Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Huntly (died 15 July 1470), who adopted the family name of Gordon from about 1457, was a powerful 15th-century Scottish magnate. He was knighted in 1439/1440 and was Lord of Badenoch, Gordon, Strathbogie and Cluny.

Life

He was the son of

Alexander Seton, Lord Gordon Alexander Seton, Lord Gordon († 1440 or 1441) was a Scottish baron, Lord of Parliament and progenitor of the Gordon Earls and Marquesses of Huntly. Life Alexander Seton was the second son of Sir William Seton of Seton and his wife, Janet Fl ...

(died 1440) (2nd son of Sir William Seton of that Ilk), by his spouse Elizabeth Gordon (died 16 March 1439), daughter and heiress of Sir Adam Gordon of that Ilk.George Edward Cokayne, ''The Complete Peerage; or, a History of the House of Lords and all its members from the earliest times'', Vol. VI, eds. H. A. Doubleday: Howard de Walden (London: The St. Catherine Press, Ltd., 1926), p. 675 In 1435 he accompanied the princess

Margaret Margaret is a female first name, derived via French () and Latin () from grc, μαργαρίτης () meaning "pearl". The Greek is borrowed from Persian. Margaret has been an English name since the 11th century, and remained popular througho ...

to France to marry the 9th Dauphin of France.''The records of Aboyne MCCXXX-MDCLXXXI'', ed. Charles Gordon Huntly (Aberdeen: The New Spalding Club, 1894), p. 381 In a charter dated 23 February 1439–40, he is styled Sir Alexander Seton of

Tullibody Tullibody ( gd, Tulach Bòide), is a town set in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies north of the River Forth near to the foot of the Ochil Hills within the Forth Valley. The town is south-west of Alva, north-west of Alloa and east-nor ...

, heir of Elizabeth Gordon. The charter confirmed an earlier exchange of lands between Sir William Keith and Margaret Fraser (his maternal grandparents) and William Lindsay, Lord of Byres exchanging lands for that of Dunottar. He succeeded his father as Lord Gordon before April 1441. Alexander then resigned his lands to the king on 3 April 1441 and in return was granted a charter to himself and his wife Elizabeth of the lordships of

Gordon Gordon may refer to: People * Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters * Gordon (surname), the surname * Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War * Clan Gordon, ...

, county Berwick; Strathbogie,

Aboyne Aboyne ( sco, Abyne, gd, Abèidh) is a village on the edge of the Highlands in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, on the River Dee, approximately west of Aberdeen. It has a swimming pool at Aboyne Academy, all-weather tennis courts, a bowling green and ...

, Glentanner and Glenmuick, in

Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the County of Aberdeen which has substantially differe ...

; and

Panbride Panbride is a village and civil parish in the council area of Angus, Scotland. It is situated north-east of Carnoustie and west of Arbroath. Etymology The name ''Panbride'' may be Pictish in origin, and derived from the element ''*pant'' mea ...

in county

Forfar Forfar ( sco, Farfar, gd, Baile Fharfair) is the county town of Angus, Scotland and the administrative centre for Angus Council, with a new multi-million pound office complex located on the outskirts of the town. As of 2021, the town has a p ...

; to be held in liferent and by their son George Gordon in

fee A fee is the price one pays as remuneration for rights or services. Fees usually allow for overhead, wages, costs, and markup. Traditionally, professionals in the United Kingdom (and previously the Republic of Ireland) receive a fee in contra ...

as well as his lawful male heirs. In 1449, Alexander was raised to the peerage and created the first

Earl of Huntly Marquess of Huntly (traditionally spelled Marquis in Scotland; Scottish Gaelic: ''Coileach Strath Bhalgaidh'') is a title in the Peerage of Scotland that was created on 17 April 1599 for George Gordon, 6th Earl of Huntly. It is the oldest existing ...

King James II of Scotland James II (16 October 1430 – 3 August 1460) was King of Scots from 1437 until his death in 1460. The eldest surviving son of James I of Scotland, he succeeded to the Scottish throne at the age of six, following the assassination of his father. ...

, sometime before 3 July of that year when he witnessed a charter to

James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton, 6th Laird of Cadzow (c. 1415 – 6 November 1479) was a Scottish nobleman, scholar and politician. Early life James Hamilton was the son of James Hamilton of Cadzow, 5th Laird of Cadzow. He was born at Cadz ...

under that title.''

