Adam Erskine, Commendator of Cambuskenneth, was a Scottish landowner and courtier.
Career
He was a son of Thomas Erskine, a younger son of
John Erskine, 5th Lord Erskine
John Erskine, 5th Lord Erskine (7 July 148711 November 1555) was a Scottish nobleman.
He was the son of Robert Erskine, 4th Lord Erskine (died 1513) and Isabel Campbell, a daughter of George Campbell of Loudon.
His family was claimant to the ...
. His father's wife was
Margaret Fleming, later Countess of Atholl. He was made Commendator of
Cambuskenneth Abbey
Cambuskenneth Abbey is an Augustinian monastery located on an area of land enclosed by a meander of the River Forth near Stirling in Scotland. The abbey today is largely reduced to its foundations, however its bell tower remains. The neighbouring ...
in 1562.
![Stirling - Argyll's Lodging](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Stirling_-_Argyll%27s_Lodging.jpg)
In 1559 he bought a house in Stirling near the castle now known as
Argyll's Lodging from a merchant John Traill. Erskine converted the dwelling into an L-shaped
tower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation. Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountainous or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strateg ...
of four floors. In 1604 Erskine sold the house to a relative.
Adam Erskine was a supporter of
Regent Morton
James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton (c. 1516 – 2 June 1581, aged 65) was the last of the four regents of Scotland during the minority of King James VI. He was in some ways the most successful of the four, since he won the civil war that had ...
during the minority of
James VI of Scotland. He gave the young king, who lived at
Stirling Castle with his aunt
Annabell Murray, Countess of Mar
Annabell Murray, Countess of Mar (1536–1603), was a Scottish landowner, courtier and royal servant, the keeper of the infant James VI and his son Prince Henry at Stirling Castle
Annabell Murray was a daughter of Sir William Murray of Tullibardi ...
, a hunting book,
Jean de Clamorgan's, ''La Chasse du Loup'' (Paris, 1574).
A palace coup
![Stirling Castle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Stirling_Castle.jpg)
In April 1578 he ousted
Alexander Erskine of Gogar
Alexander Erskine of Gogar (died 1592) was a Scottish landowner and keeper of James VI of Scotland at Stirling Castle.
Career
Alexander was a son of John Erskine, 5th Lord Erskine and Lady Margaret Campbell, a daughter of Archibald Campbell, ...
from his post as keeper of
Stirling Castle. The events were described by the English diplomat
Robert Bowes. Adam Erskine had persuaded his cousin, Alexander's nephew, the
young Earl of Mar that he should be the guardian of
James VI
James is a common English language surname and given name:
*James (name), the typically masculine first name James
* James (surname), various people with the last name James
James or James City may also refer to:
People
* King James (disambiguat ...
. Adam Erskine and
David Erskine, Commendator of Dryburgh
David Erskine, Commandator of Dryburgh was a Scottish landowner.
He was a son of Robert Erskine, Master of Erskine, a brother of John Erskine, Lord Erskine, and Jean Home.
In 1556 his uncle, the Earl of Mar, installed him as Commendator of Dryb ...
, and the Earl of Mar, who were all lodged in Stirling Castle assembled at the castle gate early on Sunday morning, 27 April 1578, pretending to go out to join a hunt. The two Commendators met Alexander Erskine, who held the castle keys, and began to argue with him over the guardianship of the King.
Alexander Erskine seized a
halberd
A halberd (also called halbard, halbert or Swiss voulge) is a two-handed pole weapon that came to prominent use during the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. The word ''halberd'' is cognate with the German word ''Hellebarde'', deriving from ...
and called his servants. There was a brief struggle, and then Alexander Erskine and the Commendators went into the Great Hall to discuss the matter. The
Earl of Argyll
Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form '' jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particula ...
was also present with his followers, and was prepared to fight, but eventually they decided to yield to the Earl of Mar. During the struggle at the castle gate, Gogar's eldest son was fatally injured and a servant called Buchanan was hurt. The young king was said to have torn his hair in distress during the incident, fearing that his friend Alexander Erskine was killed.
Adam Erskine wrote from Stirling Castle to
John Erskine of
Dun
A dun is an ancient or medieval fort. In Ireland and Britain it is mainly a kind of hillfort and also a kind of Atlantic roundhouse.
