Robert Hamilton Of Briggis
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Robert Hamilton of Briggis (died 1568) was a Scottish soldier and military engineer. He was keeper of
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 ...
and
Dunbar Castle Dunbar Castle was one of the strongest fortresses in Scotland, situated in a prominent position overlooking the Dunbar Harbour, harbour of the town of Dunbar, in East Lothian. Several fortifications were built successively on the site, near th ...
and was Master of the Scottish artillery.


Lands

Briggis was an estate at
Kirkliston Kirkliston is a village and parish to the west of Edinburgh, Scotland, historically within the county of West Lothian but now within the City of Edinburgh council area limits. It lies on high ground immediately north of a northward loop of the ...
near the Almond Water a
West Lothian West Lothian (; ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, bordering (in a clockwise direction) the City of Edinburgh council area, Scottish Borders, South Lanarkshire, North Lanarkshire and Falkirk (council area), Falkirk. The modern counci ...
river and the Gogar Burn. The ancient monument called the Cat Stane is on this ground. Hamilton held the lands of Easter Briggis from
Lord Torphichen Lord Torphichen or Baron Torphichen (pronounced ) is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created by Queen Mary in 1564 for Sir James Sandilands (to whom she was related). Some Scottish titles (another title that can choose the heir is ...
, not directly from the crown, and so was sometimes called "Robert Hamilton ''in'' Briggis". In 1561 Hamilton was exempted fom paying
teind In Scotland a teind () was a tithe derived from the produce of the land for the maintenance of the clergy. It is also an old lowland term for a tribute due to be paid by the fairies to the devil every seven years. Found in the story of Tam Lin as ...
s. Robert Hamilton also gained lands at Easter Collessie or Halhill 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 ...
. He was a brother of Andrew Hamilton of Cochno, governor of
Dumbarton Castle Dumbarton Castle (, ; ) has the longest recorded history of any stronghold in Scotland. It sits on a volcanic plug of basalt known as Dumbarton Rock which is high and overlooks the Scottish town of Dumbarton. History Dumbarton Rock was forme ...
.


