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CHIEF: Dr Robin Boyd, MA (Oxon); MB BS; LRCP, MRCS; DCH; AFOM, 8th Baron Kilmarnock |
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Extracts
from The Pictorial History of Scotland By James
TAYLOR, D.D., Extracted and contributed to the Clan Boyd Society Web Site by Wayne Johnson of New Zealand Index of pages referenced herein. BOYD’S mentioned; BOYD, Robert; BOYD, Robert, BOYD, Sir Alexander of
Duchol, BOYD, Sir Thomas, BOYD, Sir Thomas, BOYD, Robert, Lord Appendix Notes E.,
O., P., T., Y., xliv 1 Pictorial History
My Page HAY’s, mentioned. HAY, Lord, Created Earl of Erroll, i., 334. vi HAY, Master of
Requests, HAY, of Tallo,
assists in the murder of Darnley, ii., 45. xvii HAY, Constable of
Scotland, HAYE, Gilbert De
La, EARL of ERROLL,
mentioned EARL of KILMARNOCK,
mentioned. Kilmarnock,
Countess of, ii. 942. xlii There is also, a listing, from both volumes, of the various “steel plates” which depict, illustratively, The Pictorial History of Scotland. Contact me on wayjoh@xtra.co.nz if you want a copy of these two listings. References from the book
are enclosed in brackets 2 Extracts from The
Pictorial History of Scotland This section is preceded by comment, after Bruce’s altercation with Comyn, when he stabbed Comyn, and after the death of Comyn, at the hands of Kirkpatrick, on 10 Feb 1305. Having offended the English King beyond the hope of forgiveness, Bruce resolved to claim the crown of Scotland. BOYD, Robert,
‘Joins Bruce’ vol. i. p. 115. ‘He (Bruce) had to choose, therefore, between the open avowal of his claims to the Scottish crown, or their entire renunciation: between the life of a fugitive and an outlaw, and the immediate vindication of his country’s liberty. His decision was speedily taken. Returning to Lochmaben, after a brief consultation with his brother Edward, it was determined to hazard all consequences by claiming the vacant throne. Messengers were accordingly dispatched to collect his friends and adherents, and to warn those nobles who were known to be favourable to the cause of Scottish independence.’ (Barbours Bruce, vol1 p.24) ‘Only a few of the
nobility, however, responded to this appeal (Fordun, book xii. Chap. 9.)
In addition to his own brothers, Edward, Nigel, Thomas and Alexander-the
chief supporters of Bruce were William de Lamberton, Bishop of St
Andrews; Robert Wisheart, Bishop of Glasgow; David Moray, Bishop of
Moray; the Abbot of Scone; Thomas Randolph, nephew of Bruce, and
afterwards Earl of Moray; Chrystal Seton, brother-in-law to Bruce;
Malcolm, Earl of Lennox; John de Strahbogie, Earl of Athole; Sir James
Douglas, who joined him on his way to Scone, and became his most gallant
adherent and warmest friend; (Barbour, vol. i. P. 27) Gilbert de la Haye,
Earl of Erroll; Huge de la Haye, his brother; David Barclay, of Cairns;
Alexander Frazer, and ancestor of the Earl of Lovat; Walter de
Somerville, ancestor of Lord Somerville; David of Inchmarten, ancestor
of the Earl of Airlie; Robert BOYD (my caps) ancestor of the Earl of
Kilmarnock; and Robert Fleming, ancestor of the Earl of Wigton. To these
may be added , Alan, Earl of Monteath; Nigel Campbell, of Lochow,
ancestor of the Earl of Argyle; and Simon Frazer, of Oliver Castle.’ (Hailes,
vol. ii. p.3.) 3 ‘Against this small
band,-the forlorn hope of Scottish liberty,- stood arrayed the HAY, Sir, Gilbert, “A Scottish Poet.” vol. i. p. 309. This excerpt follows on
from a series of poems and fables written by Robert “Nearly coeval with Henrysoun, there flourished two poets of some note. The one was a priest of the name of Holland, who was the author of a curious allegorical poem called ‘The Duke of Howlat’ (or Owl); the other was Sir Gilbert HAY, Chamberlain to Charles the Sixth, King of France, who translated from the French the voluminous but popular romance of ‘Alexander the Great.’ Dunbar, in his ‘Lament for the Makars,’ makes mention of Clerk of Tranent, ‘that maid of Awnteris of Gwane.’ The poem here referred to
is supposed to be the romance of ‘Gawan and Gologras,’ which was
published at Edinburgh in the year 1508, but was probably composed as
