The Chaseabout Raid was a 1565 rebellion by James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, against his half sister, Mary, Queen of Scots, over her marriage to Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley.Jane Dawson, "A Fife 'Murder Mystery'", Gender in Scotland, 1200–1800, Place, Faith and Politics (Edinburgh University Press, 2024), p. 22. The rebels also claimed to be acting over other causes including bad governance, and religion in the name of the Scottish Reformation.Michael Questier, Dynastic Politics and the British Reformations, 1558-1630 (Oxford, 2019), p. 54. As the government and rebel forces moved back and forth across Scotland without fighting, the conflict became known as the "chase about raid." Queen Mary's forces were superior and the rebel lords fled to England where Queen Elizabeth censured the leader.Jane E. A. Dawson, 'Mary Queen of Scots, Lord Darnley, and Anglo-Scottish Relations in 1565', International History Review, 8:1 (February 1986), pp. 12-13.
Background There were fears that Mary's marriage to Darnley signaled a return to Roman Catholicism. Moray is reported to have declared that he aimed at nothing else than "the maintenance of the true religion."
The group of nobles and lairds opposing the wedding now included the Duke of Châtelherault, the Earls of Argyll, Glencairn, and Rothes,Henry Ellis, Original Letters, series 2 vol. 2 (London, 1827), pp. 298–99. and several lairds from Fife and Ayrshire. He had the support of John Knox.Jenny Wormald, Mary, Queen of Scots: Politics, Passion and a Kingdom Lost (London, 2001), p. 154. There were rumours of a plot to kidnap Mary and Darnley in June as they were travelling near Loch Leven. They would be imprisoned at St Andrews Castle and Castle Campbell. This plot was known as the "Raid of Beath".Retha M. Warnicke, Mary Queen of Scots (Routledge, 2006), pp. 110–111. It was unclear if there was a real plot, or if rumours were spread by the Queen's party to discredit Moray and Argyll.Robert Keith, History of the affairs of church and state in Scotland, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1844), pp. 309–311David Hay Fleming, Mary Queen of Scots (London, 1897), 109, 354.Aeneas James George Mackay, Historie and cronicles of Scotland, 2 (Edinburgh: STS, 1899), p. 182
Moray's faction assembled at Glasgow in July, and Châtelherault and the earls met up at Dunoon Castle in Argyll in August 1565.Joseph Bain, Calendar State Papers Scotland, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), pp. 179, 190, 193. The English politician William Cecil gave a summary of the causes and situation in a letter:In the meantime, troubles arise there betwixt her and the Earl of Moray and others being friendly to the common amity of both the realms; whereunto for sundry respects it seemeth convenient for us to have regard. The Duke, the Earls of Argyll, Moray, and Rothes with sundry barons are joined together, not to allow of the mariage otherwise than to have the Religion established by law, but the Queen refuseth in this sort, she will not suffer it to have the force of law, but of permission to every man to live according to his conscience; and herewith she hath retained a great number of Protestants from association openly with the other. She hath sent for the Earl Moray, but the mistrust is so far entered on both sides, that I think it will fall to an evil end, for she hath put the Earl of Moray to the horn (outlawed him) and prohibited all persons to aid him. Nevertheless, the Duke, the Earls of Argyll and Rothes are together with him.Henry Ellis, Original letters, Series 2 vol. 2 (London, 1827), pp. 298-9 modernised here.
Mary and Darnley were married on 29 July 1565.Andrew Burnet, Nicki Scott, Sally Gall, Mary Was Here: Where Mary Queen of Scots Went and What She Did There (Historic Scotland, 2013), p. 67. On 13 August 1565, Mary and Darnley gave orders for the arrest of Moray's servant Nicoll Elphinstone, and on the next day required Moray and William Kirkcaldy of Grange to surrender the Abbot's house at St. Andrews, Ballinbreich Castle, and Hallyards Castle to their officers.John Hill Burton, Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1877), pp. 352–353. Cecil kept his ambassador in Paris Thomas Smith informed of events, and on 1 September 1565 wrote "The Queen of Scotts hath much less number of hearts than her subjects".Henry Ellis, Original Letters, series 2 vol. 2 (London, 1827), p. 303.
Uprising The rebels gathered in Ayrshire. Both sides needed money to support their troops in the field. Nicolas Elphinstone is said to have obtained £10,000 from England for the rebels, and a French diplomat in London, Paul de Foix, discovered that money was delivered to Robert Melville. An English diplomat, John Tamworth, brought 3,000 or 4,000 crowns which were delivered to the Countess of Moray.Robert Keith, History of the Affairs of Church and State, 2 (Edinburgh, 1845), p. 442: David Laing, History of the Reformation by John Knox, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1848), p. 496John Hosack, Mary Queen of Scots and her accussers, 1 (Edinburgh: Blackwood, 1869), pp. 115–116.David Masson, Register of the Privy Council of Scotland: Addenda, 14 (Edinburgh, 1898), p. 248. Mary tried to pawn some of her jewels in Edinburgh for 2,000 English marks, but no-one would lend this sum.Joseph Bain, Calendar State Papers Scotland: 1563–1569, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), p. 223. Mary spoke to the rich burgesses of Edinburgh, asking for loans to crush the rebellion. Six leading merchants were imprisoned till they obliged.Julian Goodare, State and Society in Early Modern Scotland (Oxford, 1999), p. 102.
