Francis Bothwell

Not to be confused with Francis Stewart, 5th Earl of Bothwell.

Sir Francis Bothwell of Edinburgh was a Scottish merchant, judge and politician.

The elder son of Richard Bothwell, a Provost of Edinburgh during the reign of James III, Francis served as Procurator (1513-4) of the Scottish Nation at Orleans University, and was appointed a Burgess of Edinburgh in 1515, and Provost of Edinburgh in 1525.

Bothwell was a Burgh Commissioner, for Edinburgh, in the parliaments of 1524, 1525, 1526, 1528, 1531, 1532 and 1535.

He served as Lord Auditor of Causes, Lord of the Articles, and was one of the first Lords of Session when the College of Justice was founded on 27 May 1532.

Bothwell married Janet, daughter and co-heir of Patrick Richardson of Meldrumsheugh, and thus got lands in the regality of Broughton. Their daughter, also Janet, married Sir Archibald Napier of Merchistoun, and their son was the mathematician John Napier. Bothwell's elder son Richard was Provost of Edinburgh during the reign of Mary, and his younger son Adam Bothwell was Bishop of Orkney, a Lord of Session, and the father of John Bothwell, Lord Holyroodhouse.

Francis Bothwell was recorded as being seriously ill in December 1535, but his date of death in unknown.