Vans was the second son of Sir John Vans of Barnbarroch and his wife, Janet MacCulloch, only child of Samuel MacCulloch of Myreton, Keeper of Linlithgow Palace. He was born at Barnbarroch House, south east of Castle Douglas. Patrick studied Divinity, and became rector of Wigton. In 1568 he succeeded to the family estates on the death of his elder brother, and on 1 January 1576 he was appointed an ordinary lord of session on the spiritual side with the title of Lord Barnbarroch. He was knighted in 1583. On 21 January 1587 he was admitted a member of the privy council.
Mission to Denmark
In May 1587 he was sent with Peter Young and a retinue of 44 gentlemen and servants, as ambassadors to Denmark, to discuss the Orkney Islands and arrange for a marriage between James VI and Elizabeth, the elder sister of Anne, Princess of Denmark. They hired John Gardiner's ship, the Lion of Leith. Barnbarroch wrote a journal of this mission, mentioning his arrival at Elsinore on 8 June 1587 and stay with Richard Wedderburn. The next day he was met by the Captain of Kronborg and the Toll Master of the Sound, "Phalrik Boyall". The king, Frederick II of Denmark was at Antvorskov, and sent Gert Rantzau to welcome them. When they reached Antvorskov, with a wagon train provided by the king, David Myrtone, a relation of the Laird of Cambo in Fife, was sent ahead to the Chancellor Niels Kaas because he could speak German. Kaas told them that Frederick II was ill with toothache, and they spoke to Manderup Parsberg and Henrik Below, saying that only had commission to speak with the king. Barnbarroch's narrative breaks off before he describes his audience with Frederick. When the ships conveying Anne of Denmark to Scotland in October 1589 were driven back by storm, James VI resolved to send a special embassy to fetch her, Vans was named one of the principal ambassadors for that purpose, and, when the king resolved himself to embark, was especially chosen to accompany him. For this voyage he hired the Falcon of Leith from John Gibson. According to William Wallace of Failford James VI described the Falcon as a little ship to Anna of Denmark's mother, Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. Barnbarroch signed the ratification of the king's marriage contract at Oslo on 21 November 1589. The other witnesses were John Maitland, the Earl Marischal, the Provost of Lincluden, Lewis Bellenden, James Scrimgeour, Alexander Lindsay, John Carmichael, William Keith of Delny, William Stewart, John Skene, and George Young. When James VI resolved to remain in Denmark until the spring, Barnbarroch returned to Scotland to report the marriage to the council, arriving in Scotland on 15 December. In 1592 he was elected a lord of the articles, and in June of the same year received an annual pension of 200l. He was again chosen a lord of the articles on 16 July 1593, and at the same time was appointed to a commission for the provision of ministers and augmentation of stipends. He died on 22 July 1597, and was succeeded by his son, Sir John Vans, one of the gentlemen of the chamber to King James. The voyage may be connected with the ballad "Sir Patrick Spens".
Vaus married Katherine Kennedy in 1573, she was the daughter of Gilbert Kennedy, 3rd Earl of Cassilis and Margaret Kennedy, a daughter of Thomas Kennedy of Bargany. They had at least ten children. Some of Katherine's letters survive. She wrote to the steward at Barnbarroch, George Vaus, to instruct him to shear the sheep when the weather was right, to compel the farm servants to work at the mill by threatening to sell their goods, and see that Jonet MacDowall was spinning wool, some of the wool should be used for a new table cloth for her extending dining table. In September 1587 Vaus gave her and her factor William Dunbar rights to manage his rents and crops for three years for the 10,000 Scots that he owed her. A son Richard Waus was granted the vicarage of Leswalt and Inch in Wigton in March 1580. This benefice was previously held by the master of the royal works William MacDowall.
Published correspondence
Letters and papers belonging to Sir Patrick were published in two volumes by Robert Vans Agnew in 1887. * *
