Life

He was second son of David Lindsay, 9th Earl of Crawford

David Lindsay, 9th Earl of Crawford

David Lindsay, 9th Earl of Crawford was a Scottish peer and Member of Parliament.He married Catherine Campbell, daughter of Sir John Campbell of Lorn and they had a son, John Lindsay of Balcarres, Lord Menmuir....

, by his wife Catherine Campbell, daughter of Sir John Campbell of Lorn. Along with his brother David Lindsay, lord Edzell, he was sent under the care of James Lawson to complete his education on the continent. The French Wars of Religion

French Wars of Religion

The French Wars of Religion is the name given to a period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily fought between French Catholics and Protestants . The conflict involved the factional disputes between the aristocratic houses of France, such as the House of Bourbon and House of Guise...

 meant they had to return rapidly from Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

 to Dieppe

Dieppe, Seine-Maritime

Dieppe is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in France. In 1999, the population of the whole Dieppe urban area was 81,419.A port on the English Channel, famous for its scallops, and with a regular ferry service from the Gare Maritime to Newhaven in England, Dieppe also has a popular pebbled...

, then moving to the university of Cambridge

University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...

; John may have returned to Paris subsequently.

Menmuir

Menmuir

Menmuir is a parish in Angus in Scotland.Kirkton of Menmuir consists of only three houses but around 250 people live in the area and the community hall is well used.-History:...

, Lethnot, and Lochlee, in the gift of the Edzell family, were settled on him; later, under a writ of the privy seal, 11 July 1576, various teind

Teind

Teind is a Scots word for tithe meaning a tenth part of. In Scotland, a teind was a tithe derived from the produce of the land for the maintenance of the clergy....

s and a pension also given, and the small estate of Drumcairn, Forfarshire. He was on 5 July 1581 appointed a lord of session under the title Lord Menmuir. In 1586 he purchased the lands of Balcarres (near Colinsburgh in Fife), Balniell, Pitcorthie, and others in the county of Fife, which on 10 June 1592 were united into a free barony. In 1595 he put up the mansion of Balcarres, which he made his principal residence.

Menmuir was an ally in James VI’s programme of reforms. In 1587 he was employed in framing several acts relating to the constitution of parliament. In April 1588, and again in April 1589, he was appointed one of a commission to inquire into disorders in the University of St Andrews

University of St Andrews

The University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between...

. In November 1589 he began to sit as a member of the privy council. He acquired political influence chiefly on account of his financial ability. On 14 October 1591 he was appointed one of the four financial managers for Anne of Denmark

Anne of Denmark

Anne of Denmark was queen consort of Scotland, England, and Ireland as the wife of King James VI and I.The second daughter of King Frederick II of Denmark, Anne married James in 1589 at the age of fourteen and bore him three children who survived infancy, including the future Charles I...

. In July 1593 he was named one of a special council for the management of the queen's revenues, and in January 1595 he was chosen one of the eight commissioners of the exchequer, known as Octavians

Octavians

The Octavians were a financial commission of eight in the government of Scotland first appointed by James VI in January 1596. James's minister John Maitland, 1st Lord Maitland of Thirlestane had died a few months earlier, and his financial situation was troubled. They were a reforming body, eager...

. He was reputed the ablest financier of the eight; and he was in March appointed lord keeper of the privy seal, and on 28 May secretary of state

Secretary of State, Scotland

The Secretary of Scotland was a senior post in the pre-Union government of Scotland.The office appeared in the 14th century when it was combined with that of Keeper of the Privy Seal. Called Clericus Regis , he was regarded as an Officer of State...

 for life.

Menmuir was also one of the chief advisers of the king in his policy for establishing episcopacy. In 1596 he drew up a scheme for the planting of kirks throughout Scotland with perpetual local stipends, with representation of each presbytery in parliament by a commissioner. After an attempt to modify it by an act of the estates passed in August, but was badly received by the church, he gave up the plan as before its time. Shortly afterwards his lenient attitude towards the Catholic nobles brought him into collision with the kirk. He was with the king when besieged in the Tolbooth

Old Tolbooth, Edinburgh

The Old Tolbooth was a medieval building located on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, Scotland.Demolished in 1817, the Tolbooth served various purposes during its existence. It housed early meetings of the Estates of Scotland, Court of Session, and also of the Provost and Burgesses of the Burgh Council...

 on 17 December 1696, and he was attacked as a 'plain mocker of religion'. Menmuir drew up the 55 points to be submitted to the general assembly which met at Perth

Perth, Scotland

Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...

 on 28 February 1597. He was the Chancellor of the University of St Andrews

Chancellor of the University of St Andrews

The Chancellor is the titular head of the University of St Andrews. His duties include conferring degrees, promoting the University’s image throughout the world, and furthering its interests, both within Scotland and beyond....

 from 1597 to 1598.

Besides conducting important negotiations with foreign powers, on 4 March 1597 Menmuir was appointed ambassador to France. It was his intention during the visit to Paris to undergo an operation for the stone

Calculus (medicine)

A calculus is a stone that forms in an organ or duct of the body. Formation of calculi is known as lithiasis...

, but bad health prevented him from making the journey, and in February 1598 he resigned the office of secretary of state. He died at Balcarres, Fife

Fife

Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...

, 3 September 1598, and in accordance with his will he was buried in the parish kirk of Kilconquhar.

Family

By his first wife, Marion, daughter of Alexander Guthrie, town clerk of Edinburgh, and widow of David Borthwick

David Borthwick

David Borthwick is a shinty player from Kingussie, Scotland. As a player for Kingussie, he is the most decorated player in the history of the sport, having won 15 Camanachd Cup winner's medals and over 100 medals in all...

 of Lokhill, lord advocate, he had two sons—John, lord Menmuir, who died unmarried in January 1601, and David Lindsay, 1st Lord Balcarres

David Lindsay, 1st Lord Balcarres

Sir David Lindsay, 1st Lord Lindsay of Balcarres was a Scottish nobleman. He was born in Edinburgh, the son of John Lindsay of Balcarres, Lord Menmuir and Marion Guthrie....

—and three daughters: Catherine, married first to Sir John Lindsay of Woodhead, and secondly to John Brown of Fordel; Margaret, to Sir John Strachan of Thornton; and Janet, to Sir David Auchmutie of Auchmutie. By his second wife, Jane, relict of Sir James Forrester of Corstorphine, and John Campbell of Calder, he had no issue.