Margaret Vinstarr
1590–1600), was a Danish courtier in Scotland to Anne of Denmark commemorated by the ballad "The Laird o Logie" for rescuing her imprisoned lover.
[7] Vinstarr is remembered because of her relationship and marriage with John Wemyss of Logie, a servant or varlet in the bedchamber of James VI of Scotland, and the daring escape she planned for him, featured in ballads and chronicles.
[8] In 1592, John Wemyss younger of Logie helped Francis Stewart, 5th Earl of Bothwell who was a rebel against the king.
[10] Logie was probably the valet who attended the king at the wedding of Lilias Murray, the Laird of Tullibardine's daughter, and John Grant of Freuchie on 21 June 1591.
Margaret Vinstarr was still at court, and in high favour with the queen, and on 13 June 1592 Anne of Denmark ordered matching orange gowns with green sleeves for her, herself, the Scottish maiden of honour Marie Stewart, and a page boy William Belo.
A sympathetic contemporary newsletter gave a summary, and states that Vinstarr was related to the queen:The Lord Bothwell having persuaded the Laird of Burlye and the young Laird of Logie, great courtiers, being at tryst in the Laird of Burlye's house once or twice, it chanced to be declared and revealed to the king, whereof both the said Lairds were taken and examined by his Majesty and Council, ... Burlye was remitted because of his confession, and the king was so commovit at Logie that (he) was ordeyned to suffer for his fault and would have suffered were not the good help his love made him, her majesty's gentlewoman of honour Mrs Margaret and of her majesty's blood as of that country, that she pertly and right craftily delivered him in the night, fetched him from the guard as to speak with the Queen, and two of the guard with him, which two she detained at her Majesty's chamber door and herself "purposand" with them until he was forth at a window of the Castle of Dalkeith.
He draws attention to her role in the rescue as an act of charity and a good example for posterity, concluding that by "hir gude cheritable help he happilie escapit be the subteltie of loove".
[16] His narrative of the escape is quoted here with spellings modernised;"And because the event of this matter had such a success, it shall also be praised by my pen, as a worthy turn, proceeding from honest, chaste love and charity, which should in no way be obscured from posterity for a good example.
Queen Anne, our noble Princess, was served with diverse gentlewomen of her own country, and namely, by one called Mistress Margaret Twynstoun, to whom this gentleman, Weymss of Logie, bore great honest affection, tending to the godly band of marriage; the which was honestly requited by the said gentlewoman, yea even in his greatest misfortune.
On 9 November 1592 Anne of Denmark wrote to the Laird of Wemyss to thank him for looking after "Maistres Margret, our servant and dame of honnour", promising to reimburse him for Margaret's expenses at the castle.
[20] James VI sent a brief account of the incident to Anne of Denmark's brother Christian IV of Denmark in a Latin letter on 17 August 1592, saying that Logie had betrayed his and Anne's trust, giving his sister's servant's name as "Margareta Vinkstarn" and describing her as a close familiar servant of the queen.
On the evening of 5 August 1593 the queen sent her with letters to the departing Danish ambassadors, Niels Krag and Steen Bille.
A chronicle states that Sir Peter Young, the king's almoner and ambassador to Denmark, had paid her dowry.
[24] Anna gave her clothes, including blue velvet night-gear, and a present of an elaborate bed with rich curtain fabrics.
He blamed a Scottish Jesuit Dr Hamilton and two Spanish men who had approached him while he was in prison in Brussels for devising the plan.
