Robert Bowes (1535?–1597) was an English diplomat, stationed as permanent ambassador to
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 ...
from 1577 to 1583.
Family
Robert Bowes was the fifth but second surviving son of Richard Bowes (d. 10 November 1558) and
Elizabeth Aske.
He had four elder brothers, Ralph, Francis,
George
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...
(d. 20 August 1580), and Christopher, and seven sisters: Bridget, who married Thomas Hussey; Anne, who married Marmaduke Vincent; Muriel, who married John Jackson; Margery, who married the Scottish reformer
John Knox
John Knox ( gd, Iain Cnocc) (born – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister, Reformed theologian, and writer who was a leader of the country's Reformation. He was the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
Born in Giffordgat ...
; Elizabeth, who married George Bainbrigge; Margaret, who married firstly Thomas Middleton and secondly Ambrose Birkbeck; and Jane.
Career
He was educated at
Queens' College, Cambridge
Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Queens' is one of the oldest colleges of the university, founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. The college spans the River Cam, colloquially referred to as the "light s ...
. He served under his father in the defence of the borders. In 1569 he was sheriff of the
county palatine of Durham
The County Palatine of Durham and Sadberge, commonly referred to as County Durham or simply Durham, is a historic county in Northern England. Until 1889, it was controlled by powers granted under the Bishopric of Durham. The county and Northum ...
, and helped his brother,
Sir George Bowes, to hold
Barnard Castle
Barnard Castle (, ) is a market town on the north bank of the River Tees, in County Durham, Northern England. The town is named after and built around a medieval castle ruin. The town's Bowes Museum's has an 18th-century Silver Swan automato ...
against the rebel earls. Afterwards he was sent in command of a troop of horse to protect the west marches. In 1571 he was elected M.P. for
Carlisle
Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern England, Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers River Eden, Cumbria, Eden, River C ...
. In 1575 he was appointed treasurer of
Berwick, and in this capacity had many dealings with the Scottish court.
In Scotland
In 1577 he was appointed ambassador in Scotland, where he had difficult tasks to perform: to counteract the influence of France, retain a hold on
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 ...
, keep together a party that was favourable to England, and promote disunion among the Scottish nobles. In 1578 he managed by his tact to compose a quarrel between
James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton
James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton (c. 1516 – 2 June 1581, aged 65) was the last of the four regents of Scotland during the minority of King James VI. He was in some ways the most successful of the four, since he won the civil war that had b ...
and the privy council which threatened to plunge Scotland into civil war. In 1581 he was busily employed in endeavouring to counteract the growing influence of
Esme Stewart, lord of Aubigné, over James VI. He witnessed the events which led to the
raid of Ruthven
The Raid of Ruthven was a political conspiracy in Scotland which took place on 22 August 1582. It was composed of several Presbyterian nobles, led by William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie, who abducted King James VI of Scotland. The nobles intende ...
and D'Aubigné's fall. He tried hard to gain possession of the
casket letters
The Casket letters were eight letters and some sonnets said to have been written by Mary, Queen of Scots, to the Earl of Bothwell, between January and April 1567. They were produced as evidence against Queen Mary by the Scottish lords who opposed ...
, which after Morton's death were said to have come into the hands of
John Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie
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 ...
, but his attempts failed.
In April 1583 he gave gold chains as gifts to two secret Scottish contacts of
Francis Walsingham
Sir Francis Walsingham ( – 6 April 1590) was principal secretary to Queen Elizabeth I of England from 20 December 1573 until his death and is popularly remembered as her "spymaster".
Born to a well-connected family of gentry, Wals ...
. He thought that James VI was trying to get rid of him by employing
Lord Doune
Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or a ...
. He managed to procure his recall from in 1583, but he still held the post of treasurer of Berwick, and was often employed on diplomatic missions in Scotland.
