Marjorie Livingstone died on 13 February 1577. She was the widow of James Ogilvie of Cardell and Findlater and had been a maid of honour in the household of Mary of Guise. Guise bought clothes for her in 1553.¹ Her sister Mary was one of Mary, Queen of Scots’ four Maries, and Marjorie had borrowed £20 from Mary Beaton, who lived nearby at Boyne.

Marjorie Livingstone made a latter-will with her bequests, including some of her clothes and a gold garnishing for a French hood, which may have been a wedding gift from Mary of Guise in 1558. A gown in white and black may evoke festivities at court in 1564. Marjorie left her clothes to her sisters, nieces, and friends who were mostly based in Stirlingshire at Airth, Plean and Elphinstone. They already had some of the items mentioned and shared clothes amongst themselves.

Marjorie made her latter-will “by her mouth” on 4 February 1577 at “Inaultrie”, now Inaltry where there are still ruins. She had some help from John Pilmour, the reader at Deskford, and Willam Lawtie, a kirk minister and notary. Here is a transcript from the register, with added commas. I have included here the weights of the gold items from another section of the will, where her 100 gold buttons and twelve dozen pairs of gold horn fasteners are mentioned:

[NRS CC8/8/6 p. 204] Followis the deds Legacie & latterwill

At Inaultrie the four day of februar the year of god 1577, The quhilk day ane honorabill lady Marjorie Levingstoun relict of umqle James Ogilvy of Fynlater maid hir lattirwill and [p. 205] legacie as efter followis viz Item Imprimis I Leif to James Ogilvy of Finlater maid hir latterwill & legacie as efter followis viz Item Imprimis I leiv to Jane Wedderspone my sister dochter [niece] two gounes, the ane of serge of Florence begareit with velvot, the uther of chamelot of silk, Item to the said Jane ane goun of hunny worsat of grograne, Item ane skirt of purpour velvot with ane doublet of the same, Item ane satyne paitlet, Item ane pair of slevis of purpour silk with ane collir of the same, Item the haill houshald geir in the ladies chalmer  & in Inaultrie except the auld burd [old table], Item the said lady levis to hir sister the Lady Playne [Agnes Livingstone]² ten eln of cryp velvot for ane sadill, Item to hir said sister ane lous goun of muscheit taffetie, Item to the Maistres of Elphinstoun [Jean Livingstone]³ ane goun of quhyt chamlot of silk begareit with blak velvot, Item to Maistres Margaret ane blak velvot goun borderit with silk, Item ane skirt of crammosie satyne with ane pair of slevis of the same, Item to hir sister [Janet Livingstone]⁴ lady Airth ane gray goun of velvot unsewit, Item ane skirt of quhyt satyne & ane pair of slevis of the same, Item to the Lady Dudop [Magdalen Livingstone]⁵ tua pair of garnishings of gold with bak & foir [for a French hood, weight 5 ounces], Item to the said lady ane silver cuppe & ane tablat of gold in hir awne possession [a locket], Item to the Maister of Levingstoun [Alexander] ane furrit cloik of blak damaske, Item ane blak cloik borderit with silk to be given to Jane she gevand the same to the Lady Playne and ressaving againe fra hir ane blak cloik begareit with velvot, Item to the Lady Cars ane goun of doubill grograne worsat pasmentit with velvot pasments, Item to the Maister of Levingstoun ane pair of braislettis of goldsmith work [weight 2 ounces], Item to Maistres Margaret the smallest chene of gold, Item to the laird of Finlater ane greit chene of gold [the two chains weighed 7 ounces], Item to Johne Pilmour [reader at Deskford] ane litill blak horss.

The conclusion of hir last will. I Mairiorie Levingstoun forsaid, seik in body & haill in spirit & mynd renouns the devill & all his craft & Intysements, the wikkit warks of the flesche, the ambytyon, pomp & glorie of the world, levis my saule to the eternall father and his sone Jesus Crist & to the halie spirit thrie persones in ane godhead and levis my body to the clay to be bureit in the kirk of Culane besyd my umqle husband James Ogilvy of Fynlater

1. National Records of Scotland, E34/19 f.4r., “Plus, a este prins du damars tane pour fere troys robbes, l’une pour Barbere Sandellans et l’autre pour Annaples Morat [later Countess of Mar] et l’autre pour Marjorie Leviston et est entre aulx troys robbes vingt sept aulnes troys Cars”, (February 1552/3). She appears as “Margere Leviston” in Guise’s household roll, E34/23 (3) f1r. ↩︎
2. Agnes Livingstone, wife of Thomas Somerville of Plane. The younger Lady Plane was Agnes Somerville, a daughter of James, Lord Somerville, her 1567 marriage contract with David Somerville is NRS GD17/159, 160. ↩︎
3. Jean Livingstone, Lady Elphinstone, died in September 1621. NRS CC21/5/3 pp. 210-212. ↩︎
4. Janet Livingstone died on 4 October 1599. Her gentlewoman at Airth Castle, Elizabeth Wetherspoon, was paid 50 merks yearly, the greives who managed the “heuch” (coalmine) were owed £600, NRS CC8/8/34 pp. 732-735. ↩︎
5. Magdalen Livingstone, widow of Queen Mary’s equerry Arthur Erskine of Blackgrange, married James Scrimgeour of Dudhope around this time. She died in 1613. Her will includes a gold tablet, and a larger tablet of gold “wherein is the Quenis Maties portrait raisit in gold and set in ane circit” of 9 diamonds and 11 rubies, probably a medallion of Anna of Denmark mounted by Thomas Foulis or George Heriot, NRS CC3/3/3 pp. 784-6. ↩︎