John Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie

Who was John Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie?

John Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie was a Scottish nobleman who died and was murdered by King James VI on a Sat afternoon at John Ruthven's townhouse in Perth, Scotland. James VI, the King of Scotland was a Stewart, son of Mary Queen of Scots. He and his murdering friends made an unannounced visit on John and Alexander Ruthven at about lunch time on the 5th of Aug, 1600. The two Ruthven brothers scrambled to put a lunch together, getting some help from neighbors. The King and his royal party were fed, after the Ruthvens borrowed some food from neighbors. After lunch Alexander, John's younger brother was invited to accompany the King and his henchmen up the stairs of one of the two towers of the townhouse. They were in town not at the Ruthven castle outside of Perth. Shortly after accompaning the King upstairs, John who had remained downstairs heard his brother Alexander scream. John borrowed daggers from neighbors and ran up stairs. As he entered the room, there was a body covered in the middle of the floor. John was told the King had been slain; the King was out of sight actually hiding in a closet. The covered body was his died brother Alexander.