James Mosman or Mossman (died 1573) was a Scottish goldsmith. John Knox's House - geograph

Edinburgh - John Knox House - 20140421164207

He was a son of John Mosman, a

goldsmith A goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Nowadays they mainly specialize in jewelry-making but historically, goldsmiths have also made silverware, platters, goblets, decorative and servicea ...

working in Edinburgh. It has been suggested that the Mosman family was of Jewish origin. He married Mariota Arres, and secondly in 1571, Janet King. Mosman and Arres rebuilt the John Knox House on the

High Street High Street is a common street name for the primary business street of a city, town, or village, especially in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. It implies that it is the focal point for business, especially shopping. It is also a metonym fo ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

Moubray House Moubray House, 51 and 53 High Street, is one of the oldest buildings on the Royal Mile, and one of the oldest occupied residential buildings in Edinburgh, Scotland. The façade dates from the early 17th century, built on foundations laid . The t ...

is adjacent to the west. Mosman and Arres were given permission in May 1557 by Mary of Guise to extend the cellars of another house they owned under the High Street. This house was on the south side of the Royal Mile between houses belonging to Alan Dickson and Richard Hoppar. On 16 December 1558 he weighed and valued the treasures of St Giles' Kirk including the reliquary of Saint Giles' arm bone. James Mosman and his workshop made gold chains 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 Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of S ...

to give as diplomatic gifts. In April 1566 he sold the queen rings and other pieces which were probably intended as presents to her attendants. He was an assay master in the Scottish mint and made dies for the coinage. Other mint officers included, David Forrest, General of the coin house, Andrew Henderson, warden, John Balfour, comptroller warden, and James Gray, sinker or maker of dies. Grey was another goldsmith, he sold pearls to Mary and refashioned and mended a basin and laver for her. In 1567 he was converting a piece of Mary, Queen of Scots' jewelry when she was imprisoned in

Lochleven Castle Lochleven Castle is a ruined castle on an island in Loch Leven, in the Perth and Kinross local authority area of Scotland. Possibly built around 1300, the castle was the site of military action during the Wars of Scottish Independence (1296– ...

. Mosman gave this chain set with little diamonds, which he was making into a hairband garnishing, to Robert Melville, and his brother Andrew Melville of Garvock took it to the captive queen. Mariota Arres died in 1571, and soon after James Mosman married Janet King. She was a daughter of Alexander King, an Edinburgh advocate. James Mosman remained loyal to Mary when she was exiled in England. Mosman worked in Edinburgh Castle with

James Cockie James Cockie (died 1573) was a goldsmith in Edinburgh. He helped mint coins in Edinburgh Castle during the Marian Civil War and was hanged as a counterfeiter on 3 August 1573. The surname was also spelled "Cokie" and "Cokkie", "Cokke", or "Cok". T ...

making coins for Mary's supporters who held the castle during the 'Lang Siege'. The two goldsmiths valued the

jewels of Mary, Queen of Scots The jewels of Mary, Queen of Scots (1542–1587), are mainly known through the evidence of inventories held by the National Records of Scotland. She was bought jewels during her childhood in France, adding to those she inherited. She gave gifts o ...

which remained in the castle, so they could be used as security for loans. With another goldsmith

, he helped raise money on the security of the jewels of Mary, Queen of Scots during the "lang siege" of Edinburgh castle and was executed in 1573 at the end of the siege, following a trial at the

Palace of Holyroodhouse The Palace of Holyroodhouse ( or ), commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace or Holyroodhouse, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh ...

. Mosman, William Kirkcaldy, his brother James Kirkcaldy and James Cockie, were hanged on 3 August 1573.

John Mosman and Walsingham

His son John Mosman, Janet King, and James Cockie's children were given pacifications by the

Parliament of Scotland The Parliament of Scotland ( sco, Pairlament o Scotland; gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba) was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland from the 13th century until 1707. The parliament evolved during the early 13th century from the king's council o ...

in October 1581. John Mosman was sometimes known as "John Mosman younger" to distinguish him from his uncle, who was an established Edinburgh goldsmith. He carried a letter to John Lauder at Sheffield, a member of Queen Mary's household, from his father James Lauder, a court musician, in October 1582. He also wrote to John Lauder from London, asking him to reply and tell him if Queen Mary was not planning to benefit him. In November he wrote to Mary asking for a reward as the son of her "grace's master coiner and true subject", enough to start a trade and support his brothers and sisters. He had previously sent her an account of outstanding sums she owed his father. He had spent four months in London waiting for a reply from her and spent all his money. John Mosman was interviewed in London by the Scottish poet and spy William Fowler, who found him plain and simple and fit only for carrying letters. He became involved with the correspondence of the French ambassador Michel de Castelnau and was monitored by

Francis Walsingham Sir Francis Walsingham ( – 6 April 1590) was principal secretary to Queen Elizabeth I of England from 20 December 1573 until his death and is popularly remembered as her "spymaster". Born to a well-connected family of gentry, Wals ...

. Despite Fowler's judgement of his skills, Walsingham intercepted a number of letters in March 1583 which referred to Mosman's verbal reports, and he wished that he had been arrested as a "bad instrument". Fowler advised Walsingham that Mosman could be caught with letters of Mary, Queen of Scots and the French diplomat La Mothe Fénelon in a ship at Gravesend.''Calendar State Papers Scotland: 1581-1583'', vol. 6 (Edinburgh, 1910), pp. 196, 210, 335, 350, 353-4, 659.

John Mosman and Walsingham

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