Undiscovered Scotland

 

"Daughters of the North: Jean Gordon and Mary, Queen of Scots" by Jennifer Morag Henderson is a superb book that sheds light on a period of Scottish history that is both fascinating and intriguing. The author begins her acknowledgements by noting that researching and writing the book took her many years. That's no surprise. Even with the notes and references at the end, it's only possible to guess at the sheer depth of research that must have gone into producing an account of the interplay of the lives of two of the most significant women in Scottish history that is both assured and convincing. It is also well written in a style that will be accessible to a wide range of readers: which is one of the attributes that make this a book that deserves to be very widely read.

Until a generation or so ago, anyone who consumed much history could have been forgiven for wondering how the human race had continued to survive so long given that - with a few notable exceptions - it was peopled almost entirely by men. Women - again with exceptions - tended not to feature large in histories usually written by male historians. Jennifer Morag Henderson's book shows what can be achieved when both halves of the species are taken fully into account.

Yes, everyone had heard of Mary, Queen of Scots, even when history was written by men about men. But Jean Gordon? At best she was seen as collateral damage in the story of the disastrous relationship between Mary Queen of Scots and James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell. Jean was married to Bothwell and divorced him to clear the way for him to marry Mary. Other than the thought that she was perhaps well rid of one of the less savoury characters in Scottish history, most people probably gave her little regard.

Which is where this book comes in. The publisher's description gives an excellent outline of what it contains:

"This is the first biography of Jean Gordon, who is best known as the first wife of the notorious Earl of Bothwell. Bothwell divorced Jean in order to marry Mary, Queen of Scots, and Jean and her family were closely involved in all of the major events of Mary’s short and turbulent reign in Scotland. Jean was the youngest daughter of the powerful Earl of Huntly, the ‘King in the North’, and Daughters of the North reframes the history of Scotland during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots by viewing events from Jean’s point of view and from the standpoint of the north of Scotland."

"The book reveals the intrigue at the royal court, and relates that Jean’s life was much more rich and complex than supposed. Jean married three times, and her second marriage was to the Earl of Sutherland, making her the Countess of Sutherland – the most powerful woman in the north of Scotland, negotiating between the Earls and the clans and exercising a huge influence over the area. She started a coal mine and salt pan in Brora in the 16th century, an astonishing example of early industrialisation and female agency at a time when the north of Scotland was considered to be wild and lawless; the preserve of violent clansmen."

"Jean’s daughter married the Chief of Mackay, and Jean became involved in the complicated life of the clans of the north of Scotland, particularly the Mackays, but also the Clan Gunn. Her Sutherland Gordon family had an ongoing feud with the Sinclair Earls of Caithness, while her wider Huntly Gordon family was involved in the famous Gordon-Moray feud – all events remembered in the songs, stories and sayings of the north and north-east. Meanwhile, Jean followed her heart and was reunited in old age with the love of her life. This painstakingly researched and detailed story gives the reader an eminently readable insight into Jean’s life."