In 1588 or 1589 a Scottish diplomat in London,
Samuel Cockburn of Templehall
Samuel Cockburn of Templehall and Vogrie (died 1614) was a Scottish landowner, diplomat, and Sheriff-principal of Edinburgh.
He was a son of John Cockburn of Ormiston and Alison Sandilands (died 1584), a daughter of Sir John Sandilands of Calder ...
, husband of the poet Elizabeth Douglas, sent him household goods and clothing by sea but the ship was taken by pirates.
Bowes met the bride of James VI,
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 ...
on 3 May 1590 at her lodging in the
King's Wark
John Chisholm, 16th-century Scottish soldier and chief officer, Comptroller and ''Prefect'' of the Scottish artillery for Mary, Queen of Scots and James VI of Scotland, and keeper of the King's Wark in Leith. Chisholm was a supporter of Mary, Que ...
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 ...
. He told her
Queen Elizabeth was pleased with her letters, and she said she was thankful for the favour and goodwill she found in Elizabeth's letter to her.
Bowes attended
St Giles Kirk and the town council provided velvet cushions for his and his wife Eleanor Bowes' seats in the loft or gallery. He had a chest in his Edinburgh lodging which contained copies of the family trees of the Scottish nobility. His servant
George Nicholson made copies of these for Burghley. Eleanor Bowes had the key of the chest.
Bowes lodged in the house of the Fowler family, which belonged to the widow
Janet Fockart. In the early 1590s
Giacomo Castelvetro
Giacomo Castelvetro (25 March 1546 – 21 March 1616) was an Italian expatriate in Europe and England, humanist, teacher and travel writer.
Life
Giacomo Castelvetro was born in Modena in 1546 to the banker Niccolò Castelvetro and his wife ...
, an Italian writer who served James VI as a language tutor and secretary, lodged with them and Eleanor Bowes made friends with his wife, Isotta de Canonici, the widow of
Thomas Erastus
Thomas Erastus (original surname Lüber, Lieber, or Liebler; 7 September 152431 December 1583) was a Swiss physician and Calvinist theologian. He wrote 100 theses (later reduced to 75) in which he argued that the sins committed by Christians shou ...
.
Some of the information he sent to England came from Scottish informers who he called "talesmen".
Bowes, Bothwell, and the witch trials
Bowes wrote to
William Cecil on 23 July 1590 describing the arrival in Scotland of news of
witchcraft trials in Denmark, and arrests in Scotland:
It is advertised from Denmark, that the admirall (Peder Munk
Peder Munk of Estvadgård (1534–1623), was a Danish navigator, politician, and ambassador, who was in charge of the fleet carrying Anne of Denmark to Scotland. The events of the voyage led to witch trials and executions in Denmark and Scotland ...
) there hathe caused five or six witches to be taken in Coupnahaven, upon suspicion that by their witche craft they had stayed the Queen of Scottes (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 ...
) voyage into Scotland, and sought to have stayed likewise the King's retourne.
Sundrie witches were arreigned yesterdaye in this towne, and are found guiltie of odious crimes, chieflie that some of them made in wax the image of the young laird of Wardhouse, and rosting the image the gentleman pined awaye by sweate as the wax melteth before the fire.
Bowes also described a woman from
Lübeck
Lübeck (; Low German also ), officially the Hanseatic City of Lübeck (german: Hansestadt Lübeck), is a city in Northern Germany. With around 217,000 inhabitants, Lübeck is the second-largest city on the German Baltic coast and in the stat ...
who claimed to a prophet, who was interviewed by
George Young and thought to be a fraud. In February 1591 a Scottish woman called
Agnes Sampson
Agnes Sampson (died 28 January 1591) was a Scottish healer and purported witch. Also known as the "Wise Wife of Keith", Sampson was involved in the North Berwick witch trials in the later part of the sixteenth century.
Background
Sampson live ...
was accused of witchcraft during the
North Berwick Witch Trials
The North Berwick witch trials were the trials in 1590 of a number of people from East Lothian, Scotland, accused of witchcraft in the St Andrew's Auld Kirk in North Berwick on Halloween night. They ran for two years, and implicated over seventy ...
