10 Interesting Facts About King James I (VI)

Of all the Kings and Queens of England, one of the most famous and mysterious known is King James. Following are ten interesting facts about the mysterious King James and why he has become so well known.

1)The first main reasons King James is so well known is he authorized a new translation of the Bible to begin in 1604 during his reign as King of England (1603-1625).  This translation of Bible was completed in 1611 and is considered one of the most majestic and most important books of all times.  It is called The King James Version (KJV).

2)Many historians claim King James was involved in Freemasonry.  Some point to the KJV Bible, and it’s many secret and mysterious symbols within, believed directed by Francis Bacon, to be proof of such.  However, Masonic writer Duncan Burden states:

“Unfortunately, to my understanding there is no official record of James I being a Mason, or even him being a patron of a Lodge or the Craft. If such a record existed he would be listed as one of the early Speculative Masons, as obviously, he was a stonemason by trade.

He did indeed appoint William Schaw, which is another reason why it is unlikely the King was a Mason himself, as he was very annoyed with how the Stonemason Lodges were operating at the time (running as money making colleges, putting more effort in having students pay to be recognized as qualified stonemasons, rather than insuring that the students actually did achieve a true standard of skill). The Schaw Statutes are more about universal structure of how operative lodges should run.

Another reason it would be highly unlikely that James was a Mason is that his royal status would have made him Grand Master, but to my understanding that was held by the Sinclairs at the time. Obviously, it is possible a conflict for the recognition could have existed, but we have so much information about how Scottish Lodges responded with VERY mixed feelings about the Schaw Statutes, that it would be expected to have any conflict with James added too, but there is nothing on that score.”

3) King James was an Infant King.  He became King James VI of Scotland in 1567 when he was just 13 months old.  Later, he became King James I of England in 1603.  The reason for the difference in titles, James VI and James I, has to do with previous names of Kings.  In Scotland, before King James VI took the throne in 1567 (in diapers), there were five previous King James.  In England, King James I was the first with the name of James.

4)King James was tutored by George Buchanan and Peter Young.  He was a dedicated student and by the age of 8 he was fluent in French, Latin, Greek, and English. This stern upbringing would inspire him to appreciate the arts and sciences and encourage the learning of them all throughout his reign,

5)King James escaped numerous attempts on his life.  One of the most infamous was in 1605 with the Gunpowder Plot.  Guy Fawkes headed up the explosive plot, literally, to blow up the House of Parliament, along with King James and family.  It was fueled by Catholics being disappointed in King James for not showing any signs that he would end the persecution of Catholics.

6) King James was a talented writer.  He is known to have written Daemonologie in 1597, The True Law of Free Monarchies in 1598,  and Basilikon Doron in 1599.  Daemonologie was concerned with necromancy and included a study on demonology.  It also touched on other topics, such as werewolves, vampires, and witchcraft.  It’s known King James felt witchcraft was a branch of Theology, and studied it much. This work dwells into some of that.  The True Law of Free Monarchies was a political essay setting out doctrine for the Divine Right of Kings.

Basilikon Doron, Greek for Royal Gift, was written for his son, Henry.  However, Henry passed away in 1612 at the age of 18, and so James gave it to his second son Charles.  This piece of work by King James was sectioned into three parts.  All offering a guide on how to be an efficient King.  The first describes a King’s duty to be a good Christian and follower of God.  The second describes roles and responsibilities of a King.  And the third describes how to behave properly in daily life.

7) King James hated tobacco. And so in 1604 he also wrote, Counterblaste to Tobacco.   In this document he is know to have condemned the use of tobacco, calling it ‘hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, and dangerous to the lungs.’

8) King James had Sir Walter Raleigh executed. Sir Walter Raleigh is best known for his expeditions across the Atlantic. He was in search of El Dorado (City of Gold), and many of the legends for El Dorado actually originate from Sir Walter Raleigh’s accounts of his expeditions in the early 1600’s.  However, King James was not pleased with him, and so in 1618, King James had him arrested and executed for Raleigh’s violation of a previous pardon and peace treaty with Spain.

9) King James sexuality has been hotly debated.  Although he married Anne of Denmark, and fathered three children who survived to adulthood, Henry (died at age 18 of typhoid fever), Elizabeth (later became Queen of Bohemia), and Charles (his successor), it was rumored he was bisexual.  He was rumored to have had many close relationships with other men, and thought to have preferred them.

10)King James died in 1625 after suffering for years from arthritis, gout, and kidney stones.  He was buried in Westminster Abbey.  However, his tomb was missing for many years until it was found in vault of Henry VII in the 19th century.  What it was doing there remains a mystery.

 

King James was an interesting King and lived during a time of enormous change and growth.  Researching his history offers a captivating look into all that was happening during this age.  I hope the above sparks you to dig deeper and learn more about the treasures found in history.

 

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