Robert Mure of Caldwell

Last updated

SirRobert Mure or Muir (died 1620) was a Scottish landowner, imprisoned by James VI for intimidating his tenants. [1]

Contents

Career

Caldwell Tower, the remains of William Caldwell's castle Caldwell Tower from the Caldwell estate North Drive.JPG
Caldwell Tower, the remains of William Caldwell's castle

He was a son of John Mure of Caldwell and Jonet Kennedy of Bargany. Caldwell is in East Renfrewshire. His father was murdered in 1570, in a feud with William Cunningham and Alexander Cunningham, younger of Aiket, [2] and so John became Laird of Caldwell. [3] He was knighted by James VI and I. [4]

Guardian of Lord Sempill

In 1581 Robert Mure became a guardian of the legal affairs of his stepson Robert, Lord Sempill, known as a "curator", after marrying his mother Barbara Preston. [5] The other curators were Archibald Preston of Valleyfield near Dunfermline and his son James Preston, a servant to the king and master of the royal mint. The curators also made an agreement with the Earl of Glencairn. Previously, Regent Morton (died 1581) had been Lord Sempill's legal "tutor". [6]

On 1 October 1590, James VI of Scotland wrote to Robert Mure, reminding him, as previously requested, to send a hackney horse for the use of the ladies in waiting to his wife Anne of Denmark. [7]

The Kittochside feud

From 1570, Mure had some difficulties and disagreements with a tenant, John Reid of Kittochside. [8] The lands include the site of the National Museum of Rural Life. [9] Reid complained to the Privy Council at Holyrood Palace in April 1600 that although he held lands at Kittochside by an inherited lease, Robert Mure had harassed him over the past 18 years. In June 1597 Mure had sent his sons to seize him at Kittochside. Reid evaded capture but they had burnt his house down, risking harm to his wife and children. [10] Again in March 1600, Robert Mure and his armed followers came to the house and farm and broke open Reid's coffers and chests. The Mures took clothes, textiles, and livestock. Mure alleged he was justly claiming these goods for a debt, but the Privy Council did not accept this. He was ordered to recompense John Reid and imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle. [11]

James VI agreed that Mure had made sufficient recompense to John Reid on 29 June 1600 and Mure was free to go home. [12] Robert's brother, Alexander Mure, was accused of illegally appearing in public with handguns, "hagbuts and pistolets", in Paisley in 1600 and 1601. [13]

Marriages

He married firstly, Elizabeth Kincaid. Their children included:

He married secondly, by 1581, Barbara Preston, daughter of George Preston of Valleyfield, and widow of Robert, Master of Sempill. Their children included:

See also

Related Research Articles

Sir James Sempill (1566–1626) was a Scottish courtier and diplomat. He was known by the name of his family estate, Beltrees or Beltries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Maitland, 1st Lord Maitland of Thirlestane</span>

John Maitland, 1st Lord Maitland of Thirlestane, of Lethington, Knight (1581), was Lord Chancellor of Scotland.

William Schaw was Master of Works to James VI of Scotland for building castles and palaces, and is claimed to have been an important figure in the development of Freemasonry in Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caldwell, East Renfrewshire</span> Mansion in East Renfrewshire, Scotland

Caldwell is a mansion and old estate with the remains of a castle nearby. These lands lie close to the Lugton Water and the villages of Uplawmoor in East Renfrewshire and Lugton in East Ayrshire.

Patrick Galloway was a Scottish minister, a Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. He was Moderator of the General Assembly in 1590, and again in 1602. Having been completely gained over by the Court party he used all his influence in forwarding the views of the King for the introduction of Episcopacy.

Sir William Stewart of Houston was a Scottish soldier, politician and diplomat.

Sir John Carmichael was a Scottish soldier, the Keeper of Liddesdale, a diplomat, and owner of Fenton Tower at Kingston, East Lothian.

The Octavians were a financial commission of eight in the government of Scotland first appointed by James VI on 9 January 1596.

Robert Ross, 5th Lord Ross of Halkhead was a Scottish nobleman.

Robert Sempill, 4th Lord Sempill, (d.1611), Scottish Lord of Parliament.

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.

Thomas Foulis was a Scottish goldsmith, mine entrepreneur, and royal financier.

<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.

George Young was a Scottish churchman, courtier, member of the Privy Council of Scotland, diplomat, and secretary depute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Gourlay (merchant)</span>

Robert Gourlay or Robin Gourlaw was a wealthy Edinburgh merchant and Customar of Edinburgh who built a renowned house in Edinburgh.

William Stewart of Monkton and Carstairs was a Scottish landowner and courtier.

William Stewart was a Scottish courtier.

<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.

John Cockburn of Ormiston was a Scottish lawyer and landowner.

Matthew Hairstanes was a Scottish courtier.

References

  1. ↑ Maureen Meikle, The Scottish People, 1490-1625 (Lulu Press, 2014).
  2. ↑ William Robertson, Historic Ayrshire (Edinburgh, 1891), pp. 18-19.
  3. ↑ James Paterson, History of the County of Ayr, vol. 1 (Ayr, 1847), pp. 79, 298: Robert Pitcairn, Ancient Criminal Trials, vol. 3 (Edinburgh, 1833), pp. 17-19.
  4. ↑ John Burke, Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain, vol. 2 (London, 1847), p. 901.
  5. ↑ George Crawford, Archaeological and Historical Collections Relating to the County of Renfrew: Lochwinnoch, vol. 1 (Paisley, 1890), p. xviii.
  6. ↑ William Mure, Selections from the Family Papers Preserved at Caldwell, vol. 1 (Glasgow: Maitland Club, 1854), pp. 79-83.
  7. ↑ Maureen Meikle, 'Anna of Denmark's Coronation and Entry', Julian Goodare & Alasdair A. MacDonald, Sixteenth Century Scotland: Essays in Honour of Michael Lynch (Brill: Leiden, 2008), p. 278: William Mure, Selections from the Family Papers Preserved at Caldwell, vol. 1 (Glasgow: Maitland Club, 1854), pp. 83-4
  8. ↑ Maureen Meikle, The Scottish People, 1490-1625 (Lulu Press, 2014).
  9. ↑ A. Fenton & G. Sprott, 'The Museums of Scottish Country Life', Review of Scottish Culture, 15 (John Donald, 2003), p. 8.
  10. ↑ Herbert Reid, The Reids of Kittochside (Glasgow, 1943), p. 7.
  11. ↑ David Masson, Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, vol. 6 (Edinburgh, 1884), pp. 100, 118-9
  12. ↑ William Mure, Selections from the Family Papers Preserved at Caldwell, vol. 1 (Glasgow: Maitland Club, 1854), pp. 14, 88
  13. ↑ David Masson, Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, vol. 6 (Edinburgh, 1884), p. 251.
  14. ↑ William Mure, Selections from the Family Papers Preserved at Caldwell, vol. 1 (Glasgow, 1854), p. 16
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.