George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/139730858/george-keith

George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal, 4th Baron Lord Keith, 2nd Lord Altrie

• b. 1553, d. 2 April 1623

George Keith, 5th Earl of Marischal by George Jamestone [1]

George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal was born in 1553.[3] He was the son of William Keith, Master of Marischal and Lady Elizabeth Hay.[2]

He married by contract, firstly, Margaret Home, daughter of Alexander Home, 5th Lord Home and Margaret Ker, on 4 February 1580/81.[5]

He married, secondly, Margaret Ogilvy, daughter of James Ogilvy, 5th Lord Ogilvy of Airlie and Jean Forbes.[4]

He died on 2 April 1623.[4]

George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal

• succeeded to the title of 4th Lord Keith [S., 1451] on 7 October 1581.[4]
• He succeeded to the title of 5th Earl Marischal [S., 1458] on 7 October 1581.[4]
• He was invested as a Privy Counsellor (P.C.) [Scotland] in 1585.[4]
• He held the office of Scottish Ambassador to Denmark in 1589, to negotiate King James VI's marriage.[4]
• He succeeded to the title of 2nd Lord Altrie [S., 1587] in 1592.[2]
• In 1593 he founded Marischal College, Aberdeen.[4]
• He held the office of High Commissioner of Parliament [Scotland] in 1609.[4]

Children of George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal and Margaret Ogilvy

• 1.unknown son Keith[4]
• 2.unknown son Keith[4]

Children of George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal

• 1.Lady Margaret Keith[6]
• 2.Lady Mary Keith+[7]

Children of George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal and Margaret Home

• 1.Lady Anne Keith+[4] d. 30 May 1648
• 2.William Keith, 5th Earl Marischal+[4] b. c 1585, d. 28 Oct 1635

Citations

• 1.[S3409] Caroline Maubois, "re: Penancoet Family," e-mail message to Darryl Roger Lundy, 2 December 2008. Hereinafter cited as "re: Penancoet Family."
• 2.[S6] G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume I, page 117. Hereinafter cited as The Complete Peerage.
• 3.[S6] Cokayne, and others, The Complete Peerage, volume VIII, page 479.
• 4.[S37] Charles Mosley, editor, Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes (Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003), volume 2, page 2195. Hereinafter cited as Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 107th edition.
• 5.[S6] Cokayne, and others, The Complete Peerage, volume VIII, page 480.
• 6.[S8] Charles Mosley, editor, Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition, 2 volumes (Crans, Switzerland: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 1999), volume 1, page 99. Hereinafter cited as Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition.
• 7.[S37] Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 107th edition.

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal (died 1623) was a Scottish nobleman and Earl Marischal. He succeeded as earl on 7 October 1581, upon the death of his grandfather, William Keith, 4th Earl Marischal.

Described as one of the most important and powerful men of his day in Scotland, he was sent as ambassador to Denmark in 1589 to negotiate the marriage of King James VI of Scotland to Anne of Denmark. He founded the Marischal College in Aberdeen in 1593 and was Royal commissioner to the Parliament of Scotland in 1609. He rebuilt his family seat of Keith Marischal in 1589.

He married firstly Margaret, the daughter of Alexander, 5th Lord Home, by whom he had:

• 1. William, 6th Earl Marischal.
• 2. Anne who married William Douglas, 7th Earl of Morton.
• 3. Margaret who married (as his 1st wife) Sir Robert Arbuthnott, of that ilk but had no issue.
  • Margaret Home, born before 5 December 1565, was the daughter of Alexander Home, 5th Lord Home and Margaret Ker. A contract for her marriage to George Keith, 4th Earl Marischal was signed on 4 February 1580/81. She died in May 1598. Home/Keith children: 1.Lady Anne Keith+ d. 30 May 1648 2.William Keith, 5th Earl Marischal+3 b. c 1585, d. 28 Oct 1635 Citations 1.[S37] Charles Mosley, editor, Burke Peerage ;#39;s Peerage, Baronetage; Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes (Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke;#39;s Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003), volume 2, page 1949 (Burke;#39;s Peerage and Baronetage, 107th edition). 2.[S6] G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume VIII, page 480... as The Complete Peerage. 3.[S37] Charles Mosley, Burke;#39;s Peerage and Baronetage, 107th edition, volume 2, page 2195.

He married secondly, Margaret daughter of James, 6th Lord Ogilvy of Airlie, by whom he had:

• 1. James Keith of Benholm who had no male issue.
• 2. John Keith who had no issue.

