Open Research Online The Open University’s repository of research publications and other research outputs The regency and administration of James Douglas, fourth earl of Morton Thesis How to cite: Hewitt, George R. (1979). The regency and administration of James Douglas, fourth earl of Morton. PhD thesis The Open University. For guidance on citations see FAQs. c 1978 The Author https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Version: Version of Record Link(s) to article on publisher’s website: http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21954/ou.ro.0000deac Copyright and Moral Rights for the articles on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. For more information on Open Research Online’s data policy on reuse of materials please consult the policies page. oro.open.ac.uk D21o f-7c. Tho Per-ma end Administration of JameigDouirlan, fouxth earl of Morton A thenin preacnted for tho doerco of Th, D, in tho Arta Faculty of the Opaa Univeraity by Gcorce 11, Tlcwitt, B. A, p Octoborp 1978* T, tlcýt W'* . 4ýrzlatv, 3, ca D 1,; cut--c -f -ý)-I 11-Itt- 01 a.. ) 6, el- Ir-I- (I- r) ACOMMEDGEIMIT I should like to rccord rV C=titude to n7 cuporvisorg Dr. Ian Be Cov=q Smottiah History Departmentp ClasCOW UniWraityt for all his aaaictanco and encouraeoment. CONTENTS Parre Abstract Chapter I Morton's Earlier Career II The Conclusion of the Civil war 15 (Juno# III Governoncep Part I 1573 - March, 1578) 26 (?, IV Governanceg Part II Ta=hg 1578 - Decemberg1580) 54 V The Financial Affairs of the Ki* 83 VI The Polity of the Kizic 115 VII Foreign Policy 138 VIII The Administration of the Bordore 164 xx romestio Administration 192 x The Final Months 227 XI Morton Foappraiced 252 Sourcen and Bibliography 279 A 13 ST 71 ACT Mortong tho obvious successor to Mar in Ilovbmbert 1572l offectively commcneedhio roemcy in June, 1573, by vAiich date all opposition had been pacificd or overc=o, His overthrow in Mzmohp1578 vaup at least partlýy, the recult of hic o= maladroit tactico, Although he vae cubacquently reinetatedg he never recovered his former dominance - hencog oo it would appearp a otratagem ouch ao the proscription of the Hamiltons. He was dimaotrouo3y indcoicivo, in 1580, thus po=ittinc tho Lamox- Arran faction to attain an overwhelming supremacy acainet %rhich he and his supportera found it impossible to offer a coricue challenge. His rcorC,. nioation of the ktirklo finrmcco end accompanying reform provoked oome criticiomf albeit not on a conviderable acalo until 1578- Milo ho did not halt dilapidationg there in no evidence of excessivo plundering of ecolociantical wealthl and questiona of patrimony ceem to have been over3hadowod by thono of polity. Herog = ill-defined policy led to e=winu ho3tilit3r particularl37 tovrardo epiocopacy, Thie wao larecly a conooquCnCO of Mortonle equivocal treatment of the accond Book of Diacipline. Nonothelesug it neeme concoivable that both sidoa# awaro of tho connequcnees, axorclacd nomammouro of restraint. The kexnel of hia foreign policy wan tho Diclish alliance, He failed to accure a pe==mt leaeue with rricland primarily becauzic Elizabeth saw no necesdit3rg even in 1580# for such a commit- sment, Hic bordor adminictration me notably oompotent rhilo he remained regcnt but latter3, yt with hic orn decline, the frontier wan j; overnod leac catieftctorily. His other domestic achievements were limited and there is a controvercial taint of cor=ption ii surrounding ame aspects of its To mm up$ Morton's overall record ia an uneven one, Unquectionablyt hie performmces, greatly depcnd m-t on hie om powerful personalityp rac much riore impressive during the years of hin regency. C IT APT r. R VORTMIS PAPIMM CAPM James Douelasq bom around 1516# was tho cocond son of Georgo ]DouglaEt master of Arigust =d his wifep Mizaboth Bouclatit onlY 1 daughter of David mouclan of Pittendroich. Ile inherited the earldom of Morton as a result of hic marriaeot contracted in 1543 to E31zaboth Douglaut yo=gent daughter of James 3)ouglaug third earl of LTortont rhom ho ouocecdod on hic doath in 1552,2 Thic v= an imprescive inheritanco IncludinCt in addition to tho two principal reoidences at Da3k.cith and Aberdourg baronion and cotatca with the variouc eccleciasitical and other privilegen attached to them in Perthchireg Pifc# Lanarkahirot Dumfrieenhirep the Stevrixtxy of Kirkeudbricht and 3 several parts of uouth cast Scot, =d. Uorcovers on the death in 1557 of hie brother Davldq noventh earl of Anrwt he bcc=o tutor of. 4 hie two-year-old cong Archibald, end ultimato3, vg after a protracted contcat rdth maxCarett counteas of Lemoxp inomtostably in charCo of 5 his videsprcad territories durine his minority. These comprised the reCality of Bothwell end the imposina fortress of Tantallon castle as well an ouch "landisp lordschippis and baroneye" as Abernethy# Kirricmuirl Jedburch forcoty Bonkle# Prectong Douglang Crawford- 6 Dou,Glas and