Two crownings, two executions, confidants of Kings and John Knox. The Spottiswoodes were right at the heart of the Reformation in Scotland. Yet, we hear very little about them. A recent Mary’s Meander family ancestry tour has been a fascinating insight into a crucial period in Scottish history, through the eyes of one family.
Welcoming the Spottiswoode family
Last week saw the culmination of one of our most exciting Ancestry tours to date, as we welcomed the Spottiswoode family from Australia to meander in the footsteps of their ancestors. But these turned out to be not just any footsteps as at every turn, the family played a prominent role in some of the most momentous events in Scottish history, particularly during the Reformation. And they not only stayed in their ancestral castle but also enjoyed a full Jacobean evening, complete with period costumes.
And they are in good company. A recent episode of the US version of “Who Do You Think You Are?” featured actress Hilary Duff and her ancestors were traced back to the same Spottiswoode family in Scotland, and ultimately to Robert the Bruce.
Here are some highlights of our tour, showing how a very personal family story can lead to a greater appreciation and understanding of one of the key periods in Scottish history.
And if you think the name is familiar, but you’re not sure why, could it be you have been in a Spottiswoode Road or Street?
On the trail
Our journey starts at the historic Kirk of Calder, in Mid Calder (nr. Edinburgh), where we are met by Church Elder, John Jamieson, who gives us a fascinating insight and tour of the Church, including parts dating back to the 1500’s and The Crypt. The Rev. John Spottiswoode was the 2nd Rector of the Church and was one of the leaders of the Protestant Reformation, being one of the 6 “Johns” who wrote the “handbook” for the Reformation, “The Scots Confession of 1560”. He was appointed Superintendent of The Lothians and officiated at the crowning of James VI. A close friend of James Stewart, the Earl of Moray, he accompanied him to Mary, Queen of Scots marriage to Francoise, in France.
His son, also John, born at Greenbank in Mid Calder (the house is no longer there, but remembered with the local street names) follows in his father’s footsteps as Minister but goes onto greater achievements as he is appointed Archbishop of St Andrews, the Primate of Scotland. He is held in high regard by King James VI and is appointed Lord Chancellor of Scotland. He builds a new Church and rebuilds the castle at Dairsie near St. Andrews and he crowns King Charles I at Holyrood Abbey in 1633.
But, as tensions build between The Church and the King, Archbishop Spottiswoode, finds himself “on the wrong side” as The Covenanters gain ground, and he flees to England, where he dies of a fever in 1639.
He is honoured with a burial in Westminster Abbey. He was also an author, and you can see an original copy of his work “The History of the Church and State of Scotland” in the fabulous Innerpeffray Library.
Strangely, there is little mention of Archbishop Spottiswoode in St Andrews, either at The Castle, where he lived or The Cathedral where he preached (though his seal is on display, with all the other Bishops).
Archbishop Spottiswoode married Rachel Lindsay, daughter of the equally influential Archbishop of Ross (he gave the reading at the Baptism of James VI). They had three children; Anne, who married into the St Clair of Rosslyn family; John, (whose son, also John, was a staunch supporter of King Charles I and executed for High Treason); and Sir Robert, who is the ancestor of our Spottiswoodes (and Hilary Duff’s).
Archbishop Spottiswoode married Rachel Lindsay, daughter of the equally influential Archbishop of Ross (he gave the reading at the Baptism of James VI). They had three children; Anne, who married into the St Clair of Rosslyn family; John, (whose son, also John, was a staunch supporter of King Charles I and executed for High Treason); and Sir Robert, who is the ancestor of our Spottiswoodes (and Hilary Duff’s).
Sir Robert Spottiswoode was a lawyer and became Lord President of the Court of Session and Secretary of State for Scotland, under Charles I. He was also an accomplished author writing “The Practicks of the Law of Scotland,’ printed by his grandson in 1706. Sir Robert unfortunately also met his end by execution for treason. He was beheaded at The Mercat Cross in St Andrews with The Maiden- a forerunner to the French guillotine. You can still see this very object in The Museum of Scotland.
And as if all that isn’t enough:
Archbishop John’s daughter Anne married William St Clair of Rosslyn; Sir Robert’s wife, Bethia was from the Preston family of Craigmillar Castle. And the ancestry of The Spottiswoodes goes back to The Stewarts and Robert the Bruce, through Rachel Lindsay, Archbishop John Spottiswoode’s wife.
We touched on The Bruce connections with visits to Stirling Castle, Dunfermline Abbey and participated in he Battle of Bannockburn experience. The tour was rounded off by a visit to the remains of Dunipace Castle and graveyard, where the Monument to James Spottiswoode (1780), Lord of Dunipace, and his family is still very clear.
If this inspires you to delve into your family tree, we would love to help you. Email us to begin your journey into the past.
