John Ramsay, Lord Bothwell
Encyclopedia
John Ramsay, 1st Lord Bothwell, later Sir John Ramsay of Trarinzeane, was born about 1464 and died in 1513.
He was the son of John Ramsay of Corstoun in Fife (kin to the Ramsays of Carnock otherwise Pitcruvie) and Janet Napier (later married to John Wilson a Burgess of Edinburgh).
He was married to Isabel Cant in 1484. He then married Janet Kennedy
, daughter of John Kennedy, 2nd Lord Kennedy, and Lady Elizabeth Seton, c. 6 Nov 1505. Janet Kennedy was a favourite mistress of King James IV of Scotland and this may have been a marriage of political convenience. He and Janet Kennedy were divorced. He then married Isobel Livingston, before February 1507/8.
He was attached to the court of King James III of Scotland
and was resented by the traditional aristocrats. In parliament on 24 February 1484 the king bestowed the barony of Bothwell on him. In July 1482 he escaped execution by the King's opponents at Lauder
Bridge by leaping on the King's horse, the only one of the King's favourite
s to survive. According to another version, he clung to the King and pleaded for his life: the King persuaded the lords to spare him on account of his extreme youth ( he may still have been only 18 ). He sat in Parliament in 1485 and 1487 as Lord Bothwell. He upset the aristocrats by obtaining a royal mandate that he alone could carry arms within the precincts of the royal residence, probably acting as a royal bodyguard in his role as Master of the Household. He was an Esquire of the King's Chamber, an auditor of the Exchequer in 1484, and a Commissioner for letting the Crown lands. He was Ambassador to England in 1485 and 1486.
On 8 October 1488, after the death of James III at the battle of Sauchieburn, John Ramsay lost his title. He remained in England, acting as a spy for Henry VII
of England, and took payment to deliver the Scottish King James IV to Henry.
Under James IV he was allowed to return to Scotland in 1496, and on 8 September 1496 wrote from Berwick upon Tweed advising Henry VII how he might defeat the planned invasion of Northumbria
by James IV and Perkin Warbeck
.
He was rehabilitated on 8 April 1497 under the Great Seal, although not restored to his peerage or all of his former titles. He had liferent grants of the lands of Tealing and Polgavie in Fife, Trarinzeane near Cumnock in Ayrshire and half the lands of Kirkandrews in Wigtownshire. He took the title of Sir John Ramsay of Trarinzeane. On 13 May 1498 he had a charter of a tenement in the Cowgate
, Edinburgh and another of lands in Forrester's Wynd on 6 November 1500.
In 1503 he was Captain of Linlithgow
, probably of the palace there. He negotiated the marriage of James IV to the daughter of Henry VII, thereby laying the cornerstone of the United Kingdom.
On 13 May 1510 he had a grant from the King "pro bono servitio et ex special favore" of the lands and barony of Balmain
in Kincardineshire
, erected into a free barony for him and his successors.
He died on 9 September 1513 at Flodden Field, killed in action.
His son William born around 1510 was entrusted to the Bishop of Dunblane
, James Chisholm, uterine brother of Sir John Ramsay. William was the ancestor of the Ramsays of Balmain
.
He was the son of John Ramsay of Corstoun in Fife (kin to the Ramsays of Carnock otherwise Pitcruvie) and Janet Napier (later married to John Wilson a Burgess of Edinburgh).
He was married to Isabel Cant in 1484. He then married Janet Kennedy
Janet Kennedy
Janet Kennedy , the first daughter of John Kennedy, 2nd Lord Kennedy, became a mistress of King James IV of Scotland.Through her father, she was a great-great-granddaughter of King Robert III...
, daughter of John Kennedy, 2nd Lord Kennedy, and Lady Elizabeth Seton, c. 6 Nov 1505. Janet Kennedy was a favourite mistress of King James IV of Scotland and this may have been a marriage of political convenience. He and Janet Kennedy were divorced. He then married Isobel Livingston, before February 1507/8.
He was attached to the court of King James III of Scotland
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...
and was resented by the traditional aristocrats. In parliament on 24 February 1484 the king bestowed the barony of Bothwell on him. In July 1482 he escaped execution by the King's opponents at Lauder
Lauder
The Royal Burgh of Lauder is a town in the Scottish Borders 27 miles south east of Edinburgh. It is also a royal burgh in the county of Berwickshire. It lies on the edge of the Lammermuir Hills, on the Southern Upland Way.-Medieval history:...
