Robert Baillie (known as Baillie of Jerviswood; c. 1634 – 24 December 1684) was a Scottish conspirator incriminated in the Rye House Plot against King Charles II. He was executed for treason.
Baillie was the son of George Baillie of St John's Kirk, Lanarkshire, who had bought the estate of Jerviswood in 1636 and of Mellerstain in 1643, under Charles I. He incurred the resentment of the Scottish government by rescuing, in June 1676, his brother-in-law James Kirkton, a Presbyterian Church of Scotland minister who had been seized and confined in a house by Carstairs, an informer. He was fined £500, remaining in prison for four months and then being liberated on paying half the fine to Carstairs. In despair at the state of his country, he determined in 1683 to emigrate to South Carolina, but the plan came to nothing.[1]
The same year, Baillie, with some of his friends, went to London and entered into communication with the Duke of Monmouth, Lord Russell, and their party to conspire to bring Monmouth to the throne; and on the discovery of the Rye House Plot, Baillie was arrested. Questioned by King Charles, Baillie denied any knowledge of the conspiracy, but would not deny that he had been consulted with the view of an insurrection in Scotland. He was subsequently put in irons and sent back a prisoner to Scotland. Although no evidence has come to light to support his connection with the plot, he was fined £6,000 and kept in close confinement.[1]
On 23 December 1684, he was brought up again before the High Court on the charge of treason. He was pronounced guilty the next day and hanged the same afternoon at the Mercat Cross at Edinburgh.[1]
Bishop Burnet, who was his cousin, describes him as "in the presbyterian principles but ... a man of great piety and virtue, learned in the law, in mathematics and in languages." He married a sister of Lord Warriston, and left a son, George, who took refuge in Holland, afterwards returning with William III and being restored to his estates[1] before marrying Lady Grizel Hume.
References
Citations
- 1 2 3 4 Chisholm 1911.
Sources
- Anderson, James (1851). The ladies of the Covenant. Memoirs of distinguished Scottish female characters, embracing the period of the Covenant and the persecution. New York: Redfield. pp. 428-459.
- Anderson, William (1877). "Baillie, Robert". The Scottish nation: or, The surnames, families, literature, honours, and biographical history of the people of Scotland. Vol. 1. A. Fullarton & co. pp. 177-179.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. - Baillie, George (1842). Correspondence of George Baillie of Jerviswood, 1702-1708. Edinburgh: Bannatyne Club.
- Baillie, Grizel, Lady (1911). Scott-Moncrieff, Robert (ed.). The household book of Lady Grisell Baillie, 1692-1733. Edinburgh: T & T Constable.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Chambers, Robert; Thomson, Thomas Napier (1857). . A Biographical Dictionary of Eminent Scotsmen. Vol. 1. Glasgow: Blackie and Son. pp. 88–92 – via Wikisource.
- Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Baillie, Robert (Scottish conspirator)". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 3 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 220. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- Grosart, Alexander Balloch (1885a). "Baillie, Robert (d.1684)". In Stephen, Leslie (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 2. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 422–423.
{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. - Grosart, Alexander Balloch (1885b). "Baillie, Grizel". In Stephen, Leslie (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 2. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 413–414.
{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. - Harris, Tim (2004). "Baillie, Robert, of Jerviswood". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/1068. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- Johnston, Archibald, Lord Warriston; Paul, George Morison (1896). Fragment of the Diary of Sir Archibald Johnston, Lord Wariston. (May 21-June 25 1639), The preservation of the honours of Scotland, 1651-52, Lord Mar's Legacies, 1722-27, Letters concerning Highland affairs in the 18th century. Vol. 26. Edinburgh: Printed at the University Press by T. and A. Constable for the Scottish History Society. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Johnston, Archibald, Lord Warriston; Paul, George Morison (1911). Diary of Sir Archibald Johnston of Wariston (Volume 1: 1632-1639). 1. Vol. 61. Edinburgh: Printed at the University Press by T. and A. Constable for the Scottish History Society. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Johnston, Archibald, Lord Warriston (1919). Fleming, David Hay (ed.). Diary of Sir Archibald Johnston of Wariston (Volume 2: 1650-1654). 2. Vol. 18. Edinburgh: Printed at the University Press by T. and A. Constable for the Scottish History Society.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Johnston, Archibald, Lord Warriston; Ogilvie, James D. (1940). Diary of Sir Archibald Johnston of Wariston (Volume 3: 1655-1660). 3. Vol. 34. Edinburgh: Printed at the University Press by T. and A. Constable for the Scottish History Society. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Johnston, John C. (1887). Treasury of the Scottish covenant. Andrew Elliot. pp. 407-408, et passim. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- Kirkton, James (1817). The secret and true history of the church of Scotland from the Restoration to the year 1678. Edinburgh: J. Ballantyne. pp. ix-x.
- Murray, Grisell, Lady (1822). Memoirs of the lives and characters of the Right Honourable George Baillie of Jerviswood, and of Lady Grisell Baillie. Edinburgh.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Wodrow, Robert; Leishman, Matthew (1842). Analecta: or, Materials for a history of remarkable providences; mostly relating to Scotch ministers and Christians. Vol. 3. Glasgow: Maitland Club. pp. 78-82.