Thomas Fowler (courtier)
Thomas Fowler (died 1590) was an English lawyer, diplomat, courtier, spy, servant of the Countess of Lennox, broker of the marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots and Lord Darnley, steward of the Earl of Leicester, advisor to James VI of Scotland and the Scottish ambassador in London, Archibald Douglas.
[8] Thomas Fowler (called "Mr" meaning he was a university graduate) was employed in the English household of Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox.
[10] In September 1565 Randolph listed him, an Englishman, with the Italians David Riccio and Francisco de Busso as "unworthy persons" and foreigners who were exciting suspicion for their influence at court.
[14] On 27 December 1566 Fowler cut off his beard, assumed the name "Forster", took ship from Leith for England on the Ayde of Pittenweem, was arrested in London and sentenced to death.
Walsingham wanted to know if Fowler had been at Temple Newsam in the previous summer and if he knew of discussions about a marriage between Bess of Hardwick's daughter, Elizabeth Cavendish and Margaret's son, Charles Stuart, Lord Darnley and Earl of Lennox.
Walsingham also wanted to know if he knew about correspondence between Margaret Douglas, John Lesley Bishop of Ross the secretary of Mary, Queen of Scots and the Laird of Kilsyth, and was also curious about a Spanish and a Portuguese man who may have visited the Countess' house in Hackney.
[20] The chronicle writer Raphael Holinshed mentioned that the tomb, which also commemorated Charles, Earl of Lennox who died in 1577, was almost completed in Margaret's lifetime.
Selby asked Fowler, who was then living in Aldersgate Street in London, to pass his compliments to Roger Aston, an English courtier of James VI.
[24] Around this time, Fowler was mentioned in letters of Mary, Queen of Scots, to the French ambassador Michel de Castelnau encoded in cipher.
[25] When John Colville sent news of the Gowrie Regime to Walsingham in June 1583, he asked him to inform Leicester, but not tell Fowler details about Colonel Stewart, "for he will reveal it again.
"[26] Fowler sent news of Francis Walsingham's mission to Scotland after the fall of the Ruthven Regime to the Earl of Shrewsbury on 10 August 1583 from Woodhouse in Nottinghamshire.
[27] in August 1585, Elizabeth I gave him a lease of the grange at Lasingby or Lazenby, in consideration of his long service to Lady Margaret Douglas.
")[32] Fowler wrote from Aberdeen to English ambassador in Edinburgh, William Asheby, on 28 July 1589 that James VI was keen to marry Anne of Denmark and would not press details of their marriage contract;It is thought the King will not insist upon his hard conditions; "for the cheffe of all is that the yonge ladi is so far in love with the Kinges majeste as it were deathe to hir to have it broken of, and hathe made good proffe divers ways of hir affecyon, which his majeste is apt inowghe to requite.
"[33]In August from Edzell Castle, Fowler wrote to Walsingham that James VI would often ask him about the possibility of Queen Elizabeth sending him money for the marriage expenses.
[41] Francis Stewart, 1st Earl of Bothwell seized his possessions which included a bond of payment for £400 lent to the English courtier of James VI, Roger Aston.
[42] Attempts were made by the English ambassador Robert Bowes to recover property which had belonged to Arbella Stuart, but James VI claimed these were legacies to him from his grandmother Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox.
