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Chaseabout Raid
The Chaseabout Raid was a rebellion by James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, against his half sister, Mary, Queen of Scots, on 26 August 1565, over her marriage to Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. The rebels also claimed to be acting over other causes including bad governance, and religion in the name of the Scottish Reformation.[1] As the government and rebel forces moved back and forth across Scotland without fighting, the conflict became known as the "chase about raid." Queen Mary's forces were superior and the rebel lords fled to England where Queen Elizabeth censured the leader.[2] BackgroundThere were fears that Mary's marriage to Darnley signaled a return to Roman Catholicism. Moray is reported to have declared that he aimed at nothing else than "the maintenance of the true religion." The group of nobles and lairds opposing the wedding now included the Duke of Châtelherault, the Earls of Argyll, Glencairn, and Rothes,[3] and several lairds from Fife and Ayrshire. He had the support of John Knox.[4] There were rumours of a plot to kidnap Mary and Darnley in June as they were travelling near Loch Leven. They would be imprisoned at St Andrews Castle and Castle Campbell. It was unclear if there was a real plot, or the rumours were spread by the Queen's party to discredit Moray and Argyll.[5][6][7] After the wedding, Moray's faction assembled at Glasgow in July, and Duke and the earls met up at Dunoon Castle in Argyll in August 1565.[8] The English politician William Cecil gave a summary of the causes and situation in a letter:
UprisingThe rebels gathered in Ayrshire. Both sides needed money to support their troops in the field. Nicolas Elphinstone is said to have obtained £10,000 from England for the rebels. An English diplomat, John Tamworth, brought 3,000 crowns which was delivered to the Countess of Moray.[10] Mary tried to pawn some of her jewels in Edinburgh for 2,000 English marks, but no-one would lend this sum.[11] Mary spoke to the rich burgesses of Edinburgh, asking for loans to crush the rebellion. Six leading merchants were imprisoned till they obliged.[12] Mary discussed her response to the rebellion with Michel de Castelnau, the French ambassador in London, who came to Edinburgh and had audiences with her in the garden of Holyroodhouse.[13] Mary and Darnley issued a letter calling for armed support to come to Edinburgh on 25 August.[14] They set out from Holyrood to Linlithgow and Stirling on 26 August 1565, to move to Glasgow and confront the rebel force.[15] Her cannon followed, brought by John Chisholm, who had obtained funds from the Burgh of Edinburgh after Mary promised the town rights over Leith, the neighbouring port town.[16] The comptroller of the Scottish exchequer, John Wishart of Pitarrow, had sided with the rebellion and was replaced by William Murray of Tullibardine. The Provost of Edinburgh was also removed and Simon Preston of Craigmillar, a friend of Mary put in his place. Mary restored the honours of Lord Gordon as Earl of Huntly to ensure his support. The English diplomat Thomas Randolph claimed thieving and murder were rife, William Murray's lands were raided by Highlanders.[17] Mary was anxious for her crown, and wrote from Glasgow to Philip II of Spain, for help. She sent the letter with an English servant of Darnley, possibly Anthony Standen or his brother.[18] Thomas Randolph heard, but was sceptical, that Mary herself carried a pistol in her hand near while riding near Hamilton. Only one of one her ladies in waiting followed her. Darnley wore a "gylte corslet", while the rest of the army wore jacks which were usual worn in Scotland.[19] In York, Thomas Gargrave heard that Mary's forces had "500 hagbushes (hand-guns) and certain field peices: the others hath neither shot nor ordinance, nor any better holds than their dwelling houses".[20] The rebels left Hamilton, and Mary's force, nearby, turned to follow them and in stormy weather several of her followers were drowned in a flood on the way to Callendar.[21] On 31 August, Moray and his supporters arrived in Edinburgh with 1,000 or 1,200 men. The English diplomat Thomas Randolph doubted that this force could withstand the Queen and King's army, as they lacked "harquebusiers," soldiers with hand-guns. Edinburgh Castle was held for the Queen and began to shoot its cannon at the rebels in the town.[22] The rebel lords left Edinburgh. Mary came back to Edinburgh from Glasgow in early September and retired to Stirling Castle. Moray and his followers contemplated making for Carlisle in England. She visited Glasgow on 8 September, then on 9 September went to St Andrews securing Castle Campbell and Lochleven Castle on the way. She went on to Dundee and Perth, then back to Glasgow.[23] Moray's supporters retreated to Dumfries. On 10 September they sent Robert Melville to ask Elizabeth I of England for guns, money, troops, support from Lord Scrope at Carlisle, and naval assistance in the Forth.[24] The English ship, The Aide captained by Anthony Jenkinson arrived in the Forth on 25 September,[25] but was bombarded by the cannon on Inchkeith and returned to Berwick-upon-Tweed. Jenkynson intended to prevent Lord Seton bringing more munitions for Mary from France.[26] Tents, called "palyeonis" in the Scots language, were sent from Edinburgh to Mary's troops in Nithsdale and Annandale.[27] According to George Buchanan, the Queen's cause was aided by John Maxwell, 4th Lord Herries of Terregles who changed sides.[28] Moray failed to gather significant support and the rebellion was easily crushed by Mary, forcing Moray to flee.[29] This was a victory for Mary, although she had not confronted and defeated the rebels forces. On 19 October, Randolph described her return to Edinburgh, the "Queen is nowe retorned from her paynefull and greate jornaye. She roode farre with great expedition, myche troble of the whole countrie, and found not them whome she soughte, when she cam to her jornies ende".[30] Moray in EnglandMost of the rebels including Moray and Châtellerault crossed the border at Carlisle, then made their way to Newcastle upon Tyne,[31] but the Earl of Argyll stayed in Scotland in his western lands. Moray decided to go to London, and got as far as Royston in Hertfordshire, until he received a letter from Elizabeth I of England to stop as he was not invited and a rebel against his own queen. He was then brought to Westminster on 23 October 1565 to explain himself to Elizabeth and the French ambassadors. Moray had hoped his pregnant wife Agnes Keith would join him in England, sailing in Charles Wilson's ship. She stayed in St Andrews, and had their eldest daughter, Elizabeth, later Countess of Moray.[32] It was said that Mary and Darnley's relationship decayed after the Chaseabout Raid, or "Journey of Dumfreis". Darnley became jealous of David Rizzio who had a role in brokering pardons for the rebels,[33] including Moray.[34] Elizabeth told Moray that "itt were no Prince's part to think well of your doinges, ... and, she wolde putt allso her helping hande too make them to understand the dutye which the subject owght to bear towarddes the Prynce." Moray declared he had not intended anything to the danger of Mary's person.[35] Moray stayed in England at Newcastle over the winter and returned to Scotland on 10 March 1566. Mary had summoned him for trial, and David Rizzio had just been murdered. Moray was reconciled with Mary and back on the Scottish Privy Council by 29 April 1566.[36] Complaints against MaryThe rebels at Dumfries justified their cause by listing their complaints against Mary and her rule, which were sent to England in the hope of gaining recognition and support. These included specific details of the finance of the Church of Scotland, and were, in summary;[37]
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