Adam Hepburn, Master of Hailes (born after 1432 – died 1479) was Sheriff of Berwickshire

Berwickshire

Berwickshire or the County of Berwick is a registration county, a committee area of the Scottish Borders Council, and a lieutenancy area of Scotland, on the border with England. The town after which it is named—Berwick-upon-Tweed—was lost by Scotland to England in 1482...

 in April 1467, and had a charter of confirmation of Dunsyre in the sheriffdom of Lanarkshire

Lanarkshire

Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...

, dated 13 October 1475, being thereafter designated 'of Dunsyre'.

Family

Adam Hepburn, Master of Hailes, was the son of Sir Patrick Hepburn of Hailes and Ellen Wallace. He was not of age to marry on 2 February 1448, the date of the marriage contract agreed between his father, and Sir Alexander Home of that Ilk, knight, (afterwards created Lord Home), which settled the contract of marriage between Adam and Elyne (Helen) Home, Sir Alexander's daughter by his spouse Mariotta Lauder, a granddaughter of Sir Robert de Lawedre, Knt., of Edrington

Edrington

Edrington is a medieval estate occupying the lower part of Mordington parish in Berwickshire, Scottish Borders, Scotland, five miles west of Berwick-upon-Tweed. From probably the 14th century, if not earlier, a castle occupied the steep hill above the mill of the same name on the Whiteadder Water...

.

Children

1. Patrick Hepburn, 1st Earl of Bothwell
   Patrick Hepburn, 1st Earl of Bothwell
   Patrick Hepburn, 1st Earl of Bothwell was Lord High Admiral of Scotland. Under his territorial designation of Sir Patrick Hepburne of Dunsyre, Knt., he was Sheriff of Berwickshire, 15 June 1480...
   
    (c. 1450 – 18 October 1508).
2. George Hepburn
   George Hepburn
   George Hepburn was the son of Adam Hepburn and brother to Patrick Hepburn, the first Earl of Bothwell.He was a churchman, and served firstly as postulate Abbot of Arbroath, before becoming Lord High Treasurer of Scotland for a brief spell in 1509...
   
    (c. 1454 – 9 September 1513)
3. Margaret Hepburn (c. 1456 – 8 November 1542 married Henry Sinclair.
4. Adam Hepburn
   Adam Hepburn of Craggis
   Adam Hepburn was the son of Adam Hepburn, Master of Hailes and brother of Patrick, the first Earl of Bothwell.Attached to the royal household of James IV, he became Master of the Royal Stables on 30 March 1497. He was killed at the Battle of Flodden in 1513, as were his brother George and nephew...
   
    (c. 1457 – 9 September 1513)
5. Elizabeth (Agnes) Hepburn (born c. 1461) married Alexander Home

Intrigue

Hepburn is believed to have intrigued with the widowed Queen Mary of Gueldres, a young and beautiful woman. He attached himself to the party of the Boyds, and was concerned in the seizure of King James III

James III of Scotland

James III was King of Scots from 1460 to 1488. James was an unpopular and ineffective monarch owing to an unwillingness to administer justice fairly, a policy of pursuing alliance with the Kingdom of England, and a disastrous relationship with nearly all his extended family.His reputation as the...

 at Linlithgow

Linlithgow

Linlithgow is a Royal Burgh in West Lothian, Scotland. An ancient town, it lies south of its two most prominent landmarks: Linlithgow Palace and Linlithgow Loch, and north of the Union Canal....

on 9 July 1466, for which he obtained a remission from Parliament dated 13 October that year.

Adam Hepburn of Dunsyre is one of the several illustrious jurors on an Assize, 5 March 1470/1, which acquitted Andrew Ker of Cessford of aiding and abetting James Douglas "traitor from England within Scotland", for his association with Robert Lord Boyd after he was declared a rebel, and other accusations, all of which Ker had denied. Others on the jury were Archibald, Earl of Angus, David, Earl of Craufurd, Alexander, Lord Kilmaurs, James, Lord Hamilton, and Sir Alexander Lauder of Haltoun. (Hist. MSS).