Henry Stewart, 1st Lord Methven
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Henry Stewart, 1st Lord Methven (c. 1495 – 1552) was Master of the Scottish Artillery and third husband of Margaret Tudor
, eldest daughter of Henry VII of England
and Elizabeth of York
.
. Henry was a fifth-generation male-line descendant of Murdoch Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany
through his son Walter. He was thus a fourth cousin, twice removed of James IV of Scotland
, first husband of Margaret Tudor.
. She was already mother to James V of Scotland
and Margaret Douglas
from her previous marriages. This third marriage would produce another daughter, Dorothea Stewart, who is believed to have died young. Reaction to the marriage was swift: Margaret and Henry were besieged at Stirling Castle
by Lord Erskine
, with the support of James V and her former husband, the Earl of Angus. Henry was imprisoned. However, after James V joined his mother at Stirling, Henry was created Lord Methven. Margaret made Methven captain of her castle of Newark
in Ettrick
. In 1539, Henry and Margaret let their coalfield at Skeoch to John Craigyngelt. As rent he would supply 100 loads to Margaret's lodging at Stirling Castle
.
and Lady Janet Campbell. Her maternal grandparents were Archibald Campbell, 2nd Earl of Argyll
and Elizabeth Stewart. Elizabeth was a daughter of John Stewart, 1st Earl of Lennox
and Margaret Montgomerie. Margaret was a daughter of Alexander Montgomerie, 1st Lord Montgomerie and Margaret Boyd.
Henry and Janet were parents to four children:
During the war of the Rough Wooing, Methven wrote to Mary of Guise
on 31 December 1547 to discuss the use of artillery in the war. He said that Regent Arran had been advised that the modest ("sober") Scottish artillery at St Andrews Castle
at the start might have taken the castle, and the prolonged and expensive siege, after Arran had departed, had harmed public opinion. Similarly, a recent ineffective show of artillery at Broughty Castle
had only warned the English to get more support and re-fortify. Now, to take Broughty, more cannon needed to be supplied, and Methven asked for French captains with intelligence of the field, and intelligence to assiege and order artillery.
Methven wrote to Mary of Guise again on 3 June 1548 with more strategic advice. He said that he had friends all over Scotland and had been diligent in acquiring intelligence of the motives of those Scots who favoured the English. He found four principal motives; religion, fear, regard for a belief in prophecy, and the ignorant conceit that English justice and rule might be better. He advised her that there were so many dissidents that the unity of Scotland would be best served by offering an act of remission, a general pardon, rather than punishment, as her husband James V had done for rebels during his minority, (on 10 December 1540). Methven thought the defeat at Pinkie
, (which he called the jeornay of Penke), was due to these causes, and the unorderly haste of the Scottish army.
He added that he heard it was already widely known in Perth
by the end of May that the Scottish artillery at the siege of Broughty Castle would be moved to the Siege of Haddington. The citizens of Perth hoped a French army would come to protect them from Broughty's English garrison. Methven had issued the guns at Broughty to the Earl of Argyll
. Methven starting moving the guns on the 6 June. As an example to the local laird
s who were obliged to do this work, he yoked 240 oxen and began to drag the guns through his and Lord Ruthven
's lands. At Haddington, he reported on the 5 July; "all nycht all our greit artallzery lawborit and has dong the tolbutht and reft an pece that lay betuix it and the kirk of the Freyris." But on 17 July, the French officer D'Essé
ordered the guns to be withdrawn. As English reinforcement approached Methven took the Scottish and French guns to Edinburgh and Leith, and ordered their repair.
Margaret Tudor
Margaret Tudor was the elder of the two surviving daughters of Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, and the elder sister of Henry VIII. In 1503, she married James IV, King of Scots. James died in 1513, and their son became King James V. She married secondly Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of...
, eldest daughter of Henry VII of England
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
and Elizabeth of York
Elizabeth of York
Elizabeth of York was Queen consort of England as spouse of King Henry VII from 1486 until 1503, and mother of King Henry VIII of England....
.
Ancient lineage
He was a son of Andrew Stewart, 1st Lord Avondale and his wife Margaret Kennedy. His brother was Andrew Stewart, 1st Lord OchiltreeAndrew Stewart, 2nd Lord Avondale
Andrew Stewart, 2nd Lord Avondale or Andrew Stuart, 1st Lord Ochiltree, , Scottish peer.-Title:Andrew's father was the 1st Lord Avondale of a new creation, Andrew surrendered his title for a new investment as Lord Ochiltree. His seat became Ochiltree Castle in Ayrshire. The original Avondale lands...
