Gilbert Balfour

Last updated

Gilbert Balfour (died 1576) was a 16th-century Scottish courtier and mercenary captain. He probably played a leading role in the murder of Lord Darnley, consort of Mary, Queen of Scots.

Contents

Family background, marriage, and Orkney lands

Noltland Castle Noltland Castle - geograph.org.uk - 1763460.jpg
Noltland Castle

He was the second son of Andrew Balfour of Mountquhanie in Kilmany, Fife, and Janet Bruce. Balfour married Margaret Bothwell, the half-sister of Adam Bothwell, Bishop of Orkney, [1] who endowed him with the isle of Westray and lands at Birsay including Marwick, Birsay Besouth, and Skalden Fea, from episcopal property. Balfour and Bothwell quarrelled over the lands at Birsay. [2]

Gilbert Balfour was appointed Constable of the Bishop of Orkney, Adam Bothwell. He was the administrator for the collection of rents in the bishopric, which included "fat goods" of butter and oil from Shetland. The produce was shipped to Leith and sold to merchants. [3] He was made sheriff of Orkney in 1566. [4]

At Noltland on Westray, Balfour built one of the most impressive castles in the Orkney Islands, and indeed the Northern Isles. [5] It is situated above the Bay of Pierowall, was built in the 1560s. It is notable for an unusually large spiral staircase, "second only to Fyvie Castle, while its triple tiers of gunloops are without parallel in Scotland, if not Europe". [6]

Master of Household

On 1 October 1565 Mary, Queen of Scots, appointed him her Master of Household, a leading servant responsible for wages and the provision of food. [7]

Balfour had a prominent role at the baptism of Prince James at Stirling Castle in December 1566. There was a procession bringing the food into the Great Hall, which he joined as a Master of Household walking with the Laird of Findlater and Francisco de Busso. [8] During the entertainment, written by George Buchanan, Latin verses were sung by nymphs and satyrs in honour of the food and hosts, and characters represented the Orkney Islands. [9]

In January 1573, Gilbert Balfour and his brothers, James Balfour of Pittendreich and Robert Balfour, were pardoned for treason and other crimes by Regent Morton and given a caution or bail of 10,000 merks to continue in good behaviour. [10] Morton required Balfour and his wife to surrender Westray Castle and his lands at Noltland to Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney, who was feuar of Orkney and Zetland, and his wife Jean Kennedy. [11]

Before he could ever use the castle, Balfour was executed in Stockholm for participating in the Mornay Plot against King John III of Sweden. Ownership of Noltland passed to Archibald Balfour of Westray and on to Andrew Balfour of Montquhanie.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell</span> Scottish nobleman

James Hepburn, 1st Duke of Orkney and 4th Earl of Bothwell, better known simply as Lord Bothwell, was a prominent Scottish nobleman. He was known for his marriage to Mary, Queen of Scots, as her third and final husband. He was accused of the murder of Mary's second husband, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, a charge of which he was acquitted. His marriage to Mary was controversial and divided the country; when he fled the growing rebellion to Norway, he was arrested and lived the rest of his life imprisoned in Denmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scalloway Castle</span>

Scalloway Castle is a tower house in Scalloway, on the Shetland Mainland, the largest island in the Shetland Islands of Scotland. The tower was built in 1600 by Patrick Stewart, 2nd Earl of Orkney, during his brief period as de facto ruler of Shetland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evie, Orkney</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Evie is a parish and village on Mainland, Orkney, Scotland. The parish is located in the north-west of the Mainland, between Birsay and Rendall, forming the coastline opposite the isle of Rousay.

Laurence Bruce of Cultmalindie was a Scottish landowner and factor to the Earl of Orkney. He features in a number of traditional stories of Shetland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Stewart, 2nd Earl of Orkney</span> Scottish nobleman

Patrick Stewart, 2nd Earl of Orkney, Lord of Zetland was a Scottish nobleman, the son of Robert, Earl of Orkney, a bastard son of King James V. Infamous for his godless nature and tyrannical rule over the Scottish archipelagos of Orkney and Shetland, he was executed for treason in 1615.

Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney and Lord of Zetland (Shetland) was a recognised illegitimate son of James V, King of Scotland, and his mistress Eupheme Elphinstone. Robert Stewart was half-brother to Mary, Queen of Scots and uncle to James VI and I of Scotland and England.

