Anne Hamilton, Countess of Huntly
Encyclopedia
Anne Hamilton, Countess of Huntly (c.1535 – after 17 April 1574), was a Scottish noblewoman and a member of the powerful Hamilton family which had a strong claim to the Scottish crown. Her father James Hamilton, Duke of Châtellerault, 2nd Earl of Arran
was heir presumptive to the throne of Scotland after Mary, Queen of Scots prior to the birth of the latter's son Prince James
in 1566. Anne was the wife of George Gordon, 5th Earl of Huntly
, Lord Chancellor of Scotland
and a chief conspirator during the reign of Queen Mary.
In her teens, Anne entered Marie of Guise's household as a lady-in-waiting
and maid-of-honour.
in about 1535, the eldest daughter of James Hamilton, Duke of Châtellerault, 2nd Earl of Arran and Lady Margaret Douglas. Her paternal grandparents were James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran
and Lady Janet Beaton, and her maternal grandparents were James Douglas, 3rd Earl of Morton
and Catherine Stewart, illegitimate daughter of King James IV of Scotland
by his mistress Marion Boyd
. The Hamiltons were, next to the legitimate royal Stewarts, the noblest family in Scotland, and therefore the strongest claimants to the throne due to Anne's great-grandfather James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton
having been the husband of Princess Mary Stewart, the sister of King James III
. From the time of the death of John Stewart, Duke of Albany in 1536 until the birth of James Stewart, Duke of Rothesay in 1450; from April 1541 when the infant Rothesay died along with his new-born brother, Arthur until the birth of Queen Mary on 8 December 1542; and then following the death of King James V on 14 December 1542 until the birth of Queen Mary's son, Prince James
in 1566, Anne's father was the heir presumptive
to the Kingdom of Scotland
. When Mary abdicated in 1567 in favour of her son James, he once again became next in line to the throne until his own death on 22 January 1575.
Anne had three younger sisters and five brothers, including James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran
, John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Hamilton
, and Claud Hamilton, 1st Lord Paisley
. James, who was declared legally insane on 9 April 1562, had aspired to marry Queen Mary, and at one point in 1562, there was a rumour spread throughout the realm that he had planned to abduct her. Although the rumour proved false, the eccentric James would, throughout his life, nurse a neurotic obsession for his royal cousin.
, became Regent
of Scotland until 1554, when he surrendered the post to Mary's mother Mary of Guise
. Mary of Guise visited France in 1551. On her return in December, Anne was bought magnificent clothes to join Guise's household as a lady-in-waiting and maid of honour. The clothes included; a grey velvet gown; a crimson velvet gown with gold passmenterie; four hoods and sets of sleeves; red stockings; with a sponge, a rubbing brush and a pair of knives. Her father had already bought her several fine gowns, all paid for from the royal exchequer. Anne became ill through March and April 1552; however, she recovered, perhaps with the help of drugs bought from Guise's apothecary and surgeon costing £20. At this time her servants were Effame Hamilton, Gilbert Ruthven and William Forrester. Effame, who was called Anne's keeper, sewed her clothes and kept the fire in Anne's chamber. Anne's older sister Barbara married Alexander Gordon, Lord Gordon
. Lady Gordon and Lady Anne travelled with Mary of Guise to the west of Scotland in March 1553. Soon after, their father resigned the regency to Mary of Guise, and thereafter the Crown records no longer documented Anne's expenses.
, son of George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly
and Elizabeth Keith
. He would become one of the chief conspirators in the realm during the reign of Queen Mary.
Anne was described as having '"shown a mettle which outstripped that of her husband". The marriage produced four children:
Anne's husband was warded at Dunbar Castle
following his father's rebellion in August 1562. The Huntly's titles and estates were forfeited and George's brother John was executed for treason. George who as Sheriff
of Inverness Castle
had refused the queen entry to the fortress which was in point of fact, a royal property. He was pardoned by the queen and put into free ward at Dunbar. His estates and title of Earl of Huntly were restored to him nominally in 1565, following Queen Mary's marriage to Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley
. His father had died of apoplexy
following the Battle of Corrichie when his forces were defeated by those of Queen Mary's led by her half-brother James Stewart, Earl of Moray. George obtained his full freedom in 1565, and his dignitaries were formally restored in 1567. He was appointed Lord Chancellor of Scotland that same year.