Career

In February 1542
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 ...
sent Robert Hamilton and Matthew Hamilton of Milnburn to France. They were allowed to return by
Regent Arran In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...
in January 1543. On 22 August 1543 he was made Keeper and Captain of Linlithgow Palace, with its gardens, tennis court, and eel-trap. This was after the infant
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 ...
was taken from Linlithgow to
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 ...
. The previous keeper was William Danielstoun. In March 1554 Hamilton was given a specific charter to work the coal pit at Linlithgow. He was also captain of
Dalkeith Castle Dalkeith Palace is a country house in Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland. It was the seat of the Dukes of Buccleuch from 1642 until 1914, and is owned by the Buccleuch Living Heritage Trust. The present palace was built 1701–1711 on the site of th ...
in February 1544. He fought with the
Earl of Lennox The Earl or Mormaer of Lennox was the ruler of the region of the Lennox in western Scotland. It was first created in the 12th century for David of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon and later held by the Stewart dynasty. Ancient earls The first e ...
and the
Earl of Glencairn Earl of Glencairn was a title in the Peerage of Scotland. King James III of Scotland, James III created the title in 1488 by royal charter for Alexander Cunningham, 1st Earl of Glencairn, Alexander Cunningham, 1st Lord Kilmaurs. He held the e ...
against
Regent Arran In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...
at the battle of Glasgow Moor in March or May 1544. He was quickly reconciled with Regent Arran. In August 1545 he was a commissioner with Lord Seton or Lord Borthwick for a cavalry force of 1000 men to defend the English border.
John Scrimgeour of Myres John Scrimgeour of Myres Castle near Falkland, Fife was Master of Work for royal buildings for James V and Mary, Queen of Scots, and Precentor of the Scottish Chapel Royal. Career He and his father held their lands by right of an hereditary offi ...
was the paymaster. In March 1546 he went to Dupplin wood with the carpenter James Crawford to cut timber to mount the guns at Dunbar. In September 1546 he brought artillery to besiege Lennox at
Dumbarton Castle Dumbarton Castle (, ; ) has the longest recorded history of any stronghold in Scotland. It sits on a volcanic plug of basalt known as Dumbarton Rock which is high and overlooks the Scottish town of Dumbarton. History Dumbarton Rock was forme ...
. He was involved in the
siege of St Andrews Castle The siege of St Andrews Castle (1546–1547) followed the killing of Cardinal David Beaton by a group of Protestants at St Andrews Castle. They remained in the castle and were besieged by the Governor of Scotland, Regent Arran. However, over 1 ...
in December 1546 where he spent at least £3756 Scots on the artillery and workmen. He was Captain of Dunbar Castle and directed repairs there in 1547, during the war known as 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 the English Reformation, the break with the Catholic Church, England attacked Scotland ...
. In September 1547 he resigned his role at Dunbar to John Bonkill, Chamberlain of St Andrews, and Alexander Forus, and a new Captain, William Hamilton of Humbie. Dunbar was transferred to the French commander Monsieur La Chapelle in June 1548. Hamilton seems to have been in charge of the Scottish artillery 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, ...
. One of his sons, also named Robert Hamilton, hauled the cannon called "thrawyn-mouth" from Dunbar Castle to the
siege of Haddington The sieges of Haddington were a series of sieges staged at the Royal Burgh of Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland, as part of the War of the Rough Wooing, one of the last Anglo-Scottish Wars. Following Regent Arran's defeat at the battle of Pi ...
in July 1548. In February 1550 he was at the siege of
Broughty Castle Broughty Castle is a historic castle on the banks of the River Tay in Broughty Ferry, Dundee, Scotland. It was completed around 1495, although the site was earlier fortified in 1454, when George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus, received permission ...
which was held by the English soldier John Luttrell. Hamilton gave 10 gold crowns to John Dodds and Anthony Kennedy, the leaders of the pioneers digging siegeworks for French guns. In 1551 Regent Arran rewarded him and William Hamilton of Humbie, his successor at Dunbar, with the sums of money owed by the tailor Thomas Arthur to
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 ...
. In December 1552,
Regent Arran In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...
sent him worsted cloth and velvet for a gown for Elizabeth Ramsay, the daughter of William Ramsay of
Leuchars Leuchars (pronounced or ; "rushes") is a town and parish near the north-east coast of Fife in Scotland. The civil parish has a population of 5,754 (in 2011) Census of Scotland 2011, Table KS101SC – Usually Resident Population, publ. by Nati ...
and Colluthie. Her father had been killed 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, ...
, and she was probably staying at Linlithgow Palace at this time. She subsequently married David Carnegie. He was also sent money to give to two banished Englishmen. On 10 February 1556 he was made master of her majesty's artillery and munitions, by
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 ...
, then Regent of Scotland. His letter of appointment mentions his faithful service in the wars with "the auld enemies of England" and his experience of fortifications and munitions. He was given powers to survey fortifications and order repairs. The position paid £100 Scots. During the six years of her Regency (1554–1560), Mary of Guise employed an Italian military designer, Lorenzo Pomarelli from
Siena Siena ( , ; traditionally spelled Sienna in English; ) is a city in Tuscany, in central Italy, and the capital of the province of Siena. It is the twelfth most populated city in the region by number of inhabitants, with a population of 52,991 ...
who is particularly associated with works on the Island of
Inchkeith Inchmichael (Formerly Inchkeith) (from the ) is an island in the Firth of Forth, Scotland, administratively part of the Fife council area. In 2025, Newly appointed Independent Member of the Scottish Parliament in the Mid-Scotland and Fife ...
. Hamilton of Briggis was chamberlain of the lands of Dunbar. His account for 1561 mentions rabbits, local produce that featured on the royal table. In July 1561 Mary, Queen of Scots made Robert Anstruther captain of Dunbar. He took charge of the cannons and ammunition according to an inventory made by Robert Hamilton of Briggs. Queen Mary appointed Andrew Ferriar keeper of Linlithgow Palace on 28 January 1567. He was instructed to keep some fields of broom in the park to feed the queen's mares, and plant trees in the Peel, the environs of the palace. He was also given powers to apprehend anyone hunting with dogs or
culverin A culverin was initially an ancestor of the hand-held arquebus, but the term was later used to describe a type of medieval and Renaissance cannon. The word is derived from the antiquated "culuering" and the French (from " grass snake", follo ...
hand-guns in the park.James Beveridge &
Gordon Donaldson Gordon Donaldson (13 April 1913 – 16 March 1993) was a Scottish historian. Life He was born in a tenement at 140 McDonald RoadEdinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory, 1912 off Leith Walk in northern Edinburgh on 13 April 1913 the so ...
, ''Register of the Privy Seal'', 5:2 (Edinburgh, 1957), p. 254 no. 3182.
Robert Hamilton of Briggis died in 1568. He had at least four children.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, Robert
Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...
Keepers of Linlithgow Palace Scottish people of the Rough Wooing Scottish soldiers 1568 deaths