Patrick Gray, 6th Lord Gray (died 1612), known most of his life as Patrick, Master of Gray, was a Scottish nobleman and politician during the reigns 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 ...

and

James VI of Scotland James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until hi ...

Early life

Patrick Gray, the son of

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 ...

, and of his wife Barbara (a daughter of

William Ruthven, 2nd Lord Ruthven William Ruthven, 2nd Lord Ruthven (died December 1552) was a Scottish nobleman. He served as an Extraordinary Lord of Session and Keeper of the Privy Seal. Life The 2nd Lord Ruthven was the son of William, Master of Ruthven (who was known as Li ...

) grew up as a

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 ...

and attended the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

. In 1575 he married Elizabeth Lyon, daughter of

John Lyon, 8th Lord Glamis John Lyon, 8th Lord Glamis (died 1578) was a Scottish nobleman, judge and Lord High Chancellor of Scotland. Life He was the eldest son of John Lyon, 7th Lord Glamis, by his wife, Janet Keith, daughter of Robert Keith, Master of Marischal, and si ...

, a marriage that failed shortly afterwards. Patrick traveled to France, converted to

Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

and became a supporter of

(died 1587).

Political life

On his return to Scotland in 1583, Patrick gained notability as a political schemer and diplomat, endearing himself to the young King James whilst he plotted with

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 ...

to keep Mary in prison. In October 1584, he was appointed a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber and made Master of the King's wardrobe and menagerie, in charge of the king's jewels, clothing and

tapestry Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven by hand on a loom. Tapestry is weft-faced weaving, in which all the warp threads are hidden in the completed work, unlike most woven textiles, where both the warp and the weft threads may ...

, and the employment of tailors and shoemakers. On 20 July 1585, the Master of Gray married Lady Mary Stewart, daughter of

Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney and Lord of Zetland (Shetland) (spring of 1533 – 4 February 1593) was a recognised illegitimate son of James V, King of Scotland, and his mistress Eupheme Elphinstone. Robert Stewart was half-brother to M ...

and cousin to King James. The marriage was attended by most people at court except the followers of the Earl of Arran. Mary, Mistress of Gray, was a friend of Jean Stewart, Countess of Argyll, who left her a gown of cloth of gold, a black velvet gown with gold trim, and scented 'must' beads in 1588. Gray was sent by James VI as Scottish Ambassador to England with

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 ...

, Robert Melville, and Alexander Stewart to broker with

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". El ...

over the fate of Mary. Their speeches and manner of mediation were said to have been counterproductive. On his return to Scotland, after the execution of Mary, Patrick was declared a traitor and jailed and later banished from Scotland. James VI forgave Patrick and allowed him to return to Scotland in 1589, restoring his offices to him, but the Master of Gray continued his scheming career implicating himself in a number of intrigues and plots. In 1589, William Cecil hoped to prevent the marriage of James VI and

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 ...

. Gray wrote to Cecil on 5 June that 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 would be reluctant to frustrate the king's marriage plan. In Edinburgh, supporters of the Danish marriage had protested before Lord Hamilton, who advocated that James marry

Catherine de Bourbon Catherine de Bourbon (7 February 1559 – 13 February 1604) was a Navarrese regent princess. She was the daughter of Queen Joan III and King Anthony of Navarre. She ruled the principality of Béarn in the name of her brother, King Henry III ...

. The

Earl Marischal The title of Earl Marischal was created in the Peerage of Scotland for William Keith, the Great Marischal of Scotland. History The office of Marischal of Scotland (or ''Marascallus Scotie'' or ''Marscallus Scotiae'') had been hereditary, held b ...

had already received money from the English subsidy sent by

for his voyage to Denmark to complete the marriage. Gray still held out hopes that James could be persuaded to abandon his wedding plan. It was said that Gray met the rebel

Earl of Bothwell Earl of Bothwell was a title that was created twice in the Peerage of Scotland. It was first created for Patrick Hepburn in 1488, and was forfeited in 1567. Subsequently, the earldom was re-created for the 4th Earl's nephew and heir of line, F ...

and John Colville on 28 July 1592 at "Gubriell", a house belonging to the Earl Marischal near Dunfermline, and afterwards went to England. In August 1595, Gray seems to have been serving as keeper of Prince Henry's wardrobe, and took delivery of a little coffer worth £8 Scots for the Prince's clothes. On 3 May 1598, 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 ...

, brother of

, came to Fowlis Castle for dinner during his progress, escorted by

William Schaw William Schaw (c. 1550–1602) was Master of Works to James VI of Scotland for building castles and palaces, and is claimed to have been an important figure in the development of Freemasonry in Scotland. Biography William Schaw was the second ...

. Lord Gray was ordered by James VI to meet him six miles from the castle. In November 1598, the Master of Gray was travelling in

Picardy Picardy (; Picard and french: Picardie, , ) is a historical territory and a former administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region of Hauts-de-France. It is located in the northern part of France. Hi ...

then visited the

Earl of Gowrie Earl of Gowrie is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Scotland and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, both times for members of the Ruthven family. It takes its name from Gowrie, a historical region and ancient ...

Orléans Orléans (;"Orleans"
(US) and Esmé Stewart's widow, Catherine de Balsac, at

Aubigny-sur-Nère Aubigny-sur-Nère () is a town and commune in the Cher department in the administrative region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. Geography An area of forestry and farming surrounding a small light industrial town, situated in the valley of the ri ...

