Patrick Gray, 6th Lord Gray (died 1612), known most of his life as Patrick, Master of Gray, was a Scottish nobleman and politician during the reigns of

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 List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...

and

James VI of Scotland James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...

Early life

Patrick Gray, the son of Patrick Gray, 5th Lord Gray, and of his wife Barbara (a daughter of

William Ruthven, 2nd Lord Ruthven William Ruthven, 2nd Lord Ruthven (died December 1552) was a Scottish nobleman. He served as an Extraordinary Lord of Session and Keeper of the Privy Seal. Life The 2nd Lord Ruthven was the son of William, Master of Ruthven (who was known as ...

) grew up as a

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

and attended the

University of Glasgow The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as ''Glas.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals; ) is a Public university, public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in , it is the List of oldest universities in continuous ...

. In 1575 he married Elizabeth Lyon, daughter of

John Lyon, 8th Lord Glamis John Lyon, 8th Lord Glamis (died 1578) was a Scottish nobleman, judge and Lord High Chancellor of Scotland. Life He was the eldest son of John Lyon, 7th Lord Glamis, by his wife, Janet Keith, daughter of Robert Keith, Master of Marischal, and si ...

, a marriage that failed shortly afterwards. Patrick traveled to France, converted to

Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

and became a supporter of

(died 1587).

Political life

On his return to Scotland in 1583, Patrick gained notability as a political schemer and diplomat, endearing himself to the young King James whilst he plotted with

James Stewart, Earl of Arran Captain James Stewart, Earl of Arran (died 1595) was created Earl of Arran by the young King James VI, who wrested the title from James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran. He rose to become Lord Chancellor of Scotland and was eventually murdered in 1 ...

to keep Mary in prison and frustate Mary's plan for an " associated rule". In October 1584, Gray was appointed a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber and made Master of the King's wardrobe and menagerie, in charge of the king's jewels, clothing and

tapestry Tapestry is a form of Textile arts, textile art which was traditionally Weaving, woven by hand on a loom. Normally it is used to create images rather than patterns. Tapestry is relatively fragile, and difficult to make, so most historical piece ...

, and the employment of tailors and shoemakers. Gray received a New Year's Day gift of silver plate from

Elizabeth I 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. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudo ...

in January 1585. On 20 July 1585, the Master of Gray married Lady Mary Stewart, daughter of

Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney and Lord of Zetland (Shetland) (spring of 1533 – 4 February 1593) was a recognised illegitimate son of James V, King of Scotland, and his mistress Eupheme Elphinstone. Robert Stewart was half-brother to M ...

and cousin to King James. The marriage was attended by most people at court except the followers of the Earl of Arran. Mary, Mistress of Gray, was a friend of Jean Stewart, Countess of Argyll, who left her a gown of cloth of gold, a black velvet gown with gold trim, and scented 'must' beads in 1588. Gray thought of joining

Philip Sidney Sir Philip Sidney (30 November 1554 – 17 October 1586) was an English poet, courtier, scholar and soldier who is remembered as one of the most prominent figures of the Elizabethan era, Elizabethan age. His works include a sonnet sequence, ' ...

Vlissingen Vlissingen (; ) is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands on the island of Walcheren. With its strategic location between the Scheldt river and the North Sea, Vlissingen has been an importan ...

in April 1586, fighting against the Spanish with 2,000 or more Scottish recruits. Sidney advised Thomas Mills, a diplomat in Scotland, that Gray might wait until the English force was better established. The

Earl of Leicester Earl of Leicester is a title that has been created seven times. The first title was granted during the 12th century in the Peerage of England. The current title is in the Peerage of the United Kingdom and was created in 1837. History Earl ...

had doubts about accepting Gray's offer and involvement. Gray was sent by James VI as Scottish Ambassador to England with

William Keith of Delny Sir William Keith of Delny (died 1599) was a Scottish courtier and Master of the Royal Wardrobe. He also served as ambassador for James VI to various countries. He was an important intermediary between George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal and the king ...

, Robert Melville, and Alexander Stewart to broker with

over the fate of Mary, Queen of Scots. Their speeches and manner of mediation were said to have been counterproductive. On his return to Scotland, after the execution of Mary, Patrick was declared a traitor and jailed and later banished from Scotland. He was charged with hindering the king's plan to marry a Danish princess. James VI forgave Patrick and allowed him to return to Scotland in 1589, restoring his offices to him, but the Master of Gray continued his scheming career implicating himself in a number of intrigues and plots. In 1589, William Cecil hoped to prevent the marriage of James VI and

Anne of Denmark Anne of Denmark (; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I. She was List of Scottish royal consorts, Queen of Scotland from their marriage on 20 August 1589 and List of English royal consorts, Queen of Engl ...

