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Sir John Melville of Raith (died 1548) was
laird Laird () is the owner of a large, long-established Scottish estate. In the traditional Scottish order of precedence, a laird ranked below a baron and above a gentleman. This rank was held only by those lairds holding official recognition in ...
of Raith in
Fife 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 ...
,
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. He was active in the Scottish court in the second quarter of the 16th century, but was executed for his support of the
Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
cause. Sir John Melville, laird of Raith in Fife, was early impressed by the principles of the
Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
, and associated himself closely with the movement. He was one of the three hundred noblemen and gentlemen whom
Cardinal 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 Bal ...
pressed
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 ...
to pursue as heretics. As a friend of those who assassinated Cardinal Beaton at
St Andrews St Andrews ( la, S. Andrea(s); sco, Saunt Aundraes; gd, Cill Rìmhinn) is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fou ...
, he was subsequently executed by Beaton's successor, Archbishop John Hamilton. During the minority of
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 ...
, Melville was a steady favourer of the policy of the 'English Party' in Scotland, who sought to consolidate the interests of the two nations by uniting the crowns in the marriage of Edward VI and Mary, Queen of Scots. Melville was arrested, carried prisoner to
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
, and, being convicted of treason, was executed there on 13 December 1548. His estates were forfeited. According to John Knox, Melville had a natural son in England, John Melville, with whom he regularly corresponded while the two countries were at war. Melville was arrested when one of these letters fell into the hands of the governor of Scotland,
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, ...
.


Biography

He was the eldest son of John Melville the younger of Raith and Janet Bonar, his wife, probably a daughter of the laird of nearby Rossie. He succeeded his grandfather, William Melville, as laird of Raith in 1502, and was knighted by
James IV James IV (17 March 1473 – 9 September 1513) was King of Scotland from 11 June 1488 until his death at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. He inherited the throne at the age of fifteen on the death of his father, James III, at the Battle of Sauchi ...
in the following year, probably on the occasion of that king's marriage in August to Princess
Margaret Tudor Margaret Tudor (28 November 1489 – 18 October 1541) was Queen of Scotland from 1503 until 1513 by marriage to King James IV. She then served as regent of Scotland during her son's minority, and successfully fought to extend her regency. Marg ...
. He is said to have accompanied James IV to
Flodden The Battle of Flodden, Flodden Field, or occasionally Branxton, (Brainston Moor) was a battle fought on 9 September 1513 during the War of the League of Cambrai between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland, resulting in an English ...
(1513), but if so he returned in safety, and was more or less actively engaged in the many disputes of the regency during the minority of
James V James V (10 April 1512 – 14 December 1542) was 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 King James IV and Margaret Tudor, and duri ...
(1513–1528). He was appointed Master of the Artillery for life in October 1526, but a few months later he took part with John, Earl of Lennox, in his unsuccessful attempt to free the king from the control of 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 ...
, and had to sue to Angus for mercy. Yet within a brief space the Douglases were in exile, and for intercommuning with them Melville had to beg a remission from the crown. With James V (ruled 1528–1542), whose banner he followed in several of his expeditions to the Borders and elsewhere, Melville stood in considerable favour, and the king took a personal interest in the staunching of a blood-feud between him and his neighbour, Moultray of Seafield. The feuding became so bad that King James V was forced to intervene personally in 1533, arranging at
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 ...
for umpires to reach an amicable settlement between the warring factions. The Moultrays were confirmed in their former compensation arrangement of 12
merks The merk is a long-obsolete Scottish silver coin. Originally the same word as a money mark of silver, the merk was in circulation at the end of the 16th century and in the 17th century. It was originally valued at 13 shillings 4 pence (exactly ...
per annum for the original killing of John Moultray by an earlier Melville, and this continued for many years. This appears to have been a renewal of the sum granted four decades earlier to the son of the original victim to be spent upon a priest who would celebrate a mass "in a fitting place". In 1529, Moultray, who remained staunchly Catholic, heard that Melville was on his way to
Kirkcaldy Kirkcaldy ( ; sco, Kirkcaldy; gd, Cair Chaladain) is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It is about north of Edinburgh and south-southwest of Dundee. The town had a recorded population of 49,460 in 2011, ...
to murder
James Beaton James Beaton (or Bethune) (1473–1539) was a Roman Catholic Scottish church leader, the uncle of David Cardinal Beaton and the Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland. Life James Beaton was the sixth and youngest son of John Beaton of Balfour ...
,
Archbishop of St Andrews The Bishop of St. Andrews ( gd, Easbaig Chill Rìmhinn, sco, Beeshop o Saunt Andras) was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of St Andrews in the Catholic Church and then, from 14 August 1472, as Archbishop of St Andrews ( gd, Àrd-easbaig ...
. Moultray and his ally Vallence (Wallace) and a few followers stood with a band of armed followers in Kirkcaldy High Street. Melville approached on horseback. Neither side would give way. Vallence was slain and Melville was seriously wounded. The legal accounts show that Kirkcaldy of Grange, was later executed for treason. He was a member of the juries who tried
Janet Douglas, Lady Glamis Janet Douglas, Lady Glamis (c. 1498 – 17 July 1537) was a Scottish noblewoman accused of witchcraft, who was executed by burning during the reign of James V of Scotland. Treason and charges of witchcraft The Douglas family was far from favou ...
, and Sir James Hamilton of Finnart, who were both executed for conspiring to bring about the death of the king, in 1537 and 1540 respectively. About 1540 Melville was made captain of the castle of Dunbar, and had the custody of several important state prisoners. Melville was early impressed by the principles of the
Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
, and associated himself closely with the movement. He was one of the three hundred noblemen and gentlemen whom
David Cardinal 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 ...
pressed James V to pursue as heretics. During the minority of Queen Mary (1542–1561), Melville was a steady favourer of the policy of the Protestant, pro-English party in Scotland, who sought to consolidate the interests of the two nations by uniting the crowns in the marriage of the infant Mary with
Edward VI of England Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. Edward was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour and the first En ...
. Sir John had a natural son who lived in England, John Melville, with whom he regularly corresponded while the two countries were at war. One of his letters fell into the hands of the Scottish governor, Arran, and he was arrested and carried prisoner to
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
. As a friend of those who assassinated Cardinal Beaton in 1546, he was convicted of treason by Beaton's successor, Archbishop Hamilton. He was executed at Edinburgh on 13 December 1548. His estates were forfeited, but this forfeiture was rescinded in favour of his widow and children in 1563.


Family

The children of John Melville included: * Robert Melville, 1st Lord Melville (1547–1621) *
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 ...
, diplomat and writer, father of the poet
Elizabeth Melville Elizabeth Melville, Lady Culross (c.1578–c.1640) was a Scottish poet. In 1603 she became the earliest known Scottish woman writer to see her work in print, when the Edinburgh publisher Robert Charteris issued the first edition of ''Ane Godlie ...
*
Andrew Melville of Garvock Andrew Melville of Garvock (died 1617) was a Scottish courtier and servant of Mary, Queen of Scots. Family background Andrew Melville was a younger son of John Melville of Raith in Fife and Helen Napier of Merchiston. His older brother James M ...
, Master of the Household 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 later to
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 ...
. * Margaret who married James, son of John Scrimgeour


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Melville, John 1548 deaths Scottish Protestants Executed Scottish people Year of birth unknown 16th-century executions by Scotland
John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...