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Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley

Temple Newsam, 1546 – Edinburgh, 10 Feb 1567

12 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

  • Born1546, Temple Newsamor 1545 · 7 Dec 1545Records disagree1 source
  • Titlemember of the House of Lordsnot verified1 source
  • Died10 Feb 1567, EdinburghRecords disagree1 source
  • FatherMatthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennoxnot verified1 source
  • MotherMargaret Douglasnot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 1546

    Born in Temple Newsam

  2. 29 Jun 1566

    A son is born

  3. 10 Feb 1567

    Dies in Edinburgh

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 1

During his lifetime

He lived through 3 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Temple Newsam.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1540s · Henry is born in Temple Newsam

In the news1540–1549

1540s crisis and inflation

Scotland faced severe economic crises, plague, and intense wars with England, particularly during the 1540s, leading to high inflation.

Getting around

Horse litters and ferry travel utilized

When travel by land was impractical due to illness or pregnancy, people of rank sometimes used horse litters, though these were unsuitable for long journeys. Water travel was essential, with ferries routinely carrying people, livestock, and goods across firths and rivers.

In the news1535–1542

Economic boom of the 1530s

During the late 1530s and early 1540s, Scottish towns experienced an economic boom with significant growth in export trade.

Daily life

Small, One-Room Homes with Open Fires

Ordinary people lived in small, one-room houses with an open central fire for cooking and warmth, where smoke escaped through gaps in the roof.

What people wore

Workday and Holiday Clothing Restrictions

Sixteenth-century sumptuary laws restricted labourers and husbandmen to wearing only grey and white clothing on workdays, while allowing them light blue, green, or red on holidays.

Music

Home entertainment and musical skills

At home, people gathered during long winters to listen to traditional stories, sing songs, and dance to the fiddle. Wealthier households also expected noble men and women to be accomplished in playing instruments like the lute.

At the table

Diet of pottage and oats

Families frequently ate pottage, a thick soup or stew made from whatever was available, such as oats, peas, beans, and vegetables like cabbage or leeks. Oat-based foods like porridge and bannocks—rough, thick cakes—formed the core of their daily diet.