James Melville: Life Story

Lennox had a rival for the Regency, in the Earl of Morton, and within the King’s Party there were supporters of both. Melville, continuing in his support for Lennox, because, he says, there was no point in hoping for the Queen to be freed, was taken into custody by the Earl of Buchan, with a threat to try him for some unspecified crime. The purpose, apparently, was to use him as a hostage to persuade Kirkcaldy to surrender Edinburgh Castle. Melville pointed out that the Castle group were so angry with him, that this plan could never work.

Nevertheless, Kirkcaldy obviously did retain some affection for him as he sent a secret message to Melville with an escape plan. Melville rejected the offer, saying he knew Buchan would not harm him, and he was eventually freed.

Melville gives his reasons for supporting the King’s Party, as that he could see no hope for Mary to ever be freed – the English government would never let her go, and although the French might complain, they would not help. Catherine de Medici did not like her former daughter-in-law and, from the French perspective, the uniting of England and Scotland under a single monarch would be a poor proposition. Mary’s relatives, the Guises, had never done more than use her for their own advantage. Spain too, would not help Mary, as it had enough to do with its problems in controlling Flanders.

Kirkcaldy now came up with a plan that, he hoped, would reconcile the two parties. The King’s Party were planning to hold a Parliament at Stirling, so Kirkcaldy sent for as many as possible of the Queen’s Party to surprise the others at Stirling, and take control of the Regent and his government, so an agreement could be worked out. Inevitably, matters went awry, and Lennox was shot despite it having been agreed beforehand that there would be no violence. Kirkcaldy was beside himself as any hope of concord now disappeared.

Randolph pushed forward the Earl of Morton as Regent – Morton being decidedly pro-English, but the King’s Party preferred the Earl of Mar. Whilst there was not open warfare, there were endless skirmishes between the groups.

Mar retired to Stirling, and Randolph, now hated by both sides returned to England. Henry Killigrew, who had been on previous embassies, and had once been Melville’s friend now returned as ambassador. He was charged, he told Melville, with promoting peace – although the Queen of England favoured the Queen’s Party. Melville then rounded on his former friend, saying that he knew that Killigrew was only in Scotland to make more trouble, and that as fellow-Protestants the English ministers should be ashamed of themselves for encouraging discord. Killigrew had to admit that his real intention was to see Morton installed as Regent.

Regent Mar sent for Melville to act yet again as go-between with the Queen’s Party. Mar seems to have been an honest man, desperate for peace and reconciliation in Scotland. Melville was to ask Kirkcaldy for terms for surrender of the Castle. Kirkcaldy said that he would not sell himself for profit, but that his party would come to terms and support the Regent for so long as the Queen was detained in England, and that, should she be freed, he was sure she and her son could be reconciled.

Mar and Kirkcaldy came to terms, but, before their agreement could be shared with the rest of the King’s Party, Mar died. He had recently dined with Morton, and there were suggestions of poison, but it was probably natural.

Morton then summoned Melville and persuaded him that he would fulfil the agreement made by Mar, to finally bring an end to the civil strife. He wanted to make peace with all of the Queen’s Party, he said, and Kircaldy would be suitably rewarded. So Melville went back to Kirkcaldy, and persuaded him that he should surrender. Kirkcaldy agreed, on the proviso that Huntly and the Hamiltons, who were Mary’s strongest adherents, but not involved in the holding of the Castle, should be included in the general peace. He refused to receive any sweeteners himself.

Morton did not like this – he had no intention of coming to terms with the rich Huntly and Hamilton families – there would be no profit in that!He just wanted reconciliation with the relatively poor Kirkcaldy.

Kirkcaldy was shocked, telling Melville it would disgrace him to abandon Huntly and the Hamiltons (who all along would have been happy to be reconciled with the King’s Party.) He would prefer that they should betray him, than that he himself should act dishonourably. Nevertheless, he would surrender the Castle if the rest of the Queen’s Party were included in discussion.

Melville carried this message back and agreed with Morton that the Castle would be surrendered in six months’ time, once Morton had shown he intended to keep faith. This was agreed to and Morton then sent messages to Huntly and the Hamiltons who agreed terms.

Immediately he had half of the Queen’s Party on side Morton proclaimed that Kirkcaldy and the others in the Castle were traitors and had refused to come to reasonable terms. Morton collected English troops to besiege the Castle, and, owing to the dry summer, Kirkcaldy was obliged to surrender as the wells ran dry. Among the men in the castle were two of Melville’s brothers.

It was agreed with Kirkcaldy that he and his colleagues would be brought into the King’s Peace, and their lands restored, but after three days of liberty, during which time they stayed with the English Warden of Berwick, a letter was received from Queen Elizabeth, ordering the Warden to hand over the men to Morton. Melville’s brother’s life was spared, on petition from Killigrew, Lord Home was spared but died soon after, but Kirkcaldy, who could claim to be the only honourable man in Scotland, was hanged on 3^rd August 1573.

Morton, having disposed of all of his rivals, and supported by the English, proved an effective Regent, although there were many who disliked him, and believed him to be an extortioner.