Edward Wotton, 1st Baron Wotton (1548–1626) was an English diplomat and administrator. From 1612 to 1613, he served as a Lord of the Treasury. Wotton was Treasurer of the Household from 1616 to 1618, and also served as Lord Lieutenant of Kent from 1604 until 1620.
Early life Born in 1548, Edward was the eldest son of Thomas Wotton (1521–1587) by his first wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir John Rudston, Lord Mayor of London in 1528.
Edward does not appear to have been educated at any English university, but made up for the deficiency by long study on the continent. In 1579 Bernardino de Mendoza, the Spanish ambassador, stated that Wotton had spent three or four years among the Spanish residents at Naples and described him as "a man of great learning and knowledge of languages."Martin Hume, Calendar State Papers, Spain (Simancas), 1568–1579 (London: HMSO, 1894), pp. 672, 679. He was certainly an accomplished French, Italian, and Spanish scholar; Mendoza also thought him "a creature of Walsingham's," but was unable to discover what his religion was.
The Scottish diplomat James Melville of Halhill recalled an incident in Edward's early career. Edward's grand uncle Dr Nicholas Wotton was an ambassador for Mary I of England in France, during the negotiation of the peace of Cateau Cambrésis. Dr Wotton was troubled by accusations that English soldiers served in the Spanish army. These allegations were made by the Constable of France, Anne de Montmorency. Melville says that he sent for his young grand nephew from England, who was about 19 years old, to learn French and Italian and serve as his secretary.Tracey A. Sowerby, "Tudor Diplomatic Secretaries", Florian Kühnel & Christine Vogel, Zwischen Domestik und Staatsdiener (Köln, 2021), pp. 59–60, 65–67. Edward came to the French court anonymously as a simple countryman, Melville uses the Scots language word "landwart" (Landward) which means "countryside", accompanied only by his interpreter. According to Melville, Edward got an audience with the Constable and began to discuss the political discontent in England with Mary's husband, Philip II of Spain and Spanish influence in England. Edward was supposed to have spoken of a conspiracy to deliver Calais to France.
Naturally, the Constable was suspicious of the young man's offer, and Melville says he was asked if he knew anything of Wotton. Melville supplied his observation that he had seen Wotton deep in conversation with Dr Nicolas Wotton's secretary John Somers. Montmorency guessed that this was Dr Nicholas' plot to discredit him, and Edward remained a while in France, but now publicly known as the ambassador's grandnephew. Melville remembered the incident in 1585, when Edward was sent to Scotland by Francis Walsingham, and warned James VI that Edward might intend to deceive him.Thomson, Thomas, ed., Memoirs of his own life by James Melville, (1827), pp. 331–5
Career He was early given diplomatic assignments by Walsingham, and in 1574-6 was secretary to the embassy at Vienna, Sir Philip Sidney being for a time associated with him in these duties. In May 1579 Wotton was sent to congratulate Henry, the new king of Portugal, on his accession, and on his way back had an audience with Philip II of Spain at Segovia. In January 1583-4 it was proposed to send him to Spain to protest against Mendoza's conduct in England and to explain his summary expulsion by Elizabeth. William Waad was, however, sent instead. On the following 9 Nov Wotton was returned to parliament as one of the Knights of the Shire for Kent.
Scotland in 1585 In May 1585, Elizabeth, alarmed at the progress of the Catholic League in France and the success of Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma in the Netherlands, selected Wotton as envoy to Scotland to persuade James VI to enter into an offensive and defensive alliance and to take the Dutch under his protection.Steven J. Reid, The Early Life of James VI, A Long Apprenticeship (Edinburgh: John Donald, 2023), pp. 265. He was also to suggest James's marriage to Anne of Denmark or Arabella Stewart, but it was not until six years later that the former scheme was adopted.Joseph Bain, Hamilton Papers, 2 (Edinburgh, 1892), p. 645. Wotton received his instructions from his friend Sir Philip Sidney on 15 May, was at Berwick on the 26th, and was received by James VI at Edinburgh on the 30 May 1586. The Scottish court was dominated by James Stewart, Earl of Arran. Wotton's mission was to undermine him, as well as negotiate an Anglo-Scottish treaty.Alexander Courtney, James VI, Britannic Prince: King of Scots and Elizabeth's Heir, 1566–1603 (Routledge, 2024), p. 84.
There was plague in Edinburgh, and Wotton joined the king at Falkland Palace in the Fife countryside.David Masson, Register of the Privy Council of Scotland: 1578–1585, vol. 3 (Edinburgh, 1880), pp. 748-9.Steven J. Reid, The Early Life of James VI, A Long Apprenticeship (Edinburgh: John Donald, 2023), pp. 265–67. Wotton brought James VI an offer of a regular payment or subsidy of 20,000 crowns, but was quickly advised by Francis Walsingham that the sum could only be £3,000 sterling.Sophie Crawford Lomas, Calendar State Papers Foreign Elizabeth, vol. 19 (London, 1916), p. 618: Calendar State Papers Scotland, 1584–1585, 7 (Edinburgh, 1913), p. 668 no. 635, 673 no. 646.Joseph Bain, Hamilton Papers, 2 (Edinburgh, 1892), pp. 644, 646. Walsingham gave him instructions and Wotton was to tell James that Elizabeth I was in favour of him marrying a Danish princess. Wotton discussed the proposals with James privately in a gallery at Falkland.William Boyd, Calendar State Papers Scotland, vol. 8 (Edinburgh, 1914), pp. 6–7 no. 7: Joseph Bain, Hamilton Papers, 2 (Edinburgh, 1892), p. 652 no. 481.
