Keywords: mary queen of scots maryqueenofscots margaret tudor margarettudor roylaty scotland moray james stewart jamesstewart portrait 16th century 16thcentury tudors stuarts people James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray (c. 1531 – 11 January 1570)[1], a member of the House of Stewart, was Regent of Scotland from 1567 until his assassination in 1570. Moray was the illegitimate son of King James V of Scotland and Lady Margaret Erskine, daughter of John Erskine, 5th Lord Erskine. After the return of his half-sister Queen Mary I in 1561, he became her chief adviser, and was created Earl of Moray by her the following year. In 1562 he defeated a rebellion by George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly, at the Battle of Corrichie near Aberdeen. About this time Moray married Agnes (d. 1588), daughter of William Keith, 4th Earl Marischal. After Moray opposed Mary's marriage to Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley in 1565, he embarked upon the unsuccessful 'Chaseabout Raid', together with the Earl of Argyll, and Clan Hamilton. He was subsequently declared an outlaw and took refuge in England. Returning to Scotland after the murder of David Rizzio, he was pardoned by the Queen. He contrived, however, to be away at the time of Darnley's assassination, and avoided the tangles of the marriage with Bothwell by going to France. After the abdication of Queen Mary at Loch Leven, in July 1567, he was appointed regent of Scotland. When Mary escaped from Loch Leven (May 2, 1568) the Duke of Chatelherault and other nobles rallied to her standard, but Moray gathered his allies and defeated her forces at the Battle of Langside, near Glasgow (May 13, 1568), and compelled her to flee to England. For this and the subsequent management of the kingdom he secured both civil and ecclesiastical peace, and earned the title of "The Good Regent." Moray was responsible for the destruction of Rutherglen castle which he burned to the ground in 1569, in retribution against the Hamiltons for having supported Mary, at the Battle of Langside. Moray was assassinated in Linlithgow in January 1570 by James Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh, a supporter of Mary. Hamilton, using a gun, shot and fatally wounded Moray from a window at his uncle John Hamilton's house as Moray was passing in a cavalcade in the main street below.[2] His was the first ever recorded assassination by a firearm.[3] He was buried on 14 February 1570 at St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh. His wife, Agnes was buried inside his tomb when she died in 1588. James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray (c. 1531 – 11 January 1570)[1], a member of the House of Stewart, was Regent of Scotland from 1567 until his assassination in 1570. Moray was the illegitimate son of King James V of Scotland and Lady Margaret Erskine, daughter of John Erskine, 5th Lord Erskine. After the return of his half-sister Queen Mary I in 1561, he became her chief adviser, and was created Earl of Moray by her the following year. In 1562 he defeated a rebellion by George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly, at the Battle of Corrichie near Aberdeen. About this time Moray married Agnes (d. 1588), daughter of William Keith, 4th Earl Marischal. After Moray opposed Mary's marriage to Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley in 1565, he embarked upon the unsuccessful 'Chaseabout Raid', together with the Earl of Argyll, and Clan Hamilton. He was subsequently declared an outlaw and took refuge in England. Returning to Scotland after the murder of David Rizzio, he was pardoned by the Queen. He contrived, however, to be away at the time of Darnley's assassination, and avoided the tangles of the marriage with Bothwell by going to France. After the abdication of Queen Mary at Loch Leven, in July 1567, he was appointed regent of Scotland. When Mary escaped from Loch Leven (May 2, 1568) the Duke of Chatelherault and other nobles rallied to her standard, but Moray gathered his allies and defeated her forces at the Battle of Langside, near Glasgow (May 13, 1568), and compelled her to flee to England. For this and the subsequent management of the kingdom he secured both civil and ecclesiastical peace, and earned the title of "The Good Regent." Moray was responsible for the destruction of Rutherglen castle which he burned to the ground in 1569, in retribution against the Hamiltons for having supported Mary, at the Battle of Langside. Moray was assassinated in Linlithgow in January 1570 by James Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh, a supporter of Mary. Hamilton, using a gun, shot and fatally wounded Moray from a window at his uncle John Hamilton's house as Moray was passing in a cavalcade in the main street below.[2] His was the first ever recorded assassination by a firearm.[3] He was buried on 14 February 1570 at St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh. His wife, Agnes was buried inside his tomb when she died in 1588. |