Barbara Ruthven

[1] Beatrix had a prominent role at the christening of Princess Elizabeth in November 1596, for which the queen bought her a gown of figured black velvet with white sleeves and a yellow damask skirt.

[4] Beatrix Ruthven was also a significant political figure at court, and was given a present by "McSorley", Sir James MacDonell of Dunluce, in October 1598.

[6] Two younger Ruthven brothers managed to find safety with their tutor at Berwick-upon-Tweed, where John Carey noted that their two sisters who waited on the queen were sent from court.

On 1 November 1600 their mother, Dorothea Stewart, who was staying at Dirleton Castle, hoped that the king could be persuaded to support her daughters, "quhais estait is verie desolait" and she could not help them herself.

Cecil wrote to the Master of Gray about the reception of Barbara Ruthven in England, saying that some of Elizabeth's ladies had taken pity on her, but the queen had not received her in court.

[15] Roger Aston discussed with Anne of Denmark how her support for the Gowrie brothers and sisters and a suspected plot against King James may have dented her reputation in England.

James Hudson wrote to Sir Robert Cecil saying there were rumours she came to join Elizabeth's household or seek favours for her brothers.

[17] Ruthven's appearance seemed striking and her speech foreign to the lawyer John Manningham who wrote, 'I sawe this afternoone a Scottishe Lady at Mr. Fleetes in Loathebury; shee was sister to Earl Gowre, a gallant tall gentlewoman, somewhat long visage, a lisping fumbling language.

Peter Saltingstone came to visit hir' and 'was with the Lady Barbara, Shee saith the King will not swear, but he will curse and ban at hunting, and wish the divel goe with them all'.

In May 1603 Cecil organised an exchequer payment to his steward Roger Houghton for £300 spent on Barbara Ruthven's relief, and she was later given a yearly pension of £200.

[20] She wrote to the Privy Council on 19 June accepting the king's wish that she should leave London, and that she would live at Mr Scott's house in the country, where she had previously lodged.

[24] William Wade, newly made keeper of the Tower of London in August 1605, heard that she sometimes visited her brother Patrick Ruthven, "the young gentleman Gowrie" but there was no warrant permitting this.

[25] In 1622 Barbara Ruthven was the administrator of the will of the Scottish bigamist Sir John Kennedy, appointed because his daughter Dorothy was too young to be executrix.

In May 1606 King James wrote to his advocate Thomas Hamilton to draw up an act to rehabilitate Mistress Beatrix, excepting any family inheritance.

[31] Barbara's younger brothers went to Berwick-upon-Tweed and lived in hiding for a month, until the Marshall of the town Sir John Carey helped them travel to Durham and Cambridge.