Dear Jeff
I could not resist looking into the matter you raised about Bothwell's body.
There is a Sinclair at every turn of this tale.
James Hepburn, fourth Earl of Bothwell, was a swashbuckler for whom things
badly unbuckled. In Faravejle church, Zealand his remains were shown in a
glass coffin until 1975 when the display was deemed too grisly. His ghost is
said to haunt Dragsholm castle, near Faravejle church. The Faravejle parish
council is reluctant to part with the remains. They are a tourist
attraction. Dragsholm castle is now a hotel located in Route 225 Odsherred,
Demark.
Patrick Hepburn the 3rd Earl of Bothwell married circa 1533 Agnes, daughter
of Henry Lord Sinclair and his wife Margaret Hepburne, daughter of Adam
Hepburn Master of Hailes. (see above). This lady, as already noted, was
divorced by Earl Patrick before 16 October 1543, whereupon he settled on her
a charter of the lands of Morham in Haddingtonshire. She was subsequently
styled 'The Lady of Morham' for the rest of her life. She died in 1572. She
was the mother of James Hepburne 4th Earl of Bothwell and Jane (also
sometimes referred to as Joanna and Janet) Hepburne, frequently styled
'Mistress Bothwell'. This lady received her mother's inheritance of Morham.
She married three times. First, on 28 December 1561, to John Stewart,
Commendator of Coldingham Abbey, later created Lord Darnley, a natural son
of King James V by Katherine Carmichael.
Francis Stewart, the eldest son of this marriage, was created Earl of
Bothwell by King James VI in consideration of his extraction on his mother'
s side.
Jane married secondly,between 10th December 1565 and 16th January 1567, John
Sinclair, Master of Caithness, eldest son of George 4th Earl of
Caithness,who died about 1578.
Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley was murdered in October 1563. Mary herself chose
her cousin Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, son of the fourth Earl of Lennox as
her second husband. Mary's first husband was the King of France. Darnley
was also a contender for the English throne and a Catholic.
The 4th Earl of Bothwell was acquitted of killing Lord Darnley in 1567 at a
rigged trial. George 4th Earl of Caithness was the foreman of that jury.
He asked Mary Queen of Scots to marry him after the trial. She refused, he
abducted her and forced her marry him. He was captured when it was
discovered that he was already married to Lady Anne Throndssen. He was
imprisoned by the King of Norway. After he fled Scotland for Scandinavia by
, he had the extraordinary ill luck to fetch up in Bergen Norway After
setting sail he was driven by a storm onto the coast of Norway where he was
arrested and detained as a State prisoner. He remained in confinement until
his death, which took place on 14 April 1578 at Dragsholm Castle in Zealand,
Denmark. He was on 20 December 1567, he was forfeited by the Scottish
Parliament, and condemned to lose arms, honours, offices and dignities, and
to underlie the pain of treason.
The local duke in Bergen did not believe Bothwell's tale of being a Scots
gent looking for work. Bad luck, the duke was related to Lady Anne
Throndssen the lady the Bothwell dumped for Mary, Queen of Scots.
The Earl of Bothwell, now the Duke of Orkney, left one natural or bastard
son, named William Hepburn. Agnes Sinclair, Countess of Bothwell, was on 26
December 1571 bound over to have no communication with this William, her
illegitimate grandson. However, she left to him, by testament dated 21st
March 1572, the whole balance of her estate after payment of her debts.
Sinclair
Ref The Scots Peerage by Sir James Balfour Paul 1905
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