Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 27.djvu/227

 him of the custody of the young king. Not long afterwards the league was renounced by Arran. Angus and Home, finding that the English king would not give them any substantial support, came to terms with Albany, and returned to Scotland.

Home received a pardon on condition that he lived peacably on his estates, and ceased to intrigue with England. Not long afterwards Home and his brother William were summoned to a convention in September at Edinburgh to consider Scottish relations with England, but as soon as they entered the gates of the abbey of Holyrood, they were arrested on the charge of high treason. The exact nature of the accusation against them is doubtful. Buchanan asserts that both Home's private crimes and his former rebellions were insisted on, and that it was alleged that he had not done his duty at the battle of Flodden. The advice of the Prior Hepburn and Albany's desire to rid himself of a formidable foe best explain the sentence of death which was immediately pronounced. According to Leslie, Home was beheaded on 8 Oct. 1516, and his brother on the 9th, but Buchanan gives the dates as the 10th and 11th. Their heads were exposed on the Tolbooth of Edinburgh, where they remained till 1521, when they were taken down by Home of Wedderburn, and buried in Greyfriars churchyard. Home's title and estates were forfeited. In revenge for Baron Home's execution, Home of Wedderburn drew Antony Darcy, who had been made by Albany warden of the marches, into an ambuscade, and put him to death with savage cruelty, 9 Sept. 1517. By his wife, Agnes Stewart, Home had two daughters, Janet, married to Sir John Hamilton, natural brother of the Duke of Chatelherault; and Alison. His brother George [q. v.] was restored to the title and estates 12 Aug. 1522.

 HOME, ALEXANDER, fifth (d. 1575), was the eldest son of George, fourth baron [q. v.] He was taken prisoner at the battle of Pinkie 9 Sept. 1547, and in order to save his life his mother on the 22nd delivered up his castle to the English, who, besides placing in it a powerful garrison, strengthened it by fortalices. While still a prisoner he succeeded to the estates and title by the death of his father from wounds received in a skirmish on the day preceding the battle of Pinkie. In the following year he recaptured his castle by a clever stratagem. He took part in the campaigns against the English, and assisted the French at the siege of Haddington (, Hist. Scotl. p. 200). On 2 April 1550 it was decreed by the council that Home, on account of the nearness of Home Castle to the borders, should keep it as a place of war, ‘the king to support him as he plesis’ (Reg. P. C. Scotl. i. 90). On the 19th of the same month he was appointed warden of the east marches (ib. p. 94). He had a charter of the office of balliary of Coldstream, 31 Dec. 1551.

Home was always a strong upholder of his own rights against any attempted encroachment by the English. His claim to the fisheries of the Tweed was the occasion in 1553 of some delicate diplomatic negotiations (Cal. State Papers, For. 1553–8, pp. 17–18). Along with James Douglas, earl of Morton, he was a commissioner for the treaty of Upsettlington in 1559. Home, if not a very strict catholic, never definitely became a protestant. To a great extent his political conduct was influenced by jealousy of England. He did not join the lords of the congregation, and in reply to the insinuating overtures made by the English government to induce him to do so he in January 1559–60 expressed to Sir James Croft a desire to remain neutral (ib. Scott. Ser. i. 130). About the end of April he came to the camp of the lords before Leith (ib. For. Ser. 1559–60, entry 1092; Scott. Ser. p. 146), but shortly afterwards he returned home (Scott. Ser. p. 148), probably owing to the efforts made by the French to win him to their side. After the return of Queen Mary to Scotland in 1561 he was made a privy councillor. During the earlier years of her reign he was a warm supporter of Mary, but refused to attend the celebration of private mass in her chapel (Randolph to Throckmorton, 26 Aug. 1561, in, Works, vi. 128). He supported the queen's marriage with Darnley. Notwithstanding the threat of Bedford in September 1565 that if he levied any power against the lords he would enter his country with force (Cal. State Papers, Scott. Ser. ii. 827), Home joined the army of the queen in the ‘roundabout raid,’ accompanying the king, who led the battle (Reg. P. C. Scotl. i. 379). In the following year the queen visited his castles of Home, Wedderburn, and Langton, with a splendid retinue. Home withdrew from the queen's party as soon as marriage with Bothwell was proposed. He was naturally jealous of the advancement to such supreme influence of his principal rival in authority in the south of Scotland. Bedford, writing to Cecil, 3 Aug. 1566, states that Home and other gentlemen of the bor- 