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4096. Lord John ERSKINE Earl of Mar [image] died on 29 Oct 1572. He married Lady Annabella MURRAY on 29 Jan 1556/1557. [Parents]
"John Erskine of that Ilk, 5th Lord Erskine; acknowleded Earl of Mar by descent from Earl Gratney and by charter 23 june 1565, had the lands of Strathdone Braemar and Strathele, and the regality of Garioch. Regent of Scotland, 1572. Attended Queen Mary to France, 1548. King James combined in his favour the Abbey lands of Malmahono and Dryburgh as the Barony of Cardross. A Baron of great fidelity to the Crown. Sheriff of Stirlingshire by inheritance, captain of the castle of Stirling, and commonly keeper of the Princes in their minority. The house of Erskine standeth on the Renfrey, 3 miles from Dunbarton, on the side of Clyde water. His house of residence called Alloway, standeth on the North side of Forth, 6 miles from Stirling." (...) "Gratney was 11th Earl and John was de jure 16th earl. Even counting from Gratney, he was 6th Earl, James Douglas, 4th in descent from Gratney, being the 5th."
(from the Earls of Mar pedigree)
6th Lord Erskine, 11th Lord Garioch, de jure 18th Earl of Mar in ancient earldom ( Burke's).
Guardian of James VI (cradle to be seen in Alloa tower).
PC; restored by Queen Mary to the Earldom of Mar (Charter 23 june 1565, ratified by Act of Parliament, 19 April 1567) as heir of Countess Isabel.
Regent of Scotland from 6 sept 1571 until his death.Sir John succeeded his father as governor of Edinburgh castle and was Abbott of Dryburgh and Commendator of Inchmahome in 1548 and Commendator of Cambuskenneth. Although a Protestant himself he preserved strict neutrality in the struggles between the Lords of the Congregation and the Queen Regent, Mary of Guise. He upheld the authority of the Queen Regent to whom when hard pressed by her enemies he gave protection in Edinburgh castle where she died 11 June 1560.
On the return of Queen Mary from France in 1561 he was appointed one of her privy council and was of the opinion that she should marry an Englishman. In the following year he submitted his claim to the Earldom of Mar to Parliament and was successful in establishing his right as the descendant of Gratney, eleventh Earl of Mar. From Queen Mary and King Henry (Lord Darnley) he received a charter 18 July 1566 granting to him and his heirs the office of sheriff of Stirlingshire, the captainship and custody of Stirling castle with the office of bailiary and chamberlainry of the lands and lordship of Stirling and of the water of the Forth.
Upon the birth of James VI in 1566 Sir John was entrusted with keeping the Prince and on the death of the Earl of Lennox in 1571 he was chosen regent (5 Sept.). John was far too honest and patriotic for the post of regent to which he had been elected at a time when a civil war raged in the kingdom. He was unable to prevent the war or to bring about any union of the various parties and he died the following year leaving a reputation for integrity and honesty.
Built a beautiful stone house up in Stirling, on the way to the castle, now known as "Mar's Wark".
4097. Lady Annabella MURRAY died Feb 1602-03.
Daughter of Sir William Murray of Tullibardine.
Her nursing chair preserved at Alloa House bears her initials "A M"
6144. Henry WARD married X UGGE. [Parents]
6152. Sir Edward SUTTON died in 1586 and was buried in St Margarets (Westm.). He married Jane STANLEY. [Parents]
Governor of Hume Castle, restored to the Castle of Dudley by patent.
First wife: Catherine, daughter of Sir John BRYDGES, Baron Chandos.
Third wife: Mary, daughter of Edward, Ld HOWARD, of Essingham.