John Skene, Lord Curriehill facts for kids
Sir John Skene, Lord Curriehill (1549–1617) was an important Scottish lawyer, diplomat, and judge. He helped with the plans for the marriage of King James VI and Anne of Denmark.
He worked as a teacher at St Mary's College, St Andrews from 1564 to 1565. Later, he became a lawyer, known as an advocate, in 1575.
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Sir John Skene's Life Story
Sir John Skene was born in 1549 at Curriehill Castle, which is south of Edinburgh. He was the sixth son of James Skene and Janet Lumsden. His older brother was the doctor Gilbert Skene. Their family owned land in Aberdeenshire.
Skene traveled a lot. In his own writings, he mentioned seeing a traveling salesman in Kraków in 1569. Other writers said he traveled in Northern Europe and could speak many languages. Someone named James Melville of Halhill said Skene could give long speeches in Latin and was "good, true, and stout" (meaning strong and brave).
He studied at the University of Wittenberg starting in March 1570.
In 1578, as a lawyer, he worked on a legal case about Hew Campbell of Loudoun and his role as Provost (a kind of mayor) of Ayr.
Skene's career got a boost because his sisters married important people. One married Alexander Hay, Lord Fosterseat, who was the Lord Clerk Register (a top legal official). Another married Lord Blantyre, who worked in the government's money department.
From 1589 to 1594, Skene was a joint Lord Advocate. This meant he was a chief prosecutor for the king. He was very active in the legal cases against people accused of witchcraft. In 1594, he became the Lord Clerk Register and a judge in the Court of Session. He was given the special judge title of Lord Curriehill. He served in these roles until 1611.
Diplomacy and the Royal Marriage
As a diplomat, Skene traveled to Denmark. His goal was to reach an agreement about Scotland's rights to Orkney. He presented a document about this to Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow (the mother of the Danish king) and four regents (people who ruled for the young king) in August 1589. He also had instructions to discuss the details of the royal marriage between King James VI and Anne of Denmark.
His travel companions included George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal and George Young. Skene returned to Scotland in July 1589 and reported to King James VI. An English observer noted that the Danes thought King James asked for too much money as a dowry (money or property a bride brings to a marriage). However, there were many preparations for the wedding, including a fancy coach made of silver. The report also said that Anne of Denmark really wanted the marriage to happen.
On October 22, 1589, Skene joined King James VI on his journey from Scotland to Norway and Denmark. The king was going to meet his future wife, Anne of Denmark. Skene was also present at a meeting of the Privy Council of Scotland (a group of royal advisors) in Oslo.
King James VI gave Anne of Denmark a "morning gift" of lands and palaces. Before her coronation in Scotland, Danish ambassadors visited these places to officially take possession. On May 12, 1589, they were welcomed at Falkland Palace. Skene showed a printed document listing the queen's lands in Fife. As a traditional way to show ownership, the Danish Admiral was given a handful of earth. After this, they visited Dunfermline Palace and Linlithgow Palace to repeat the ceremony.
Travels to Germany
In June 1590, King James VI sent Skene and Colonel William Stewart as ambassadors to Denmark and Germany. Their mission was to help create a peaceful alliance in Europe. They met Anne of Denmark's mother in Braunschweig. Then they went on to meet other important leaders in Germany, including William IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and Christian I, Elector of Saxony. Skene became ill when he returned to Edinburgh.
Around this time, King James VI gave Skene's wife, Helen Somerville, some money from a payment received from England. In November 1590, the Edinburgh town council made Skene's cook, John Lillo, a "burgess" (a citizen with certain rights) for free, at Skene's request.
Skene also served as an ambassador to Holland starting in 1591.
In April 1597, he wrote a letter to the Secretary, joking about the cost of 30 deer sent from England for the park at Falkland Palace. He also mentioned that he had gout, a painful joint condition.
Important Law Books
Sir John Skene put together a collection of old Scottish laws called Regiam Majestatem. This book is a very important source for understanding Scotland's laws before the time of King James I. He received a special payment from Regent Morton for preparing this collection.
He also created a dictionary of Scots law called De Verborum Significatione. This book explained the meanings of legal words. In 1592, he was part of a group asked to review and decide which laws should be printed. He was eventually given the job of preparing the final book. It was published in 1597 and was titled 'The Lawes and Actes of Parliament maid be King James the First and his successors kings of Scotland.' The Privy Council later made it a rule that all people who could afford it had to buy a copy.
Later Years
As a member of the Privy Council, Skene went to Stirling Castle in May 1603. They were there to discuss a disagreement involving Anne of Denmark. She wanted to take care of her son, Prince Henry.
In 1604, Skene bought the lands of Curriehill Castle. Curriehill is a village south of Edinburgh. He then took "Lord Curriehill" as his official title as a judge.
He is buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard in Edinburgh. His memorial is on the north side of the church.
Skene's Travel Journal (1590)
John Skene wrote a detailed account of his trip as an ambassador to Denmark in 1590. This account is like a journal of his journey. Skene left Edinburgh with William Stewart on June 9, 1590. They rode to Berwick upon Tweed and then to London. Their secretary, John Geddie, spoke to William Cecil to arrange a meeting with Elizabeth I of England at Greenwich Palace.
On June 17, they met with important people at court, including the Chancellor, the Treasurer (Cecil), and the Admiral. They also spoke with the French ambassador. They then boarded a ship called the George Noble and sailed to Heligoland and Stade. After that, they crossed the Elbe river into Holstein.
When he returned to London, Skene stayed at an inn on Gracechurch Street. He met with William Cecil, who was resting in bed because he was old and tired. Skene told him all about his talks in Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands. The next day, he went with Cecil to Somerset House and waited to see the Queen. She came out at 11 o'clock on her way to Richmond Palace. Skene then met with the French ambassadors.
Sir John Skene's Family
Sir John Skene was married to Helen Somerville of Cambusnethan. They had several children, including:
- Catherine Skene, who married Alexander Hay, Lord Fosterseat.
- Jane Skene, who married Sir William Scott of Ardross. Their daughter, Euphemia Scott, later married William Cochrane and became the Countess of Dundonald.
- Euphemia Skene, who married Sir Robert Richardson of Pencaitland.
- Margaret Skene, who married Robert Learmonth.
- James Skene, Lord Curriehill (died 1633), who married Janet Johnston.
- John Skene of Halyards.
- Alexander Skene, who married Joneta Syms. Their son, John Skene, was in charge of keeping important legal records.
- William Skene.
Images for kids
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The grave of John Skene, Lord Curriehill, Greyfriars Kirkyard, Edinburgh
