Thomas Erskine, 1st Earl of Kellie

Thomas Erskine was the eldest surviving son of Sir Alexander Erskine of Gogar and Margaret Home, a daughter of George Home, 4th Lord Home and Mariotta Haliburton.

Thomas was a school classmate and lifelong personal friend of James VI of Scotland (later James I of England) and in 1585 was made one of the Gentlemen of His Majesty's Bedchamber. He was with the king on the occasion of the Gowrie Conspiracy in 1600, when James was supposedly kidnapped by the Ruthven brothers at their house in Perth. He was afterwards awarded a third of the confiscated land of the Ruthvens and given the title Lord Erskine of Dirletoun in 1604. He was made a Privy Councillor in 1601 and accompanied the Duke of Lennox on a diplomatic visit to France.

Thomas travelled with James to England when James ascended the English throne in 1603 and was made Captain of the Guard (1603–1617) and Groom of the Stool (1604) and created Viscount Fenton (or Fentoun)(1606). He acquired Kellie Castle from the 5th Lord Oliphant in 1613 and was given the barony of Kellie. In 1615 he was made a Knight of the Garter and Earl of Kellie in March 1619.

When King James died in March 1625 the Privy Council drafted a proclamation. Kellie reminded them that James had preferred the title "King of Great Britain", and he assured the council that using "King of England and Scotland" would not please the people of Scotland.

He died intestate in London in 1639 and was buried at Pittenweem, Fife. Thomas's son Alexander predeceased his father in 1633. He was succeeded by his grandson, Thomas Erskine, 2nd Earl of Kellie.

Sources

1. Dictionary of National Biography

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• Thomas Erskine, 1st Earl of Kellie1
• M, #6052, b. 1566, d. 12 June 1639
• Last Edited=31 Dec 2011
• Consanguinity Index=0.25%
• Thomas Erskine, 1st Earl of Kellie was born in 1566.2 He was the son of Hon. Sir Alexander Erskine of Gogar and Margaret Home.3 He married, firstly, Anne Ogilvy, daughter of Sir Gilbert Ogilvy of Powrie, on 30 November 1587.4 He married, secondly, Elizabeth Pierrepont, daughter of Sir Henry Pierrepont, in 1604.5 He married, thirdly, Dorothy Smith, daughter of Ambrose Smith, after 1621.1 He died on 12 June 1639.5 He died intestate and his estate was administered to his wife on 31 October 1639.1
• He held the office of Gentleman of the Bedchamber in 1585.2 He was invested as a Privy Counsellor (P.C.) [Scotland] in 1601.2 He was created 1st Baron Erskine of Dirletowne [Scotland] on 8 July 1604, with special remainder to heirs male whatsoever.2 He held the office of Groom of the Stole in February 1604/5.2 He was created 1st Viscount of Fentoun [Scotland] on 14 March 1606, with special remainder to heirs male whatsoever.2 He was invested as a Privy Counsellor (P.C.) in January 1609/10.2 He was invested as a Knight, Order of the Garter (K.G.) in 1615.2 He was Captain of the Yeomen Guards in 1617.2 He was created 1st Earl of Kellie [Scotland] on 12 March 1619, with special remainder to heirs male bearing the name and arms of Erskine.2 He was created 1st Lord Dirletoun [Scotland] on 12 March 1619, with special remainder to heirs male bearing the name and arms of Erskine.2 He was created 1st Viscount of Fentoun [Scotland] on 12 March 1619, with special remainder to heirs male bearing the name and arms of Erskine.2 He has an extensive biographical entry in the Dictionary of National Biography.6
• Children of Thomas Erskine, 1st Earl of Kellie and Anne Ogilvy
  • Alexander Erskine, Viscount Fentoun+7 d. 11 Feb 1633
  • Lady Anna Erskine5
• Citations
• [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 XI, page 284. Hereinafter cited as The Complete Peerage.
• [S37] BP2003 volume 2, page 2610. See link for full details for this source. Hereinafter cited as. [S37]
• [S6] Cokayne, and others, The Complete Peerage, volume VII, page 100.
• [S6] Cokayne, and others, The Complete Peerage, volume VII, page 101.
• [S37] BP2003. [S37]
• [S18] Matthew H.C.G., editor, Dictionary of National Biography on CD-ROM (Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press, 1995). Hereinafter cited as Dictionary of National Biography.
• [S6] Cokayne, and others, The Complete Peerage, volume III, page 50.
• From: http://www.thepeerage.com/p606.htm#i6052 _______________________
• Thomas Erskine, 1st Earl of Kellie KG (1566 – 12 June 1639) was a Scottish peer.
• Thomas Erskine was the eldest surviving son of Sir Alexander Erskine of Gogar and Margaret Home, a daughter of George Home, 4th Lord Home and Mariotta Haliburton.
• Thomas was a school classmate and lifelong personal friend of James VI of Scotland (later James I of England) and in 1585 was made one of the Gentlemen of His Majesty's Bedchamber. He was with the king on the occasion of the Gowrie Conspiracy in 1600, when James was supposedly kidnapped by the Ruthven brothers at their house in Perth. He was afterwards awarded a third of the confiscated land of the Ruthvens and given the title Lord Erskine of Dirletoun in 1604.[1] He was made a Privy Councilor in 1601 and accompanied the Duke of Lennox on a diplomatic visit to France.
• Thomas travelled with James to England when James ascended the English throne in 1603 and was made Captain of the Guard (1603–1617) and Groom of the Stool in 1604 and created Viscount Fenton (or Fentoun)in 1606. He acquired Kellie Castle from the 5th Lord Oliphant in 1613 and was given the barony of Kellie.[2] In 1615 he was made a Knight of the Garter and Earl of Kellie in March 1619.
• When King James died in March 1625 the Privy Council drafted a proclamation. Kellie reminded them that James had preferred the title "King of Great Britain", and he assured the council that using "King of England and Scotland" would not please the people of Scotland.[3]
• He died intestate[4] in London in 1639 and was buried at Pittenweem, Fife. Thomas's son Alexander predeceased his father in 1633. He was succeeded by his grandson, Thomas Erskine, 2nd Earl of Kellie
• The Earl of Kellie Married three times. His first marriage, on 30 November 1587 was to Ann Ogilvie, daughter of Sir Gilbert Ogilvie, of Powrie.[5] A younger brother, James Erskine, married Marie, a daughter of Adam Erskine, Commendator of Cambuskenneth on 17 May 1594.[6]
• He married secondly in 1604 to Elizabeth Pierpoint, daughter of Sir Henry Pierpoint,[7] and thirdly the thrice widowed Dorothy, daughter Ambrose Smith of Cheapside.[8][4]
• He married 2nd, Elizabeth Norreys daughter of Sir John Norreys of Heywood, Bray, Berkshire. They then forged her fathers will. http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C5571072
• From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Erskine,_1st_Earl_of_Kellie ______________

