Thomas Bellenden or Bannatyne of Auchnoule (c. 1485 – c. 1547), courtier of

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 ...

, Judge from 1535,

Director of Chancery The office of Director of Chancery (or Chancellory), the keeper of the Quarter Seal of Scotland, was formerly a senior position within the legal system of Scotland. The medieval post, latterly an office at General Register House, Edinburgh, was a ...

from 1538,

Lord Justice Clerk The Lord Justice Clerk is the second most senior judge in Scotland, after the Lord President of the Court of Session. Originally ''clericus justiciarie'' or Clerk to the Court of Justiciary, the counterpart in the criminal courts of the Lord ...

from 1539, member of the royal council, ambassador to England, and Protestant sympathizer. Bellenden was a graduate of the

University of Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...

, and early in his career used the title "Master."

Interlude at Linlithgow and Reformation, 1540

Bellenden's duties included meetings with English border officials. A letter written by the English deputy border warden

William Eure Sir William Eure of Bradley was an English aristocrat and political intriguer. He was a son of William Eure, 2nd Baron Eure and Margaret Dymoke, and uncle of William Eure, 4th Baron Eure, two years his junior, with whom he must not be confused.. ...

Thomas Cromwell Thomas Cromwell (; 1485 – 28 July 1540), briefly Earl of Essex, was an English lawyer and statesman who served as chief minister to King Henry VIII from 1534 to 1540, when he was beheaded on orders of the king, who later blamed false charge ...

on 26 January 1540 describes a meeting with Thomas Bellenden at

Coldstream Coldstream ( gd, An Sruthan Fuar , sco, Caustrim) is a town and civil parish in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. A former burgh, Coldstream is the home of the Coldstream Guards, a regiment in the British Army. Description Coldstream l ...

in January 1540. Eure said that Bellenden was over fifty years old. Bellenden described the performance of an interlude 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 ...

before James, his wife

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 ...

and his bishops and council on the feast of the Epiphany. The play concerned the reformation of the church, and Eure obtained a more detailed description from a Scottish contact who saw the play at Linlithgow. This description corresponds with the expanded later text of

David Lyndsay Sir David Lyndsay of the Mount (c. 1490 – c. 1555; ''alias'' Lindsay) was a Scottish herald who gained the highest heraldic office of Lyon King of Arms. He remains a well regarded poet whose works reflect the spirit of the Renaissance, spec ...

's play ''

A Satire of the Three Estates ''A Satire of the Three Estates'' (Middle Scots: ''Ane Pleasant Satyre of the Thrie Estaitis''), is a satirical morality play in Middle Scots, written by makar Sir David Lyndsay. The complete play was first performed outside in the playing field ...

''. Eure talked with Bellenden about the possibility of a Reformation of the 'spirituality' in Scotland. The play at Linlithgow had shown the 'naughtiness' of the church. Bellenden said that after the play the King spoke to the churchmen in the audience asking them to reform their factions and manner of living, otherwise he would send six of them into England to his uncle,

Henry VIII 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 ...

. Bellenden said that James V intended to expel clergymen from royal appointments and he asked Eure to send him secretly copies of the English statutes that suppressed the Roman Catholic religion.

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 ...

mentioned Thomas Bellenden positively in connection with the regrets of his predecessor as Justice Clerk, Thomas Scott of Pitgorno. Knox also wrote that Bellenden helped

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, ...

to power but his influence was lost when Arran abandoned the plan for

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 ...

to marry Prince Edward of England. Bellenden had family connections with the royal court and literature. At the end of his life he copied the ''

Eneados The ''Eneados'' is a translation into Middle Scots of Virgil's Latin ''Aeneid'', completed by the poet and clergyman Gavin Douglas in 1513. Description The title of Gavin Douglas' translation "Eneados" is given in the heading of a manuscript at C ...

'', a translation of Virgil's ''Aeneid'' by

Gavin Douglas Gavin Douglas (c. 1474 – September 1522) was a Scottish bishop, makar and translator. Although he had an important political career, he is chiefly remembered for his poetry. His main pioneering achievement was the ''Eneados'', a full and fai ...

into a manuscript now kept at

Lambeth Palace Lambeth Palace is the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury. It is situated in north Lambeth, London, on the south bank of the River Thames, south-east of the Palace of Westminster, which houses Parliament, on the opposite ...

