James Barroun or Baron (died 1569) was a wealthy Scottish merchant based in Edinburgh and supporter of the Scottish Reformation.
Contents
James Barroun or Baron (died 1569) was a wealthy Scottish merchant based in Edinburgh and supporter of the Scottish Reformation.
He was a member of a family of Edinburgh merchants and became a burgess and member of the guild in 1547. [1] In 1558 his kinsman Patrick Barroun obtained paintings in Flanders for Mary of Guise, Regent of Scotland, for an altarpiece she installed at the Chapel Royal in Holyrood Palace. [2]
James Barroun was primarily a textile merchant, and his will lists the luxury fabrics in his shop or booth and work house in detail, and the farmstock of his estate at Kinnaird in Dairsie, Fife. [3] He supplied textiles and hosiery to Regent Arran. [4] In January 1548 he provided white taffeta to line the purple velvet gown, the "rob ryall" or robe-royal, for the wedding of Barbara Hamilton after Mary of Guise rejected inferior cloth. [5] In March 1558 he sold 12 great double hanks of gold embroidery thread to Mary of Guise. [6]
In February 1558 the Italian cloth merchant and banker Timothy Cagnioli provided finance for Mary, Queen of Scots' half-brother, James Stewart, Commendator of St Andrews, to travel to Paris to complete the marriage contract of Mary and the Dauphin. Cagnioli gave letters of credit worth £6,687 Scots. His mother, Margaret Erskine, Lady of Lochleven, made a bond for repayment with the Clerk Register, James MacGill, James Barroun, and another Edinburgh merchant, James Adamson (a connection of Barroun's wife). [7]
In February 1559, the burgh council of Edinburgh and the Provost, George Seton, 7th Lord Seton, decided to hold a banquet for Mary of Guise. Silk, taffeta, and other materials for the banquet, costing in total 100 French crowns were bought from James Barroun. [8] As Dean of Guild, in April 1560, Barroun was asked to organise repairs at St Giles' Kirk, including repairs to windows and plastering or whitewashing. [9]
As the Scottish Reformation progressed, Barroun was asked to dismantle and remove the Mary bell of St Giles' Kirk. In August and September 1560, the ornaments of St Giles were delivered to James Barroun for safekeeping as Dean of Guild. These included the chalice, patten, and spoon, the arm of St Giles (delivered by Thomas McCalzean, father of Euphame MacCalzean), two silver censers, and a silver ship, the great silver cross, a silver chrismarium with a wooden container for oil, and a goldsmith Michael Gilbert produced two silver chandeliers or lamps. The burgh council had decided to sell the church silver and vestments to fund its works, especially that of reforming the fabric of St Giles for Protestant worship. Barroun was asked to have the metal of the bells and the pillars of the baldacchino cast into artillery for the town, either in Scotland or Flanders. [10]
In August 1560, Barroun, as Dean of Guild, made a complaint or submission to the burgh council about those who worked as "free merchants" and "free craftsmen" in Edinburgh, and enjoyed various privileges, but were not burgesses of the town. The council's response was to order that lists of unfree merchants and craftsmen should be made, and they should be compelled to become free members. [11]
In June 1561 James Barroun was asked by the town council to request the return of their artillery from Edinburgh Castle. This proved to be difficult and there was a dispute over negotiations held with the Laird of Drumquhassill. [12]
In 1562 Barroun arranged an interview between John Knox and the Earl of Bothwell in his own house. Bothwell spoke to Knox about his quarrel with James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran. [13]
James Barroun was a friend of James Stewart, Earl of Moray, who became Regent of Scotland when Mary, Queen of Scots was imprisoned in Lochleven Castle and coerced into abdication. In order to raise money, Regent Moray asked the treasurer of Scotland, Robert Richardson to utilise the jewels of Mary, Queen of Scots to raise loans. Barroun lent money to Moray and held Mary's diamond crucifix, an emerald pendant, and other jewels as a pledge. [14]
He died in September 1569. [15]
His first wife was Elizabeth Adamson. He married secondly, Helen Lesley or Leslie (d. 1577), the "Goodwife of Kinnaird". [16] After Barroun's death she married James Kirkcaldy, whose brother, Regent Moray's friend William Kirkcaldy of Grange, Captain of Edinburgh Castle, unexpectedly declared for Mary in 1570. [17]
His daughter Helen Barroun married Hercules Rollock, master of Edinburgh's college. [18] Rollock wrote verses for and about the Entry and coronation of Anne of Denmark. [19]
Another member of the family, Martha Barroun, was married to the kirk minister Patrick Simson. Her nephew was Jacob Barroun, another Edinburgh textile merchant, who died in July 1610. His will mentions cousins living in Antwerp, Amsterdam, and La Rochelle. in 1590 Jacob Barroun lent money to James Lumsden of Airdrie, Fife, on the security of a jewel which Lumsden had obtain from Jean Lyon, Countess of Angus, but it was discovered that the jewel belonged to the king. [20]
James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray was a member of the House of Stewart as the illegitimate son of King James V of Scotland. At times a supporter of his half-sister Mary, Queen of Scots, he was the regent of Scotland for his half-nephew, the infant King James VI, from 1567 until his assassination in 1570. He was the first head of government to be assassinated with a firearm.