Michael Balfour, 1st Lord Balfour of Burleigh PC was a Scottish peer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Lord Darnley</span> 1567 murder in Edinburgh, Scotland

The murder of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, took place on 10 February 1567 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Darnley's lodgings were destroyed by gunpowder; his body and that of his servant were found nearby, apparently having been strangled rather than killed in the explosion. Suspicion was placed upon Queen Mary and the Earl of Bothwell, whom Mary went on to marry three months after Darnley's murder. Bothwell was indicted for treason and acquitted, but six of his servants and acquaintances were subsequently arrested, tried, and executed for the crime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francis Stewart, 5th Earl of Bothwell</span> Scottish nobleman (1562–1612)

Francis Stewart, 5th Earl of Bothwell, was Commendator of Kelso Abbey and Coldingham Priory, a Privy Counsellor and Lord High Admiral of Scotland. He was a notorious conspirator who led several uprisings against his first cousin, King James VI, all of which ultimately failed, and he died in poverty in Italy after being banished from Scotland. Francis's maternal uncle, the 4th Earl of Bothwell, was the chief suspect in the murder of James VI's father, Lord Darnley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noltland Castle</span> Castle on the island of Westray in the Orkney Islands of Scotland

Noltland Castle is located near Pierowall on the island of Westray in the Orkney Islands of Scotland. It dates mainly to the later 16th century, although it was never fully completed. The castle is protected as a scheduled monument.

Adam Bothwell, Lord of Session, was a Scottish clergyman, judge, and politician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Stewart, Earl of Carrick</span> Scottish nobleman

John Stewart, Earl of Carrick, Lord Kinclaven was a Scottish nobleman, the third son of Robert, Earl of Orkney, a bastard son of King James V.

The Sheriff of Orkney and Shetland, also known as the Sheriff of Orkney and Zetland, was historically the royal official responsible for enforcing law and order in Orkney and Shetland, Scotland. The office was combined with the role in Shetland of the "foud" and the "foudry". The foud was a bailiff who returned customs and rents due the crown, including butter and oil known as "fat goods".

Margaret Beaton, Lady Reres was a Scottish courtier and companion of Mary of Guise and Mary, Queen of Scots. She was blamed by the enemies of Mary, Queen of Scots, for her involvement in alleged immorality at court.

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

Robert Colville of Cleish (1532–1584) was a Scottish courtier.

Andrew Balfour of Montquhanie was a Scottish landowner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorothea Stewart, Countess of Gowrie</span> Scottish aristocrat

Dorothea Stewart, Countess of Gowrie was a Scottish aristocrat. The dates of the birth and death of Dorothea Stewart are unknown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugh Kennedy of Girvanmains</span> Scottish courtier, soldier, and landowner

Hugh or Huw Kennedy of Girvanmains was a Scottish courtier, soldier, and landowner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olave Sinclair</span>

Olave Sinclair of Havera and Brow was an official on Shetland, known as the "foud". He collected taxes due to the Scottish crown. His first name is sometimes written as Oliver, Ola, or Olaf.

References

  1. ↑ Peter Anderson, Robert Stewart, Earl of Orkney Lord of Shetland (Edinburgh: John Donald, 1982), p. 33.
  2. ↑ James Balfour Paul, Accounts of the Treasurer of Scotland, 1559-1566, vol. 11 (Edinburgh, 1916), p. 321: Peter Anderson, Robert Stewart, Earl of Orkney Lord of Shetland (Edinburgh: John Donald, 1982), pp. 34, 37-41.
  3. ↑ John H. Ballantyne & Brian Smith, Shetland Documents, 1195-1579 (Lerwick, 1999), pp. 79 no. 119, 99 no. 135.
  4. ↑ Peter Anderson, Robert Stewart, Earl of Orkney Lord of Shetland (Edinburgh: John Donald, 1982), p. 54: Gordon Donaldson, Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland, 5:2 (Edinburgh, 1957), p. 16 no. 2529.
  5. ↑ "The Heritage of Westray" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 February 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2007.
  6. ↑ Keay, J. & Keay, J. (1994) Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland. London. HarperCollins.
  7. ↑ Michael Lynch, Edinburgh and the Reformation (Edinburgh, 1981), p. 176.
  8. ↑ Charles Rogers, History of the Chapel Royal of Scotland (London, 1882), p. lxx: Diurnal of Occurrents (Edinburgh, 1835), pp. 103-4.
  9. ↑ 'Pompae Deorum Rusticorum dona ferentium Jacobo VI & Mariae matri eius, Scotorum Regibus in coena que Regis baptisma est consecuta', in George Buchanan, Omnia Opera, vol. 2 (Leiden, 1725), p. 405
  10. ↑ John Hill Burton, Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 1569-1578, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1878), pp. 174-5.
  11. ↑ John Hill Burton, Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 1569-1578, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1878), pp. 340-1.


Flag of Scotland.svg Crystal Clear app Login Manager 2.png

This Scottish biographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.