early at least as the middle of the fifteenth century. Another poem, of
the same description, entitled ‘Sir Gawan and Sir Galoran of
Galloway,’ is supposed to be the composition of the same author.” 4 Extracts from The
Pictorial History of Scotland BOYD, Sir Thomas, “Assassinates Alan, Lord Darnley.” Under the subtitled heading “Coronation of James II.” vol. i. p. 318. ‘On 25th March 1436, the Scottish parliament assembled at Edinburgh, and adopted immediate measures for the government of the country. Their first act was the coronation of the young prince, who was conducted in procession from the castle of Holyrood Abbey, and solemnly inaugurated in the presence of a great concourse o nobility, clergy, and representatives of the towns, and amid the usual testimonies of popular devotion and loyalty.’ (Acts of the Parliament of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 36). Continues …… Under the subtitled heading “Feuds of the Nobles.” vol. i. p. 318. ‘Meanwhile the country was brought to the verge of ruin by the feuds of the nobles, which were greatly encouraged by the weakness of the executive. The stern administration if James I, had awed, into something like quietness, the fierce spirit of strife which had for many years disgraced and enfeebled the kingdom: but now that the government was conducted by men whom the haughty barons despised, and whose factious struggles seemed to countenance every enormity of aristocratic license, they hastened to renew the scenes of private war, and the whole south and east of Scotland were filled with “theft, reif, and slaughter.” Alan Stewart, Lord Darnley, who had obtained from the late king the superiority over Lennox, was treacherously slain at Polmais-thorn, between Falkirk and Linlithgow, by Sir Thomas Boyd, in consequence of an old feud which existed between their families.’ (Ibid. p, 16). ‘To avenge the death of his brother Alexander Stewart mustered a strong body of his friends and vassals, with whom he encountered the Boyds in a pitched battle, near Neilston, in Renfrewshire. The engagement was not only protracted and bloody, but marked by a savage determination, unusual even in those times.’ “It was foughten that
day so manfully, that both parties would retire and rest themselves
diverse and sundry times, and recounter again at the sound of the
trumpet.’ (Ibid.) ‘Victory at last declared in favour of the
Stewarts, and Sir Thomas Boyd and many of his friends were left on the
battle field.’ 5 Extracts from The
Pictorial History of Scotland This passage follows from
when James II, after remonstrating with the Earl of Douglas, and after
Douglas had, ordered the murder of Maclellann, tutor and guardian of the
young Lord of Bomby, drew his dagger and stabbed Douglas in the neck and
lower body. This action encouraged Sir Patrick Gray, who had sworn
revenge on Douglas for the murder of his nephew, to strike Douglas with
his battle-axe and the rest of the nobles present, showed their zeal by
stabbing the dying Douglas with their knives and daggers….. This
effected a civil war between the king’s friends and the Douglases…. BOYD, Robert,
‘noticed’ vol. i. p. 334. ‘The new Earl of
Douglas, meanwhile, not contented with having inflicted upon the ‘The Earls of Douglas,
Moray, and Ross; James Lord Hamilton; and John Lord ‘James was highly
incensed at this gross insult, and took immediate and vigorous measures
to inflict condign punishment on those who had thus openly defied his
authority. A solemn deed was unanimously passed by the parliament,
declaring that the late Earl of Douglas was at the time of his death, an
avowed enemy to his sovereign, and in a state of open rebellion, and
that, in such circumstances, it was lawful for the king to put him to
death.’ (Acts of Parliament, vol. ii. p. 73). 6 ‘The Earldom of Moray,
forfeited by Archibald Douglas, was bestowed upon Sir ‘Lord Hay, Constable of
Scotland, a zealous supporter of the king in his struggle with the
Douglases, was rewarded with the Earldom of Erroll. Sir George Crichton,
of Cairnes, was created Earl of Caithness; the dignity of Lords of