. She said that Bowes was "a little black and fat man with black hair", who had given her gold in a cellar while James VI was in Denmark to make a charm with a toad to hurt the king and make him infertile. Bowes noted that the personal description was inaccurate. He made arrangements that English border officials including
John Selby would send any suspect witches fleeing to England back to Scotland.
Bowes was concerned by the arrival at Glasgow of an Irish rebel
Brian O'Rourke
Sir Brian O'Rourke ( ga, Sir Brian na Múrtha Ó Ruairc; c. 1540 – 1591) was first king and then lord of West Breifne in Ireland from 1566 until his execution in 1591. He reigned during the later stages of the Tudor conquest of Ireland and hi ...
who sought the favour and support of James VI in February 1591. He asked James VI to have O'Rourke sent to Berwick or Carlisle. James VI sent
Roger Aston
Sir Roger Aston (died 23 May 1612) of Cranford, Middlesex, was an English courtier and favourite of James VI of Scotland.
Biography
Aston was the illegitimate son of Thomas Aston (died 1553), Thomas Aston (died 1553). Scottish sources spell his n ...
to meet O'Rourke, who had bought a gift of Irish hunting hounds. Subsequently the king sent
John Carmichael and
William Stewart of Blantyre to take O'Rourke to England on 3 April. This caused a riot in Glasgow, because the arrest was thought likely to damage the Irish trade, and the king's officers were cursed as "Queen Elizabeth's knights" and the king for taking "English
angels
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
", the annuity or subsidy received from Queen Elizabeth. Bowes contributed £47 to O'Rourke's debt with a tailor in Glasgow.
Richie Graham was questioned about witchcraft practices and Bothwell, and mentioned Jely Dunkyn who convened the witches for him. She told James VI that Bothwell had consulted them, then said it was Bowes. Graham accused Bowes of working against the king.
A paper written in defence of the Earl of Bothwell, possibly by the kirk minister
Robert Bruce
Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventuall ...
mentions the rendition of "a gleid witche" from England in return for Brian O'Rourke. Her testimony cleared Bothwell. Bowes wrote around the same time that "Kennedy the witch of Reydon, lately in England" had testified against Bothwell and agreed with his accuser Richie Graham.
Annie Cameron
Annie Isabella Cameron (1897-1973) was a Scottish historian.
Biography
She was the daughter of Mary Sinclair, and James Cameron, a Glasgow engineer. She studied history at the University of Glasgow and the University of St Andrews. She wrote a doc ...
suggests that Kennedy was the "gleid" or "squinting" witch. Modern historians identify her as Janet Kennedy of Redden in
Sprouston
Sprouston is a village, parish and former feudal barony in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, as well as the historic county of Roxburghshire, located 2 miles north-east of Kelso.Survey Gazetteer of the British Isles, publ. J.G. Bartholome ...
near
Kelso.
In July 1592 Bowes foiled an attempt by Bothwell and his followers to capture James VI from a ferry boat while he was crossing the
Forth
Forth or FORTH may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''forth'' magazine, an Internet magazine
* ''Forth'' (album), by The Verve, 2008
* ''Forth'', a 2011 album by Proto-Kaw
* Radio Forth, a group of independent local radio stations in Scotla ...
. The plot was revealed to Bowes by an informer who wanted the reward of a licence to import English beer. Bothwell waited out of sight from Leith beyond the island of
Inchkeith
Inchkeith (from the gd, Innis Cheith) is an island in the Firth of Forth, Scotland, administratively part of the Fife council area.
Inchkeith has had a colourful history as a result of its proximity to Edinburgh and strategic location for u ...
, and when he realised he was rumbled, put in at
Wardie. Bowes heard that Bothwell had given his followers an orientation speech before this enterprise, reminding his men not to hurt the king. His accomplice
Archibald Wauchope of Niddrie
Archibald Wauchope of Niddrie ( – 1597) Scottish landowner and rebel.
