(5 of 10) Craignethan Castle - The Bastard's demise
The outer ward's curtain wall, which as seen here, and contrary to its appearance in my stitched together photos - is straight!
By the time it was finished in 1536, Craignethan Castle was one of the wonders of Scotland! It was also a substantial house.
In May 1536, Finnart welcomed King James V and the Royal Court to Craignethen for the wedding of his daughter. It may well be that he chose Craignethen for this event so that he could show off his architectural ideas, such as the carponier, to the king. While Finnart tended to conduct his business from various other castles, usually more conveniently placed, such as nearby Strathaven, he seems to have intended Craignethen to be his base - his secure country chateau and perhaps his planned place of retirement. If so, his plans came to nought!
In July 1540, Finnart was seized and on 15 August 1540 he was subjected to a show-trial on two points of treason: first, that he had conspired with the Douglases to murder the King at Holyrood 12 years earlier; and second, that he had fired a missile from a machine of his invention from the campanile at Linlithgow to the King's danger. The former charge was ludicrous: if there had been a conspiracy, it would certainly not have been to the benefit of the Douglases, in whose defeat Finnart had been so instrumental. Any conspiracy against James V would only have been intended to advance the Hamilton family's occupation of the throne. There was, however, some substance to the second point. Something indeed had happened at Linlithgow, since both John Crummy (Master of the King's Entry at Linlithgow, and a Finnart acolyte) and James Nasmyth (a Linlithgow burgess) were also charged with being involved in firing a machine at the King in Linlithgow, and later pardoned.
The result was preordained. Finnart was beheaded the same day as his trail, protesting in terms almost identical to Cardinal Wolsey some years before, that if he only had served his God with the same degree of devotion that he had served his King, he would not have come to such a pass.
The real motive for the bringing down of the Bastard of Arran, and who was behind it all, seems to be hidden in the mists of time. No doubt jealousy and power had much to do with it!
The importance of Craignethan to Finnart is demonstrated by the fact that, upon his forfeiture, it was from here that his deeds, great screen, expensive chapel ware, clock, 45 lbs of silver including five silver dining tables (but excluding his eighteen spoons, two silver salt cellars, and two silver flagons) - to say nothing of the box of over £1,500 worth of gold coins - were collected by a succession of porters sent by the King for delivery into royal hands at Edinburgh!
(5 of 10) Craignethan Castle - The Bastard's demise
The outer ward's curtain wall, which as seen here, and contrary to its appearance in my stitched together photos - is straight!
By the time it was finished in 1536, Craignethan Castle was one of the wonders of Scotland! It was also a substantial house.
In May 1536, Finnart welcomed King James V and the Royal Court to Craignethen for the wedding of his daughter. It may well be that he chose Craignethen for this event so that he could show off his architectural ideas, such as the carponier, to the king. While Finnart tended to conduct his business from various other castles, usually more conveniently placed, such as nearby Strathaven, he seems to have intended Craignethen to be his base - his secure country chateau and perhaps his planned place of retirement. If so, his plans came to nought!
In July 1540, Finnart was seized and on 15 August 1540 he was subjected to a show-trial on two points of treason: first, that he had conspired with the Douglases to murder the King at Holyrood 12 years earlier; and second, that he had fired a missile from a machine of his invention from the campanile at Linlithgow to the King's danger. The former charge was ludicrous: if there had been a conspiracy, it would certainly not have been to the benefit of the Douglases, in whose defeat Finnart had been so instrumental. Any conspiracy against James V would only have been intended to advance the Hamilton family's occupation of the throne. There was, however, some substance to the second point. Something indeed had happened at Linlithgow, since both John Crummy (Master of the King's Entry at Linlithgow, and a Finnart acolyte) and James Nasmyth (a Linlithgow burgess) were also charged with being involved in firing a machine at the King in Linlithgow, and later pardoned.
The result was preordained. Finnart was beheaded the same day as his trail, protesting in terms almost identical to Cardinal Wolsey some years before, that if he only had served his God with the same degree of devotion that he had served his King, he would not have come to such a pass.
The real motive for the bringing down of the Bastard of Arran, and who was behind it all, seems to be hidden in the mists of time. No doubt jealousy and power had much to do with it!
The importance of Craignethan to Finnart is demonstrated by the fact that, upon his forfeiture, it was from here that his deeds, great screen, expensive chapel ware, clock, 45 lbs of silver including five silver dining tables (but excluding his eighteen spoons, two silver salt cellars, and two silver flagons) - to say nothing of the box of over £1,500 worth of gold coins - were collected by a succession of porters sent by the King for delivery into royal hands at Edinburgh!