The Secret Bond (also known as the Secret Band) was a document drawn up by Cardinal Beaton and signed at Linlithgow by a number of Scottish peers and lairds on 24 July 1543.Jenny Wormald, Mary, Queen of Scots: Politics, Passion and a Kingdom Lost (Tauris Parke, 2001), p. 56: Jenny Wormald, Lords and Men in Scotland: Bonds of Manrent (Edinburgh: John Donald, 2015), p. 404 no. 7. They agreed to prevent the marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots, to Prince Edward of England. The document is sometimes called the "Linlithgow Bond".Carol Edington, Court and Culture in Renaissance Scotland (University of Massachusetts, 1994), p. 59. After an agreement was reached with the Governor of Scotland, Regent Arran, Mary moved from Linlithgow Palace to Stirling Castle.Carol Edington, Court and Culture in Renaissance Scotland: Sir David Lindsay of the Mount (Tuckwell, 1995), p. 59: Margaret Sanderson, Cardinal of Scotland (Edinburgh: John Donald, 1986), p. 167.
Historical context Following the death of James V of Scotland in December 1542, his infant daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots, succeeded to the Scottish throne. A struggle for the Regency of Scotland between Cardinal Beaton and the Earl of Arran was won by the latter.Morgan Ring, So High A Blood: The Life of Margaret Countess of Lennox (Bloomsbury, 2017), p. 78: Alec Ryrie, The Origins of the Scottish Reformation (Manchester, 2006), p. 55. On 1 July 1543, Regent Arran entered into the Treaty of Greenwich with Henry VIII of England.Marcus Merriman, The Rough Wooings (Tuckwell, 2000), pp. 112, 118-121. Under the treaty, Mary would marry Henry's son, Edward. The alliance and eventual union of the thrones of England and Scotland which the treaty envisaged was controversial in Scotland. Some thought the union might only enrich England. The treaty's Anglo-centric policy was resisted by many who preferred to continue the Auld Alliance with France.Marcus Merriman, The Rough Wooings (Tuckwell, 2000), pp. 123-4.
Mary remained with her mother Mary of Guise at Linlithgow Palace, where she had been born. She was nursed in Mary of Guise's own chamber, five rockers looked after her cradle.State Papers of Henry the Eighth, part 4 cont., vol. 5 (London, 1836), p. 240. When Mary of Guise made arrangements to move to Stirling Castle in February 1543, Arran would not allow it.Rosalind K. Marshall, Mary of Guise (Collins, 1977), p. 119. Opponents of the marriage continued to worry that Mary would be taken to England. After a rumour Mary would be taken to France, Regent Arran increased security at Linlithgow Palace. Shots were fired at the English ambassador Ralph Sadler.Rosalind K. Marshall, Mary of Guise (London: Collins, 1977), pp. 128-129.
Mary of Guise seems to have been in control of the situation. She wrote to an ally, David Paniter, on 12 July, saying that she expected to agree with the Governor, Regent Arran, about a move to Stirling. After arriving at Stirling, Mary of Guise wrote to her mother, Antoinette of Bourbon, Duchess of Guise, in positive terms about the situation in Scotland. The Duchess replied that she rejoiced to hear that her daughter and the little queen were in good health and their long captivity was over.Marguerite Wood, Balcarres Papers, vol. 1 (Edinburgh: SHS, 1923), pp. 93–4.
