John Gibb (courtier) facts for kids
John Gibb of Knock and Carribber (around 1550-1628) was an important Scottish landowner and a trusted helper at the royal court. He was the son of Robert Gibb and Elizabeth Schaw. His family owned lands at Carribber, near Linlithgow, and Knock in Fife, close to the modern Knockhill Racing Circuit. The family name was often spelled "Gib".
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Life at the Royal Court
John Gibb worked for James VI of Scotland as a "valet of the chamber" starting in 1576. This meant he was a personal attendant to the king. In February 1580, he was paid for providing tennis balls for the king's tennis court, which was called the "catchepule". A timber tennis court had been built for James VI at Stirling Castle in 1576.
In October 1582, John Gibb met a messenger from the Duke of Lennox in Leith. The Duke was out of favor with the king at the time. King James VI spoke privately with Gibb about this meeting. This shows that Gibb had a very close and trusted role, similar to a "Groom of the Stool" in the English court.
In November 1584, Gibb was put in charge of the Dunfermline Palace and its gardens. This palace later became a special home for Anne of Denmark, the queen. He received a yearly payment of £100 from the Dunfermline estate.
Gibb traveled with King James VI to Norway and Denmark. He helped manage payments and gifts from the queen's dowry. He also helped settle the king's losses from card games.
In 1592, John Gibb and his son James were given the rents from Masterton. This was a reward for Gibb's "long good true and faithful service" to the king, both when James was young and when he became an adult. In 1593, the king also gave him a property in Edinburgh.
Managing Royal Treasures
John Gibb was responsible for some of the king's valuable items, like jewels. On April 25, 1584, he gave a royal jewel to Alexander Clark of Balbirnie, the leader of Edinburgh. This jewel, a locket with a diamond and an emerald, was used as a pledge for a loan of 6,000 merks. In October 1589, the jewel was returned to the king as a wedding gift for Anne of Denmark. It was updated by a goldsmith and presented to the queen during her special entry into Edinburgh in May 1590.
In October 1584, Gibb also moved several jewels to the care of the Master of the Wardrobe, Patrick Gray, 6th Lord Gray. These jewels included a locket from the Laird of Rosyth Castle, a small hat badge with diamonds and rubies from Elizabeth I of England, and a diamond cross that had belonged to Mary, Queen of Scots.
The king's personal attendants, like Gibb, were also in charge of the king's linen. In October 1590, Gibb was paid for supplying items like ruffs, napkins, shirts, caps, and sheets to the king since 1588. These items were often decorated with gold and silver thread. His sister, Elizabeth Gibb, made some of the shirts and ruffs. In 1591, linen was given to Gibb for the cuffs and necks of the king's shirts. He also provided clothes for Danish servants of Anne of Denmark who were returning home.
The royal accounts from May 1599 show that Gibb and George Murray were in charge of many textiles. These included linen for shirts, cuffs, bedsheets, tablecloths, and night-caps. They also had a taffeta bag of powder to scent the linen chest. Gibb's sister, Elizabeth, had a similar role in Queen Anne's household.
In August 1591, Gibb received £240 to buy clothes for the Danish servants. The king also bought clothes for John Gibb himself. For example, in February 1591, Gibb received a black taffeta cloak and a black satin jacket with black velvet pants.
Messages and Events at Court
John Gibb continued to serve the king in England after James VI became King of England in 1603. In October 1603, Gibb and other royal attendants were given winter clothes. Gibb was the messenger who brought important news to Winchester Castle on November 9, 1603. He delivered reprieves, which are official delays of punishment, for several men who were about to be executed. He had to shout to make sure the message was heard in time to save one man's life.
As a member of the king's personal staff, Gibb could help people who wanted to present their requests to the king. In 1607, a man named Maurice Peeters complained that Gibb had taken his idea for making new fabrics and promoted it with other partners, which Peeters claimed caused losses for others.
Henry Gibb's Royal Service
John Gibb's younger son, Henry Gibb, also worked in the royal household. He first served Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, the king's son. John Gibb gave some of his lands, Kilcroft and Carriber, to Henry. In September 1613, Henry Gibb traveled to Veere and Sluis to stop a duel between two noblemen.
In 1615, Henry Gibb was involved in an incident related to the fall from favor of a Scottish nobleman, Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset. Henry Gibb passed a letter and message from a man named Lumsden to Queen Anne's servant, Elizabeth Schaw. The letter gave a false account of a trial. This caused problems for the queen and for Scottish courtiers. Henry Gibb lost his position at court for a while because of this.
John Gibb's Humiliation at Court
In April 1616, John Gibb was questioned about missing letters and documents. He was placed under guard. There is an old story from 1622 that says the king misplaced some papers about a Spanish treaty at Theobalds House. King James became very angry and insisted that John Gibb had them. Gibb swore he did not have the papers. The king became so frustrated that he kicked Gibb. Gibb then said he would not put up with such treatment and rode away to London.
Later, another courtier remembered that he had the missing documents. King James sent messengers to bring Gibb back to Theobalds. The king then knelt in front of Gibb to ask for forgiveness. This incident showed how much the king valued Gibb, even after his outburst.
In 1618, John Taylor, known as the Water Poet, visited Dunfermline. He stayed at John Gibb's house, which was likely part of the palace. Taylor described Gibb as "the oldest servant the king hath."
John Gibb died on February 6, 1628, and was buried in the churchyard of Dunfermline Abbey.
Family and Children
John Gibb married Isobella Lindsay. They had several children, including:
- James Gibb of Carriber: He married Egidia Abercromby. In 1610, he became a legal resident of England and was given lands in Ireland.
- Henry Gibb: He served Prince Henry and later King James VI and I. In 1616, he received land to be reclaimed from the sea on the Isle of Wight. He was knighted in 1624.
- John Gibb
- Bernard Gibb: He married Euphame Abercromby.
John Gibb's sister, Elizabeth Gibb, married the king's tutor, Peter Young, in 1577. She became a gentlewoman in Queen Anne of Denmark's household and made head coverings and veils for the queen.
A Thomas Gibb, possibly related, was also a servant of Anne of Denmark in 1601.
Images for kids
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Carribber Castle, drawn by Alexander Archer in 1837
