James IV (Scotland)

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Jacob IV

Jacob IV. ( English James IV , Scottish Gaelic Seumas a Ceithir (IV) ; * March 17, 1473 probably in Stirling Castle , †  September 9, 1513 near Branxton , Northumberland ) was King of Scotland from 1488 until his death . He was the eldest son of Jacob III. and his wife Margarethe of Denmark born. He was later hailed as the most capable king Scotland ever had. Under his rule, the country recovered from the constant wars of past centuries. His marriage to the English Princess Margaret Tudor nourished the hope for a lasting peace with the hereditary enemy England. After his death on the battlefield, legends grew up around him that in truth he survived and escaped the English because his body could not be clearly identified. All of this romance helped to view Jacob's reign as something of a golden age.

Childhood and youth

Jacob III and Margaret of Denmark , parents of Jacob IV.

As heir to the throne, Jakob received the title of Duke of Rothesay after his birth and spent his childhood in Stirling Castle in the care of his mother Margarethe. She had him cut her meat at the table and offer her water to wash her hands "to teach him to command servants in adulthood." His father Jacob III. was interested in a lasting peace with England and negotiated with the English King Edward IV about a possible marriage of the prince with Edward's daughter Cecily. In October 1474 the engagement was announced and a dowry of 20,000 Stirling Marks agreed, which was paid in installments until 1479. However, this rapprochement with England meant an alienation from the traditional ally France, which led to discontent among the Scottish nobility. The king made himself increasingly unpopular, and on July 22, 1482 he was imprisoned by his brother Alexander Stewart, 1st Duke of Albany . Secret talks took place between Margarethe and Alexander, possibly to discuss whether the king could be forced to abdicate in favor of the prince. Although the Queen and Albany ultimately agreed to release the king, James III forgot. not his humiliation and increasingly suspicious of his son as a focus for the dissatisfied.

In 1484 a marriage was negotiated between the prince and Anne de la Pole, a niece of the new English king Richard III. The overthrow of Richard by Henry VII a year later ended this prospect. Heinrich only made offers for Jacob's brothers, possibly for strategic reasons in the event that he himself would have a daughter.

When the prince was thirteen years old, his mother Margarethe died. According to a contemporary biography, she encouraged her son on his deathbed:

“If you inherit your father's kingdom, above all else, love your people as yourself with justice, grace, generosity, and affection. Be ready to listen. Don't shy away from any effort. Seek to keep your subjects together and keep your kingdom in peace and tranquility. Make sure that righteousness is not violated by greed, for this will spoil your fame [...] Just as a king sets himself apart from his people by his clothes, so should he also by his behavior and his virtue. "

Contrary to all expectations, the king did not involve his son in the affairs of government and kept him away from the court, isolated in Stirling with his brothers. The elevation of his younger son James Stewart to Duke of Ross has often been interpreted as neglect of the Crown Prince. On February 2, 1488, barely a month after his brother's uprising, Jacob fled Stirling Castle and joined the rebels. His father only noticed this escape three weeks later. The Crown Prince became the figurehead of the rebels. At first an attempt was made to resolve the conflict peacefully. In the spring of 1488, the rebels proposed a peace treaty, known as the Aberdeen Article . Among other things, the prince should be prepared for his office, and receive advice and a decent livelihood. The king broke the treaty shortly after it was signed and led his troops against Stirling in an attempt to capture his son. Jakob escaped, and the armies clashed on June 11 in what would later become known as the Battle of Sauchieburn . Although the prince had given strict orders not to harm his father, the king was killed, either in battle or while fleeing. Jacob expressed his complicity in the death of his father and from then until his death he wore an iron belt as a sign of his penance, which he weighed down every year with additional weights.