Two armies According to the Scottish chronicle writer Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie, Cardinal Beaton and Mary of Guise persuaded the Earl of Argyll to raise an army of Highlandmen and men from the Mearns. The force assembled at Linlithgow to prevent Regent Arran taking Mary away. They stayed long enough to devastate the cornfields around the town, "thair oist in Linlythgow quha lay thair so lang that they distroyit the haill cornis around the towne bayth of pure and riche the space of ane myll round about" ― their host in Linlithgow who lay there so long that they destroyed the whole corns around the town both of the poor and rich the space of a mile round about.Aeneas Mackay, Historie and cronicles of Scotland, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, SHS, 1899), pp. 12-14 This also appears in David Lindsay's poem, The Tragedie of Cardinal Beaton:The Governour purposyng to subdewI rasit ane oyst of mony bold BarounAnd maid ane raid quhilk Lythgow yit may rew;For we distroyit ane myle about the townDouglas Hamer, Works of David Lindsay, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1938), p. 135 lines 161-165Janet Hadley Williams, Sir David Lyndsay, Selected Poems (Glasgow: Association for Scottish Literary Studies, 2000), pp. 118, 277. Meanwhile, Arran's forces gathered in Edinburgh. The English diplomat in Edinburgh, Ralph Sadler, estimated that the Cardinal's party had as many as 5 or 6,000 men at Linlithgow, while Regent Arran's strength at Edinburgh was 7 or 8,000.State Papers of Henry the Eight, part 4 cont., vol. 5 (London, 1836), p. 326: British Library Add MS 32651 f.139r. Arran sent James Learmonth of Dairsie, Henry Balnaves, and Adam Otterburn to negotiate at Linlithgow.Joseph Bain, Hamilton Papers, 1 (Edinburgh, 1890), pp. 589–591.
The Secret Bond On 24 July 1543, when Mary was to be moved from Linlithgow Palace to Stirling Castle, the leaders of the Scottish-French party signed a bond drawn up by Cardinal Beaton.Marcus Merriman, The Rough Wooings (Tuckwell, 2000), p. 125. The notary who penned the original document was John Lauder. The signatories pledged themselves to resist the marriage and the realm being "swbdewit till our awld enymyis of Ingland" by the transport of Mary to England. The signatories included Beaton, a number of churchmen, and these lords and lairds:Letters and Papers Henry VIII, 18:1 (London, 1901), no. 945: Hamilton Papers, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1890), p. 630 no. 446 See external links for images.
Mediation at Kirkliston
In England, William Parr collected conflicting intelligence reports and he heard on 22 July that Regent Arran and the opposition might fight a battle near Linlithgow, or that Arran might be persuaded to join their cause and change his policies.Letters and Papers Henry VIII, 18:1 (London, 1901), nos. 904, 923, 937. Ralph Sadler wrote:Surely, here is great appearance of much mischief and rebellion, for great preparation is on both parties; the Cardinal, the Earls of Argyll, Lennox, Huntly, with their friends, of one party, and the Governor [Regent Arran], the Earls of Angus, Cassilis, the Lord Maxwell, and their friends, of the other party. What will be the end, I cannot yet tell; but, if I should say my own phantasy, I think surely, when all is done, they will not fight, for all their brags.State Papers of Henry the Eight, part 4 cont., vol. 5 (London, 1836), pp. 322-3 (modernised here).
Meanwhile, Sadler was collecting signatures to another bond, Henry VIII's "secret device", an undertaking that some Scottish nobles would support the English marriage plan regardless of the Scottish politics of the moment.State Papers of Henry the Eight, part 4 cont., vol. 5 (London, 1836), p. 319. He later wrote to Parr, explaining that he ought not to fully trust information from the spies he employed in Scotland.State Papers of Henry the Eight, part 4 cont., vol. 5 (London, 1836), p. 330.
Around the time the secret bond was made, the two opposing factions met for talks. Pitscottie and George Buchanan say the mediation was made at Kirkliston.Rosalind K. Marshall, Mary of Guise (London: Collins, 1977), p. 129.James Aikman, History of Scotland by George Buchanan, vol. 2 (Glasgow, 1827), pp. 333-4Aeneas Mackay, Historie and cronicles of Scotland, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, SHS, 1899), p. 14 Ralph Sadler described two meetings in the "middle waye betwene Edenburgh and Lythcoo".Joseph Bain, Hamilton Papers, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1890), p. 592 no. 425: Letters and Papers Henry VIII, 18:1 (London, 1901), no. 950.
