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Margaret Carwood, confidante of Mary Queen of Scots

b. circa 1550, d. 1612

Birth

Margaret Carwood, confidante of Mary Queen of Scots, was born circa 1550.

Parents

Father

William Carwood, of that Ilk

Family life

John Stewart, of Fincastle, and Margaret Carwood, confidante of Mary Queen of Scots, were married on 11 February 1567 in Holyrood Palace. The marriage of Margaret Carwod took place at Hol3rrood (the Queen giving the bridal feast) on Shrove Tuesday (nth of February) 1567, two days after the marriage of Bastian Pagez, a valet of the Queen's chamber, to whose bridal masque at Holyrood, on the night of Sunday the 9th of February, Mary hurried from her husband's bedside at the Kirk of the Field, an hour or two before his murder.¹

Partner with John Stewart, of Fincastle,

Working life

In 1564 Margaret Carwood, confidante of Mary Queen of Scots, was occupied as Lady of the Queen's chamber.²
After 10 February 1567 Margaret Carwood, confidante of Mary Queen of Scots, was occupied as left the queen's service. One of the letters said to have been addressed by the Queen to Bothwell — the most obscure of the series, supposed to have been written in the end of January or beginning of February 1567 — ^was described when first published as * ane uther letter to Bothwell, concerning the departure of Maigaret Carwod, quha wes preuie and ane helper ol all thair lufe. ' It complains of her folly, of her ingratitude to the Queen, and of the offence which she has given to BothwelL * And quhen scho salbe nuuyit' — ^it proceeds — * I beseik yow giue me ane [vther], or ellis I will tak sic as sail content yow for thair conditiounis ; bot as for thair toungis or faithfulnes towart yow, I will not answer.' — (Anderson's Collections rdating to Queen Mary, vol il pp. 8, 150, 151. M. Teulet, Lettres de Marie Stuart, pp. 46, 48.) A French copy of the letter in the Stote Paper Office is indorsed 'anent the depesche of Margaret Carwod quhilk wes before hir marriage.' — (Calendar of State Papers relating to Scotland, vol il p. 865.)

Her name is not included in the roll of the Queen's household made up three days afterwards. Her departure or dismissal had then taken place. But her absence, whatever may have been its cause, was only for a few weeks.¹

Property

Margaret Carwood, confidante of Mary Queen of Scots, possessed was granted by MQOS a pension of 300 merks per year from the lands of Kinclevin in Perthshire on 8 February 1567.¹ She possessed sold her half of Carwood to her sister Janet and her husband John Fleming of Presellands for 500 merks in November 1579 in Carwood.¹

Death

Margaret Carwood, confidante of Mary Queen of Scots, died in 1612 at age ~62.²

Citations

[S111] Joseph Robertson, Inventaires de la Royne Descosse Douairiere de France, p lvii, note 4
[S2] Various contributors, Various contributors, "Wikipaedia," database, Commons, Wikipaedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/: accessed ), ., Margaret Carwood, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Carwood

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Last Edited

12 May 2025