Bridge by leaping on the King's horse, the only one of the King's favourite
Favourite
A favourite , or favorite , was the intimate companion of a ruler or other important person. In medieval and Early Modern Europe, among other times and places, the term is used of individuals delegated significant political power by a ruler...
s to survive. According to another version, he clung to the King and pleaded for his life: the King persuaded the lords to spare him on account of his extreme youth ( he may still have been only 18 ). He sat in Parliament in 1485 and 1487 as Lord Bothwell. He upset the aristocrats by obtaining a royal mandate that he alone could carry arms within the precincts of the royal residence, probably acting as a royal bodyguard in his role as Master of the Household. He was an Esquire of the King's Chamber, an auditor of the Exchequer in 1484, and a Commissioner for letting the Crown lands. He was Ambassador to England in 1485 and 1486.
On 8 October 1488, after the death of James III at the battle of Sauchieburn, John Ramsay lost his title. He remained in England, acting as a spy for Henry VII
Henry VII
Henry VII may refer to:* Henry VII, Duke of Bavaria * Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor * Henry VII of England * Henry II of Sicily sometimes described as Henry of Germany...
of England, and took payment to deliver the Scottish King James IV to Henry.
Under James IV he was allowed to return to Scotland in 1496, and on 8 September 1496 wrote from Berwick upon Tweed advising Henry VII how he might defeat the planned invasion of Northumbria
Northumbria
Northumbria was a medieval kingdom of the Angles, in what is now Northern England and South-East Scotland, becoming subsequently an earldom in a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the kingdom's territory, the Humber Estuary.Northumbria was...
by James IV and Perkin Warbeck
Perkin Warbeck
Perkin Warbeck was a pretender to the English throne during the reign of King Henry VII of England. By claiming to be Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York, the younger son of King Edward IV, one of the Princes in the Tower, Warbeck was a significant threat to the newly established Tudor Dynasty,...
.
He was rehabilitated on 8 April 1497 under the Great Seal, although not restored to his peerage or all of his former titles. He had liferent grants of the lands of Tealing and Polgavie in Fife, Trarinzeane near Cumnock in Ayrshire and half the lands of Kirkandrews in Wigtownshire. He took the title of Sir John Ramsay of Trarinzeane. On 13 May 1498 he had a charter of a tenement in the Cowgate
Cowgate
The Cowgate is a street in Edinburgh, Scotland, located about 5 minutes' walk from Edinburgh Castle, within the city's World Heritage Site. The street's name is derived from the fact that cows were herded down it for Edinburgh's market days in previous centuries .The street is part of the lower...
, Edinburgh and another of lands in Forrester's Wynd on 6 November 1500.
In 1503 he was Captain of Linlithgow
Linlithgow
Linlithgow is a Royal Burgh in West Lothian, Scotland. An ancient town, it lies south of its two most prominent landmarks: Linlithgow Palace and Linlithgow Loch, and north of the Union Canal....
, probably of the palace there. He negotiated the marriage of James IV to the daughter of Henry VII, thereby laying the cornerstone of the United Kingdom.
On 13 May 1510 he had a grant from the King "pro bono servitio et ex special favore" of the lands and barony of Balmain
Balmain
Balmain can refer to:Places:* Balmain, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia* Electoral district of Balmain, an electoral division in New South Wales, Australia* Balmain East, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia...
in Kincardineshire
Kincardineshire
The County of Kincardine, also known as Kincardineshire or The Mearns was a local government county on the coast of northeast Scotland...
, erected into a free barony for him and his successors.
He died on 9 September 1513 at Flodden Field, killed in action.
His son William born around 1510 was entrusted to the Bishop of Dunblane
Bishop of Dunblane
The Bishop of Dunblane or Bishop of Strathearn was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Dunblane/Strathearn, one of medieval Scotland's thirteen bishoprics. It was based at Dunblane Cathedral, now a parish church of the Church of Scotland. The bishopric itself certainly derives from an older...
, James Chisholm, uterine brother of Sir John Ramsay. William was the ancestor of the Ramsays of Balmain
Ramsay Baronets
There have been five Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Ramsay, four in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia and one in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. One creation is extant as of 2010....
.