Sir William Kirkcaldy of Grange was a Scottish politician and soldier who fought for the Scottish Reformation. He ended his career holding Edinburgh castle on behalf of Mary, Queen of Scots and was hanged at the conclusion of a long siege.
William MacDowall or McDougall(died 1580) was a Scottish priest and Master of Works to Mary, Queen of Scots, her mother Mary of Guise, and James VI of Scotland. The title 'sir' was used in Scotland by a priest without a master's degree. The name appears variously as McDowgall, McDougall, McDowall etc., in printed records, he signed accounts MAKDOUELL.
Sir James MacGill, Lord Rankeillor of Nether Rankeillour, was a Scottish courtier and Senator of the College of Justice.
George Seton V, 7th Lord Seton (1531–1586), was a Lord of the Parliament of Scotland, Master of the Household of Mary, Queen of Scots, and Provost of Edinburgh. He was the eldest son of George Seton, 6th Lord Seton, and Elizabeth Hay, a daughter of John Hay, 3rd Lord Hay of Yester. His childhood and schooling were in France.
Andrew Mansioun, or Mentioun or Manschone or Manson, was a French artist who worked at the court of James V, King of Scots. He was the master carpenter of the Scottish artillery for Mary, Queen of Scots and James VI of Scotland.
Master John Wood, was a Scottish courtier, administrator and secretary to the Earl of Moray. He was assassinated on 15 April 1570.
Thomas McCalzean, Lord Cliftonhall was a 16th-century Scottish judge, rising to be a Senator of the College of Justice and a local politician who was briefly Provost of Edinburgh in 1562 at the personal request of Mary Queen of Scots who sought a moderate influence during these troubled times.
Timothy Cagnioli was an Italian merchant and banker in Scotland. Cagnioli was active in Edinburgh during the Regency of Mary of Guise and the personal reign of Mary, Queen of Scots. As a merchant he supplied luxury fabrics used in costume and interior decoration. He was able to lend large sums of money and issue letters of credit needed by travellers abroad.
James Cockie was a goldsmith in Edinburgh. He helped mint coins in Edinburgh Castle during the Marian Civil War and was hanged as a counterfeiter on 3 August 1573.
Alexander Clark of Balbirnie was a Scottish merchant and Provost of Edinburgh. He was closely involved with English diplomacy.
John Mosman or Mossman was a Scottish goldsmith based in Edinburgh who served the royal court and was involved in gold mining.
James Mosman or Mossman was a Scottish goldsmith. He and his son John Mosman were supporters of the cause of Mary, Queen of Scots. James Mosman was executed in 1573 for counterfeiting coins in Edinburgh Castle. John Mosman carried letters for Mary, Queen of Scots, and was under surveillance by Francis Walsingham.
Walter Binning, or Bynning was a painter in 16th-century Edinburgh.
Michael Gilbert was an Edinburgh goldsmith and financier.
Alexander Hay of Easter Kennet was a Scottish lawyer and politician.
Thomas Ewyn was a Scottish goldsmith working in Edinburgh.
David Schang was a Scottish carpenter and fortune-teller working in 16th-century Edinburgh.
James Stewart (1566–1625), son of Mary, Queen of Scots (1542–1587) and Lord Darnley (1546–1567), was crowned King of Scotland by Adam Bothwell, Bishop of Orkney, in the Holy Rude Kirk at Stirling on 29 July 1567.
Mungo Brady or Brydie or Brand was an Edinburgh goldsmith, regarded as a King's man in the civil war, he was appointed goldsmith to James VI of Scotland.