Etymology
The term comes from Irish ''dún'' or Scottish Gaelic ''dùn'' (meaning "fort"), and is cognat ...
on 10 May 1579, asking him to come to Stirling for an inquest into the suspicious death of the
Earl of Atholl
The Mormaer or Earl of Atholl was the title of the holder of a medieval comital lordship straddling the highland province of Atholl (''Ath Fodhla''), now in northern Perthshire. Atholl is a special Mormaerdom, because a King of Atholl is repor ...
.
Gowrie regime
![The Maiden's Leap, Huntingtower Castle - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/The_Maiden%27s_Leap%2C_Huntingtower_Castle_-_geograph.org.uk_-_987077.jpg)
Erskine was an active supporter of the
Gowrie Regime in 1583. James VI was captured by the
Earl of Gowrie
Earl of Gowrie is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Scotland and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, both times for members of the Ruthven family. It takes its name from Gowrie, a historical region and ancient p ...
at
Ruthven Castle, separated from his favourites, and coerced for several months into a pro-English and
Reforming policy.
After the Gowrie Regime collapsed, Adam Erskine's properties were forfeited. A house in Stirling was given to the artillery man
Archibald Gardiner, a gunner at
Edinburgh Castle. This property was between the house of the
Earl of Argyll
Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form '' jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particula ...
and the house of the king's embroiderer,
William Betoun. A pension from Cambuskenneth lands which he had given to one of his daughters was transferred to John Bog, the porter of
Holyrood Palace.
Erskine was banished. In December 1583 he was at
Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed (), sometimes known as Berwick-on-Tweed or simply Berwick, is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, and the northernmost town in England. The 2011 United Kingdom census reco ...
with
Robert Colville of
Cleish and they refused to accept terms of rehabilitation.
Alexander Hay wrote to the
Lady of Lochleven hoping she could help persuade them to accept the king's conditions. He was in Newcastle in February 1584 and intended to travel to London.
Collector of thirds
He soon returned to favour and was the Collector-General of the thirds of benefices. These were
teinds or tithes, paid in cash or produce which were intended to contribute to the stipends of ministers of the church and the expenses of the royal household. A letter from August 1584 describes him pressing an agent of the
Laird of Barnbarroch for payment.
He attended the
coronation of Anne of Denmark on 17 May 1590. In January 1594 he joined the
Privy Council. In May 1594, while the Earl of Mar was in Edinburgh, Adam Erskine, the Commendator of Dryburgh, and William Erskine, Bishop of Glasgow were appointed custodians of
Prince Henry at Stirling.
The English diplomat
George Nicholson came to Stirling Castle in June 1595 and spoke to the
Earl of Argyll
Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form '' jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particula ...
, Mar, his mother Annabell Murray, and Adam Erskine, who he called an Abbot.
Adam Erskine died some time before 1608.
Marriage and children
Adam Erskine married Margaret Drummond, a daughter of
Robert Drummond of Carnock
Sir Robert Drummond of Carnock (died 1592) was Master of Work to the Crown of Scotland from 1579 to 1583. This was the responsibility for building and repair of palaces and castles. His appointment was made to be "as Sir James Hamilton of Finnart ...
and Agnes or Margaret Kirkcaldy, a sister of
William Kirkcaldy of Grange
Sir William Kirkcaldy of Grange (c. 1520 –3 August 1573) was a Scottish politician and soldier who fought for the Scottish Reformation but ended his career holding Edinburgh castle on behalf of Mary, Queen of Scots and was hanged at the co ...
. Their children included two daughters:
*Marie Erskine, who married James Erskine, a son of Alexander Erskine of
Gogar
Gogar is a predominantly rural area of Edinburgh, Scotland, located to the west of the city. It is not far from Gogarloch, Edinburgh Park and Maybury. The Fife Circle Line is to the north.
Etymology
The name of Gogar first appears in a clearl ...
and a younger brother of
Thomas Erskine, 1st Earl of Kellie
Thomas Erskine, 1st Earl of Kellie (1566 – 12 June 1639) was a Scottish peer.
Biography
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 Ha ...
.
['Old Stirling Register-Marriages', ''Scottish Antiquary: or Northern Notes & Queries'', vol. 7 no. 25 (1892), p. 38.]
*Annabella Erskine, who married John Buchanan, and was the mother of the soldier
George Buchanan
George Buchanan ( gd, Seòras Bochanan; February 1506 – 28 September 1582) was a Scottish historian and humanist scholar. According to historian Keith Brown, Buchanan was "the most profound intellectual sixteenth century Scotland produced." ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Erskine, Adam
16th-century Scottish people
Court of James VI and I
Adam