Ambassadors to Brandenburg (BRA)
SC-BRA_01.
John Skene (Advocate), Ambassador. William Stewart (Colonel), Ambassador.
9/6/1590-c.11/1590
MISSION: To attempt to complete negotiations for a Protestant League between Scotland, Denmark-Norway and the German princes.
NOTES: Nicholus Kass wrote to James regarding the mission when it was in Denmark-Norway. The ambassadors were in Hamburg on 7 July and visited several places including Brandenburg, Denmark-Norway, Hamburg, Hesse, Saxony, Mecklenburg, Pomerania and Poland-Lithuania. Skene’s journal, held in the NLS, details their travels.
SELECTED REFERENCES: Warrender Papers, vol.2 pp.133-44; NLS, Ms 2912; TNA, SP 52/46 f.21; Moysie, Memoirs, p.84; RPCS, vol.4 pp.488-9; David Scott Gehring, Anglo-German Relations and the Protestant Cause: Elizabethan Foreign Policy and Pan-Protestantism. (London, 2013) pp.134-8.
SC-BRA_02.
David Cunningham (Bishop of Aberdeen), Envoy. Peter Young (Master Almoner to the King), Envoy.
6/1598-c.11/1598
MISSION: To gain support for James’s claim to the English throne.
NOTES: Sent to Denmark-Norway, and the German Princes. In Denmark in August 1598 and the German Princes in September-October 1598, returned to Denmark in late October 1598. Returned to Scotland around November 1598; received non-committal responses.
SELECTED REFERENCES: Spottiswood, vol.3 pp.75-6; Warrender Papers, vol.2 pp.368-9.
Ambassadors to Brunswick (BRU)
SC-BRU_01.
Peter Young (Master Almoner to the King), Ambassador.
c.5/1594-1594
MISSION: To carry invitations to Prince Henry’s baptism.
NOTES: Left Scotland in May; went first to Denmark and then to Mecklenburg before going to Brunswick.
SELECTED REFERENCES: Melville, Sir James. Memoirs of His Own Life. Edited by T. Thomson. (Edinburgh, 1827), p.367; RPS 1594/4/96.
SC-BRU_02.
David Cunningham (Bishop of Aberdeen), Envoy. Peter Young (Master Almoner to the King), Envoy.
6/1598-c.11/1598
MISSION: To gain support for James’s claim to the English throne.
NOTES: Sent to Denmark-Norway, and the German Princes. In Denmark in August 1598 and the German Princes in September-October 1598, returned to Denmark in late October 1598. Returned to Scotland around November 1598; received non-committal responses.
SELECTED REFERENCES: Spottiswood, vol.3 pp.75-6; Warrender Papers, vol.2 pp.368-9.
Ambassadors to Denmark-Norway (DN)
SC-DN_01.
Peter Young (Master Almoner to the King), Ambassador.
26/7/1586->4/10/1586
MISSION: To discuss the Danish-Scottish match.
NOTES: This was the first of several missions to discuss a possible marriage. They arrived on 26 July 1586 at Elsinore. Courcelles reports that he is already back at court in Scotland by 4 October 1586.
SELECTED REFERENCES: TNA, SP 52/40 f.103; Monsieur de Courcelles, Extract From the Despatches of M. Courcelles, French Ambassador At the Court of Scotland, 1586-1587, trans. by Robert Bell (Edinburgh, 1828), p.9.
SC-DN_02.
William Stewart (Colonel), Agent.
4/6/1587-26/11/1588
Peter Young (Master Almoner to the King), Ambassador.
Patrick Vaus (of Barnbarroch, knight, Comptroller), Ambassador.
4/6/1587-1/8/1587
MISSION: To discuss the Danish-Scottish match.
NOTES: Young and Vaus were nominated c. 28 March 1586. Stewart was already going to Denmark-Norway on personal business. They all met with Frederick on 29 July 1587 and asked for Princess Elizabeth’s hand in marriage.
SELECTED REFERENCES: Thomas Thomson, ed., The Historie and Life of King James the Sext (Edinburgh, 1825), p.229; Hatfield House, CP 163/133; Moysie, Memoirs, p.65; RPS 1587/7/118; RPS 1587/7/117; Melville, Sir James. Memoirs of His Own Life. Edited by T. Thomson. (Edinburgh, 1827), p.312; David Stevenson, Scotland’s Last Royal Wedding: The Marriage of James VI and Anne of Denmark (Edinburgh, 1996), pp.8-10; SSNE 1597.
SC-DN_03.
William Stewart (Colonel), Agent.
c.1/1588-24/2/1588
MISSION: To discuss the Danish-Scottish match.
NOTES: Saw Frederick II just before his death and told that Princess Anna was still available.
SELECTED REFERENCES: TNA SP 52/42 f.92; David Stevenson, Scotland’s Last Royal Wedding: The Marriage of James VI and Anne of Denmark (Edinburgh, 1996), p.14.
SC-DN_04.
William Stewart (Colonel), Agent.
c. 20/8/1588-c.15/11/1588
MISSION: To discuss the Danish-Scottish match.
