William Keith, Earl Marischal

WILLIAM KEITH, EARL MARISCHAL

William Keith, Earl Marischal, was born in 1614. He was the son of William Keith, Earl Marischal, and Lady Mary Erskine. He married, firstly, Lady Elizabeth Seton, daughter of George Seton, Earl of Winton and Lady Anne Hay, in 1637. He married, secondly, Lady Anne Douglas, daughter of Robert Douglas, Earl of Morton and Elizabeth Villiers, in 1654. He died in March 1670-71 at Inverugie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, without surviving male issue. Daryll Lundy's Peerage

William, Earl Marischal, succeeded to the title of Lord Keith on 28 October 1635. He succeeded to the title of Earl Marischal on 28 October 1635. He was invested as a Privy Counsellor of Scotland in 1638. Before 1639 he was a Covenanter. He fought in the Battle of Preston in 1648. Between 1651 and 1660 he was imprisoned. He held the office of Lord Privy Seal (Scotland) from 1660/61 to March 1670/71. He held the office of Sheriff of Aberdeen in 1666. He gained the rank of Colonel in 1668 in the service of the Militia. Darryl Lundy's Peerage

Alternative Biographical Accounts

         1

William Keith, Earl Marischal, supported the King in the civil wars, and was captured by the English. While William was kept in the Tower of London (for ten years), the youngest brother, John, gained honors and title of his own. After the Restoration, King Charles II made the Earl Lord Privy Seal, in which office he served until death in 1671. The Earl married 1st to Elizabeth, daughter of George Earl of Whinton, and had three daughters: Margaret (married 1st to Sir James HOPE of Hopeton, and 2nd to Sir Archibald MURRAY of Blackbarony), Mary (m. Robert Viscount of Arbuthnot), and Jean (m. George Lord Banff). The Earl m. 2nd to Anne, daughter of Robert Earl of Morton, but had no children. He died with no surviving male issue, his brother George became the 7th Earl Marischal.

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

         2

William Keith, 6th Earl Marischal (1610 - 1670 or 1671) was a Scottish nobleman and Covenanter. He was the eldest son of William Keith, 5th Earl Marischal. He joined Montrose and twice seized Aberdeen in 1639, including a march with Montrose and 9000 men along the Causey Mounth past Muchalls Castle and through the Portlethen Moss to attack via the Bridge of Dee.

He was appointed a Lord of the Articles after the pacification of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and again seized Aberdeen and enforced signatures of the covenant in 1640.

He attended covenanting committees in the north but remained inactive in 1643-4. He subsequently refused to give up fugitives to Montrose, and was besieged at Dunnottar Castle in 1645. He then joined Hamilton's expedition into England in 1648 and entertained Charles II at Dunnottar in 1650. He was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London until the Restoration, when he was appointed Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland.

The Earl Marischal married, in 1637, Elizabeth Seton (1621–1650) daughter of George Seton, 3rd Earl of Winton by his spouse Anne, daughter of Francis Hay, 9th Earl of Erroll. They had the following issue: (1) William, Lord Keith, died young (2) Mary, married firstly to Sir James Hope of Hopetoun in 1657, and secondly to Sir Archibald Murray, 3rd Baronet of Blackbarony (3) Elizabeth, married in 1658, Robert Arbuthnot, 2nd Viscount Arbuthnot (4) Jean, married in 1669, George Ogilvy, 3rd Lord Banff