John Tennent (courtier)

John Tennent or Tennand of Listonshiels (died c. 1549) was a servant and companion of King James V of Scotland. He was a keeper of the royal wardrobe and the Honours of Scotland. He kept an account of the king's daily expenses which is an important source document for the Scottish royal court.[1]

Life at court

Tennent's first court position in 1527 was as a valet or varlet of the king's chamber. He was given livery clothes as a servant in the king's chamber in 1529.[2] In 1529 he was also bearer of the crossbow.[3][4] He became pursemaster and yeoman of the wardrobe in 1537.[5] He was appointed keeper of the palace and park of Holyroodhouse in November 1540.[6]

Pursemaster

As pursemaster he daily accompanied the king, paying his small debts and handing over the sums the king gave in alms or as tips (known as drinksilver) to workmen and beggars. He gave money to James V when he played cards with Mary of Guise. Royal servants received rewards, including the valet Murdo Mackenzie and the nurse of the king's daughter Lady Jean Stewart. Rewards from the purse were given to servants of nobles who sent food gifts to James V. A servant of Margaret Tudor, Thomas Robson's wife, who brought capons to Stirling Castle was given 22 shillings.[7]

Tennent and the other pursemasters were given money for the king's purse by the Treasurer of Scotland.[8] Tennent delivered £50 Scots to the Master of Work John Scrimgeour of Myres for the building of the tennis court at Falkland Palace.[9]

At St Andrews, on 19 May 1540, James V gave 44 shillings to two Dutchmen who played and danced for him on the shore.[10] James twice paid out for farm animals killed by accident with a culverin, a new portable gun.[11]

Yeoman of the wardrobe

Tennent's other role was yeoman and master of the wardrobe. The wardrobe was a large establishment which employed almost 40 individuals over the personal reign. There were embroiderers, tailors, a laundry, tapestry men, and carts to transport the clothes, tapestries, and cloths-of-estate between the palaces.[12] Tennent took delivery of linen for bed sheets, the king's shirts, and night caps. He bought canvas to hang around the king's gowns in the wardrobe.[13] He made an inventory of the royal wardrobe in November 1542.[14]

Tennent was in charge of the Honours of Scotland and ordered a new case to be made for a sword in March 1539.[15] This may have been the sword sent by Pope Paul III in 1537, which is now lost.[16]

Royal hunting

When James V went to hunt at Cramalt Tower in Meggetland in September 1538, Tennent brought bedding from Linlithgow Palace and the wardrobe servant Malcolm Gourlay brought tents stored at Holyrood Palace for his company.[17]

James V and Mary of Guise went hunting in Glenartney and Glen Finglas in September 1539.[18] Tennent hired men and horses from Dunblane to bring their bedding from Stirling.[19] These hunting trips involved Highland clothing such as a "heland cot", "heland tartane" hose, and "heland sarks" (shirts).[20]

James kept hare hounds, raches, and earth dogs (terriers), and Bawte the "King's best belovit dog" mentioned by the poet David Lyndsay. Huntsmen included Badman whose speciality was starting sitting hares.[21]

France

When James V went to France in 1536, he first met a prospective bride, Marie de Vendôme, daughter of Charles, Duke of Vendôme, at St. Quentin in Picardy. It is said that at their meeting James instructed Tennent to pretend to be him and they exchanged clothes.[22] This story appears in four sixteenth century chronicles. Adam Abell[23] and George Buchanan mention the disguise; only John Lesley names Tennent; Lindsay of Pitscottie's version is the most elaborate but does not identify the servant.[24] As Lesley's translator put it;

"he takis on the habit of his servand and cumis to the place quhair sche was, for he finyet himselfe Johne Tennantis servand, quhom in this iornay the king with him had his servand."[25]

Tennent was on the French trip, and his one diplomatic errand was not a success. James sent him from Compiegne with letters and a verbal messages for Henry VIII of England and Cromwell on 24 February 1537.[26] Margaret Tudor complained that he was not well received.[27] She wrote to her brother, Henry VIII;

