Robert Richardson (Scottish)
Encyclopedia
Robert Richardson was a Scottish Prior of St Mary's Isle
and royal administrator.
(died ca. 1556). His great grandfather arrived in Scotland in 1424 in the reign of James I. The historian George Crawfurd
asserts that he was descended of a stock of ancient and opulent burgesses of Edinburgh, but there is little to connect him with the city before 1553, when he was made a burgess at the request of the fourth earl of Huntly.
He matriculated at St Salvator's College, St Andrews
, in 1531, and graduated MA in 1532. Nothing is known of his early career except that in April 1544 he was involved with the Earl of Lennox
in armed opposition to the Regent Arran at the battle of Glasgow
, for which he later received remission. He was presented to the vicarage of Dunsyre
in 1549 and held the vicarage of Eckford
by 1552. In that year he was provided by the Pope to the archdeaconry of Teviotdale, which he held until 1565 along with the appropriated parsonage of Morebattle
. In 1558 he obtained crown presentation to the priory of St Mary's Isle
, near Kirkcudbright
, which he also resigned in 1565, retaining the usufruct
.
Richardson's career as a royal official began around 1549 when he was comptroller clerk. In November 1552 he was an auditor of the treasurer's account. Gilbert Kennedy, 3rd Earl of Cassilis
, appointed lord treasurer
in April 1554, delegated the entire conduct of business to Richardson as treasurer clerk. After Cassillis's death in November 1558 Richardson continued as treasurer clerk and acting treasurer.
who occupied Edinburgh seized these, along with great sums of money, claiming that they had done so to stop corruption of the coinage. The irons were returned to him according to the terms of the Articles of Leith
between the lords and Mary of Guise
.
After the siege of Leith
, Richardson sat as a prelate
at the Reformation Parliament of 1560
and was listed by Knox
among those "that had renunceit Papistrie and oppinlie profest Jesus Chryst with us.". Finally appointed Lord Treasurer on 5 March 1561, he was a member of the privy council
from 1561 to 1576. In 1562 he was named as one of the commissioners for receiving rentals of benefices and in October of that year was granted a pension of £1000 Scots
from the thirds of benefices pending provision to a benefice of equal or greater value.
The Reformation gave him further opportunities to add to the landed estate
he had been acquiring since 1552, mainly in Haddingtonshire
and Edinburghshire
. Three charters by the commendator and convent of Dunfermline
on 28 July 1563 conveyed to him extensive lands, mainly in Haddingtonshire, Edinburghshire, and Fife
, amounting to no fewer than seventy-seven farms and scattered holdings. From September 1565 onwards he disposed of a large part of this property to the tenants, no doubt profitably. He retained lands and coal mines around Musselburgh
, including Smeaton, where either he or his son built what in 1577 was described as a new house. He also acquired some small properties belonging to Jedburgh Abbey
. Crawfurd wrote of Richardson:
in 1567, and was present at Mary's defeat at the battle of Langside
in May 1568 on the side of her half-brother and opponent, James Stuart, 1st Earl of Moray. In 1569 he voted to refuse Mary, Queen of Scots' divorce from Bothwell
. His support for the new regime is also evidenced by a loan of £3000 to the Earl of Moray, now the Regent of Scotland, on 17 September 1567, secured on the royal jewels. In the following year, as he was ˜greitlie superexpendit as treasurer and unable to pay his creditors", Moray gave him the revenue arising from wards and marriages and vacant benefices. In January 1571 the lease of the mint which he had held since 1566 was renewed for three years, half the profits to be applied to paying off his ˜superexpenses as treasurer. According to a contemporary source, John Cunningham of Drumquhassle had been made "half thesaurer, with Mr Robert Ritchartsone that wes thesaurer of befoir" in July 1570, but Richardson remained in sole charge until 24 June 1571, when he was replaced by William, Lord Ruthven
. He retained control of the mint until March 1573, his share of the profits amounting to more than £5400 Scots
. Thereafter he continued to receive money from the mint to redeem the royal jewels that had been pledged to him, further payments being made to his sons after his death, which probably took place between May and November 1578.
in 1552; another child (Katherine) may have been born in December 1563, when Randolph reported to Cecil that Richardson was to do public penance in St Giles for getting a woman with child and Knox was to "mayke the sermonde.". James Richardson of Smeaton, the eldest of Richardson's children, received most of his father's lands; he married Elizabeth Douglas, and their second son, Sir Robert Richardson of Pencaitland, was created a baronet in 1630.
