James Ogilvy, 5th Lord Ogilvy of Airlie facts for kids
James Ogilvy, 5th Lord Ogilvy of Airlie (who died in 1606), was an important Scottish landowner and a diplomat. This means he owned a lot of land and helped his country by working with other nations.
A Life of Service
James Ogilvy was the son of James, Master of Ogilvy. His mother was Katherine Campbell, Countess of Crawford. She was the daughter of Sir John Campbell of Cawdor. Sadly, James's father died in 1547 at the Battle of Pinkie. After his father's death, his mother became the teacher and guardian for her children.
His family home was Airlie Castle. In 1564, James made plans to rebuild or make his castle bigger.
In June 1562, Lord Ogilvy was hurt in a fight with John Gordon of Findlater. This happened in Edinburgh. John Gordon was put in prison until Lord Ogilvy got better.
In April 1587, Ogilvy wrote a letter to Patrick Vans of Barnbarroch. He suggested that his helper, Robert Bruce, should join a trip to Denmark. This was because both Ogilvy and Bruce had recently visited Denmark.
In May 1596, King James VI was asked to visit Denmark. The ambassador Steen Bille invited him to attend the crowning of his brother-in-law, King Christian IV. However, King James's wife, Anne of Denmark, was expecting a baby. So, King James chose Lord Ogilvy and Peter Young to go as his representatives.
King Christian IV officially accepted them as ambassadors in a letter dated August 6, 1596. King James VI rode from Falkland to Dundee to see them off on their journey. The ambassadors were to give King James's good wishes. They also had to say sorry that King James and Queen Anne could not be there. They also asked for ships and soldiers. These were needed for a special mission planned for 1597 against the people living on the Western islands of Scotland.
Family and Children
Lord Ogilvy married Jean Forbes. She was the daughter of William, Lord Forbes and Elizabeth Keith. James and Jean had several children:
- Margaret Ogilvy, who married two times. First, she married George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal. Later, she married Sir Alexander Strachan of Thornton.
- James Ogilvy, who became the 6th Lord Ogilvy of Airlie. He was the father of James Ogilvy, 1st Earl of Airlie. In October 1580, he joined King James VI's royal court. He became a gentleman who served the king closely.
- David Ogilvy. In July 1602, he was involved in a serious incident. He was on his way from Holyrood Abbey when he was injured by followers of the Lindsay family. His servant, William Innes, was also hurt.
- Francis Ogilvy of Newgrange.
- John Ogilvy of Craig. His home, Craig Castle, was near the Kirkton of Glenisla. Or it might have been another house called Craig, closer to Montrose. This home was damaged or torn down by order of King James VI. This happened in October 1594 and March 1595.
- Patrick Ogilvy of Muirtown.
