Lords Hailes of Hailes (1452)
1st Lord Hailes, Patrick Hepburn, b.c.1412, a.1452-1453,
d.1482
The family of Hepburn is believed to have come originally from
Northumberland, with the head of the house being brought to Scotland as hostage
by David II and eventually released and given lands in East Lothian held under
the auspices of the Earl of March. The first recognised individual is Adam
Hepburn, whose son, Sir Patrick Hepburn of Hailes, fought at the Battle of
Otterburn in 1388. Sir Patrick’s son, also Patrick, died before him, and so he
was succeeded by his grandson Sir Adam Hepburn of Hailes (b.?, d.c.1446). Sir
Adam Hepburn married Janet Borthwick, daughter of Sir William Borthwick of
Borthwick, and their son Patrick Hepburn was created 1st Lord Hailes
in 1452. He served as a Conservator of a Truce with England on several
occasions.
2nd Lord Hailes, Patrick Hepburn, b.b.1466,
a.c.1483, d.1508
Grandson of the 1st Lord and Ellen Wallace, and son of Adam
Hepburn, Master of Hailes (b.c.1435, d.c.1479) and Helen Home, daughter of Sir
Alexander Home of that Ilk. He also served as a
Conservator of the Truce with England in 1484. He was one of the leaders of
those lords who rebelled against the unpopular reign of James III, leading the vanguard
at the Battle of Sauchieburn in 1488, and is believed to be one of those
responsible for the King’s murder after the battle. On the accession of James
IV, Hailes was presented with several titles, including Lord High Admiral,
Master of the King’s Household and Keeper of Edinburgh Castle. Later that year
he was presented with a crown charter to the lands of Crichton and Bothwell,
following the forfeiture of John Ramsay, Lord Bothwell, and was created 1st
Earl of Bothwell.
Earls of Bothwell
(1488)
1st Earl of Bothwell, Patrick Hepburn,
b.b.1466, a.1488, d.1508
In 1492 he exchanged with Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus,
the lordship of Bothwell for that of Liddesdale, including Hermitage Castle,
although keeping the titular earldom. In 1501 he was one of the Ambassadors
sent to arrange the marriage of James IV with Princess Margaret Tudor of
England and was proxy for the King at the betrothal ceremony.
2nd Earl of Bothwell, Adam Hepburn,
b.c.1492, a.1508, d.1513
Son of the 1st Earl and his second wife Lady Margaret Gordon,
daughter of George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly.
He was made Lord High Admiral of Scotland, but was one of those who fell at
Flodden.
3rd Earl of Bothwell, Patrick Hepburn,
b.1511-1513, a.1513, d.1556
Son of the 2nd Earl and Lady Agnes Stewart (b.b.1495,
d.1557), an illegitimate daughter of James Stewart, 1st Earl of Buchan (she went through a number of husbands, outliving
them all, and had a child by James IV). In 1531 he indulged in treasonable
intrigue with England and signed a pact with Henry VIII, for which he was
imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle for several years before being banished in 1540,
returning in 1542 after the death of James V. Hoewver, he seems to have played
both sides, and divorced his wife in 1543 in the hope of marrying Mary of
Guise, the Queen Dowager. However, when this possibility evaporated, he
returned to his plotting with England. This being discovered, he was imprisoned
again, and not released until after the Battle of Pinkie in 1547. A measure of
the man is the fact that while he spent various terms in prison, he also held
office as the Lord High Admiral, and some of his actions may be explained by
the fact that he was heavily in debt. In 1548 he renounced his loyalty to
Scotland and went to live in England, but was pardoned by Mary of Guise in 1554
and returned to the Hermitage shortly before his death.
