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Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset

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246: 43: 367: 299: 691: 464:(whom James made Duke of Buckingham). James wrote a letter that year detailing a list of complaints he then had against Somerset. Somerset still retained some favour, and might possibly have remained in power for some time longer but for the discovery in July of the murder of Overbury by poisoning. At the infamous trial 399:, soon took control of much of the government and its patronage. Even the powerful Carr, hardly experienced for the responsibilities thrust upon him and often dependent on his intimate friend Overbury for assistance with government papers, fell into the Howard camp. He had done this after beginning an affair with 346:, James conferred the manor on Carr. The case was argued at law, and in 1609 judgment was given for the Crown. Apparently Lady Raleigh received some inadequate compensation, and Carr at once entered on possession. Carr's influence became such that in 1610 he was instrumental in persuading the king to dissolve 498:
Somerset and Howard were brought to trial in the spring of 1616. The latter confessed, and her guilt is widely accepted. Somerset's share is far more difficult to uncover, and probably will never be fully known. The evidence against him rested on mere presumption, and he consistently declared himself
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When Salisbury died in 1612, James had the notion of governing in person as his own chief Minister of State, with Carr carrying out many of Salisbury's former duties and acting as the kingys secretary. But James' inability to attend closely to official business exposed the government to factionalism.
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The king eventually let matters take their course, and both Somerset and Howard were found guilty and confined to the Tower. The sentence, however, was not carried into effect against either culprit. Howard was pardoned immediately, but both remained in the Tower until 1622. Somerset appears to have
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Fearing Somerset might seek to implicate him, James repeatedly sent messages to the Tower pleading with him to admit his guilt in return for a pardon stating, "It is easy to be seen that he would threaten me with laying an aspersion upon me of being, in some sort, accessory to his crime".
290:. The two became friends and travelled to London together. Overbury soon became Carr's secretary. When Carr embarked on his career at court, Overbury became mentor, secretary, and political advisor to his more charismatic friend, the brain behind Carr's steady rise to prominence. 249:
Quartered arms of Sir Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset, KG (1st and 4th Gules on a chevron Argent three mullets Gules in dexter chief a lion passant guardant Or for Carr; 2nd and 3rd quarterly Or and Gules overall a lion rampant Sable ducally crowned Gules for Rochester
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An inventory of the Earl of Somerset's possessions was made in November 1615 at the request of Sir Edward Coke. The Earl's servant Walter James helped make the inventory of the forty rooms of his lodgings at
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Overbury mistrusted the Howards and still had Carr's ear, and tried to prevent the marriage. In order to remove him from court, the Howard faction manipulated Overbury into seeming to be disrespectful to the
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for the Bowling Alley gallery and twenty-nine cases of antique (ancient Greek and Roman) marbles. The marbles arrived after Somerset's disgrace and Carleton had difficulties finding another buyer.
415:, aware that his refusal would be tantamount to treason. The plan worked and Overbury declined, wishing to remain in England and at his friend's side. On 22 April 1613 Overbury was placed in the 334:, even though he had previously executed a conveyance by which the property was to pass on his death to his eldest son (a conveyance which helped to codify many aspects of the English use of 338:, still in practice even today). Unfortunately for Raleigh, this document was rendered worthless by a flaw that gave the king eventual possession of the property. Acting on the advice of 554:, and a lute. Somerset had over 100 paintings in a picture gallery in a former bowling alley, the subjects included the Adoration of Shepherds, The Wise Men, and Samson and Delilah. 706: 731: 460:
abroad. As the years progressed James showered Somerset with more gifts, until 1615 when the two men had a falling out and Somerset was replaced by
1314: 562:, as Somerset had not paid the £250 bill. Some of Somerset's tapestries and paintings were put in the custody of his friend, the Scottish courtier 1038: 1011: 958: 1284: 558:
was given custody of his jewels and plate, including diamond buttons and hatbands. George More returned a diamond-set chain to the goldsmith
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s more tragic tone, it may have been Sabatini's divorce that tainted his normally optimistic, hero-wins-out writing style.)
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innocent. Probabilities are on the whole in favour of the hypothesis that he was no more than an accessory after the fact.
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On 25 September 1613, and supported by the king, Lady Essex obtained a decree of nullity of marriage against her husband,
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The Case of Impotency ... in that Remarkable Tryal An. 1613, Between Robert, Earl of Essex, and Lady Frances Howard
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Somerset may have begun collecting paintings to cement his position at court. He gave instructions to the diplomat
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and lined with yellow silk damask, tapestries of the Trojan wars and Roman history, and two Irish harps, a
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at the king's "request", eventually dying there five months later on 15 September "of natural causes".
