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James IV of Scotland

 
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: James IV
 
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(born March 17, 1473 — died Sept. 9, 1513, near Branxton, Northumberland, Eng.) King of Scotland (1488 – 1513). He unified his country, gaining control over all northern and western Scotland by 1493. He fought border skirmishes with England (1495 – 97) in support of a pretender to the English throne. His marriage (1503) to Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII, helped stabilize relations between the two countries, but in 1512 he allied with France against England. He invaded England in support of the French in 1513; his army was defeated at the Battle of Flodden, and James was killed.

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British History: James IV
 
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James IV (1473-1513), king of Scots (1488-1513). The eldest son of James III and Margaret of Denmark, James IV was born at Stirling castle on 17 March 1473. The successful rising against his father in 1488 associated his name with an act of regicide and patricide, and he undertook elaborate penances to atone for his role in James III's death. Yet the young king benefited greatly from the manner of his accession, for he was assisted by many magnates who had found his father's rule unacceptable, and who had no choice but to support him. And at the outset of James IV's personal rule, in the spring of 1495, there was no violent political upheaval, but a smooth transition.

In almost every respect, King James's government affords a sharp contrast with that of his father. The king was a tireless traveller, driving the justice ayres in the south and north-east, intervening in major feuds, and he placed himself at the centre of a glittering court. His expenditure on building, especially on Holyrood palace and the King's House and great hall at Stirling castle, was large, his lavishing of money on a royal navy spectacular. An insight into James's court is provided not only by the treasurer's accounts but also by the poetry of William Dunbar and Robert Carver's astonishing nineteen-part motet ‘O bone Jesu’.

Recognizing that parliaments were often a focus for criticism of the crown, James IV called only three in the seventeen years of his adult rule. The money he needed for his navy, his building programmes, above all for his wars, was acquired through rigorous exploitation of feudal casualties, by income from profits of justice, by taxation of a loyal clergy, by the imposition of two Acts of revocation (1498 and 1504), and perhaps above all by setting royal lands in feu-farm in the later years of the reign.

In foreign affairs, James IV adopted a high-risk policy which proved broadly successful. His invasions of Northumberland (1496-7), ostensibly in support of the Yorkist pretender Perkin Warbeck but in fact to utilize the military talents of the Scottish nobility and put pressure on Henry VII, provoked the English king into furious retaliation. But the Cornish rising of 1497, born partly out of resentment at heavy taxation to support the Scottish war, put an end to Henry's efforts to chastise the Scots; and the eventual alternative was the treaty of Perpetual Peace of 1502, as a result of which James IV married Henry's daughter Margaret Tudor August 1503).

This union of the Thistle and the Rose did little to improve Anglo-Scottish relations. The real Scottish understanding was with Louis XII of France, who from 1502 to 1513 provided James IV with shipwrights, soldiers, ships, money, and munitions. A naval race with the English resulted in the construction of the Scottish Margaret followed by the English Mary Rose; and in October 1511 James attended the launch at Newhaven of the Michael, briefly the largest warship in northern Europe. When the young Henry VIII sought to renew the Hundred Years War in 1512-13, James made a formal treaty with Louis XII, invaded England, and took Norham castle by storm. However, on 9 September 1513 James rashly committed himself to battle against the earl of Surrey at Flodden and was killed, together with no fewer than nine of his earls, a striking if tragic reflection of his popularity in Scotland.

 
Archaeology Dictionary: James IV
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[Na]

King of Scotland of the House of Stewart from 1488. Born 1473, son of James III. Married Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII of England. Killed in battle in 1513 aged 40, having reigned 25 years.
 
Columbia Encyclopedia: James IV
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James IV, 1473–1513, king of Scotland (1488–1513), son and successor of James III. He was an able and popular king, and his reign was one of stability and progress for Scotland. After suppressing an insurrection of discontented nobles early in his reign, he set about restoring order, improving administrative and judicial procedure in the kingdom, and encouraging manufacturing and shipbuilding. A conflict with Henry VII of England over James's support of Perkin Warbeck, pretender to the English throne, ended with the conclusion of a seven-year truce in 1497. In 1503, James married Henry's daughter, Margaret Tudor. This marriage was to bring the Stuart line to the English throne in 1603. When Henry VIII ascended (1509) the English throne, relations between Scotland and England deteriorated. In 1512, Louis XII of France, already at war with England, urged and secured a renewal of his alliance with the Scottish king. In 1513, James, against the counsel of his advisers, invaded England, where at the battle of Flodden he was killed and the Scottish aristocracy was almost annihilated.