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VIRGINIA COUNTY RECORDS / ancestraltrackers.net (added to Geni by Janet Milburn, Erskine desc.

ERSKINE, EARL OF MAR AND KELLIE. Sir Charles Erskine of Cambo was made a Baronet of
Nova Scotia, in 1666. He was Lyon King of Arms of Scotland. His father was Sir Thomas Erskine of Gogar, Earl of
Kellie, whose father, the 5th Lord Erskine was Guardian of

92 VIRGINIA COUNTY RECORDS

King James VI and Governor of Stirling Castle. Sir Alexander, the 2nd Baronet was also Lyon King of Arms for Scotland 1681. His wife was a cousin. Ann Erskine, daughter
of Alexander, 3rd Earl of Kellie. Sir Charles Erskine, 6th Baronet of Nova Scotia, on the extinction of the direct line of the Earls of Kellie succeeded as the 8th Earl in 1795, and on his death, unmarried in 1799, his uncle, Thomas, son of Sir Charles the 6th Baronet, succeeded as 9th Earl of Kellie, since which time the succession has been direct to the present day.

The family of Erskine, probably Franco-Norman like most of the feudal aristocracy, took their name from the lands of Erskine on the Clyde, which they held in feudal tenure as early as the days of King Alexander II. Henry de Erskine was Baron in 1220. From him came Sir Robert de Erskine, Grand Chamberlain of Scotland 1356, and Constable of Sterling Castle after 1368. From him came Sir Robert who was Earl of Mar in 1438, and from him came John, Earl of Mar, Secretary of State for Scotland in 1706, who raised the Standard for legitimacy and the Stuarts in 171 5.

He was granted the title of Duke of Mar with the parchment to sign of the Marquisate of Garioch by King James VII, the latter title of which he bestowed on his relative John Erskine de Mar, who, on the failure of the Cause fled to America and landed at Kittery on the coast of New England in 1719, with whose posterity the legitimist title rests. Arms.—Quarterly: 1st and 4th, argent a pale sable for Erskine; 2nd and 3rd, a bend between six crosses-crosslet fitchee for Mar; over all a shield gules, thereon the Royal Crown of Scotland within a double-tressure flory-counter-flory or. Crests.—A hand holding a dagger ppr. for Erskine;
another with a dem ; lion gules, armed argent for Kellie.
Mottoes.—"Je pense plus" for Erskine, 2nd "Decori
decus addit avite" for Kellie. Seigneurial Coronet under an
Earl's Coronet.