Robert Ker, 1st Earl of Roxburghe (1650) was a Scottish
nobleman
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteris ...
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 S ...
, both at
Carberry Hill
The Battle of Carberry Hill took place on 15 June 1567, near Musselburgh, East Lothian, a few miles east of Edinburgh, Scotland. A number of Scottish lords objected to the rule of Mary, Queen of Scots, after she had married the Earl of Bothwel ...
and at
Langside
Langside is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated south of the River Clyde, and lies east of Shawlands, south of Queens Park, west of Cathcart and north of Newlands. The district is residential and primarily middle-class, ...
.
Career
He was knighted on 17 May 1590 at the
coronation
A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the presentation of ot ...
of
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 from their marriage on 20 August 1589 and Queen of England and Ireland from the union of the Scottish and Eng ...
. In December 1590 he was involved in the assassination of William Kerr of Ancram who was ambushed on the stairs at the entry to his lodging by two of Robert's followers who shot him with a pistol called a "dag".
Ker had married Margaret Maitland, a niece of the Chancellor, John Maitland of
Thirlestane
Thirlestane Castle is a castle set in extensive parklands near Lauder in the Borders of Scotland. The site is aptly named Castle Hill, as it stands upon raised ground. However, the raised land is within Lauderdale, the valley of the Leader Wate ...
. In 1592 Ker was able to help Maitland into the favour of Anne of Denmark.
Ker was Deputy Keeper of
Liddesdale
Liddesdale, the valley of the Liddel Water, in the County of Roxburgh, southern Scotland, extends in a south-westerly direction from the vicinity of Peel Fell to the River Esk, a distance of . The Waverley route of the North British Railway runs ...
Prince Henry Prince Henry (or Prince Harry) may refer to:
People
*Henry the Young King (1155–1183), son of Henry II of England, who was crowned king but predeceased his father
*Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal (1394–1460)
*Henry, Duke of Cornwall (Ja ...
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 ...
against Bothwell. In 1598 he was sent to England and kept by the
Archbishop of York
The archbishop of York is a senior bishop in the Church of England, second only to the archbishop of Canterbury. The archbishop is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and the metropolitan bishop of the province of York, which covers th ...
Privy Council of Scotland
The Privy Council of Scotland ( — 1 May 1708) was a body that advised the Scottish monarch. In the range of its functions the council was often more important than the Estates in the running the country. Its registers include a wide range of m ...
from 1599, and was created Lord Roxburghe in 1600. In April 1601 Roxburghe invited James VI and his consort Anne of Denmark to the celebration of the marriage of his sister Elizabeth to Sir John Bellenden of Broughton at
Floors Castle
Floors Castle, in Roxburghshire, south-east Scotland, is the seat of the Duke of Roxburghe. Despite its name it is an estate house rather than a fortress. It was built in the 1720s by the architect William Adam for Duke John, possibly incorporat ...
, but the king refused, suspecting a plot involving the Master of Gray.
In September 1602, he visited
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is ...
.
Sir Robert Cecil
Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, (1 June 156324 May 1612), was an English statesman noted for his direction of the government during the Union of the Crowns, as Tudor England gave way to Stuart rule (1603). Lord Salisbury served as the ...
wrote that he was "of as wise and gallant fashion as I have seen out of Scotland a great while." He accompanied King James to London in 1603. Ker succeeded to his father's estates in 1606 and in 1607, he was a Gentleman of the Bedchamber.
On 18 September 1616, he was created Lord Ker of Cessford and Caverton, and Earl of Roxburghe with remainder to his heirs male.
He offended decorum at court in April 1625, when the body of King James was bought from
Theobalds
Theobalds House (also known as Theobalds Palace) in the parish of Cheshunt in the English county of Hertfordshire, was a significant stately home and (later) royal palace of the 16th and early 17th centuries. Set in extensive parkland, it was a r ...
it was noticed that the Earls of
Morton Morton may refer to:
People
* Morton (surname)
* Morton (given name)
Fictional
* Morton Koopa, Jr., a character and boss in ''Super Mario Bros. 3''
* A character in the ''Charlie and Lola'' franchise
* A character in the 2008 film '' Horton H ...
and Roxburghe were not in attendance, but went to be "merry" at More Park with
Lucy Russell, Countess of Bedford
Lucy Russell, Countess of Bedford ( Harington; 1580–1627) was a major aristocratic patron of the arts and literature in the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras, the primary non-royal performer in contemporary court masques, a letter-writer, and a ...
