Patrick Ruthven, 3rd Lord Ruthven (c. 1520 – 13 June 1566) played an important part in the political intrigues of the 16th century Scotland. He succeeded to the lordship in December 1552. The Ruthven lordship encompassed the offices of Provost and Constable of Perth, and Sheriff of

Strathearn Strathearn or Strath Earn (, from gd, Srath Èireann) is the strath of the River Earn, in Scotland, extending from Loch Earn in the West to the River Tay in the east.http://www.strathearn.com/st_where.htm Derivation of name Strathearn was on ...

Life

Patrick was the son of

William Ruthven, 2nd Lord Ruthven William Ruthven, 2nd Lord Ruthven (died December 1552) was a Scottish nobleman. He served as an Extraordinary Lord of Session and Keeper of the Privy Seal. Life The 2nd Lord Ruthven was the son of William, Master of Ruthven (who was known as Li ...

and Janet Haliburton, heiress of the Haliburtons of

Dirleton Castle Dirleton Castle is a medieval fortress in the village of Dirleton, East Lothian, Scotland. It lies around west of North Berwick, and around east of Edinburgh. The oldest parts of the castle date to the 13th century, and it was abandoned by ...

Quest for wealth and advancement

During the war of the

Rough Wooing The Rough Wooing (December 1543 – March 1551), also known as the Eight Years' War, was part of the Anglo-Scottish Wars of the 16th century. Following its break with the Roman Catholic Church, England attacked Scotland, partly to break the ...

, Patrick, Master of Ruthven, aided the English cause. In 1548 the English commander Grey of Wilton noted that he had been at the English-held Yester Castle with his servants in their " jacks" wearing red scarves. He wanted to profit by delivering

Perth Perth is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the Australian states and territories of Australia, state of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth most populous city in Aust ...

to the English. His father was provost of the town, and Patrick offered it to

Sir Andrew Dudley Sir Andrew Dudley, Knight of the Garter, KG (c. 1507 – 1559) was an English soldier, courtier, and diplomat. A younger brother of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, he served in Henry VIII's navy and obtained court offices under ...

, a brother of the

Duke of Northumberland Duke of Northumberland is a noble title that has been created three times in English and British history, twice in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of Great Britain. The current holder of this title is Ralph Percy, 12th Duke ...

, who occupied Broughty Castle. After the war with England was concluded, in March 1551 he was in Paris and wrote to

Mary of Guise Mary of Guise (french: Marie de Guise; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was a French noblewoman of the House of Guise, a cadet branch of the House of Lorraine and one of the most powerful families in France. She ...

asking for money she had promised him. Her financial officer Bartholomew de Villemore had tried to pay him with deprecated coinage. Patrick also asked for political preferment:

I haif evir bene and salbe at your grace commandment. Fordir, pleis your grace, I think I have bene ane futtman lang aneuch, bot quhene it pless your grace ye will mak me ane hors man amangis utheris, ... I shall jeopard my lyfe in your service farder nor thame that giffis yow fairer wordis and gettis mair of your geir.

I have ever been and shall be at your grace's commandment. Further, please your grace, I think I have been a footman long enough; but when it please you grace, you will make me a horseman, among others,... I shall jeopardize my life in your service farther than any who gives you fairer words and gets more of your gear.

Religious and political stance

However, as a strong

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

and a supporter of the Lords of the Congregation, Patrick signed the Treaty of Berwick in 1560, and sent his son Archibald as a hostage to England and

Westminster School Westminster School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Westminster, London, England, in the precincts of Westminster Abbey. It derives from a charity school founded by Westminster Benedictines before the 1066 Norman Conquest, as d ...

. Ruthven wrote to William Cecil from Huntingtower Castle reminding him of their previous meetings in England during the time of

Edward VI Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. Edward was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour ...

, and approving of Cecil's, "forth-setting of the union of these realms in greater amity than in times bypast has been." In conference with Mary of Guise on 12 May 1560, at

Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. ...

, Ruthven was more unyielding on all points than any of the other representatives of the Congregation.

Political office and other involvements

Thomas Randolph, was the English ambassador present in Scotland for the short years that

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 ...

spent actively ruling there. In June 1563, Randolph reported that Patrick had joined Mary's privy council at the instance of

William Maitland of Lethington William Maitland of Lethington (15259 June 1573) was a Scottish politician and reformer, and the eldest son of poet Richard Maitland. Life He was educated at the University of St Andrews. William was the renowned "Secretary Lethington" to M ...

, in spite of the fact that the queen personally could not abide him. In 1565, he was one of the few nobles who supported Mary's marriage with

Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley (1546 – 10 February 1567), was an English nobleman who was the second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the father of James VI and I, James VI of Scotland and I of England. Through his parents, he had claims to b ...

. Patrick was the leader of the band (which also included Darnley) that murdered

David Rizzio David Rizzio ( ; it, Davide Rizzio ; – 9 March 1566) or Riccio ( , ) was an Italian courtier, born in Pancalieri close to Turin, a descendant of an ancient and noble family still living in Piedmont, the Riccio Counts di San Paolo e Solbrit ...

, Mary's personal secretary and favorite. This event was followed by his flight into England. On 2 April 1566, Ruthven and Morton sent their testimony on

's murder to Queen

Elizabeth I of England Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". Eli ...

, declaring they had acted the best for Darnley, Mary, state and religion. Ruthven died in England. Mary's secretary Claude Nau wrote that he died deceived by evil spirits who made him rave of a false vision of heaven.

Family

Patrick married first Janet Douglas (d. around 1552), illegitimate daughter of

Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus (c. 148922 January 1557) was a Scottish nobleman active during the reigns of James V and Mary, Queen of Scots. He was the son of George, Master of Angus, who was killed at the Battle of Flodden, and suc ...

, and had several children. Secondly, he married Janet Stewart, daughter of John Stewart, 2nd Earl of Atholl, and widow of Henry Stewart, 1st Lord Methven. Patrick's two eldest children married their stepmother Janet Stewart's children; daughter Jean Ruthven married

Henry Stewart, 2nd Lord Methven Lord Methven was a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created on 17 July 1528 by King James V of Scotland for his stepfather Henry Stewart. The title became extinct on the death of the grantee's grandson in the 1580s. The title takes its n ...

, and the heir,

William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie, 4th Lord of Ruthven (c. 1541May 1584) was a Scottish peer known for devising the Raid of Ruthven. Life and career William Ruthven was born in 1541 in Ruthven Castle, in Perthshire, Scotland, the son of Pat ...

, married Dorothea Stewart. A younger son Alexander Ruthven was a gentleman of the king's bedchamber in 1580.William Boyd, ''Calendar of State Papers Scotland: 1574-1581'', vol. 5 (Edinburgh, 1907), p. 531.

References

External links

* ;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Ruthven, Patrick 3rd Lord Ruthven Ruthven, Patrick Ruthven, 3rd Lord Ruthven, Patrick Ruthven, 3rd Lord Year of birth uncertain 16th-century Scottish people Scottish people of the Rough Wooing Scottish Reformation Privy Council of Mary, Queen of Scots Patrick