Elizabeth Bethune, or Beaton (died after 1581), was one of the mistresses of King

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 ...

. Their daughter,

Lady Jean Stewart Lady Jean Stewart (also known as Jane Stuart; c. 1533 – 7 January 1588), was an illegitimate daughter of King James V of Scotland by his mistress, Elizabeth Bethune (sometimes spelled ''Betoun'' or ''Beaton''). Childhood Jean was born betw ...

, married

Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll (1532/1537 – 12 September 1573) was a Scottish nobleman, peer, and politician. He was one of the leading figures in the politics of Scotland during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the early par ...

. Elizabeth was the daughter of Sir David Beaton of Creich, a nephew of

James Beaton James Beaton (or Bethune) ( – 15 February 1539) was a Roman Catholic Scottish church leader, the uncle of David Cardinal Beaton and the Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland. Life James Beaton was the sixth and youngest son of John Beaton ...

Archbishop of St Andrews The Bishop of St. Andrews (, ) was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of St Andrews in the Catholic Church and then, from 14 August 1472, as Archbishop of St Andrews (), the Archdiocese of St Andrews. The name St Andrews is not the town ...

, and Keeper of

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 ...

. As an infant, Elizabeth's daughter Jean Stewart was brought up in the household of

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 Queen of Scotland as wife of King James V), and then briefly in the nursery of her legitimate half-brother, Prince James, the Duke of Rothesay, the infant son of King James V. Subsequently, Elizabeth was married to

John Stewart, 4th Lord Innermeath John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second Ep ...

, by whom she had two sons,

James Stewart, 5th Lord Innermeath James Stewart, 5th Lord Innermeath (died 1586) was a Scottish peer, courtier and landowner. He was the son of John Stewart, 4th Lord Innermeath and Elizabeth Beaton, daughter of David Betoun of Creich. She was a former mistress of James V of Sco ...

and the poet

John Stewart of Baldynneis John Stewart of Baldynneis (c. 1545–c. 1605) was a writer and courtier at the Scottish Court. He was one of the Castalian Band grouped around James VI. He was the son of Elizabeth Beaton, a former mistress of James V, and John Stewart, 4th Lo ...

. Elizabeth and her husband John were granted lands in the parish of

Inverkeilor Inverkeilor is a village and parish in Angus, Scotland. It lies near the North Sea coast, midway between Arbroath and Montrose, Angus, Montrose. The A92 road now bypasses the village. The population of Inverkeilor parish in the United Kingdom Cen ...

in May 1544. In 1572 she married secondly James Gray, son of

Patrick Gray, 4th Lord Gray Patrick Gray, 4th Lord Gray (c. 1518 -1584) was a Scottish landowner and Sheriff of Angus, active during the war of the Rough Wooing as a supporter of the Scottish Reformation. Family Patrick Gray was the son of Egidia Mercer and Gilbert Gray o ...

. In 1578 Gray fathered a child by her niece, Isobel Beaton. The subsequent quarrel led to sieges of

Redcastle Redcastle (), historically known as Edirdovar and Ederdour, is a medieval castle in Killearnan on the Black Isle, northern Scotland. It is so named from the colour of the stone of which it is built. The castle is now in a state of ruinous d ...

Angus Angus may refer to: *Angus, Scotland, a council area of Scotland, and formerly a province, sheriffdom, county and district of Scotland * Angus, Canada, a community in Essa, Ontario Animals * Angus cattle, various breeds of beef cattle Media * ...

, and several court cases. She got her divorce in 1581.Donna Heddle, ''John Stewart of Baldynneis Roland Furious: A Scots Poem in its European Context'' (Leiden, 2007), pp. 4-5.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bethune, Elizabeth Mistresses of James V of Scotland People from Fife 16th-century Scottish people Innermeath People of Falkland Palace