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A. R. Braunmuller, 'Robert Carr, Earl of Somerset, as Art Collector and Patron', Linda Levy Peck,
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One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the
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The rise and fall of Robert Carr and his relationship to Thomas Overbury are the subject of
426:. On 3 November 1613 Carr was advanced to the Earldom of Somerset, on 23 December appointed 1279: 1046: 971: 928: 603: 25: 8: 315: 33: 475:
Eventually, four people had been convicted for taking part in the murder, and hanged at
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refused to buy forgiveness by concessions, and did not obtain his pardon until 1624.
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for communicating a paper recommending the establishment of arbitrary government by
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He emerged into public view only once more when, in 1630, he was prosecuted in the
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The Making of an Imperial Polity: Civility and America in the Jacobean Metropolis
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was also implicated in the case, but the charges against him were later dropped.
416: 408: 283: 209: 116: 607:, written shortly before Sabatini's divorce from his first wife in 1931. (Given 967: 480: 327: 234: 326:. The king subsequently knighted the young Carr and took him into favour. Sir 1263: 1223: 1118: 715:. Vol. 25 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 387–388. 702: 697: 559: 469: 457: 335: 646:, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1905), p. 231, and vol. 5 (Edinburgh, 1908), pp. 69–70. 547: 511: 782: 491:, a "waiting woman" of Frances Howard, and an apothecary called Franklin. 555: 465: 396: 430:. On 26 December, Lady Essex married Carr. Wedding festivities included 330:
had, through his attainder, forfeited his life-interest in the manor of
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Kings & Connoisseurs: Collecting Art in Seventeenth-Century Europe
729:"Robert Carr, Earl of Somerset (1585/6–1645)", The Fitzwilliam Museum 287: 230: 437: 311: 259: 255: 97: 93: 876:
Timothy Wilks, 'The Picture Collection of the Earl of Somerset',
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King's Favourite: The Love Story of Robert Carr and Lady Essex
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Cassell's Illustrated History of England (1865), vol 3, p.59
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History of England, Principally in the Seventeenth Century
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Timothy Wilks, 'Art Collecting at the English Court',
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to buy for him in Brussels. His agents in Venice were
403:, Countess of Essex, daughter of the Earl of Suffolk. 801: 799: 525:Somerset died in July 1645, leaving one daughter, 796: 1261: 915: 793:Lindley, p 146; Barroll, Anna of Denmark, p 136. 278:. About the year 1601, while an obscure page to 16:Politician and a favorite of King James VI and I 585:to supply fifteen paintings including works by 443: 982:. Vol. 9. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 361: 310:In 1607, Carr happened to break his leg at a 987:Gibbs, Sir Philip Hamilton (25 June 2009) . 657:King James and the History of Homosexuality 1037:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher ( 1010:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher ( 957:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher ( 899:Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) 41: 995: 47:Portrait of Robert Carr, Earl of Somerset 939: 701: 684: 682: 680: 678: 676: 674: 672: 649: 365: 297: 244: 1315:Members of the Privy Council of England 1074:The Overbury Murder Scandal (1615-1616) 1045: 966: 838:(Cambridge, 1991), pp. 237, 342 fn. 44. 