.
He was appointed
Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland
The office of Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland, one of the Great Officers of State, first appears in the reign of David II. After the Act of Union 1707 its holder was normally a peer, like the Keeper of the Great Seal. The office has re ...
in 1637.
He subscribed to the King's
Covenant
Covenant may refer to:
Religion
* Covenant (religion), a formal alliance or agreement made by God with a religious community or with humanity in general
** Covenant (biblical), in the Hebrew Bible
** Covenant in Mormonism, a sacred agreement b ...
at Holyrood in 1638, and joined the King's party in the
civil war
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
. When the King attempted to arrest five members of the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
in 1642, Ker kept the door of the chamber open (see article on
William Lenthall
William Lenthall (1591–1662) was an English politician of the English Civil War, Civil War period. He served as Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom), Speaker of the House of Commons for a period of almost twenty years, both before ...
). He supported the "Engagement" for the King's rescue in 1648, and was consequently deprived of his office as Keeper of the Privy Seal in 1649.
Personal life
The Earl of Roxburghe married three times. His first marriage was on 27 October 1587 to Margaret Maitland (died by 1613), the only daughter of
William Maitland of Lethington
William Maitland of Lethington (15259 June 1573) was a Scottish politician and reformer, and the eldest son of poet Richard Maitland.
Life
He was educated at the University of St Andrews.
William was the renowned "Secretary Lethington" to ...
and
Mary Fleming
Mary Fleming () (1542–fl. 1581) was a Scottish noblewoman and childhood companion and cousin of Mary, Queen of Scots. She and three other ladies-in-waiting (Mary Livingston, Mary Beaton and Mary Seton) were collectively known as "The Four Ma ...
(a granddaughter of King James IV ) who was one of the "Four Maries", the devoted companions of the Queen of the Scots. They were the parents of:
* William Ker, styled Lord Ker, Commendator of Kelso Abbey (d. 1643), who died before Lord Ker.
* Jean Ker, who married
John Drummond, 2nd Earl of Perth
John Drummond, 2nd Earl of Perth (1588–1662) was a Scottish nobleman.
Career
Drummond was the son of Patrick Drummond, 3rd Lord Drummond and Lady Elizabeth Lindsay. He succeeded to his father's title of 4th Lord Drummond in 1602
Drummond wro ...
.
* Isabel Ker, who married
James Scrymgeour, 2nd Viscount of Dudhope
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 ...
.
* Mary Ker, who married Sir James Haliburton of Pitcur (son of
Sir James Halyburton
Sir James Halyburton or Haliburton of Pitcur was a Scottish landowner and politician.
Biography
He was the son of Sir George Halyburton of Pitcur and a great-nephew of James Halyburton, tutor of Pitcur.James Carnegie, 2nd Earl of Southesk (parents of
Robert Carnegie, 3rd Earl of Southesk
Robert Carnegie, 3rd Earl of Southesk (b. before 1649–1688) was a Scottish nobleman.
Life
Commissioned as a captain in Louis XIV's Scottish Guards (France), Scottish Guards at Chantilly, Oise, France in 1659, he was later a colonel in the Angus, ...
David Lindsay, 9th Earl of Crawford
David Lindsay, 9th Earl of Crawford (died 10 September 1558) was a Scottish peer and Member of Parliament.
First known as David Lindsay of Edzell, he inherited the earldom from David Lindsay, 8th Earl of Crawford by nomination. His second wife ...
). They had one son:
* Harry Ker, styled Lord Ker (d. 1642/3), who married, in 1638, Lady Margaret Hay, only daughter of
William Hay, 10th Earl of Erroll
William Hay, 10th Earl of Erroll PC (before 1597 – 7 December 1636) was a Scottish nobleman.