Parliament was bestowed upon Hepburn of Hailes, BOYD, (my caps) Fleming,
and other loyal barons.’ BOYD, Robert,
‘Appointed Justiciar ‘ vol. i. p. 348. Under a subtitled heading “The rise of the Boyd family” ‘For some time after the death of Bishop Kennedy, Robert, Lord Boyd, High Justiciar of Scotland, had been secretly working his way to prominence and power in the state. Taking advantage of his frequent access to the royal presence in the discharge of his official duties, and aided by the address of his brother, Sir Alexander Boyd, of Duchol, whose knightly reputation and skill in military exercises had preferred him to the superintendence of that department of the young king’s education, the ambitious baron had insinuated himself in the good graces of James, whose disposition was peculiarly susceptible to flattery and favouritism.’ BOYD, Robert, “Seizes the Person of the King.” vol. i. p. 348 ‘Having further strengthened his family influence by a close a close alliance with some of the leading members of the nobility, he was on the watch for an opportunity of seizing the supreme administrative authority, when the death of the bishop removed the only remaining obstacle in his path. He at once determined to get possession of the royal person; and this he speedily effected, by an act in unison with the rude and lawless temper of the times. The king was at Linlithgow, presiding in a session of his Exchequer Court, when Boyd, with a strong band of confederates and retainers, appeared before the palace, entered the council-chamber in the middle of deliberations, and broke up the assembly, by carrying James of to Edinburgh.’ Under a subtitled heading
“The King is carried off by Lord Boyd and his ‘There seems to have
been no remonstrance or opposition to this outrage, except on the part
of Lord Kennedy, elderly brother of the deceased bishop; but his
interposition was in likelihood merely to save appearances, for he, as
well as Lord Livingston, the chamberlain, whose office devolved upon him
the guarding of the Exchequer Court, was bound to the interests of the
Boyds by a previous compact of mutual aid and advancement.’
(Crawford’s Offices of State, p. 316. Buchanan’s
History, book xii. chap. 22.) 7 Extracts from The
Pictorial History of Scotland BOYD, Robert,
“Appointed Governor” vol. i. p. 348. Under a subtitled heading “They obtain a Pardon from the King and Parliament.” ‘The audacity of the deed, however, and it’s treasonable character, were too flagrant to be passed over without some semblance of reparation. At an early meeting of the parliament, the offender, kneeling before the throne, intreated an indemnity, which he easily obtained.’ (Appendix to Crawford’s Officers of State, p. 473) ‘The king, having declared that he left Linlithgow with his own free will, a formal pardon was made out under the Great Seal; and by a further enactment of the assembly, Boyd was legally confirmed in the power which he usurped, being appointed governor of the king, and his two brothers. Not long after, he also gained control of the public revenues, by procuring his investiture with the office of lord chamberlain, and put the copestone on his family honours, by marrying his son and heir to the Princess Mary, the king’s eldest sister; the bridegroom being created Earl of Arran, and gifted with huge estates in several western and midland counties.’ Under the subtitled heading “Parliament enactments.” vol. i. p. 348 ‘The meeting of
parliament in October 1466, which seemed so lenient to the crime of Lord
Boyd, and so subservient to his ambitions designs, passed various
enactments for the regulation of the advancement of trade and commerce
for the country. With reference to the church, while it’s general
privileges were ratified, the old law, forbidding Englishmen to hold
livings in Scotland, was revived, and some regulations were adopted to
restrict pluralities, and the purchase of benefices. On account of the
scarcity of coin, it was decreed, that no money shall be taken out of
the kingdom, except in the case of travelers, who were permitted to
carry with them what was sufficient for their necessary expences.