. Gray wrote to Cecil on 5 June that the

Chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

, John Maitland would be reluctant to frustrate the king's marriage plan. In Edinburgh, supporters of the Danish marriage had protested before Lord Hamilton, who advocated that James marry

Catherine de Bourbon Catherine of Bourbon (7 February 1559 – 13 February 1604) was a Navarrese princess regent. She was the daughter of Queen Jeanne III of Navarre and King Antoine de Bourbon. She ruled the principality of Béarn in the name of her brother, ...

. The

Earl Marischal The title of Earl Marischal was created in the Peerage of Scotland for William Keith, the Great Marischal of Scotland. History The office of Marischal of Scotland (or ''Marascallus Scotie'' or ''Marscallus Scotiae'') had been hereditary, held ...

had already received money from the English subsidy sent by

for his voyage to Denmark to complete the marriage. Gray still held out hopes that James could be persuaded to abandon his wedding plan. It was said that Gray met the rebel

Earl of Bothwell Earl of Bothwell was a title that was created twice in the Peerage of Scotland. It was first created for Patrick Hepburn in 1488, and was forfeited in 1567. Subsequently, the earldom was recreated for the 4th Earl's nephew and heir of line, F ...

and John Colville on 28 July 1592 at "Gubriell", a house belonging to the Earl Marischal near Dunfermline, and afterwards went to England. Gray and his wife were invited to the baptism of Prince Henry at

Stirling Castle Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most historically and architecturally important castles in Scotland. The castle sits atop an Intrusive rock, intrusive Crag and tail, crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill ge ...

in August 1594. In August 1595, Gray seems to have been serving as keeper of Prince Henry's wardrobe, and took delivery of a little coffer worth £8 Scots for the Prince's clothes. On 3 May 1598, the

Duke of Holstein The Duchy of Holstein (; ) was the northernmost state of the Holy Roman Empire, located in the present German state of Schleswig-Holstein. It originated when King Christian I of Denmark had his County of Holstein-Rendsburg elevated to a duchy by ...

, brother of

, came to Fowlis Castle for dinner during his progress, escorted by

William Schaw William Schaw (c. 1550–1602) was Masters of Work to the Crown of Scotland, Master of Works to James VI of Scotland and Anne of Denmark for building castles and palaces, and is claimed to have been an important figure in the development of Free ...

. Lord Gray was ordered by James VI to meet him six miles from the castle. In November 1598, the Master of Gray was travelling in

Picardy Picardy (; Picard language, Picard and , , ) is a historical and cultural territory and a former regions of France, administrative region located in northern France. The first mentions of this province date back to the Middle Ages: it gained it ...

then visited the

Earl of Gowrie Earl of Gowrie is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Scotland and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, both times for members of the Ruthven family. It takes its name from Gowrie, a historical region and ancient ...

Orléans Orléans (,"Orleans"
(US) and Esmé Stewart's widow, Catherine de Balsac, at

Aubigny-sur-Nère Aubigny-sur-Nère () is a town and commune in the Cher department in the administrative region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. Geography An area of forestry and farming surrounding a small light industrial town, situated in the valley of the ...

, who feared that her son, Ludovic Stewart, 2nd

Duke of Lennox The title Duke of Lennox has been created several times in the peerage of Scotland, for Clan Stewart of Darnley. The dukedom, named for the district of Lennox in Dumbarton Dumbarton (; , or ; or , meaning 'fort of the Britons (histo ...

was plotting with Henry Kier, (a Catholic agent). Gray was trying to secure Lennox's inheritance. He had an audience with

Henry IV of France Henry IV (; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry (''le Bon Roi Henri'') or Henry the Great (''Henri le Grand''), was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 16 ...

, who was waiting for James VI to send him Scottish hunting hounds. In a letter of November 1600, Gray described the aftermath of the

Gowrie Conspiracy The Gowrie conspiracy was a series of events unfolding in Scotland on 5 August 1600. Although the facts of the actual attack and deaths of the Ruthvens are known, the circumstances by which that sequence of events came about remain a mystery. Ruthv ...

. The Ruthven family were ordered to change their surname, and the House of Ruthven near Perth was renamed as Huntingtower. Some suspicion had fallen on

, and some people would be removed from her household after the birth of her child (

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...

). In May 1601, John Erskine, Earl of Mar and

Edward Bruce Edward Bruce, Earl of Carrick (Norman French: ; ; Modern Scottish Gaelic: or ; 1280 – 14 October 1318), was a younger brother of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots. He supported his brother in the 1306–1314 struggle for the Scottish cro ...

, Commendator of Kinloss returned from an embassy to London. Although they had reached an understanding on the succession of James VI to the throne of England, it was kept secret. The apparent lack of achievement was seen as an opportunity for Mar's political opponents to supplant him, and the Master of Gray attempted to gain the confidence of Robert Cecil in England. Cecil, however, did not even tell Gray of his secret correspondence with the Scottish King. Gray was also involved in a coalition of

and the Duke of Lennox against Mar. In September 1602, Anne of Denmark and Gray entertained Anne de Gondi, the wife of French ambassador the Baron de Tour, at

Falkland Palace Falkland Palace, in Falkland, Fife, Scotland, is a royal palace of the Scottish kings. It was one of the favourite places of Mary, Queen of Scots, who took refuge there from political and religious turmoil of her times. Today it is under th ...