Bibliography

See biography by R. L. Mackie (1958, repr. 1964).

 
Occultism & Parapsychology Encyclopedia: James IV of Scotland
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(1473-1513)

The romantic nature of King James IV of Scotland led him to encourage the study of alchemy and the occult sciences during his reign. Born on March 17, 1473, in Stirling Castle, Scotland, James grew up to be crowned king in 1488 and reigned until his death on September 9, 1513, in Branxton, England. William Dunbar, in his Remonstrance, refers to the patronage that James bestowed upon alchemists and charlatans, and in the treasurer's accounts there are numerous payments for the "quinta essencia" (the "fifth essence," the spiritual goal of alchemy), including wages to the persons employed and utensils of various kinds. Following is a letter from King James to one Master James Inglis: "We graciously accept your kindness, by which in a letter brought to us you signify that you have beside you certain books learned in the philosophy of the true Alchemy, and that although most worthy men have sought them from you, you have nevertheless with difficulty kept them for our use, because you had heard of our enthusiasm for the art. We bring you thanks … and we have sent our familiar, Master James Merchenistoun, to you, that he may see to the transfer hither of those books which you wish us to have; whom receive in good faith in our name. Farewell. From our Palace at Edinburgh."

In addition to promoting alchemy, James was also caught up in the witchcraft hysteria of his day and wrote a book that promoted witch-hunts.

 
Wikipedia: James IV of Scotland
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James IV
King of Scots
Reign 11 June 1488–9 September 1513
Coronation 24 June 1488
Predecessor James III
Successor James V
Spouse Margaret Tudor
Issue
James, Duke of Rothesay (infant)
Arthur, Duke of Rothesay (infant)
James V
Alexander, Duke of Ross (infant)
Father James III
Mother Margaret of Denmark
Born 17 March 1473(1473-03-17)
Stirling Castle, Scotland
Died 9 September 1513 (aged 40)
Battle of Flodden Field, Northumberland

James IV (17 March 1473 – 9 September 1513) was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last Britannic monarch to be killed in battle.

Contents

Early life

James IV was the son of James III and Margaret of Denmark, probably born in Stirling Castle. As heir apparent to the Scottish crown he became Duke of Rothesay. His father was not a popular king and faced two major rebellions during his reign. During the second rebellion the rebels set up the 15-year-old James as their nominal leader. His father was killed fighting the rebels at the Battle of Sauchieburn on 11 June 1488, and James took the throne and was crowned at Scone on 24 June. When he 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.[citation needed]

Reign

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. For a time, he supported Perkin Warbeck, the pretender to the English throne, and carried out a brief invasion of England on his behalf in 1496. However, he recognized that peace between Scotland and England was in the interest of both countries, and established good diplomatic relations with England, at that time emerging from a period of Civil War, and in 1502 signed the Treaty of Perpetual Peace with Henry VII. He also saw the importance in building a fleet that could provide Scotland with a strong maritime presence. James founded two new dockyards for the purpose and acquired a total of 38 ships for the Royal Scottish Navy, including the Margaret, and the carrack Michael or Great Michael. This latter, built at great expense at Newhaven and launched in 1511, was 240 feet (73 m) in length, weighed 1,000 tons and was, at that time, the largest ship in Europe.

Arms of James IV

James was a true Renaissance prince with an interest in practical and scientific matters. He 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. He was a patron of the arts, including many literary figures, most notably the Scots makars whose diverse and socially observant works convey a vibrant and memorable picture of cultural life and intellectual concerns in the period. Figures associated with his court include William Dunbar, Walter Kennedy and Gavin Douglas who made the first complete translation of Virgil's Aeneid in northern Europe. His reign also saw the passing of the makar Robert Henryson.

James was well educated and a fluent linguist. In 1499 the Spanish envoy Pedro de Ayala reported that he was able to "speak Latin, French, German, Flemish, Italian and the barbarian Gaelic, the native tongue of nearly all his subjects".[1] He was the last King of Scots who is known to have spoken Scottish Gaelic. The king's interest extended beyond acquisition of languages; as part of a language deprivation experiment, James sent two children to be raised by a mute woman alone on an island, to determine if language was learned or innate.[2] [This citation is flawed]

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 9 September, 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's bloodstained coat was sent to Henry VIII of England (then on campaign in France) by his queen Catherine of Aragon.[3] Rumours persisted that James had survived and had gone into exile, but there is no evidence to support them.

Legacy

James's decision to invade England is often seen as ill-considered. Though the military force was adequate for the task, the Battle of Flodden was lost through poor generalship. Undoubtedly his death ushered in a period of prolonged instability in Scotland.

