Mary Fleming
Encyclopedia
Mary Fleming was a Scottish noblewoman and childhood companion of Mary, Queen of Scots. She and three other ladies-in-waiting
(Mary Livingston
, Mary Beaton
and Mary Seton
) were collectively known as "The Four Marys". A granddaughter of James IV of Scotland
, she married the queen's renowned secretary, Sir William Maitland of Lethington
.
and Janet Stewart
. She was born in 1542, the year her father was taken prisoner by the English at the Battle of Solway Moss
. Her mother was an illegitimate daughter of James IV of Scotland, born during his marriage too Margaret Tudor
. Lady Fleming became a governess
to the infant queen, also born in 1542, and the dowager queen, Mary of Guise
, chose Lady Fleming's daughter Mary to be one of four companions to the young queen. Mary Fleming and Mary, Queen of Scots, were technically half-first-cousins.
In 1548, five-year-old Mary Fleming and her mother accompanied Mary, Queen of Scots, to the court of King Henry II of France
, where the young queen was raised. Mary Fleming's father having died the previous year in the Battle of Pinkie, her mother had an affair with the French king, the product of which was a son born around 1551.
The English diplomat Thomas Randolph
recorded that the Queen was particularly consoled by Mary Fleming when she was disturbed by the discovery of the French poet Chastelard
hiding in her bedchamber. After having 'some grief of mind' the Queen took Mary to be her 'bedfellow.'
During the twelfth day of Christmas pageant
in January 1564, Mary Fleming played the part of Queen. On 19 September 1564 William Kirkcaldy of Grange
wrote that the Royal Secretary, William Maitland was showing an interest in Mary Fleming;
. While there is some dispute about this, the evidence is that she never remarried.
She had two children, a boy James who later became a Catholic and lived in France and Belgium in self-imposed exile, and a daughter Margaret, who married Robert Ker, 1st Earl of Roxburghe
. In 1581, Mary, Queen of Scots asked Elizabeth I to grant Fleming safe conduct so she could visit the imprisoned Queen of Scots. There is no evidence that Mary Fleming Maitland actually went. The last documents attributed to her are her letter to Cecil and a letter to her sister discussing some bad feelings that existed between Fleming and her brother-in-law Coldingham
.
Lady-in-waiting
A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a royal court, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she...
(Mary Livingston
Mary Livingston
Mary Livingston was a Scottish noblewoman and childhood companion of Mary, Queen of Scots, one of the famous "Four Marys". As a child, she and three other girls of similar age and standing, chosen by the queen's mother, Mary of Guise, became Queen Mary's ladies-in-waiting. The other three "Marys"...
, Mary Beaton
Mary Beaton
Mary Beaton was a Scottish noblewoman and an attendant of Mary, Queen of Scots.- Family :Mary was born in 1543, the third of five children of Robert Beaton, 4th Laird of Criech and Joanna Renwall. Mary's mother was one of Marie de Guise's ladies-in-waiting...
and Mary Seton
Mary Seton
Mary Seton was a Scottish courtier and later a nun. She was the daughter of George Seton, 6th Lord Seton, and Marie Pieris, a French-born lady-in-waiting to Marie de Guise, consort of King James V of Scotland...
) were collectively known as "The Four Marys". A granddaughter 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...
, she married the queen's renowned secretary, Sir William Maitland of Lethington
William Maitland of Lethington
Sir William Maitland of Lethington was a Scottish politician and reformer, and the eldest son of the poet Richard Maitland....
.
Early life
Mary Fleming was the youngest child of Malcolm Fleming, 3rd Lord FlemingMalcolm Fleming, 3rd Lord Fleming
Malcolm Fleming, 3rd Lord Fleming , was Lord Chamberlain of Scotland to King James V, from 1524.He was the son and heir of John Fleming, 2nd Lord Fleming, who was killed in a feud with the Tweedie of Drumelzier family in 1524....
and Janet Stewart
Lady Janet Stewart
Janet Stewart, Lady Fleming was an illegitimate daughter of James IV of Scotland and served as governess to her niece, Mary, Queen of Scots. Janet was briefly a mistress to Henry II of France, by whom she had an illegitimate son, Henri d'Angouleme...
. She was born in 1542, the year her father was taken prisoner by the English at the Battle of Solway Moss
Battle of Solway Moss
The Battle of Solway Moss took place on Solway Moss near the River Esk on the English side of the Anglo-Scottish Border in November 1542 between forces from England and Scotland.-Background:...
. Her mother was an illegitimate daughter of James IV of Scotland, born during his marriage too Margaret Tudor
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...
. Lady Fleming became a governess
Governess
A governess is a girl or woman employed to teach and train children in a private household. In contrast to a nanny or a babysitter, she concentrates on teaching children, not on meeting their physical needs...
to the infant queen, also born in 1542, and the dowager queen, 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...
, chose Lady Fleming's daughter Mary to be one of four companions to the young queen. Mary Fleming and Mary, Queen of Scots, were technically half-first-cousins.
In 1548, five-year-old Mary Fleming and her mother accompanied Mary, Queen of Scots, to the court of King Henry II of France
Henry II of France
Henry II was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559.-Early years:Henry was born in the royal Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, the son of Francis I and Claude, Duchess of Brittany .His father was captured at the Battle of Pavia in 1525 by his sworn enemy,...
