Henry Balnaves

Henry Balnaves (1512? – February 1570) was a Scottish politician, Lord Justice Clerk, and religious reformer.

Born in Kirkcaldy, Fife, around 1512, he was educated at the University of St Andrews and on the continent, where he adopted Protestant views. Returning to Scotland, he continued his legal studies and in 1538 was appointed a lord of session. He married Christian Scheves and in 1539 was granted the estate of Halhill in Fife, after which he is generally named. Before 1540 he was sworn of James V of Scotland's privy council, and was known as one of the party in favour of the English alliance and of an ecclesiastical reformation. He is also described as treasurer to James, but the regent Arran appointed him secretary in the new government of the infant Queen Mary (January 1543).

He promoted the act permitting the reading of the Scriptures in the vulgar tongue, and was one of the commissioners appointed to arrange a marriage treaty between the little queen and the future Edward VI. In London he was not considered so complaisant as some of the other commissioners, and was not made privy to all the engagements taken by his colleagues. However, Beton "loved him worst of all," and when Arran went over to the priestly party, Balnaves was deprived of his offices and imprisoned in Blackness Castle in November 1543.

He was released by the arrival of Hertford's fleet in the following May, and from this time he became a paid agent of the English cause in Scotland. He took no part in the murder of Beton at St Andrews Castle, but was one of the most active defenders of the castle during the subsequent siege and was English paymaster of the garrison. In support of Henry VIII's Rough Wooing, he drafted the form of an assurance bond for Scots to support the marriage of Prince Edward and Mary. When that castle surrendered to the French in July, Balnaves was taken prisoner to Rouen.

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