David Beaton of Melgund (died 1598) was a Scottish courtier and landowner. David Beaton was the son of

Cardinal David Beaton David Beaton (also Beton or Bethune; 29 May 1546) was Archbishop of St Andrews and the last Scottish cardinal prior to the Reformation. Career Cardinal Beaton was the sixth and youngest son of eleven children of John Beaton (Bethune) of Ba ...

and

Marion Ogilvy Marion Ogilvy (c. 1495–1575) was the mistress of Cardinal David Beaton an advisor of James V of Scotland. Early life Marion Ogilvy was the younger daughter of Sir James Ogilvy of Lintrathen. Sir James, a diplomat, was created Lord Ogilvy of Air ...

. He inherited

Melgund Castle Melgund Castle, lying around due east of Aberlemno in Angus, Scotland, is a 16th-century L-plan castle which has been partially restored as a private residence. It was designated as a scheduled monument in 1971. History The land was initiall ...

. In June 1562

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 ...

requested a "safe conduct", a kind of passport, for Beaton to travel to and from France through England. The English diplomat in Scotland, Thomas Randolph wrote that he was going to represent the queen at the christening of Marie (1562-1623), the daughter of Sébastian de Luxembourg, Vicomte de Martigues. Martigues had fought at the

siege of Leith The siege of Leith ended a twelve-year encampment of French troops at Leith, the port near Edinburgh, Scotland. The French troops arrived by invitation in 1548 and left in 1560 after an English force arrived to attempt to assist in removing the ...

. On 5 August 1586 he wrote from Dundee to Charles de Prunelé, Baron d'Esneval, a French envoy currently in Scotland, who he had received at court in February and was now about to leave Scotland. D'Esneval had commissioned a copy of a portrait of James VI from a painter in Edinburgh, probably

Adrian Vanson Adrian Vanson (died c. 1602) was court portrait painter to James VI of Scotland. Family and artistic background Adrian was probably born in Breda, the son of Willem Claesswen van Son by Kathelijn Adriaen Matheus de Blauwverversdochter. His unc ...

, at the request of

. Beaton was Master of the Household for

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 ...

from 1583, and also for

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 ...

and audited her household accounts. This position was not as lucrative as he hoped, and in 1592 with a cousin and fellow Master of Household to the queen, Harry Lindsay of Careston, he complained about their arduous roles and low wage compared to other officers, and missing allowances for the meals of ladies in waiting and other courtiers.

Family

David Beaton of Melgund first married Margaret Lindsay, third daughter of the John, 5th Lord Lindsay of the Byres (d. 1563). In 1575 he married Lucretia Beaton (d. 1623), daughter of Robert Beaton of

Creich Creich ( gd, Craoich, ) is a substantial parish on the north side of the Dornoch Firth the largest settlement being Bonar Bridge. It lies in Sutherland, Scotland. There is a church (now in ruins) and graveyard for the Parish of Creich. Creich M ...

and Jeane de la Ramvell (d. 1577). Lucretia was the sister of

Mary Beaton Mary Beaton (1543–1598) was a Scottish noblewoman and an attendant of Mary, Queen of Scots. She and three other ladies-in-waiting (Mary Livingston, Mary Fleming and Mary Seton) were collectively known as "The Four Marys". Family Mary was bo ...

, the attendant of

. Their children included: *James Beaton (d. August 1609), feuar of Melgund from 1586, who married Margaret or Helen Menzies, daughter of James Menzies of that ilk (d. 1585) and Barbara Stewart. A stone with their heraldry dated 1604 is built into the wall of

Aberlemno Aberlemno ( gd, Obar Leamhnach, IPA: �opəɾˈʎɛunəx is a parish and small village in the Scottish council area of Angus. It is noted for three large carved Pictish stones (and one fragment) dating from the 7th and 8th centuries AD (Histori ...

church. *Dr David Beaton, physician. *Christian Beaton. In 1599 her brother, James Beaton of Melgund, undertook to pay her dowry. Lucretia Beaton had been a maid of honour to Mary, Queen of Scots, until

Carberry Hill The Battle of Carberry Hill took place on 15 June 1567, near Musselburgh, East Lothian, a few miles east of Edinburgh, Scotland. A number of Scottish lords objected to the rule of Mary, Queen of Scots, after she had married the Earl of Bothwel ...

. After David Beaton's death, Lucretia Beaton married Andrew Wishart of Mylneden.Winifred Coutts, ''The Business of the College of Justice in 1600'' (Edinburgh: Stair Society, 2003), p. 509.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beaton, David 1598 deaths 16th-century Scottish people Household of Anne of Denmark