The Scots Peerage, Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland ''The Scots Peerage'' is a nine-volume book series of the Scottish nobility compiled and edited by Sir James Balfour Paul, published in Edinburgh from 1904 to 1914. The full title is ''The Scots Peerage: Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert ...

'', ed. James Balfour Paul, Vol. IV (Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1907), p. 522 Later in the year he was present at the gates of

Arbroath Abbey Arbroath Abbey, in the Scottish town of Arbroath, was founded in 1178 by King William the Lion for a group of Tironensian Benedictine monks from Kelso Abbey. It was consecrated in 1197 with a dedication to the deceased Saint Thomas Becket, who ...

when the Ogilvies and Lindsays were disputing their claims to the office of

justiciary {{not to be confused, Justiciar A commission of justiciary was a method of law enforcement employed in Scotland, in particular in the 16th and 17th centuries. In an era when the practical reach of central government was limited, the issuing auth ...

of that abbey; where the Ogilvies were defeated and Earl Alexander, there in support of that family, had to flee the field himself. Alexander Gordon

He was embroiled in struggles against the Douglases, against the Lords of the Isles, and against the Lindsay

earls of Crawford Earl of Crawford is one of the most ancient extant titles in Great Britain, having been created in the Peerage of Scotland for Sir David Lindsay in 1398. It is the premier earldom recorded on the Union Roll. Early history Sir David Lindsay, wh ...

while being closely aligned with William Crichton, the Chancellor. On 28 April 1451 he received a charter from the king of the

lordship of Badenoch A lordship is a territory held by a lord. It was a landed estate that served as the lowest administrative and judicial unit in rural areas. It originated as a unit under the feudal system during the Middle Ages. In a lordship, the functions of econ ...

and the castle of Ruthven. Gordon fought on the King's side against the Douglases during The Douglas Rebellion and soundly defeated the Crawfords at the

Battle of Brechin The Battle of Brechin was fought on 18 May 1452 during the reign of James II of Scotland, about two and a half miles north north east of Brechin. It has been regarded as part of the civil war during his reign between the king and an alliance of p ...

18 May 1452. Huntly adopted the family name of Gordon about 1457. He died on 15 July 1470 at

Huntly Castle Huntly Castle is a ruined castle north of Huntly in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, where the rivers Deveron and Bogie meet. It was the ancestral home of the chief of Clan Gordon, Earl of Huntly. There have been four castles built on the site that hav ...

and was buried in

Elgin Cathedral Elgin Cathedral is a historic ruin in Elgin, Moray, north-east Scotland. The cathedral—dedicated to the Holy Trinity—was established in 1224 on land granted by King Alexander II outside the burgh of Elgin and close to the River Lossie. I ...

.''The records of Aboyne MCCXXX-MDCLXXXI'', ed. Charles Gordon Huntly (Aberdeen: The New Spalding Club, 1894), p. 394

Family

Alexander Gordon married first, Egidia Hay, daughter and heir of John Hay of Tullibody.''The records of Aboyne MCCXXX-MDCLXXXI'', ed. Charles Gordon Huntly (Aberdeen: The New Spalding Club, 1894), p. 393 Together they had a son: * Alexander Seton, ancestor of the Setons of

Touch In physiology, the somatosensory system is the network of neural structures in the brain and body that produce the perception of touch (haptic perception), as well as temperature (thermoception), body position (proprioception), and pain. It is ...

, and Abercorn; succeeded to his mother's lands. He obtained an annulment to this marriage in 1438 in order to marry Elizabeth Crichton, daughter of William Crichton, the

Chancellor of Scotland The Lord Chancellor of Scotland, formally the Lord High Chancellor, was a Great Officer of State in the Kingdom of Scotland. Holders of the office are known from 1123 onwards, but its duties were occasionally performed by an official of lower st ...

.On 18 March 1439–40 Alexander Seton and his second wife Elizabeth Crichton had a charter limiting the entail of the estate to children of their marriage only, with remainder to Alexander's heirs whomsoever. This is why their eldest son George Seton, later George Gordon, was his father's heir to the lordships and to the Earldom of Huntly and not his older half-brother Alexander. See SP, IV, 524; Aboyne Records, 394. Alexander and Elizabeth had the following children: *

George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly (died 8 June 1501) was a Scottish nobleman and Chancellor of Scotland from 1498 to 1501. Life George was the son of Alexander (Seton) Gordon, 1st Earl of Huntly and his second wife Elizabeth Crichton, daughter ...

