The Erskine Barony

This is the list of Barons in the Erskine Clan. Please pay attention to the blue underlined text with the small superscript numbers. These are hyperlinks to notes on the text. Information on this and the page of notes was taken from The Complete Peerage, or a history of the House of Lords and all its memebers from the earliest times.

1. ROBERT ERSKINE; s. and h. of Sir Thomas E. of that ilk [i.e. Erskine, on the Clyde] (d. between Martinmas [11 Nov.] 1403 and Whitsunday [18 May] 1404), by Janet,1widow of Sir David Barclay, of Brechin, and probably dau. and h. of Sir Edward Keith, of Syntoun; knighted before 20 Dec.1400; was taken prisoner at the battle of Homildon, 14 Sep. 1402; was one of the hostages for the ransom of King James in 1424, when his revenue was estimated at 1,ooo marks, being set at liberty 19 June 1425. He was made a Lord of Parl.,2 as LORD ERSKINE in or shortly before 1433.3 Soon after the death (1435) of Alexander, husband of Isabel,Countess of Mar (to which Alexander and his heirs by her that Earldom 4 had been resigned), Lord Erskine was served h. to the said Countess Isabel, and having had seizin 21 Nov. 1438, assumed the title of EARL OF MAR. He m., soon after 20 Dec. 1400,5 Elizabeth, dau. of David (LINDSAY), 1st EARL OF CRAWFORD, by Elizabeth, dau. of ROBERT II. He d. between 7 Sept. 1451 and 6 Nov. 1452.

2. THOMAS (ERSKINE), LORD ERSKINE, only s. and h., calling himself (like his father) EARL OF MAR. However, by an assize of error, 15 May, confirmed by Parl. 5 Nov. 1457, the Earldom of Mar 6 was declared to have devolved on the Crown on the death of Earl Alexander in 1435, and the service of Lord Erskine in 1438 as h. to the Countess Isabel was reduced. Knighted before 24 Jan. 1440/1. He had charter of the lands of Dalnotter in Lennox, 5 Jan. 1458/9, as Lord Erskine, and, as such, sat in Parl. 14 Oct. 1467. Sheriff of Stirling 1483. He took the part of James III insurrection of 1488. He m., before 1445, Janet Douglas.7 She was living Aug. 1489, when her life rent was reserved. He d.in or shortly before 1493.

3. ALEXANDER (ERSKINE), LORD ERSKINE, only S. and h. Gov. of Dunbarton Castle; P.C. to James IV, with whom he was in great favour. He m.,1stly, before 9 Oct. 1466, Christian, widow of Sir Robert Colville, of Oxnam, and dau. of Sir Robert Crichton, of Sanquhar, by Elizabeth, dau. of Sir William (or John) ERSKINE, of Kinnoull. She d. between Nov. 1477 and Mar. 1477/8. He m., 2ndly, shortly before is July 1480, Helen, widow of Sir Adam Hepburn, Master of Hailes, sister of Alexander, 1st LORD HOME., being yr. of the 2 daughters of Sir Alexander Home of that ilk, by Mariot, dau. of John Lauder. He d. between 10 Mar. 1507/8 and 10 May 1509. His widow was living 1513.

4. ROBERT (ERSKINE), LORD ERSKINE, 1st s. and h. He m.(marriage charter 1485) Isabel, 1st dau. of Sir George CAMPBELL, of Loudoun, by his 1st wife, who is said to have been a dau. of Gilbert (KENNEDY), 1st LORD KENNEDY. He d. 9 Sep. 1513, being slain at the battle ofFlodden.8 His widow was living 14 Dec. 1518.

5.JOHN (ERSKINE), LORD ERSKINE, 2nd but 1st surv. s. and h.;9 knighted before June 1510; had sasine Nov.1513; was on an embassy to France in 1515;appointed Gov. of the young King James V, and Constable of Stirling Castle, which last office was confirmed to him and his heirs 15 May 1525; an extra Lord of Session 16 Nov. 1532; Proxy at Windsor to receive the Garter for the said King, Aug. 1535, and was present at that King's death,14 Dec. 1542. Thereafter he belonged to the anti-English party led by Cardinal Beaton, and opposed the schemes of Henry VIII to secure possession of the young Queen. He became one of her guardians, and in 1548 escorted her to France; was Keeper of Edinburgh Castle. He m. Margaret, 1st dau. of Archibald (CAMPBELL), 2nd EARL OF ARGYLL, by Elizabeth, dau. of John (Stewart), 1st EARL OF LENNOX. He d. between 11 July and Nov. 1555.

