Catherine Murray, Lady Abercairny

Last updated

Catherine Murray was a Scottish aristocrat and courtier.

Contents

Life

She was a daughter of William Murray of Tullibardine (died 1562) and Katherine Campbell. She married Robert Murray of Abercairny (died 1594) in 1560. His father, John Murray, had been killed at the battle of Pinkie, and his older brother William Murray, who had married Margaret Oliphant, died in 1558. [1]

In 1577 the Laird of Abercairny became involved in the trial of Violet Mar, who was accused of witchcraft and plotting the downfall of Regent Morton. They took advice from Lady Abercairny's sister Annabell Murray, Countess of Mar. [2] On 10 October 1577 a royal messenger, Robert Binning, was sent from Edinburgh to summon Margaret Murray, Lady Clackmannan (another sister of Catherine Murray, Lady Abercairney and the Countess of Mar), the Laird of Abercairny and his wife Catherine Murray, and others, to come before the Privy Council on 18 October. Binning also brought the summons for the assize of Violet Mar for witchcraft, to be held on 24 October. [3]

James VI wrote to them for "venison, wild fowls, fed capons" to serve at the wedding of Henrietta Stewart and George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly in July 1588. [4] Robert Murray enjoyed the confidence of Anne of Denmark, and in March 1592 she wrote to him, asking for help in administrative changes and to protect her husband from the Chancellor, John Maitland of Thirlestane, who she regarded as an enemy. [5]

Lady Abercairny joined the household of Prince Henry at Stirling Castle in 1594 as a "dame of honour". The other ladies were her sisters Annabell Murray, Countess of Mar and Margaret Murray, Lady Clackmannan, with Lady Morton, Lady Dudhope, Lady Cambuskenneth, and the late Justice Clerk's wife. [6]

In 1603 her sister, Annabell Murray, Countess of Mar, bequeathed to her a gown of chamlet of silk with broad velvet passementerie, breasts lined with plush, with a doublet and skirt of plain black velvet. [7]

Family

Anne of Denmark ordered William Murray to build a bonfire in the market place at Salisbury in November 1603 Salisbury, Market Square - geograph.org.uk - 2357241.jpg
Anne of Denmark ordered William Murray to build a bonfire in the market place at Salisbury in November 1603

Her children included:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Erskine, Earl of Mar (1558–1634)</span> Scottish politician

John Erskine, 2nd Earl of Mar was a Scottish politician, the only son of another John Erskine and Annabella Murray. He is regarded as both the 19th earl and the 2nd earl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter Stewart, 1st Lord Blantyre</span> Scottish courtier and politician

Walter Stewart, 1st Lord Blantyre (1555–1617) was a Scottish courtier and politician. He was Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland from 1582 to 1596 and Treasurer of Scotland from 1596 to 1599.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Murray (poet)</span> Officer in the household of Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, in England from 1603 to 1612, and poet

Sir David Murray of Gorthy (1567–1629) was an officer in the household of Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, in England from 1603 to 1612, and poet.

Jean Fleming, Countess of Cassilis (1553/4–1609) was a Scottish noblewoman and courtier at the court of James VI of Scotland, and a survivor of domestic violence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Murray, 1st Earl of Tullibardine</span> Scottish nobleman

John Murray, 1st Earl of Tullibardine was a Scottish courtier and leader of the Clan Murray.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marie Stewart, Countess of Mar</span> Scottish courtier

Marie Stewart, Countess of Mar (1576-1644) was a Scottish courtier. She was the daughter of Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox and Catherine de Balsac d’Entragues (d. c.1631) and a favourite of James VI of Scotland. After her marriage, as was customary in Scotland, she did not change her name, and signed her letters as "Marie Stewart".

Annabell Murray, Countess of Mar (1536–1603), was a Scottish landowner, courtier and royal servant, the keeper of the infant James VI and his son Prince Henry at Stirling Castle

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Schöner</span> German physician (died 1611)

Dr Martin Schöner or Schönerus, physician to James VI and I and Anne of Denmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henrietta Stewart</span> Scottish courtier

Henrietta Stewart (1573–1642) was a Scottish courtier. She was the influential favourite of the queen of Scotland, Anne of Denmark.

