Robert Hamilton of Briggis (died 1568) was a Scottish soldier and military engineer. He was keeper of

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

Dunbar Castle Dunbar Castle was one of the strongest fortresses in Scotland, situated in a prominent position overlooking the harbour of the town of Dunbar, in East Lothian. Several fortifications were built successively on the site, near the English-Scott ...

and was Master of the Scottish artillery. Linlithgow Palace NW 02

Lands

Briggis was an estate at

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 ...

near the Almond Water a

West Lothian West Lothian ( sco, Wast Lowden; gd, Lodainn an Iar) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and was one of its shires of Scotland, historic counties. The county was called Linlithgowshire until 1925. The historic county was bounded geogra ...

river and the Gogar Burn. The ancient monument called the Cat Stane is on this ground. Hamilton held the lands of Easter Briggis from

Lord Torphichen Lord Torphichen or Baron Torphichen is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created by Queen Mary in 1564 for Sir James Sandilands (to whom she was related), with remainder to his heirs and assigns whatsoever. The first Baron Sandilands h ...

, not directly from the crown, and so was sometimes called "Robert Hamilton ''in'' Briggis". In 1561 Hamilton was exempted fom paying

teind In Scotland a teind () was a tithe derived from the produce of the land for the maintenance of the clergy. It is also an old lowland term for a tribute due to be paid by the fairies to the devil every seven years. Found in the story of Tam Lin as ...

s. Robert Hamilton also gained lands at Easter Collessie or Halhill 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 ...

. He was a brother of Andrew Hamilton of Cochno, governor of

Dumbarton Castle Dumbarton Castle ( gd, Dùn Breatainn, ; ) has the longest recorded history of any stronghold in Scotland. It sits on a volcanic plug of basalt known as Dumbarton Rock which is high and overlooks the Scottish town of Dumbarton. History Dumba ...

Career

In February 1542

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 ...

sent Robert Hamilton and

Matthew Hamilton of Milnburn Matthew Hamilton of Milnburn and Binning (died 1569) was a Scottish landowner and courtier. Early life He was a son of Matthew Hamilton ''in'' Milnburn or Mylnburn or Milburne in Dalserf. The Mill Burn flows into the River Clyde north of the villa ...

to France. They were allowed to return by

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, ...

in January 1543. On 22 August 1543 he was made Keeper and Captain of Linlithgow Palace, with its gardens, tennis court, and eel-trap. This was after the infant

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 ...

was taken from Linlithgow to

Stirling Castle Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological ...

. The previous keeper was William Danielstoun. In March 1554 Hamilton was given a specific charter to work the coal pit at Linlithgow. He was also captain of

Dalkeith Castle Dalkeith Palace is a country house in Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland. It was the seat of the Dukes of Buccleuch from 1642 until 1914, and is owned by the Buccleuch Living Heritage Trust. The present palace was built 1701–1711 on the site of t ...

in February 1544. He fought with the

Earl of Lennox The Earl or Mormaer of Lennox was the ruler of the region of the Lennox in western Scotland. It was first created in the 12th century for David of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon and later held by the Stewart dynasty. Ancient earls The first earl ...

and the

Earl of Glencairn Earl of Glencairn was a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1488 for Alexander Cunningham, 1st Lord Kilmaurs (created 1450). The name was taken from the parish of Glencairn in Dumfriesshire so named for the Cairn Waters which run ...

against

at the battle of Glasgow Moor in March or May 1544. He was quickly reconciled with Regent Arran. In August 1545 he was a commissioner with Lord Seton or Lord Borthwick for a cavalry force of 1000 men to defend the English border.

John Scrimgeour of Myres John Scrimgeour of Myres Castle near Falkland, Fife was Master of Work for royal buildings for James V and Mary, Queen of Scots, and Precentor of the Scottish Chapel Royal. Career He and his father held their lands by right of an hereditary o ...

was the paymaster. In March 1546 he went to Dupplin wood with the carpenter James Crawford to cut timber to mount the guns at Dunbar. In September 1546 he brought artillery to besiege Lennox at

. He was involved in the siege of St Andrews Castle in December 1546 where he spent at least £3756 Scots on the artillery and workmen. He was Captain of Dunbar Castle and directed repairs there in 1547, during the war known as the

Rough Wooing The Rough Wooing (December 1543 – March 1551), also known as the Eight Years' War, was part of the Anglo-Scottish Wars of the 16th century. Following its break with the Roman Catholic Church, England attacked Scotland, partly to break the ...

. In September 1547 he resigned his role at Dunbar to John Bonkill, Chamberlain of St Andrews, and Alexander Forus, and a new Captain, William Hamilton of Humbie. Dunbar was transferred to the French commander Monsieur La Chapelle in June 1548. One of his sons, also named Robert Hamilton, hauled the cannon called "thrawyn-mouth" from Dunbar Castle to the

siege of Haddington The sieges of Haddington were a series of sieges staged at the Royal Burgh of Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland, as part of the War of the Rough Wooing, one of the last Anglo-Scottish Wars. Following Regent Arran's defeat at the battle of Pi ...

in July 1548. In February 1550 he was at the siege of

Broughty Castle Broughty Castle is a historic castle on the banks of the River Tay in Broughty Ferry, Dundee, Scotland. It was completed around 1495, although the site was earlier fortified in 1454, when George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus, received permission t ...

which was held by the English soldier John Luttrell. Hamilton gave 10 gold crowns to John Dodds and Anthony Kennedy, the leaders of the pioneers digging siegeworks for French guns. In 1551 Regent Arran rewarded him and William Hamilton of Humbie, his successor at Dunbar, with the sums of money owed by the tailor Thomas Arthur to

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 ...

. In December 1552,

sent him worsted cloth and velvet for a gown for Elizabeth Ramsay, the daughter of William Ramsay of

Leuchars Leuchars (pronounced or ; gd, Luachar "rushes") is a small town and parish near the north-east coast of Fife in Scotland. The civil parish has a population of 5,754 (in 2011) Census of Scotland 2011, Table KS101SC – Usually Resident Populat ...

and Colluthie. Her father had been killed at the

battle of Pinkie The Battle of Pinkie, also known as the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh ( , ), took place on 10 September 1547 on the banks of the River Esk near Musselburgh, Scotland. The last pitched battle between Scotland and England before the Union of the Cro ...

, and she was probably staying at Linlithgow Palace at this time. She subsequently married David Carnegie. He was also sent money to give to two banished Englishmen. On 10 February 1556 he was made master of her majesty's artillery and munitions, by

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 ...

, then Regent of Scotland. His letter of appointment mentions his faithful service in the wars with "the auld enemies of England" and his experience of fortifications and munitions. He was given powers to survey fortifications and order repairs. The position paid £100 Scots. During the six years of her Regency (1554–1560), Mary of Guise employed an Italian military designer, Lorenzo Pomarelli from

Siena Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centuri ...

who is particularly associated with works on 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 ...

. Hamilton of Briggis was chamberlain of the lands of Dunbar. His account for 1561 mentions rabbits, local produce that featured on the royal table. In July 1561 Mary, Queen of Scots made Robert Anstruther captain of Dunbar. He took charge of the cannons and ammunition according to an inventory made by Robert Hamilton of Briggs. Queen Mary appointed Andrew Ferriar keeper of Linlithgow Palace on 28 January 1567. He was instructed to keep some fields of broom in the park to feed the queen's mares, and plant trees in the Peel, the environs of the palace. He was also given powers to apprehend anyone hunting with dogs or

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 ...

hand-guns in the park.James Beveridge &

Gordon Donaldson Gordon Donaldson, (13 April 1913 – 16 March 1993) was a Scottish historian. Life He was born in a tenement at 140 McDonald RoadEdinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory, 1912 off Leith Walk in northern Edinburgh on 13 April 1913 the so ...

, ''Register of the Privy Seal'', 5:2 (Edinburgh, 1957), p. 254 no. 3182. Robert Hamilton of Briggis died in 1568. He had at least four children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, Robert

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

Keepers of Linlithgow Palace Scottish people of the Rough Wooing Scottish soldiers 1568 deaths