6. JOHN (ERSKINE), LORD ERSKINE, 3rd but 1st surv. s. and h.10 A cleric, probably in minor orders. Abbot of Dryburgh, and Commendator of Inchmahome 1548 till he suc. to the peerage. He renewed the claim of his ancestors to the Earldom of Mar, and obtained, 23 June 1565, a charter restoring him per modum justine to that Earldom as the h. of the Countess Isabel. 11 This restitution was, however, held by the House of Lords in 1875 not to have affected the peerage title, their Lordships holding that by an undiscovered document, dated 29 or 30 July 1565, he must have been created EARL OF MAR with a limitation to heirs male of his body. With the Earldom of Mar (which see) the Barony of Erskine remained united till both were forfeited (by the well-known Earl of Mar) in the Rising of 1715, the restorations of the Earldom in 1824 and 1885 in no way affecting this Barony.

ERSKINE OF DIRLETOUN

1. SIR THOMAS ERSKINE, of Gogar, having assisted in rescuing the King from the Gowrie plot, received on the attainder, in 1600, of John (Ruthven), Earl of Gowrie, Lord Ruthven and Dirletoun, a third part of the Lordship of Dirletoun, Co. Berwick (forfeited by the said Earl),and was, as Thomas Areskyne, Knt., Prefect of the Royal Guard,Cr.,8 July 1604, BARON ERSKINE [Areskyne] OF DIRLETOWNE,In Scotland.12 He was, as "Thomas Erskine, Lord Dirletoun, Cr., 18 Mar. 1605;/06, VISCOUNT OF FENTOUN,and, on 12 Mar. 1618/19, was Cr. EARL OF KELLIE.

ERSKINE OF RESTORMEL CASTLE

1. THOMAS ERSKINE, 3rd and yst, s. of Henry David (ERSKINE), EARL OF BUCHAN,13 by Agnes, 2nd dau. of Sir James Steuart, Bart., was b. 10 Jan. 1749/50, in Gray's Close, Edinburgh; educ. at the grammar school there, and at the Univ. of St. Andrews; joined the Royal Navy in Mar. 1764; entered the army, 1st Foot, 1768, becoming a Lieut. in 1773, but soon retired, having imprudently married before he was of age. He matric. at Cambridge (Trin. Coll.)14 13 Jan. 1776, M.A. June 1778; Barrister at Law (Linc. Inn) July 1778, in which profession he soon became distinguished; 15 M.P. for Portsmouth 1783-84,16 and again 1790-1806, as a Liberal, being full of admiration for the principles of the French revolution. K.C. May 1783; Attorney Gen. to the Prince of Wales 1783-92; F.R.S. 22 Feb. 1787; Chancellor of the Duchy of Cornwall 1802, from which office he was per saltum raised to be LORD HIGH CHANCELLOR17 (under the Ministry of All the Talents); P.C. 6 Feb. 1806. He was Cr., 10 Feb. 1806, BARON ERSKINE OF RESTORMEL CASTLE,18 co. Cornwall. During his brief tenure of office (only 13 months) he presided as Lord High Steward at the trial of Lord Melville in 1806. He resigned the seals 7 Apr. 1807, on the change of Ministry, from which period, till his death some 16 years later, he remained in comparative obscurity, though by the influence of the Prince Regent he was made K.T., 23 Feb. 1815; espousing, however, the popular cause (against him) in 1820, in the matter of the trial of Queen Caroline. He m., 1stly (when only 20), 29 Mar. 1770, at Gretna Green, Frances, dau. of Daniel Moore, M.P. for Great Marlow. She d. 26 Dec. 1805, at 36 Lincoln's Inn Fields, and was bur. at Hampstead, Midx. He m., 2ndly, 12 Oct. 1818, at Gretna Green, Sarah Buck, Spinster, from whom he was separated 21 June 1821. 19 He d. 17 Nov. 1823, aged 73, of inflammation of the lungs, at Almondell, in West Lothian, and was bur. at Uphall, co. Linlithgow. 20 Will pr. 1824. His widow was left in very straitened circumstances, and d. 25 Oct. 1825, at Dalswinton,co. Dumfries.

