Robert Baillie (known as Baillie of Jerviswood; 24 December 1684) was a Scottish conspirator incriminated in the Rye House Plot against King Charles II. He was executed for treason. Baillie was the son of George Baillie of St John's Kirk, Lanarkshire, who had bought the estate of Jerviswood in 1636 and of Mellerstain in 1643, under Charles I. He incurred the resentment of the Scottish government by rescuing, in June 1676, his brother-in-law

James Kirkton James Kirkton (1628–1699) was a Church of Scotland minister and author. He is best known as author of ''The Secret and True History of the Church of Scotland'', which despite being over 300 years old, remains in print. Life He was born in ...

, a Presbyterian Church of Scotland minister who had been seized and confined in a house by Carstairs, an informer. He was fined £500, remaining in prison for four months and then being liberated on paying half the fine to Carstairs. In despair at the state of his country, he determined in 1683 to emigrate to South Carolina, but the plan came to nothing. The same year, Baillie, with some of his friends, went to London and entered into communication with the Duke of Monmouth, Lord Russell, and their party to conspire to bring Monmouth to the throne; and on the discovery of the Rye House Plot, Baillie was arrested. Questioned by King Charles, Baillie denied any knowledge of the conspiracy, but would not deny that he had been consulted with the view of an insurrection in Scotland. He was subsequently put in irons and sent back a prisoner to Scotland. Although no evidence has come to light to support his connection with the plot, he was fined £6,000 and kept in close confinement. On 23 December 1684, he was brought up again before the High Court on the charge of treason. He was pronounced guilty the next day and hanged the same afternoon at the Mercat Cross at Edinburgh. Bishop Burnet, who was his cousin, describes him as "in the presbyterian principles but ... a man of great piety and virtue, learned in the law, in mathematics and in

languages Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of met ...

." He married a sister of

Lord Warriston Archibald Johnston, Lord Wariston (1611 – 1663) was a Scottish judge and statesman. He assisted Alexander Henderson in writing the Scottish National Covenant in 1638, and was appointed Procurator of the Kirk in the same year. He helped ne ...

, and left a son, George, who took refuge in Holland, afterwards returning with

William III William III or William the Third may refer to: Kings * William III of Sicily (c. 1186–c. 1198) * William III of England and Ireland or William III of Orange or William II of Scotland (1650–1702) * William III of the Netherlands and Luxembourg ...

and being restored to his estates before marrying Lady Grizel Hume.

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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Baillie Of Jerviswood 1630s births 1684 deaths People of the Rye House Plot Executed Scottish people People executed for treason against Scotland Scottish Presbyterians Scottish politicians Scottish spies 17th-century executions by Scotland Year of birth uncertain People executed by the Kingdom of Scotland by hanging