659:. New York: New York University Press. 1262: 836:The Mental World of the Jacobean Court 724: 722: 393:Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham 1019: 1016:argues the case for Carr's innocence. 986: 878:Journal of the History of Collections 849:Journal of the History of Collections 669: 592: 381:Henry Howard, 1st Earl of Northampton 1285:British and English royal favourites 947:. Vol. ii. London and New York. 927: 546:. There was a bed with gilt pillars 531:William Russell, 1st Duke of Bedford 389:William Knollys, 1st Earl of Banbury 882:The Evolution of English Collecting 719: 536: 340:Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury 293: 13: 909: 479:at the end of 1615. They were Sir 424:Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex 385:Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk 320:Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk 14: 1361: 1067: 485:Lieutenant of the Tower of London 222:Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset 137:Anne Russell, Countess of Bedford 1310:Lords Warden of the Cinque Ports 979:Dictionary of National Biography 689: 620:portrays him in the miniseries, 548:hung with purple velvet curtains 379:The Howard party, consisting of 318:was in attendance. According to 270:, Scotland, by his second wife, 1163:Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports 887: 870: 854: 841: 828: 810: 787: 767: 758: 749: 740: 707:Somerset, Robert Carr, Earl of 636: 520:John Holles, 1st Earl of Clare 493:Sir Thomas Monson, 1st Baronet 472:were set to unravel the plot. 370:Portrait of Frances Howard by 262:, England, the younger son of 1: 1340:17th-century English nobility 1335:16th-century English nobility 1320:People of the Elizabethan era 973:"Carr, Robert (d.1645)"  755:Willson, p 349; Perry, p 105. 629: 240: 851:, 9:1 (1997), pp. 34, 36–37. 487:, Richard Weston, a gaoler, 444:Power, scandal, and downfall 7: 933:The Great Oyer of Poisoning 901:. 25 March 1931. p. 7. 777:(Cambridge, 2020), p. 189. 448:In 1614 Carr was appointed 306:, from the period 1603–1609 10: 1366: 1300:Lord-lieutenants of Durham 895:"Rafael Sabatini Divorced" 824:(London, 1836), pp. 406–11 362:Marriage to Frances Howard 1290:Scottish royal favourites 1242: 1237: 1230: 1220: 1214:Lord Lieutenant of Durham 1211: 1198: 1188: 1179: 1169: 1160: 1152: 1142: 1133: 1125: 1111: 1095: 1087: 1082: 1053:, London: Jonathan Cape, 998:Passion, Poison and Power 996:Harris QC, Brian (2010). 884:(Yale, 2003), pp. 240–55. 655:Young, Michael B. (2000) 454:Lord Chancellor Ellesmere 276:Walter Scott of Buccleuch 215: 197: 171: 159: 142: 132: 122: 112: 104: 83: 78: 74: 58: 54: 40: 23: 254:Robert Kerr was born in 1350:Court of James VI and I 1156:The Earl of Northampton 712:Encyclopædia Britannica 581:. Carleton worked with 436:, depicting a scene in 166:Queen's College, Oxford 1330:Treasurers of Scotland 1207:The Earl of Huntingdon 1027:. Vol. i. Oxford. 375: 322:, the king taught him 307: 264:Sir Thomas Kerr (Carr) 251: 1295:Knights of the Garter 1192:The Earl of Worcester 1076:earlystuartlibels.net 1051:King James VI & I 1047:Willson, David Harris 783:10.1017/9781108625227 433:The Masque of Flowers 428:Treasurer of Scotland 369: 354:, and subsequently a 302:Portrait of James by 301: 248: 184:Treasurer of Scotland 1325:People from Wrington 1146:The Earl of Pembroke 867:(Yale, 1995), p. 19. 