May 4, 1584 - Beheaded on Castle Hill was Sir William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie, 4th Lord Ruthven was executed on the orders of King James VI for treason. He was the son of Patrick Ruthven, 3rd Lord Ruthven and Janet Douglas. He married Dorothea Stewart, daughter of Henry Stewart, 1st Lord Methven and Lady Janet Stewart, on 17 August 1561. It seems he had kidnapped the king and held him for over a year to ensure the supremacy of the Presbyterian Church in Scotland. Eventually King James VI decided to destroy the Ruthven family and this he did in the next generation, killing all the males save two. One of whom is my ancestor. In the immediate aftermath, there was considerable sentiment in Scotland that the king had invented the conspiracy in order to cover his own attempts to eradicate the Gowrie family whom he believed (correctly) to be disloyal. James fueled this belief with his pursuit of the two younger Gowrie brothers, who were unquestionably innocent of any involvement. It is also believed that James owed John Ruthven a considerable amount of money (perhaps as much as ₤80,000), and that this may have provided impetus for eliminating the Ruthven family. Gowries two younger brothers, William and Patrick Ruthven, fled to England. After the accession of James to the English throne, William allegedly escaped to Virginia and changed his name to Ruffin. Patrick was captured and imprisoned for nineteen years in the Tower of London. William Ruffin, surviving son of the 1st Earl had a daughter, Katherine, who married Arthur Whitehead in Virginia in 1671. My mother, Louise Whitehead, was their descendant. Katherine Ruffin—Arthur Whitehead, Jr.—Lt. Colonel William Whitehead—Lt. Col. Jacob Whitehead—Jacob Whitehead, Jr.—Archibald Whitehead—Joseph Whitehead—Nicodemus Whitehead—Lemuel Roscoe Whitehead, Sr.—Archie B. Whitehead—Louise Whitehead—Ky W. White This makes the Earl executed by King James VI my 11th Great-Grandfather
Posted on: Sun, 04 May 2014 01:20:35 +0000
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