Alexander Durham

Alexander Durham (died 1584) was a Scottish courtier and administrator.

His appointments included, clerk in the Exchequer, administrator of John Stewart of Coldingham, and Master of the Wardrobe to King James VI.[1] He was also known as "Sandy Durhame" or "Durame". Another member of the family, "Andrew" or Alexander Durham, worked in the spice house of the kitchen of Mary of Guise.[2]

Durham was argentier or "argentar" to Mary of Guise and Mary, Queen of Scots. This role included taking receipt of an income funding the royal household called the "thirds of benefices" derived from teinds. The money was collected by men working for the exchequer, like George Wishart of Drymme.[3] From 1 October 1565 up to 2 January 1568 he received £4833-6s-8d on top of £23,351-13-4d already paid to him from the Thirds, for the expenses of the houses and "avery" (horse fodder) of Queen Mary and James VI of Scotland.[4]

In August 1564 Durham took up a contribution of £124-10s-8d from Coupar Angus Abbey towards the expenses of the queen's hunting trip in Atholl and Glen Tilt and her journey to Inverness.[5]

In March 1572 Durham paid for cloth to make gown and smocks for six children, an Easter ceremony. The number of gowns matched the age of James VI.[6]

His son Alexander, also known as "Sandy Durham" was present at the Scottish court, a former servant of Lord Darnley in 1568, who was ready to work for James VI, being "of good mind to be employed to be employed in his minute and small affairs".[7] The family came to own and rebuild Duntarvie Castle.

He died in 1584 and was buried at the Holy Rude Kirk in Stirling.

Family

Alexander Durham married Elizabeth Murray: Their children included:

  • Alexander Durham younger, was a servant to Lord Darnley, and was bought green clothes in January 1566.[8] In 1567 he was suspected of involvement in Darnley's murder. He was asked to bring a marten fur, a "couverture de maytres" (perhaps a zibellino), from the Queen's chamber at the Kirk o'Field to Margaret Carwood.[9]
  • James Durham of Duntarvie, a member of the royal household as clerk of expenses who was suspected of involvement in the Raid of Holyrood in 1591.[10] He served as Chamberlain for Linlithgowshire between 1595 and 1600.[11] His daughter Janet Durham married James Durham of Pitkerrow (died 1633).
  • possibly, Elizabeth Durham, who married William Baillie, Lord Provand

The main branch of the Durham family lived at the Grange of Monifieth (near Dundee). Eufame Durham (died 1580) was the wife of John Strachan or Strathauchin, the builder of Claypotts Castle. She was a sister of Robert Durham of the Grange of Monifeith.[12]

References
  1. Gordon Donaldson, Thirds of Benefices (Edinburgh: SHS, 1949), p. 193.
  2. Andrea Thomas, Princelie Majestie, p. 241: James Balfour Paul, Accounts of the Treasurer, vol. 7 (Edinburgh, 1907), p. 131: The royal household accounts show that he was in Edinburgh Castle with Mary of Guise in 1560.
  3. John Hill Burton, Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 1545-1569, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1877), pp. 497-8.
  4. Gordon Donaldson, Thirds of Benefices (Edinburgh: SHS, 1949), p. 190.
  5. Charles Rogers, Rental Book of the Cistercian Abbey of Cupar-Angus Abbey, vol. 2 (London, 1880), p. 281.
  6. Charles Thorpe McInnes, Accounts of the Treasurer, vol. 12 (Edinburgh, 1970), p. 303.
  7. Gordon Donaldson, Thirds of Benefices (Edinburgh: SHS, 1949), p. 193.
  8. Accounts of the Treasurer, vol. 11, p. 457.
  9. Agnes Strickland, Lives of the Queens of Scotland, vol. (London, 1854), p. 152.
  10. David Moysie, Memoirs of the Affairs of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1755), p. 181.
  11. HMC 5th Report: M. E. Stirling (London, 1879), p. 648.
  12. Michael R. Apted, Claypotts, Angus (Edinburgh: HMSO, 1957), p. 12.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.