642:James Balfour Paul, 30:The Earl of Somerset 26:The Right Honourable 1129:The Earl of Suffolk 822:Loseley Manuscripts 734:6 June 2014 at the 316:King James VI and I 210:Sir Thomas Overbury 1232:Peerage of England 1203:Title last held by 1098:Secretary of State 1083:Political offices 945:History of England 593:In popular culture 376: 352:Viscount Rochester 344:Secretary of State 308: 252: 63:Viscount Rochester 1345:Earls of Somerset 1270:English courtiers 1258: 1257: 1221:Succeeded by 1189:Succeeded by 1170:Succeeded by 1143:Succeeded by 1119:Sir Ralph Winwood 1112:Succeeded by 1102:1612–1614 1060:978-0-224-60572-4 817:Alfred John Kempe 746:Willson, p 334–5. 665:978-0-8147-9693-1 644:The Scots Peerage 623:Mary & George 413:Michael of Russia 387:; his son-in-law 304:Nicholas Hilliard 219: 218: 1357: 1305:Lords Privy Seal 1245:Earl of Somerset 1153:Preceded by 1136:Lord Chamberlain 1126:Preceded by 1091:Sir Robert Cecil 1088:Preceded by 1080: 1079: 1063: 1042: 1036: 1028: 1015: 1009: 1001: 992: 983: 975: 962: 956: 948: 936: 924: 917:Archbishop Abbot 903: 902: 891: 885: 874: 868: 858: 852: 845: 839: 832: 826: 814: 808: 803: 794: 791: 785: 773:Lauren Working, 771: 765: 762: 756: 753: 747: 744: 738: 726: 717: 716: 695: 693: 692: 686: 667: 653: 647: 640: 613: 571:William Trumbull 544:Whitehall Palace 537:Material culture 450:Lord Chamberlain 356:Privy Councillor 314:match, at which 294:King's favourite 228: 189:Lord Chamberlain 179:Privy Counsellor 79:Personal details 67:Earl of Somerset 45: 21: 20: 1365: 1364: 1360: 1359: 1358: 1356: 1355: 1354: 1260: 1259: 1248: 1226: 1217: 1204: 1194: 1185: 1182:Lord Privy Seal 1175: 1173:The Lord Zouche 1166: 1158: 1148: 1139: 1131: 1121: 1117: 1103: 1101: 1093: 1070: 1061: 1030: 1029: 1003: 1002: 968:Stephen, Leslie 950: 949: 912: 910:Further reading 907: 906: 893: 892: 888: 875: 871: 859: 855: 846: 842: 833: 829: 815: 811: 804: 797: 792: 788: 772: 768: 764:Willson, p 342. 763: 759: 754: 750: 745: 741: 736:Wayback Machine 727: 720: 705:, ed. (1911). " 690: 688: 687: 670: 654: 650: 641: 637: 632: 618:Laurie Davidson 611: 599:Rafael Sabatini 595: 579:Dudley Carleton 556:Sir George More 539: 489:Mrs Anne Turner 462:George Villiers 446: 417:Tower of London 364: 296: 284:Thomas Overbury 280:Sir George Home 243: 224: 193: 155: 149:Sir Thomas Kerr 92: 90: 89: 70: 50: 49:by John Hoskins 48: 36: 31: 28: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1363: 1353: 1352: 1347: 1342: 1337: 1332: 1327: 1322: 1317: 1312: 1307: 1302: 1297: 1292: 1287: 1282: 1277: 1272: 1256: 1255: 1250: 1241: 1235: 1234: 1228: 1227: 1222: 1219: 1210: 1202: 1196: 1195: 1190: 1187: 1177: 1176: 1171: 1168: 1159: 1154: 1150: 1149: 1144: 1141: 1132: 1127: 1123: 1122: 1113: 1110: 1094: 1089: 1085: 1084: 1078: 1077: 1069: 1068:External links 1066: 1065: 1064: 1059: 1043: 1017: 993: 984: 970:, ed. (1887). 963: 937: 925: 911: 908: 905: 904: 886: 869: 861:Jonathan Brown 853: 840: 827: 809: 795: 786: 766: 757: 748: 739: 718: 703:Chisholm, Hugh 668: 648: 634: 633: 631: 628: 601:'s 1930 novel 594: 591: 538: 535: 481:Gervase Helwys 445: 442: 401:Frances Howard 372:William Larkin 363: 360: 328:Walter Raleigh 295: 292: 250:augmentation.) 242: 239: 235:James VI and I 217: 216: 213: 212: 199: 195: 194: 192: 191: 186: 181: 175: 173: 169: 168: 163: 157: 156: 154: 153: 150: 146: 144: 140: 139: 134: 130: 129: 127:Frances Howard 124: 120: 119: 114: 110: 109: 106: 102: 101: 87: 85: 81: 80: 76: 75: 72: 71: 69: 68: 65: 59: 56: 55: 52: 51: 46: 38: 37: 32: 29: 24: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1362: 1351: 1348: 1346: 1343: 1341: 1338: 1336: 1333: 1331: 1328: 1326: 1323: 1321: 1318: 1316: 1313: 1311: 1308: 1306: 1303: 1301: 1298: 1296: 1293: 1291: 1288: 1286: 1283: 1281: 1278: 1276: 1273: 1271: 1268: 1267: 1265: 1254: 1251: 1247: 1246: 1240: 1236: 1233: 1229: 1225: 1224:Richard