Mary discussed her response to the rebellion with Michel de Castelnau, the French ambassador in London, who came to Edinburgh and had audiences with her in the garden of Holyroodhouse.John Guy, The Life of Mary Queen of Scots (Fourth Estate, 2009), pp. 234–236: Alexandre Teulet, Relations Politiques, 2 (Paris, 1862), pp. 245–258 Mary and Darnley wrote to lairds, including Robert Murray of Abercairny,William Fraser, The Lennox, 2 (Edinburgh, 1874), p. 428. and issued a general letter calling for armed support to come to Edinburgh on 25 August,Henry Ellis, Original Letters, series 2 vol. 2 (London, 1827), pp. 300–301. and declared the heirs of any casualties would inherit without financial penalties in their minorities (as was done before the battle of Flodden and Pinkie).John Hill Burton, Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 1 (Edinburgh, 1877), pp. 357–358. They set out from Holyrood to Linlithgow and Stirling on 26 August 1565, to move to Glasgow and confront the rebel force.Joseph Bain, Calendar State Papers Scotland, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), pp. 197-8 no. 237 Her cannon followed, brought by John Chisholm, who had obtained funds from the Burgh of Edinburgh after Mary promised the town rights over Leith, the neighbouring port town.James David Marwick, Extracts from the Records of the Burgh of Edinburgh: 1557-1571 (Edinburgh, 1875), p. 228.
The comptroller of the Scottish exchequer, John Wishart of Pitarrow, had sided with the rebellion and was replaced by William Murray of Tullibardine. The Provost of Edinburgh was also removed and Simon Preston of Craigmillar, a friend of Mary put in his place. Mary restored the honours of Lord Gordon as Earl of Huntly to ensure his support. The English diplomat Thomas Randolph claimed thieving and murder were rife, William Murray's lands were raided by Highlanders.Joseph Bain, Calendar State Papers Scotland, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), pp. 198, 203. Mary was anxious for her crown, and wrote from Glasgow to Philip II of Spain, for help. She sent the letter with an English servant of Darnley, possibly Anthony Standen or his brother.Alexandre Labanoff, Lettres inédites de Marie Stuart (Paris, 1839), pp. 303-305.
Thomas Randolph heard, but was sceptical, that Mary herself carried a pistol in her hand near while riding near Hamilton. Only one of one her ladies in waiting followed her. Darnley wore a "gylte corslet", while the rest of the army wore jacks which were usual worn in Scotland.Joseph Bain, Calendar State Papers Scotland, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), p. 202. In York, Thomas Gargrave heard that Mary's forces had "500 hagbushes (hand-guns) and certain field pieces: the others hath neither shot nor ordinance, nor any better holds than their dwelling houses".Edmund Lodge, Illustrations of British History, vol. 1 (London, 1791), p. 355.
The rebels left Hamilton, and Mary's force, nearby, turned to follow them and in stormy weather several of her followers were drowned in a flood on the way to Callendar.David Laing, History of the Reformation by John Knox, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1848), pp. 500-1. On 31 August, Moray and his supporters arrived in Edinburgh with 1,000 or 1,200 men. The English diplomat Thomas Randolph doubted that this force could withstand the Queen and King's army, as they lacked "harquebusiers," soldiers with hand-guns. Edinburgh Castle was held for the Queen and began to shoot its cannon at the rebels in the town.Calendar State Papers Scotland, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), pp. 198-201.
The rebel lords left Edinburgh. Mary came back to Edinburgh from Glasgow in early September and retired to Stirling Castle. Moray and his followers contemplated making for Carlisle in England. She visited Glasgow on 8 September, and a similar declaration was made for the heirs of any casualties among those who fought for her.John Hill Burton, Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 1 (Edinburgh, 1877), p. 364. On 9 September she went to St Andrews securing Castle Campbell and Lochleven Castle on the way. She went on to Dundee and Perth, then back to Glasgow.Joseph Bain, Calendar State Papers Scotland, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1905), pp. 202-5.
Moray's supporters retreated to Dumfries. On 10 September they sent Robert Melville to ask Elizabeth I of England for guns, money, troops, support from Lord Scrope at Carlisle, and naval assistance in the Forth.Calendar State Papers Scotland, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), pp. 202-212, 217
In response to the Chaseabout Raid, Mary and Darnley appointed Hucheon Rose of Kilravock keeper of Inverness Castle on 22 September 1565. The Earl of Huntly was made keeper again in October.Cosmo Innes, Genealogical deduction of the family of Rose of Kilravock (Aberdeen, 1848), pp. 244-246
The English ship, The Aide captained by Anthony Jenkinson arrived in the Forth on 25 September,Alexandre Teulet, Relations Politiques, 2 (Paris, 1862), p. 240Alexandre Teulet, Papiers d'État Relatifs à l'Histoire del'Écosse, 2 (Paris: Plon, Bannatyne Club, 1852), p. 90. but was bombarded by the cannon on Inchkeith and returned to Berwick-upon-Tweed. Jenkynson intended to prevent Lord Seton bringing more munitions for Mary from France.Calendar of State Papers Scotland, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), pp. 220-1. Tents, called "palyeonis" in the Scots language, were sent from Edinburgh to Mary's troops in Nithsdale and Annandale.Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, vol. 19 (Edinburgh, 1898), p. 349.
Randolph described Mary's arms again on 13 October 1565, writing that she had a "secret or privy defence" for her body (a kind of jack), a "knapescalle" helmet, and a "dagge" pistol at her saddle.Joseph Bain, Calendar State Papers Scotland, 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), p. 223 no. 280.