William Kirkcaldy of Grange

Sir William, 1556, by François Clouet

Sir William Kirkcaldy of Grange (* 1520 in Grange; † August 3, 1573 in Edinburgh ) was a Scottish politician and general. He came from a Scottish noble family resident in Fife and was the eldest son of Sir James Kirkcaldy of Grange († 1556), who was from 1537 to 1543 Chancellor of the Exchequer of Scotland ( Lord High Treasurer of Scotland ). As the chief commander in chief, William was instrumental in the decisive victories of the rebellious Scottish nobility against Mary Queen of Scots at Carberry Hill (1567) and Langside (1568).

Life

William Kirkcaldy of Grange is said to have participated in the murder of David Beaton on May 29, 1546 in St Andrews . Then he defended St Andrews Castle with the Castilians against the troops of the Scottish regent James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran . After the castle was taken by French troops in July 1547, Kirkcaldy was taken prisoner in Normandy . He had to stay there until 1550. During his stay in France, Kirkcaldy worked as an agent for England. In 1557 he was allowed to return to Scotland and joined the Protestant Lords of the Congregations around Lord James Stewart , the later Earl of Moray. But Kirkcaldy later switched sides and supported the regent Maria de Guise .

On July 1, 1559, Kirkcaldy wrote critically to the Englishman Henry Percy: “The nature of our Reformation is this to tear down the monasteries and thereby the prayer book of the pious King Edward VI. to take in hand. "

From 1561, Kirkcaldy Maria Stuart served as a general. He took part in the campaign of Maria Stuart and James Stewart, now Earl of Moray, from September to October 1562 against George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly . Due to the marriage between Mary Queen of Scots and Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley , Kirkcaldy took part in the uprising of Moray against the Queen in August and September 1565. After the rebellion was put down, the Queen confiscated Kirkcaldy's possessions.

On June 15, 1567, insurgents headed by James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton and Kirkcaldy, moved from Edinburgh towards Musselburgh . A few hours later, Maria Stuart's troops took up position at Carberry Hill under Bothwell's command . Kirkcaldy's forces defeated the Queen's forces. Two days later, Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned at Loch Leven Castle and on July 24 to abdicate in favor of her one-year-old son James, James VI. , forced. On May 2, 1568 she managed to escape. Within a few days, the remaining followers were able to mobilize an army of about 6,000 men. The regent Moray and Kirkcaldy immediately led their troops against the army of Maria Stuart, commanded by Archibald Campbell . On May 13, 1568, the Queen's troops were defeated in the Battle of Langside. In this battle, William Kirkcaldy of Grange proved himself to be an outstanding and prudent general.

After the assassination of the regent Moray on January 23, 1570, war broke out in Scotland between King James VI. and the followers of Mary. Under the influence of William Maitland of Lethington , Kirkcaldy approached the Queen's party. From August 1572, Kirkcaldy and Maitland defended Edinburgh Castle against the king's supporters. With the help of English troops, the Scottish regent Morton was able to take Edinburgh Castle in May 1573. On August 3, 1573, William Kirkcaldy of Grange was publicly hanged in Edinburgh.

literature

• Antonia Fraser : Maria Stuart - Queen of the Scots. Licensed edition for Manfred Pawlak Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Herrsching 1989, ISBN 3-88199-636-2 .
• Jenny Wormald: Maria Stuart. Verlag Ploetz, Freiburg / Würzburg 1992, ISBN 3-87640-500-9 .
• Hermann Schreiber: The Stuarts - genius and sinister of a royal family. Bechtermünz Verlag GmbH, Eltville am Rhein 1995, ISBN 3-86047-094-9 .