. He co-signed the manuscript, "Heir ends the buke of Virgill written by the hand of Johanne Mudy with Mr Thomas Bellenden of Auchinnoull Just. Clerke and endit the 2 Febrii Annorum xlv."

Ambassador to Henry VIII

Thomas Bellenden was in London in July 1541 discussing border affairs, Scottish merchants in England, and shipping incidents. He returned in October, described as 'director of Chancellary.' In 1543 he sent with

Rothesay Herald Rothesay Herald of Arms in Ordinary is a current Scottish herald of arms in Ordinary of the Court of the Lord Lyon. The office was created after 1398 when the dukedom of Rothesay was conferred on David, eldest son of King Robert III, on 28 Ap ...

an extract of the confessions of the murderers of the

Somerset Herald Somerset Herald of Arms in Ordinary is an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. In the year 1448 Somerset Herald is known to have served the Duke of Somerset, but by the time of the coronation of King Henry VII in 1485 his successor a ...

Thomas Trahern Thomas Trahern (died 25 November 1542) was Somerset Herald, an English officer of arms. His murder in Scotland, which may have been related to the Pilgrimage of Grace rebellion, was a setback to Anglo-Scottish relations. Somerset Herald Trahern wa ...

to London.

Family

Thomas was the son of Patrick Bellenden of Auchnoule or Auchnolyshill (d. 1514) and Mariota Douglas. Mariota was the nurse of James V and Patrick a servant of

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 ...

. They obtained the lands of Auchnoule from the

Earl of Morton The title Earl of Morton was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1458 for James Douglas of Dalkeith. Along with it, the title Lord Aberdour was granted. This latter title is the courtesy title for the eldest son and heir to the Earl of Morton. ...

in 1499, which were located in the earl's barony of "Calder Cleir" now

East Calder East Calder is a village located in West Lothian, Scotland, about a mile east of Mid Calder and a mile west of Wilkieston. It forms part of 'the Calders (together with Mid and West Calder), three small neighbouring communities situated west o ...

. Thomas's sister

Katherine Bellenden Katherine Bellenden (1497 – c. 1568) was a courtier working in the wardrobe of James V of Scotland. Her niece of the same name was similarly employed. A family at court Katherine was the daughter of Patrick Bellenden a servant of Margaret Tu ...

was also a courtier, connected with the royal wardrobe and worked with Janet Douglas, who was the wife of David Lindsay of the Mount, the diplomat, poet, and playwright. Katherine Bellenden was married to Adam Hopper, then

Francis Bothwell Francis Bothwell of Edinburgh, Lord of Session, was a Scottish merchant, landowner, judge and politician. As a university graduate, he was called ''Master Francis Bothwell'', or "Dominus" in Latin documents; however, this has been misunderstood ...

, and thirdly to the royal favorite

Oliver Sinclair Sir Oliver Sinclair of Pitcairnis (died 1576?) was a favourite courtier of James V of Scotland. A contemporary story tells that James V gave him the battle standard and command at the Battle of Solway Moss. Another story tells how at the end of h ...

. Thomas's brother

John Bellenden John Bellenden or Ballantyne ( 1533–1587?) of Moray (why Moray, a lowland family) was a Scottish writer of the 16th century. Life He was born towards the close of the 15th century, and educated at St. Andrews and Paris. At the request of ...

was a poet and translator at court. Thomas Bellenden married Agnes Forrester, their children included; * John Bellenden of Auchnoule (d. 1576), Justice Clerk, married Margaret Scott. *Katherine Bellenden, (d. 1578), who also worked in the royal wardrobe, married Robert or William Craig of Craigfintry and Craigston. *Agnes Bellenden, married William Adamson. *Alison Bellenden, married John Acheson. One of his daughters was married in October 1564 and Mary, Queen of Scots and her four Maries attended the wedding.Joseph Bain, ''Calendar State Papers Scotland'', vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), p. 88.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bellenden, Thomas 16th-century Scottish people Court of James V of Scotland Scottish diplomats Lords Justice Clerk 1480s births 1540s deaths Ambassadors of Scotland to England University of Paris alumni Kingdom of Scotland expatriates in France