John Erskine, Earl of Mar (1585–1654)
John Erskine, Earl of Mar (1585 – 1654) was a Scottish landowner.
He was the son of John Erskine, Earl of Mar (1558–1634) and Anne Drummond (1555-1587), daughter of Lord David Drummond (d. 1571) and Lilias Ruthven.
Until his father's death in 1634, he was known as John, Lord Erskine. On 29 December 1634 he wrote from Edinburgh Castle to Charles I with news of his father's death.[1]
In 1638 he wrote to king about the poor state of repair of Stirling Castle and the walls of the park, and the Earl of Traquair was ordered to make repairs.[2]
In 1645 Robert Farquharson of Invercauld was the keeper of Kildrummy Castle for the earl and his son Lord Erskine. The laird of Glenkindie also helped to keep the castle, fearing the depredations that a garrison of "stranger" soldiers would make on his lands.[3]
The main residence of the Earl of Mar was Alloa Tower.
Marriage and children
In 1610 he married Christian Hay (d. 1668), a daughter of Francis Hay, 9th Earl of Erroll and Elizabeth Douglas, a daughter of William Douglas, 6th Earl of Morton and Agnes Leslie, Countess of Morton.
Their children included:
- John Erskine, later Earl of Mar
- Francis Erskine (d. 1662)
- Elizabeth Erskine, who married Archibald Napier, 2nd Lord Napier of Merchiston. She was a prisoner in Edinburgh Castle in August 1645 with her sister-in-law Lilias Napier.[4]
- Mary Erskine
The Earl of Erroll wrote to Lord Erskine on 14 October 1613 to congratulate him on the birth of a son, and requesting his wife return to him, as he was ill himself.[5]
References
- HMC Mar & Kellie, vol. 2 (London, 1930), p. 258.
- HMC Mar & Kellie (London, 1904), p. 195.
- HMC Mar & Kellie (London, 1904), pp. 201-2, 205.
- HMC Mar & Kellie (London, 1904), p. 201.
- HMC Mar & Kellie, vol. 2 (London, 1930), p. 55.