, where the young queen was raised. Mary Fleming's father having died the previous year in the Battle of Pinkie, her mother had an affair with the French king, the product of which was a son born around 1551.
The English diplomat Thomas Randolph
Thomas Randolph (diplomat)
Thomas Randolph was an English ambassador serving Elizabeth I of England. Most of his professional life he spent in Scotland at the courts of Mary, Queen of Scots, and her son James VI. While in Scotland, he was embroiled in marriage projects and several upheavals...
recorded that the Queen was particularly consoled by Mary Fleming when she was disturbed by the discovery of the French poet Chastelard
Pierre de Bocosel de Chastelard
Pierre de Bocosel de Chastelard , French poet, was born in Dauphiné; a scion of the house of Bayard, grandson of Chevalier de Bayard. His name is inseparably connected with Mary, Queen of Scots, for whom he conceived an insane passion....
hiding in her bedchamber. After having 'some grief of mind' the Queen took Mary to be her 'bedfellow.'
During the twelfth day of Christmas pageant
Twelfth Night (holiday)
Twelfth Night is a festival in some branches of Christianity marking the coming of the Epiphany and concluding the Twelve Days of Christmas.It is defined by the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary as "the evening of the fifth of January, preceding Twelfth Day, the eve of the Epiphany, formerly the...
in January 1564, Mary Fleming played the part of Queen. On 19 September 1564 William Kirkcaldy of Grange
William Kirkcaldy of Grange
Sir William Kirkcaldy of Grange , Scottish politician and general, was the eldest son of Sir James Kirkcaldy of Grange , a member of an old Fife family...
wrote that the Royal Secretary, William Maitland was showing an interest in Mary Fleming;
"I dout not bot ye understand or now (by now) that our secretaree' wyf is dead - and he a suter to M. Flemyng, quha is als meit for hym as I am to be paipe! (as fit for him, as I am to be Pope)"
Marriage to Maitland
Later in life, Mary Fleming married the queen's royal secretary, Sir William Maitland of Lethington, who was many years her senior. The following evidence compellingly suggests that the marriage was successful, despite rumors that they were unhappy and that Mary wished to murder her husband:- The wedding occurred after a three-year courtship that weathered ambivalent relations between Maitland and Mary, Queen of Scots, to whom Mary Fleming was a lady-in-waiting and had been since the age of five.
- Maitland was so infatuated with Mary Fleming that he wrote to William CecilWilliam Cecil, 1st Baron BurghleyWilliam Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley , KG was an English statesman, the chief advisor of Queen Elizabeth I for most of her reign, twice Secretary of State and Lord High Treasurer from 1572...
about it. - The courtship was the talk of both the Scottish and English courts.
- It appears that Mary Fleming was captured with her husband at Edinburgh CastleEdinburgh CastleEdinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
by the English, and then surrendered to Regent Morton. While her sister-in-law was permitted to keep her property and plate, Mary Fleming was forced to give up her possessions including jewellery given her by the Queen of Scots. Her much-older husband was carried out of the castle on a litterLitter (vehicle)The litter is a class of wheelless vehicles, a type of human-powered transport, for the transport of persons. Examples of litter vehicles include lectica , jiao [较] , sedan chairs , palanquin , Woh , gama...
, because he was unable to stand or walk. He died awaiting trial and execution. Suicide was suspected. After the death of William Maitland, Mary Fleming wrote to Cecil to prevent his dead body from being hanged, drawn and quarteredHanged, drawn and quarteredTo be hanged, drawn and quartered was from 1351 a penalty in England for men convicted of high treason, although the ritual was first recorded during the reigns of King Henry III and his successor, Edward I...
. As a result, Queen Elizabeth asked Morton to spare the body, which he did.
Later life
Mary Fleming did not receive the restoration of Lethington's estate and properties until 1581-82, by grant of King James VIJames I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
. While there is some dispute about this, the evidence is that she never remarried.
She had two children, a boy James who later became a Catholic and lived in France and Belgium in self-imposed exile, and a daughter Margaret, who married Robert Ker, 1st Earl of Roxburghe
Robert Ker, 1st Earl of Roxburghe
Robert Ker, 1st Earl of Roxburghe was a Scottish nobleman. He was the eldest son of William Ker of Cessford , and grandson of Sir Walter Ker of Cessford , who fought against Mary, Queen of Scots, both at Carberry Hill and at Langside.He helped James VI against Bothwell...
. In 1581, Mary, Queen of Scots asked Elizabeth I to grant Fleming safe conduct so she could visit the imprisoned Queen of Scots. There is no evidence that Mary Fleming Maitland actually went. The last documents attributed to her are her letter to Cecil and a letter to her sister discussing some bad feelings that existed between Fleming and her brother-in-law Coldingham
John Maitland, 1st Lord Maitland of Thirlestane
John Maitland, 1st Lord Maitland of Thirlestane, , Knight , was Lord Chancellor of Scotland.He was the second son of Sir Richard Maitland of Thirlestane, Berwickshire, and Lethington, Haddingtonshire, who settled the lands of Thirlestane upon him, and he was sent abroad for his education.Upon John...
.