Sir Alexander Sutherland, 1st Lord Duffus

Alexander Sutherland, 1st Lord Duffus

Alexander Sutherland, 1st Lord Duffus (son of William Sutherland, 10th of Duffus)

Alexander Sutherland of Duffus, was only four years and ten months old when he succeeded to his father, and he was served heir on 11 January 1627, while still an infant, his uncle James being served as his tutor on the same day.[1] In 1641, after the Scots army had invaded England and occupied Newcastle and its neighbourhood, the Laird of Duffus accompanied the Earl of Sutherland on a visit to the camp, and apparently to other places in England, but he returned in the Earl's train to attend the meeting of Parliament at Edinburgh in July 1641. The laird also was in Edinburgh in August to greet King Charles I., who then paid a visit to Scotland.[2] He was knighted on that occasion, or perhaps later, as he is, about 1643, styled Sir Alexander, and appears on various Parliamentary Committees. He was also a member or commissioner for Sutherland in 1646.[3]

He was a supporter of the Covenant, and as a consequence his estates, probably those in Morayshire, suffered from attacks by the Royalists. He therefore, in 1647, petitioned Parliament for redress on account of his losses and sufferings for adherence to the Covenant, and was voted £10,000 Scots for himself and £2000 Scots for his uncle James, to be paid out of the money payable by the English Parliament.[4] In the following year his wife died, and he was so affected that he went abroad, though he was named one of the colonels appointed for the defence of the country. He travelled in France and Holland, and, 'much bettered by his travels,' returned to Scotland with King Charles II. on 24 June 1650.[5] He attended the Parliament held at perth in 1651, and was then styled a Peer by the title of LORD DUFFUS.[6] He did not accompany the Scots army on its march to England, as he was sent from Stirling to Perth to defend it against the attack of Cromwell, but was compelled to surrender the town, which he had occupied, according to Sir James Balfour, only twelve hours previously with 600 men.[7] He also, it is said, send on 8 AUgust, though this seems doubtful, a detachment of his men to aid in the defence of Dundee, but without avail, as it was stormed and taken 1 September 1651.[8] On account of his loyalty he was fined by Cromwell in the sum of £1500, but the amount was reduced to £600.[9]

After the restoration of King Charles II. Lord Duffus seems to have gone to London, and while staying there received some letters from Archibald, Lord Lorne, afterwards ninth Earl of Arygll. One of these had unfortunate consequences. It was anonymous, and animadverted somewhat on the conduct of certain members of the Scots Parliament. It never reached Lord Duffus, as it was in some way intercepted and fell into the hands of the Earl of Middleton, then High Commissioner in Scotland. He laid the letter before the Parliament, by whom it was construed as treasonable, and Lord Duffus was questioned as to the identity of the writer. He admitted the authorship of the letter, and Lord Lorne himself acknowledged the fact, for which he, after a trial, was condemned to deat for high treason.[10] Lord Duffus died on 31 August 1674.

The first Lord Duffus was four times married, his first wife being Jean, daughter and co-heiress of Colin Mackenzie, first Earl of Seaforth, widow of John Sinclair, Master of Berridale. She died on 31 March 1648 in childbed, having had, it is said, four sons by her second husband. She is described as 'a comelie, oblidging, religious, and good lady.'[11] He married, secondly, on 13 January 1653, Jean, fifth daughter of Sir Robert Innes of Innes, who died 10 March same year;[12] thirdly, Margaret, second daughter of James Stewart, fifth Earl of Moray, who died in January 1667;[13] and fourthly, Margaret, eldest daughter of William, eleventh Lord Forbes,[14] who survived him and was married, about 1675, to Robert Gordon, afterwards third Baronet of Gordonstoun, but he died on 16 April 1677.

