When Red-bag gained the upper hand in his legal struggle against him in 1528, Hugh asked James Hamilton of Finnart to be his backer.
[5] The English soldiers who had captured him, Richard Greme and John Brisco of Crofton, took their dispute over ransom money to the Privy Council which asked the Duke of Suffolk to arbitrate.
The Abbot of Paisley had kept the pair talking on the Royal Mile while waiting for a serjeant to arrest them in the name of Mary, Queen of Scots and the Regent.
The English diplomat Ralph Sadler thought they had been foolish to come to Edinburgh where their enemies the Regent and Cardinal Beaton had full control.
Hugh was writing in 1549 to Thomas Wharton for the return of his son James for 20 days, who was then a hostage in England in his father's place.
Their children included;[11] The principal residence of Lord Somerville was Cowthally Castle which Hugh rebuilt in style after gaining possession in 1524.