Alexander Livingston, 5th Lord Livingston

Alexander Livingston, 5th Lord Livingston of Callendar PC (–1553) was the guardian of Mary, Queen of Scots, during her childhood.

Early life

Livingston was born in Callendar, Falkirk, Scotland. He was the eldest surviving son of Agnes (née Hepburn) Livingston and William Livingston, 4th Lord Livingston of Callendar, and succeeded his father to the title of Lord Livingston in about 1518. Among his siblings was younger brother William Livingston, Captain of the Royal Castle of Kirkwall, and younger sister, Margaret Livingston, who married John Hay, 4th Lord Hay of Yester.

His paternal grandparents were James Livingston, 3rd Lord Livingston, and Agnes (née Houston) Livingston. His maternal grandparents were Alexander Hepburn of Whitsome (third son of Patrick Hepburn, 1st Lord Hailes) and Janet (née Napier) Hepburn, daughter of Sir Alexander Napier of Merchiston. His maternal uncle was James Hepburn, the Bishop of Moray. and as one of the eight Lord Keepers of Mary, Queen of Scots in her infancy. Lord Livingston became Joint Custodian of the Queen Mary in about 1543. He was paid £813 for keeping the infant queen in Linlithgow Palace before she moved to Stirling Castle in July 1543, where he was also her keeper. He served as Privy Councillor in 1545. His children, included: John Livingston (d. 1547), Master of Livingstone who was killed in 1547 at the battle of Pinkie, who married Joanna Fleming, daughter of Lady Janet Stewart and Malcolm Fleming, 3rd Lord Fleming. Mary Livingston (–1579), a lady-in-waiting to Mary, Queen of Scots, who married John Sempill of Beltrees, a son of Robert Sempill, 3rd Lord Sempill in March 1565.

After the death of his second wife, he married for a third time to Jeanne de Piédefer, a Maid of Honour to Mary of Guise since 1539. She subsequently married Pierre Joisel, sieur de Betoncourt, a master of the household of Mary of Guise.

Lord Livingston died sometime between 25 July 1549 and 4 January 1551.

Jeanne subsequently married Pierre de Joisel, Seigneur de Saint Rémy-en-Bouzemont et de Betoncourt, squire of the equerry to Mary of Guise and (in 1560) one of five masters of the household to Mary, Queen of Scots. They returned to France in 1559 but returned to Scotland and England to serve Mary, Queen of Scots.

They bought the manor of Saint Rémy-en-Bouzemont in July 1559. Their children, Claude (b. 1560), Jacqueline, Jacques (b. 1562), Pierre and Jeanne de Joisel were born and brought up in France. She came to Mary at Bolton Castle on 8 August 1568 with two women servants and eight male servants.