NOTES: Establish links with the Regents and Christian IV. Asheby records him returning from his mission sometime before 26 November 1588. He returns via the United Provinces where he discusses pay disputes.
SELECTED REFERENCES: Moysie, Memoirs, p.70; BL, Cotton Caligula D/I f.228; James Ferguson, Papers Illustrating the History of the Scots Brigade in the Service of the United Netherlands, 1572-1582, 3 vol. (Edinburgh, 1899), vol.1 pp.115-20.
SC-DN_05.
James Scrymgeour (Constable of Dundee), Ambassador. William Stewart (Colonel), Ambassador.
18/6/1589-3/12/1589
George Young (Archdeacon of St Andrews & Secretary), Ambassador. John Skene (Advocate), Ambassador.
Andrew Keith (Lord Dingwall), Ambassador.
William Fowler (Poet & Parson of Hawick), Ambassador.
18/6/1589-15/12/1589
George Keith (Earl Marischal), Ambassador.
18/6/1589-1/5/1590
MISSION: To discuss the Danish-Scottish match.
NOTES: The ambassadors were appointed 2 June 1589. Asked for dowry of £1,000,000; they got £150,000. The question of ownership of Orkney was omitted. The ambassadors left Denmark and varying times.
SELECTED REFERENCES: Moysie, Memoirs, pp.47-8, 73, 78-9, 81; RPCS, vol.4 pp.389-91, 396n, 410n, 411n, 423n, 823-4; James Melville, Memoirs of Sir James Melville of Halhill, 1535-1617, ed. by A. Francis Steuart (London, 1929), pp.324-31; David Stevenson, Scotland’s Last Royal Wedding: The Marriage of James VI and Anne of Denmark (Edinburgh, 1996), pp.17-56, 79-99; SSNE 1534.
SC-DN_06.
Patrick Vaus (of Barnbarroch, Knight, Comptroller), Envoy.
22/10/1589-15/12/1589
MISSION: To serve as a member of the marriage party.
NOTES: Left with James to retrieve Anna, returned with Lord Dingwall and forty-eight other Scots after James’s marriage.
SELECTED REFERENCES: Moysie, Memoirs, p.81; RPCS, vol.4 pp.399-400.
SC-DN_07.
John Skene (Advocate), Ambassador. William Stewart (Colonel), Ambassador.
9/6/1590-c.11/1590
MISSION: To attempt to complete negotiations for a Protestant League between Scotland, Denmark-Norway and the German princes.
NOTES: Nicholus Kass wrote to James regarding the mission when it was in Denmark-Norway. The ambassadors were in Hamburg on 7 July and visited several places including Denmark-Norway, Saxony, Bavaria, Holstein, Mecklenburg, Hesse, Pomerania, Hamburg, Brandenburg and Poland-Lithuania.
SELECTED REFERENCES: Warrender Papers, vol.2 pp.133-44; NLS, Ms 2912; TNA, SP 52/46 f.21; Moysie, Memoirs, p.84; RPCS, vol.4 pp.488-9; David Scott Gehring, Anglo-German Relations and the Protestant Cause: Elizabethan Foreign Policy and Pan-Protestantism. (London, 2013) pp.134-8.
SC-DN_08.
Peter Young (Master Almoner to the King), Ambassador.
c.5/1594-1594
MISSION: To carry invitations to Prince Henry’s baptism.
NOTES: Carried the invitation first to Denmark, and then went to the Dukes of Mecklenburg and Brunswick. Received three fair chains, likely one from each.
SELECTED REFERENCES: Moysie, Memoirs, p.117; James Melville, Memoirs of Sir James Melville of Halhill, 1535-1617, ed. by A. Francis Steuart (London, 1929), p.367; RPS 1594/4/96.
SC-DN_09.
Peter Young (Master Almoner to the King), Envoy. James Ogilvy (fifth Lord Ogilvy), Envoy.
<22/6/1596->29/9/1596
MISSION: To represent James at Christian IV’s coronation.
NOTES: Also sent to try and gain support for James’s claim to the English throne and to continue discussions of a Protestant League.
SELECTED REFERENCES: TNA SP 52/58 f.105, 52/59 f.54; RPS, A1596/9/4.
SC-DN_10.
David Cunningham (Bishop of Aberdeen), Envoy. Peter Young (Master Almoner to the King), Envoy.
6/1598-c.11/1598
MISSION: To gain support for James’s claim to the English throne.
NOTES: Sent to Denmark-Norway, and the German Princes. In Denmark in August 1598 and the German Princes in September-October 1598, returned to Denmark in late October 1598. Returned to Scotland c. November 1598 Received non-committal responses.
SELECTED REFERENCES: Spottiswood, vol.3 pp.75-6; Warrender Papers, vol.2 pp.358-65, 379-80; NRAS, 217/Box 14/461.
SC-DN_11.
William Stewart (Colonel), Envoy.
c.11/6/1598-
MISSION: To treat with Denmark-Norway.
NOTES: He accompanied Duke Ulric back to Denmark in 1598 where Stewart had a secret mission regarding 1) the English succession and 2) which German princes would possibly lend James VI their support as to the English succession.