Assisted by Robert Zinzan alias Alexander, Wotton brought a gift of horses and hunting dogs which delighted the young king.Steven J. Reid, The Early Life of James VI, A Long Apprenticeship (Edinburgh: John Donald, 2023), p. 264: John Bruce, Letters of Queen Elizabeth and James VI of Scotland (London: Camden Society, 1849), pp. 14–15.Alexandre Teulet, Papiers d'État, 2 (Paris, 1850), p. 728. James asked Zinzan to stay at Falkland for a while, but he returned to London with a report of Wotton's progress.Joseph Bain, Hamilton Papers, 2 (Edinburgh, 1892), pp. 657–658. A Danish embassy arrived in Scotland, and Walsingham wrote that it would good for Wotton to meet with them. Wotton's dealings with the Danish diplomats were described by James Melville of Halhill.Thomas Thomson, Memoirs of his own life by James Melville (Edinburgh, 1827), p. 346: Joseph Bain, Hamilton Papers, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1892), pp. 650–651.
At first Wotton's success appeared complete; James agreed to the proposal for a league, and on 28 June 1585 the Parliament of Scotland approved. In the same month, however, the exiled Scots in England made a raid into Scotland, supported by an English force, and, though Elizabeth ordered the arrest of the offenders, James, with some reason, suspected the complicity of the English government and feared a repetition of the attempts to restore the exiled lords by force. Moreover, the Earl of Arran's influence over the king was still supreme, and Arran was strenuously supported by the French party.
Wotton found an ally in the Master of Gray, who proposed assassinating Arran.John Hosack, Mary Queen of Scots and her accusers, 2 (Edinburgh, 1874), pp. 308–12. King James was disappointed when another gift of hunting hounds from England was late or delayed,Steven J. Reid, The Early Life of James VI, A Long Apprenticeship (Edinburgh: John Donald, 2023), pp. 267, 270. and complications arose with the murder of Lord Russell (son of Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford) on 27 July 1585 at a day of truce at the border.Alexander Courtney, James VI, Britannic Prince: King of Scots and Elizabeth's Heir, 1566–1603 (Routledge, 2024), p. 84.Ruth Grant, "The Anglo-Scottish Alliance of 1586", Julian Goodare & Alasdair MacDonald, Sixteenth-Century Scotland: Essays in Honour of Michael Lynch (Leiden, 2008), p. 218. Thomas Kerr of Fernihirst was involved in the incident, and charged to produce the offender.Joseph Bain, Hamilton Papers, 2 (Edinburgh, 1892), p. 665 no. 496. The Earl of Arran was implicated, and Elizabeth now sought to use the circumstance to ruin him. Wotton demanded his arrest and removal to England for trial, but James merely confined him at St Andrews Castle and then Kinneil House,Alexander Courtney, James VI, Britannic Prince: King of Scots and Elizabeth's Heir, 1566–1603 (Routledge, 2024), p. 84: Steven J. Reid, The Early Life of James VI, A Long Apprenticeship (Edinburgh: John Donald, 2023), p. 269. whence he was soon released and resumed his ascendancy over James. Wotton's position was now precarious, and in August, Arran's ally, William Stewart of Houston openly insulted him in the king's presence. Elizabeth, however, hesitated to risk an open breach with James by effectively supporting her ambassador.
Henry III of France sent Michel Castelnau de Mauvissière to Scotland to reinforce French influence at Edinburgh, strengthening James in his refusal to give up Arran, and making Wotton's success hopeless. Wotton now advocated an incursion by the exiled lords, supported by an English force, and the seizure of James and Arran as the only means of restoring English prestige. But, aware of the danger to himself in such an event, he begged for his recall. This was granted on 11 October. Before Walsingham's letters could arrive Wotton slipped away in the night from the Scottish court at Stirling Castle and crossed the border,Alexander Courtney, James VI, Britannic Prince: King of Scots and Elizabeth's Heir, 1566–1603 (Routledge, 2024), p. 85: Steven J. Reid, The Early Life of James VI, A Long Apprenticeship (Edinburgh: John Donald, 2023), p. 271. and on the 12 October he was at Berwick-upon-Tweed.full details of Wotton's negotiations are given in Cotton MSS. Calig. C. viii–ixAdd MS 32657, ii. 83–223Joseph Bain, Hamilton Papers, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1892), pp. 643–708.Border Papers, 1560–94, Nos. 335–876Thorpe, Cal. Scottish State Papers, i. 495-5l2Teulet, Papiers d'État, Bannatyne Club, ii. 728, iii. 404–6.
France in 1586 For some time after his return, Wotton was occupied in local administration in Kent. In November 1586, however, he was sent to France to explain to Henry III the intrigues against Elizabeth of Mary, Queen of Scots, certified transcripts of her letters in connection with the Babington Plot being sent him with directions on how to use them.Martin Hume, Calendar State Papers, Spain (Simancas), 1580–1586, 3 (London: HMSO, 1896), pp. 646–652.Add MS 33256, ff. 172–205Calendar Spain, Simancas, 1587–1603, p. 178.his instructions dated 29 Sep in Cotton. MS. Calig. E. vi. 302Bernard, Cat. MSS. Anglica, iii. 5270, f. 240)
Later career under Elizabeth