Anne was well regarded by the queen; in point of fact, she was the only Hamilton mentioned in the latter's will which she had made in June 1566 before the birth of Prince James. The following year 1567, Anne's husband was part of the confederation of nobles which conspired in the murder of Lord Darnley at Kirk o'Field. The ring-leader of the conspiracy was allegedly James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, George's ally and the husband of his sister, Jean
. George, shortly after Darnley's murder, persuaded Jean to divorce her husband thus enabling Bothwell to marry the widowed Queen Mary. He witnessed the marriage contract between the queen and Bothwell, and he was part of the retinue that accompanied the couple on their return to Edinburgh just before their wedding.
Anne's brother Claud Hamilton led the vanguard of Queen Mary's troops at the Battle of Langside
but the royalists were defeated by the Regent Earl of Moray's forces. Many of Anne's relatives were slain or taken prisoner in the battle.
Anne Hamilton died sometime after 17 April 1574.
Earl of Arran
Earl of Arran is a title in both the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of Ireland. The two titles refer to different places, the Isle of Arran in Scotland, and the Aran Islands in Ireland...
was heir presumptive to the throne of Scotland after Mary, Queen of Scots prior to the birth of the latter's son Prince James
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
in 1566. Anne was the wife of George Gordon, 5th Earl of Huntly
George Gordon, 5th Earl of Huntly
George Gordon, 5th Earl of Huntly , was Lord Chancellor of Scotland and major conspirator of his time.-Biography:...
, Lord Chancellor of Scotland
Lord Chancellor of Scotland
The Lord Chancellor of Scotland was a Great Officer of State in pre-Union Scotland.Holders of the office are known from 1123 onwards, but its duties were occasionally performed by an official of lower status with the title of Keeper of the Great Seal...
and a chief conspirator during the reign of Queen Mary.
In her teens, Anne entered Marie of Guise's household as a lady-in-waiting
Lady-in-waiting
A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a royal court, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she...
and maid-of-honour.
Family
Lady Anne was born in ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in about 1535, the eldest daughter of James Hamilton, Duke of Châtellerault, 2nd Earl of Arran and Lady Margaret Douglas. Her paternal grandparents were James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran
James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran
James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran and 2nd Lord Hamilton was a Scottish nobleman and first cousin of James IV of Scotland.-Biography:...
and Lady Janet Beaton, and her maternal grandparents were James Douglas, 3rd Earl of Morton
James Douglas, 3rd Earl of Morton
James Douglas, 3rd Earl of Morton was a son of John Douglas, 2nd Earl of Morton and a grandson of James Douglas, 1st Earl of Morton and Joan of Scotland, a daughter of James I of Scotland. He married Catherine Stewart, an illegitimate daughter of King James IV of Scotland by his mistress Marion...
and Catherine Stewart, illegitimate daughter of King James IV of Scotland
James IV of Scotland
James IV was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all...
by his mistress Marion Boyd
Marion Boyd (mistress)
Marion Boyd , also known as Margot or Margaret, was a mistress of King James IV of Scotland.They had two children: Alexander, born about 1490, and Catherine, who married James Douglas, 3rd Earl of Morton....
. The Hamiltons were, next to the legitimate royal Stewarts, the noblest family in Scotland, and therefore the strongest claimants to the throne due to Anne's great-grandfather James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton
James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton
James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton, 6th Lord of Cadzow was a Scottish nobleman, scholar and politician.-Early life:...
having been the husband of Princess Mary Stewart, the sister of King James III
James III of Scotland
James III was King of Scots from 1460 to 1488. James was an unpopular and ineffective monarch owing to an unwillingness to administer justice fairly, a policy of pursuing alliance with the Kingdom of England, and a disastrous relationship with nearly all his extended family.His reputation as the...
. From the time of the death of John Stewart, Duke of Albany in 1536 until the birth of James Stewart, Duke of Rothesay in 1450; from April 1541 when the infant Rothesay died along with his new-born brother, Arthur until the birth of Queen Mary on 8 December 1542; and then following the death of King James V on 14 December 1542 until the birth of Queen Mary's son, Prince James
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
in 1566, Anne's father was the heir presumptive
Heir Presumptive
An heir presumptive or heiress presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir or heiress apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question...
to the Kingdom of Scotland
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland was a Sovereign state in North-West Europe that existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England...
