Robert Baillie (known as Baillie of Jerviswood; 24 December 1684) was a Scottish conspirator incriminated in the

Rye House Plot The Rye House Plot of 1683 was a plan to assassinate King Charles II of England and his brother (and heir to the throne) James, Duke of York. The royal party went from Westminster to Newmarket to see horse races and were expected to make the ...

against King Charles II. He was executed for

treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...

. 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 Mellerstain House is a stately home around north of Kelso in the Borders, Scotland. It is currently the home of the 14th Earl of Haddington, and is a historical monument of Scotland. History The older house or castle at Mellerstain included ...

in 1643, under

Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...

. He incurred the resentment of the Scottish government by rescuing, in June 1676, his brother-in-law James Kirkton, a

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Reformation of 1560, when it split from the Catholic Church ...

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 )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

, 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 Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranke ...

, 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 Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

Bishop Burnet Gilbert Burnet (18 September 1643 – 17 March 1715) was a Scottish philosopher and historian, and Bishop of Salisbury. He was fluent in Dutch, French, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Burnet was highly respected as a cleric, a preacher, an academic, ...

, 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." He married a sister of Lord Warriston, and left a son,

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 Presid ...

, who took refuge in

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...

, afterwards returning with William III 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