Prior of St Mary's Isle
The Prior of St Mary's Isle was the head of the Augustinian monastic community of St Mary's Isle Priory, in Kirkcudbrightshire, Galloway...
and royal administrator.
Biography
He was the son of Robert Richardson, burgess of JedburghJedburgh
Jedburgh is a town and former royal burgh in the Scottish Borders and historically in Roxburghshire.-Location:Jedburgh lies on the Jed Water, a tributary of the River Teviot, it is only ten miles from the border with England and is dominated by the substantial ruins of Jedburgh Abbey...
(died ca. 1556). His great grandfather arrived in Scotland in 1424 in the reign of James I. The historian George Crawfurd
George Crawfurd
-Life:He was the third son of Thomas Crawfurd of Cartsburn. When Simon Fraser laid claim to the barony of Lovat, he employed Crawfurd to investigate the case, and to supply materials to support it...
asserts that he was descended of a stock of ancient and opulent burgesses of Edinburgh, but there is little to connect him with the city before 1553, when he was made a burgess at the request of the fourth earl of Huntly.
He matriculated at St Salvator's College, St Andrews
St Salvator's College, St Andrews
St Salvator's College of the University of St Andrews was founded in 1450 by Bishop James Kennedy on North Street, St Andrews. Several of these original medieval buildings survive, including the college chapel, tower, tenement building and the Hebdomodar's building...
, in 1531, and graduated MA in 1532. Nothing is known of his early career except that in April 1544 he was involved with the Earl of Lennox
Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox
Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox was the 4th Earl of Lennox, and leader of the Catholic nobility in Scotland. He was the son of John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Lennox. His grandson was James VI of Scotland....
in armed opposition to the Regent Arran at the battle of Glasgow
Battle of Glasgow (1544)
The Battle of Glasgow was fought on 16 March 1544, between Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox and the Scottish Regent James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran, and their adherents, during the minority of Mary, Queen of Scots.-Prelude:...
, for which he later received remission. He was presented to the vicarage of Dunsyre
Dunsyre
Dunsyre is a village in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is 6 miles from Carnwath . Dunsyre is associated with an ancient barony and parish church...
in 1549 and held the vicarage of Eckford
Eckford
- Place Names :* Eckford Township, Michigan, USA* Eckford, Scottish Borders, Roxburghshire, Scotland- Sports :* Eckford of Brooklyn, an American baseball club from 1855 to 1872 in Brooklyn, New York- People :...
by 1552. In that year he was provided by the Pope to the archdeaconry of Teviotdale, which he held until 1565 along with the appropriated parsonage of Morebattle
Morebattle
Morebattle is a village in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, on the B6401, seven miles south of Kelso, Scottish Borders, beside the Kale Water, a tributary of the River Teviot.The nearby Linton Loch was drained in the 19th century to improve agriculture....
. In 1558 he obtained crown presentation to the priory of St Mary's Isle
St Mary's Isle Priory
St Mary's Isle Priory was a monastic house of Augustinian canons located on the Isle of Trail or St Mary's Isle in Galloway. It is alleged to have originated in an endowment of the island by King Fergus of Galloway in favour of Holyrood Abbey...
, near Kirkcudbright
Kirkcudbright
Kirkcudbright, is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.The town lies south of Castle Douglas and Dalbeattie, in the part of Dumfries and Galloway known as the Stewartry, at the mouth of the River Dee, some six miles from the sea...
, which he also resigned in 1565, retaining the usufruct
Usufruct
Usufruct is the legal right to use and derive profit or benefit from property that either belongs to another person or which is under common ownership, as long as the property is not damaged or destroyed...
.
