Christian Lindsay (fl. 1580–1620) was a Scottish poet and baker to the king. In 1586 Christian Lindsay married to William Murray, Master of the carriage, to

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 early modern Scotland married

women A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or Adolescence, adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female hum ...

did not change their surnames. Murray's responsibility was the transport of the king and queen's luggage and furnishings by cart as they moved from palace to palace. A sonnet titled "Christeane Lyndesay to Robert Hudsone" is included in Alexander Montgomerie's poems. It may be Lindsay's work or possibly Montgomerie wrote the sonnet in her voice. It is also uncertain if the Christian Lindsay mentioned in connection with this and in other poems was the same person as the wife of William Murray. Robert, or "Robene" Hudson, to whom the sonnet is addressed, was an English poet and musician at court, a brother of Thomas Hudson. From 1588 Lindsay was given barley to make oatcakes for the royal household. She was supplied with oats to make "caikis" in 1597. On 28 March 1603 James VI confirmed Christian Lindsay's pension paid in " beir", and noted that as he was moving to London he would no longer require the "use of such bread". She had a lodging at

Holyrood Palace 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 Edinbu ...

. The courtier and Constable of Dundee,

James Scrimgeour James Scrimgeour (died 1612) Scottish landowner and Constable of Dundee. He was the son of John Scrymgeour and Margaret Campbell. In his father's lifetime he was known as feuar of Dudhope. He became Constable and Provost of Dundee. Career Scr ...

died in Lindsay's lodging in 1612. Montgomerie wrote to Hudson:

Quhen we are deid, that all our days bot daffis
Let Christian Lyndesay wryte our epitaphisJane Stevenson & Peter Davidson, ''Early Modern Women Poets: An Anthology'' (Oxford, 2001), p. 83.

"daff"
is a game.

References

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lindsay, Christian 16th-century Scottish poets 16th-century Scottish writers Scots Makars Scottish women poets Court of James VI and I Castalian Band Scottish cuisine 16th-century Scottish women 1620 deaths History of Scottish cuisine