History of the life and death of John, Earl of Gowrie

JOHN, EARL OF GOWRIE. 147
his tavern was patronised and frequented by the
family of Tullibardine.
I add, that I find also in these Minutes, that in
July 1604, the above mentioned William of Tulli-
bardine was married to Lady Dorothea Stewart,
heiress of Atholl, and niece of the late John Earl
of Gowrie. The Lady's Mother, the Countess
Dowager of Atholl, was the late Earl of Gowrie's
eldest sister. She was displeased with the marriage,
as I have elsewhere observed, and entered a com-
plaint to the Church Session against Mr. William
Cowper, the minister of Perth, who had contracted
the parties. But the Session, after a formal trial,
declared that Mr. Cowper had acted regularly in
that affair.
For the farther safety of the King, and for the
easier accomplishment of the purpose in view, the
persons, to whom I shall now venture to give the
the name of conspirators, secured the co-operation
of Robert Chrystie, the Earl's porter, who was to
open and shut doors and gates, as should be found
necessary for promoting the King's intentions.
This man had acquired no personal attachment to
the Earl, for he had been in his service only five
weeks, during which time the Earl had been mostly