Alexander Home, 3rd Lord Home (died 1516) was a
Scottish soldier and nobleman,
Chamberlain of Scotland
Holders of the office of Lord Chamberlain of Scotland are known from about 1124.
It was ranked by King Malcolm as the third great Officer of State, called ''Camerarius Domini Regis'', and had a salary of £200 per annum allotted to him. He ancien ...
and
Warden of the Eastern March. He fought at the
Battle of Flodden
The Battle of Flodden, Flodden Field, or occasionally Branxton or Brainston Moor was fought on 9 September 1513 during the War of the League of Cambrai between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland and resulted in an English victory ...
where his forces defeated the English right wing before the Scottish army was destroyed. After the battle, he resisted the regency of
John Stewart, Duke of Albany
John Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany (8 July 1482 – 2 June 1536) was the regent of the Kingdom of Scotland and the count of Auvergne and Lauraguais in France.
Early life
John was a son of Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany, son of King James I ...
and was captured and executed for rebellion.
Life
Home was the son of
Alexander Home, 2nd Lord Home, by Nicholace Ker, a daughter of George Ker of
Samuelston
Samuelston (Scots language, Scots: ''Sammelstoun'') is a small town just outside of Haddington, East Lothian. It has a population of 957.
George Ker, laird of Samuelston, supervised building work at the church of Ladykirk, Scottish Borders, Lady ...
. His father was
Great Chamberlain to
James IV of Scotland
James IV (17 March 1473 – 9 September 1513) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Scotland from 11 June 1488 until his death at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. He inherited the throne at the age of fifteen on the death of his father, James I ...
from 7 October 1488.
Alexander succeeded his father as
Lord Home,
Chamberlain and Warden of the
Eastern and Middle Marches in 1506, and was confirmed in these honours by royal charter in February 1510. In 1507 he bought the lands and burgh of
Gordon from the
Earl of Huntly.
In August 1513 Home led 3000
Border horsemen on a raid into
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. En route back to Scotland laden with booty, his force was ambushed by
William Bulmer of
Brancepeth Castle at
Milfield, and was routed, losing 1000 men and his
standard. Home himself escaped but his brother
George Home was captured.
A month later, on 9 September, Home's horsemen were part of the Scottish force that fought at the
Battle of Flodden
The Battle of Flodden, Flodden Field, or occasionally Branxton or Brainston Moor was fought on 9 September 1513 during the War of the League of Cambrai between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland and resulted in an English victory ...
. Home and the Earl of Huntly's contingent formed the vanguard of the Scottish army. Despite the outcome of that day, Home's men defeated the right wing of the English army led by
Edmund Howard. Home escaped the slaughter, though leaving many of his kinsmen on the field. He attempted unsuccessfully to recapture the taken Scottish artillery some days later.
Doun wi' Lord Hume
After the death of
James IV of Scotland
James IV (17 March 1473 – 9 September 1513) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Scotland from 11 June 1488 until his death at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. He inherited the throne at the age of fifteen on the death of his father, James I ...
at Flodden, Lord Home did not accept the rule of
Regent Albany. Although he had supported the appointment of Albany as governor, a legend says that when they first met at
Dumbarton Castle
Dumbarton Castle (, ; ) 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
Dumbarton Rock was forme ...
, the Regent joked about Lord Home's small stature, quoting ''minuit praesentia famam'' meaning 'the appearance doesn't live up to report.' Their relationship deteriorated, and Home wrote to
Lord Dacre in England in August 1515 saying that Albany wished him exiled from Scotland and
Margaret Tudor
Margaret Tudor (28 November 1489 – 18 October 1541) was List of Scottish royal consorts, 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 fought to exte ...
agreed. He hoped for English help. Albany captured
Hume Castle in September and ordered Home to meet him at
Dunglass. There, Lord Home was arrested and taken to
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age. There has been a royal castle on the rock since the reign of Malcol ...
. His jailer was his brother-in-law, the
Earl of Arran. Home persuaded Arran to escape with him and they joined another rebel, the
Earl of Angus
The Mormaer or Earl of Angus was the ruler of the medieval Scottish Provinces of Scotland, province of Angus, Scotland, Angus. The title, in the Peerage of Scotland, is held by the Duke of Hamilton, and is used as a courtesy title for the eldes ...
, on the borders. In Glasgow they captured ammunition sent by
Francis I of France
Francis I (; ; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin once removed and father-in-law Louis&nbs ...
and threw it down a well. Home attacked
Dunbar Castle
Dunbar Castle was one of the strongest fortresses in Scotland, situated in a prominent position overlooking the Dunbar Harbour, harbour of the town of Dunbar, in East Lothian. Several fortifications were built successively on the site, near th ...
, then captured the Chief Herald, the
Lyon King of Arms at
Coldstream
Coldstream () is a town and civil parishes in Scotland, civil parish in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. A former burgh, Coldstream was where the Coldstream Guards, a regiment in the British Army, originated.
Description
Coldstream li ...
and held him ransom for his mother who was a prisoner of Albany's lieutenant
Antoine d'Arces.
After offering a pardon, Albany invited Home and his brother William to
Holyroodhouse. They were arrested and William was imprisoned on the island fortress of
Inchgarvie. Lord Home was accused of the murder of James IV at Flodden, then of failing to prevent English re-fortification at
Norham Castle. Finally he and William were charged with rebellion against Albany and beheaded, and their heads displayed on the gable of
Edinburgh Tolbooth.
Marriage and issue
Lord Home married
Lady Agnes Stewart, daughter of
James Stewart, 1st Earl of Buchan and Margaret Murray. She was the widow of
Adam Hepburn, 2nd Earl of Bothwell and owner of
Crichton Castle. They had a daughter:
*Janet Home, who married John Hamilton of Samuelston (aka Clydesdale John), illegitimate son of
James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran by his mistress, Beatrix Drummond.
Home also fathered several illegitimate children:
*John Home
*Alison Home
*Isabel Home
Lord Home was eventually succeeded, following the reversal of his forfeiture, by his brother,
George Home, 4th Lord Home.
[Balfour Paul, vol iv, pp 456-458]
References
Sources
James Balfour Paul, Balfour Paul, Sir J., ''Scots Peerage'' IX vols. Edinburgh 1904.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Home, Alexander
1516 deaths
Nobility from the Scottish Borders
Court of James IV of Scotland
Lord high chamberlains of Scotland
16th-century executions by Scotland
Year of birth unknown
Executed Scottish nobility
People executed by the Kingdom of Scotland by decapitation
Scottish politicians convicted of crimes
Lords of Parliament (pre-1707)
15th-century Scottish nobility
16th-century Scottish peers