2. DAVID MONTAGU (ERSKINE), BARON ERSKINE OF RESTORMEL CASTLE, 1st s. and h., by 1st wife; b. 1777; educ. at Winchester school I787-92, and at Trin. Coll. Cambridge, M.A. 1797 LL.D. 1811; Barrister (Linc. Inn) 1802; M.P. (Whig) for Portsmouth Feb. to Oct. 1806; British Envoy at Washington 1806-10, at Stuttgart 1824-28, and at Munich 1828-43. He m., 1stly 16 Dec. 1799, in the U.S.A., Frances, dau. of General John Cadwallader, of Philadelphia, U.S.A., one of the leaders of the American Rebellion, by Williamina, his wife. She d. at Genoa, 25 Mar. 1843. He m., 2ndly (four mouths later), 29 July 1843, at Brighton, Anne Bond, dau. of John Travis, of Lancashire, she being 1st cousin of his 1st wife. She d. at Brighton, 18 Apr. 1851. Will pr. July 1851. He m., 3rdly, 21 Dec. 1852, at St. Geo., Han. Sq., Anna, widow of Thomas Calderwood Durham, of Largo, and dau. of William Cuningham-Graham, of Gartmore, co. Peebles. He d. 19 Mar. 1855, aged about 78, at Butler's Green, Sussex, and was bur. at Cuckfield in that co. His widow m., 3rdly, as 2nd wife, 3 Apr. 1856 at St. James's, Westm., the Ven. John Sandford, B.D., Archdeacon of Coventry, who d. 22 Mar. 1873. She d. 26 Mar. 1886, at 6 Newbold Terrace, Leamington, co. Warwick.

3. THOMAS AMERICUS (ERSKINE), BARON ERSKINE OF RESTORMEL CASTLE, 1st s. and h. by 1st wife; b. 3 May 1802; was Attache' at Turin, Naples, and Lisbon, 1824-27. A Liberal. He m., 12 May 1830, at Adlington, co. Chester, Louisa, widow of Thomas Legh, of Adlington afsd., dau. of George Lewis Newnham, of Newtimber Place, Sussex, by Mary Diana, only dau. of Sir William Aston, of Addington, Surrey. She d. at Bonishall, near Macclesfield, Cheshire, 10, and was bur. 14 Mar. 1867, at Prestbury, aged 76. He d. at Hillside, Alderley Edge, Cheshire, co, and was bur. 15 May 1877, at Prestbury, aged 75. Will dat. 26 Jan., pr. 10 July 1877.

4. JOHN CADWALLADER (ERSKINE), BARON ERSKINE OF RESTORMEL CASTLE, next br. (of the whole blood) and h.; b.1804; was in the East India Company's service, 1826-53, being political agent at Subathoo in 1841, and subsequently British Resident in Nepaul. A Liberal. He m., 1stly, 30 Apr. 1829, Margaret, yst. dau. of John Martyn, of co. Tyrone. She d. 21 June 1862. He m., 2ndly, 25 Jan. 1865, at Shinfleld, Berks, Maria Louisa Cullen, 1st dau. of Col. Alexander Campbell, C.B. of Blackburn House, Ayrshire. He d. 28 Mar. 1882, at Ettenheim House, Torquay, aged about 78. His widow m., 20 Oct. 1886, at Christ Church, Paddington, Philip Henry Egerton, of Gladwyn, near Wrexham, sometime of the Bengal Civil Service. She d. 12 Apr. 1889.

5. WILLIAM MacNAGHTEN (ERSKINE), BARON ERSKINE OF RESTORMEL CASTLE, only s. and h. by 1st wife; b. 7 Jan.1841, at Simla; educ. at Eton; sometime Capt. 9th Lancers; Barrister (Linc. Inn) 1873. A Conservative. He m., 2 July 1864, at St. Nicholas's, Brighton, Caroline Alice Martha, dau. of William Grimble. He d. at his seat, Spratton Hall, Northants, 8 Dec. 1913, aged 72. Will pr. at ??? 10,771 gross, and ??? 9,132 net. His widow was living 1919.

MONTAGU ERSKINE, 1st s. and h., b. 13 Apr. 1865;, in Portland Place, Brighton; educ. at Eton 1879-83. He served in the Great War, 1914-18, as Lieut. Commander R.N.V.R. He m., 16 Jan. 1895, at Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-on-Avon, Florence, 4th dau. of Edgar Flower, of The Hill, Stratford-on-Avon, and Middlehill, Broadway, Co. Worcester by Isabella, dau. of J. M. Dennis, of Union Hill, Co. Westmeath.

Family Estates-These, in 1883, were under 2,000 acres. Principal Residence:-Spratton Hall, Northants