Alexander Cunningham 1st Earl of Glencairn Lord Kilmaurs, Chief of Clan Cunningham

ALEXANDER CUNNINGHAME
1ST EARL OF GLENCAIRN
LORD KILMAURS
CHIEF OF CLAN CUNNINGHAM

Alexander, Earl of Glencairn, is the son of Sir Robert Cunningham of Kilmaurs and his wife Anne Montgomery. The Scots Peerage, IV, pp. 232-34

Death

Alexander Cunningham, Earl of Glencairn, was killed at Sauchieburn near Stirling on 11 June 1488.

Marriage

Alexander Cunningham, Earl of Glencairn, married Margaret Hepburn, daughter of Adam Hepburn, Lord Hailes.

Children

1. Robert Cunningham, 2nd Earl of Glencairn
2. William Cunningham of Craigends, 1st Laird of Craigends
3. Alexander Cunningham
4. Edward Cunningham
5. Isabella Cunningham

Biographical and Genealogical Accounts

1. The Scots Peerage, IV, pp. 222-52 for Cunningham, Earl of Glencairn
2. Wikipedia: Alexander Cunningham, 1st Earl of Glencairn
3. Our Royal Ancestors etc: Alexander Cunningham, 1st Earl of Cunningham
4. Darryl Lundy's Peerage: Alexander Cunningham, 1st Earl of Glencairn
5. Dictionary of National Biography: Alexander Cunningham
6. Cracrofts Peerage, Cunningham, Earl of Glencairn

BIOGRAPHY PUBLISHED BY THE DICTIONARY OF NATIONAL BIOGRAPHY

CUNNINGHAM, ALEXANDER, first Earl of Glencairn (d. 1488), was descended from a family which obtained the manor of Cunningham, in the parish of Kilmaurs, Ayrshire, in the twelfth century. He was the eldest son of Sir Robert Cunningham (who received a charter of the lands of Kilmaurs from Robert, duke of Albany, and was knighted by James I) by his wife Ann, a daughter of Sir John de Montgomery of Eglinton and Ardrossan. He was created a lord of parliament by the title Lord Kilmaurs about 1450. In January 1477–8 he received a charter of the lands of Drip in the parish of Kilbride, Lanarkshire (Register of the Great Seal of Scotland, vol. i. entry 1,342). He was created Earl of Glencairn (a parish in the western part of Nithsdale, Dumfriesshire) by James III 28 May 1488, for the powerful assistance he had rendered against the rebel lords at Blackness. He was slain at the battle of Sauchieburn 11 June of the same year. By his wife Margaret, daughter of Adam Hepburn of Hailes, he had four sons. By the Rescissory Act passed by James IV 17 Oct. 1488, his eldest son Robert was deprived of the earldom and reduced to the rank of Lord Kilmaurs. It was, however, revived in the person of Cuthbert, third earl, in 1505.

BIOGRAPHY PUBLISHED BY WIKIPEDIA

Alexander of Kilmaurs succeeded his father before March 20, 1451, when he granted to the Friars Preachers of Glasgow a yearly sum of four and a half merks from the lands of Finlaystone for masses on behalf of his grandfather and grandmother.

Alexander was of the Court of King James II, while on his expedition to the south country against James, 9th and last Earl of Douglas. On July 18, 1452, he went into the tent of Lord Chancellor of Scotland (Crichton), where he resigned into the King's hands his lands in Ayr including Kilmaurs, as well as the sheriffdom of Ayr, and the lands of Kilmarnock in Stirling, Finlaystone in Renfrew, Glencairn in Dumfries, and Hilton in Berwick. After a pause, King James II regranted and gave the said lands to Alexander and his heirs.

In 1458 Alexander acted as Bailie of Cunningham in 1458. Alexander was subsequently accused of having dealings with the traitor Earl of Douglas, and on January 13, 1464, he complained to the King in Parliament that there was a rumor that he had assisted James of Douglas, notwithstanding a letter of February 8, 1463, from the King James III declaring him innocent. He then offered purgation by a court of his peers, by the purgation of 100 knights and esquires, or to defend himself according to the laws of arms. Parliament declared him innocent.

That is the first reference to Alexander as Lord Kilmaurs, a dignity to which he had been raised between February 8, 1463, the date of the royal letter, where he is styled Alexander Cunynghame, Lord of Kilmaurs, and January 13, 1464, when as Lord Kilmaurs he complained in Parliament.

On October 15, 1464, Alexander witnessed a charter ' Alexander Dominus Kilmaurs. On January 13, 1478, he had a charter as Alexander Dominus de Kilmaweris of his lands of Drips, in the lordship of Kilbride, Lanark. Alexander sat continually in Parliament as Lord Kilmaurs from 1464 to 1488.

In 1488 a great part of the Scottish nobles rebelled against King James III, on February 2, 1488, the prince his son, then about sixteen years of age, left Stirling Castle and joined the rebels. Alexander, Lord Kilmaurs, who was then very powerful, brought his forces to aid the King's party and assisted in the defeat of the rebels at Battle Blackness. For his service, and as a mark of Royal favor, Alexander Cuninghame, Lord Kilmaurs was, on May 28, 1488, advanced to the dignity of Earl of Glencairn by royal charter, in which he is designated Alexander, Earl of Glencairn and Lord Kilmaurs. The words used are 'facimus et creamus eundem nostrum consanguineum Comitem in exaltationem sui honoris, perpetuis futuris temporibus Comitem de Glencairn et Dominum de Kilmauris nuncupandum.'[3] In support of this honor, the King James III, by the same deed, granted Alexander, Earl of Glencairn thirty-pound lands of Drummond and the ten-pound lands of Duchray, in the Earldom of Lennox, to be held by the Earl and his heirs and successors forever.

Alter the battle of Blackness a proposal was made for a treaty between the opposite parties, and articles were drawn up for that purpose. These articles were not observed. The prince's party accused the King and others of having entered into a treaty with England. The war broke out again, and on June 11, 1488, during the Battle of Sauchieburn near Stirling, Alexander Cuninghame, Earl of Glencairn was killed. King James III was either killed during the battle or shortly thereafter.

Alexander, first Earl of Glencairn, married Margaret, daughter of Adam Hepburn, Lord of Hailes.They had the following children:

1. ROBERT, Master of Glencairn
2. William of Craigends, ancestor of that family, and the ancestor of the Cuninghams of Robertland, Carncurin, Bedlaw, Auchinharvie, and Auchinyards. On February 4, 1479, William received from his father a charter of the lands of Craiganys (Craigends) in the lordship of Ranfurley
3. Alexander, mentioned in a charter dated 1483
4. Edward, also mentioned in a charter dated 1483