John Elder (writer)

John Elder (fl. 1542 – 1565) was a Scottish cartographer and writer. He was the tutor of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley in England.

Elder was a native of Caithness. He passed twelve years of his life at the universities of St. Andrews, Aberdeen, and Glasgow, and appears to have entered the ministry. He went to England soon after the death of James V of Scotland in 1542. At Mary's accession Elder turned Roman Catholic, as is apparent from a letter addressed to Robert Stewart, bishop-elect of Caithness. He sent with it verses and adages written with the hand of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, the bishop's nephew, Elder then being with Darnley, who was not yet nine years of age, at Temple Newsam, Yorkshire. He refers to Darnley's noble parents as his patrons.

This John Elder seems to be the Scot described by Nicholas Throckmorton at the coronation of Francis II of France. Throckmorton wrote on 19 September 1559 that Elder had described the policy of Edmund Bonner Bishop of London and Cardinal Pole in the time of Mary I of England to Charles, Cardinal of Lorraine. He added that Elder was "as great a praticer, and as dangerous for the matters of England, as any that I know." Throckmorton advised Elizabeth to have Elder's English acquaintance watched.

In 1561, Elder told one of the servants of the Earl of Lennox that he had shown Darnley's juvenile handwriting to Mary, Queen of Scots. The servant, possibly Thomas Bishop, was distrustful of him and thought he had the wit to be a spy, "he haitht wytt to playe the aspye where he listitht." He joined Lord Darnley and his wife Mary, Queen of Scots in August 1565, travelling from Flanders, according to a letter of the Earl of Bedford

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