William Dundas of Fingask facts for kids

William Dundas of Fingask (died 1599) was a Scottish courtier. He lived during the time of King James VI of Scotland. William was known for writing important letters, called newsletters. These letters shared news about the Scottish court and other events.

Family and Early Life

William Dundas was the son of Archibald Dundas of Fingask and Elizabeth Colville. His family lived at Fingask Castle. His mother was the daughter of Robert Colville of Cleish.

William had a sister named Margaret Dundas. She married George Douglas of Mordington. William also had a niece, Nicholas Dundas. She married Alexander Colville.

In 1582, William Dundas married Margaret Carnegie. She was the daughter of David Carnegie of Colluthie.

Life at Court and Newsletters

William Dundas was a courtier, meaning he worked for the King and Queen. In 1590, he wrote a letter to Mr Archibald Douglas. This letter described life at the Scottish court. It was soon after Queen Anne of Denmark and King James VI of Scotland returned from Denmark.

William had been traveling in England before writing this letter. He visited places like Cambridge and York. He wrote from Edinburgh on June 11, 1590. He felt the Scottish court was quiet. He thought there were fewer people working there because of changes made by reformers. The Lord Chancellor of Scotland, John Maitland, managed most things.

William also wrote about Queen Anne. He noted that she did not have many ladies-in-waiting around her. He said she seemed very serious and preferred to be alone. This was different from how Scottish people usually behaved. John Maitland later encouraged Queen Anne to have more ladies and gentlemen in her household.

Travels and Important Connections

In May 1592, William Dundas wrote a letter to help a young student from Switzerland. The student, Johann Peter Hainzel von Degerstein, wanted to visit Andrew Melville at the University of St Andrews.

In May 1594, William traveled to London. He went with the Scottish ambassador, Edward Bruce. While he was traveling, his relative John Colville watched him. John Colville even found out what was in William's letters. He then shared this information with the poet Henry Lok and Sir Robert Cecil. William Dundas returned to Scotland with Edward Bruce on May 30.

Painted Emblems and Art

On July 20, 1594, William Dundas wrote another interesting letter to Sir Robert Cecil. This letter seemed to be about emblems painted on Scottish ceilings. These emblems were like symbols that carried special meanings.

William mentioned that Henry Lok had told him Sir Robert Cecil wanted some of these "toys" for his new art gallery in London. Cecil had seen similar painted designs in Edinburgh. William sent some of these designs, likely drawings of the emblems, to Cecil. He signed this letter "William Dondas."

Later Life and Death

In November 1594, James Douglas of Spott sent a letter to William Dundas from London. In this letter, James praised William's skill in Latin. He also shared news about the injury of the Earl of Erroll at the Battle of Glenlivet.

William Dundas died in September 1599. After his death, his brother Archibald Dundas became the new laird of Fingask.

Images for kids

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  Painted ceilings like this one from Rossend Castle were popular in Scottish homes in the 1590s. This ceiling is from the house of diplomat Robert Melville.