Alexander Hay (died 1594)

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Alexander Hay of Easter Kennet (died 1594) was a Scottish lawyer and politician.

He was clerk to the Privy Council of Scotland from March 1564, Director of Chancery and Keeper of the Quarter Seal in 1567,[1] and Clerk of Register in October 1579 after the death of James MacGill.[2] His lands were at Kennet in Clackmannanshire.

Hay attended the conferences in York in 1568 discussing the issues around the deposed Mary, Queen of Scots. A list of evidence and charges against Mary supplied to Queen Elizabeth's delegation is known as Hay's articles, or the "Book of Articles".[3]

In November 1570 he wrote to Earl of Mar at Stirling Castle describing his recent conversation with the English ambassador Thomas Randolph. He heard that Margaret Fleming, Countess of Atholl had sent a jewel to Mary, Queen of Scots, but it had been intercepted and given to Queen Elizabeth.[4] The jewel was no bigger than the palm of a man's hand and made "in form of a heirse of harthorne", well-decked with gold and enamelled. It depicted an enthroned queen with a rampant lion worrying a leopard, with the inscription, "Fall what may fall, the lion shall be lord of all". The discovery was to be kept secret.[5] Richard Bannatyne, a secretary of John Knox, also described the jewel, thought to allude to the English succession, in his memoir.[6]

Hay wrote to John Knox in December 1571 mentioning the publication of works by George Buchanan critical of Mary. He had secured further papers, including the processes of divorce between the Earl of Bothwell and Jean Gordon, the banns for Mary's marriage to Bothwell and her declaration that she married of her own free will, and had many other documents to place at Knox's disposal.[7]

In 1577 Hay wrote a description of the Scottish nobility, briefly detailing their ages and landholdings. This survey was probably for the benefit of an English diplomat. The ambassador Robert Bowes and his servant George Nicholson kept armorials and genealogical manuscripts in their Edinburgh lodging.[8] In 1606 Hay's manuscript was owned by John Withie (d. 1677), a London heraldry painter.[9]

In November 1580 Edinburgh town council decided to make him a gift of two silver cups with his name engraved on them.[10]

When James VI and John Maitland of Thirlestane went to Norway to meet Anne of Denmark in 1589, Hay was temporarily Secretary.[11]

Alexander Hay died on 19 September 1594. He was buried at Holyrood Abbey. According to a note in the manuscript "Books of Sederunt" in the National Records of Scotland, he died "schortlie after the baptism of the Prince by excessive paines and travellis tane by him at the time, immediately before and at the tyme of the baptisme".[12]

Hopetoun manuscript[]

A collection of papers formerly in the library at Hopetoun House and now held by the British Library appears to be part of Hay's administrative paperwork. The manuscript includes material connected with the York conference, coinage, the English subsidy of James VI, cost-saving measures for the royal household in 1591, and gifts received at the baptism of Prince Henry. The volume has been digitised.[13]

References[]

  1. ^ Gordon Donaldson, Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland, vol. 6 (Edinburgh, 1963), p. 6 no. 20.
  2. ^ Calendar of State Papers Scotland, 1574-1581, vol. 5 (Edinburgh, 1907), p. 357 no. 434.
  3. ^ Calendar State Papers Scotland, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), p. 557 no. 902.
  4. ^ Julian Goodare, The Scottish Witch-Hunt in Context (Manchester, 2002), p. 58: Calendar State Papers Scotland, vol. 3 (London, 1903), pp. 315, 361-2, 368-70.
  5. ^ HMC Mar & Kellie, vol. 1 (London, 1904), pp. 23-4.
  6. ^ Robert Pitcairn, Memorials of the transcations in Scotland (Edinburgh, 1836), p. 61
  7. ^ David Laing, Works of John Knox, vol. 6 (Edinburgh, 1864), pp. 611-2.
  8. ^ Annie I. Cameron, Calendar State Papers Scotland, vol. 11 (Edinburgh, 1936), p. 667: Lambeth Palace Library, Scottish Armorial, MS. 316
  9. ^ Charles Rogers, Estimate of the Scottish nobility (London, 1873), p. 4: Edward Town, 'A Biographical Dictionary of London Painters, 1547–1625', Walpole Society, 76 (London, 2014), p. 193.
  10. ^ James David Marwick, Extracts from the Records of the Burgh of Edinburgh, 1573-1579 (Edinburgh, 1882), p. 188.
  11. ^ Maurice Lee, John Maitland of Thirlestane (Princeton, 1959), p. 202.
  12. ^ Charles Rogers, Estimate of the Scottish nobility (London, 1873), p. 6.
  13. ^ British Library Add MS 33531
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