He was the son of Robert Wauchope of Niddrie, who died in 1598, and Margaret Dundas, daughter of James Dundas of Dundas.
He was known as the "Laird of Niddrie, younger". Th ...
then asked them all to raise their hands and promise not to harm the king, holding both his hands in the air.
Anne of Denmark told him that she would like to meet Queen Elizabeth, and wanted to have a young English gentleman or maiden of "good parentage" join her household. Bowes passed this request to Cecil to consider.
In July 1593 he was asked to find out how money given yearly to James VI by Elizabeth as an annuity or subsidy had been spent. Bowes lodged at the house of
William Fowler in Edinburgh. On 24 July 1593 Bowes entertained the Danish ambassador
Steen Bille
Steen Bille (1565–1629) was a Danish councillor and diplomat.
He was the son of Jens Bille and Karen Rønnow, and is sometimes called "Steen Jensen Bille". His father compiled a manuscript of ballads, Jens Billes visebog.
As a young man Bille ...
in his lodging while the
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 ...
stayed next door, prior to breaking into Holyroodhouse. In September 1593 Bowes's wife, Eleanor Musgrave organised a dinner at their lodging, serving venison in the English manner for the
Earl
Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...
and Countess of Atholl, and they were joined by the Earl and
Countess of Bothwell.
Anne of Denmark made another ouverture of friendship to Elizabeth I in May 1595, asking for her portrait. There was no response and Bowes had to reiterate her request. Finally, in February 1596 Elizabeth condescended to grant Anne's "earnest desire" and send her picture.
Princess Elizabeth
Bowes wrote news about the birth of
Princess Elizabeth at
Dunfermline Palace
Dunfermline Palace is a ruined former Scottish royal palace and important tourist attraction in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. It is currently, along with other buildings of the adjacent Dunfermline Abbey, under the care of Historic Environm ...
. Her christening was proposed to be held on the birthday of her mother
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 ...
and then changed (back) to 28 November 1596 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 ...
. Bowes carried the infant to the chapel as the representative of Queen Elizabeth, who was her godmother. 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 Lenn ...
and the
Earl of Mar
There are currently two earldoms of Mar in the Peerage of Scotland, and the title has been created seven times. The first creation of the earldom is currently held by Margaret of Mar, 31st Countess of Mar, who is also clan chief of Clan Mar. The ...
assisted him. Bowes had no gift from Elizabeth however. The baillies and
Provost of Edinburgh
The Right Honourable Lord Provost of Edinburgh is the convener of the City of Edinburgh local authority, who is elected by City_of_Edinburgh_Council, the city council and serves not only as the chair of that body, but as a figurehead for the e ...
,
Alexander Home of North Berwick
Alexander Home of North Berwick (floruit 1570–1597) was a Scottish landowner and Provost of Edinburgh.
His surname is sometimes spelled "Hume". He was a son of Patrick Home of Polwarth (d. 1578) and Elizabeth Hepburn (d. 1571) daughter of Patric ...
came to the feast and banquet and made a gift of 10,000
Scottish merks. This gift was presented as a grant written with golden letters in a golden coffer given to Anna of Denmark. Bowes noted the princess would live at
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 ...
where her keeper
Lady Livingstone was an "obstinate papist".
Bowes wrote to
Lord Burghley
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley (13 September 15204 August 1598) was an English statesman, the chief adviser of Queen Elizabeth I for most of her reign, twice Secretary of State (1550–1553 and 1558–1572) and Lord High Treasurer from 1 ...
in August 1597 that the king was "lately pestered and many ways troubled in the examination of the witches which swarm in exceeding number and (as is credibly reported) in many thousands". This period has become known as the "
Great Scottish Witch Hunt of 1597
The Great Scottish Witch Hunt of 1597 was a series of nationwide witch trials that took place in the whole of Scotland from March to October 1597. At least 400 people were put on trial for witchcraft and various forms of diabolism during the witch ...
