Descendants of Henry de ERSKINE

13. Generation


68. Robert ERSKINE Master of Erskine (John , Robert , Alexander , Thomas , Robert , Thomas , Robert , William , John , John , John , Henry de ) died on 10 Sep 1547 in Pinkie.

"Robert, Master of Erskine. Taken prisoner at Solway Moss, 1542, and rated for his ransom at an income of 100 marks; + Pinkie, v.p.s.p.l. ; married Margaret, elder daughter of William Graham, 2nd earl of Montrose"
(from the Earls of Mar pedigree)
killed at battle of Pinkie 10 Sept. 1547
d.s.p.v.p.

He had the following children:

  80 M i David ERSKINE

69. Thomas ERSKINE (John , Robert , Alexander , Thomas , Robert , Thomas , Robert , William , John , John , John , Henry de ) died on 7 Oct 1551.

"Thomas, Master of Erskine. Ambassador to England; Commendator of Dryburgh; King James wrote to Pope John III asking for his confirmation, 10 aug 1539, and again 14 aug 1540. (...) v.p.s.p.l. circa 1554.
(from the Earls of Mar pedigree)
married 30 Jan. 1548/9 Margaret, daughter of Malcom Lord Fleming (she married 2ndly John, 4th Earl of Athol).
Commendator of Dryburgh 1541-47.
d.s.p.v.p

He had the following children:

  81 M i Adam ERSKINE

70. Lord John ERSKINE Earl of Mar [image] (John , Robert , Alexander , Thomas , Robert , Thomas , Robert , William , John , John , John , Henry de ) died on 29 Oct 1572.

"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".

John married Lady Annabella MURRAY on 29 Jan 1556/1557. Annabella died Feb 1602-03.

Daughter of Sir William Murray of Tullibardine.
Her nursing chair preserved at Alloa House bears her initials "A M"

John and Annabella had the following children:

  82 F i Mary ERSKINE was born about 1558. She died about 1575.

married Archibald Douglas, 8th Earl of Angus
(from the Earls of Mar pedigree)
marriage dated 13 June 1573
+ 83 M ii Lord John ERSKINE Earl of Mar

71. Sir Alexander ERSKINE of Gogar [image] (John , Robert , Alexander , Thomas , Robert , Thomas , Robert , William , John , John , John , Henry de ) died on 3 Apr 1592.

"Sir Alexander Erskine, of Gogar. Governor of James VI"
Married 2ndly Magdalen, daughter of Alexander, 4th Lord Livingston; she died s.p.
(from the Earls of Mar pedigree)
Appointed by Parliament Guardian James VI and Ist of England, after his brother John died, 1572.
Governor of Edinburgh castle, Keeper of Stirling Castle,
vice Chamberlain of Scotland and of his majesty's PC, 1578, from which he was ejected by his nephew 2nd Earl of Mar 1578.
Had 5 sons and 4 daughters (or 3 sons and 3 daughters according to Debrett's 1803)

Alexander married Margaret HOME on 20 Mar 1563/1564.

Daughter of George, 4th lord Home
(from the Earls of Mar pedigree)

Alexander and Margaret had the following children:

  84 M i Sir Alexander ERSKINE died on 10 Apr 1578 in Stirling Castle.

"Alexander Erskine, + 10 Apr 1578, s.p."
(from the Earls of Mar pedigree)
+ 85 M ii Lord Thomas ERSKINE Earl of Kellie (1)
  86 M iii Sir George ERSKINE of Innertale
  87 F iv Margaret ERSKINE
  88 F v Jane ERSKINE
  89 F vi Mary ERSKINE

75. Margaret ERSKINE (John , Robert , Alexander , Thomas , Robert , Thomas , Robert , William , John , John , John , Henry de ) died on 5 May 1572.

"Married Sir Robert Douglas, of Lochleven. Mother by James V, of the Regent Murray"
(from the Earls of Mar pedigree)
married 11 July 1527 Robert Douglas, mistress of James V,
mother by James V of James Stuart created Earl of Moray.
d. 5 May 1572

Margaret married (1) King James V STEWART, son of King James IV STEWART.

They had the following children:

  90 M i James STEWART Earl of Moray (1st) died in 1570 in Linlithgow.

Natural son of James V
created Earl of Moray, 1562
Regent of Scotland when Queen Mary surrendered her crown to her infant son James VI (1567-1570)
He married Lady Agnès Keith. His daughter, Lady Elizabeth Stuart, married James Stuart "Master of Doune" and son of James STEWART who had been created Lord Doune by Queen Mary.
He became 2nd Earl of Moray after his marriage.

Assassinated at Linlithgow in 1570.

