Robert Spottiswoode

Sir Robert Spottiswoode (Spottiswood, Spotiswood, Spotswood) (1596 – 20 January 1646) was Lord President of the Court of Session and member of the Privy Council to James VI of Scotland, and Lord President of the College of Justice and Secretary for Scotland, appointed by Charles I of Scotland.

For the English football player and manager, see Bob Spottiswood.

Life

Sir Robert was the son of John Spottiswoode and his wife Rachel Lindsay, daughter of David Lindsay (d. 1613), Bishop of Ross.

Sir Robert was a man of great learning and merit. His wisdom and knowledge of the law came to the attention of King James VI of Scotland , who appointed him Lord President of the Court of Session and a member of the Privy Council. He was later appointed Lord President of the College of Justice by Charles I of Scotland.

Charles I, having erected the Bishopric of Edinburgh, pleaded with Sir Robert to part with his lands of New Abbey in 1634, which he gave as part of a patrimony to his new Bishopric. Though Sir Robert acceded to the wishes of the King, he was not paid for the lands. The estate of the Bishops was soon abrogated, however, and the King restored Sir Robert to his former rights, and gave back his title deeds in 1641. But Sir Robert was obnoxious to the prevailing faction, and was obliged to leave the Kingdom, so the estates continued in possession of the Crown.

In his role as Secretary of State for Scotland, after the victory of Kilsyth removed the last local Covenantor army, he carried the commission to the victorious Montrose for the summoning of a free Scottish parliament. When Montrose marched towards England Sir Robert was captured at the battle of Philiphaugh and after his surrender, tried and executed by his captors. He was beheaded using an early Scots execution machine called the maiden at St. Andrews.

Family

Sir Robert married in 1629 Bertha Morrison, eldest daughter of Sir Alexander Morison of Preston Grange, one of the Senators of the College of Justice, and wife Eleanor Maule. They had three sons:

  • John, died in Ireland shortly before the restoration of Charles II of Scotland in 1660.
  • Alexander, succeeded to the barony of Spottiswoode. His descendants resided at Spottiswoode, the hereditary estate.
  • Dr. Robert Spottiswoode, appointed by Charles II of Scotland physician to the Governor and Garrison of Tangier, Morocco. He went there with the John Middleton, 1st Earl of Middleton. Dr. Robert married Catherine Maxwell Elliott (c. 1638 - December 1709), a widow, and had one son:
  1. Alexander Spotswood

Death

Sir Robert was executed at St. Andrews for his loyalty to the Stuarts on 20 January 1646.

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References
  • Seldens of Virginia and allied families, Volume 2 (1911) by Mary Seldon Kennedy
  • A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain and Ireland (1852) by Sir Bernard Burke.
  • Murder of Sir Robert Spottiswoode',The Spottiswoode Miscellany:A Collection of Original Papers and Tracts Illustrative Chiefly of the Civil and Ecclesiastical History of Scotland, Volume 1 (Edinburgh, 1844), pp. 201–212.
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