Magister Absalom Beyer, the minister of Bergen, who has left behind him a diary, called The Chapter Book, extending from the year 1533 to 1570, recorded the following, which is extracted from SUHM'S "SAMLINGES."
"1567, September 2—Came in (to Bergen harbour) the ship Royal David, of which Christian Alborg is captain. He had captured a Scottish noble, named James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, Duke of Orkney and Shetland, who had been wedded to the Queen of Scotland. He was suspected to have been in the plot against the King's life. The Council of the kingdom having revolted against the Queen, this Earl escaped, and has come hither to Norway.
"1567, September 17—I upbraided the Lady Anne, the daughter of Christopher Throndson, that the Earl of Bothwell had taken her from her native country, and yet would not keep her as his lawful wife, which he had promised her to do, with hand, mouth, and letters, which letters she caused to be read before him; and, whereas, he has three wives living—firstly, herself—secondly, another in Scotland, from whom he has bought (divorced?) himself—and, thirdly, Queen Mary. The Lady Anne opined, 'that he was good for nothing.' Then he promised her an annual rent of a hundred dollars from Scotland, and a ship with all her anchors and cordage complete.
"1567, September 25—The Earl went to the Castle, where Erick Rosenkrantz did him great honour.
"1567, September 28—Erick Rosenkrantz made a splendid banquet for the Earl and his followers.
"1567, September 30—The Earl departed on board the David, and was carried captive into Denmark, where he yet remains in the Castle of Malmo at this time, 1568.
"1567, October 10—Part of the Earl's men were returned to Scotland, on beard a small pink which Erick Rosenkrantz lent them, and, it is said, they were all put to death on their landing."
The only discrepancy lies in one statement of the Magister and the Committee; the former calls the Danish ship, the David; the latter, Biornen; but probably the Captain Alborg commanded two bearing these names.
From other passages in the diary, we find that so early as 1563, Lady Anna Rosenkrantz moved in the best circle in the province (which she could not have done as Bothwell's mistress); and also that she was usually named Skottefruin, or the Scottish lady. Her second sister, Dorothy, was married to John Stewart, a gentleman of Shetland; and the third, Else', was thrice married—the last time to Axel Mouatt, a Scottish gentleman settled in Norway.
The song sung by Anna in the first volume, is an old Norse or Lapland ballad, and is taken from Consett's Remarks in a Tour through Lapland.