Margaret also married (2) Robert DOUGLAS in 1527. Robert died in 1547.

79. John ERSKINE (John , John , John , Alexander , John , Thomas , Robert , William , John , John , John , Henry de ) was born in 1508. He died on 12 Mar 1591.

Sir John succeeded to the estate when only five years old and was educated by his uncle Sir Thomas Erskine of Brechin.
John murdered a priest from Montrose, Sir William Froster, and was required to pay a fine to the priest's father 5 Feb. 1530.
Sir John studied abroad and upon returning in 1534 he brought with him a Frenchman to teach Greek. On 10 May 1537 he had a license from James V for himself and his son John: "to pas to the partis of ffrance, Italie, or any uthiris beyond se, and thair remane, for doing of thair pilgramagis besynes and uthir lefull erandis, for the space of thre yeiris."
Thomas Erskine of Brechin obtained from the King the office of Constabulary of Montrose which he gave to John 9 Feb. 1541. In Apr. 1542 John and his cousin Thomas and John Lambie of Duncarry had a license to travel into France and Italy for two years.
Sir John became a convert to the Protestant cause and his house was always a sanctuary for those who were persecuted. In 1548 and 1549 he supported the Queen Dowager and the French in opposing the English and in 1548 when some English ships landed near Montrose he attacked and defeated them. Mary, the Queen Dowager highly respected John and many of their letters have been published. In a letter 29 Aug. 1549 she tells of the arrival of French Captain Beauschattel in Montrose and reassured John that there was: "na entent bot till kepe the fort and nocht till hurt you in your heretage or ony othir thing."
At Stirling 10 Mar. 1556 John and others signed a "call" to John Knox in Geneva to return to Scotland and promote the Reformation. At a dinner at Sir John's house it was resolved to stop attending Mass. Knox stayed at Dun quite some time and on 3 Dec. 1557 Sir John signed the first Covenant at Edinburgh. At Parliament 14 Dec. 1557 he was appointed to go to France to witness Queen Mary's marriage to the dauphin. Upon his return the Protestants due to their increase in numbers and the accession of Elizabeth to the English throne petitioned the Queen Regent to be allowed to practice their religion. However, for granting toleration she issued a proclamation requiring the Protestant ministers to appear at Stirling 10 May 1559 to be tried as heretics. Sir John in an effort to avoid a battle went to Stirling and talked the Queen out of trying the preachers, but no sooner had she made the promise than she broke it and the ministers were declared rebels and a civil war began which ended 23 Oct. 1559. On 10 June 1560 the Queen Regent died. Sir John had by this time relinquished his armour and became a preacher and was appointed to act as an ecclesiastical superintendant of counties Angus and Mearns in July 1560. He was installed in his office by John Knox in 1562.
Sir John was appointed moderator of the 9th General Assembly at Edinburgh 25 Dec. 1564 and also in 1565, 1566 and 1567. In Jan. 1572 he attended the convention at Leith where episcopacy was established. When Mary, Queen of Scots was asked to hear some of the Protestant preachers she said as Knox relates: "That above all others she would gladly hear the superintendent of Angus, Sir John Erskine for he was a mild and sweet natured man, and of true honesty and uprightness." In 1569 he visited the university of Aberdeen and suspended the principal, sub-principal and three professors for supporting "popery". In 1577 he assisted in writing the Second Book of Discipline. On 20 Sept. 1579 he was required to take the house of Redcastle from James Gray and return it to John Stewart. Sir John still retained some of the old beliefs from the Catholic church as he was given permission from the King and Privy Council 25 Feb. 1584 to eat meat during Lent.
In 1584 at the insistence of the King Parliament passed "the obligation" which made the King supreme head of the church. John told his ministers to go along with the law and therefore "the Laird of Dun was a pest then to the ministers in the north."
A summons for payment of John's stipend as superintendent of Angus and Mearns 9 Sept. 1585 shows £800 of which £337/11/6 was paid in money.
John died in 1591 at age 82.
Spottswood states that he governed the part of the country given to his "superintendance with great authority till his death giving no way to the novations introduced nor suffering them to take place within the bounds of his charge while he lived. A baron he was of good rank, wise, learned, liberal, and of singular courage; who, for diverse resemblances may well be said to have been another Ambrose."

John married (1) Elizabeth LINDSAY on 20 Dec 1522. Elizabeth died on 29 Jul 1538.

They had the following children:

  91 M i John ERSKINE
  92 F ii Margaret ERSKINE
  93 M iii Walter ERSKINE

John also married (2) Barbara DE BEIRLE.

Home First Previous Next Last

Surname List | Name Index