Magdalen Livingstone

She was a maid of honour or lady-in-waiting to Mary, Queen of Scots. Her older sister Mary Livingston was also a servant of the queen, and one of the well-known "four Maries."

The other maids of honour in 1566 were Lucrece Beaton, who married David Beaton of Melgund, Mademoiselle de Thoré, and Barbara Sandilands.[1]

Her first husband was Arthur Erskine of Blackgrange, a son of John Erskine, 5th Lord Erskine. The queen gave her a skirt of cloth of gold and matching sleeves for her wedding in March 1562. In May 1563 Mary gave her a black taffeta gown with wide sleeves bordered with velvet.[2]

When Mary was pregnant, assisted by Mary Livingstone, she made a will bequeathing her jewels to her family and courtiers. If she died, Magdalen, as the "younger Livingstone", would receive a set of 65 gold clothing points, a parure of jewelled front and back pieces for a coif with a matching belt and necklace, a chain, and a watch set with rubies and two sapphires.[3]

Erskine, who was a gentleman of the royal stables with Anthony Standen, helped the queen escape from Holyrood Palace to Seton after the murder of David Rizzio. When Mary gave linen to her household linen for Easter in 1567, Magdalen was named in the account as "Madame Dasquin."[4]

Magdalen Livingstone lived at Dudhope Castle

She was involved in the upbringing of James VI at Stirling Castle and gave the king several books, including a Latin and French dictionary, a French manuscript of the second book of the Illiad, an illustrated Book of Maccabees, and the illustrated Metamorphoses and the Devises Heroïques of Claude Paradin. He gave her an English psalm book.[5] An inventory of Stirling Castle made in 1585 mentions "Maidlane Levingstoun's" chamber or bedchamber in the castle.[6]

Paradin's emblem "Spes Alterae Vitae"

After the death of Arthur Erskine, she married Sir James Scrimgeour of Dudhope in 1577, and was known as "Lady Dudhope". Their initials were carved in several places on Dudhope Castle.[7] This marriage "infinitely" displeased Mary, Queen of Scots, who wrote to cancel a present previously ordered for "Magdelaine Levingston".[8]

She was appointed in 1589 to welcome Anne of Denmark to Scotland at the shore of Leith with Annabell Murray, Countess of Mar, Lady Seton, Lady Boyne, and Lady Thirlestane.[9]

With her niece Margaret Livingstone, Countess of Orkney, widow of the Justice Clerk Lewis Bellenden, she was appointed a lady in waiting at Stirling Castle in the household of Prince Henry in 1594. The other "dames of honour" at Stirling were; Annabell Murray, Countess of Mar, Marie Stewart, Countess of Mar, Agnes Leslie, Countess of Morton, Lady Clackmannan, Lady Abercairny, and Lady Cambuskenneth.[10]

Scrimgeour died in 1612 at Holyrood Palace, in the lodging of Christian Lindsay, poet and baker, wife of William Murray, Master of the carriage.[11]

Magdalen Livingstone died on 2 March 1613.

Her inventory of goods included a golden belt with a gold knop; a chain of pearls; a "carcat" necklace of pearls with five gold pieces set with rubies and a diamond; a gold locket or "tablet" set with two diamonds and two rubies with a pearl worth £100; a great gold tablet or locket with the portrait of Anne of Denmark raised in relief, set "in the circuit" around with 9 diamonds and 11 rubies, worth £100 (perhaps a gold medal made after a portrait by Adrian Vanson); with diamond rings and bracelets. She left the locket with the queen's portrait to her nephew the Earl of Linlithgow, and other jewels and clothes to Margaret Semple, daughter of her sister Mary Livingston.[12]

King James came to Dudhope Castle on 21 May 1617.