William Murray of Tullibardine was a Scottish courtier and leader of the Clan Murray.

Margaret Livingstone, Countess of Orkney was a Scottish courtier and landowner. She was a daughter of William Livingstone, 6th Lord Livingston and Agnes Fleming.

Margaret Fleming, Countess of Atholl (1536-1586) was a Scottish courtier and landowner rumoured to be involved in the occult. She served as lady-in-waiting to Mary, Queen of Scots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magdalen Livingstone</span> Scottish courtier

Magdalen Livingstone was a Scottish courtier. She was a favoured lady-in-waiting to Mary, Queen of Scots, and later belonged to the household of Prince Henry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">English subsidy of James VI</span>

Queen Elizabeth I of England paid a subsidy to King James VI of Scotland from 1586 to 1602. This enabled her to influence James by delaying or deferring payments to his diplomats in London. Records survive of the yearly amounts, and details of the expenditure in some years. A large proportion of the money was spent on the royal wardrobe of James and Anne of Denmark. Some royal expenses were met by Anne of Denmark's dowry, which was known as the "tocher". The regular incomes of the Scottish crown were feudal rents, customs, and "compositions" charged on grants of land. Accounts for royal incomes and payments survive as the exchequer rolls and lord treasurer's accounts and have been published as historical sources.

Marie Ruthven, Countess of Atholl, was a Scottish aristocrat.

William Murray of Tullibardine (1510–1562) was a Scottish landowner.

Alexander Hay of Easter Kennet was a Scottish lawyer and politician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Stewart (constable of Stirling Castle)</span> Scottish soldier

John Stewart was a Scottish soldier and Constable of Stirling Castle for James VI of Scotland.

Violet Mar was a Scottish woman accused of plotting the death of Regent Morton by witchcraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Murray (valet)</span> Scottish courtier

William Murray was a Scottish courtier, a household servant of James VI of Scotland as a "valet of the king's chamber".

References

  1. George Harvey Johnston, Heraldry of the Murrays (Edinburgh, 1910), p. 62.
  2. Michael Wasser, 'Scotland's First Witch Hunt', Julian Goodare, Scottish Witches and Witch-Hunters (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013), p. 29: HMC 3rd Report (London, 1872), p. 419: NRS GD24/5/57/10.
  3. Charles Thorpe McInnes, Accounts of the Treasurer, 1574-1580, vol. 13 (Edinburgh, 1978), p. 182.
  4. HMC 3rd Report: Moray (London, 1872), p. 419.
  5. Maureen Meikle, 'A meddlesome princess: Anna of Denmark and Scottish court politics 1589–1603', Julian Goodare & Michael Lynch, The Reign of James VI (Tuckwell: East Linton, 2000), p. 132.
  6. Henry Paton, HMC Mar & Kellie, 1 (London, 1904), p. 41.
  7. David Erskine, Earl of Buchan, 'Legacies of Dame Amabel', Edinburgh Magazine, 12 (1799), p. 329.
  8. Register of the Great Seal, 1580-1593, p. 717 no. 2102.
  9. Roll of Eminent Burgesses of Dundee (Dundee, 1887), pp. 119-20.
  10. Maurice Lee, Dudley Carleton to John Chamberlain, 1603-1624 (Rutgers UP, 1972), p. 35.
  11. HMC 3rd Report (London, 1872), p. 419: National Records of Scotland GD24/5/57/22.
  12. John Maitland Tomson, Register of the Great Seal, 1580-1593, p. 717 no. 2102: Register of the Great Seal, 1593–1608 (Edinburgh 1984), nos. 222, 1326.
  13. Frederick Devon, Issues of Exchequer: Pell Records (London, 1836), pp. 151-2, 158, 160.
  14. John Maitland Tomson, Register of the Great Seal, 1580-1593, p. 717 no. 2102.