RUTHVEN, JANE [aka JOHANNA?] [SSNE 6301]

Surname: RUTHVEN
First name: JANE [aka JOHANNA?]
Title/rank: LADY
Nationality: SCOT
Region: BALLINDEAN, Carse of Gowrie, PERTH AND KINROSS
Religion: CATHOLIC?

Text source

Lady Jane Ruthven was the daughter of General Patrick Ruthven [SSNE 3413] and Jane (Henderson) Ruthven [SSNE 6244]. In 1652 she wrote several leters to the Cromwellian regime in Scotland regarding her land rights there. Lady Jane was an influential courtier of Queen Kristina and had a brother called Alexander [SSNE 3402] who fought along side his father on the Royalist side at Edinburgh in 1639-40 and returned to Sweden c.1642. When Bulstrode Whitelocke [SSNE] was on embassy in 1654 as Cromwell's representative to Sweden he noted the presence of Lady Jane amongst Kristina's courtiers. In 1661, the forfeiture of her father's estate was contested and reversed by the Scottish Parliament. However, the incumbants on the estate, Sir Alexander Hope contested and instead an agreement was reached where it was agreed the estate should be divided between them in 1670. However, Lady Jane and her husband (James 2nd Lord Forrester of Corstorphine - married 1661) then contested this in 1672, and the decision was reversed in favour of her son, Edward Ruthven, leading to protracted claim and counter claim by inheritors which lasted until 1714. Lady Jane died in August 1679, not long after appointing Lady Janet Urrie as her executorix.

Sources: National Archives of Scotland, GD 246/box 26/bundle 5/19. Letters and Papers of Lt. General Sir Patrick Ruthven inc. one from Lady Jane Ruthven (his daughter) dated Stockholm, 15 January 1652; David Robertson, Reports on Cases on Appeal from Scotland Decided in the House of Peers (London,1807), pp.92-95; Svenska Man och Kvinnor (8 vols., Stockholm, 1942-1955), VI, p.416; G. E. Cockayne, The Complete Peerage (London, 1912), II, p.299; G. Masson, Queen Christina,(London, 1968), p.198; Steve Murdoch, Network North: Scottish Kin, Commercial and Covert Associations in Northern Europe, 1603-1746 (Brill, Leiden, 2006), p.102.

Female.