"plesit Zoure Grace to wit, thare is in this realme ane grete wourde that thare wes ane servand of the King my sonnis come to Zoure Grace, quhome thai call Johnne Tennand, quha wes not wele tane with, as thai say."[28]

James came back from France with Madeleine of Valois as his queen: Tennent brought their trunks from Leith to Holyroodhouse.[29]

Death of James V and the Honours of Scotland

Tennent was a signatory to the instrument made at Falkland Palace at the king's deathbed which David Beaton used to attempt to claim the regency.[30] After the death of James V, John Tennent carried out the instructions of Regent Arran and Cardinal Beaton, and dispersed numerous items from the king's wardrobe and armoury to their favourites. A record of these gifts survives in the British Library.[31]

According to the title page of the manuscript inventory, William Baillie of Lamington and John Kirkcaldy received the wardrobe goods "fra Johne Tennent quha had the keping and charge of befoir in our said soverane lordis tyme". Tennent handed over the late king's crown set all over with precious stones and orient pearl together with a sceptre set with a "great beriall" (a rock crystal) in the head of it, and the sword of honour with two belts.[32]

The king's former lawyer, Adam Otterburn received a gift of armour on 22 December by the order of Cardinal Beaton, including a "secret courage", a helmet covered with corduroy, a "Jack of plate", two rapiers and other items.[33]

Marriage and family

John Tennent married Mause Atkinson (Mavis or Marion Acheson) who had been the king's laundress since 1516.[34] The household books record barrels of soap delivered to her for washing table linen.[35] She also made linen items, like nightcaps, for the king.[36]

His property, Listonshiels was in the parish of Kirkliston. It belonged to Torphichen Preceptory and as a reward for his services, John paid a reduced feudal rent; "listonschelis, set to iohne tennent be the kingis command in feu for £6 of maile allanerlie", £6 rent only. Another servant, Robert Hamilton, enjoyed a similar privilege at Briggis.[37]

John and Mause had no surviving children, and Listonshiels passed to John's brother Patrick Tennent by 1549.[38] Patrick Tennent was married to Elizabeth Hoppar, whose sister Katrine Hoppar was married to the Edinburgh merchant Andrew Moubray (III) who built Moubray House in Edinburgh.[39]