Reign

Domestic politics

Jacob was coronated on June 24, 1488 in Scone , Perthshire . A few days later he attended his father's funeral in Cambuskenneth before returning to Stirling to attend a mass for his mother. Although he was already feeling guilty about his father at this point, he did not have masses read for his father's soul until 1496, an unusually long period of time. Jacob secured his power by giving his fellow rebels important offices in the new government. Its first parliament opened on October 6th. During the next few months, the parliament occupied itself among other things with persecuting the supporters of the old king, which led to another rebellion in April 1489. This time, not only the supporters of James III rose up, but also Western nobles like Matthew Stewart , who were dissatisfied with the government. An attempt to take the king prisoner failed, as did the siege of Dumbarton Castle . It was rumored that the former rebels surrounding James IV had plundered the old king's treasure, and in parliament on February 6, 1492, sheriffs were instructed to determine the whereabouts of the money and to identify the murderers of James III. to find. Jacob restructured his council, possibly in order to bring about a reconciliation. So well-known followers of Jacob III. inducted into the council, including Henry Arnot, Abbot of Cambuskenneth, as treasurer and William Elphinstone as keeper of the seals.

Scotland was still controlled by the clans and the new government focused on expanding the king's power. In the north it was particularly the MacDonald clan , also known as the Lords of the Isles , who were regularly involved in power struggles. After a raid on Inverness , followed by retaliation by Clan MacKenzie , the title of Lord of the Isles was returned to the Crown by parliamentary resolution. Then Jacob traveled north to take the oath of allegiance from the leaders. For the first time the young king encountered the culture and Gaelic language of the Highlands , which aroused a lifelong interest in him. So far Jacob had largely left the business of government to his advice. In 1495 he finally took control himself and took much tougher action against the rebellious clan leaders. With repeated visits and oaths of loyalty, he tried to integrate them more strongly into the feudal system, which met with displeasure. When riots broke out, Jacob sent a fleet to Cairn-na-Burgh Castle on April 20, 1504, where the grandson of the Lord of the Isles , Donald Dubh, was said to be staying. The fortress was captured in June, but Dubh was not found. Still, Jacob had set an example, and most of the clans submitted to the king. After Dubh was finally found in June 1506, Jacob left most of the north to Colin Campbell, Earl of Argyll and Alexander Gordon, 3rd Earl of Huntly .

Jacob also reformed the legal system in Scotland. Under him, central civil courts developed which replaced the parliamentary committees that had been customary up to now. Jakob first tried to establish his own law school and therefore supported the establishment of the University of Aberdeen . Nevertheless, the European cities on the continent such as Padua were still the centers for further law studies. Jakob then began to encourage the barons to give their sons a university education in order to equip the civil courts with competent lawyers. A corresponding parliamentary act in 1496 obliged all landowners to send their eldest sons to school. Regular hearings took place under Jakob, often in the presence of the king, and he sometimes intervened himself to end local feuds. Although he only convened parliament comparatively seldom, business matters were not neglected, but dealt with by council meetings. From 1497 various regions of Scotland were represented in the councils, along with a solid core of royal advisors.

Relationship to England under Henry VII.

On the border between Scotland and England there were regular border raids, from which the local nobles in particular benefited. As a result, attempts to make peace with England were generally viewed with suspicion, and Jacob negotiated a three-year truce with King Henry VII after he came to power . Heinrich was primarily concerned with preventing Scotland from supporting rebels from the House of York , which is why he suggested that Jacob marry his relative Katherine. However, she was not of royal blood and was therefore out of the question for Jacob as a bride.

Heinrich's concern about Yorkist rebels was not unfounded. In 1495, the pretender Perkin Warbeck , who posed as Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York , tried to land in England and claim the throne as Richard IV. After two defeats, he fled to Scotland, where Jacob received him with honor. Warbeck was a welcome political leverage for the Scottish king, not only to keep Henry VII in check, but also to make a good match with a princess from one of Europe's influential royal families.

