James Melville of Halhill
Encyclopedia
Sir James Melville was a Scottish
diplomat and memoir
writer.
Melville was the third son of Sir John Melville, laird of Raith in the county of Fife, who was executed for treason in 1548. One of his brothers was Robert, 1st Baron Melville of Monimail (1527–1621). James Melville in 1549 went to France
to become page to Mary, Queen of Scots. Serving on the French side at the Battle of St. Quentin
in 1557 Melville was wounded and taken prisoner. He subsequently carried out a number of diplomatic missions for Henry II
of France. On Mary's return to Scotland in 1561 she gave Melville a pension and an appointment in her household, and she employed him as special emissary to reconcile Queen Elizabeth
to her marriage with Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley
. After the murder of Darnley in February 1567, Melville joined Lord Herries in boldly warning Mary of the danger and disgrace of her projected marriage with Bothwell, and was only saved from the latter's vengeance in consequence by the courageous resolution of the queen. During the troubled times following Mary's imprisonment and abdication Melville conducted several diplomatic missions of importance, and won the confidence of James VI when the king took the government into his own hands. Having been adopted as his heir by the reformer Henry Balnaves
, he inherited from him, at his death in 1579, the estate of Halhill in Fife; and he retired there in 1603, refusing the request of James to accompany him to London
on his accession to the English throne. By his wife, Christina Boswell, he had one son and two daughters; the elder of these, Elizabeth
, who married John Colville, de jure 3rd Baron Colville of Culross, has been identified with the authoress of a poem published in 1603, entitled Ane Godlie Dreame. Sir James Melville died at Halhill on the 13 November 1617.
At Halhill, Melville wrote the Memoirs of my own Life, a valuable authority for the history of the period, first published by his grandson, George Scott of Pitlochie, in 1683, from a manuscript discovered at Edinburgh Castle
in 1660. The most complete edition of the Memoirs is that prepared by Thomas Thomson for the Bannatyne Club (Edinburgh, 1827), based on a manuscript discovered in 1827. Some eighteenth century Scottish historians doubted the authenticity of Scott's publication. Gordon Donaldson
notes in Scott (1683) some editing errors and suppression of the more sinister dealings of English government before Mary's condemnation.
Halhill was the name of the main house of the lands of Easter Collessie
in Fife.
Scotland
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...
diplomat and memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
writer.
Melville was the third son of Sir John Melville, laird of Raith in the county of Fife, who was executed for treason in 1548. One of his brothers was Robert, 1st Baron Melville of Monimail (1527–1621). James Melville in 1549 went to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to become page to Mary, Queen of Scots. Serving on the French side at the Battle of St. Quentin
Battle of St. Quentin (1557)
The Battle of Saint-Quentin of 1557 was fought during the Franco-Habsburg War . The Spanish, who had regained the support of the English, won a significant victory over the French at Saint-Quentin, in northern France.- Battle :...
in 1557 Melville was wounded and taken prisoner. He subsequently carried out a number of diplomatic missions for Henry II
Henry II of France
Henry II was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559.-Early years:Henry was born in the royal Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, the son of Francis I and Claude, Duchess of Brittany .His father was captured at the Battle of Pavia in 1525 by his sworn enemy,...
of France. On Mary's return to Scotland in 1561 she gave Melville a pension and an appointment in her household, and she employed him as special emissary to reconcile Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
to her marriage with 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...
. After the murder of Darnley in February 1567, Melville joined Lord Herries in boldly warning Mary of the danger and disgrace of her projected marriage with Bothwell, and was only saved from the latter's vengeance in consequence by the courageous resolution of the queen. During the troubled times following Mary's imprisonment and abdication Melville conducted several diplomatic missions of importance, and won the confidence of James VI when the king took the government into his own hands. Having been adopted as his heir by the reformer Henry Balnaves
Henry Balnaves
Henry Balnaves was a Scottish politician and religious reformer.-Biography:Born in Kirkcaldy, Fife, around 1512, he was educated at the University of St Andrews and on the continent, where he adopted Protestant views. Returning to Scotland, he continued his legal studies and in 1538 was appointed...
, he inherited from him, at his death in 1579, the estate of Halhill in Fife; and he retired there in 1603, refusing the request of James to accompany him to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on his accession to the English throne. By his wife, Christina Boswell, he had one son and two daughters; the elder of these, Elizabeth
Elizabeth Melville
Elizabeth Melville , is the earliest known Scottish woman writer to have her work appear in print and is most famous for writing the Ane Godlie Dreame, a Calvinist dream-vision poem....
, who married John Colville, de jure 3rd Baron Colville of Culross, has been identified with the authoress of a poem published in 1603, entitled Ane Godlie Dreame. Sir James Melville died at Halhill on the 13 November 1617.
At Halhill, Melville wrote the Memoirs of my own Life, a valuable authority for the history of the period, first published by his grandson, George Scott of Pitlochie, in 1683, from a manuscript discovered at Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
in 1660. The most complete edition of the Memoirs is that prepared by Thomas Thomson for the Bannatyne Club (Edinburgh, 1827), based on a manuscript discovered in 1827. Some eighteenth century Scottish historians doubted the authenticity of Scott's publication. Gordon Donaldson
Gordon Donaldson
Gordon Donaldson CBE, FRHistS, FBA was a Scottish historian.Born in Edinburgh of Shetlander descent, Donaldson attended the Royal High School of Edinburgh, before being awarded a scholarship to study at the University of Edinburgh. He also supplemented his income by undertaking some tutoring...
notes in Scott (1683) some editing errors and suppression of the more sinister dealings of English government before Mary's condemnation.
Halhill was the name of the main house of the lands of Easter Collessie
Collessie
Collessie is a village in Fife, Scotland.It is a hamlet set on a small hillock centre around a historic church. Due to rerouting of roads, it now lies off the main road.-The Church:The church was consecrated by the Bishop of St. Andrews in July 1243...
in Fife.
Sources and editions of the Memoirs
- Donaldson, Gordon, ed., The Memoirs of Sir James Melville of Halhill, Folio Society, London (1969), edited from George Scott (1683)
- Scott, George, ed., The Memoires of Sir James Melvil of Hal-Hill, Robert Boulter, London (1683)
- A. Francis, ed., Memoirs of Sir James Melville of Halhill, George Routledge London (1929), edited from George Scott (1683), linked Googlebook scan lacks front matter.
- Thomson, Thomas, ed., Memoirs of Sir James Melville, Bannatyne Club, Edinburgh (1827), from an original manuscript.