." Around this time, Bowes and Alexander Home of North Berwick took witness statements from the crew of the ''Bruce'', a ship owned by
George Bruce of Carnock
Sir George Bruce of Carnock (c. 1550 – 1625) was a Scottish merchant, ship-owner, and mining engineer.
Family
George Bruce was a son of Edward Bruce of Blairhall and Alison Reid, a sister of Robert Reid, Bishop of Orkney. His older brot ...
which had been commandeered by English privateers off the coast of Spain and forced to take onboard a number of enslaved Africans.
Death
Like his brother, Sir George, he worked at his own cost, and was rewarded by not much more than royal gratitude. Elizabeth held him at his post, and he died in Berwick on 16 November 1597. The Scottish poet and courtier
William Fowler wrote an epitaph with the lines,
And you white Swannes of Thames and Tweide proclame,
Your grieuous losses, and his high desert,
Who both his courses, and his cares did frame,
All dangers from your bankes aye to divert.
He lov'd his Queene and crowne with upright heart,
Postponing private wealth, to publicke weale.
His servant
George Nicholson became the resident English diplomat or agent in Scotland. A nephew of Sir Robert Bowes,
William Bowes, was ambassador to Scotland in 1598 and 1601.
Marriages and issue
He married firstly his first cousin, Anne Bowes, Anne (died c. 1566), the daughter and coheir of Sir George Bowes of Dalden, by whom he had a son, Ralph Bowes (d. 1623).
He married secondly, in 1566, Eleanor Musgrave (1546-1623), daughter of Sir Richard Musgrave (1524-1555) of
Hartley
Hartley may refer to:
Places Australia
*Hartley, New South Wales
*Hartley, South Australia
**Electoral district of Hartley, a state electoral district
Canada
*Hartley Bay, British Columbia
United Kingdom
*Hartley, Cumbria
*Hartley, Plymou ...
and
Eden Hall
Eden Hall is a historic plantation house located near McCormick in McCormick County, South Carolina. It was built about 1854, and is a large -story, white frame Greek Revival style dwelling. It sits on a high brick foundation and features a pe ...
in
Cumberland
Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...
and Agnes Wharton, by whom he had no issue.
Eleanor Bowes wrote to the diplomat and former court musician James Hudson in July 1596, describing her for fortunes in uncertain times, "or good like shall happen in my handling, or a farewell to my flitting tent for ever pitching in this place any more, ... and God send some better seasons". In June 1601 she had sent gifts to Anne of Denmark in Scotland with
Roger Aston
Sir Roger Aston (died 23 May 1612) of Cranford, Middlesex, was an English courtier and favourite of James VI of Scotland.
Biography
Aston was the illegitimate son of Thomas Aston (died 1553), Thomas Aston (died 1553). Scottish sources spell his n ...
, and Bowes asked
Robert Bruce of Kinnaird
Robert Bruce (1554 – 27 July 1631) was Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland which was called on 6 February 1588 to prepare defences against a possible invasion by the Spanish Armada. King James VI was so sensible of the ...
if his wife Martha Douglas could ask discretely if they had arrived.
His sister Marjory Bowes (d.1560) married the Scottish church reformer
John Knox
John Knox ( gd, Iain Cnocc) (born – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister, Reformed theologian, and writer who was a leader of the country's Reformation. He was the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
Born in Giffordgat ...
.
[Fasti Ecclesiastae Scoticana by Hew Scott]
Notes
References
*
*
*
;Attribution
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bowes, Robert
1535 births
1597 deaths
Ambassadors of England to Scotland
High Sheriffs of Durham
16th-century English diplomats
Alumni of Queens' College, Cambridge
English MPs 1572–1583
Members of Parliament for Appleby
16th-century English politicians
Treasurers of Berwick
Witchcraft in Scotland