Elizabeth Schaw (died 1640) was a Scottish courtier. Elizabeth was the daughter of Sir John Schaw of Broich and Arngomery, a niece of

William Schaw William Schaw (c. 1550–1602) was Master of Works to James VI of Scotland for building castles and palaces, and is claimed to have been an important figure in the development of Freemasonry in Scotland. Biography William Schaw was the second ...

, and a lady-in-waiting to

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 ...

. Another Elizabeth Schaw, a cousin, the wife of

Henry Lindsay, 13th Earl of Crawford Henry Lindsay, 13th Earl of Crawford (died 1623) also known as Harry Charteris, was a Scottish landowner and courtier. Henry Lindsay was a younger brother of David Lindsay Earl of Crawford, a son of David Lindsay, 10th Earl of Crawford and Marga ...

, was also a servant of Anne of Denmark. She was an executor of her childless uncle William Schaw's property. Her sister married Robert Mowbray, a grandson of the

treasurer A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The significant core functions of a corporate treasurer include cash and liquidity management, risk management, and corporate finance. Government The treasury o ...

Robert Barton Robert Childers Barton (14 March 1881 – 10 August 1975) was an Anglo-Irish politician, Irish nationalist and farmer who participated in the negotiations leading up to the signature of the Anglo-Irish Treaty. His father was Charles William Ba ...

, and following his death she married James Colville of

East Wemyss East Wemyss () is a village situated on the south coast of Fife, Scotland. According to the 2011 census, the village has a population of 1,928. History East Wemyss was traditionally one of several coal mining communities along the south coa ...

in 1601, which caused a family feud between Francis Mowbray, Robert's brother, and Schaw and Colville. In the years before her marriage, at court in England, Anne of Denmark gave her gifts of her old clothing including five gowns, a satin doublet, and a skirt. She married John Murray of the bedchamber and of

Lochmaben Lochmaben ( Gaelic: ''Loch Mhabain'') is a small town and civil parish in Scotland, and site of a castle. It lies west of Lockerbie, in Dumfries and Galloway. By the 12th century the Bruce family had become the local landowners and, in the 14th ...

, probably in 1611, and in England was known as Mrs Murray, and later Countess of Annandale. The couple were an important conduit for Scottish appeals to the King.

Anne Livingstone Anne Livingstone, Countess of Eglinton (died 1632) was a Scottish courtier and aristocrat, and lady-in-waiting to Princess Elizabeth and Anne of Denmark. Anne Livingstone was a daughter of Alexander Livingstone, 1st Earl of Linlithgow and Heleno ...

, Countess of Eglinton, wrote to her in 1615, addressing the letter to "My Dear and loving Brother". The poet David Murray of Gorthy delivered the letters from London. She returned to Scotland on leave from the household in 1613 and visited several places including

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 ...

and stayed with her friend

Marie Stewart, Countess of Mar Marie Stewart, Countess of Mar (1576-1644) was a Scottish courtier. She was the daughter of Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox, a favourite of James VI of Scotland, and Catherine de Balsac. After her marriage, as was customary in Scotland, she di ...

Alloa Tower Alloa Tower in Alloa, Clackmannanshire in central Scotland is an early 14th century tower house that served as the medieval residence of the Erskine family, later Earls of Mar. Retaining its original timber roof and battlements, the tower is o ...

. The lawyer Thomas Hamilton wrote to her husband, "she hopes to take well with her natural air, and nevertheless intends to make goodly haste to you, and to come as near the term appointed by her majesty as she may ... she must give this time to her friends who are desirous to salute and welcome her to the country." In July 1615 she was involved in an incident in court politics when Henry Gibb, a new and minor servant of the king, delivered her a scandalous letter from

Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset (c. 158717 July 1645), was a politician, and favourite of King James VI and I. Background Robert Kerr was born in Wrington, Somerset, England, the younger son of Sir Thomas Kerr (Carr) of Ferniehurst, Scot ...

, the

Lord Chamberlain The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the most senior officer of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, supervising the departments which support and provide advice to the Sovereign of the United Kingdom while also acting as the main cha ...

, for the queen. She sent news of this, and the queen's support for her and her husband, to the Countess of Eglinton. King James authorised payment of her pension for attending Anna of Denmark on 14 November 1622. She had three daughters. Their son James (d. 1658), later Earl of Annandale and Viscount Stormont, was baptised in the Chapel Royal 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 ...

on 19 August 1617, William Couper preached and Anne Livingstone, Countess of Eglinton, presented the child.David Calderwood, ''History of the Kirk of Scotland'', vol. 7 (Edinburgh, 1845)
p. 277.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ananndale, Elizabeth Schaw, Countess of Scottish countesses Court of James VI and I 17th-century Scottish women 16th-century Scottish women Scottish ladies-in-waiting Ladies of the Bedchamber

Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...

Clan Murray Household of Anne of Denmark