Merchants who exported hides and wool, were enjoined to bring to the
mint a proportionate amount of silver, for which a certain price would
be allowed; and it was resolved that a new coinage of copper farthings
should be issued, to supercede the rude old custom of cutting a penny
into quarters. For the repression of feuds and outrages in the land, it
was ordered, that castles held against the king, or his eldest brother,
the Duke of Albany, should be reduced by force, unless immediately
surrendered on a royal summons; and that heavy fines should be exacted
from guarantees, if assault were committed on person or property by
those for whom they had given pledge. At a subsequent meeting, in
January, 1467, some laws were added for the regulation of commerce. None
but freemen of burghs were to have right of engaging in foreign
trade,-an exception being made however in favour of the nobility and
clergy, who might sell abroad the produce of their own lands. …… ‘ 8 Extracts from The
Pictorial History of Scotland Under the subtitled
heading “Settlement of the dispute between Norway and ‘James was now
approaching an age, which drew the serious attention of the state
councilors to the question of his marriage; and a chain of previous
events clearly indicated with which of the royal families of Europe a
matrimonial alliance might be most advantageously formed. Chrisiern,
King of Denmark and Norway, had been insisting for many years on the
payment of a sum due to him from Scotland on the account of the
Hebrides, the sovereignty of which had been ceded by one of his
predecessors to the Scottish crown for an annual quit-rent of one
hundred marks. In 1456 he matter had been referred to arbitration of the
King of France; the arrears and fines being estimated by Christiern at
more than four hundred thousand marks, while it was urged on the part of
James II. that the debt was proscribed and the claim void by desuetude.
Various delays having occurred, it was not until 1460 that the umpire,
unable to obtain the original documents, recommended an amicable
adjustment of the dispute by a marriage between the heir to the Scottish
crown and Margaret, daughter of the King of Norway. The proposition was
favourably entertained by the commissioners on both sides; and although
the sudden death of James II. before Roxburgh prevented formal
ratification of the compact, enough had been done to preserve a friendly 9 Extracts from The
Pictorial History of Scotland BOYD, Sir Thomas, “his visit to Denmark.” vol. i. p. 349. Under the subtitled heading ‘Proposals for marriage of the King’ ‘Such was the position
of affairs in 1468, when the chancellor Lord Evandale, the ‘They found Christiern ready to give the hand of his daughter to their king; nor did he make any objection to renounce at the same time any claim to past arrears and future tribute for the Hebrides. Their commission, however, included another matter, which required more delicate and careful management.’ ‘Orkney and Shetland
belonged to Norway, but the earldom of these isles had passed by
marriage into the Scottish family of St. Clair or Sinclair.
Occasional disputes could hardly be avoided under this arrangement;’
… continues ….. ‘Accordingly the commissioners entrusted
with the settlement of the royal marriage were instructed to negotiate
with the Danish monarch respecting these islands, that the cession of
them might be included in his daughter’s dowry. Christiern, with all
his liberality of spirit and desire for the proposed union, hesitated to
part with territories of such extent and value; but the terms to which
he ultimately agreed issued in the annexation of these islands to the
Scottish crown. The portion of the bride was fixed at sixty thousand
florins, in addition to the relinquishment of the long-pending claim on
the Hebrides; as the exhausted state of the Danish exchequer could only
furnish two thousand florins, the ‘Meanwhile the winter
had come on, and it was not thought proper to expose the 10 Extracts from The
Pictorial History of Scotland BOYD, Robert, “Downfall
of the Boyd family.” vol. i. p. 350. ‘The influence of the
Boyds was now in the last stage of it’s decline. Their ambition and
arrogance had rendered them objects of dislike to many of the nobles,
and they had found the favour of the inexperienced and capricious
monarch too feeble a prop to sustain their overgrown power. During the
absence of the Earl of Arran in Denmark, his father and uncle had been
unable to stem the tide of opposition which then set in withthe
increased force against their ascendancy, - and when he arrived in the
Firth of Forth with the royal bride, the prejudices awakened against him
became so obvious and powerful that he did not venture to land. Warned
of his danger, by his wife, the Princess Mary, he escaped with her to
the continent, and avoided by a voluntary exile thepersonal injury to
which he was exposed. His flight only hastened the downfall of his BOYD, Sir Alexander of Duchol, vol. i. p 348-350. ‘Sir Alexander Boyd was
brought to trial on a charge of treason, for the part which he had taken
in the seizure of the king’s person at Linlithgow, and,
notwithstanding the formal pardon granted under the great seal, was
found guilty and executed.(Crawford’s Officers of State, p. 316.
Ferrerius, p. 387.) ‘The fate of Arran is not so well known. He seems
to have attached himself to the Duke of Burgundy, and to have acquired
considerable distinction in the service of that prince. But he did
not long survive his banishment from his native country. His large
estates and numerous titles were transferred to the eldest sons of the
Scottish monarchs; and his wife, recalled fromthe continent by her royal
brother, and compelled to submit to a divorce, was re-married to
Lord Hamilton, whose descendants became by this alliance the nearest
heirs to the crown of Scotland.’ (Pinkerton, vol. i. p. 270, note.)
