Gowrie Conspiracy

Gowrie Conspiracy, a plot by Alexander Ruthven and his brother, the Earl of Gowrie, to murder or kidnap James VI. of Scotland, afterwards James I. of England, alleged to have taken place on August 5, 1600. The truth of the story has always been considered very doubtful, owing both to the strangeness of the details and the apparent absence of any motive on the part of Gowrie and his brother for wishing to kill or imprison the king. James, on the other hand, was indebted to the Ruthven family for a heavy sum, and may also have had political reasons for wishing to rid himself of the brothers.