Francis Stewart Hepburn, 1st Earl of Bothwell
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Francis Stewart Hepburn, 1st Earl of Bothwell (1563 - 1612) was a nephew of James Hepburn, the fourth Earl of Bothwell, and a grandson of James V of Scotland. He became the earl in 1587.
A cousin of James VI of Scotland and I of England, it was alleged that they had a homosexual relationship with one another. At one stage he was Lord High Admiral of Scotland, but the king grew to distrust Hepburn, seeing him as a potential rival (he was next in line for the throne after James).
Hepburn felt that the beheading of Mary Queen of Scots should result in an invasion of England, a course of action his cousin, the king disagreed with. He was imprisoned for his activities in trying to advance such a course of action.
He was accused of witchcraft and jailed for the crime in 1591. He was stripped of his land and titles for this crime. He attempted to capture Holyrood Palace in 1593 and took the king captive, making him promise to offer a pardon. However, once pardoned Hepburn reverted to acting in the manner in which he previously had and in 1595 he had to flee Scotland and seek refuge in France.
Hepburn died in 1612, in exile in Naples, Italy.
| Preceded by: First Creation | Earl of Bothwell | Followed by: Forfeit |