The Four Marys

The Four Marys

 

 

A most enjoyable visit to Linlithgow on Thursday catching up with some other members of the Society, including two our London members in Scotland for the New Year celebrations.

 After walking round and admiring (yet again) the splendour of the Palace where Mary was born, a meal in the 'Four Marys' restaurant in the High Street which much enjoyed.

 
Needless to say some discussion as to the identity of the four Marys and what became of them. Agreed these were;

 1. Mary Seton who never married  and the only one of the four to accompany Mary into captivity. Because of declining health she was released from service in 1583 and retired to France  living in the convent of St. Pierre at Rhiems. Nevertheless she survived until at least 1615

 2. Mary Beaton daughter of Robert Beaton of Creich and nephew of Cardinal Beaton. Regarded as the most classically beautiful of the four. Married Lord Ogilvie of Boyne and died sometime before 1599.

 

3. Mary Livingston - known as 'Lusty' - married John Semple of Belries son of Lord Semple. May be buried in Linlithgow Churchyard.

 

4 Mary Fleming  - married William Maitland of Lethington. On his death following the fall of Edinburgh Castle in 1573 she married George Melrum of Fyvie.

 Needless to say we then tried to make sense of the traditional Scots ballad the  "Four Marys".

 

"Yestreen the Queen had Four Maries

The nicht she'll have but three

There was Marie Seton and Marie Beaton

and Marie Carmichael and me"

 

  While there was a Mary Carmichael, daughter of John Carmichael of that ilk who was for a while warden of the west marches there is no record of her ever serving  at Court.

 Who then is the "Me?

 It is believed that this may refer to a Mary Hamilton who has absolutely no connection with Mary or her period. but a Mary Hamilton who was executed by Czar Peter the Great in Russia in 1719. This Mary Hamilton was lady in waiting to the Czar's second wife the Empress Catherine (with whom it is recorded she insulted over  her looks) was a favourite of the Czar and was married to a Minister of State. She had an affair with an officer of the guard and a babe was found wrapped in a Court napkin. Under torture Mary admitted not only to the murder of this child but also previously of another two and was condemned to death. After the execution the Czar picked up the severed head and kissed the still quivering lips.

A ballad was written in Russia about the death and it is believed this found its way to Scotland and adapted to suit a Scottish audience

 

 

Happy Birthday Mary

Today is Mary’s birthday.

Happy Birthday, Mary - 469 year old today.

That said it is possible she may have been born not on the 8^th. but on the 7^th. of December (her close advisor and associate Leslie thought so) and it has been argued that perhaps the date of birth was the 7^th. but the announcement held over until the 8^th. to coincide with the Feast day of the Virgin Mary after whom she was named,

Mary though always however maintained her birthday to be the  8^th.

She was of course born in a second floor chamber at Linlithgow Palace which still exists although now roofless. Her mother was Mary of Guise, the birth was probably premature and initially reports were of a weak and sickly child. .

Her father James V had suffered a humiliating defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss on the 24^th. November. After the defeat James spent a few days with his heavily pregnant wife at Linlithgow but then, for whatever reason  moved on to his palace at Falkland.

There only five days later, no doubt disappointed at the news his wife had given birth to a daughter rather than he a son, he “turned his face to the wall and died” uttering  the words “Adieu farewell it cam wi a lass and it will gang wi’ a lass”. The reference is to the Stuart dynasty which had began with the marriage of Walter Stuart to Marjorie Bruce and which was in course to end with the death of Queen Anne in 1714. James must have seen the dynasty as doomed particularly following the death of two earlier sons James and Robert in infancy.

The birth is commemorated by the Society every year with a short  ceremony at  Mary’s tomb at Westminster Abbey (above) when flowers are laid. The ceremony was again held last Saturday.

Marian Concert Linlithgow

Society member Gabrielle Khun has brought to our attention a concert in Linlithgow in which she will be taking part.

This will  be given by "Quern" and will be based on Mary's life interwoven with music of her time and will take place on Friday 28th. October next in Queen Margaret Hall Blackness Road Linlithgow.

For further information on Quern and fuller details on the concert see

Gabrielle is front row right.

Ronald Morrison