Richardson's career as a royal official began around 1549 when he was comptroller clerk. In November 1552 he was an auditor of the treasurer's account. Gilbert Kennedy, 3rd Earl of Cassilis
Gilbert Kennedy, 3rd Earl of Cassilis
Gilbert Kennedy, 3rd Earl of Cassilis was a Scottish peer, the son of Gilbert Kennedy, 2nd Earl of Cassilis.He succeeded to the titles of 5th Lord Kennedy and 3rd Earl of Cassillis in August 1527. On 6 February 1540/41 he had a charter of the Fief of Cassilis...
, appointed lord treasurer
Treasurer of Scotland
The Treasurer was a senior post in the pre-Union government of Scotland, the Privy Council of Scotland.The full title of the post was Lord High Treasurer, Comptroller, Collector-General and Treasurer of the New Augmentation, formed as it was from the amalgamation of four earlier offices...
in April 1554, delegated the entire conduct of business to Richardson as treasurer clerk. After Cassillis's death in November 1558 Richardson continued as treasurer clerk and acting treasurer.
Scottish Reformation
As acting treasurer, it was probably in this capacity, rather than as ˜Maister of the Cunze-house", that he held the coining irons of the mint at Holyroodhouse. In July 1559 the Protestant Lords of the CongregationLords of the Congregation
The Lords of the Congregation were a group of Protestant Scottish nobles who in the mid-16th century favoured reformation of the church along Protestant principles and a Scottish-English alliance.- Historical events :...
who occupied Edinburgh seized these, along with great sums of money, claiming that they had done so to stop corruption of the coinage. The irons were returned to him according to the terms of the Articles of Leith
Articles of Leith
The Articles of Leith were the terms of truce drawn up between the Protestant Lords of the Congregation and Mary of Guise, Regent of Scotland and signed on 25 July 1559. This negotiation was a step in the conflict that led to the Scottish Reformation...
between the lords and 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...
.
After the siege of Leith
Siege of Leith
The Siege of Leith ended a twelve year encampment of French troops at Leith, the port near Edinburgh, Scotland. The French troops arrived by invitation in 1548 and left in 1560 after the English arrived to assist in removing them from Scotland...
, Richardson sat as a prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
at the Reformation Parliament of 1560
Scottish Reformation Parliament
The Scottish Reformation Parliament is the name given to the Scottish Parliament commencing in 1560 that passed the major pieces of legislation leading to the Scottish Reformation, most importantly Confession of Faith Ratification Act 1560; and Papal Jurisdiction Act 1560 .right|thumb|[[John...
and was listed by Knox
John Knox
John Knox was a Scottish clergyman and a leader of the Protestant Reformation who brought reformation to the church in Scotland. He was educated at the University of St Andrews or possibly the University of Glasgow and was ordained to the Catholic priesthood in 1536...
among those "that had renunceit Papistrie and oppinlie profest Jesus Chryst with us.". Finally appointed Lord Treasurer on 5 March 1561, he was a member of the privy council
Privy Council of Scotland
The Privy Council of Scotland was a body that advised the King.In the range of its functions the council was often more important than the Estates in the running the country. Its registers include a wide range of material on the political, administrative, economic and social affairs of Scotland...
from 1561 to 1576. In 1562 he was named as one of the commissioners for receiving rentals of benefices and in October of that year was granted a pension of £1000 Scots
Pound Scots
The pound Scots was the national unit of currency in the Kingdom of Scotland before the country entered into political and currency union with the Kingdom of England in 1707 . It was introduced by David I, in the 12th century, on the model of English and French money, divided into 20 shillings...
from the thirds of benefices pending provision to a benefice of equal or greater value.
The Reformation gave him further opportunities to add to the landed estate
Landed property
Landed property or landed estates is a real estate term that usually refers to a property that generates income for the owner without the owner having to do the actual work of the estate. In Europe, agrarian landed property typically consisted of a manor, several tenant farms, and some privileged...
he had been acquiring since 1552, mainly in Haddingtonshire
East Lothian
East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....
and Edinburghshire
Midlothian
Midlothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy area. It borders the Scottish Borders, East Lothian and the City of Edinburgh council areas....
