William Stewart of Caverston facts for kids
William Stewart of Caverston and Traquair (died 1605) was an important Scottish landowner and the Captain of Dumbarton Castle. He lived during the time of King James VI of Scotland.
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Early Life and Lands
William Stewart was the brother of Sir John Stewart of Traquair. His family owned lands at a place called Caverston, also known as Caberston. This area was in the Innerleithen parish and had a strong, fortified house. Today, you can't see any remains of Caberston Tower.
In January 1568, William Stewart received a special document, called a charter, for the Caverston lands. This was given to him by Regent Moray, who was ruling Scotland for the young King James VI. The charter mentioned that these lands in Peebleshire used to belong to the Earl of Bothwell and were part of the Crichton area.
Working for the King
In 1580, William Stewart was asked to be an "extraordinary attendant" at the court of James VI of Scotland. This meant he didn't have to be at court all the time, only when the king's chief helper, the Lord Chamberlain, needed him. He was also one of 25 gentlemen chosen to ride with King James VI in May 1580. Other important people with him included Roger Aston and Walter Stewart of Blantyre.
Capturing Dumbarton Castle
Later in 1580, William Stewart captured John Cunningham of Drumquhassil in Edinburgh. Drumquhassil had been against giving Dumbarton Castle to the king's favorite, Esmé Stewart. Drumquhassil then handed over the castle to William Stewart. He also gave Stewart a list of all the weapons and furniture inside. This list is very helpful because it describes parts of the castle, like the "chamber between the craigs," which you can still visit today. Stewart and Drumquhassil signed this list on August 27, 1580. After this, William Stewart became the official deputy captain of Dumbarton Castle.
As a reward for his loyalty, Esmé Stewart allowed William Stewart to rent lands called Inzertoun in Dalkeith.
In March 1583, William Stewart promised his continued loyalty to King James VI as captain of Dumbarton. In May, he was asked to open a locked chest at Dumbarton Castle with Walter Stewart of Blantyre. They were looking for letters from Esmé Stewart that might be part of a plan to bring Mary, Queen of Scots back to power in Scotland.
In August 1583, after a political event called the Raid of Ruthven ended, the English ambassador Robert Bowes heard that William Stewart might also get a job in the royal wardrobe, which was in charge of the king's clothes and belongings.
In September 1583, William Stewart helped settle a disagreement between James Stewart, Earl of Arran and Colonel Stewart. They were arguing over who should get a valuable property that had been taken from someone. In June 1584, William Stewart joined the Privy Council, a group of the king's closest advisors. He also became the Commendator of Dryburgh Abbey in 1584 and 1585. This was an important position that gave him a good income.
In May 1585, Stewart went to Edinburgh with a letter from the king. The king asked the town council for a loan of 1000 merks (a type of coin) to pay soldiers for the English border.
Later in 1585, William Stewart helped get back some royal jewels, including a famous one called the "Great H of Scotland." These jewels were said to be with the Earl of Arran and his wife, Elizabeth Stewart, on a boat near Fairlie. Stewart successfully brought the "Great H" directly to the king.
In 1585, William Stewart handed over the care of Dumbarton Castle to Lord John Hamilton.
A Change of Loyalty
The lawyer and historian David Moysie wrote that William Stewart later became a supporter of Francis Stewart, 5th Earl of Bothwell. He even took part in the Raid of Holyrood in 1591. Because of this, he lost his lands and titles, along with the other people involved in the raid, in May 1592.
Becoming Laird of Traquair
In 1594, William Stewart inherited the lands of Traquair from his older brother, John Stewart. After this, he became known as "William Stewart of Traquair."
At the special celebration for the baptism of Prince Henry (the king's son) at Stirling Castle in August 1594, William Stewart was one of the men chosen to carry the "paill." This was a red velvet canopy held up by four poles over Prince Henry during the ceremonies.
In 1597, Anne of Denmark, the queen, arranged a loan for the wedding gift of one of her ladies-in-waiting, Jean Stewart. Jean Stewart was marrying Gilbert Kennedy of Bargany and Ardstinchar. The queen asked William Stewart of Traquair, who was Jean Stewart's brother-in-law, to be a guarantor for the loan. This meant that if Jean couldn't pay it back, William Stewart's family would be responsible. Eventually, the Traquair Stewarts did become responsible for the loan.
William Stewart also helped with a big feast at Holyrood Palace on April 30, 1598. This banquet was for Anne of Denmark's brother, Ulrik, Duke of Holstein. William Stewart provided many items for the meal, including 8 young goats, 15 moor fowls, 2 black cocks, 28 capons (a type of chicken), and a roe deer.
William Stewart of Caverston and Traquair died on May 20, 1605.
Other People Named William Stewart
During this time, there were several other important men also named William Stewart. It can sometimes be confusing to tell them apart! Some of them included:
- William Stewart of Houston, who was known as Colonel Stewart.
- William Stewart from Dundee, who was a ship captain for King James VI.
- William Stewart of Monkton (died 1588), who was the Provost of Ayr.
- William Stewart, who was a personal servant to the king.
- Another William Stewart, who was a servant of Regent Morton.
Robert Bowes mentioned three different William Stewarts in a letter from September 19, 1583: Arran's brother William Stewart of Monkton, Colonel William Stewart, and William Stewart of Caverston.
