Jean Hepburn


Jean Hepburn, Lady Darnley, Mistress of Caithness, Lady Morham was a Scottish noblewoman and a member of the Border clan of Hepburn. Her brother was James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, the third husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. Jeans first husband was John Stewart, 1st Lord Darnley, an illegitimate halfbrother of Queen Mary, which made Jean a double sisterinlaw of the queen. Jean married three times. She was also Lady of Morham, having received in 1573 the barony of Morham and lands which had belonged to her mother, Lady Agnes Sinclair and was forfeited to the Crown subsequent to her brother, the Earl of Bothwells attainder for treason.

Lady Jean Hepburn was born at Crichton Castle, Midlothian, Scotland, the daughter of Patrick Hepburn, 3rd Earl of Bothwell and Lady Agnes Sinclair. Her brother was James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, who would achieve notoriety as the third husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. He married firstly in February 1566, Lady Jean Gordon, a wealthy Highlands heiress, who was the sister of George Gordon, 5th Earl of Huntly. Bothwell and Jean were divorced onMay 1567, and eight days later, he married Queen Mary.

Source: Wikipedia