Alexander Ruthven

ALEXANDER RUTHVEN

Fake Genealogy

It has been claimed that Alexander Ruthven here treated is the same person as Alexander, Master of Gowrie, the third son of William, first Earl of Gowrie. Our Family Tree The author of this proposition cites the Ruthven Family Papers as proof, but it would appear that he or she has completely misunderstood the claim being promoted there, i.e. that the ancestor of Edward Southwell, who assumed the surname Ruthven, was a man named Alexander Ruthven, who is said to have changed his surname to Trotter. This Alexander Ruthven is said to have been the son of William Ruthven, and the grandson of James Ruthven, who in turn is said to have been the son of John Ruthven (formerly John Lindsay), the bastard son of William, first Lord Ruthven. The Ruthven Family Papers

The genealogy promoted by the Ruthven Papers is not easy to follow. This is what it says: "In his family chart, John Lindsay's son is given as James, not Alexander, and James's son is William, and William's son Alexander, who was in Perth the day Gowrie, his third cousin, was slain; and this Alexander escaped to England and changed his name to Trotter, the name of the lady he married. Alexander had a son, James, who had three sons, Alexander, John and James. Alexander (unmarried) and John quarrelled, and Alexander was killed by his brother. John had a son, Samuel, who had a son, John, whose son was Edward. This Edward had a son, Edward Southwell, who by letters patent assumed the name of Ruthven. He was born 1773, and they have a clear descent up to date." The Ruthven Family Papers

It should be said here, in order to avoid confusion and misunderstanding in the future, that the Ruthven Family Papers did not offer any evidence which supports the ancestry claimed for Alexander Trotter (formerly Alexander Ruthven), and none has subsequently been found.

Fake Genealogy

1. Our Family Tree
2. The Kingealogy
3. genealogy.com