Peter Young (tutor)
Peter Young was educated at the Dundee Grammar School, and probably matriculated at St. Andrews University, though no record of his attendance there has been found.
Young's reputation as a scholar was so great that in the beginning of 1570 Regent Moray appointed him joint-instructor of the infant James VI along with George Buchanan.
From the account given by Sir James Melville of Halhill it appears that while Buchanan was "wise and sharp", Young was more of the courtier, in a household controlled by Annabell Murray, Countess of Mar.
[5] Young also deciphered letters captured from the agents of Mary, Queen of Scots and wrote out alphabets or cipher keys for the English ambassador Henry Killigrew.
[6] On 25 October 1577 Young was made master almoner, a post in the king's household, and received numerous gifts and pensions, several of which are recorded in the acts of parliament.
Randolph wrote that Young was "wise, honest, and learned", but some thought him unfit for the ambassador's role because he was not from a noble family or the holder of an important state office.
[10] Young's copy of the Latin letter written by James VI recommending him to Frederick II was discovered in one of his books in 1801, and published in the Gentleman's Magazine.
They had their first audience at Antvorskov on 27 June with the Chancellor Niels Kaas, Manderup Parsberg, and Henrik Belo, while Frederick II declined to meet them for a few days because he had toothache.
Richard Douglas heard in August 1587 that the ambassadors had returned, and Elizabeth was promised to Archduke Mathias (she married Henry Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg).
In June 1589, Edinburgh merchants protested against the possibility of James VI marrying Catherine of Bourbon, making "unreverent speeches" about her.
These lands were given to Anne on 10 May 1590 with a confirmation charter presented to Danish ambassadors at Holyroodhouse on 17 May 1590 with the assent and seals of representatives of the Scottish estates and burgh towns.
These men were to advise the queen in "all things tending to her honour and commodities", auditing the accounts, appointments of kirk ministers, and making new tenancy agreements.
On the death of Elizabeth I of England, the Privy Council of Scotland gave the committee a new commission to manage the queen's lands on 2 April 1603, adding Thomas Hamilton of Preistfield in place of Lindsay and Hay who had died.
[23] In 1594 Prince Henry, the first son of this marriage, was born, and among the letters of Christian IV preserved at Copenhagen there is one dated 12 May 1594, acknowledging the arrival of Young as ambassador sent to convey official information of this event.
[24] James VI rewarded Young for his work on the marriage negotiations, and attendance on him in Norway, for carrying his orders back to Scotland, and his latest mission to Denmark in April 1594, by confirming in Parliament his rights to the lands of Easter Seaton and the shadow half of Dykmontlaw, both in Forfarshire, and rents from Wester Seton and the sunny half of Dykmontlaw.
[26][27] The question of the succession to the throne of England was on the mind of James VI, and he was anxious to gain the support of his brother-in-law Christian IV and the princes of Lower Saxony.
In the wake of the visit of Anne of Denmark's brother the Duke of Holstein to Scotland in 1598, James sent David Cunningham, bishop of Aberdeen, and Young on a special embassy for this purpose.
[29] James instructed his ambassadors to discuss with Christian IV the issues of peace between Christendom and the Ottoman Empire, his right to the throne of England, Elizabeth's nomination of her successor, that all European princes should support his claim to England in favour of any candidates proposed by Spain and offer military help, and Cunningham and Young should ask Christian IV to write letters encouraging other princes to send embassies to Elizabeth on his behalf.
[32] Peter Young's eldest son James stayed with Niels Krag in Copenhagen while his father and Cunningham travelled to other principalities.
[37] Young and Cunningham returned to Scotland in November 1598, and the English agent George Nicholson heard that Christian and the German princes refused to make any moves on James's behalf before Elizabeth's death.
He accompanied the king to London in 1603, and before they reached the capital James desired to mark his appreciation of Young's services by appointing him Dean of Lichfield, but he soon found that the office was not in his free gift.
In November 1616 Young was appointed master of Hospital of St Cross, Winchester, a special license being granted to permit him to hold the office though he was not in holy orders nor resident.
[42] In July 1590 she made three matching crimson velvet hats, for Anna of Denmark, and her two Danish gentlewomen Sofie Koss and Katrine Skinkel.
