Raid of Ruthven

The Raid of Ruthven was a political conspiracy in Scotland which took place on 22 August 1582. It was composed of several Presbyterian nobles, led by William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie, who abducted King James VI of Scotland. He was treacherously seized while staying at the castle of Ruthven (today known as Huntingtower Castle in Perthshire), and kept under restraint for almost a year. The earl of Gowrie remained at the head of the government. The king's favourite Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox was forced into exile in France and died in May 1583. Another prominent noble James Stewart, earl of Arran, was confined at Kinniel House.

The Gowrie regime favoured what has been described as an ultra-protestant regime but was also prompted by an urge to curb excessive spending at court. A number of cost saving measures for the royal household were proposed by Gowrie and his exchequer colleagues. These were described as ‘havand respect to the order of the hous of your hieness goudsire King James the fifth of worthie memorie and to the possibilitie of your majesties present rents' a reference to the thriftiness of James V.

The regime was ineffectually supported by Queen Elizabeth I and her minister Francis Walsingham. The king gained his freedom at St Andrews in July 1583. James Stewart, earl of Arran gained a brief ascendancy over Scottish affairs. The earl of Gowrie was pardoned in 1583, but kept plotting and was later beheaded for high treason.

See also

• John Colville
• Robert Boyd

References

• The Ruthven Raid
• History of Scottish Earls