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- 1 - SIR ARCHIBALD NAPIER of Merchiston, who succeeded, matriculated at Glasgow University in March 1593. He was infeft in the fee of the barony of Merchiston, 18 July 1597, and had also a charter of the lands of Auchlenschee in Menteith, 12 December 1598. In company with his uncle, Sir Alexander Napier of Lauriston, he was charged with committing a violent assault upon John Hepburn, a servant of the Lord Treasurer, in the outer Tolbooth of Edinburgh on 10 June 1601, whilst the Lords were
administering justice, but the case against Archibald was dismissed. He accompanied James VI. to London in 1603, in the situation of Gentleman of the Bedchamber. He was
honoured with knighthood during the King's visit to Edinburgh in 1617, and on 20 August in that year he was sworn of the Privy Council. He was served heir of his
father in the lands of Merchiston, Edinbellie, etc., 3 June 1617, and had a charter of lands on 14 December 1619, to him and to Margaret Graham, his wife. He was
appointed Treasurer-Depute for Scotland by letters dated at Royston 21 October 1622, and was admitted to the office at Edinburgh 19 November following. He was also
constituted Clerk of Justiciary and Master of the Ceremonies 6 November 1623, but resigned the appointment 9 August 1624. He was very assiduous in his attendance
at meetings of the Privy Council, and served upon numerous committees. Thus, on 25 August 1619, he was appointed on a committee to discuss the freighting of foreign ships
and other subjects engaging his attention during the last years of King James were the development of glass-manufacture and the working of coal in Scotland, to report upon
the copper coinage, to deal with the feud between the Buchanans and Macfarlanes, and to make inquiry into the case of Orkney and Shetland, and the possibility of getting
an increased rent for them. 8 On 9 March 1625, a warrant was addressed to him to provide money for the repair of Stirling Castle and Linlithgow and Falkland Palaces. He
continued to hold the office of Treasurer-Depute under Charles I., who ratified the appointment made by King James 29 May 1625 ; and he had been one of the Ordinary
Lords of Session since 25 November 1623. He was removed from this office, however, 25 January 1626, by reason that he was an officer of State, and to comply with new
regulations which had been introduced; but he was appointed an Extraordinary Lord on 14 February. He took the oath of Privy Councillor to Charles i. at Holyrood House, 23 March 1626, 4 was appointed on the Commission of Exchequer on the 30 of the same month, and was sworn a member of the Council of War for Scotland, 27 July 1626.
He was created a Baronet of Nova Scotia, 2 May 1627, and was raised to the Peerage of Scotland two days later under the title of LORD NAPIER OF MERCHISTON, by patent dated at Whitehall 4 May, the limitation being to heirs-male of his body. On 29 August
1627, Lord Napier was directed to examine and report upon Dumbarton Castle, and in the same month he undertook the charges of victualling and equipping various privateers to serve against the French, who were at that time reported to be descending upon Scotland; and he gave bonds for the public service to raise money for paying the
crews of His Majesty's three ships of war on the coast. Amongst other expedients for raising money , Charles granted a lease to Lord Napier of the Crown lands of Orkney for 45,000 marks a year, which his lordship sub-leased to William Dick at a higher rental. This and other matters gave great offence to several of the leading statesmen,
who did their best to ruin him in the royal opinion. A true relation of the unjust pursuit against Lord Napier, written by himself is the title of a MS. he left behind him relating to this part of his career, and it was published by his descendants in 1793. In 1630 he surrendered the lease of Orkney, his pension, and the office of Treasurer-Depute, for which he had 4000 allowed him. He also received a letter of approbation under the Great Seal, 6 March 1631, and was a member of the new Privy Council appointed by Charles on 31 March. He had a Crown charter of the lands of Garvock in Fife, 24 January 1635.
When the King's fleet arrived in Leith roads in May 1639, Lord Napier went on board with a conciliatory proposal from the Committee of Estates to the Marquess of
Hamilton, the Commander - in - chief, and matters were soon adjusted. He signed the famous bond at Cumbernauld in January 1641, and having incurred the enmity of
the Covenanters, he was taken prisoner and warded in Edinburgh Castle from 11 June till 16 November 1641, when he was released on giving security to keep the peace.
In 1644, he was confined to his apartments in Holyrood House, with the Master of Napier, his son, and Sir George Stirling, his son-in-law. They were commanded not to stir from thence under a heavy penalty. The Master having disregarded this injunction and made his escape, the Covenanters immediately imprisoned Lord Napier, Sir George Stirling, Lady Elizabeth Napier, the Master's wife, and Lilias Napier, his sister, in Edinburgh Castle, and confined Lady Stirling to the house of Merchiston.
The plague raging in the Castle of Edinburgh, Lord Napier and his friends were, as a favour, removed to the gaol of Linlithgow, whence they were liberated by the Master of
Napier after the battle of Kilsyth. Lord Napier accompanied the Marquess of Montrose to the south of Scotland, and after the defeat of Philiphaugh escaped with him into
Athole. He died at Fincastle in November 1645, being then upwards of seventy years of age, and was buried in the Church of Blair Athole. He married (contract dated
15 April 1619) Margaret Graham, second daughter of John, fourth Earl of Montrose, and sister of James, first Marquess of Montrose, and by her had issue :
[Scots Peerage 1909ed.]
2 - June 22 1598
The king gave a letter of patent to Archibald Napier, apparent of Merchiston, for an invention of his, a 'new order of gooding and manuring of field-land with common salt, whereby the same may bring forth in more abundance, both of grass and corn of all sorts, and far cheaper than by the common way of dunging used heretofore in Scotland.' That nothing came of this plan need not be told.
The Merchiston Napiers must have been a theme of some curiosity and no little remark at this time, seeing that three generations were now living, all of them busy-brained, ingenious, and original-minded persons. First was the laird himself, master-general of the cunyie-house, still in the vigour of life, being not more than sixty-five years of age. Second was John Napier, the fiar or heir, only sixteen years the junior of his father, constantly engaged in puzzling out profound problems in mathematics and prophecies in the Apocalypse. Finally, this grandson of the laird, a youth of four-and-twenty, and already, as we see, exhibiting the active intellect of the family.
Archibald became a favourite courtier of James VI. and Charles I., by the latter of whom he was raised to the peerage. He joined the anti-covenanting party, and endured some adversity in his latter days.
3 - Napier was appointed to various prestigious positions, including Privy Councillor, Treasurer-Depute and Lord of Session, which brought him money and power but also enemies amongst the court factions. He lost royal favour when Charles I, realising Napier was unable to work with many of his Scottish colleagues, forced him to resign his posts.
[http://www.nationalgalleries.org/object/PG 1833] [3]
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1574 - 1645 (71 years)