Sir Archibald Douglas of

Kilspindie Kilspindie is a village in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It is situated on the Kilspindie burn, approximately northwest of Errol, west of Dundee centre and east of Perth. The village has an area of of which are arable land and are woodlan ...

(c. 1475 – bef. 1536), also known as ''Greysteil'', was a Scottish nobleman and courtier, who served as

Treasurer of Scotland The Treasurer was a senior post in the pre-Act of Union 1707, Union government of Scotland, the Privy Council of Scotland. Lord Treasurer The full title of the post was ''Lord High Treasurer, Comptroller, Collector-General and Treasurer of the Ne ...

, and was three times

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

Life

Rise

Kilspindie was the fourth son of

Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus (c. 1449October 1513), was a Scottish nobleman, peer, politician, and magnate. Tradition has accorded him the nickname Archibald 'Bell-the-Cat' due to his association with the 1482 rebellion against Jam ...

, and his second wife, Elizabeth Boyd, herself a daughter of

Robert Boyd, 1st Lord Boyd Robert Boyd, 1st Lord Boyd (died 1482) was a Scottish statesman, Lord Chamberlain of Scotland from 1467. Biography Robert Boyd was knighted, and was created a Peer of Parliament (Lord Boyd) by James II of Scotland at some date between 1451 and 18 ...

. In 1513, Kilspindie's two older brothers were killed at the

Battle of Flodden The Battle of Flodden, Flodden Field, or occasionally Branxton, (Brainston Moor) was a battle fought on 9 September 1513 during the War of the League of Cambrai between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland, resulting in an English ...

, along with

King James IV James IV (17 March 1473 – 9 September 1513) was King of Scotland from 11 June 1488 until his death at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. He inherited the throne at the age of fifteen on the death of his father, James III, at the Battle of Sauchi ...

. His nephew,

Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus (c. 148922 January 1557) was a Scottish nobleman active during the reigns of James V and Mary, Queen of Scots. He was the son of George, Master of Angus, who was killed at the Battle of Flodden, and suc ...

married the King's widow,

Margaret Tudor Margaret Tudor (28 November 1489 – 18 October 1541) was Queen of Scotland from 1503 until 1513 by marriage to King James IV. She then served as regent of Scotland during her son's minority, and successfully fought to extend her regency. Marg ...

, and was regent for the young King

James V James V (10 April 1512 – 14 December 1542) was King of Scotland from 9 September 1513 until his death in 1542. He was crowned on 21 September 1513 at the age of seventeen months. James was the son of King James IV and Margaret Tudor, and duri ...

, during this time Kilspindie became very popular with the boy-king, who knew him as ''

Greysteil ''Greysteil'' ("Graysteel") is a medieval poem popular in 16th century Scotland. Set to music, it was performed for James IV of Scotland and James V of Scotland. The poem was also called ''Syr Egeir and Syr Gryme'', Eger and Grime being the nam ...

'', the name of the subject of a popular ballad of the time. Kilspindie married

Isobel Hoppar Isobel Hoppar or Hopper (born c.1490, died after 1538) was a Scottish landowner and governess of Margaret Douglas. She was a powerful political figure in Scotland during the youth of King James V, and her wealth and influence attracted misogynous ...

, described in 1515 as a "rich widow of Edinburgh" by

Baron Dacre Baron Dacre is a title that has been created three times in the Peerage of England, every time by writ. History The first creation came in 1321 when Ralph Dacre was summoned to Parliament as Lord Dacre. He married Margaret, 2nd Baroness Mult ...

. While the Douglas family were in power, Kilspindie became Lord High Treasurer of Scotland. He was Provost of Edinburgh in 1526, when the King granted him and his wife, Isobel Hopper, a tenement on the south side of Edinburgh's Netherbow.

Adam Otterburn Adam Otterburn of Auldhame and Redhall (died 6 July 1548) was a Scottish lawyer and diplomat. He was king's advocate to James V of Scotland and secretary to Mary of Guise and Regent Arran. The King's lawyer The law brought against the Douglas f ...

picked up the deeds of the house which had belonged to Philip Forrester and lay within Andrew Moubray's property. Andrew Moubray was married to Isobel Hoppar's niece, Katrine Hoppar. They built

Moubray House Moubray House, 51 and 53 High Street, is one of the oldest buildings on the Royal Mile, and one of the oldest occupied residential buildings in Edinburgh, Scotland. The façade dates from the early 17th century, built on foundations laid . The t ...

on the north side of the street which still survives in part.

Fall

The King escaped from Angus's control in May 1528. According to the chronicle history by

Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie (also Lindesay or Lyndsay; c. 1532–1580) was a Scottish chronicler, author of ''The Historie and Chronicles of Scotland, 1436–1565'', the first history of Scotland to be composed in Scots rather than Lati ...

, James V escaped from the Douglas family at

Falkland Palace Falkland Palace, in Falkland, Fife, Scotland, is a royal palace of the Scottish Kings. It was one of the favourite places of Mary, Queen of Scots, providing an escape from political and religious turmoil. Today it is under the stewardship of ...

, riding to

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 ...

while Kilspindie was visiting his mistress at Dundee. Finding the King had fled, he rode to Stirling with his nephew

George Douglas of Pittendreich George Douglas of Pittendreich (died 1552) was a member of the powerful Red Douglas family who struggled for control of the young James V of Scotland in 1528. His second son became James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton and Regent of Scotland. Initi ...

but the King's herald was in place on the bridge to demand they desist from approaching the King. Kilspindie and the Douglas family were condemned for treason and their lands forfeited at the September 1528

Parliament of Scotland The Parliament of Scotland ( sco, Pairlament o Scotland; gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba) was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland from the 13th century until 1707. The parliament evolved during the early 13th century from the king's council o ...

