ...

'', a ship owned by

George Bruce of Carnock Sir George Bruce of Carnock (c. 1550 – 1625) was a Scottish merchant, ship-owner, and mining engineer. Family George Bruce was a son of Edward Bruce of Blairhall and Alison Reid, a sister of Robert Reid, Bishop of Orkney. His older brot ...

which had been commandeered by English privateers off the coast of Spain and forced to take on board a number of enslaved Africans. He died on 22 July 1597. His will mentions his farm and livestock at the Mains of North Berwick. He wished to buried beside his wife who had pre-deceased him. A daughter, who name is unknown, had a family with

William Baillie of Lamington William Baillie of Lamington (died 1568) was a Scottish landowner and, with his namesake son, supporter of Mary, Queen of Scots. Career He was a son of William Baillie of Lamington and Elizabeth Lindsay. His sister Janet Baillie (died 1592) married ...

, their children included the soldier William Baillie. A letter from the king in October 1598 about a shipping case involving

mentions he was deceased.''Calendar State Papers Scotland: 1597-1603'', vol. 13 (Edinburgh, 1969), p. 309. His brother was Alexander Home, minister of Logie in Stirlingshire.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Home, Alexander 16th-century Scottish people Court of James VI and I Ambassadors of Scotland to England People from North Berwick 1597 deaths Year of birth unknown