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. Dudhope Castle - view from SE

Career

Scrimgeour was patron of an altar in Dundee Parish Kirk dedicated to

Saint Margaret of Scotland Saint Margaret of Scotland ( gd, Naomh Maighréad; sco, Saunt Marget, ), also known as Margaret of Wessex, was an English princess and a Scottish queen. Margaret was sometimes called "The Pearl of Scotland". Born in the Kingdom of Hungary to th ...

, and even after the

Scottish Reformation The Scottish Reformation was the process by which Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland broke with the Pope, Papacy and developed a predominantly Calvinist national Church of Scotland, Kirk (church), which was strongly Presbyterianism, Presbyterian in ...

was able to present candidates to this church position, in January 1580 he wrote to

John Erskine of Dun John Erskine of Dun (1509–1591) was a Scottish religious reformer. Biography The son of Sir John Erskine, Laird of Dun, he was educated at King's College, University of Aberdeen. At the age of twenty-one Erskine was the cause — probably by ...

recommending Robert Gray, a son of the laird of Ballegerno, who would be able to use the income to fund his studies at school and university. According to

David Hume of Godscroft David Hume or Home of Godscroft (1558–1629) was a Scottish historian and political theorist, poet and controversialist, a major intellectual figure in Jacobean Scotland. It has been said that "Hume marks the culmination of the Scottish humani ...

, Scrimgeour escorted the

Earl of Angus The Mormaer or Earl of Angus was the ruler of the medieval Scottish Provinces of Scotland, province of Angus, Scotland, Angus. The title, in the Peerage of Scotland, is held by the Duke of Hamilton, and is used as a courtesy title for the eldes ...

, an exile from court, northwards in 1583. He pretended the Earl was his son-in-law, the "Laird of Inshmartin". Scrimgeour was a supporter of the Earl of Angus in April 1584 and was one of those commanded to surrender

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 ...

and

Mar's Wark Mar's Wark is a ruined building in Stirling built 1570–1572 by John Erskine, Regent of Scotland and Earl of Mar, and now in the care of Historic Scotland. Mar intended the building for the principal residence of the Erskine family in Stirli ...

. On 8 October 1588

James VI James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

wrote to him from Falkland to return

Broughty Castle Broughty Castle is a historic castle on the banks of the River Tay in Broughty Ferry, Dundee, Scotland. It was completed around 1495, although the site was earlier fortified in 1454, when George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus, received permission t ...

to the keeping of its owner

Patrick Gray, 5th Lord Gray Patrick Gray, 5th Lord Gray (d. 1608), was a Scottish landowner He was a son of Patrick Gray, 4th Lord Gray and Marion Ogilvy. He became Lord High Sheriff of Forfar. However he was unable to join in public life. In 1596 his son Patrick, Master of G ...

. Scrimgeour was sent with the ambassador

George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal (c. 1553–1623) was a Scottish nobleman and Earl Marischal. He succeeded as earl on 7 October 1581, upon the death of his grandfather, William Keith, 4th Earl Marischal. Early life George Keith was the so ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

in June 1589 as a commissioner to negotiate the marriage of

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 ...

. His companions were Andrew Keith, Lord Dingwall, John Skene, William Fowler, and George Young. In November the Scottish party divided into two factions, supporters of the Earl Marischal and supporters of the

Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

, John Maitland of

Thirlestane Thirlestane Castle is a castle set in extensive parklands near Lauder in the Borders of Scotland. The site is aptly named Castle Hill, as it stands upon raised ground. However, the raised land is within Lauderdale, the valley of the Leader Wate ...

. Scrimgeour and Lord Dingwall sided with Marischal. The argument was over precedence and custody of the dowry money. According to

James Melville of Halhill Sir James Melville (1535–1617) was a Scottish diplomat and memoir writer, and father of the poet Elizabeth Melville. Life Melville was the third son of Sir John Melville, laird of Raith, in the county of Fife, who was executed for treason ...

the king sided with Maitland and came to regret sending Marischal, Scrimgeour, and Dingwall. Scrimgeour signed the ratification of the king's marriage contract at

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

on 21 November 1589. The other witnesses were John Maitland, the Earl Marischal, the

Provost of Lincluden Lincluden Collegiate Church, known earlier as Lincluden Priory or Lincluden Abbey (the name by which it is still known locally), is a ruined religious house, situated in the historic county of Kirkcudbrightshire and to the north of the Royal Bu ...

, Patrick Vans of Barnbarroch,

Lewis Bellenden Sir Lewis Bellenden of Auchnole and Broughton (c. 1552 – 27 August 1591, in Edinburgh), was the eldest son of Sir John Bellenden of Auchnole & Broughton, whom he succeeded as Lord Justice Clerk on 15 March 1577. Career He was knighted about 1577 ...

, Alexander Lindsay, John Carmichael,

William Keith of Delny Sir William Keith of Delny (died 1599) was a Scottish courtier and Master of the Royal Wardrobe. He also served as ambassador for James VI to various countries. He was an important intermediary between George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal and the kin ...

