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James Somerville
, 6th
Lord Somerville
, (c.1518-1569) was a Lord of the
Parliament of Scotland
James was the son of
Hugh Somerville, 5th Lord Somerville
and Jonet Maitland.
James and Mary of Guise
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James Somerville wrote to Queen Regent of Scotland,
Mary of Guise
, from
Cowthally Castle
on 22 March 1554. He asked to be excused from a tax owed by his father from 1549.
[1]
On 27 April 1560 he signed the bond of the Scottish nobility to promote the
Scottish Reformation
, expel French troops supporting Mary of Guise, and to join with the English army sent for that purpose. On 10 May 1560, he signed the ratification of the
Treaty of Berwick
, by which the
Lords of the Congregation
invited the English army that was
besieging Leith
.
[2]
Supporter of the captive Queen
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With other Lords, Somerville signed three letters in support of the release of
Mary, Queen of Scots
from England. On 28 July 1568, they wrote from
Largs
to
Elizabeth I of England
. The Lords asked Elizabeth not to let them have to take their cause to the other Princes of Europe. Another letter on 30 July 1568 appealed to the
Duke of Alba
to get Spanish support for the release of Mary. With no reply from Elizabeth, on 24 August Somerville signed another letter at
Dumbarton Castle
. As Elizabeth had persuaded Mary to instruct them not to prevent
Regent Moray
's parliament by force, and they had thereby lost their advantage, the Lords now asked for Mary's re-instatement or release to France or Scotland.
[3]
Marriages and family
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James was first married in 1529 to Jean Hamilton, an illegitimate daughter of
James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran
. The Earl of Arran gave her a dowry of £886-13s-4d in his will.
[4]
His second wife was Agnes Hamilton, daughter of Sir
James Hamilton of Finnart
, they married at
Craignethan Castle
in 1536. Their children included:
References
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]
- ^
Cameron, Annie
,
Scottish Correspondence of Mary of Lorraine
(SHS: Edinburgh, 1927), p. 370.
- ^
Calendar of State Papers Scotland
, vol. 1 (London, 1898), nos. 751, 786.
- ^
Calendar State Papers Scotland
, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), nos. 747, 774, 781.
- ^
HMC 11th report & Appendix, part VI, Manuscripts of the Duke of Hamilton
(London, 1887), p. 53 no. 108.