, who feared that her son,

Ludovic Stewart, 2nd Duke of Lennox Ludovic Stewart, 2nd Duke of Lennox and 1st Duke of Richmond (29 September 157416 February 1624), lord of the Manor of Cobham, Kent, was a Scottish nobleman who through their paternal lines was a second cousin of King James VI of Scotland ...

was plotting with Henry Kier, (a Catholic agent). Gray was trying to secure Lennox's inheritance. He had an audience with

Henry IV of France Henry IV (french: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarc ...

, who was waiting for James VI to send him Scottish hunting hounds. In a letter of November 1600, Gray described the aftermath of the

Gowrie Conspiracy John Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie (c. 1577 – 5 August 1600), was a Scottish nobleman who died in mysterious circumstances, referred to as the "Gowrie Conspiracy", in which he and/or his brother Alexander were attempting to kill or kidnap King ...

. The Ruthven family were ordered to change their surname, and the House of Ruthven near Perth was renamed as Huntingtower. Some suspicion had fallen on

, and some people would be removed from her household after the birth of her child (

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

). In May 1601, the John Erskine, Earl of Mar and

Edward Bruce Edward Bruce, Earl of Carrick ( Norman French: ; mga, Edubard a Briuis; Modern Scottish Gaelic: gd, Eideard or ; – 14 October 1318), was a younger brother of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots. He supported his brother in the 1306–1314 st ...

, Commendator of Kinloss returned from an embassy to London. Although they had reached an understanding on the succession of James VI to the throne of England, it was kept secret. The apparent lack of achievement was seen as an opportunity for Mar's political opponents to supplant him, and the Master of Grey attempted to gain the confidence of Robert Cecil in England. Cecil, however, did not even tell Gray of his secret correspondence with the Scottish King. Gray was also involved in a coalition of

and the

Duke of Lennox The title Duke of Lennox has been created several times in the peerage of Scotland, for Clan Stewart of Darnley. The dukedom, named for the district of Lennox in Dumbarton, was first created in 1581, and had formerly been the Earldom of Lenno ...

against Mar. In September 1602 Anne of Denmark and Gray entertained Anne de Gondi, the wife of French ambassador the Baron de Tour, 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 ...

, while he went on a progress with the king. Lord Henry Howard noted that Gray had spent this time with Queen Anne and it affected the conceit in his writing style. He wrote in August 1605 to the

Earl of Salisbury Earl of Salisbury is a title that has been created several times in English and British history. It has a complex history, and is now a subsidiary title to the marquessate of Salisbury. Background The title was first created for Patrick de S ...

that his son, who had been in France for his health, would soon come to court in London with his uncle, the Master of Orkney, at the invitation of

George Home, Earl of Dunbar George Home, 1st Earl of Dunbar, KG, PC (ca. 155620 January 1611) was, in the last decade of his life, the most prominent and most influential Scotsman in England. His work lay in the King's Household and in the control of the State Affairs of ...

. Patrick became 6th Lord Gray on his father's death in 1609, three years before his own death in 1612. He was succeeded by his son Andrew Gray, 7th Lord Gray.

Letter about wardrobe

An undated letter from the Master of Gray requested some purchases in London, including a sword and a dagger with "black guards not long", a black panache for a woman, gold and silver thread of the greates sort, for gentlewomen to sew with, tapestry to hang two chambers, and a Venice hat for his wife. Gray asked for a silver basin and jug, the lightest (and cheapest) and gilded only on the borders. His correspondent was to bring home the jewels if they were ready, and Gray would reimburse him for everything.

Family

Gray married secondly, on 20 July 1585, Mary Stewart, a daughter of

. Their children included: * Elizabeth Gray, (b. 1586). * Andrew Gray, 7th Lord Gray * Jean Gray (d. 1639), married

John Wemyss, 1st Earl of Wemyss John Wemyss, 1st Earl of Wemyss (1586–1649) was a Scottish politician. He was a son of Sir John Wemyss and Margaret Douglas, a daughter of Sir William Douglas of Lochleven. His home was Wemyss Castle in Fife. Around 1610 he acquired the e ...

* Agnes Gray, Countess of Menteith (d. 1667), married

William Graham, 7th Earl of Menteith William Graham, 7th Earl of Menteith, 1st Earl of Airth (–1661), was a 17th-century Scottish nobleman. A supporter of King Charles I, he held offices including Lord President of the Court of Session and was a Privy Counsellor. Although he ...

In September 1597

was planning her formal entry to Dundee and she wrote to Mary Stewart, Mistress of Gray to meet her in Perth and accompany her to Dundee.''Papers of the Master of Gray'' (Edinburgh, 1835), Appendix p. xiv
see also HMC 2nd Report.

Literature

The author

Nigel Tranter Nigel Tranter OBE (23 November 1909 – 9 January 2000) was a writer of a wide range of books on castles, particularly on themes of architecture and history. He also specialised in deeply researched historical novels that cover centuries of Sco ...

wrote the historical novels The Master of Gray trilogy ''Lord and Master'', ''The Courtesan'' and ''Past Master'' about Patrick, 6th Lord Gray.

References

External links

''Letters and Papers relating to Patrick, Master of Gray'', Bannatyne Club, Edinburgh, (1835)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gray, Patrick, 6th Lord Gray Year of birth missing 1612 deaths Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber Lords of Parliament (pre-1707) Lords Gray People of Falkland Palace