Henry Kemp of Thomastoun was a Scottish courtier.

Career

Henry or Harry Kemp was a yeoman of the king's chamber and the pursemaster of

James V of Scotland James V (10 April 1512 – 14 December 1542) was List of Scottish monarchs, 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 James IV of Sco ...

. He accompanied the king and made payments for him and handed out tips and rewards. The royal treasurer's accounts include various payments to Kemp for the purse. On 26 May 1526 he received £20 in the tennis court at

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 ...

. His land were at Thomastoun, near

Cupar Cupar ( ; gd, Cùbar) is a town, former royal burgh and parish in Fife, Scotland. It lies between Dundee and Glenrothes. According to a 2011 population estimate, Cupar had a population around 9,000, making it the ninth-largest settlement in Fif ...

Fife, Scotland Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i.e ...

. In April 1532, Kemp spent £20 Scots on the expenses of keeping

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality h ...

, the infant son of James V and Elizabeth Schaw, and his nurse's wages. Kemp had custody of some of the king's rings and jewels, his gold combs and toothpick, and a number of velvet bonnets. The hats and bonnets wee decorated with gold buttons and badges, enamelled and set with diamonds. James V died 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 ...

on 14 December 1542. A will and testament of the king was generally regarded as forged or invalid. A copy was preserved by

Regent Arran A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state ''pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy, ...

. Dated 14 December 1542 in the king's bedchamber at Falkland, it was witnessed by James Learmonth of

Dairsie Dairsie, or Osnaburgh, is a village and parish in north-east Fife, Scotland. It is south-southwest of Leuchars Junction, and east-northeast of Cupar on the A91 Stirling to St Andrews road. The village grew out of two smaller settlements (calle ...

, Master Household; Henry Kemp of Thomastoun; Michael Durham, the king's doctor; John Tennent,

William Kirkcaldy of Grange Sir William Kirkcaldy of Grange (c. 1520 –3 August 1573) was a Scottish politician and soldier who fought for the Scottish Reformation but ended his career holding Edinburgh castle on behalf of Mary, Queen of Scots and was hanged at the c ...

, Master Michael Dysart, Preceptor of St Anthony's 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 ...

; John Jordan, Rector of Yetham; Francis Aikman, perfumerer, and others at the bedside. Kemp was "customer" of Fife in 1554, in charge of collecting customs and duties for the crown.

Family

Kemp married Janet Durie, daughter and heiress of Robert Durie of Durie, and subsequently adopted the surname Durie. Janet Durie was forced to marry Kemp by James V. Their daughter, Janet Durie, married Andrew Wardlaw, a son of

Henry Wardlaw of Torrie Henry Wardlaw of Torrie was a Scottish landowner and courtier. He was a son of John Wardlaw of Torrie (died June 1557) and Elizabeth Beaton (died 1558), a daughter of John Beaton of Balfour and Mary Boswell. Torrie is in Torryburn parish in Fife. ...

, in 1562.John Charles Gibson, ''The Wardlaws in Scotland: A History of the Wardlaws of Wilton and Torrie'' (Edinburgh, 1912), p. 74.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kemp, Henry Court of James V of Scotland 16th-century Scottish people Year of birth missing Year of death missing