James (March 17, 1473-September 9, 1513) became the king of Scotland on June 11, 1488, at the age of fifteen, when his father, James III, was killed at the battle of Sauchieburn. He felt guilt about his father’s death for his whole life, as he had led a band of rebels against his father which led to the battle. He feared that it was his fault even though he had given orders that his father was not to be harmed. For the rest of his life he wore a heavy iron belt around his waist as penance (he was also called James Iron Belt Stewart). His father had not been a popular king, and had lost the backing of the Scottish nobility, and had been suspicious of his son, all factors which led up to the rebellion.

He was born at Stirling Castle, the eldest son of James III and Margaret of Denmark. Margaret’s father was King Christian Oldenburg I of Sweden, Denmark and Norway. He was well educated and fluent in several languages and also was the last monarch to be fluent in Gaelic.

Young James

Stirling Castle

He was a popular king, and thought to be the most effective of the Stewart (or Stuart) kings. Erasmus said of him :´He had wonderful powers of mind, an astonishing knowledge of everything, an unconquerable magnanimity and the most abundant generosity.´ He was known as the first true Renaissance king of Scotland.

He was instrumental in developing Scotland’s navy, and shipbuilding became a big undertaking during his reign. He also responsible for the introduction of the printing press there in 1507. His many interests also included alchemy, dentistry, and other scientific pursuits. Literature and the arts also flourished under his reign. Hunting, jousting, and falconry were also pursuits of his.

“The first evidence of whisky production in Scotland comes from an entry in the Exchequer Rolls for 1494 where malt is sent “To Friar John Cor, by order of the king, to make aquavitae”, enough to make about 500 bottles.  James IV reportedly had a great liking for whisky, and in 1506 the town of Dundee purchased a large amount of whisky from the Guild of Barber-Surgeons, which held the monopoly on production at the time.^[“

Wikipedia

He was able to get the nobility under control, brought peace among the clans, and ushered in a period of relative internal peace. There were clashes with England though, and in an effort to forge a stronger alliance, he was betrothed to Margaret Tudor, the daughter of King Henry VII, and sister of King Henry VIII. He only had one child who from this marriage who lived to adulthood, and he became James V, (who became the father of Mary, Queen of Scots)

He had several other children, though, with his mistresses. He recognized them and tried to ensure these children had a good life. Catherine, his daughter with Marion Boyd, was married to James Douglas, Earl of Morton. Alexander, his son with Marion, was given a good education and made archbishop at the age of eleven (apparently to keep control over the funds brought into the church)

He made an alliance with France in 1512. When England invaded France he unwisely decided to invade England, against the advice of his councillors. His troops were armed with pikes, and they had some heavy artillery, and the English were armed with light artillery, billhooks, and longbows. The Scots had the advantage in numbers (approximately 34,000 troops) and weapons, but they found themselves in a bad position, as they encountered a marshy, soggy area on their way forward and lost momentum, and they were disastrously defeated in what is known as the Battle of Flodden. Both he and his son, Alexander (the archbishop) were killed. He was a courageous soldier, leading his men into battle, but a rash and impetuous general. Around fifteen thousand Scots lost their lives in three hours, a death toll unmatched until WWI. They lost a major part of their nobility and leadership, which caused years of unrest and instability.

The battlefield today. The British army marched down the grassy field, and the Scottish army down the plowed field. The dividing line between is the marshy area.

James IV and Marion Boyd 16th, 17th, 18th grandparents

Catherine (illegitimate daughter of James IV) 15th, 16th, 17th great grandmother

King Christian I of Oldenburg 18th, 19th, 20th great grandfather