Marion of Balwearie

[Meggiejayne]

George Henderson of Fordell was the son of James Henderson, who was killed at Flodden in 1513, and his wife, Ellen or Helen Baty.

He married Katherine Adamson, daughter of William Adamson and Jonet Turing. A marriage contract dated 17th December 1517 survives, between William, Jonet and Katherine on the one part and George Henrison (Henderson) and his mother, Ellen Baty, with consent of her second husband, Alan Stewart, Captain of Dumbarton and Inchgarvie, on the other. They were married by the following February, when they are first mentioned as husband and wife in a sasine.

I am descended from Katherine's brother, Alexander, who was killed at Pinkie in 1547. George's heir, William, was also killed at Pinkie.

Although I have been able to trace the Adamsons back to the 1460s and the Turings directly back to the 14th century, I have not got round to checking the information available on George Henderson other than the many times the Adamsons and he witness sasines for one another.

The information on George will take some studying. There is a confirmation to him and Katherine in the Register of the Great Seal on 1-9-1542 which implies they were both alive then. There is an instrument of renunciation by William Scott of Balwearie to Marion Scott, relict of George Henderson, dated 22-6-1544 , in the National Records of Scotland (GD172?98). Yet there is a confirmation in the Register of the Great Seal on 20-8-1546 of a regrant of George's lands, on his resignation of them, jointly to himself and his wife Mariota (Marion Scott), which implies they are both alive. Some sources say George was killed at Pinkie in 1547. There are inconsistencies that need to be checked.

Hello

Thank you for this. This information at least rules out the 1517 marriage then as that was to your Katherine rather than to Marion.

I'm not quite sure what some of the terms mean but I will go and investigate.

I think based on what you have found out that we have to assume that the marriage of 1846 is the actual one for George and Marion.

Do you have any idea when Katherine died? Also do you have any information on children of George and Katherine?

[Meggiejayne]

Don

Thank you very much. Not sure what half of it means but at least whilst there was no mention of a marriage contract it does mention her as being the spouse of George Henderson on 5th Sept 1546.

[Meggiejayne]

So after some digging and ignoring family trees on Ancestry as they just don't seem to add up, I thik I have a timeline..

1499 or 1502 - Birth, location unsure

Marriage to Alexander Scott, as yet unable to source a date and place but assume before 1519

1519 - daughter, Elizabeth Scott born

1520 - some but not all sources have a son being born, Alexander?

1539 - marriage to George Henderson, 2nd Laird of Fordell....quite a few sources mention this date, heraldic books, etc.

1541 - daughter Janet Henderson  born

1547 - daughter Marion Henderson born

1566 - death in Glemsford, Sussex on 20th April

So the marriage to George in 1539 rules out the information that says MQS was at the castle for the wedding of Marion and George as Mary wasn't born then. I do however wonder if it was Mary of Guise (Queen to James V and mother to MQS) who was actually at the castle for the wedding and she was in fact her lady in waiting? Obviously this is all speculation. After all being lady in waiting to MQS has more kudos than being lady in waiting to her mother. This though would make much more sense.

[DonM]

Instrument of Protest against...and Marion Scott of Balgawe.  4/11/1506

So probably not born 1499-1502.

Instrument on renunciation by William Scott of Balwearie, kt, in favour of Marion Scott, relict of deceased George Henderson (Hendirsone) of Fordell... 22/6/1544

Term relic means widow.  George is dead by 22 Jun 1544. 

The 1546 entry states this Sasine was completed following on resignation of said George...in other words this transaction was completed after his death.

I know there is no record of a marriage contract hence my suggestion to contact the NRS. 

BTW page two gives you some of the children including daughter Marion was obviously born before George died.

Don

[Meggiejayne]

Instrument of Protest against...and Marion Scott of Balgawe.  4/11/1506

So probably not born 1499-1502.

There are lots of Marion Scots. We have a few Marion Scotts in other areas of the family tree and some of those married a Henderson! So this may not have been our Marion.

All accounts I've read put her age at death as around 67

[GR2]

Which of the children of George Henderson are you descended from? If it is from his first marriage, I can send you a copy of the marriage contract and details of Katherine Adamson's ancestors.

Katherine Adamson's grandmother was the future James IV's nurse in the 1470s. Does that trump a lady in waiting? 

[Meggiejayne]

Which of the children of George Henderson are you descended from? If it is from his first marriage, I can send you a copy of the marriage contract and details of Katherine Adamson's ancestors.

Katherine Adamson's grandmother was the future James IV's nurse in the 1470s. Does that trump a lady in waiting? 

Yes descended from his first marriage with Katherine, their son Wiliam and then his son James, then his son John.

Oh I think a nurse might just trump a lady in waiting.

Yes please to the marriage contract. We have her parents William and Janet but no further back.

Thank you

[GR2]

I'll send you a personal message with my email so I can get the information to you.