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http://thepeerage.com/p2577.htm#i25761

George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal, studied in Geneva, and was very well traveled. In Germany he was received and treated as a kinsman by the Landgrave of Hesse, Prince of the Chatti. George was named ambsassador to Denmark in which office he accomplished the King's marriage with Queen Ann (1589) and brought her to Scotland. In 1593, he established Marischal College at Aberdeen, and in 1609 became High Commissioner or Viceroy to the Parliament of Scotland. George married 1st to Margaret, daughter of Alexander Lord HOME, and had William and Ann (married William Earl of Morton). He married 2nd to Margaret, daughter of James Lord OGILVIE, and had Sir Robert Keith of Benholm. He died at Dunnotter, in 1623.

Source: http://www.reocities.com/sconemac/marshall.html

• * original citations on geni re: his wife HOME.

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George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal

George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal (d.1623) was a Scottish nobleman and Earl Marischal.

Described as one of the most important and powerful men of his day in Scotland, he was sent as ambassador to Denmark in 1589 to negotiate the marriage of King James VI of Scotland to Anne of Denmark. He founded the Marischal College in Aberdeen in 1593 and was Royal commissioner to the Parliament of Scotland in 1609. He rebuilt his family seat of Keith Marischal in 1589.

He married 1stly Margaret, the daughter of Alexander, 5th Lord Home, by whom he had:

• William, 6th Earl Marischal.
• Anne who married William Douglas, 7th Earl of Morton.
• Margaret who married (as his 1st wife) Sir Robert Arbuthnott, of that ilk but had no issue.

He married 2ndly, Margaret daughter of James, 6th Lord Ogilvy of Airlie, by whom he had:

• James Keith of Benholm who had no male issue.
• John Keith who had no issue.

http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/37676779/person/19605581768/media/3?...

GEORGE, 5TH EARL MARISCHAL

GEORGE, fifth Earl Marischal, the founder of Marischal College, Aberdeen. He was educated at King’s College, in that city, where he distinguished himself by his proficiency in classical studies, and in the knowledge of the Hebrew language, and of history and antiquities. He subsequently spent several years at universities in France, along with his younger brother William, and then at Geneva, under the celebrated Beza, who gave him instruction in history, theology, and eloquence. The death of his brother, who lost his life in a riot among the citizens, caused him to leave Geneva and to travel through Germany and Italy, making himself acquainted with the language, and the manners and customs of the people. On his return to his native country he took part in various public affairs, and in 1589 he was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary to the Danish Court, to arrange the marriage of James VI. with Anne of Denmark. With his characteristic munificence, the Earl defrayed the whole expense of the embassy, which was conducted on a scale of unusual splendour. He did good service to the country in 1593 by inquiring into the secret and treasonable transactions of the Popish earls with the Court of Spain, and in 1609 he was appointed Lord High Commissioner to the Scottish Parliament. The memory of this great nobleman has been perpetuated mainly by his enlightened generosity displayed in the establishment of the college which bears his family title. The foundation charter, which is dated 2nd April, 1593, provided for the maintenance of a principal, three professors or regents, and six bursars; and appointed Greek, Hebrew, Syriac, geometry, geography, chronology, natural history, and astronomy to be taught in the college. At subsequent periods several additional chairs and a great number of bursaries were instituted in connection with this seminary, and the professorships were ultimately increased to thirteen. The ancient structure having fallen into decay, a grant of £25,000 was given by the House of Commons between 1840 and 1844, for the purpose of rebuilding it on a more extensive scale; but in 1858 Marischal College and King’s College were incorporated by Act of Parliament into one University.

The arrangement by which the rich temporalities of the Abbey of Deer came into the possession of Earl George, gave great dissatisfaction to his younger brother Robert Keith of Benholm, ‘probably because he had concluded in his own mind [not without reason] that the abbey lands formed a more appropriate estate for a cadet than for the chief of the family, the latter being already a rich man.’ He therefore made an attempt to take forcible possession of the abbey, which he kept for six weeks; but at last the Earl, with assistance from the northern shires and burghs, succeeded in dislodging his law-defying brother. Robert then retired to the Castle of Fedderat, where he stood a three days’ siege, which ended in his coming to a truce with the Earl, and the unseemly quarrel was terminated.

The rental of the abbey thus annexed to the Marischal estates amounted in 1565 to £572 8s. 6d., with thirteen and a half boils of wheat, fourteen chalders and ten boils of bear, [an inferior kind of barley] and sixty-three chalders nine bolls of meal. The yearly revenue of the earldom, augmented by this handsome addition, is alleged to have amounted to the enormous sum, in those days, of 270,000 marks. The estates were so extensive that it was commonly said that Earl Marischal could enter Scotland at Berwick, and travel through the country to its northern extremity without requiring ever to take a meal or a night’s rest off his own lands. But even at this period, when it had reached its greatest height of power and prosperity, a doom was believed to be impending over the family. Earl George survived till 1623, but, happily for himself, he was taken away before the evil days of the Great Civil War, which inflicted so much misery upon the country, and brought his ancient and illustrious house to the brink of ruin.