, succeeded to the earldom and his father's lordships''The Scots Peerage, Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland'', ed. James Balfour Paul, Vol. IV (Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1907), p. 525 * Sir Alexander Gordon of

Midmar Midmar is a historic settlement in Aberdeenshire, lying north of Banchory and southwest of Inverurie. It is noted for its three stone circles and various standing stones. Midmar and Sunhoney are both recumbent stone circles. History The na ...

, later of Abergeldie, married Beatrix Hay, daughter of

William Hay, 1st Earl of Erroll William Hay, 1st Earl of Erroll (1423 – October 1462) was a Scottish peer. He was the first Earl of Erroll and the second Lord Hay of Erroll. Biography William Hay was born in Erroll (now spelled Errol) in Perthshire, the son of Gilbert H ...

* Adam Gordon, Dean of Caithness * William Gordon * Margaret Gordon, before 9 November 1457 contracted to marry

Nicholas Hay, 2nd Earl of Erroll Nicholas Hay, 2nd Earl of Erroll ( – 1470) was a Scottish peer. He was the second Earl of Erroll and the third Lord Hay of Erroll. Biography Nicholas Hay was the son of William Hay, 1st Earl of Erroll and Lady Beatrix Douglas, daughter of J ...

but for some reason did not and he married her sister Elizabeth. * Elizabeth Gordon (died 17 Apr 1500), married

, and then after his death she remarried,

John Kennedy, 2nd Lord Kennedy John Kennedy, PC, 2nd Lord Kennedy (12 October 1454 – 29 December 1508) was a Scottish lord, the son of Gilbert Kennedy, 1st Lord Kennedy and Catherine Maxwell. He succeeded to the title of 2nd Lord Kennedy in 1489 after the death of his ...

, and had issue by her second husband * Christian Gordon, married William Forbes, 3rd

Lord Forbes Lord Forbes is the senior Lordship of Parliament in the Peerage of Scotland. The title was created sometime after 1436 for Alexander de Forbes, feudal baron of Forbes. The precise date of the creation is not known, but in a Precept dated July 12 ...

, on 8 July 1468, and had issue * Lady Catherine Gordon, on 30 September 1461 she was contracted to marry

Archibald Archibald is a masculine given name, composed of the Germanic elements '' erchan'' (with an original meaning of "genuine" or "precious") and ''bald'' meaning "bold". Medieval forms include Old High German and Anglo-Saxon . Erkanbald, bishop of ...

(then aged 12), eldest son of

George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus, Lord Douglas, Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest (c. 1427 – 12 March 1463)Alan R. Borthwick, 'Douglas, George, fourth earl of Angus (c.1417–1463)’, ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University ...

but the marriage did not take place''The Scots Peerage, Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland'', ed. James Balfour Paul, Vol. IV (Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1907), p. 526 Alexander Gordon had two additional children by a daughter of Cumming of Altyre, identified by her

byname An epithet (, ), also byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) known for accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, di ...

'the Fair Maid of Moray'. Some have claimed there is no record of a marriage between them, but it has been recorded elsewhere that a copy of their contract of marriage was among the later Marquess of Huntly's charters. Alexander's two additional children by the Fair Maid of Moray were: * Janet (died 1470–73), married to James Innes of Innes * Margaret (died ), married in 1484 to Hew

Rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...

, 6th (or 8th'A Genealogical Deduction of the Family of Rose of Kilravock - written in 1683-4 by Mr Hew Rose, Minister of Nairne, continued by the Reverend Lachlan Shaw Minister of Elgin in 1753' (Spalding Club, 1848, Aberdeen). Page 54) Lord of Kilravock

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, Alexander 1st Earl of Huntly 15th-century births 1470 deaths 1

Huntly Huntly ( gd, Srath Bhalgaidh or ''Hunndaidh'') is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, formerly known as Milton of Strathbogie or simply Strathbogie. It had a population of 4,460 in 2004 and is the site of Huntly Castle. Its neighbouring settlemen ...

15th-century Scottish peers Lords of Badenoch