Patrick Hepburn, 3rd Earl of Bothwell (1512 – September 1556) was the son of
Adam Hepburn, Lord Hailes, who died 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 ...
the year after Patrick's birth.
Hepburn was known as the ''Fair Earl''. He owed this more to his looks than his character, being described as "fair and white" while a young boy.
He was imprisoned in 1529 for two years for harbouring robbers. Once released he decided to exact revenge by beginning a treasonable correspondence with
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 ...
. He then spent much of the next years in England, and after
James V
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 King James IV a ...
died following the
Battle of Solway Moss
The Battle of Solway Moss took place on Solway Moss near the River Esk on the English side of the Anglo-Scottish border in November 1542 between English and Scottish forces.
The Scottish King James V had refused to break from the Catholic Chu ...
, Hepburn signed a pact with
Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
promising to serve him and aid the commitment of the then infant
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 ...
, into Henry's custody.
Despite having sworn loyalty to Henry VIII, Hepburn was awarded an annual pension of £1,000 from
Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise (; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was List of Scottish royal consorts, Queen of Scotland from 1538 until 1542, as the second wife of King James V. She was a French people, French noblewoman of the ...
(Mary, Queen of Scots' mother) in return for his patriotic fidelity. It was said that Hepburn believed there was the possibility of marrying into royalty and that was his reason for divorcing his wife. However, the prospects for royal marriage were thin and despite Henry VIII engaging in another bloody invasion of Scotland, Hepburn resumed correspondence with the English Court. In the intervening years, Hepburn apprehended
George Wishart in January 1546, who was put on trial for heresy and executed at
St Andrews
St Andrews (; ; , pronounced ʰʲɪʎˈrˠiː.ɪɲ is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fourth-largest settleme ...
on 1 March 1546.
In 1548, Hepburn renounced his loyalty to the Scottish crown, and became a pensioner of England, earning 3,000 crowns annually. He went into England in July 1549, staying two nights at
Naworth Castle
Naworth Castle, also known or recorded in historical documents as "Naward", is a castle in Cumbria, England, near the town of Brampton, Carlisle, Brampton. It is adjacent to the A69 road (England), A69 road from Newcastle upon Tyne to Carlisle, ...
. However, in November 1553 he returned to Scotland after his formal pardon by
Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise (; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was List of Scottish royal consorts, Queen of Scotland from 1538 until 1542, as the second wife of King James V. She was a French people, French noblewoman of the ...
. He died at
Dumfries
Dumfries ( ; ; from ) is a market town and former royal burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, near the mouth of the River Nith on the Solway Firth, from the Anglo-Scottish border. Dumfries is the county town of the Counties of Scotland, ...
.
Marriage and family
In 1534, The Earl of Bothwell married in Agnes Sinclair, daughter of
Henry Sinclair, 4th Lord Sinclair (who also fell at Flodden). They were divorced before 16 October 1543, whereafter she was styled Countess of Bothwell and Lady
Morham
Morham, East Lothian, sometimes spelt Moram, Morum, or Morhame in old records, is the smallest (agricultural) parish in Scotland, sandwiched between five other parishes: Haddington, East Lothian, Haddington, Garvald, East Lothian, Garvald, Yester ...
until her death in 1572. She used a signature "Agnes Lady Moram". Her will was witnessed by the goldsmith
James Mosman and others.
["Letters of Assedation to Agnes Countess of Bothwell", ''Bannatyne Miscellany'', 3 (Edinburgh, 1855), p. 304.]
They had three children:
*
James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell
James Hepburn, 1st Duke of Orkney and 4th Earl of Bothwell ( – 14 April 1578), better known simply as Lord Bothwell, was the third husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. He was accused of the murder of Mary's second husband, Henry Stuart, Lord ...
, his son and heir, who eventually became the third and last husband 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 ...
.
*
Jean (Janet) Hepburn (d. before 27 July 1599) whose first husband was John Sinclair, Master of Caithness (d.1578, v.p.), with issue; her second husband was
John Stewart, Commendator of Coldingham
John Stewart, Commendator of Coldingham (1531–1563) was a Scottish landowner.
He was a son of Elizabeth Carmichael (1514–1550) and James V of Scotland.
His mother later married John Somerville of Cambusnethan.
Career
As a child, John Stewa ...
, by whom she had
Francis Stewart, 5th Earl of Bothwell; her third husband the notorious
Archibald Douglas, Parson of Douglas, a Senator of the
College of Justice
The College of Justice () includes the Supreme Courts of Scotland, and its associated bodies. The constituent bodies of the national supreme courts are the Court of Session, the High Court of Justiciary, the Office of the Accountant of Court, ...
, and brother of
William Douglas of Whittinghame.
References
*''The Royal Families of England Scotland and Wales, with their descendants'', etc., by John and John Bernard Burke, London, 1848, volume 1, pedigree CXXXIX.
*''The Scots Peerage'', by Sir
James Balfour Paul
Sir James Balfour Paul (16 November 1846 – 15 September 1931) was the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the officer responsible for heraldry in Scotland, from 1890 until the end of 1926.
Life
James Balfour Paul was educated at Royal High School, Edinbur ...
, Edinburgh, 1905, vol. 1, pp. 157–160.
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hepburn, Patrick 3rd Earl of Bothwell
Hepburn, Patrick, 3rd Earl of Bothwell
Hepburn, Patrick, 3rd Earl of Bothwell
Earls of Bothwell
Hepburn, Patrick, 3rd Earl of Bothwell
Hepburn, Patrick, 3rd Earl of Bothwell
Hepburn, Patrick, 3rd Earl of Bothwell
16th-century Scottish military personnel