[MR] Death of King James I of Scotland

[Garth Groff via Atlantia]

Noble Friends, Especially Fellow Scots,

On 21 February 1437, King James I of Scotland was assassinated while 
hiding in a sewer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_I_of_Scotland . 
Do not confuse this James I with his descendant James I of England, who 
was also James VI of Scotland.

James' life was as complicated as the royal numbering, but in summary, 
during Scotland's fractious political infighting of his youth against 
his relatives the Albany Stewarts, young James was sent to France in 
early 1406 for his safety. Some safety! His ship was captured by 
pirates, who sold the young prince to Henry IV of England. James was to 
remain a "guest" of the English for the next 18 years. He was treated 
well, received a good education, campaigned with the English against the 
French and Scots during the Hundred Years War (where he had a number of 
his own countrymen hanged), and was allowed to attend court were he 
learned the English ways of governing. The Henrys, IV and V, hoped to 
make a pliable ally of James. When James was finally released (with a 
30,000 pound hotel bill and a very noble English bride), he returned to 
Scotland to ruthlessly consolidate his power, both domestic and 
internationally, and turned against his former English "hosts". As taste 
of things to come, he stiffed the English over his ransom and allowed 
some of the substitute Scottish hostages to die in English prisons. 
Also, to promote archery along the English model, he banned such sports 
as golf and tennis (except for himself and his cronies), taking aim 
especially at Scottish foot ball--a very bad move to the national 
passion. By 1437 almost everybody in Scotland, from disgruntled sports 
fans to the entire nobility, hated James. He was finally offed by a 
cabal of his own disaffected nobles while staying at the Greyfriars 
Abbey in Perth. After fleeing into a sewer and finding the end blocked 
to prevent his own tennis balls from being washed away, James was 
daggered repeatedly in the approved Scottish fashion.

Yours Aye,


The Gentle Lord Mungo Napier, Whose Own Daggers Have Grown Dull Indeed