CiiuKcir IIP St. Jdhx tiik liArTii^T, L)ali;v. 81 



ecclesiastical state of Dairy in the middle of the lOtli century, for 

 although confirmed by King James VI. in 1578, the original cliarter 

 was really granted and drawn up at Ediubui'gh in looG, and brings 

 before us several notable persons, alive when the charter was 

 granted, but deceased at its confirmation. The patron was the 

 notorious James, f]arl of Hothwell, husband of Queen Mary, who 

 was banished and died abroad just a year before the confirmation 

 of the charter. Both granter and grantee were Hepburnes, the 

 former a brother of the last Pre-Reformation Bishop of Moray. 

 He was first prior of St. Andrews, then in 1535 Bishop of Moray, 

 and perpetual commendator of Scone Al)bey, and filled various 

 high positions. Although deprived of his Bishopric at the Refor- 

 mation, he kept possession of his Episcopal residence at Spynie 

 Castle, and died thei'e June 20, 1573, and was buried in the choir 

 of Elgin Cathedral. The only ecclesiastic connected with St. 

 John's in 155G who was not a Ilepbunie was one of the attesting- 

 witnesses, Mr David Forman, pensionary vicar of Dairy. 



The next entry brings us down to the year 1581, when, owing 

 to the forfeiture of the Earl of Bothwell, who, as we have just 

 seen, died in 1577, all his titles and vast jjossessions came to be 

 vested, by gift of the crown, in his nephew, Francis Stewart, a 

 grandson of King James V., who was at the same time appointed 

 Lord High Admiral of Scotland. This sudden rise came to as 

 quick a downfall, for in ten years, viz., 1591, the new Earl was 

 himself forfeited, and deprived of all the honours and great estate 

 the favour of his sovereign had conferred upon him. Becoming 

 deeply involved in the religious and political intrigues of that 

 time, as represented by the great contending parties owning 

 allegiance to Queen Mary or her son, and being, as Hill Burton 

 calls him, •• perhaps the most daring, powerful, and unprincipled of 

 all the higher nobles," very soon came under a like ban of foi-feit- 

 ure with his uncle, and so also fled the country, and died abroad. 

 The next entry, dated Aug., 1591, follows as a direct result of this 

 forfeiture, the barony of Earlston being detached from the vast 

 estates of the Eai'ls of Bothwell and conferred upon Andrew, 

 Master of Ochiltree, a son of the good Lord Ochiltree, who did so 

 much in forwarding the Reformation, .-^o far the Registers of the 

 (xreat Seal. 



From the Acts of the Scottish Parliament two entries are 

 given, the first being a ratification of the roj-al grant to Franci-; 



