Janet Beaton

Janet Beaton
Born1519
Creich, Scotland
DiedJanuary 1569 (aged 49-50)
Scotland
NationalityScottish
Known forMistress of James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell; immortalised as Sir Walter Scott's Wizard Lady of Branxholm in his narrative poem "Lay of the Last Minstrel"
Spouses
Sir James Crichton
(m. 1538⁠–⁠1539)
Sir Simon Preston
(m. 1540⁠–⁠1543)
(m. 1544⁠–⁠1552)
ChildrenWalter Scott
David Scott
Grisel Scott
Janet Scott
Margaret Scott
Parent(s)Sir John Beaton, 2nd Laird of Creich
Janet Hay

Janet Beaton, Lady of Branxholme and Buccleugh (1519–1569) was an aristocratic Scottish woman and a mistress of James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell.[1] She had a total of five husbands. One of her nieces was Mary Beaton, one of the four ladies-in-waiting of Mary, Queen of Scots, known in history as the four Marys. In her lifetime, she was accused of having been a witch.[2] Janet was immortalised as Sir Walter Scott's Wizard Lady of Branxholm in his celebrated narrative poem "Lay of the Last Minstrel".[3]

  1. ^ Antonia Fraser, Mary, Queen of Scots, p. 303
  2. ^ Fraser, pp. 303, 357
  3. ^ Fraser, p. 303