Gilbert Moncreiff (died 1598) was a Scottish court physician. In November 1575, Moncreiff joined the court of

James VI James may refer to: People * James (given name) * James (surname) * James (musician), aka Faruq Mahfuz Anam James, (born 1964), Bollywood musician * James, brother of Jesus * King James (disambiguation), various kings named James * Prince Ja ...

as "medicinar and houshald man". He would live for four years at

Stirling Castle Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most historically and architecturally important castles in Scotland. The castle sits atop an Intrusive rock, intrusive Crag and tail, crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill ge ...

in attendance on the young king. A pension awarded in October 1580 mentioned that he had served the king since his birth in 1566. James Melville visited the king at Stirling with his uncle

Andrew Melville Andrew Melville (1 August 1545 – 1622) was a Scottish scholar, theologian, poet and religious reformer. His fame encouraged scholars from the European continent to study at Glasgow and St. Andrews. He was born at Baldovie, on 1 August 154 ...

in 1575. They also met Moncreiff, who was an old friend of Andrew Melville from their days in Geneva. Moncreiff, Alexander Preston, with a Highland practitioner recorded as the "Irland leeche", George Boswell from Perth, and an Edinburgh apothecary Robert Craig attended the

Earl of Atholl The Mormaer or Earl of Atholl was the title of the holder of a medieval comital lordship straddling the highland province of Atholl (''Ath Fodhla''), now in northern Perthshire. Atholl is a special Mormaerdom, because a King of Atholl is repor ...

. He died on 25 April 1579 at Kincardine after a suspicious illness following a banquet hosted by the Countess of Mar at Stirling Castle. Doctor Preston was also recorded working for Agnes Keith, Countess of Argyll, and travelled to

Inveraray Inveraray ( or ; meaning "mouth of the Aray") is a town in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Located on the western shore of Loch Fyne, near its head, Inveraray is a former royal burgh and known affectionately as "The Capital of Argyll." It is the ...

in 1576. On 16 June 1581, Moncreiff and Gilbert Skene examined Robert Stewart, Earl of March, in order to demonstrate that he was incapable of consummating his marriage, so that Elizabeth Stewart could obtain a divorce to marry

James Stewart, Earl of Arran Captain James Stewart, Earl of Arran (died 1595) was created Earl of Arran by the young King James VI, who wrested the title from James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran. He rose to become Lord Chancellor of Scotland and was eventually murdered in 1 ...

. Moncreiff was involved in the education of the

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in 1583. He helped the poet

Alexander Hume Alexander Hume (1558 – 4 December 1609) was a Scottish poet who served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in the early 17th century. Life He was born in 1558 the son of Patrick Hume (d.1599). The brother of Patri ...

back to health, who subsequently wrote and published ''Ane Epistle to Maister Gilbert Montcrief''. Moncreiff worked with other physicians, surgeons, and apothecaries for

, his wife

Anne of Denmark Anne of Denmark (; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I. She was List of Scottish royal consorts, Queen of Scotland from their marriage on 20 August 1589 and List of English royal consorts, Queen of Engl ...

and their children, including the German doctor Martin Schöner, the surgeons John Naysmyth and Gilbert Primrose, and the apothecary

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. On 10 February 1594, he was appointed to attend Anna of Denmark at

, when she gave birth to Prince Henry, with Martin Schöner and Gilbert Primrose, the apothecary Alexander Barclay, and the midwife, who was probably Jonet Kinloch. In September 1596, with the Edinburgh merchant Clement Cor and kirk minister

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he interviewed a woman from Nokwalter in Perth, Christian Stewart, who was accused of causing the death of Patrick Ruthven by witchcraft. She confessed she had obtained a cloth from Isobel Stewart to bewitch Patrick Ruthven, and repeated this confession to the king and Sir George Home at

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. She was found guilty of witchcraft and burnt on Edinburgh's Castlehill. Moncreiff died in Edinburgh on 24 February 1597/98. His inventory lists a stock of drugs, yellow sugar, and gold bullion including gold coins of

James V 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 ...

, Maximilian II and Philip II, and Scottish unicorns. He accepted jewelry as pledges for debts.National Records of Scotland, 'Moncreiff, Gilbert', will reference CC8/8/32, pp. 742-745.

Marriage and children

Moncreiff married a sister of the

Canongate The Canongate is a street and associated district in central Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. The street forms the main eastern length of the Royal Mile while the district is the main eastern section of Edinburgh's Old Town. David ...

dagmaker (pistol maker) David Clerk. Their children included; James, Margaret, Marie, Agnes, and Elizabeth.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moncreiff, Gilbert 1598 deaths Court of James VI and I 16th-century Scottish people Household of Anne of Denmark 16th-century Scottish medical doctors Court physicians