NAS, Messers Hope, Todd and Kirk: WS Papers, GD246, Box 26, bundle 5 Item 19 Be it knowne to all men whom these presentis may concerne that forasmuch as I ladie Jeane Ruthven lawfull dauchter to Patrick erle of forth lord ettrick erl latelie deceased, am redacted to that hard conditioun throw the foirfaultrie of my said father that I have no uther way of subsistance bot be the favour courtesie and benevolence of forrayne princes, under whom my father had formerlie served, I being depryved of all the meanes sould have fallen to me be my fatheris death, and also be that foirfaultrie I being denyed that justice which is competent to lawfull creditors according to the lawes and practise thair anent, Being long befoir the said foirfaultrie I wes provydit be bandis & obliget unto the samme of twentie thousand pundis scottes money and above, and so wes ane lawfull and just creditor And because of the great trust I have in James pringle of Whytebank, and that he wes left by my said father to be ane assyster and oversiar to me in my affaires, be my fatheris latter will & testament And And that I my self am not resident in the realme of scotland, not having whairupone to live thair, as said is Thairfoir I be thir presentis give grant and comitt to the said James pringle of Whytbank, my full power comissioun and orderis for me in my name and upone my behalf to compeir personallie befoir the parliament, committie of estates, or any uther competent judges or judicatorie in scotland And thair to give in and present befoir thame my humble supplicatioun, for repealing of my said fatheris decreit of foirfaultrie, and for reponing and restoiring me againe the samyne, for recoverie of my fatheris meanes and moneyis which he had in that countrey, or such pairt thairof as thay out of pitie charitie & pietie sall think meitt, and as my caice and conditioun may implore, At leist that portioun of the saidis meanes and moneyis which wes provydit to me particularlie befoir the said foirfaultrie, and whairunto I have richt in law and equitie Lykeas I mak constitute and ordayne the said james pringle to be my factor and commisionar for prosecuting and following furth the premiss and all the affaires & bussiness that concernis or may concerne me in that countrey of scotland or the Ileland of britayne, and for ruleing ordering and manageing of the same With full powar to him to mett intromett with and uplift whatsomevir sowmeis of money gudes geir and utheris dew & belanging to me, or whilke sall be found declairit or allowit to perteene to me fra qtsomevir persone or persones adebtir or lyable for payment and delyverie thairof And gif neid beis to call & persew thairfoire, And to recover and obteene the sentences of the judges thairintill And to caus the same be putt to dew execution And to compere transact and aggrie anent the haill premiss And to give acquittances and dischairges thairupone, which sall be sufficient And to compeir in all and sundrie actiouns & causses that may be moveit againes me and defend me thairintill, And to establische procurators and agentis for me in the haill premiss And generallie with powar to him to doe use and exerce all and sundrie thinges necessar anent the government of my affaires and disposeing thair anent, and intrometting with my estate and rentis in that countrey, which any factor or comissionar hes doone or may doe in the lyk caices, and which I micht doe thairin my self gif I was personallie present and resident in that realme, Promising faithfullie heirby to hald firme and stable all and qtsumevir thingis the said james pringle my deare freind and comissionar sall doe or caus be doone with premiss Provyding alwayis that the said james mak compt reckoning and payment to me of the intromissoun to be had thair anent deduceing and defalking his chairges and expensses and debursmentis to be susteinit and given out begun thairintill And I am content and heirby consent this putis be insert & recordit in the bookes of counsall and sessioun or ony utheris judges bookes competent within that realme to remayne thairin for conservatioun and as ane sufficient warrandt factorie & comissioun for securitie to all persones haveand interesse And for registrating thairof I mak & constitute [blank space in text] my proxy to compeir & consent eftir the maner & forme of that countrey In witnes whairof I have subscryvit this putis with my hand at Stokholme the fyftent day of January the yeare of god [illegible] fyftie two yeires Befoir this witnesse Collonell Lodowick Lesly Captaine James Sincklar and Captaine William Ord Inserter of the daittes and witnesses Jane Ruthven Item 20 Be it knowne to all men by these presents that forasmuch as I dame Clara Bernar lawfull spous to Patrick erle of Forth lord ettrick er now latelie deceased, am redacted to that hard conditioun throw the foirfaultrie of my said husband, that I have no way of subsistance, bot am forceit to seik help and mantenance abroad in forrayne natiouns, whair my husband had formerlie served I being be that foirfaultrie not onlie depryved of my pairt of great sowmes of money that sould have fallen to me be my husbands death, bot also whairas the landis of yair war provydit to me in conjuintsie and in the meanetyme my husband fra the tyme of the foirfaultrie till his death having no meanes of his owne in Scoltand bot being forceit to contract great suwmes of money for his intertainement abroade I wes necessitate for the releise of the landis burdens and the mantenance & intertainment of my husband & my self to consent to the alienatun of the saidis landis of yair, and have made and ratified throf, and am fullie denudeit of my conjunctsie or lyfrent richt of the samen And now becaus of the great trust I have in James pringle of Whytebank, and that he wes left be my said husband to be ane assister and oversiar to me in my affaires, be his latter will and testament And that I my self am not resident in the realme of Scotland, not having whairupone to live thair as said is Thair foir I be heir putis give grant and comitt to the said James pringle of Whytbank, my full puwar warrand and comissioun for me in my name and upone my behalf To compeir befoir the parliament, comittie of estates, or ony uthir competent judges or judicatorie in Scotland And thair to give in and present befoir thame my humble supplicatioun, for recalling & repealing of my said husbandis decreit of foirfaultrie, and for reponing and restoiring me againes the samyn, for recovering my husbandis meanes & moneyis which he had in that countrey, or such pairt thairof as thay out of pitie and charitie sall think meitt, and which war or wold have beene dew to me be the lawis of that realme At leist such ane proportunall anuitie or yeirlie rent, as will be ansserable to and in place of the yeirlie rent and dewtie of the saidis landis of yair, with the pertinentis, which I wes provydit unto, and qrof I am now totallie denudeit, out of dewtie to my husband, and for his & my subsistence wanting all uther meanes as said is Lykeas I mak constitute & ordayne the said James pringle to be my factor and comissionar for prosecuting and following furth the premiss and all the affaires & business that concernis or may concerne me in that countrey of Scotland or the Ile of britayne, and for ruleing ordering & manageing the same With puwar to him to mett intromett with and uplift qtsumevir sowmes of money gudes geir and utheris dew and belanging to me, or whilks sall be found declairit or alluwit to perteene to me fra qtsumevir persone or persones adebtit or lyable in payment and delyverie thairof And gif neid beis to call and persew thairfoir And to obtene & recover the decreittis & sentences of the judges thairintill And to caus the same be putt to dew execution And to compone transact and agrie anent the haill premiss And to give acquittances and dischairges thairupone which sall be sufficient And to compeir in all and sundrie actiouns and causes that may be moveit againes me and to defend me thairintill And to establische procurator and agentis for me in the haill premiss And generallie with puwar to him to doe use and exerce all & sundrie thinges necessar anent the government of my affaires and disposeing yrof, and intrometting with my estate & rentis in that countrey, which any factor or comissionar hes doone or may doe in the lyke caices, and which I micht doe thairin my selff giff I war resident in that natiunn and war personallie [illegible] Promising faithfullie heirby to hald firme & stable all and qtsumevir thinges the said james pringle my guid freind and comissionar sall doe or caus be doone in the premiss Provyding alwayis that the said james mak compt reckoning & payment to me of his intromissioun to be had thairanent deduceing and defalking his debursmentis chairges & expenses to be given out and sustenit be him thairintill And I am content & heir by consent thir putis be insert and recordit in the bookes of counsall & sessioun or any uther judges bookes competent within that realme to remayne thairin for conservatioun and as ane sufficient warrand factorie & comissioun for securitie to all persones hawand interesse And for registrating thairof I mak & constitute [blank space in text] my proxy to compeir & consent eftir the maner & forme of that countrey In witnes qrof I have subscryvit heir putis with my hand at Stokholme the fyfetent day of januarie the yeir of god [illegible] fyftie two yeiris Befoir this witnesses Collonell Lodowick Lesly Captaine James Sincklar and Captaine William ord inserter of the daites and witnesses Clara Bramford

Service record

SWEDEN, STOCKHOLM: Arrived 1649-01-01; Departed 1654-12-31; Capacity COURTIER, purpose ROYAL SERVANT, COURTIER