Michael Durham was a Scottish courtier and physician to

James V of Scotland James V (10 April 1512 – 14 December 1542) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Scotland from 9 September 1513 until his death in 1542. He was crowned on 21 September 1513 at the age of seventeen months. James was the son of King James IV a ...

. His family was from Grange at

Monifieth Monifieth () is a town and former police burgh in the council area of Angus, Scotland. It is situated on the north bank of the Firth of Tay on the east coast. In , the population of Monifieth was estimated at , making it the fifth largest town ...

near

Dundee Dundee (; ; or , ) is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city in Scotland. The mid-year population estimate for the locality was . It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firt ...

Death of a king

Durham took his first degree at the

University of St Andrews The University of St Andrews (, ; abbreviated as St And in post-nominals) is a public university in St Andrews, Scotland. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest of the four ancient universities of Scotland and, f ...

. He attended James V at

Falkland Palace Falkland Palace, in Falkland, Fife, Scotland, is a royal palace of the Scottish kings. It was one of the favourite places of Mary, Queen of Scots, who took refuge there from political and religious turmoil of her times. Today it is under th ...

during his final illness in December 1542. He was a witness to the king's will, a legal document made at Falkland appointing tutors for

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...

. The document was declared invalid.

Regent Arran In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

paid Durham's expenses of £200 Scots for his medical work, and gave him a gown furred with Scottish "martrick" or

marten A marten is a weasel-like mammal in the genus ''Martes'' within the subfamily Guloninae, in the family Mustelidae. They have bushy tails and large paws with partially retractile claws. The fur varies from yellowish to dark brown, depending on ...

fur from the royal wardrobe. At first, according to

John Knox John Knox ( – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister, Reformed theologian, and writer who was a leader of the country's Reformation. He was the founder of the Church of Scotland. Born in Giffordgate, a street in Haddington, East Lot ...

, the counsel of Durham and other Protestants was welcomed at the Regent's court. Soon, however, these courtiers were removed.

War

Michael Durham and his brother Henry Durham were

Protestants Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

who sided with England during the war now known as the

Rough Wooing The Rough Wooing (; December 1543 – March 1551), also known as the Eight Years' War, was part of the Anglo-Scottish Wars of the 16th century. Following the English Reformation, the break with the Catholic Church, England attacked Scotland ...

. In August 1546, Arran had Michael Durham imprisoned for a time in

Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age. There has been a royal castle on the rock since the reign of Malcol ...

. Durham then went to London. The Scottish diplomat

Adam Otterburn Sir Adam Otterburn of Auldhame & Scoughall, Auldhame and Redhall (died 6 July 1548) was a Scottish lawyer and diplomat. He was Lord Advocate, king's advocate to James V of Scotland and secretary to Mary of Guise and Regent Arran. In 1527 Otterb ...

was surprised he had been released and allowed to travel. After the

battle of Pinkie The Battle of Pinkie, also known as the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh (), took place on 10 September 1547 on the banks of the River Esk near Musselburgh, Scotland. The last pitched battle between Scotland and England before the Union of the Crowns, ...

in September 1547, Michael Durham accompanied the English commander Andrew Dudley from

Leith Leith (; ) is a port area in the north of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith and is home to the Port of Leith. The earliest surviving historical references are in the royal charter authorising the construction of ...

Broughty Castle Broughty Castle is a historic castle on the banks of the River Tay 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 ...

. They sailed in the ''Galley Suttill'' or ''Subtle'' with Richard Brooke and fired three shots at the castle. Henry Durham, who was a retainer of Lord Gray, and Captain of Broughty, surrendered the castle to Dudley. The galley was used because it could be rowed near the shore to fire its ordnance. Henry and Michael Durham, as " assured Scots", were given an English pension of £50 and trading privileges. AnthonyRoll-30 Galley Subtle

London

Michael Durham returned to London. He received a pension from the English exchequer, granted by

Edward VI of England Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. The only surviving son of Henry VIII by his thi ...

. He became a friend of the French ambassador

Antoine de Noailles Antoine, 1st comte de Noailles (4 September 150411 March 1563) became admiral of France, and was ambassador in England for three years, 1553–1556, maintaining a gallant but unsuccessful rivalry with the Spanish ambassador, Simon Renard. Antoin ...

, aiding him with intelligence and in diplomatic matters. Durham carried or forwarded some of Noailles's letters to

Henri Cleutin Henri Cleutin, seigneur d'Oisel et de Villeparisis (1515 – 20 June 1566), was the representative of France in Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland from 1546 to 1560, a Gentleman of the Chamber of the King of France, and a diplomat in Rome 1564–1566 d ...

in Scotland. Noailles tried to rehabilitate Durham with

Mary of Guise Mary of Guise (; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was List of Scottish royal consorts, Queen of Scotland from 1538 until 1542, as the second wife of King James V. She was a French people, French noblewoman of the ...

, the widow of James V who ruled Scotland from 1554 to 1560. An "assize" concerning Doctor Durham was held in Edinburgh in October 1555. In March 1557, the English diplomat

Nicholas Wotton Nicholas Wotton (c. 1497 – 26 January 1567) was an England, English diplomat, cleric and courtier. He served as Dean of York and Royal Envoy to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. Life He was a son of Sir Robert Wotton of Boughton Malherbe, Kent ...

described Durham as a spy for France and Mary of Guise, receiving a pension from her of 300 crowns. René-Aubert Vertot, an 18th-century editor of the letters of Antoine de Noailles, mentions that suspicion fell on Durham for poisoning James V. There were rumours that the king's demise was hastened by poison or the wrong medicine. Modern historians believe James died of natural causes. A rumour of poisoning was current days after the death, reaching English authorities.

John Lesley John Lesley (or Leslie) (29 September 1527 – 31 May 1596) was a Scottish Roman Catholic bishop and historian. His father was Gavin Lesley, rector of Kingussie, Badenoch. Early career He was educated at the University of Aberdeen, where he ...

wrote that James V was "vexit by some unkindly medicine". A translator of Lesley's Latin ''History'' wrote that the common people thought "the king sooner died through medicine, than otherwise he would have done".

Raphael Holinshed Raphael Holinshed (; before 24 April 1582) was an English chronicler, who was most famous for his work on ''The Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande'', commonly known as ''Holinshed's Chronicles''. It was the "first complete printed h ...

and

David Calderwood David Calderwood (157529 October 1650) was a Scottish minister of religion and historian. Calderwood was banished for his nonconformity. He found a home in the Low Countries, where he wrote his great work, the ''Altare Damascenum'' which was a ...

wrote of reports that James V was "disquieted by some unkindlie medicine".''Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland'', 5 (London, 1808), p. 528
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Durham, Michael Court of James V of Scotland Scottish people of the Rough Wooing 16th-century Scottish medical doctors Alumni of the University of St Andrews Scottish expatriates in England