Patrick Gordon of Ruthven, in ‘A Short Abridgement of Britane’s Distemper, from the Yeares of God 1639 to 1649,’ gives the ‘relacion of a wonderfull vision,’ which, according to popular belief, foretold that the ancient house of the Marischal of Scotland was to date its slow decay and assured overthrow from the day of its ‘sacrilegious meddling with the Abbacy of Deer.’

‘This was a fearfull presiage of the fatal punishment which did hing over the head of that noble familie by a terrible vission to his grandmother, after the sacrilegious annexing of the Abbacie of Deir to the house of Marshell, which I think not unworthie the remembrance, were it but to advise other noblemen thereby to beware of meddling with the rents of the Church, for in the first foundation thereof they were given out with a curse pronounced in their charector, or evident of the first election, in those terms: Cursed be those that taketh this away from the holy use whereunto it is now dedicat; and I wish from my heart that this curse follow not this ancient and noble familie, who hath, to ther praise and never-dieing honour, contemned ther greatness, maintained ther honour, and, both piously and constantly has followed forth the way of virtue from that tym that the valour, worth, and happie fortoun of ther first predecessor planted them; and ever since the carriage of his heart, strength of his arme, and love of his country, made him happily to resist the cruel Danes. George, Earle Marshell, a learned, wise, and upright good man, got the Abbacie of Deir in recompence from James the Sixt, for the honourable charge he did bear in that ambassage he had into Denmark, and the wyse and worthy account he gave of it at his return by the conclusion of that match whereof the royal stock of Britane’s monarchy is descended.

‘This Earl George, his first wife dochter to the Lord Home, and grandmother to this present earle, being a woman both of a high spirit and of a tender conscience, forbids her husband to leave such a consuming moth in his house as was the sacrilegious meddling with the Abbacie of Deir; but fourteen score chalders of meil and beir was a sore temptation; and he could not weel endure the rendering back of such a morsel. Upon his absolute refusal of her demand, she had this vision the night following: in her sleepe she saw a great number of religious men, in ther habit, come forth of that Abbey to the stronge craige of Dunnottar, which is the principal residence of that familie. She saw them also set themselves round about the rock, to get it down and demolishe it, having no instruments nor tools wherewith to perform this work, but only pen-knyves, wherewith they foolishly (as it seemed to her) began to pick at the craig. She smiled to see them intend so fruitless an enterpryse, and went to call her husband, to scoff and jeer them out of it. When she had found him, and brought him to see these sillie religious monckes at ther foolish work, behold the whole craige, with all its stronge and stately buildings, was by ther pen-knyves undermined and fallen in the sea, so as there remained nothing but the wracke of ther rich furniture and stuff floating on the waves of a raging and tempestuous sea.

‘Some of the wiser sort, divining upon this vision, attribute to the pen-knyves the lenth of tym before this should come to pass; and it hath been observed by sundrie that the earles of that house before were the richest in the kingdom, having treasure and store beside them, but ever since the addition of this so great a revenue, they have lessened the stock by heavie burdens of debt and ingagment.’

Dr. Pratt says it is thought to have been in reference to this legend. or to some reproaches of a similar nature which were heaped on the Marischal family at the time, in consequence of their sacrilegious appropriation of the Abbey and its possessions, that they inscribed the unavailing defiance-

‘They say,Quhat say they?

They haif said, Let thame say,’

on several of the buildings which they erected. On Marischal College, Aberdeen, which the Earl founded in 1593, and endowed with a portion of the doomed spoil, the inscription in large letters remained on the buildings till 1836, when they were taken down to make room for the present structure. The inscription, however, is preserved in the entrance-hall of the new college buildings.

‘Within seventy years of the time that Patrick Gordon wrote, the whole of the Marischal estates were confiscated, and an additional half century witnessed the extinction of the family. The Commendator -who took his title from Altrie, one of the estates of the abbey lying between Bruxie and Brucklay Castle-left no child to inherit his honours; and so utterly has the name perished that, instead of being called ‘in all time coming the Lordship of Altrie,’ the name scarcely remains even as a tradition.

‘Meddle nae wi’ holy things,For ‘gin ye dee [do],

A weird I rede in some shapeShall follow thee.

Altrie is now called Overtown and Newtown of Bruxie.’

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