. When Mary abdicated in 1567 in favour of her son James, he once again became next in line to the throne until his own death on 22 January 1575.
Anne had three younger sisters and five brothers, including James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran
James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran
James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran was a Scottish nobleman and soldier who fought against French troops during the Scottish Reformation....
, John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Hamilton
John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Hamilton
John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Hamilton was a Scottish nobleman.-Life:Hamilton was the third son of James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran by his wife Margaret Douglas, a daughter of James Douglas, 3rd Earl of Morton...
, and Claud Hamilton, 1st Lord Paisley
Claud Hamilton, 1st Lord Paisley
Claud Hamilton, 1st Lord Paisley was a Scottish politician. He was a younger son of James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran. In 1553, he received the lands of the abbey of Paisley...
. James, who was declared legally insane on 9 April 1562, had aspired to marry Queen Mary, and at one point in 1562, there was a rumour spread throughout the realm that he had planned to abduct her. Although the rumour proved false, the eccentric James would, throughout his life, nurse a neurotic obsession for his royal cousin.
Early life
On the infant Queen Mary's ascension to the throne, Anne's father, James Hamilton, Earl of ArranEarl of Arran
Earl of Arran is a title in both the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of Ireland. The two titles refer to different places, the Isle of Arran in Scotland, and the Aran Islands in Ireland...
, became Regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
of Scotland until 1554, when he surrendered the post to Mary's mother Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise was a queen consort of Scotland as the second spouse of King James V. She was the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots, and served as regent of Scotland in her daughter's name from 1554 to 1560...
. Mary of Guise visited France in 1551. On her return in December, Anne was bought magnificent clothes to join Guise's household as a lady-in-waiting and maid of honour. The clothes included; a grey velvet gown; a crimson velvet gown with gold passmenterie; four hoods and sets of sleeves; red stockings; with a sponge, a rubbing brush and a pair of knives. Her father had already bought her several fine gowns, all paid for from the royal exchequer. Anne became ill through March and April 1552; however, she recovered, perhaps with the help of drugs bought from Guise's apothecary and surgeon costing £20. At this time her servants were Effame Hamilton, Gilbert Ruthven and William Forrester. Effame, who was called Anne's keeper, sewed her clothes and kept the fire in Anne's chamber. Anne's older sister Barbara married Alexander Gordon, Lord Gordon
Lord Gordon
*Lord Gordon of Badenoch*Lord Gordon-Gordon *Lord George Gordon *Lord Nicholas Gordon-Lennox *Lord Douglas Gordon...
. Lady Gordon and Lady Anne travelled with Mary of Guise to the west of Scotland in March 1553. Soon after, their father resigned the regency to Mary of Guise, and thereafter the Crown records no longer documented Anne's expenses.
Marriage and issue
On 12 March 1558, Lady Anne married George Gordon, 5th Earl of HuntlyGeorge Gordon, 5th Earl of Huntly
George Gordon, 5th Earl of Huntly , was Lord Chancellor of Scotland and major conspirator of his time.-Biography:...
, son of George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly
George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly
George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly was a Scottish nobleman.-Biography:He was the son of John Gordon, Lord Gordon, and Margaret Stewart, daughter of James IV. George Gordon inherited his earldom and estates in 1524 at age 10...
and Elizabeth Keith
Elizabeth Keith, Countess of Huntly
Elizabeth Keith, Countess of Huntly, was a Scottish noblewoman and the wife of George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly, Scotland's leading Catholic magnate during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots. In 1562, Elizabeth encouraged her husband to raise forces against Queen Mary which led to his being...
. He would become one of the chief conspirators in the realm during the reign of Queen Mary.
Anne was described as having '"shown a mettle which outstripped that of her husband". The marriage produced four children:
- Lady Jean Gordon ( died after 29 December 1615), married George Sinclair, 5th Earl of CaithnessEarl of CaithnessEarl of Caithness is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland, and has a very complex history. Its first grant, in the modern sense as to have been counted in strict lists of peerages, is now generally held to have taken place in favor of Maol Íosa V, Earl of...
, son of John Sinclair, Master of Caithness and Jean HepburnJean HepburnJean Hepburn, Lady Darnley, Mistress of Caithness, Lady Morham was a Scottish noblewoman and a member of the Border clan of Hepburn. Her brother was James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, the third husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. Jean's first husband was John Stewart, 1st Lord Darnley, an illegitimate...