. Henry was a fifth-generation male-line descendant of Murdoch Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany
Murdoch Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany
Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany was a leading Scottish nobleman, the son of Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany and the grandson of King Robert II of Scotland, who founded the Stewart dynasty. In 1389 he was Justiciar North of the Forth. In 1402 he was captured at the Battle of Homildon Hill and would...
through his son Walter. He was thus a fourth cousin, twice removed of James IV of Scotland
James IV of Scotland
James IV was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all...
, first husband of Margaret Tudor.
Marriage to the Queen mother
Henry and Margaret Tudor were married on 3 March 1528. Margaret had divorced her second husband Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of AngusArchibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus
Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus was a Scottish nobleman active during the reigns of James V and Mary, Queen of Scots...
. She was already mother to James V of Scotland
James V of Scotland
James V was King of Scots from 9 September 1513 until his death, which followed the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss...
and Margaret Douglas
Margaret Douglas
Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox was the daughter of Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus, and Margaret Tudor, Queen Dowager of Scotland...
from her previous marriages. This third marriage would produce another daughter, Dorothea Stewart, who is believed to have died young. Reaction to the marriage was swift: Margaret and Henry were besieged at Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep...
by Lord Erskine
John Erskine, 5th Lord Erskine
John Erskine, 5th Lord Erskine was a Scottish nobleman who was de jure but not de facto Earl of Mar.He succeeded to the title of 16th Earl of Mar de jure, [S., c. 1115], on 9 September 1513. On 3 August 1522, Mar was appointed keeper of the ten year old King James V of Scotland and Stirling Castle...
, with the support of James V and her former husband, the Earl of Angus. Henry was imprisoned. However, after James V joined his mother at Stirling, Henry was created Lord Methven. Margaret made Methven captain of her castle of Newark
Newark Castle, Selkirkshire
Newark Castle is a large, ruined tower house standing in the grounds of Bowhill House, in the valley of the Yarrow Water three miles west of Selkirk in the Scottish Borders. In addition to the keep, sections of a gatehouse and wall survive....
in Ettrick
Ettrick
Places named Ettrick include:*Ettrick, New Zealand, in Otago*Ettrick, New South Wales*Ettrick, Scotland, in the Scottish Borders*Ettrick Forest, Royal Forest that covered broad swathes of the Scottish Borders*Ettrick, Virginia...
. In 1539, Henry and Margaret let their coalfield at Skeoch to John Craigyngelt. As rent he would supply 100 loads to Margaret's lodging at Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep...
.
Second marriage
Henry was discovered to have been keeping a mistress in one of Margaret's castles. Margaret Tudor wished to divorce him but James V was reluctant to allow it. After she died in 1541, Methven was able to marry his mistress, Janet Stewart, daughter of John Stewart, 2nd Earl of AthollJohn Stewart, 2nd Earl of Atholl
John Stewart, 2nd Earl of Atholl was the second Earl of Atholl. He fought in the Battle of Flodden Field on 9 September 1513.-Biography:He was born after 1475 to John Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl and Eleanor Sinclair. He married Lady Janet Campbell, daughter of Archibald Campbell, 2nd Earl of Argyll...
and Lady Janet Campbell. Her maternal grandparents were Archibald Campbell, 2nd Earl of Argyll
Archibald Campbell, 2nd Earl of Argyll
Gillespie Archibald Campbell, 2nd Earl of Argyll was a Scottish nobleman and politician.-Biography:Archibald was the eldest son of Colin Campbell, 1st Earl of Argyll and Isabel Stewart, daughter of John Stewart, 2nd Lord Lorn. He was made Master of the Royal Household of James IV of Scotland on 24...
and Elizabeth Stewart. Elizabeth was a daughter of John Stewart, 1st Earl of Lennox
John Stewart, 1st Earl of Lennox
John Stewart, 1st Earl of Lennox. was known as Lord Darnley and the Earl of Lennox. Stewart was the son of Catherine Seton and Sir Alan Stuart, a great-great-great-grandson of Alexander Stewart, 4th High Steward of Scotland....
and Margaret Montgomerie. Margaret was a daughter of Alexander Montgomerie, 1st Lord Montgomerie and Margaret Boyd.
Henry and Janet were parents to four children:
- Henry Stewart, 2nd Lord Methven (d. 3 March 1572).
- Dorothea Stewart. Married William Ruthven, 1st Earl of GowrieWilliam Ruthven, 1st Earl of GowrieWilliam Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie , known as The Lord Ruthven between 1566 and 1581, was a son of Patrick Ruthven, 3rd Lord Ruthven.-Life account:...
. - Joan Stewart. Married Colin Campbell, 6th Earl of ArgyllColin Campbell, 6th Earl of ArgyllColin Campbell, 6th Earl of Argyll was a Scottish nobleman and politician. He was appointed to the Lord Chancellorship of Scotland.-Biography:...
