Chapter 2

SCOTTISH MOSMAN FAMILIES 

Flag of Scotland 

It has been possible to trace the early Scottish Mosman family to the late 15th Century because they were goldsmiths who had close associations with Scottish royalty whose history has been well documented and preserved. Their history was complex and eventful and it has been suggested that a summary of the royal history might help give a better understanding of the impact the lives of the early Scottish Mosmans. In this history the Mosman names are shown in bold. 

Scottish Royal Families 1473-1625

James IV 1473-1513

James IV of Scotland 

James married Henry VII’s daughter Margaret Tudor in 1503, an act that would ultimately unite the two kingdoms a century later. This didn’t improve relations with England when James’s troops invaded Northumberland. He was defeated by the Earl of Surrey and James and most of the Scottish leaders were killed. Andrew Mosman survived the battle and was knighted by the Queen with 500 other survivors in the name of the baby King James V. 

James V 1512-1542

James V of Scotland 

Still an infant at the time of his father’s death at Flodden, the early years of James' reign were under regencies. James did not really start to gain control and rule the country until 1528 when he finally escaped the custody of his stepfather.

James policies were largely motivated by the pursuit of wealth. John Mosman crafted gold and jewels for the King, including the Scottish Crown, and was rewarded by knighthood.

The rivalry among France, England and the Holy Roman Empire lent James unwanted diplomatic weight, and saw him secure two politically and financially advantageous French marriages, first to Madeleine of Valois and then to Mary of Guise. James also fathered at least nine illegitimate children by a series of mistresses. His only surviving legitimate child, Mary, succeeded him at the age of just six days old.

His reign coincided with the Scottish Protestant Reformation, especially after Henry VIII broke from the Catholic Church. James V was strongly Catholic and did not tolerate Protestant heresy and during his reign a number of outspoken Protestants were persecuted. The Scottish Reformation was led by John Knox, founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland.

James V died in1542, aged thirty. The king had been ill on a number of occasions during the previous few years. Evidently, his immune system was weak. It is likely that James V died from cholera or dysentery, rather than rumored shame or despair brought on by the news of his troops defeat at the battle of Solway Moss.

Mary Queen of Scots 1542-1586

Mary Queen of Scots

Mary was born just a week before her father King James V died. At age 6 she was sent to France in 1548 to marry the Dauphin, a young French prince of similar young age, in order to secure a Catholic alliance against England. In 1561, after her husband died still in his teens, Mary returned to Scotland. At this time Scotland was in the throes of the Reformation and a widening Protestant-Catholic split. A Protestant husband for Mary seemed the best chance for stability. Mary married her cousin Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley in 1565, and in 1566. James Mosman, goldsmith to the Queen, was knighted during the wedding ceremony for his service to the Queen. 

In 1566 Darnley and Mary had a son James. Mary’s son, the future King James VI, was baptised into the Catholic faith at Stirling Castle. This caused alarm amongst the Protestants. 

The marriage was not a success. After Darnley died in mysterious circumstances. Mary sought comfort in and married James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, who had been implicated in Darnley’s death. Following an uprising against the couple, Mary was imprisoned in Lochleven Castle. On 24 July 1567, she was forced to abdicate in favour of her one-year-old son, James VI.

Mary eventually escaped and fled to England. In Protestant England, Catholic Mary’s arrival provoked a political crisis for Queen Elizabeth I. It was during her imprisonment that supporters of Mary, including Sir James Mosman occupied Edinburgh Castle during the ‘Lang Siege’. Sir James helped raise money for the siege, hid the Crown Jewels and minted coin for Mary’s. supporters. When the siege ended he was arrested, sentenced and executed. 

After 19 years of imprisonment in various castles throughout England, Mary was found guilty of treason for plotting against Elizabeth and in 1586 she was beheaded at Fotheringhay.

James VI of Scotland 1566-1625 and James I of England 1603-1625

James VI of Scotland, James I of England

James became King at just 13 months following the abdication of his mother. In his late teens he assumed real power from his regencies and quickly established a strong centralised authority. He married Anne of Denmark in 1589.

As the great-grandson of Margaret Tudor, he succeeded to the English throne when Elizabeth I died in 1603, thus ending the centuries-old Anglo-Scots border wars.

Early Scottish Mosman History

This fascinating history is shown in two parts:

2.1 Scottish Mosman families 1400-1600

2.2. Scottish Mosman families 1600-1799