James IV of Scotland
| James IV of Scotland | |
|---|---|
| King of Scots | |
 | |
| Reign | 1488–1513 |
| Coronation | June 24 1488 |
| Predecessor | James III |
| Successor | James V |
| House | Stewart |
| Father | James III |
| Mother | Margaret of Denmark |
James IV (March 17 1473 – September 9 1513) was King of Scots from 1488 to his death.
Life and work
As the son of King James III and Margaret of Denmark, James IV was probably born in Stirling Castle. After his father was killed at the battle of Sauchieburn on June 11, 1488, the fifteen-year-old James took the throne and was crowned at Scone on June 24. The rebels who had gathered at Sauchieburn had done so with James supposedly as their figurehead. When James realised the indirect role which he had played in the death of his father, he decided to do penance for his sin. From that date on, he wore a heavy iron chain cilice around his waist, next to the skin, each Lent as penance.
James IV quickly proved to be an effective ruler. He defeated another rebellion in 1489, took a direct interest in the administration of justice and finally brought the Lord of the Isles under control in 1493. James was well educated and it was claimed that he was fluent in Scots, English, Scottish Gaelic, Latin, French, German, Italian, Flemish, Spanish and Danish; he was the patron of the Scottish makar, or poet, William Dunbar, who is known for his song "Lament of the Makaris," (which is often called after its refrain: "Timor Mortis conturbat me"-- Latin for "the fear of Death frightens/confounds me.") an 'Ubi sunt Qui ante Nos Fuerent' poem in which Dunbar laments past makars including Chaucer, and speaks of the general transitory nature of the "wald."
He was a true Renaissance prince with an interest in practical and scientific matters. James granted the Edinburgh College of Surgeons a royal charter in 1506, turned Edinburgh Castle into one of Britain's foremost gun foundries, and welcomed the establishment of Scotland's first printing press in 1505.
James also loved ships and saw the importance in Scotland having a large navy. He acquired 38 ships for the Royal Scottish Navy and founded two new dockyards. His finest creation was the carrack Michael. Launched in 1511, she weighed 1,000 tons, was 240 feet (73 m) in length and was then the largest ship in Europe.
For a time, he supported the pretender to the English throne Perkin Warbeck and carried out a brief invasion of England on his behalf. Despite this, James finally recognized that peace between Scotland and England was in the interest of both countries, and so signed the Treaty of Perpetual Peace (1502) and married Henry VII's daughter Margaret Tudor, on August 8, 1503, at Holyrood Abbey, Edinburgh.
When war broke out between England and France as a result of the Italian Wars, James found himself in a difficult position as his obligations under the Auld Alliance with France conflicted with the treaty made with England in 1502. The new king of England, Henry VIII, attempted to invade France in 1513, and James reacted by declaring war on England. Hoping to take advantage of Henry's absence, he led an invading army southward, only to be killed, with many of his nobles and common soldiers, at the disastrous Battle of Flodden Field on September 9, ending Scotland's involvement in the War of the League of Cambrai. A body, thought to be his, was recovered from the battlefield and taken to London for burial. Because he was excommunicated, the embalmed body lay unburied for many years in the monastery of Sheen in Surrey, and was lost after the Reformation. James' bloodstained coat was sent to Henry VIII of England (then on campaign in France) by his queen Catherine of Aragon. [1]
Rumors persisted that James had survived and had gone into exile, but there is no evidence to support them.
Ancestors
| James IV of Scotland | Father: James III of Scotland |
Paternal Grandfather: James II of Scotland |
Paternal Great-grandfather: James I of Scotland |
| Paternal Great-grandmother: Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scotland | |||
| Paternal Grandmother: Mary of Guelders |
Paternal Great-grandfather: Arnold, Duke of Gelderland | ||
| Paternal Great-grandmother: Catherine of Cleves | |||
| Mother: Margaret of Denmark |
Maternal Grandfather: Christian I of Denmark |
Maternal Great-grandfather: Dietrich of Oldenburg | |
| Maternal Great-grandmother: Helvig of Schauenburg | |||
| Maternal Grandmother: Dorothea of Brandenburg |
Maternal Great-grandfather: John, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach | ||
| Maternal Great-grandmother: Barbara of Saxe-Wittenberg |
Legacy
James's decision to invade England is often seen as ill-considered. However it has been argued that it can be criticised only if Scotland was not entitled to pursue an independent foreign policy, and the military force was adequate for the task, but the Battle of Flodden was lost through poor generalship. Undoubtedly his death ushered in a period of prolonged instability in Scotland.
However, James had granted the Edinburgh College of Surgeons a royal charter in 1506, expanded Edinburgh Castle into a major gun foundry, and welcomed Scotland's first printing press in 1505. He had expanded the Royal Scottish Navy with 38 more ships, creating 2 new dockyards.
James IV and Margaret Tudor had six children, the last born posthumously: [1]
- James, Duke of Rothesay (21 February 1507 Holyrood Palace - 27 February 1508 Stirling Castle)
- Daughter (Stillborn 15 July 1508 Holyrood Palace)
- Arthur, Duke of Rothesay (20 October 1509 Holyrood Palace - 14 July 1510 Edinburgh Castle)
- Prince James (1512-1542)
- Daughter (Stillborn November 1512 Holyrood Palace)
- Alexander Stewart, Duke of Ross (30 April 1514 - 18 December 1515). He was born and died at Stirling Castle.
James also had seven illegitimate children by four different mistresses:
- with Janet Kennedy:
- James
- two children who died in infancy
- with Marion Boyd:
- Alexander
- Catherine Stewart, who married James Douglas, 3rd Earl of Morton
- with Margaret Drummond:
- Margaret
- with Isabel Buchan, daughter of James Stewart, 1st Earl of Buchan:
James IV is also significant in Scottish history as the last King of Scots who is known to have spoken Scottish Gaelic.
Notes
- ^ Find-a-Grave, Findagrave.com webpage: FindaGrave.
References
- James the Fourth, Norman MacDougall (the most recent biography, regarded as definitive).
- King James IV of Scotland, R.L. Mackie (the most important previous biography).
- Ashley, Mike (2002). British Kings & Queens. Carroll & Graf. ISBN 0-7867-1104-3.
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