[MR] Wikipedia: Death of Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scots

[Garth Groff via Atlantia]

Noble Friends, Especially Fellow Scots:

On this date in 1445, Joan Beaufort, dowager Queen of Scots died at 
Dunbar in Scotland. Joan was the daughter of the English magnate John 
Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset. She was married to James I, King of 
Scots (that is, James 1 of Scotland, not his descendant James I of 
England, who was actually James VI of Scotland--I know this is 
confusing). James was in the genteel captivity of the English at that 
time, and the arranged marriage to Joan was part of an English plan to 
return him to Scotland as a "tame" neighbor. Her £10,000 dowry was 
applied against James' rather substantial hotel bill . . . er . . . 
ransom of £40,000.

Joan proved to be a very formidable woman. Though wounded, she survived 
the 1437 assassination plot in which King James died. For a time she 
served as regent of Scotland, and continued to fight for the interests 
of her minor son James II. She and James I had eight children, seven 
surviving to marry and spread Scottish blood throughout royal and noble 
houses of Europe.

Wikipedia offers a brief biography of Joan at 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Beaufort,_Queen_of_Scots .

Joan's first husband, James I, had been taken at sea by pirates while on 
the way to France for safekeeping during the usual Scottish political 
rebellions in 1406. The pirates shopped him to Henry IV of England. 
James was held by the English for the next 18 years. During that time he 
was given a prince's education, participated in court life, and soaked 
up English ways of running a kingdom (both the good and the bad). 
Regents for Henry VI finally sent him home with his new queen in 1424, 
hoping he would remain friendly to English interests. Substitute 
hostages from the major Scottish families were sent back to England. 
James stiffed the English for the unpaid balance of the ransom, leaving 
the hostages to rot in prison for years, many dying there. James then 
proceeded to clean house against his Scottish rivals, govern the country 
badly, and return to a hostile policy the English. He even banned foot 
ball and other sports in favor of archery practice for his subjects. No 
wonder his own people finally knocked him off in 1437 in his lodgings at 
Perth. The king was trapped in hiding (appropriately for such a lousy 
ruler, in a sewer) and was daggered severely in the approved Scottish 
fashion.

Here is James' story: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_I_of_Scotland

Yours Aye,


Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge