James Maxwell, 1st Earl of Dirletoun (died 1650) was a Scottish courtier and landowner, and Black Rod. He was involved in selling royal jewels.
Contents
James Maxwell, 1st Earl of Dirletoun (died 1650) was a Scottish courtier and landowner, and Black Rod. He was involved in selling royal jewels.
Maxwell was the son of Robert Maxwell of Kirkhouse (d. 1583) and Nichola[s] Murray, daughter of Charles Murray of Cockpool. His mother was a sister of John Murray of the bedchamber who became Earl of Annandale. [1]
Maxwell was made an usher daily waiter in the household of King James in 1603. [2] A younger brother, Robert Maxwell (d. 1627) was a sergeant-at-arms. On 15 June 1610, King James rewarded the usher with lands in Dumfries. Another Scottish servant, Matthew Hairstanes, received a similar grant on the same day. [3]
Maxwell was appointed Black Rod in 1620 on the death of Sir Richard Coningsby in February 1620. The Black Rod officiated at the annual feast of the Order of the Garter at Windsor Castle and Maxwell was given a house there, and in 1629 he was made Keeper of the little park at Windsor. [4]
In May 1609 James VI and I wrote to his advocate in Edinburgh Thomas Haddington to favour the lawsuit of Sir Robert Douglas and Maxwell against the Lord Herries. [5]
James Maxwell injured the ear of barrister James (or Edward) Hawley at a masque or reception for the Duke of Bouillon at court in May 1612, when he dragged Hawley from a room by his ear string. [6] This became a more serious affair after Hawley threatened to fight a duel, and his lawyer friends at the Inns of Court took his side, only resolved by the intervention of the king. [7] There was adverse feeling in London against the Scots in the court of King James which this incident reflected, and subsequently there was discussion in 1620 if a Scot could be Black Rod, and Maxwell found it difficult to be naturalized as a denizen of England until 1622. [8]
King James sent him to Heidelberg with presents for Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia in May 1614. [9]
In 1616 the Privy Council of Scotland enforced the eviction of several people from Maxwell's lands in Dumfries and Galloway. [10]
In July 1622 Thomas Erskine, Earl of Kellie recommended him to the Earl of Mar writing that he was probably more useful to Mar than his kinsman John Murray, 1st Earl of Annandale. Previously Kellie had written how Maxwell had tried to get King Charles to read a letter from Mar, and would encourage Archibald Primrose to further Mar's business with the king. [11] In Decemember, Maxwell was granted the lands in Kinnoull and the Gowrie Lodging in Perth. [12]
In 1625 he became a groom of the bedchamber to King Charles. [13] As a gentleman in the king's household he was able to access the king and gain patronage for others. He acquired estates in England including, Wanborough Manor, Guildford Priory House, and Kidland Manor, and obtained patents for iron-making and pipe-clay. [14] He also had a lodging or house at Windsor Castle, which was repaired in 1638. [15]
In March 1630 Maxwell, by now wealthy, was involved in the sale of older crown jewels with Francis Cottington and acquired a number of pieces himself including the two pearls remaining from the Mirror of Great Britain and Anne of Denmark's gold circlet set with diamonds, emeralds, rubies and pearls, which had been made for her coronation in England by Spilman and Herrick. There was also a head attire with nine great round pearls. [16] [17]
Maxwell acquired Innerwick Castle, and was known as "Maxwell of Innerwick". He bought the lordship of Dirleton and Dirleton Castle in 1631, and was made Earl of Dirletoun around 1646, though as in the case his courtier of William Murray, Earl of Dysart and Patrick Maule, Earl of Panmure, the process of granting and confirming these peerages is obscure. [18]
James Maxwell died at Holyrood Palace in April 1650, and was buried at Dirleton Kirk. [19]
In 1619 Maxwell married Elizabeth de Boussy, or Bousson de Podolsko (d. 1659), from Antwerp, who had been Anne of Denmark's laundry woman and was the widow of William Ryder (d. 1617), a harbinger or clerk of the royal stables. [20] She owned a miniature portrait of Anna of Denmark's brother, the Duke of Holstein, set with diamonds. [21] The Royalist agent Jane Whorwood was her daughter from her marriage to Ryder.
Their daughter Diana Maxwell married Charles Cecil, Viscount Cranborne, and Elizabeth Maxwell married William Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Hamilton, then known as the Earl of Lanark. [22] Elizabeth's dowry in 1639 was 288,000 Scottish merks. [23]
Robert Maxwell, his brother, died in 1637 leaving an embroidered scarf and £50 for a gown to his niece Elizabeth, and a pair of embroidered slippers and £50 to Diana. Another brother, Charles, may have been the Charles Maxwell killed by Sir Robert Ker in a duel at Cambridge in 1620. [24]
The usher of the Black Rod is an official in the parliaments of several countries of the Commonwealth of Nations. The title is often shortened to Black Rod, and in some countries, formally known as Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod or Lady Usher of the Black Rod. The position originates in the House of Lords in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Equivalent positions exist in Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
The title Earl of Kellie or Kelly is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created in 1619 for Sir Thomas Erskine, who was Captain of the Guard and Groom of the Stool for James VI. It is named after Barony of Kellie in Fife, Scotland. Since 1875, it has been held jointly with the Earldom of Mar.
William Douglas, 7th Earl of Morton was a grandson of the 6th Earl of Morton. He was Treasurer of Scotland, and a zealous Royalist.
John Erskine, 1st Earl of Mar was a Scottish aristocrat and politician. He was the custodian of the infant James VI of Scotland and Regent of Scotland.
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.
Robert Kerr, 1st Earl of Ancram, was a Scottish nobleman, politician and writer.
Thomas Erskine, 1st Earl of Kellie was a Scottish peer.
In the history of the British monarchy, King James VI of Scotland communicated in secret with the administrators of Queen Elizabeth I of England between May 1601 and her death in March 1603. In this period it was settled that James would succeed Elizabeth, his distant relative, but this result was kept a secret in a small diplomatic community. James's accession to the thrones of England and Ireland is known as the Union of the Crowns. From 1586 onwards James also received money from Elizabeth, an annual subsidy, which forged closer links.
Robert Maxwell, 1st Earl of Nithsdale, was a Scottish nobleman. He succeeded his brother as 10th Lord Maxwell in 1613, and was created Earl of Nithsdale in 1620. General of Scots in Danish-Norwegian service during the Thirty Years' War. A loyal supporter of Charles I and a prominent Catholic, he lost his titles and estates in 1645, dying on the Isle of Man in 1646.
Alexander Erskine of Gogar was a Scottish landowner and keeper of James VI of Scotland at Stirling Castle.
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".
John Murray, 1st Earl of Annandale was a Scottish courtier and Member of Parliament.
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.
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.
John Erskine, 3rd Earl of Mar was a Scottish landowner.
Christian Lindsay was a Scottish poet and baker to the king.
Henry Erskine, Master of Cardross was a Scottish landowner.
William Murray was a Scottish courtier, a household servant of James VI of Scotland as a "valet of the king's chamber".
James VI and I (1566–1625), King of England, Scotland, and Ireland, died on 27 March 1625 at Theobalds, and was buried at Westminster Abbey on 7 May 1625.
Sir Henry Gibb, 1st Baronet was a Scottish courtier.