, William Stewart, John Skene, and George Young. Scrimgeour's role in the royal proxy marriage was celebrated in a Latin poem by the Edinburgh schoolmaster

Hercules Rollock Hercules Rollock ( fl. 1577–1599), Edinburgh schoolmaster and writer of Latin verse. He was born in Dundee, and an elder brother of Robert Rollock. He graduated at the University of St Andrews, was regent at King's College, Aberdeen, and then sp ...

, which describes him swallowing a huge gulp of red wine while toasting

Christian IV Christian IV (12 April 1577 – 28 February 1648) was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Holstein and Schleswig from 1588 until his death in 1648. His reign of 59 years, 330 days is the longest of Danish monarchs and Scandinavian monar ...

, and also alludes to his exile in Denmark in the 1580s during the ascendency of

James Stewart, Earl of Arran Captain James Stewart, Earl of Arran (died 1595) was created Earl of Arran by the young King James VI, who wrested the title from James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran. He rose to become Lord Chancellor of Scotland and was eventually murdered in ...

. In April 1585, a rumour had reached England that Scrimgeour had been poisoned at a banquet in Denmark. His wife Magdalen Livingstone was appointed to welcome Anne of Denmark 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 ...

, with Isobel Hamilton, Lady Seton and Margaret Montgomerie, Lady Seton, Mary Beaton, Lady Boyne, and the Lady Chancellor. Scrimgeour was knighted at the queen's coronation. Scrimgeour had a law suit against the Laird of Lawis involving a "brieve of idiotry" and the Graham family. In January 1591 he owed an Edinburgh tailor, William Hoppringle, £1,400 Scots. The money may have been for clothes, or a sum lent to Scrimgeour. Hoppringle transferred the debt to Andrew Kinnaird, a burgess of Dundee, thinking to get quicker payment, but Kinnaird did not oblige. Scrimgeour was given a role at the baptism of Prince Henry at

in August 1594. He was one of four gentlemen appointed to hold the canopy or "paill" over

Prince Henry Prince Henry (or Prince Harry) may refer to: People *Henry the Young King (1155–1183), son of Henry II of England, who was crowned king but predeceased his father *Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal (1394–1460) *Henry, Duke of Cornwall (Ja ...

. On 25 May 1598 he came to the banquet for the queen's brother the

Duke of Holstein The Duchy of Holstein (german: Herzogtum Holstein, da, Hertugdømmet Holsten) was the northernmost state of the Holy Roman Empire, located in the present German state of Schleswig-Holstein. It originated when King Christian I of Denmark had hi ...

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 ...

and brought gifts of moor fowls, capercaillies, black cocks,

kids Kid, Kids, KIDS, and K.I.D.S. may refer to: Common meanings * Colloquial term for a child or other young person ** Also for a parent's offspring regardless of age * Engage in joking * Young goats * The goat meat of young goats * Kidskin, lea ...

, roe deer, and dotterels. On 15 December 1612 Scrimgeour wrote to the Privy Council to apologise for not attending to discuss a riot in Dundee caused by the Laird of Ruthven. He sent a note from his doctor describing his " hemoroids" which prevented him from riding his horse. He died in December 1612 at

in the lodging of Christian Lindsay, poet and baker, and wife of William Murray, Master of the carriage.

Marriages and children

He married firstly, in 1565, Margaret Carnegie, youngest daughter of Robert Carnegie of Kinnaird and Margaret Guthrie.William Fraser, ''History of the Carnegies, Earls of Southesk'', vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1867), p. 44. Their children included: * Elizabeth Scrimgeour, who married John Campbell * Margaret Scrimgeour, who married James Haliburton of Pitcur * John Scrimgeour, who married Margaret Seton, a daughter of

David Seton of Parbroath David Seton of Parbroath (died 1601) was a Scottish courtier and administrator. He was the son of Gilbert Seton of Parbroath and Helen Leslie, a daughter of the Earl of Rothes. Gilbert Seton was killed during the battle of Pinkie in 1547, making ...

* Catherine Scrimgeour, who married, (1) William Ochterlony of that Ilk, (2)

Dugald Campbell Dugald Campbell was a Scottish doctor from the Isle of Arran who went to Hawaii and set up the national health service during the 1890s. Campbell travelled extensively and in Hawaii he took up the post of government physician on the islands, wh ...

of Auchinbreck He married secondly

Magdalen Livingstone Magdalen Livingstone (floruit 1560–1613) was a Scottish courtier. She was a favoured lady-in-waiting to Mary, Queen of Scots, and later belonged to the household of Prince Henry. Mary, Queen of Scots She was a daughter of Alexander Livingston, ...

, daughter of

Alexander Livingston, 5th Lord Livingston Alexander Livingston, 5th Lord Livingston of Callandar Privy Councillor of Scotland, PC (–1553) was the guardian of Mary, Queen of Scots, during her childhood. Early life Alexander Livingston was born in Callendar, Stirling, Scotland. He was ...

and Agnes Douglas. She had been a lady in waiting to

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 ...

and had previously been married to

Arthur Erskine of Blackgrange Arthur Erskine of Blackgrange (died 1571) was a Scottish courtier. He was a son of John Erskine, 5th Lord Erskine and Margaret Campbell. He became an equerry or master of the stable to Mary, Queen of Scots. John Knox noted that he accompanied her ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Scrimgeour, James 16th-century Scottish people People from Dundee Court of James VI and I 1612 deaths