John Boswell of Balmuto (1546–1610) was a Scottish landowner and courtier. He was the son of David Boswell and Elizabeth Wemyss, daughter of David Wemyss of Wemyss. His father died at 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 1547. Their lands were at Balmuto Castle in

Fife Fife ( , ; ; ) is a council areas of Scotland, council area and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in Scotland. A peninsula, it is bordered by the Firth of Tay to the north, the North Sea to the east, the Firth of Forth to the s ...

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 ...

visited Balmuto in February 1565. The English diplomat Thomas Randolph said that David Boswell was an "inveterate Papist", but his seven sons were Protestants. Christian Boswell, a sister of John Boswell, married

James Melville of Halhill Sir James Melville (1535–1617) was a Scottish diplomat and memoir writer, and father of the poet Elizabeth Melville. Life Melville was the third son of Sir John Melville, laird of Raith, in the county of Fife, who was executed for treason ...

, and was the mother of the poet

Elizabeth Melville Elizabeth Melville, Lady Culross (c.1578–c.1640) was a Scottish people, Scottish poet. In 1603 she became the earliest known Scottish woman writer to see her work in print, when the Edinburgh publisher Robert Charteris issued the first edition ...

. Her tomb can be seen at

Collessie Collessie is a village and parish of Fife, Scotland. The village is set on a small hillock centred on a historic church. Due to rerouting of roads, it now lies north of the A91. Though a railway embankment was constructed through the middle of ...

. John Boswell inherited the family estates from his grandfather in 1582. He also inherited a feud with the Wemyss family, in part over the fishing rights at Loch Gelly. The young

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 ...

declared he was on the side of the Wemyss family, while playing a game at

Linlithgow Palace The ruins of Linlithgow Palace are located in the town of Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland, west of Edinburgh. The palace was one of the principal residences of the monarchs of Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland in the 15th and 16th ce ...

. He was prosperous, and lent 1000 merks to James VI in September 1589, to help finance his marriage to

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 ...

. The king wrote for the loan on 2 September from

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 ...

, because of the "hastier arrival of our dearest spouse, than either we looked for, or can have any time for the preparation thereof". James Fenton, the comptroller clerk, made out a receipt on 17 September 1589 for £666 received at Leith from the Laird's brother, the king's surgeon George Boswell. Anne of Denmark's arrival was delayed by contrary winds. John Boswell was knighted in August 1594 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 ...

, at the baptism of Prince Henry. A carved stone at Balmuto is inscribed, "I.B.I.S. 1594", for John Boswell and his wife Isabella Sandilands, or his son John and Jonet Scott.

Marriage and children

He married Elizabeth or Isobella Sandilands in 1562, a daughter of Sir James Sandilands of Cruvie and

St Monans St Monans (, ), sometimes spelt St Monance, is a village and parish in the East Neuk of Fife and is named after the legendary Saint Monan. Situated approximately west of Anstruther, the small community, whose inhabitants used to make their liv ...

(died 1568) and Elizabeth Meldrum. Their children included: *John Boswell of Balmuto, who was also knighted in August 1594 at Stirling. He married Jonet Scott, daughter of

James Scott of Balwearie James Scott of Balwearie (died 1606) was a Scottish landowner and supporter of the rebel earls. He was the son of Walter Scott of Balwearie and Janet Lindsay, a daughter of John Lindsay of Dowhill Castle, Dowhill. His mother had been married to A ...

*George Boswell of

Balgonie Balgonie is a town in southeast Saskatchewan, Canada. Situated at the intersection of Highways 10, 46, and the Trans-Canada Highway, the town is part of the White Butte region and neighbours Pilot Butte, White City, and McLean. As well ...

in Auchterderran. He married Elizabeth Hay (died 1615), daughter of Patrick Hay of Megginch and Isobel Bryson, and widow of John Haliday (died 1606) of Tullibole. She may have been the Elizabeth Hay who helped in the household of Princess Elizabeth at

. *James Boswell of

Lochgelly Lochgelly ( ; , IPA: �ɫ̪ɔxˈʝaɫ̪ai is a town in Fife, Scotland. It is located between Lochs Ore and Gelly to the north-west and south-east respectively. It is separated from Cowdenbeath by the village of Lumphinnans. According to the ...

*David Boswell of Craigincat, who was in trouble in 1594 as a follower of the rebel

Francis Stewart, 5th Earl of Bothwell Francis Stewart, 5th Earl of Bothwell (c. December 1562 – November 1612), was Commendator of Kelso Abbey and Coldingham Priory, a Privy Counsellor and Lord High Admiral of Scotland. He was a notorious conspirator who led several uprisings aga ...

. In 1610 his horse won a silver bell at a race held at Dunfermline.George Seton, ''Memoir of Alexander Seton'' (Edinburgh, 1882), pp. 96–97. *Grizel Boswell, who married

James Law James Law (c. 1560 – 12 November 1632) was Archbishop of Glasgow. Entering the church after graduation from university, he rose to the position of Bishop of Orkney, reorganising the diocese, before rising to hold the position of Archbishop o ...

Archbishop of Glasgow The Archbishop of Glasgow is an archiepiscopal title that takes its name after the city of Glasgow in Scotland. The position and title were abolished by the Church of Scotland in 1689; and, in the Catholic Church, the title was restored by Pop ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boswell, John 1546 births 1610 deaths 16th-century Scottish landowners 17th-century Scottish landowners People from Fife

John 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 E ...