George Nicholson (diplomat)

George Nicholson was not an ambassador in Scotland but a resident agent. He had been a servant of Robert Bowes for many years. Bowes became unwell in 1597 and intended Nicholson should take his place. On 6 December 1597 Queen Elizabeth wrote to James VI accrediting to be resident in Scotland. Nicholson was to get 13s-4d per day and the Governor of Berwick-upon-Tweed. Nicholson was soon treated and functioned as ambassador in all but name. Most of his letters were sent to the Secretary, Sir Robert Cecil.[1]

His network of contacts at the Scottish court built on the organisation made by Bowes and the English courtier Roger Aston, and he came treat James VI in a familiar way. Cecil from time to time reminded him of his low status as an agent, rather than an ambassador who were usually drawn from the aristocracy. He may have been insensitive, or lacked some tact, notably he came to Dunfermline seeking an audience with the king while the court was in mourning for Duke Robert and the Treasurer, Sir George Home sent him away.[2]

Robert Bowes sent him to William Cecil in October 1593 with a list of instructions about Scottish politics, and if should intercede with James VI for Francis Stewart, 5th Earl of Bothwell, and whether he should ignore Lord Home's interference with his letters, and also about Bowe's potential return to England and replacement, and his debts.[3]

Nicholson, Roger Aston, and John Colville all wrote to Bowes in March 1595 about the arrival of James Myreton, a Jesuit priest, and brother of the Laird of Cambo. He was detained at Leith by David Lindsay, and when brought to the king he said he was sent from the Pope and Cardinal Cajetan. He brought a jewel from the Cardinal to wear on a chain that depicted the Crucifixion made of gold, crystal, and bone. James VI gave the jewel to Anne of Denmark.[4]

In August 1595 Nicholson rode to Loch Lomond and the castle on Inchmurrin with Elizabeth's letters for James VI, where the king often went on annual hunting trips. Sir George Home told him to note that the king received Lachlan Mor Maclean to his favour. MacLean and the Earl of Argyll went hunting with the king at a "mean house" belonging to Argyll.[5]

In September 1595 he went to Falkland Palace where he observed at first hand the feud between Anne of Denmark and the Earl of Mar, who was the keeper of her son, Prince Henry. The queen would not look to that side of the chamber where the Earl stood. She said she would not go to Stirling for fear they would give her a poisoned posset, despite the king's wish that she would go with him to Linlithow and then to Stirling Castle, where Mar and his mother Annabell Murray kept Prince Henry.[6] In October the queen pointedly kept the younger Countess of Mar waiting outside her chamber for an hour at Linlithgow.[7]

Nicholson was given £300 Sterling for Robert Bowes in August 1596. The money was to reimburse sums advanced to James Colville, and was paid by Thomas Foulis and Robert Jousie who administered the king's English subsidy.[8] Sir Robert Cecil encouraged the English courtier Roger Aston with gifts which he sent to Nicholson, including 20 yards of fine black velvet for Aston's wife, Margaret Stewart, who with her mother the Mistress of Ochiltree and sisters was a lady-in-waiting in the household of Anne of Denmark.[9]

On 16 January 1598 he reported on the illness of the bankrupt financier Thomas Foulis who "fell madd sick this day" either because of his debts, or because James VI had taken a valuable jewel from him, known as the "Great H of Scotland." The jewel had been pawned by the king to finance his campaigns against the Catholic northern earls. Nicholson says that Anne of Denmark gave the jewel to her friend, the Countess of Erroll, as a joke, saying that it was little enough for her to have it for a night for the casting down of her husband's house, Old Slains Castle.[10]

Nicholson learnt from a well-wisher that James VI was very angry with him and wanted him better watched to discover his contacts in February 1600. Nicholson had obtained a copy a banned book by Peter Wentworth about the succession printed in Edinburgh. The Lord Secretary, James Elphinstone interviewed the printers Robert Waldegrave, Henry Charteris, Robert Charteris, and a compositor about how Nicholson had obtained the book.[11] The work was A Pithie Exhortation to her Majesty for Establishing a Successor to the Crown, printed by Waldegrave in 1598.[12]

Nicholson could not speak French so when he met the French ambassador in 1602, the Baron de Tour, the Lord Sanquhar acted as interpreter for him.[13]

In October 1602 he was in Berwick discussing the border Graham family with Thomas Scrope, the Warden of the West March, and helped the Grahams prepare a petition.[14]

In August 1603, after the Union of the Crowns, Nicholson was given an allowance of 5s-6d. per day.[15] He seems to have then worked at Berwick, as Paymaster, and sent accounts of the garrison to the auditor, Francis Gofton in 1612.[16]