Perkin Warbeck

First he sought a connection with Margaret of Austria , daughter of the future Emperor Maximilian I , then a marriage with a daughter of the Catholic Kings . The latter, however, were interested in an alliance with England against France, which prompted Jacob to recognize Warbeck as Richard IV and to humiliate the Spanish ambassadors in his presence. In January 1496 he arranged for him to marry Lady Catherine Gordon, daughter of the Earl of Huntly, and took part in the tournaments of wedding celebrations. To neutralize the growing threat posed by the pretender, Henry VII resumed negotiations with the Scottish nobility and offered Jacob his own daughter Margaret Tudor as a bride. Jakob decided to set an example anyway and led an army across the border on September 20, 1496, which withdrew after a series of looting when an English army appeared. Because of its minor impact, this incursion is generally viewed in England as a major border raid rather than an invasion. Still, Jakob once again showed himself to be an enthusiastic general.

On November 5th the news reached Jakob that Heinrich had declared war on him. However, it was not customary to wage war in winter, and by the time summer came Jacob had fortified the borders and prepared his land and carried out several border raids. In July 1497 he sent Warbeck to Ireland. Despite several clashes, there was no serious fighting, although the finances of both empires were strained. Still, Jakob had won the respect of his compatriots, and Heinrich tried again to negotiate peace. This time both parties agreed on a seven-year truce, which was extended until the death of one of the two kings. In 1498, both kings agreed that Jacob would marry Margaret Tudor. To this end, the Anglo-Scottish Treaty was ratified in early 1502, which was supposed to guarantee a lasting peace. Among other things, the treaty said that the king who broke it first should be excommunicated, which was suggested by Pope Alexander VI. was confirmed in May 1503. The wedding initially took place as a proxy , and on August 8, 1503, Jacob married Margaret at Holyrood Palace . Although it was an arranged marriage, affection quickly grew between the two. Jacob showed himself to be a caring husband, named a ship after her, gave her a talisman against diseases and went on pilgrimage to Whithorn to pray for her recovery when Margaret was seriously ill after giving birth to her first child. Peace with England seemed assured.

Culture and art

Jacob is considered to be the last Scottish monarch to speak fluent Gaelic. He was well educated and was claimed to be fluent in ten languages: ( Scots , English , Gaelic , Latin , French , German , Italian , Flemish , Spanish, and Danish ). His interest in Gaelic culture was evident in the fact that he often called bards and musicians from the Scottish Highlands to the court. The farm became a center of art and culture, where Latin and Scottish literature were specifically promoted. Jakob himself acted as a patron and encouraged other patrons to come to the court. At that time he also employed well-known writers like Archibald Whitelaw and Patrick Panter as his secretaries and promoted the art of printing. In 1507 he gave permission to build a printing press in Edinburgh to print chronicles, laws, theological writings and statutes. In 1497, James IV founded Great Britain's first Regius Professorship , the Regius Professor of Medicine at the University of Aberdeen . The intellectual atmosphere at court was in keeping with the spirit of the Renaissance . By sending and appointing ambassadors from all the continent's monarchies, there was a lively cultural exchange with the mainland, and jousting tournaments flourished again.

Jacob was also interested in architecture. Partly for military reasons, partly for private reasons, he built and expanded palaces and castles. He built a new castle in western Kilkerran and a residential tower in Holyrood . Edinburgh Castle received a new Great Hall, which partly reflects French and partly English influence. Stirling Castle received a new porch to secure access to the castle, as well as a new hall. Linlithgow Palace not only received new residential quarters, but also a magnificent entrance. He also invested time and money in building the Scottish artillery. He also specifically promoted medicine and alchemy. There is evidence that the king himself pulled a tooth from a courtier and promoted the alchemist John Damian, who wanted to brew the elixir of life and attempted to fly in vain.

War with England and death

Although the peace treaty between England and Scotland was renewed in 1509 on the occasion of Henry VIII's accession to the throne , Jacob came into conflict with England when a year later Pope Julius II concluded an anti-French alliance with the League of Cambrai . Since Jakob was friends with both parties and felt obliged to France by the Auld Alliance , he tried to settle the conflict between the Pope and France, but unsuccessfully. In addition, the relationship with England deteriorated more and more. Jakob was arrogant and irritable at the arrogance of the young English king and was more interested in good relations with France than with England. In 1511 Heinrich entered the Holy League , who u. a. also his father-in-law Ferdinand II. and the Republic of Venice belonged and targeted against the French King Louis XII. judged. Thereupon Ludwig turned to Jakob and suggested a new alliance with the addition that in the event of war with England the other partner would also declare war on England. Jacob hesitated until July 1512 and finally agreed, probably angry at England's claim to be superior to Scotland. Pope Julius then threatened Jacob with excommunication and, after his death, left appropriate instructions if the king should actually attack England. Despite all the efforts of Jacob, set aside that judgment, it was Julius' successor Leo X confirmed.