. The King gave Kilspindie's tenement in Edinburgh to the new Treasurer,

Robert Cairncross Robert Cairncross (died 1544) was a Scottish bishop. At various times he was provost of Corstorphine, abbot of Holyrood. He was appointed bishop of Ross in 1539, holding ''in commendam'' the abbacy of Fern. He also held office as Lord High T ...

. Lands in

Cunninghame Cunninghame ( gd, Coineagan) is a former comital district of Scotland and also a district of the Strathclyde Region from 1975 to 1996. Historic Cunninghame The origin of the name (along with the surname ''Cunningham'') is uncertain. The endi ...

went to Robert, Lord Maxwell, and Reidside near

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 ...

was given to Hugh Johnson, the King's cook. The Douglases were already on the Scottish borders or in exile in England, and James laid siege to their castle at Tantallon. On 5 September 1528 the Earl of Angus shouted over the

Tweed Tweed is a rough, woollen fabric, of a soft, open, flexible texture, resembling cheviot or homespun, but more closely woven. It is usually woven with a plain weave, twill or herringbone structure. Colour effects in the yarn may be obtained ...

to the Earl of Northumberland's steward that if his family was forced into exile at

Norham Castle Norham Castle (sometimes Nornam) is a castle in Northumberland, England, overlooking the River Tweed, on the border between England and Scotland. It is a Grade I listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The castle saw much action during ...

, Isobel Hoppar would wait on

Margaret Douglas Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox (8 October 1515 – 7 March 1578), was the daughter of the Scottish queen dowager Margaret Tudor and her second husband Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus. In her youth she was high in the favour of her un ...

. Margaret crossed the Tweed to Norham in October. The English diplomat Thomas Magnus believed that Isobel was a significant factor in events, writing to

Cardinal Wolsey Thomas Wolsey ( – 29 November 1530) was an English statesman and Catholic bishop. When Henry VIII became King of England in 1509, Wolsey became the king's almoner. Wolsey's affairs prospered and by 1514 he had become the controlling figur ...

in November:

"the Erle of Angus ... I suppoos of trouth, totally ordoured not of hym self but by his frendes, and specially by George his broder, as is Archebalde by his wiff. Which twayne, by reaporte, have brought thaym all to this trouble and busyness."

In November Thomas Magnus heard that

James Hamilton of Finnart Sir James Hamilton of Finnart (c. 1495 – 16 August 1540) was a Scottish nobleman and architect, the illegitimate son of James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran, and Marion Boyd of Bonshaw. Although legitimated in 1512 while still a minor, he contin ...

and the Sherrif of Ayr, despite being two "cherished servants" and counsellors of James V, had met the forfeited rebels Kilspindie and

Cockburnspath Cockburnspath ( ; sco, Co’path) is a village in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. It lies near the North Sea coast between Berwick-upon-Tweed and Edinburgh. It is at the eastern extremity of the Southern Upland Way a long-distance footpa ...

to discuss the restoration of the Earldom of Angus. In December 1528 Dr Magnus heard a rumour that the merchant communities of

Veere Veere (; zea, label=Zeelandic, Ter Veere) is a municipality with a population of 22,000 and a town with a population of 1,500 in the southwestern Netherlands, in the region of Walcheren in the province of Zeeland. History The name ''Veere'' ...

and

Middelburg Middelburg may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Europe * Middelburg, Zeeland, the capital city of the province of Zeeland, southwestern Netherlands ** Roman Catholic Diocese of Middelburg, a former Catholic diocese with its see in the Zeeland ...

had tried to contact Kilspindie before his forfeit, to ask him to support a marriage between James V and a sister or close relation of

Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, french: Charles Quint, it, Carlo V, nl, Karel V, ca, Carles V, la, Carolus V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain (Crown of Castile, Castil ...

. Isobel's son by her first marriage, Andrew Murray of Blackbarony, was officially forgiven for helping Archibald and Isobel in April 1542. A later history of the family by

David Hume of Godscroft David Hume or Home of Godscroft (1558–1629) was a Scottish historian and political theorist, poet and controversialist, a major intellectual figure in Jacobean Scotland. It has been said that "Hume marks the culmination of the Scottish humani ...

has Kilspindie returning to Scotland 10 years later. He approached the King at the Royal Park of Stirling. The King recognised him but ignored him and rode up the hill to the Castle. Kilspindie, though wearing concealed chain-mail, followed on foot and arrived exhausted at the same time, but no-one would give him a drink since James had showed him no favour. He then went to France on the King's orders.

Family

His wife Isobel Hoppar was described in legal documents as his widow in 1536. Their son and heir Archibald Douglas, succeeded as Laird of Kilspindie in 1543 following a reversal of his family's forfeiture, and also went on to be Provost of Edinburgh three times: 1554-1557, 1559-1562 and 1562-1565.Bingham, Caroline, ''James V'' (Collins, 1971), pp. 61, 72-73, 77, 142-3: Reid, David, ed., ''David Hume of Godscroft's History of the House of Angus'', vol. 1 (STS, 2005), pp. 101-3.

References

Sources

* Fraser, Sir William, ''The Douglas Book'' IV vols, Edinburgh 1885 {{DEFAULTSORT:Douglas of Kilspindie, Archibald 16th-century Scottish people Court of James V of Scotland Provosts of Edinburgh Scottish diplomats A Treasurers of Scotland Scottish knights Lairds People from East Lothian Younger sons of earls 1470s births 1530s deaths Year of birth uncertain Year of death uncertain