Lord Duffus had four sons by his first wife, all living on 31 March 1648, but his only recorded issue are:--

• 1. James, who succeeded him.
• 2. Margaret, named in her father's will.
• 3. Henrietta, also named in her father's will; married to George, fourth Earl of Linlithgow, without issue.[15]
• [1] Retours, Elgin, etc., No. 43; Inquisitiones de Tutela, No. 421.
• [2] Sir Robert Gordon's History, 507.
• [3] Acta Parl. Scot., vi. pt. i. 613.
• [4] Ibid., 800.
• [5] Sir Robert Gordon, 557.
• [6] Ibid., 560. Crawfurd in his Peerage gives the date of creation as 8 December 1650, perhaps the date of the original patent, which is lost. The records of Parliament show that he continued to be styled Laird of Duffus up to and including 27 May 1651, while he is styled Lord Duffus and ranked among the noblemen on 3 June 1651; Acta Parl. Scot., vi. part ii. 669, 679.
• [7] Balfour's Annals, iv. 313, 314.
• [8] Sir Robert Gordon, 560.
• [9] Acta Parl. Scot., vi. part ii.
• [10] Acta Parl. Scot., vii. 380, App. 89. (See vol. i. 363)
• [11] Genealogy of the Family of Sutherland, 452.
• [12] Part. REg. Sas., Elgin, iv.; Diary of Laird of Brodie, 30.
• [13] Wardlaw MS., Scot. Hist. Soc., 474.
• [14] Sutherland Book, i. 515; Part. Reg. Sas., Elgin, iv.
• [15] Ibid., 515.

Sources: Balfour Paul, J. (1906) The Scots Peerage, vol. 3. Edinburgh: David Douglas.

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(52) Sir Alexander Sutherland of Duffus, died 31st August 1674. In 1651 he was created LORD DUFFUS. He married, first, Jean Mackenzie, daughter and co-heiress of Colin, first Earl of Seaforth. She died 31st March 1648. He married, second, 13th January 1653, Jean, daughter of Sir Robert Innes of that Ilk. She died 10th March 1653. He married, third, Margaret Stewart, daughter of James, fourth Earl of Moray. She died January 1667. He married, fourth, Margaret, daughter of William, eleventh Lord Forbes. She died 16th April 1677. He was succeeded by his son by his first wife:

__________

• Alexander Sutherland 1st Lord Duffus was the son of William Sutherland of Duffus and Jean Grant.
• Alexander Sutherland 1st Lord Duffus married Jean Mackenzie before 1648. She was the daughter & co-heir of the 1st Earl of Seaforth and widow of John Sinclair, Master of Berriedale. They had issue.
• Alexander was created Lord Duffus on 8 December 1650.
• Alexander Sutherland 1st Lord Duffus married Jean Innes on 13 January 1653. She was the daughter of Sir Robert Innes, of Innes, 1st Bart.
• Alexander Sutherland 1st Lord Duffus married Margaret Stewart, daughter of James Stewart Earl of Moray, after 1653. She was the daughter of James Stewart, Earl of Moray.
• Alexander Sutherland 1st Lord Duffus married Margaret Forbes after January 1667. She was the daughter of 11th Lord Forbes and afterwards wife of Sir Robert Gordon of Gordonstoun, 3rd Bart.
• Alexander died on 31 August 1674.
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_Sutherland

• ---

• Alexander Sutherland 1st Lord Duffus was the son of William Sutherland of Duffus and Jean Grant.
• Alexander Sutherland 1st Lord Duffus married, first, Jean Mackenzie before 1648. She was the daughter & co-heir of the 1st Earl of Seaforth and widow of John Sinclair, Master of Berriedale. They had issue.
• Alexander was created Lord Duffus on 8 December 1650.
• Alexander Sutherland 1st Lord Duffus married, second, Jean Innes on 13 January 1653. She was the daughter of Sir Robert Innes, of Innes, 1st Bart. She dies 10 March 1653.
• Alexander Sutherland 1st Lord Duffus married, third, Margaret Stewart, daughter of James Stewart Earl of Moray, after 1653. She was the daughter of James Stewart, Earl of Moray.
• Alexander Sutherland 1st Lord Duffus married, fourth, Margaret Forbes after January 1667. She was the daughter of 11th Lord Forbes and afterwards wife of Sir Robert Gordon of Gordonstoun, 3rd Bart.
• Alexander died on 31 August 1674.

References

• Ane Breve Cronicle of the Earlis of Ross. Including notices of the Abbots of Fearn, and of the family of Ross of Balnagown. by Ross, Earls of; Baillie, W. R. Page 29-30. Archive.Org The said Colin, earl of Seaforth, marryit Dame Margaret Seaton, who bure two daughters ; Jean, who was first countess of Caithness, and bure the earl of Caithness, thereafter marryed lord Duffus, and bure a son to him.