Francis Hay, 9th Earl of Erroll

His mother is dau of Sir William Hay

He married by contract, firstly, Lady Margaret Stewart, daughter of James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray and Lady Anne Keith, on 27 June 1584.[2]

Francis had a charter to the lands of Argath and Inchmicihael, Perthshire 22 Aug. 1582 [4] and to the barony of Erroll and Slains 29 March 1584. [5]

He married, secondly, Lady Mary Stewart, daughter of John Stewart, 4th Earl of Atholl and Margaret Fleming, circa January 1586/87.[2]

On 6 Feb. 1587/8 he had a charter to the Kirktown of Slains.[6]

He married, thirdly, Lady Elizabeth Douglas, daughter of William Douglas, 6th Earl of Morton and Lady Agnes Leslie, in 1590.[2]

He held the office of Lord High Constable. He succeeded to the title of 9th Earl of Erroll and to the title of 9th Lord Hay on 8 October 1585.[2]

Francis was a member of the Catholic faction along with the Earls of Crawford, Huntly and Bothwell, which in 1589 corresponded with King Philip of Spain and the Duke of Parma and rebelled.[7] The goal was to overthrow Queen Elizabeth and convert James VI to Catholicism and make Britain a Catholic stronghold, however, with the defeat of the Spanish Armade the conspiracy came to naught. On 29 Feb. 1588/9 he was ordered to appear before the Privy Council on the charge of perverting the true religion, but failing to appear was denounced as a rebel on 21 March and on 7 Apr. he was ordered to deliver up his castles of Slains and Logiealmond. [8] They surrendered to the King at Aberdeen and were brought to public trial where they were convicted of repeated acts of treason but, were released a few months later as an act of clemency on the King's approaching marriage. On 31 July 1592 Francis was again committed as a papist and was locked up in Edinburgh castle, but soon released and again corresponded with Spain. He was summoned to Parliament 8 Jan. 1592/3 and on 5 Feb. he was denounced as a rebel for trafficking with Jesuits, Seminary Priests and others. [9] On 25 Sept. 1593 he and the Earls of Angus and Huntly were excommunicated and on 17 Oct. they appeared before the King and offered to submit to a legal trial. On 26 Nov. it was decided that they and their followers would be exempted from prosecution if before 1 Feb. 1594 they would submit to the church and renounce the errors of popery or leave the Kingdom. On 31 Jan. 1593/4 he was ordered to Edinburgh Castle until the trial and on 8 June he was found guilty of treason.[10] The group refused to agree to those conditions and attacked and defeated the King's troops under the Earl of Argyle at the battle of Glenlivet 3 Oct. 1594. The 300 soldiers of Francis Hay and George Gordon routed the Campbells of Argyll and the MacLeans who were fighting on behalf of King James VI. Patrick Con of Auchry, was captain of the cavalry in the army of the Earl of Erroll, Lord High Constable of Scotland. The outcome of the battle was greatly affected by the skillful handling of a disciplined body of 100-200 picked horsemen of Erroll’s. Francis Hay himself was wounded in the leg while leading the mounted charge.King James arranged to have Huntly castle destroyed as he marched north to personally blow up Old Slains castle. The King also attacked, but didn't destroy, the other Hay castle at Delgatie. With the King now advancing against them they obtained permission to go abroad upon giving security they should not return without his license nor engage in further intrigues against the reformed religion or peace of the Kingdom. Francis went to Holland but was arrested by order of the Estates of that country and was imprisoned at Middleburg under the care of Robert Danielstoun, conservator of the privileges who, however, let him escape. [11] Francis returned home without the King's consent landing at Stonehaven 20 Sept. 1596 and on 22 Nov. a proclamation was issued prohibiting the lieges from communicating with him. [12] However, on 16 Dec. 1597 his forfeiture was reduced by an Act of Parliament.[13]

He fought in the Battle of Glenlivet on 3 October 1594, where he risen up in rebellion against Parliament.[2] In 1597 he was pardoned after several years of exile.[2]

He and Elizabeth had a charter to the lordship of Erroll, the lands of Logy and others 10 Aug. 1600, to the lands of Turnaluif 29 July 1607, to the barony of Crimond 7 June 1608, and to the dominical lands of Esslemont 13 March 1623.[14] Instead of repairing the Old Slains castle he rebuilt Bowness castle and renamed it New Slains. The castle was added to over the years, however, was abandoned in 1916. In 1895 at New Slains castle Bram Stoker was inspired to write his classic Dracula.

Francis became so much in favor with James VI that he was appointed by Parliament one of the commissioners to negociate the Union with England 11 July 1604, but on 11 Oct. 1608 he was still refusing to conform to the reformed religion, was excommunicated and ordered by the Privy Council to go to Dumbarton Castle within 10 days which he did, his place of imprisonment being changned from time to time. He was not absolved from the excommunication until 1617.[2] On 28 March 1620 he was accused of sending his son to France in the company of Patrick Con the younger of Auchrie, a Catholic. [15]

Having been sick for a long time he had on 9 March 1629 a Royal Warrant to go abroad for the benefit of his health under a caution for £10,000.[16] He died at Slains on 16 July 1631,[2] and was buried at Slains Church. In his will dated 9 June 1628 he declares that he died as he had lived a true and sincere apostolic Roman Catholic and expressed the wish that his children, friends and all others should embrace that faith.[17]

Children of Francis Hay, 9th Earl of Erroll and Lady Elizabeth Douglas

   Lady Mary Hay+[18] d. 11 Apr 1631 

Lady Anne Hay+[19]
William Hay, 10th Earl of Erroll+[2] d. 7 Dec 1636
Lady Jean Hay+[2]
Lady Elizabeth Hay+[1]
Lady Sophia Hay+[2] d. c 12 Mar 1642
Lady Margaret Hay[2]
Hon George Hay of Muiresk (dvp. bef. 1629)[3]
Hon Francis Hay of Turriff (b. c. 1598; dsp. Dec 1632)[3]
Hon Thomas Hay, living 1631[3]
Lady Isabel Hay (bapt. 11 Apr 1611; d. unm.)[3]
Lady Helen Hay (b. c. 1615; dvp. 1625)[3]
Hon Lewis Hay (d. young)[3][20]

FRANCIS HAY

Bogus Genealogy

Francis Hay, here treated, the husband of Mary Murray has been identified in error as the son of Peter Hay of Megginch and his wife Margaret Ogilvy notwithstanding the fact that this couple are not known to have had son named Francis. Stirnet: Hay 07

It would also appear that Francis Hay, here treated has been confused with Francis Hay, 9th Earl of Erroll The pedigree cited below certainly suggests that this is the case. However, Francis Hay, here treated, is reported to have died at Halifax in West Yorkshire on 3 December 1598, and Francis Hay, 9th Earl of Erroll died at Slains on 16 July 1631. Moreover, Francis Hay, 9th Earl of Erroll married Elizabeth Douglas and not Mary Murray, and he most certainly did not have a daughter named Susan Hay who was born in 1580. The Scots Peerage III: 576 '

The pedigree cited below belongs to the family of Francis Hay, 9th Earl of Erroll and not to the family of Francis Hay, here treated, the husband of Mary Murray:

FamilySearch: Pedigree Resource File accessed 14 January 2021), entry for Francis Hay, cites sources; "Chisom Haskins Tree" file (2:2:2:MMXX-GVJ), submitted 20 May 2020 by MonicaChisom [identity withheld for privacy]