In the course of the Italian Wars , Henry VIII invaded France with his army in 1513, probably in the belief that the impending excommunication would prevent Jacob from invading England. With this came the case of an alliance between Scotland and France. Despite the papal threat, Jacob took advantage of Henry's absence and declared war on England, a move popular with his subjects. On August 24th, the Scottish army had crossed the English border into Northumberland and soon took Norham Castle and the fortresses of Etal and Ford in Northumberland. The Scottish army took up position on Flodden Hill, where the English army finally arrived under the leadership of Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey . Finally, on September 9, Jacob was provoked by Surrey, who threatened to cut off his way back, and ordered an immediate attack. He himself led his troops into battle, although the nobles urged him to stay behind and command the troops. The Spanish ambassador Pedro Ayala criticized: "He is not a good commander because he begins to fight before he has given his orders." The campaign culminated in the battle of Flodden Field . Though the Scots nearly killed Surrey's brother, the tide quickly turned in the English's favor. In the course of the battle the king fell, supposedly only a spear's length from Surrey. The Archbishop of St Andrews , nine earls , fourteen lords and about ten thousand of his subjects died with him .

A corpse believed to be the dead Scottish king was recovered from the battlefield and taken to London . Queen Catherine of Aragon , at that time reigning regent of England, sent Jacob's cloak and a letter to her husband, who was staying in France:

"Your Grace shall see how I can keep my promises, since I send you the mantle of a king in return for your banners. I wanted to send it to you myself, but our English would not allow it. It would have been better for him to live in peace than to be rewarded in this way. "

Since Jacob had been excommunicated, he was not entitled to a Christian burial. His body was first transferred to Berwick and later to London. Heinrich himself wrote to the Pope and asked for permission to bury his brother-in-law "with royal honors in St. Paul's". Still, Jacob never received a state funeral and it has been suggested that he was buried in St. Paul's at an unknown date. However, the Elizabethan antiquarian Stow stated that he saw the body of the king in the former Abbey of Sheen, "in an old storage room, between old wood, stones, lead and other debris". Elizabethan workers later cut the head off "for their own foolish pleasure" but it was rescued by another Londoner who kept it for a while and ultimately had it buried in St Michael's Church in London. Apparently the head still had Jacob's red hair and a beard. The church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and is now a pub in its old location .

Afterlife

Jacob's body could not be clearly identified after the battle. Thus, legends quickly grew up around him that he survived and went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. His widow Margaret Tudor later used this legend as an argument for the dissolution of their second marriage. He became a national hero because of his struggle against the English, and Sir David Lyndsay called him "the glory of princely rule". Ayala, a contemporary who was in Scotland during the Perkin Warbeck events, praised Jacob's bravery and boldness, as well as his enthusiasm for the craft of war. John Ramsay, on the other hand, criticized the king's stubbornness. His reign was glorified as a golden age, and Jacob himself was immortalized in various stories that show him as a popular, able and wise ruler who, however, listens to bad advisers.

