John Gordon, 11th Earl of Sutherland

Burke's Peerage -

JOHN GORDON, 11th Earl of Sutherland, called ‘The Good Earl John'; born 1525; fought Battle of Pinkie 1547 (English defeat of Scots) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Pinkie]; having earlier supported the pro-French party in Scotland, he became a Lord of the Articles (memb of an olgarchic Parly ctee) 1558 and one of the Lds of the Congregation (group of Protestant-leaning nobles opposed to MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS' pro-French policy) by Jan 1559/60 and engaged in a skirmish against the French about then, when he was wounded; implicated in his cousin the Earl of Huntly's rebellion 1562; his titles and estates accordingly forfeited; he was pardoned 1565 and the forfeiture reversed 19 April 1567; married 1st between 21 Nov 1545 and 12 June 1546 Elizabeth (died without issue by 18 May 1548), widow of James Stewart, 1st and last Earl of Moray of the 1500 created and illegitimate s of JAMES IV, and only daughter of 3rd Earl of Argyll (see ARGYLL, D); married 2nd c 6 Aug 1548 Helen (died by 25 Nov 1564), widow of 6th Earl of Erroll (qv), daughter of 12th Earl of Lennox (see MORAY, E) and former mistress of JAMES V, by whom she had a son, and by her had, with another s (died young) and two daughters (died unm):

• 1a ALEXANDER, 12th Earl
• 1a Margaret; designated according to the alleged plot of the 4th Earl of Caithness (see above) as his 2nd son's bride, since on the death of her brother the Earldom of Sutherland would pass to her and her husband
• 2a Jean; married 1st Alexander Innes of that Ilk (see ROXBURGHE, D); married 2nd Thomas, s of 4th Earl of Huntly (see HUNTLY, M), and died Jan 1584
• The 11th Earl married 3rd Marion, widow of 4th Earl of Menteith (see MONTROSE, D) and daughter of 4th Lord Seton (see EGLINTON and WINTON, E) and died with her 23 June 1567, both of them poisoned by his aunt (see above), although his son escaped through having been out of the house when the fatal dose was administered (apparently in mugs of ale)

His only surviving son, ALEXANDER GORDON, 12th Earl of Sutherland;

References

1. http://www.thepeerage.com/p1012.htm#i10114