4th Earl of Bothwell, James Hepburn,
b.c.1535, a.1556, d.1578
Son of the 3rd Earl and Agnes Sinclair (b.b.1513,
d.1572-1575), a distant cousin and daughter of Henry Sinclair, 3rd Lord
St. Clair. As Hereditary Lord High Admiral and Sheriff of Edinburgh and
Berwick, he was widely-travelled man, and known to be especially attractive to
the ladies, and became engaged to a Norwegian noblewoman Anna Trondsson. He
first met Mary, future Queen of Scots, while visiting France, and he was
involved in her return to Scotland after the death of her husband. IN 1562 he
was found guilty of treason and imprisoned at Edinburgh Castle, though he soon
escaped to France, where he served with the Scottish Guard. He returned to
Scotland in 1565 and from this point on he and Mary became very close, even
though they both married to other people, Bothwell to Jean Gordon, daughter of
George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly, and Mary
to Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. After Darnley’s murder in 1567, Bothwell was
indicted upon petition by Darnley’s father, Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl
of Lennox, but entered Edinburgh triumphantly and was
acquitted. Several days later this decision was recognised by Mary in person at
Parliament. Bothwell was then presented with the Ainslie Bond, a document
signed by a number of leading nobles and prelates indicating that Mary should
re-marry a native Scot. On her way back from Edinburgh to Linlithgow, Mary was
overtaken by Bothwell with a large body of men and taken to his castle at
Dunbar. While they were at Dunbar, Bothwell’s divorce from his first wife came
though, and he forced himself on Mary in order to secure her agreement to marry
him. The wedding took place back at Holyrood a few days later, with Bothwell
being created 1st Duke of Orkney and 1st Marquess of
Fife. The marriage split the country, with many lords coming out against the
couple, and the opposing sides clashed at Carberry Hill, from where Bothwell was
forced to make his escape. His titles were made forfeit by Act of Parliament
and he never saw Mary again. He travelled to Norway, where his youthful
dalliances came back to haunt him and he was taken into custody for the
abandonment of Anna Trondsson. He would probably have been released sooner
rather than later, but while he was in prison, Frederick II, King of Denmark,
heard about his presence and took him into custody. At first seen as a
significant hostage in negotiations with the English, Bothwell was eventually
sent to Dragsholm Castle, where he was imprisoned for the rest of his life,
reputedly chained to the same pillar.
Earls of Bothwell (1581)
1st Earl of Bothwell, Francis Stewart,
b.c.1563, a.1581, d.1613
Son of John Stewart, 1st Lord Darnley (an illegitimate son of
King James V) and Lady Jean Hepburn (b.b.1547, d.1599), daughter of Patrick
Hepburn, 3rd Earl of Bothwell, and so related to the previous
holder. He succeeded to the title of 2nd Lord Darnley in 1563, and
was created 1st Earl of Bothwell and 1st Lord Hailes in
1581. In 1586, he was one of three Commissioners sent to negotiate a military
alliance with England. He was made Lord High Admiral in 1583, a post that
proved eventful, as he was the holder during the period of the Spanish Armada,
and spent some considerable time at sea. In 1589, he and several others,
including Huntly, were charged with treason and
plotting to seize the King. They were found guilty, but sentence was deferred.
Bothwell was also charged with witchcraft, though he denied it. He escaped from
Edinburgh Castle, but was declared forfeit and outlaw. The next year, Bothwell
and others attempted to capture the King from Falkland Palace, but failed. He
was then pursued as a fugitive and all his lands taken into the Crown’s
possession. In 1593, he was formally attainted by Act of Parliament, but
managed to smuggle himself into Holyrood Palace to meet the King, who accepted
his petitions, whereupon the attainder was repealed. However, there was still
bad feeling between the two men, Bothwell promoting the Protestant cause, and
moves were made to have him exiled. This resulted in Bothwell and his
supporters taking to arms and clashing with the King’s forces outside
Edinburgh. He was now associated with the rebel Catholic lords, Huntly, Errol
and the like, and fled north before the King’s army, once again charged with
treason. He eventually left for Europe, ending up in Naples, where he lived in
poverty until his death. Because of his family connections, he could have been
a realistic competitor for the throne, especially during the turbulent times
caused by the uneasy relationships between Protestant and Catholic, monarchy
and Parliament, but he did not have the strength of character to take his
chances when they arose. The title of Earl of Bothwell was never used again.
(Last updated: 15/12/2010)