Commendator Bothwell’s House drawn by Bruce Home in 1900


Commendator Bothwell’s House in Edinburgh


Bothwell and his second wife Katherine Bellenden. He came of an important Edinburgh family: his paternal grandfather William had been a town burgess and dean of guild.


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Francis Bothwell was also a wealthy man, and since he wanted to live in central Edinburgh, he bought a substantial high street house behind Advocates Close and bordering Byer’s Close in 1527 or 1528. This house had existed


Listed Heritage Magazine January/February 2020


dam Bothwell was born in or around 1528, as the son of the lawyer and provost Francis


prior to 1501: a long and narrow building running along Byer’s Close, although it was accessed from the narrow Kintore’s Close nearby, which no longer exists today.


Adam Bothwell inherited his father’s house in 1556 or 1557. He sold off the foreland property that his father had owned but retained the long and narrow backland building. Bothwell became an influential Scottish clergyman, judge and politician, serving as Bishop of Orkney and Commendator of Holyrood Abbey. He conducted the ceremony of marriage between Mary Queen of Scots and the Earl of Bothwell in 1567, and crowned the infant James VI. After the Reformation,


he converted to Protestantism, and was thus able to retain his various offices. Although he had a Commendator’s house at Holyrood, he retained his high street house as well. He died in August 1593 and was buried at Holyrood Abbey.


After the death of Adam Bothwell, his house was inherited by his mother, who had remarried and become Lady Murray, and by his son John. It was sold to the merchant Hector Rae in 1602, and was later occupied by Sir William Dick of Braid, a


wealthy gentleman who was twice Provost of Edinburgh; it hit hard times in the 19th


Continued >>


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