Solkirk. Undoubtodly, it was his marriaCe to Elizabcth DouClas, despite its unfortunate aspect - Mortonle wife Deems to have been insane from about 15597 - end the Cuardianship of hie nephew which laid tho foundatiorm for that, opulcneo rhich enablod him to mako claborato altcmtims at Dalkeitht conot=ct a new rosidmoo at 8 Drochil in Teviotdale and, an occacions, rcndor fin=cial vxsiotanco "2 a- 9 to the crova itcelf. Of hin early life end carcor little is knorno but it iBccm3doubt- ful thether ho wcnt into exile in Ihglcnd with hie fatherg a notably pr,o-Englich diplomat during the rcien of James V and queen Mary's minorityp &nd his uncle Archibald, sixth earl of Anomq rhcn their estates were forfeited in 1523.10 Ncvcrthelean, he apparmtly shared hie fathcr's anglophil c;ympathicup gncl m early cx=ple of Morton =cl hia brother David diBplcqing such tcndcncica %rasin 1544 thcn$ in charge of Tantallon castlev they declared the=elvea prepared to 11 yield without a ctruMlo to the invading Malish anly. On the othor hanat Morton's defcnce of Dalkeith cml=t lord Gm go forces in Juncl 1548t thcn he was wounded =a taken PrIconer is incontrovertibly a commentary on tho ineptitude of Henry VIII and Jrotcotor Somerset in their PoUcY to=: rds Scotland which could tntaconiae even thone 12 nor=lly well-affected to7ardo Fnglando Following hio capturo in 1548t Mortonj doopito attompto to procure hic apeedy roleaae#13 probab3,v apent a couplo of years as en 14 English prismor before beine frced in 1550- In 1552p there is the 15 first menticn of him as a privy councillor, endt in the lattor part of the 1550109 with the onnot, of the reformaticn movementshe upcedily becamo involvcd in the ovmto currcnmdiric it. Ilovievert althouCh he ram a signatory in Bacembor, 1557 of the fi=t bmd of the lords of the congrertim-1,6 ho ram initially- a lukeva= adhermt and him part an inconspicuous one, Indecdp by all accounts# Morton pu=ed a policy of vacillation, caunine John Knox to obeerve later that he 17 "promincd to be ourc but never did plainly joinr, Thus t cn 1 tUC1,U13t 15599 he was reported as being "cnapected by the regent and has left the court". veto throo months later on 17 Novembort Sadler the rnglich ambassador waaarecording that he "istolo, secretly into the castle the day before we loft". and thic despite hin profeasiona of loyaltar to -3 -- is the anti-, Covcnmcnt party. In faotg he behaved in this equivocal mannert at me inmcnt, cceming to cupport the opponmts of the regcnt tb-qr of Culsop at another apparcnt3.y on her cido'9 until 10 MV9 1560 theng by appmdinC hia si(paturo to the =tification of thatreaty of Borwickg he final3l appeam to have committcd himaolf to the c=: 3o or 20 refo=tio, n. The moot convincina explonation for Ilortonva conduct in thig, period is that he required tho assistance of Uaxy of Guice inhia dieputot alrcady to# with Ilarlpret Lcnnox. ITo alludod counteac of , 21 had contracted a bond of manrent with the rogent in 1557 nnd premm.. ablY had no denirc to antaeonice her permanently by raehly joining her advorearlev, Indoodg hie predicament end hie poucib3,y mie- F,uided faith in the rcecntla cupport waa perccivcd by at leact one of the leading mcmbors of the refo= Paxtyq WtIand of Lethington. rho, in a lotter to the Englich oc-cretaxyg William Cecil, on 26 Decombert 15599 inferred that Morton could be won over if he vas made amxe of 22 Mary of Guicola rcal inUntione "rnent tho c=ldom of Anrun", llowevcr# Ifortonta irrosolution in 1559-60 had no vicibly ha=d'ul impact on his career since it was nowt followine the defeat of the Ia recent eovexnmentp that he cmarced an one of the leadine noblemcn in the kirqd=. Thus, in AuEwtt 156og having participated in the parliamcnt held that month$ ho, was appointed a mmbor of the cotmcil foxmcd to administer tho state durina queen Marl's ab3cnce cnd# in additiont was delegated to bo ono of the comminsioncro entrusted with necotiatine the possibility of a marriago between the Duke of 23 Chatelheraultla oldest cong J=ca earl of Ar=n =d queen Elizabeth. Meanthileg =ticipatin&p maryle rotu= and diapirving that instinat for looldmc after hie ova intorostat particularly noticeable in the previoua. tro yearal Morton contacted the Scottich quocn prior to her departure from P=ce* Accordinglyq apart from some diplomatic w4- refercncas to the "v7aird nmcntrien =d reliefe diaponit; to me be umquhile the Quecnlo craco rcCmt"t wraur, ": ncco rcre givcn ef hic loyalt, y andt convcniently i6poring hic devious conduct beforo hor motherle do=fa: Llt Mary rao raninded how "from the time the said queen mother received the reemcy I wan ever with her in cervico" '24 / Consequmt3,vp after her vxrival in Scotl=d in AuCuutt 15619 Morton van coon fiCuring promincnt3, v in hor f%rrcjnmcntq arlaictine I'loray rontoro law and order in the bordera in lTov=ber# 1561 and cerving a 3rcar Later in tho campU-i;n aCainat tho rebollicus earl of ONC Runtly.