. Three charters by the commendator and convent of Dunfermline
Dunfermline Abbey
Dunfermline Abbey is as a Church of Scotland Parish Church located in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. In 2002 the congregation had 806 members. The minister is the Reverend Alastair Jessamine...
on 28 July 1563 conveyed to him extensive lands, mainly in Haddingtonshire, Edinburghshire, and Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
, amounting to no fewer than seventy-seven farms and scattered holdings. From September 1565 onwards he disposed of a large part of this property to the tenants, no doubt profitably. He retained lands and coal mines around Musselburgh
Musselburgh
Musselburgh is the largest settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth, six miles east of Edinburgh city centre.-History:...
, including Smeaton, where either he or his son built what in 1577 was described as a new house. He also acquired some small properties belonging to Jedburgh Abbey
Jedburgh Abbey
Jedburgh Abbey, a ruined Augustinian abbey which was founded in the 12th century is situated in the town of Jedburgh, in the Scottish Borders just north of the border with England at Carter Bar...
. Crawfurd wrote of Richardson:
He appears to have been a very wise moderate man; for so far as I can observe from the history of these times, he kept himself more in a neutrality, and was less a party-man than any other that held any great office about the court. He was never violent against the Queen, tho' he complied with the Government under the young King.
King's man and Lord High Treasurer
Richardson supported the overthrow of Mary, Queen of Scots; he attended the coronation of the infant 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...
in 1567, and was present at Mary's defeat at the battle of Langside
Battle of Langside
The Battle of Langside, fought on 13 May 1568, was one of the more unusual contests in Scottish history, bearing a superficial resemblance to a grand family quarrel, in which a mother fought her brother who was defending the rights of her infant son...
in May 1568 on the side of her half-brother and opponent, James Stuart, 1st Earl of Moray. In 1569 he voted to refuse Mary, Queen of Scots' divorce from Bothwell
James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell
James Hepburn, 1st Duke of Orkney , better known by his inherited title as 4th Earl of Bothwell, was hereditary Lord High Admiral of Scotland. He is best known for his association with and subsequent marriage to Mary, Queen of Scots, as her third husband...
. His support for the new regime is also evidenced by a loan of £3000 to the Earl of Moray, now the Regent of Scotland, on 17 September 1567, secured on the royal jewels. In the following year, as he was ˜greitlie superexpendit as treasurer and unable to pay his creditors", Moray gave him the revenue arising from wards and marriages and vacant benefices. In January 1571 the lease of the mint which he had held since 1566 was renewed for three years, half the profits to be applied to paying off his ˜superexpenses as treasurer. According to a contemporary source, John Cunningham of Drumquhassle had been made "half thesaurer, with Mr Robert Ritchartsone that wes thesaurer of befoir" in July 1570, but Richardson remained in sole charge until 24 June 1571, when he was replaced by William, Lord Ruthven
William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie
William 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:...
. He retained control of the mint until March 1573, his share of the profits amounting to more than £5400 Scots
Pound Scots
The pound Scots was the national unit of currency in the Kingdom of Scotland before the country entered into political and currency union with the Kingdom of England in 1707 . It was introduced by David I, in the 12th century, on the model of English and French money, divided into 20 shillings...
. Thereafter he continued to receive money from the mint to redeem the royal jewels that had been pledged to him, further payments being made to his sons after his death, which probably took place between May and November 1578.
Family
Richardson was unmarried but his four children, James, Robert, Stephen, and Janet were legitimatedLegitimation
Legitimation or legitimization is the act of providing legitimacy. Legitimation in the social sciences refers to the process whereby an act, process, or ideology becomes legitimate by its attachment to norms and values within in given society...
in 1552; another child (Katherine) may have been born in December 1563, when Randolph reported to Cecil that Richardson was to do public penance in St Giles for getting a woman with child and Knox was to "mayke the sermonde.". James Richardson of Smeaton, the eldest of Richardson's children, received most of his father's lands; he married Elizabeth Douglas, and their second son, Sir Robert Richardson of Pencaitland, was created a baronet in 1630.