1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,000 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class. It's a production of I 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:07,080 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hello. Hello, everyone, Welcome to This Day in 3 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:10,360 Speaker 1: History Class, where we bring you a new tidbit from 4 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:24,800 Speaker 1: history every day. Today is August five, nineteen. The day 5 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: was August five. John Ruthven, third Earl of Gowrie, and 6 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 1: his younger brother Alexander Ruthven died under mysterious circumstances. The 7 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:42,159 Speaker 1: incident became known as the Gowrie Conspiracy. Back in fifteen 8 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:46,680 Speaker 1: sixty six, Patrick Ruthven, third Lord Ruthven, and his son 9 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 1: William were involved in the murder of David Rizzio, the 10 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:55,960 Speaker 1: private secretary of Mary, Queen of Scott's. William, fourth Lord 11 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 1: of Ruthven, was pardoned and he was made Lord Treasurer 12 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 1: of the lm in fifteen seventy one, and in fifteen 13 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 1: eighty one he was named first Earl of Gowery by 14 00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 1: James the sixth, the King of Scotland and the son 15 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 1: of Mary, Queen of Scott's. The year after William was 16 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:18,119 Speaker 1: named Earl, he layed at the Raid of ruth Fund, 17 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 1: a plot when King James the six was held captive 18 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 1: at Ruthven Castle for several months while the Earl remained 19 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:29,399 Speaker 1: at the head of government. The Earl was pardoned, but 20 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 1: he continued to plot against the king and was eventually 21 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:38,200 Speaker 1: executed in fifteen eighty four. His oldest son, James, second 22 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 1: Earl of Gowery, died in fifty eight, and John Ruthven 23 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: became the third Earl of Gowery when he was a child, 24 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:50,680 Speaker 1: So the relationship James the six had with the Ruthven 25 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 1: family was a fraud one, to say the least. James 26 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 1: also owed the ruth funds a considerable amount of money, 27 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 1: as the first Earl of Gowery had at van money 28 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 1: to the crown. On August five, James set out to 29 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 1: hunt in Falkland. According to James's version of events, While 30 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 1: he was out, Alexander Riffin approached him and said that 31 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:16,960 Speaker 1: he and his brother John had met a man carrying 32 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: a pot of gold coins in the field outside of Perth. 33 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:24,280 Speaker 1: The King agreed to ride out to Perth to investigate 34 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:27,800 Speaker 1: the man. Once the royal party got to the Gowery 35 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:31,079 Speaker 1: house in Perth, they ate a meal and Alexander took 36 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:34,959 Speaker 1: the King up the main staircase into a turret room. 37 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 1: But when he got there, instead of meeting a man 38 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:41,239 Speaker 1: with a pot of gold. He found Gowery servant Henderson, 39 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:45,240 Speaker 1: who was armed, alluding to the execution of his father, 40 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 1: the first Earl. Alexander threatened to kill the king with 41 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 1: Henderson's dagger if he opened a window are called for help. 42 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 1: Alexander left the room and told the King's party that 43 00:02:56,600 --> 00:03:00,640 Speaker 1: he had left. Alexander soon returns to the room where 44 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:04,600 Speaker 1: Henderson and the king were and the conflict resumed. But 45 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 1: James cried treason and called for help, and his followers, 46 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:11,600 Speaker 1: who saw the struggle at the window, came upstairs to 47 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 1: help him. The ruth Ben brothers were killed in the 48 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:18,800 Speaker 1: ensuing struggle. The King made it out alive, and the 49 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 1: corpses of the brothers were later hanged and quartered, their 50 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 1: body parts put on spikes. Many people did not believe 51 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:31,279 Speaker 1: James's story, and it's still not clear whether the conspiracy 52 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 1: was by the Roughmans or against them. Maybe the Roughmans 53 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:39,080 Speaker 1: planned to seize the king and failed, or maybe James 54 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:42,560 Speaker 1: was conspiring to get rid of the Ruffans and his indebtedness, 55 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:45,960 Speaker 1: or the Rothmans could have upset James in some way 56 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 1: that led to an unplanned struggle. The circumstances surrounding the 57 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 1: conspiracy were investigated, but the true explanation for the events 58 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: of August five remains a mystery. I'm each Jeffcode and 59 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:02,440 Speaker 1: hope fully you know a little more about history today 60 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 1: than you did yesterday. You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, 61 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:13,920 Speaker 1: and Facebook at t D I h C podcast Tune 62 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 1: in tomorrow for another Day in History. For more podcasts 63 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:24,440 Speaker 1: from I Heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app, 64 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite show.