‘The parliament, which was convened, 20th November 1469, to give
sanction to the proceedings against the Boyds, made some additions to
the statute-book of the kingdom.’ 11 Extracts from The
Pictorial History of Scotland HAY, “Master of Requests.” vol. i. p. 742. Here the book progresses through the lead up to Queen Mary’s pending nuptials with the Lord Darnley and Queen Elizabeth and Cecil’s reactions to such a suggestion. Under the subtitled heading “Hay, the master of requests, dispatched on a mission to England. ‘Anxious to the last to
keep on good terms with her sister of England, Mary now ‘Before this ambassador
arrived in England, Elizabeth adopted more decided and 12 Extracts from The
Pictorial History of Scotland BOYD, Robert, Lord, “Joins Moray against the Queen.” vol. i. p. 745. Under the subheading “Supposed plots and counterplots of Moray and Darnley.” ‘Some historians
positively deny that there are any grounds for believing in the The situation of Moray at
this time in relation to the court, his determined opposition to the
queen’s marriage, (Mary of Scotland to Darnley) the dangers to be
anticipated from his enmity, the strong resentment and violent passions
or Darnley, all serve to lend the colour of probability of the existence
of some such scheme as that now described. Moray himself alleged that
his life was threatened , and on this account he refused to attend the
convention of the nobility which had been summoned to meet at St.
Johnston, near Perth, on 22nd June 1565. On the other hand, the
imputation of this crime was indignantly repelled by the parties
accused. Lennox and his son, we are informed by Randolph, sent Mr John
Hay with a message to Moray, expressing his good-will toward him,
disclaiming the treacherous design which had been laid to his charge and ‘This safe-conduct
permitted his appearance with a guard of no less than eighty 13 ‘A message had been dispatched to Randolph to ascertain whether, in the event of Lennox and his son being taken, Elizabeth would receive them as prisoners. To this it was answered, that the queen would receive her own subjects “ïn what sort soever they came” Thus encouraged in their proceedings, Moray, Argyle, Lord Boyd, and others of the disaffected nobility, determined to attack the party of the queen, as she rode from Perth to Callander. ( Melvil says: “The Duke of Chatelherault, my Lord of Argyle, Moray, Glencairn, Rothes, and others withstood the said marriage: who after they had taken Lord Darnley, in the queen’s company, and to have sent him into England as they alleged, I wot not what was in their mind; but it was an evil-favoured enterprise, where-until the queen was in danger of heart-breaking; and as they had failed in their foolish enterprise, they took plainly to their arms in rebellion”.)’ ‘The plan of the conspirators was to seize Darnley, either in a narrow defile called the Pass of Dron, a few mile from Perth, or in a deep ravine to the west of the hill of Benarty, near Kinross.’ Continues……. BOYD, Robert, Lord, “Sanctions murder of Riccio.” vol. i. p. 762. In the subtitled heading
“Progress of the conspiracy for the overthrow of the ‘Morton having so far
matured the plot for the overthrow of the government and the ‘The exiled barons
appear to have readily embarked in an enterprise which promised to avert
their immediate ruin, and to restore them to their former position at
the head of affairs. A second ‘covenant’ was therefore drawn up,
supplementary to the first, between Henry King of Scotland, and James
Earl of Moray, Archibald Earl of Argyle,Andrew Earl of Rothes, Robert
Lord Boyd, Andrew Lord Ochiltree, and certain others “remaining in
England” in which it was stipulated, on the part of the lords, that,
in their first parliament, 14 which should be
held after their return, they would procure for Darnley the crown Under the subtitled heading “The Plot is made known to Elizabeth.” ‘It could scarcely be
expected that a plot so widely ramified could escape the 15 We need not more plainly to describe the person; you have heard of the man whom we mean of. “To come by the other thing which he desireth, which is the crown matrimonial, what is devised and concluded upon him and the noblemen you shall see by the copies of the conditions between them and him, of which Mr Randolph assureth me to have seen the principals, and taken the copies written with his own hand. “The time of execution
and performance of these matters is before is before the NOTE: Use this data as a finding tool, just as you would any other secondary source. When you find the name of an ancestor listed, confirm the facts in original sources.
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