John Tennent or Tennand of Listonshiels (died c. 1549) was a servant and companion of

King James V of Scotland 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 dur ...

. He kept an account of the king's daily expenses which is an important source document for the Scottish royal court.

Life at court

Tennent's court positions were pursemaster and yeoman of the wardrobe. He was given livery clothes as a servant in the king's chamber in 1529. As pursemaster he daily accompanied the king, paying his small debts and handing over the sums the king gave in alms or as tips to workmen and beggars. He and the other pursemasters were given money for the king's purse by the

Treasurer of Scotland The Treasurer was a senior post in the pre-Act of Union 1707, Union government of Scotland, the Privy Council of Scotland. Lord Treasurer The full title of the post was ''Lord High Treasurer, Comptroller, Collector-General and Treasurer of the Ne ...

. Tennent's other main rôle was yeoman and master of the wardrobe. The wardrobe was a large establishment which employed almost 40 individuals over the personal reign. There were embroiderers, tailors, a laundry, tapestry men, and carts to transport the clothes, tapestries, and cloths-of-estate between the palaces. Tennent took delivery of linen for bed sheets, the king's shirts, and night caps. He bought canvas to hang around the king's gowns in the wardrobe. Tennent was in charge of the

Honours of Scotland The Honours of Scotland (, gd, Seudan a' Chrùin Albannaich), informally known as the Scottish Crown Jewels, are the regalia that were worn by Scottish monarchs at their coronation. Kept in the Crown Room in Edinburgh Castle, they date from the ...

and ordered a new case to be made for a sword in March 1539. This may have been the sword sent by

Pope Paul III Pope Paul III ( la, Paulus III; it, Paolo III; 29 February 1468 – 10 November 1549), born Alessandro Farnese, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 October 1534 to his death in November 1549. He came to ...

in 1537, which is now lost. James V and

Mary of Guise Mary of Guise (french: Marie de Guise; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was a French noblewoman of the House of Guise, a cadet branch of the House of Lorraine and one of the most powerful families in France. She ...

went hunting in Glenartney and

Glen Finglas Glen Finglas ( gd, Gleann Fhionnghlais) is a glen in the Trossachs, in the Stirling council area of Scotland. It is an area of forest in Highlands of the former county of Perthshire, north of Brig o' Turk, close to Callander in Menteith. T ...

in September 1539. Tennent hired men and horses from

Dunblane Dunblane (, gd, Dùn Bhlàthain) is a small town in the council area of Stirling in central Scotland, and inside the historic boundaries of the county of Perthshire. It is a commuter town, with many residents making use of good transport links ...

to bring their bedding from Stirling. 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 ...

, on 19 May 1540, James V gave 44 shillings to two Dutchmen who played and danced for him on the shore. James twice paid out for farm animals killed by accident with a

culverin A culverin was initially an ancestor of the hand-held arquebus, but later was used to describe a type of medieval and Renaissance cannon. The term is derived from the French "''couleuvrine''" (from ''couleuvre'' "grass snake", following the La ...

, a new portable gun. Tennent was also yeoman of the crossbow. He was appointed keeper of the palace and park of

Holyroodhouse 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 Edinburgh ...

in November 1540.

France

When James V went to France in 1536, he first met a prospective bride, Marie de Vendôme, daughter of

Charles, Duke of Vendôme Charles de Bourbon (2 June 1489 – 25 March 1537) was a French '' prince du sang'' and military commander at the court of Francis I of France. Biography Charles was born at the Château de Vendôme, eldest son of Francis de Bourbon, Count ...

, at St. Quentin in Picardy. It is said that at their meeting James instructed Tennent to pretend to be him and they exchanged clothes. This story appears in four sixteenth century chronicles. Adam Abell and

George Buchanan George Buchanan ( gd, Seòras Bochanan; February 1506 – 28 September 1582) was a Scottish historian and humanist scholar. According to historian Keith Brown, Buchanan was "the most profound intellectual sixteenth century Scotland produced." ...

mention the disguise; only

John Lesley John Lesley (or Leslie) (29 September 1527 – 31 May 1596) was a Scottish Roman Catholic bishop and historian. His father was Gavin Lesley, rector of Kingussie, Badenoch. Early career He was educated at the University of Aberdeen, where he ...

names Tennent;

Lindsay of Pitscottie Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie (also Lindesay or Lyndsay; c. 1532–1580) was a Scottish chronicler, author of ''The Historie and Chronicles of Scotland, 1436–1565'', the first history of Scotland to be composed in Scots rather than Lati ...