Biography
He was the eldest son of Francis Hay, 9th Earl of Erroll by his third wife, Lady Elizabeth, daughter of William Douglas, 6th Earl ...
and Lady Anne Lyon (eldest daughter of
Patrick Lyon, 1st Earl of Kinghorne
Patrick Lyon, 1st Earl of Kinghorne (1615) was a Scottish landowner.
Patrick Lyon was the son of John Lyon, 8th Lord Glamis and Elizabeth Abernethy, only daughter of Alexander Abernethy, 6th Lord Saltoun.
His father was killed in 1578 by a gunsho ...
). After his death, his widow married
John Kennedy, 6th Earl of Cassilis
John Kennedy, 6th Earl of Cassilis, PC (died April 1668) was a Scottish peer, the grandson of Gilbert Kennedy, 4th Earl of Cassilis, and nephew of John Kennedy, 5th Earl of Cassilis. He succeeded to the titles of 8th Lord Kennedy and 6th Earl ...
.
After his second wife's death in 1643, he married Lady Isobel Douglas, fifth daughter of
William Douglas, 7th Earl of Morton
William Douglas, 7th Earl of Morton (1582 – 7 August 1648) was a grandson of the 6th Earl of Morton. He was Treasurer of Scotland, and a zealous Royalist.
Life
He was the son of Robert Douglas, Master of Morton, and Jean Lyon, daughter of ...
, by his wife Lady Anne Keith (eldest daughter of
George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal
George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal (c. 1553–1623) was a Scottish nobleman and Earl Marischal. He succeeded as earl on 7 October 1581, upon the death of his grandfather, William Keith, 4th Earl Marischal.
Early life
George Keith was the s ...
).
He died at
Floors
A floor is the bottom surface of a room or vehicle. Floors vary from simple dirt in a cave to many layered surfaces made with modern technology. Floors may be stone, wood, bamboo, metal or any other material that can support the expected load ...
, his residence near Kelso, on 18 January 1650. After his death, his widow married
James Graham, 2nd Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 2nd Marquess of Montrose ( – February 1669) was a Scottish nobleman and judge, surnamed the "Good" Marquess.
Early life
He was the second son of James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose, by his wife, Lady Magdalene Carnegie, daugh ...
and became the mother of
James Graham, 3rd Marquess of Montrose
Duke of Montrose (named for Montrose, Angus) is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Scotland. The title was created anew in 1707, for James Graham, 1st Duke of Montrose, James Graham, 4th Marquess of Montrose, great-grandson o ...
.
His will mentions a chain of diamonds and rubies, with a "picture case" or locket containing the miniature portrait of
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 from their marriage on 20 August 1589 and Queen of England and Ireland from the union of the Scottish and Eng ...
, set with diamonds, the central larger stone was heart shaped. He owned a "valentine set with diamonds" with a crown and the picture of
Charles I of England
Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. He was born into the House of Stuart as the second son of King James VI of Scotland, but after hi ...
as Duke of York.
Maria Hayward
Maria Hayward is an English historian of costume and early modern Britain.
She is a professor of history at the University of Southampton
, mottoeng = The Heights Yield to Endeavour
, type = Public researc ...
, ''Stuart Style'' (Yale, 2020), pp. 215-6. These jewels had probably been gifts to his wife from the queen.
Title and estate
As both of his sons predeceased him without male issue of their own, his titles and estates passed by special arrangement to his grandson, William Drummond (1622–1675), the youngest son of his eldest daughter Jean and her husband
John Drummond, 2nd Earl of Perth
John Drummond, 2nd Earl of Perth (1588–1662) was a Scottish nobleman.
Career
Drummond was the son of Patrick Drummond, 3rd Lord Drummond and Lady Elizabeth Lindsay. He succeeded to his father's title of 4th Lord Drummond in 1602
Drummond wro ...
. William took the name of Ker, became 2nd Earl of Roxburghe, and married his cousin, Lord Ker's daughter Jean.