, by whom she had five children. - George Gordon, 6th Earl of HuntlyGeorge Gordon, 1st Marquess of HuntlyGeorge Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly was a Scottish nobleman who took a leading role in the political and military life of Scotland in the late 16th century and around the time of the Union of the Crowns.-Biography:...
(1562 – 13 June 1636), married Lady Henrietta Stewart (1573 – 1642), daughter of Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of LennoxEsmé Stewart, 1st Duke of LennoxEsmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox, 1st Earl of Lennox was the son of John Stewart, 5th Lord of Aubigny who was the younger brother of Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox...
and Catherine de Balsac, by whom he had seven children, including George Gordon, 2nd Marquess of HuntlyGeorge Gordon, 2nd Marquess of HuntlyGeorge Gordon, 2nd Marquess of Huntly , styled Earl of Enzie from 1599 to 1636, eldest son of George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly by Lady Henrietta Stewart, daughter of Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox, was brought up in England as a Protestant, and later created Viscount Aboyne by Charles I.On...
. - Alexander Gordon (died January 1622), married Lady Agnes Sinclair.
- William Gordon, a monk.
Anne's husband was warded at Dunbar Castle
Dunbar Castle
Dunbar Castle is the remnants of one of the most mighty fortresses in Scotland, situated over the harbour of the town of Dunbar, in East Lothian.-Early history:...
following his father's rebellion in August 1562. The Huntly's titles and estates were forfeited and George's brother John was executed for treason. George who as Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Inverness Castle
Inverness Castle
Inverness Castle sits on a cliff overlooking the River Ness, in Inverness, Scotland. The red sand stone structure evident today was built in 1836 by architect William Burn. It is built on the site of an 11th century defensive structure. Today, it houses Inverness Sheriff Court. There has been a...
had refused the queen entry to the fortress which was in point of fact, a royal property. He was pardoned by the queen and put into free ward at Dunbar. His estates and title of Earl of Huntly were restored to him nominally in 1565, following Queen Mary's marriage to Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley
Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley
Henry Stewart or Stuart, 1st Duke of Albany , styled Lord Darnley before 1565, was king consort of Scotland and murdered at Kirk o'Field...
. His father had died of apoplexy
Apoplexy
Apoplexy is a medical term, which can be used to describe 'bleeding' in a stroke . Without further specification, it is rather outdated in use. Today it is used only for specific conditions, such as pituitary apoplexy and ovarian apoplexy. In common speech, it is used non-medically to mean a state...
following the Battle of Corrichie when his forces were defeated by those of Queen Mary's led by her half-brother James Stewart, Earl of Moray. George obtained his full freedom in 1565, and his dignitaries were formally restored in 1567. He was appointed Lord Chancellor of Scotland that same year.
Anne was well regarded by the queen; in point of fact, she was the only Hamilton mentioned in the latter's will which she had made in June 1566 before the birth of Prince James. The following year 1567, Anne's husband was part of the confederation of nobles which conspired in the murder of Lord Darnley at Kirk o'Field. The ring-leader of the conspiracy was allegedly James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, George's ally and the husband of his sister, Jean
Jean Gordon, Countess of Bothwell
Jean Gordon, Countess of Bothwell was a wealthy Scottish noblewoman and the first wife of James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell who became, after his divorce from Lady Jean, the third husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. Lady Jean herself had a total of three husbands...
. George, shortly after Darnley's murder, persuaded Jean to divorce her husband thus enabling Bothwell to marry the widowed Queen Mary. He witnessed the marriage contract between the queen and Bothwell, and he was part of the retinue that accompanied the couple on their return to Edinburgh just before their wedding.
Anne's brother Claud Hamilton led the vanguard of Queen Mary's troops at the Battle of Langside
Battle of Langside
The Battle of Langside, fought on 13 May 1568, was one of the more unusual contests in Scottish history, bearing a superficial resemblance to a grand family quarrel, in which a mother fought her brother who was defending the rights of her infant son...
but the royalists were defeated by the Regent Earl of Moray's forces. Many of Anne's relatives were slain or taken prisoner in the battle.
Anne Hamilton died sometime after 17 April 1574.