James Inglis was a Scottish tailor who served

James VI of Scotland James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...

King James I of England and VI of Scotland by Arnold van Brounckhorst

Career

He was a son of Annabell Hodge. In August 1562, he made clothes for Monsieur Mernay (Guillaume Mernais), a member of the household of

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 ...

. Queen Mary appointed him tailor to her son on 24 January 1567. In July 1567 the Privy Council ordered him to make coronation robes for James from fine crimson velvet, blue velvet, red taffeta, and fur. His work took him between Edinburgh and

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 ...

, where the infant king was kept by the

Earl of Mar There are currently two earldoms of Mar in the Peerage of Scotland, and the title has been created seven times. The first creation of the earldom is currently held by Margaret of Mar, 31st Countess of Mar, who is also clan chief of Clan Mar. Th ...

and Annabell Murray. The ruler of Scotland,

Regent Moray James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray (c. 1531 – 23 January 1570) was a member of the House of Stewart as the illegitimate son of King James V of Scotland. At times a supporter of his half-sister Mary, Queen of Scots, he was the regent of Scot ...

bought him a horse in February 1569 for £30, provided by

Jerome Bowie Jerome Bowie (died 1597) was a servant of James VI of Scotland as a sommelier and Master of the Wine Cellar, in charge of the purchase and serving of wine. Family background Jerome Bowie's family was from Stirling. His father is thought to have ...

, the keeper of the king's wine cellar. Inglis became involved in the Marian Civil War. On 22 April 1571 two Marian supporters,

Arthur Hamilton Arthur Hamilton Stern (October 22, 1926 – May 20, 2025) was an American songwriter. He is best known for the song " Cry Me a River", first published in 1953 and recorded by Julie London and numerous other artists. Life and career Arthur "Ar ...

of Merrynton and

Alexander Baillie Alexander Baillie (born 6 January 1956) is an English cellist, recognised internationally as one of the finest of his generation. He is currently professor of cello at the Bremen Hochschule and previously taught at Birmingham Conservatoire, as ...

Lamington A lamington is an Australian cake made from squares of butter cake or sponge cake coated in an outer layer of chocolate sauce and rolled in desiccated coconut. The thin mixture is absorbed into the outside of the sponge cake and left to set, ...

, captured him near St Cuthbert's Church in Edinburgh. He was returning from Stirling Castle, where he had been fitting the king's clothes. Inglis was released two days later after the Deacon of Crafts had spoken with

William Kirkcaldy of Grange Sir William Kirkcaldy of Grange (c. 1520 –3 August 1573) was a Scottish politician and soldier who fought for the Scottish Reformation. He ended his career holding Edinburgh castle on behalf of Mary, Queen of Scots and was hanged at the c ...

, Captain of

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 ...

William Betoun William Betoun or Beaton (died 1620) was a Scottish embroiderer who worked for James VI of Scotland and his wife and queen consort, Anne of Denmark. On 25 July 1573 Regent Morton appointed Betoun as "browdinstar" to the young king and keeper of hi ...

was appointed as embroiderer to the King on 25 July 1573. Inglis supervised a workshop of craftsmen who were rarely mentioned in the royal accounts, but in May 1578 the young King ordered that Inglis' "servandis" should be given "

drinksilver Drinksilver was a kind of tip or gratuity given to artisans in Early Modern Scotland, a sum of money suitable for buying drinks and celebrating. Records of payments give insights into labour, service, and patronage. Payments and contexts Buildin ...

", a kind of tip, for their efforts. In May 1590, James Inglis worked on costumes for a Highland dance and a sword dance performed at the

entry and coronation of Anne of Denmark On 17 May 1590, Anne of Denmark was crowned Queen of Scotland. There was also a ceremony of joyous entry into Edinburgh on 19 May, an opportunity for spectacle and theatre and allegorical tableaux promoting civic and national identities, simil ...

. In October 1590, James Inglis collaborated with another tailor, Alexander Miller, to make a costume for an African servant at court, who is known only as the "Moir", including an orange velvet "jupe" and breeches and a doublet of shot-silk Spanish taffeta festooned with white satin

passementerie Passementerie (, ) or passementarie is the art of making elaborate trimmings or edgings (in French, ) of applied braid, gold or silver cord, embroidery, colored silk, or beads for clothing or furnishings. Styles of passementerie include the tass ...

. James Inglis continued as the king's tailor into the 17th century, serving in total for 32 years. He was petitioning for payment of his annual fee in June 1611. The money had been paid by

George Home, 1st Earl of Dunbar George Home, 1st Earl of Dunbar (ca. 155620 January 1611) was, in the last decade of his life, the most prominent and most influential Scotsman in England. His work lay in the King's Household and in the control of the State Affairs of Scotland ...

as master of the Royal Wardrobe.

Marriages and children

His first wife was Françoise Mullinno, who died in 1569. Her will mentions a pair of gold bracelets and a silver girdle which she left to her sister. She gave her clothes to family and friends and small token gifts to her husband's apprentices and her servant Helen Kello. James Inglis married secondly Helen Craig. She seems to have been a relation of the lawyer Thomas Craig, whose father Robert Craig had been a tailor and textile merchant.John Finlay, "The Early Career of Thomas Craig", ''Edinburgh Law Review'' (2008), p. 316.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Inglis, James Court of James VI and I 16th-century Scottish businesspeople 16th-century Scottish tailors People of Stirling Castle Material culture of royal courts Year of birth missing Year of death missing 17th-century tailors 17th-century Scottish businesspeople 17th-century deaths