Marriage

After signing the Treaty of Perpetual Peace with Henry VII of England, he married Henry's daughter Margaret Tudor on 8 August 1503 at Holyrood Abbey, Edinburgh.

The union produced six children:[4]

  • James, Duke of Rothesay (b. Holyrood Palace, 21 February 1507 – d. Stirling Castle, 27 February 1508).
  • An unnamed daughter, stillborn at Holyrood Palace on 15 July 1508.
  • Arthur, Duke of Rothesay (b. Holyrood Palace, 20 October 1509 – d. Edinburgh Castle, 14 July 1510).
  • James V (b. Linlithgow Palace, 15 April 1512 – d. Falkland Palace, Fife, 14 December 1542), the only one to reach adulthood and successor of his father.
  • A second stillborn daughter at Holyrood Palace on November 1512.
  • Alexander, Duke of Ross (b. Stirling Castle, 30 April 1514 – d. Stirling Castle, 18 December 1515), born after James's death.

Illegitimate children

James also had five illegitimate children with four different mistresses:[5]

Titles and styles

  • 17 March 1473–11 June 1488: The Duke of Rothesay
  • 11 June 1488–9 September 1513: His Grace The King

Ancestors

Notes

  1. ^ http://www.nwlink.com/~scotlass/jamesiv.htm
  2. ^ "First Language Acquisition". Western Washington University. http://pandora.cii.wwu.edu/vajda/ling201/test4materials/ChildLangAcquisition.htm. Retrieved on 2007-02-03. : Source, 'History of Scotland Lindsay of Pitscottie
  3. ^ Find a Grave — James IV King of Scots
  4. ^ The Peerage — James IV
  5. ^ Complete Genealogy of the House of Stuart

References

  • James the Fourth, Norman Macdougall (2006 with two earlier issues, regarded as definitive).
  • King James IV of Scotland, R.L. Mackie (1958, the most important previous biography).
  • Ashley, Mike (2002). British Kings & Queens. Carroll & Graf. ISBN 0-7867-1104-3. 
James IV of Scotland
Born: 17 March 1473 Died: 9 September 1513
Regnal titles
Preceded by
James III		 King of Scots
11 June 1488–9 September 1513		 Succeeded by
James V
Preceded by
John II		 Lord of the Isles
1493–1513		 Succeeded by
James V of Scotland
Scottish royalty
Preceded by
Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany		 Heir of Scotland
as heir apparent
17 March 1473–11 June 1488		 Succeeded by
James Stewart, Duke of Ross
v • d • e
Pictish and Scottish Monarchs
Monarchs of the Picts
(traditional)
Monarchs of the Scots
(traditional)
Kenneth I MacAlpin · Donald I · Constantine I (II) · Áed · Giric · Eochaid (doubtful) · Donald II · Constantine II (III) · Malcolm I · Indulf · Dub · Cuilén · Amlaíb · Kenneth II · Constantine III (IV) · Kenneth III · Malcolm II · Duncan I · Macbeth · Lulach · Malcolm III Canmore · Donald III · Duncan II · Donald III · Edgar · Alexander I · David I · Malcolm IV · William I · Alexander II · Alexander III · Margaret (disputed)  · First Interregnum · John · Second Interregnum · Robert I · David II · Robert II · Robert III · James I · James II · James III · James IV · James V · Mary I · James VI* · Charles I* · Charles II · The Covenanters · The Protectorate · Charles II* · James VII* · Mary II* · William II* · Anne*
* also monarch of England and Ireland.
v • d • e
Dukes of Rothesay

HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay (1952–present)
 David (1398–1402) · James I (1402–1406) · Alexander (1430) · James II (1430–1437) · James III (1452–1460) · James IV (1473–1488) · James (1507–1508)  · Arthur (1509–1510) · James V (1512–1513) · James (1540–1541) · James VI (1566–1567)  · Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales (1603–1612) · Charles I (1612–1625) · Charles James (1629) · Charles II (1630–1649) · Prince James (1688–1689) · George II (1714–1727) · Prince Frederick (1727–1751)  · George IV (1762–1820) · Edward VII (1841–1901) · George V (1901–1910) · Edward VIII (1910–1936)

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
British History. A Dictionary of British History. Copyright © 2001, 2004 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.  Read more
Archaeology Dictionary. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology. Copyright © 2002, 2003 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.  Read more
Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/  Read more
Occultism & Parapsychology Encyclopedia. Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. Copyright © 2001 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "James IV of Scotland".  Read more

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