's version is the most elaborate but does not identify the servant. As Lesley's translator put it;

"he takis on the habit of his servand and cumis to the place quhair sche was, for he finyet himselfe Johne Tennantis servand, quhom in this iornay the king with him had his servand."

Tennent was on the French trip, and his one diplomatic errand was not a success. James sent him from Compiegne with letters and a verbal messages for

Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

and

Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...

on 24 February 1537.

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 ...

complained that he was not well received. She wrote to her brother, Henry VIII;

"plesit Zoure Grace to wit, thare is in this realme ane grete wourde that thare wes ane servand of the King my sonnis come to Zoure Grace, quhome thai call Johnne Tennand, quha wes not wele tane with, as thai say."

James came back from France with

Madeleine of Valois Madeleine of France or Madeleine of Valois (10 August 1520 – 7 July 1537) was a French princess who briefly became Queen of Scotland in 1537 as the first wife of King James V. The marriage was arranged in accordance with the Treaty of Rouen, ...

as his queen: Tennent brought their trunks from

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 ...

Death of James V

When James V went to hunt at

Cramalt Tower Megget Reservoir is an impounding reservoir in the Megget valley in Ettrick Forest, in the Scottish Borders. The reservoir is held back by the largest earth dam in Scotland. The reservoir collects water from the Tweedsmuir Hills, which is then co ...

in Meggetland in September 1538 Tennent brought bedding from

Linlithgow Palace The ruins of Linlithgow Palace are located in the town of Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland, west of Edinburgh. The palace was one of the principal residences of the monarchs of Scotland in the 15th and 16th centuries. Although mai ...

and the wardrobe servant Malcolm Gourlay brought tents stored 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 ...

for his company. Tennent was a signatory to the instrument made 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 ...

at the king's deathbed which

David Beaton David Beaton (also Beton or Bethune; 29 May 1546) was Archbishop of St Andrews and the last Scotland, Scottish Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal prior to the Scottish Reformation, Reformation. Career Cardinal Beaton was the sixth and youngest ...

used to attempt to claim the regency. After the death of James V, John Tennent carried out the instructions of

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, ...

and Cardinal Beaton, and dispersed numerous items from the king's wardrobe and armoury to their favourites. A record of these gifts survives in the

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British ...

. The king's former lawyer,

Adam Otterburn Adam Otterburn of Auldhame and Redhall (died 6 July 1548) was a Scottish lawyer and diplomat. He was king's advocate to James V of Scotland and secretary to Mary of Guise and Regent Arran. The King's lawyer The law brought against the Douglas f ...

received a gift of armour on 22 December by the order of Cardinal Beaton, including a "secret courage", a helmet covered with corduroy, a "

Jack of plate A jack of plate is a type of armour made up of small iron plates sewn between layers of felt and canvas. They were commonly referred to simply as a "jack" (although this could also refer to any outer garment). This type of armour was used by co ...

", two rapiers and other items.

Marriage and family

John Tennent married Mause Atkinson (Mavis or Marion Acheson) who had been the king's laundress since 1516. She also made linen items, like nightcaps, for the king. His property, Listonshiels was in the parish of

Kirkliston Kirkliston is a small town and parish to the west of Edinburgh, Scotland, historically within the county of West Lothian but now within the City of Edinburgh council limits. It lies on high ground immediately north of a northward loop of the Al ...

. It belonged to

Torphichen Preceptory Torphichen Preceptory is a church in the village of Torphichen, West Lothian, Scotland. It comprises the remains of the preceptory (headquarters) of the Knights Hospitaller of the Order of St John of Jerusalem in Scotland. The placename may be ...

and as a reward for his services, John paid a reduced feudal rent; "listonschelis, set to iohne tennent be the kingis command in feu for £6 of maile allanerlie", £6 rent only. Another servant, Robert Hamilton, enjoyed a similar privilege at Briggis. John and Mause had no surviving children, and Listonshiels passed to John's brother Patrick Tennent by 1549. Patrick Tennent was married to Elizabeth Hoppar, whose sister Katrine Hoppar was married to the Edinburgh merchant Andrew Moubray (III) who built

Moubray House Moubray House, 51 and 53 High Street, is one of the oldest buildings on the Royal Mile, and one of the oldest occupied residential buildings in Edinburgh, Scotland. The façade dates from the early 17th century, built on foundations laid . The t ...

in Edinburgh.''Register of the Great Seal of Scotland: 1513–1546'' (Edinburgh, 1883), p. 548 no.2394

Life at court

France

Death of James V

Marriage and family

References

Further reading