. - Margaret Stewart (d. 1 January 1627). Married Andrew Stuart, eldest son of Andrew Stewart, 2nd Lord OchiltreeAndrew Stewart, 2nd Lord OchiltreeAndrew Stewart, 2nd Lord Ochiltree fought for the Scottish Reformation. His daughter married John Knox and he played a part in the defeat of Mary, Queen of Scots at the battle of Langside....
. They were parents to Andrew Stuart, 1st Baron Castle StuartAndrew Stuart, 1st Baron Castle StuartAndrew Stuart, 1st Baron Castle Stuart was a son of Andrew Stewart, 2nd Lord Ochiltree and Agnes Cunningham.He resigned the feudal barony of Ochiltree and the peerage to his cousin, Sir James Stuart, with the consent of the Crown in 1615...
.
Master of the Royal Artillery
On 10 September 1524, Methven was made Principal Master of the Royal Artillery, ("Magnalium nostrorum seu machinarum bellicarum, videlicet: artailzery"), 25 years later he would direct the Scottish artillery at the Siege of Haddington.During the war of the Rough Wooing, Methven wrote to Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise was a queen consort of Scotland as the second spouse of King James V. She was the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots, and served as regent of Scotland in her daughter's name from 1554 to 1560...
on 31 December 1547 to discuss the use of artillery in the war. He said that Regent Arran had been advised that the modest ("sober") Scottish artillery at St Andrews Castle
St Andrews Castle
St Andrew's Castle is a picturesque ruin located in the coastal Royal Burgh of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland. The castle sits on a rocky promontory overlooking a small beach called Castle Sands and the adjoining North Sea. There has been a castle standing at the site since the times of Bishop Roger...
at the start might have taken the castle, and the prolonged and expensive siege, after Arran had departed, had harmed public opinion. Similarly, a recent ineffective show of artillery at Broughty Castle
Broughty Castle
Broughty Castle is a historic castle in Broughty Ferry, Dundee, Scotland. It was completed around 1495, although the site was earlier fortified in 1454 when George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus received permission to build on the site. His son Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus was coerced into...
had only warned the English to get more support and re-fortify. Now, to take Broughty, more cannon needed to be supplied, and Methven asked for French captains with intelligence of the field, and intelligence to assiege and order artillery.
Methven wrote to Mary of Guise again on 3 June 1548 with more strategic advice. He said that he had friends all over Scotland and had been diligent in acquiring intelligence of the motives of those Scots who favoured the English. He found four principal motives; religion, fear, regard for a belief in prophecy, and the ignorant conceit that English justice and rule might be better. He advised her that there were so many dissidents that the unity of Scotland would be best served by offering an act of remission, a general pardon, rather than punishment, as her husband James V had done for rebels during his minority, (on 10 December 1540). Methven thought the defeat at Pinkie
Battle of Pinkie Cleugh
The Battle of Pinkie Cleugh, on the banks of the River Esk near Musselburgh, Scotland on 10 September 1547, was part of the War of the Rough Wooing. It was the last pitched battle between Scottish and English armies, and is seen as the first modern battle in the British Isles...
, (which he called the jeornay of Penke), was due to these causes, and the unorderly haste of the Scottish army.
He added that he heard it was already widely known in Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
by the end of May that the Scottish artillery at the siege of Broughty Castle would be moved to the Siege of Haddington. The citizens of Perth hoped a French army would come to protect them from Broughty's English garrison. Methven had issued the guns at Broughty to the Earl of Argyll
Archibald Campbell, 4th Earl of Argyll
Gillespie Roy Archibald Campbell, 4th Earl of Argyll was a Scottish nobleman and politician.-Biography:He was the eldest son of Colin Campbell, 3rd Earl of Argyll and Jean Gordon, daughter of Alexander Gordon, 3rd Earl of Huntly...
. Methven starting moving the guns on the 6 June. As an example to the local laird
Laird
A Laird is a member of the gentry and is a heritable title in Scotland. In the non-peerage table of precedence, a Laird ranks below a Baron and above an Esquire.-Etymology:...
s who were obliged to do this work, he yoked 240 oxen and began to drag the guns through his and Lord Ruthven
William Ruthven, 2nd Lord Ruthven
William Ruthven, 2nd Lord Ruthven was a Scottish nobleman. He served as an Extraordinary Lord of Session and Keeper of the Privy Seal.-Life:...
's lands. At Haddington, he reported on the 5 July; "all nycht all our greit artallzery lawborit and has dong the tolbutht and reft an pece that lay betuix it and the kirk of the Freyris." But on 17 July, the French officer D'Essé
André de Montalembert
André de Montalembert , Seigneur d'Essé, was a French noble man and officer of the 16th century. As a young boy he fought in the Italian Wars...
ordered the guns to be withdrawn. As English reinforcement approached Methven took the Scottish and French guns to Edinburgh and Leith, and ordered their repair.