Biography of William Ruthven 1st Earl Gowrie 1541-1584

On 9th March 1566 at eight o'clock in the evening David Rizzio (age 33) was murdered in the presence of the six months pregnant Mary Queen of Scots (age 23) and her half-sister Jean Stewart Countess Argyll (age 33) at Holyrood Palace [Map] by rebels led by [his father] Patrick Ruthven 3rd Lord Ruthven. Rizzio was dragged through the bed chamber into the adjacent Audience Chamber and stabbed an alleged 57 times. Mary's husband Henry "Lord Darnley" Stewart (age 20) was suspected of being one of the murderers.

On 15th March 1566 Mary Queen of Scots writes to Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland (age 32):

As first hes takin our houss slane our maist [most] speciall servand in our awin [own] presence & thaireftir haldin our propper personis captive tressonneblie, quhairby [whereby] we war constrainit to escaipe straitlie about midnyght out of our palice of halliruidhouss [Map] to the place quhair [where] we ar for the present, in the grittest danger feir of our lywis & ewill [ill] estate that evir princes on earth stuid [stood] in.

We thotht to have writtin to you this letter with oure awin [own] hand, that therby ye myght have better onestand all our meaning & takin mair [more] familliarlie therewit. Bot of trewt [truth] we ar so tyrit [tired] & ewill [ill] at eass [ease], quhat [what] throw rydding of twenty millis [miles] in v [5] horis [hours] of the nyght as wit the frequent seikness & weill dispositioun be th'occasioun of our child/that we could not at this tyme as we was willing to have done…

Your richt [right] gud sister and cusignes [cousin] Marie R.

Jean Stewart Countess Argyll: Around 1533 she was born illegitimately to King James V of Scotland and Elizabeth Bethune. She a great granddaughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland. In 1553 Archibald Campbell 5th Earl Argyll and she were married. She by marriage Countess Argyll. She the illegitmate daughter of King James V of Scotland and Elizabeth Bethune. He the son of Archibald Campbell 4th Earl Argyll and Helen Hamilton Countess Argyll. They were third cousins. She a great granddaughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland. On 7th January 1588 Jean Stewart Countess Argyll died.

Patrick Ruthven 3rd Lord Ruthven: he was born to William Ruthven 2nd Lord Ruthven and Janet Halyburton Lady Dirletoun. Before 1551 Patrick Ruthven 3rd Lord Ruthven and Janet Douglas were married. She the illegitmate daughter of Archibald Douglas 6th Earl Angus. After 1551 Patrick Ruthven 3rd Lord Ruthven and Janet Stewart were married. His second marriage, her fourth. She the daughter of John Stewart 2nd Earl Atholl and Janet Campbell Countess Atholl. On 13th May 1566 Patrick Ruthven 3rd Lord Ruthven died.

22nd August 1582. The Raid of Ruthven was a plot by several nobles led by William Ruthven 1st Earl Gowrie (age 39) to kidnap the fifteen years old King James VI of Scotland (age 16), son of Mary Queen of Scots (age 39), (before he became King of England) to reform the government of Scotland.

The nobles included John Erskine 19th Earl of Mar (age 20), Thomas Lyon Master of Glamis, Robert Boyd 5th Lord Boyd (age 65), Patrick Lindsay 6th Lord Lindsay of the Byres (age 61), and David Erskine Commendator of Dryburgh.

They were opposed by Esme Stewart 1st Duke Lennox (age 40) and James Stewart 1st Earl Arran who controlled the government.

King James VI of Scotland was captured whilst hunting near Ruthven Castle.

The rebels were joined by Francis Stewart 5th Earl Bothwell (age 19) and James Cunningham 7th Earl Glencairn (age 30).

Esme Stewart 1st Duke Lennox was exiled; he died a year later in Paris. James Stewart 1st Earl Arran was imprisoned.

In July 1583 the King (age 17) gained his freedom after nearly a year of being imprisoned. Most of the rebels appear to have been pardoned except William Ruthven 1st Earl Gowrie (age 40) who continued to plot against the King.

Robert Douglas Master of Morton and his brother-in-law Laurence Oliphant Master of Oliphant were exiled.

On 3rd May 1584 William Ruthven 1st Earl Gowrie (age 41) was beheaded at Stirling Castle [Map] for continuing to rebel against the King. His son James (age 8) succeeded 2nd Earl Gowrie

On 5th August 1600. The Gowrie Conspiracy was an attempt by [his son] John Ruthven 3rd Earl Gowrie (age 23) and his brother [his son] Alexander Ruthven (age 20) to kill King James I (age 34). He, King James, had had their father William Ruthven 1st Earl Gowrie executed for his part in the Raid of Ruthven eighteen years earlier.

The attempt was botched. John Ruthven 3rd Earl Gowrie and Alexander Ruthven were killed, the former by John Ramsay 1st Earl Holderness (age 20).

[his son] William Ruthven fled to France.

[his son] Patrick Ruthven was imprisoned for nineteen years at the Tower of London [Map].