Jean Hepburn

Jean Hepburn, Lady Darnley, Mistress of Caithness, Lady Morham (died 1599) 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. Jean's first husband was John Stewart, 1st Lord Darnley, an illegitimate half-brother of Queen Mary, which made Jean a double sister-in-law 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 Bothwell's attainder for treason. Life Lady Jean Hepburn was born at Crichton Castle, Midlothian, Scotland, the daughter of Patrick Hepburn, 3rd Earl of Bothwell and Lady Agnes Sinclair. Her parents obtained a divorce sometime before 16 October 1543, and Jean's mother was henceforth styled Lady Morham until her death in 1572. Jean's paternal grandparents were Adam Hepburn, 2nd Earl of Bothwell and Agnes Stewart, and her maternal grandparents were Henry Sinclair, 3rd Lord St. Clair and Margaret Hepburn. Lady Jean was sometimes known as Jane or Janet. She was sometimes called the "Mistress of Bothwell". In January 1560, the English agent Thomas Randolph wrote that he knew some scandal concerning Jean, 'a mirrie matter, worthe the reporting,' but gave no further detail.