Lintel to Henry Nisbet from Dean House, reused in Dean Cemetery

Henry Nisbet of Dean (floruit 1570–1608) was a Scottish merchant and Provost of Edinburgh.

Life

Nisbet was a textile merchant and clothier. In 1587 he supplied the French ambassador Monsieur de Courcelles with violet crimson cloth for his attendant's clothes, mourning cloth at death of Mary, Queen of Scots, a beaver hat, silk points, and ribbon for the ambassador's shoes, and other items. He also advanced the ambassador large sums of money. He took royal letters to Charles IX of France in April 1583 asking for tax relief for Scottish merchants. He also brought a letter to Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox. He was Provost of Edinburgh in 1597. In July 1598 Nisbet was a member of a committee of lawyers and ministers including John Preston of Fentonbarns, Robert Rollock and John Russell who drew up a syllabus for the University of Edinburgh in July 1598 including readings from Latin authors. He owned Dean House just west of Edinburgh, and a house on the High Street. Dean House was demolished to create

Dean Cemetery The Dean Cemetery is a historically important Victorian cemetery north of the Dean Village, west of Edinburgh city centre, in Scotland. It lies between Queensferry Road and the Water of Leith, bounded on its east side by Dean Path and on ...

. The

National Museum of Scotland The National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland, was formed in 2006 with the merger of the new Museum of Scotland, with collections relating to Scottish antiquities, culture and history, and the adjacent Royal Scottish Museum (opened in ...

has painted ceiling fragments from ceiling of the gallery in Dean House showing the Sacrifice of Isaac, Judith, and other subjects. The paintings may date from the time of his son, William Nisbet. A carved pediment for a window was inscribed; "H. N." for Henry Nisbet with the Nisbet heraldry, and a stone panel with "I. B." and the Bellenden heraldry for his wife, Jonet Bellenden. Henry Nisbet died in 1608 and his sons James and William obtained permission from the town council to build a monument.

Family

He married Jonet Bannatyne or Bellenden (d. 1621). Their children included: * William Nisbet of Dean, who married (1) Jonet Williamson, and (2) Katherine Dick (d. 1630). *

Patrick Nisbet, Lord Eastbank Patrick Nisbet, Lord Eastbank (1565–1648) was a long-lived 17th century Scottish landowner, judge and Senator of the College of Justice. Life He was the son of Henry Nisbet of Dean, Lord Provost of Edinburgh in 1597, and his wife, Jonet B ...

* James Nisbet (1557-1621), was a Bailie of Edinburgh, and on 5 February 1613 was sent with the town's gift to the

wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Frederick V of the Palatinate The wedding of Princess Elizabeth (1596–1662), daughter of James VI and I, and Frederick V of the Palatinate (1596–1632) was celebrated in London in February 1613. There were fireworks, masques (small, choreography-based plays), tournam ...

.Marguerite Wood, ''Extracts from the Burgh Records of Edinburgh, 1604-1626'' (Edinburgh, 1931), pp. xiii, 94, 97, 113, 356-69: ''Melros Papers'', vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1837), p. 102. He married Marion Arnot, daughter of

Sir John Arnot John Arnot of Birswick (Orkney) (1530–1616) was a 16th-century Scottish merchant and landowner who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1587 to 1591 and from 1608 to death. He was Deputy Treasurer to King James VI. Career He was born ...

of Birswick (a former Provost of Edinburgh) and through this marriage inherited

Lochend House Lochend House, also known as Restalrig Castle Coventry, Martin (2001) ''The Castles of Scotland''. Goblinshead. p.300 and Lochend Castle, is an occupied house, incorporating the remains of a 16th-century L-plan castle, L-plan tower house, in ...

near Restalrig, and was known as James Nisbet of Restalrig.

External links

Painted panel from Dean House showing St Luke painting, National Museum of Scotland

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nisbet, Henry 16th-century Scottish people Businesspeople from Edinburgh Scottish merchants 16th-century births 1608 deaths Year of birth unknown