, while he went on a progress with the king. Lord Henry Howard noted that Gray had spent this time with Queen Anne and it affected the conceit in his writing style. He wrote in August 1605 to the

Earl of Salisbury Earl of Salisbury is a title that has been created several times in English and British history. It has a complex history and is now a subsidiary title to the marquessate of Salisbury. Background The title was first created for Patrick de Sa ...

that his son, who had been in France for his health, would soon come to court in London with his uncle, the Master of Orkney, at the invitation of

George Home, Earl of Dunbar George Home, 1st Earl of Dunbar (ca. 155620 January 1611) was, in the last decade of his life, the most prominent and most influential Scotsman in England. His work lay in the King's Household and in the control of the State Affairs of Scotland ...

. Patrick became 6th Lord Gray on his father's death in 1609, three years before his own death in 1612. He was succeeded by his son

Andrew Gray, 7th Lord Gray Lord Gray is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. The Barony of Gray was created circa July 1445 for the Scottish diplomat and politician Sir Andrew Gray. The first Lord Gray was a hostage in England for the good conduct of James I of Scotland f ...

Gray and the royal wardrobe

The expenses of the Scottish royal wardrobe on rich fabrics were very large. James VI used funds from an annual subsidy sent by Elizabeth I. An Edinburgh merchant,

Robert Jousie Robert Jousie (or Joussie or Jowsie or Jossie; died 1626) was a Scottish textile merchant, financier, and courtier. He was involved in the collection and administration of the English subsidy of James VI. Jousie supplied fabrics used at the bapt ...

, and a goldsmith,

Thomas Foulis Thomas Foulis (floruit, fl. 1580–1628) was a Scottish goldsmith, mine entrepreneur, and royal financier. Thomas Foulis was an Edinburgh goldsmith and financier, and was involved in the mint and coinage, gold and lead mining, and from May 1591 t ...

, managed the accounts. After the

Union of the Crowns The Union of the Crowns (; ) was the accession of James VI of Scotland to the throne of the Kingdom of England as James I and the practical unification of some functions (such as overseas diplomacy) of the two separate realms under a single ...

, in August 1604, King James indicated that Robert Jousie and one of the king's tailor's Alexander Miller were owed money by the Master of Gray for an old debt from the 1580s. Gray sent his receipts to Lord Cecil to show that he did not owe any money. An undated letter from the Master of Gray requested some purchases in London, including a sword and a dagger with "black guards not long", a black panache for a woman, gold and silver thread of the greatest sort, for gentlewomen to sew with, tapestry to hang two chambers, and a Venice hat for his wife. Gray asked for a silver basin and jug, the lightest (and cheapest) and gilded only on the borders. His correspondent was to bring home the jewels if they were ready, and Gray would reimburse him for everything.

Family

Gray married secondly, on 20 July 1585, Mary Stewart, a daughter of

. Their children included: * Elizabeth Gray, (b. 1586). * Andrew Gray, 7th Lord Gray * Jean Gray (d. 1639), married

John Wemyss, 1st Earl of Wemyss John Wemyss, 1st Earl of Wemyss (1586–1649) was a Scottish politician. He was a son of Sir John Wemyss and Margaret Douglas, a daughter of William Douglas, 6th Earl of Morton, Sir William Douglas of Lochleven Castle, Lochleven. His home was Wem ...

* Agnes Gray, Countess of Menteith (d. 1667), married

William Graham, 7th Earl of Menteith William Graham, 7th Earl of Menteith, 1st Earl of Airth (–1661), was a 17th-century Scottish nobleman. A supporter of King Charles I, he held offices including Lord President of the Court of Session and was a Privy Counsellor. Although he ...

In September 1597

was planning her formal entry to Dundee and she wrote to Mary Stewart, Mistress of Gray to meet her in Perth and accompany her to Dundee.''Papers of the Master of Gray'' (Edinburgh, 1835), Appendix p. xiv
see also HMC 2nd Report.

Literature

The author

Nigel Tranter Nigel Tranter OBE (23 November 1909 – 9 January 2000) was a writer of a wide range of books on history and architecture, both fiction and non-fiction. He was best-known for his popular and well-researched historical novels, covering centurie ...

wrote the historical novels The Master of Gray trilogy ''Lord and Master'', ''The Courtesan'' and ''Past Master'' about Patrick, 6th Lord Gray.

References

External links

''Letters and Papers relating to Patrick, Master of Gray'', Bannatyne Club, Edinburgh, (1835)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gray, Patrick, 6th Lord Gray Year of birth missing 1612 deaths Nobility from Angus, Scotland Alumni of the University of Glasgow Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber Lords of Parliament (pre-1707) Lords Gray People of Falkland Palace 16th-century Scottish politicians 17th-century Scottish politicians