Neile 1216: 1215: 1209: 1208: 1201: 1197: 1193: 1184: 1183: 1178: 1174: 1165: 1164: 1157: 1151: 1147: 1138: 1137: 1130: 1124: 1120: 1116: 1109: 1108: 1100: 1099: 1092: 1086: 1081: 1075: 1072: 1071: 1062: 1056: 1052: 1048: 1044: 1040: 1034: 1026: 1022: 1018: 1013: 1007: 999: 994: 990: 985: 981: 980: 974: 969: 964: 960: 954: 946: 942: 938: 934: 930: 926: 922: 918: 914: 913: 900: 896: 890: 883: 879: 873: 866: 862: 857: 850: 844: 837: 831: 825: 823: 818: 813: 807: 802: 800: 790: 784: 780: 776: 770: 761: 752: 743: 737: 733: 730: 725: 723: 714: 713: 708: 704: 699: 698:public domain 685: 683: 681: 679: 677: 675: 673: 666: 662: 658: 652: 645: 639: 635: 627: 625: 624: 619: 615: 610: 606: 605: 600: 590: 588: 584: 580: 576: 572: 567: 565: 561: 560:George Heriot 557: 553: 549: 545: 534: 532: 528: 523: 521: 517: 516:Robert Dudley 513: 508: 504: 500: 496: 494: 490: 486: 482: 478: 473: 471: 470:Francis Bacon 467: 463: 459: 455: 451: 441: 439: 435: 434: 429: 425: 420: 418: 414: 410: 404: 402: 398: 394: 390: 386: 382: 373: 368: 359: 357: 353: 349: 345: 341: 337: 336:primogeniture 333: 329: 325: 321: 317: 313: 305: 300: 291: 289: 285: 281: 277: 273: 269: 265: 261: 257: 247: 238: 236: 232: 227: 223: 214: 211: 207: 203: 200: 196: 190: 187: 185: 182: 180: 177: 176: 174: 170: 167: 164: 162: 158: 151: 148: 147: 145: 141: 138: 135: 131: 128: 125: 121: 118: 115: 111: 107: 103: 99: 95: 86: 82: 77: 73: 66: 64: 61: 60: 57: 53: 44: 39: 35: 27: 22: 19: 1275:1580s births 1252: 1243: 1239:New creation 1238: 1212: 1205: 1199: 1180: 1161: 1134: 1115:John Herbert 1107:John Herbert 1105: 1096: 1050: 1024: 997: 988: 977: 944: 932: 920: 898: 889: 881: 877: 872: 864: 856: 848: 843: 835: 830: 821: 812: 789: 774: 769: 760: 751: 742: 710: 656: 651: 643: 638: 621: 616: 608: 602: 596: 568: 540: 524: 512:Star Chamber 509: 505: 501: 497: 474: 447: 431: 421: 405: 377: 309: 274:, sister of 253: 221: 220: 108:17 July 1645 18: 1280:1645 deaths 466:Edward Coke 458:Protestants 397:Thomas Lake 272:Janet Scott 268:Ferniehurst 152:Janet Scott 113:Nationality 88:Robert Kerr 1264:Categories 1249:1613–1645 1218:1615–1617 1186:1614–1616 1167:1614–1615 1140:1614–1615 965:Gardiner, 630:References 609:The Minion 604:The Minion 587:Tintoretto 583:Daniel Nys 575:Isaac Wake 564:Henry Gibb 395:, and Sir 348:Parliament 241:Background 172:Occupation 161:Alma mater 1049:(1963) , 1033:cite book 1006:cite book 1000:. London. 953:cite book 935:. London. 923:. London. 374:, c. 1615 332:Sherborne 288:Edinburgh 282:, he met 231:favourite 198:Known for 100:, England 1253:Extinct 1023:(1875). 943:(1889). 941:Gardiner 931:(1846). 919:(1715). 732:Archived 438:Virginia 260:Somerset 256:Wrington 233:of King 133:Children 117:Scottish 98:Somerset 94:Wrington 700::  552:theorbo 312:tilting 143:Parents 1200:Vacant 1104:With: 1057:  694:  663:  477:Tyburn 342:, his 206:murder 202:Poetry 123:Spouse 1021:Ranke 612:' 409:queen 324:Latin 1055:ISBN 1039:link 1012:link 959:link 929:Amos 661:ISBN 577:and 527:Anne 468:and 105:Died 91:1587 84:Born 779:doi 709:". 518:to 286:in 266:of 208:of 1266:: 1035:}} 1031:{{ 1008:}} 1004:{{ 976:. 955:}} 951:{{ 897:. 863:, 819:, 798:^ 721:^ 671:^ 626:. 566:. 533:. 522:. 483:, 440:. 391:; 383:; 358:. 258:, 237:. 226:KG 204:, 96:, 34:KG 1041:) 1014:) 991:. 961:) 781::

Index

The Right Honourable
KG

Viscount Rochester
Wrington
Somerset
Scottish
Frances Howard
Anne Russell, Countess of Bedford
Alma mater
Queen's College, Oxford
Privy Counsellor
Treasurer of Scotland
Lord Chamberlain
Poetry
murder
Sir Thomas Overbury
KG
favourite
James VI and I

Wrington
Somerset
Sir Thomas Kerr (Carr)
Ferniehurst
Janet Scott
Walter Scott of Buccleuch
Sir George Home
Thomas Overbury
Edinburgh

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