The two sides made an agreement at Kirkliston which was enacted on 25 July 1543 by a mass meeting for reconciliation in a field between Edinburgh and Linlithgow with "shaking of hands" and "friendly embracings".Rosalind K. Marshall, Mary of Guise (London: Collins, 1977), p. 130. This ceremony was described by Ralph Sadler in a letter to Henry VIII:it was agreed that the said Cardinal and his complices, with the nombre of oone hundreth persons and th'erle of Anguysshe with such other barons as were nowe with the Governor [Regent Arran] with the like nombre of oone hundreth persons shulde mete altogither in the feeldes betwene this towne [Edinburgh] and Lythcoo, and so to talk famyliarly togither like freends ... there was shaking of hands one with another, freendlie embracings and familiar communications and verie good agreament amongst themJoseph Bain, Hamilton Papers, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1890), pp. 592-3 no. 425: British Library Add MS 32651 ff.141v-142r., See external links.
Mary moves to Stirling On completion of this peace making, the Earls of Cassilis and Glencairn rode to Linlithgow Palace to order the household appointed for the queen by Regent Arran to stand down. Four governors or neutral lords previously appointed by Parliament (on 15 March) as Mary's keepers took charge at the Palace, and on the next day, 26 or 27 July,Marcus Merriman, The Rough Wooings (Tuckwell, 2000), p. 126. Mary and her mother Mary of Guise moved from Linlithgow to the relative security of Stirling Castle.Joseph Bain, Hamilton Papers, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1890), p. 592-593 no. 425: Lucinda H. S. Dean, 'In the Absence of an Adult Monarch', Kate Buchanan, Lucinda Dean, Michael Penman, Medieval and Early Modern Representations of Authority in Scotland and the British Isles (Routledge, 2016), p. 147: Jane Dunn, Elizabeth & Mary (London, 2004), p. 71. The Earl of Lennox with foot and mounted soldiers, escorted Guise and her daughter to Stirling. Twenty four horses transported the luggage, including Mary's cradle, a great bed and the beds of the ladies in waiting, and nineteen horses carried the kitchen and baking equipment.Rosalind K. Marshall, Mary of Guise (London: Collins, 1977), p. 130 quoting from National Records of Scotland Despences.
Regent Arran's eldest son, James Hamilton, was sent to St Andrews Castle as the Regent's pledge or hostage to Cardinal Beaton under the terms of the agreements made at Kirkliston.Aeneas Mackay, Historie and cronicles of Scotland, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, SHS, 1899), p. 15. According to Ralph Sadler, the four keepers of Mary at Stirling Castle (Lords Erskine, Fleming, Livingston, and Ruthven) refused to allow Cardinal Beaton to stay in the castle with the queen.John G. Harrison, 'The Royal Court and the Community of Stirling', Forth Naturalist and Historian, 30 (2007), p. 35: Arthur Clifford, Sadler State Papers, vol. (Edinburgh, 1809), p. 245 An agreement was also made for Cardinal Beaton to have a say in a termly rotation of the four lords keeper of the queen.Margaret H. B. Sanderson, Cardinal of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1986), pp. 167-8.
Ralph Sadler offered an explanation for the move to Stirling, explaining that the households of the four keepers could not all be accommodated at Linlithgow, because "the house of Lythcoo is so lytell". The remark may have intended to reassure Henry VIII that all was well with his plans.David Hay Fleming, Mary Queen of Scots: From her Birth to her Flight into England (London, 1907), p. 185 note 37. As Marcus Merriman suggested, the move may instead indicate Regent Arran's waning hopes for Mary's English marriage.Lucinda H. S. Dean, 'In the Absence of an Adult Monarch', Kate Buchanan, Lucinda Dean, Michael Penman, Medieval and Early Modern Representations of Authority in Scotland and the British Isles (Routledge, 2016), p. 147: Marcus Merriman, Rough Wooings, pp. 126–127.
A developing situation