Historians have formed different opinions about Jacob during the 20th century. The common view in the 1950s was that Jacob was a typical, educated prince of the Renaissance, but was a bungler and "moonstruck romantic" in political matters. Towards the end of the 20th century, other views emerged, thanks in particular to further research into medieval and Scottish kings. They portrayed Jakob as a thoroughly capable statesman who did not lose the Battle of Flodden because of blatant mistakes, but because the tide turned at the last minute. He had built up a considerable navy and artillery, and he controlled larger parts of Scotland than his predecessors. Jacob has been considered the most successful Scottish king since the beginning of the 21st century.

family

Legitimate children with Margaret Tudor

  • James (February 21, 1507 - February 27, 1508), Duke of Rothesay
  • Daughter (* / † July 15, 1508 in Holyrood Palace)
  • Arthur (October 20, 1509 - July 14, 1510), Duke of Rothesay
  • James V (April 10, 1512 - December 14, 1542), King of Scotland
  • Daughter (* / † November 1512 in Holyrood Palace)
  • Alexander (April 30, 1514 - December 18, 1515), Duke of Ross

Illegitimate children

With Marion Boyd, daughter of Archibald Boyd of Bonshaw:

With Margaret Drummond (around 1482–1502), daughter of John Drummond, 1st Lord Drummond :

  • Margaret Stewart (* 1497), ⚭ (1) 1512 John, Lord Gordon († 1517), son of the 3rd Earl of Huntly ⚭ (2) Sir John Drummond of Innerpeffrey

With Janet Kennedy (around 1483–1543), daughter of John Kennedy, 2nd Lord Kennedy :

With Lady Isabella Stewart (around 1480–1557), daughter of James Stewart, 1st Earl of Buchan :

See also

Web links

Commons : James IV (Scotland)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Linda Porter: Crown of Thistles: The Fatal Inheritance of Mary Queen of Scots. 2014 Pan Books, p. 55
  2. ↑ Linda Porter: Crown of Thistles: The Fatal Inheritance of Mary Queen of Scots. 2014 Pan Books, p. 47
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Trevor Chalmers: James IV (1473–1513). In: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press 2004, Online Edition September 2012 , accessed September 21, 2014
  4. ↑ Linda Porter: Crown of Thistles: The Fatal Inheritance of Mary Queen of Scots. 2014 Pan Books, p. 52
  5. ↑ Linda Porter: Crown of Thistles: The Fatal Inheritance of Mary Queen of Scots. 2014 Pan Books, p. 56
  6. ↑ Linda Porter: Crown of Thistles: The Fatal Inheritance of Mary Queen of Scots. 2014 Pan Books, p. 57
  7. ↑ Linda Porter: Crown of Thistles: The Fatal Inheritance of Mary Queen of Scots. 2014 Pan Books, p. 60
  8. ↑ Linda Porter: Crown of Thistles: The Fatal Inheritance of Mary Queen of Scots. 2014 Pan Books, p. 65
  9. ^ A regius rumble ; Times Higher Education March 16, 1996.
  10. ↑ Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII, Volume 1: 1509-1514 Katharine of Aragon to Henry VIII .: "In this your Grace shall see how I can keep my promys, sending you for your banners a King's coat. I thought to send himself unto you, but our Englishmen's hearts would not suffer it. It should have been better for him to have been in peace than have this reward. " Accessed October 23, 2014
  11. ^ Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII, Volume 1: 1509-1514 Dacres to Henry VIII. , Accessed October 23, 2014
  12. ^ Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII, Volume 1: 1509-1514 Henry VIII. To Leo X. , accessed October 23, 2014
  13. ↑ a b Leanda de Lisle: Tudor: The Family Story . 2013 Chatto & Windus, p. 110
  14. ^ Richard Glen Eaves: Margaret (1489-1541) . In: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography . Oxford University Press 2004 Online Edition , accessed October 23, 2014
  15. ^ Isabella Stewart on thepeerage.com , accessed July 21, 2015.
  16. ↑ Agnes Isabel Stewart on Find a grave , accessed December 16, 2019
predecessor Office successor
Jacob III King of Scotland
1488–1513 		Jacob V.
personal data
SURNAME Jacob IV
ALTERNATIVE NAMES James IV; Seumas IV; Seumas a Ceithir (Scottish Gaelic)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION King of Scotland
DATE OF BIRTH March 17, 1473
PLACE OF BIRTH unsure: Stirling Castle
DATE OF DEATH September 9, 1513
Place of death Branxton , Northumberland