References

  1. ^ The original accounts are kept at the National Archives of Scotland, NAS E30/9, 'pursemaster account of John Tennand.' They were edited and published by Athol L. Murray in 1965.
  2. ^ Accounts of the Treasurer of Scotland, vol. 5 (Edinburgh, 1903), p. 382.
  3. ^ Andrea Thomas, Princelie Majestie (Edinburgh: John Donald, 2005), p. 26.
  4. ^ Athol Murray, 'Pursemaster's Accounts' (1965), p. 14.
  5. ^ Athol Murray, 'Pursemaster's Accounts' (1965), pp. 14–15.
  6. ^ Register of the Great Seal of Scotland, vol. 3, no. 2216.
  7. ^ Athol Murray "Pursemaster's Accounts" (1965), pp. 30, 33, 38, 39, 42, 49.
  8. ^ James Balfour Paul, Accounts of the Treasurer: 1531-1538, 6 (Edinburgh, 1905), pp. 201-2.
  9. ^ Henry Paton, Accounts of the Masters of Work, 1 (Edinburgh: HMSO, 1957), p. 269.
  10. ^ Murray, 'Pursemaster's Accounts' (1965), pp. 21, 50.
  11. ^ Accounts of the Treasurer of Scotland, vol. 6 (Edinburgh, 1905), p. 96: Murray 'Pursemaster's Accounts' (1965), p. 44.
  12. ^ Andrea Thomas, Princelie Majestie (Edinburgh: John Donald, 2005) pp. 229–230.
  13. ^ James Balfour Paul, Accounts of the Treasurer: 1531-1538, vol. 6 (Edinburgh, 1905), p. 256.
  14. ^ Athol Murray, 'Pursemaster's Accounts' (1965), p. 16.
  15. ^ Athol Murray, 'Pursemaster's Accounts' (1965), p. 16.
  16. ^ "Reid, John J., 'The Scottish Regalia', PSAS, 9 December (1889), p. 28" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 June 2007. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  17. ^ James Balfour Paul, Accounts of the Treasurer, vol. 7 (Edinburgh, 1907), pp. 87-8.
  18. ^ Henry Ellis, 'Household Book of James the Fifth', Archaeologia, 22 (London, 1829), p. 10.
  19. ^ Accounts of the Treasurer, vol. 7 (Edinburgh, 1907), p. 252.
  20. ^ John M. Gilbert, Elite Hunting Culture and Mary, Queen of Scots (Boydell, 2024), p. 88.
  21. ^ Athol Murray, 'Pursemaster's Accounts' (1965), pp. 20, 21, 40.
  22. ^ Thomas, Andrea, Princelie Majestie, John Donald (2005), 23.
  23. ^ Cameron, Jamie, James V (Tuckwell: East Linton, 1998), p. 131.
  24. ^ Lindsay of Pitscottie, Robert, History of Scotland, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1814), 363–364.
  25. ^ Lesley, John, The Historie of Scotland, vol. 2 (Scottish Text Society, 1895), 234.
  26. ^ A letter from Lord Borthwick to Cromwell, dated at Compiegne 23 February 1537 survives; Tennent must have been the bearer, "weil giffin to ye verite," Letters & Papers Henry VIII, vol. 12 part 1, no. 496, 23 February 1537, which refers to Paul III's sword.
  27. ^ Athol Murray, "Pursemaster's Accounts" (1965), p. 15.
  28. ^ State Papers Henry VIII, vol. 5 part 4 cont., (London, 1836), 74–75, 24 April 1537: Letters & Papers Henry VIII, 12:1, no. 1208.
  29. ^ Athol Murray, 'Pursemaster's Accounts' (1965), p. 15: Accounts of the Treasurer of Scotland, 7 (Edinburgh, 1907), pp. 23, 25.
  30. ^ HMC 11th report part 6, Duke of Hamilton, pp. 219–220.
  31. ^ British Library MS Royal 18 C f.210.
  32. ^ John G. Harrison, Wardrobe Inventories of James V (Kirkdale Archaeology / Historic Scotland 2008): Melanie Schuessler Bond, Dressing the Scottish Court 1543-1553: Clothing in the Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland (Boydell, 2019), pp. 653-6.
  33. ^ John G. Harrison, Wardrobe Inventories of James V (Kirkdale Archaeology/Historic Scotland, 2008), pp. 6, 45 citing BL MS Royal 18 C f.210.
  34. ^ Accounts of the Treasurer of Scotland, vol. 6 (Edinburgh, 1905), p. 429: Andrea Thomas, Princelie Majestie (John Donald: Edinburgh, 2005), p. 230.
  35. ^ Excerpta e libris domicilii Jacobi Quinti regis Scotorum (Bannatyne Club: Edinburgh, 1836), p. 69.
  36. ^ Accounts of the Treasurer of Scotland, vol. 7 (Edinburgh, 1907), p. 187.
  37. ^ Cowan, MacKay, Macquarrie, ed., The Knights of St John of Jerusalem in Scotland (Edinburgh, 1983), 11: Athol Murray, (1965), 16, has parish of Kirknewton, Auldliston was an 'island' remote from both parishes.
  38. ^ Athol Murray, Miscellany 10 (Edinburgh, 1965), p. 17.
  39. ^ Register of the Great Seal of Scotland: 1513–1546 (Edinburgh, 1883), p. 548 no. 2394.

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