Alexander Montgomerie, 6th Earl of Eglinton (1588–1661) was a Scottish aristocrat and soldier, originally known as Sir Alexander Seton of Foulstruther.
Life
He was the third son of
Robert Seton, 1st Earl of Winton
Robert Seton, 1st Earl of Winton (1553 – 22 March 1603) was one of the Scottish peers who supported Mary, Queen of Scots.
Early years
The son of George Seton, 7th Lord Seton, Robert Seton grew up active in the affairs of his father and of th ...
by his wife Lady Margaret Montgomerie, daughter of
Hugh Montgomerie, 3rd Earl of Eglinton
Hugh Montgomerie, 3rd Earl of Eglinton (c. 15311585) was a Scottish aristocrat who was a strong supporter of Mary Queen of Scots. He was an important participant in a tumultuous period of Scottish history.
Early Years
Born in 1531, Montgomerie ...
.
In July 1606 he was involved in an incident at Perth, during Parliament. In the evening he went with his older brother, the
Master of Winton, to the lodging of the Earl of Eglinton with nine or ten companions. On the way they met the
Earl of Glencairn
Earl of Glencairn was a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1488 for Alexander Cunningham, 1st Lord Kilmaurs (created 1450). The name was taken from the parish of Glencairn in Dumfriesshire so named for the Cairn Waters which ru ...
who had thirty followers coming the other way. The Master of Winton and the Earl passed each other, but the servants at the rear of the two companies started to fight, only because of a long-standing feud between the Eglinton and Glancairn families. The town and royal guard stopped the fighting. There were few injuries, except to John Mathie, a servant of Glencairn.
In 1612, after spending some time in Paris, and visiting the exiled minister
John Welsh of Ayr
John Welsh (–1622) was a Scottish Presbyterian leader. He was born in Dumfriesshire and attended the University of Edinburgh to obtain his MA in 1588. He became a minister in Selkirk and married Elizabeth Knox, a daughter of John and Margaret ...
, he succeeded his childless cousin
Hugh Montgomerie, 5th Earl of Eglinton
Hugh may refer to:
*Hugh (given name)
Noblemen and clergy French
* Hugh the Great (died 956), Duke of the Franks
* Hugh Magnus of France (1007–1025), co-King of France under his father, Robert II
* Hugh, Duke of Alsace (died 895), modern-day ...
, as
Earl of Eglinton. The 5th Earl had settled the earldom and entail on Seton, provided he took the name and arms of Montgomerie. This was confirmed by
King James VI
James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...
in 1615. Montgomerie's uncle
Alexander Seton called the three-year struggle for his nephew's earldom "this over langsome and fashious besines of Eglintoun". His wife Anne Livingstone had engaged the services of her powerful friend
Jean Drummond to persuade
Anne of Denmark
Anne of Denmark (; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I; as such, she was Queen of Scotland
The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional fo ...
to intercede with King James on their behalf.
Montgomerie petitioned against the imposition of
Common Prayer Book in Scotland and assisted in the preparations of the
National Covenant. He was a
Privy Councillor of Scotland
The Privy Council of Scotland ( — 1 May 1708) was a body that advised the Scottish monarch. In the range of its functions the council was often more important than the Estates in the running the country. Its registers include a wide range of m ...
in 1641.
Montgomerie, who was commonly known as
''Greysteel'', commanded a Scottish regiment of horse (
cavalry
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
) for the English Parliament and distinguished himself at the
Battle of Marston Moor
The Battle of Marston Moor was fought on 2 July 1644, during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms of 1639 – 1653. The combined forces of the English Parliamentarians under Lord Fairfax and the Earl of Manchester and the Scottish Covenanters und ...
(1644). On the
execution of Charles I
The execution of Charles I by beheading occurred on Tuesday, 30 January 1649 outside the Banqueting House on Whitehall. The execution was the culmination of political and military conflicts between the royalists and the parliamentarians in Eng ...
in 1649 he supported the recall of
Charles II and the policy of the
Marquess of Argyll
A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman w ...
. In 1651 he was betrayed to
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...
and detained in
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. ...
, but afterwards allowed the liberty of Berwick. His estates sequestered for two years, and he was included in
Cromwell's Act of Grace
Cromwell's Act of Grace, or more formally the Act of Pardon and Grace to the People of Scotland, was an Act of the Parliament of England that declared that the people of Scotland (with certain exceptions) were pardoned for any crimes they migh ...
.
Family
In 1612 Alexander married
Anne Livingstone
Anne Livingstone, Countess of Eglinton (died 1632) was a Scottish courtier and aristocrat, and lady-in-waiting to Princess Elizabeth and Anne of Denmark.
Anne Livingstone was a daughter of Alexander Livingstone, 1st Earl of Linlithgow and Heleno ...
, daughter of
Alexander Livingstone, 1st Earl of Linlithgow
Alexander Livingston, 1st Earl of Linlithgow PC (died 24 December 1621) was a Scottish nobleman, courtier, and politician. His wife was Helenor Hay, Countess of Linlithgow who was a Royal tutor.
Early life
He was the eldest son of William Livi ...
and
Helenor Hay
Helenor Hay, Countess of Linlithgow (–1627) was a Scottish courtier and writer.
Early life
Born , she was the eldest daughter of Andrew Hay, 8th Earl of Erroll by his first wife, and cousin, Lady Jean Hay, only child of William Hay, 6th Earl ...
, she had been a lady in waiting to
Princess Elizabeth and
Anne of Denmark
Anne of Denmark (; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I; as such, she was Queen of Scotland
The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional fo ...
. Their children included:
* Hugh Montgomerie (1613-1669), later
7th Earl of Eglinton, who married Anne Hamilton (d. 1632), and secondly Mary Leslie.
* Henry Montgomerie of Giffen, who married Jean Campbell.
* Colonel Alexander Montgomerie (b. 1615).
* Colonel James Montgomerie of
Coylsfield (d. 1675), who married Margaret MacDonald.
* General Robert Montgomerie, who married Elizabeth Livingstone, and was wounded at the
Battle of Marston Moor
The Battle of Marston Moor was fought on 2 July 1644, during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms of 1639 – 1653. The combined forces of the English Parliamentarians under Lord Fairfax and the Earl of Manchester and the Scottish Covenanters und ...
.
* Margaret Montgomerie, who married John Hay, 1st
Earl of Tweeddale
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", particular ...
, and secondly,
William Cunningham, 9th Earl of Glencairn
William Cunningham, 9th Earl of Glencairn ( gd, Uilleam Coineagan) (1610–1664), was a Scottish nobleman, Lord Chancellor of Scotland, and a cavalier. He was also the chief of Clan Cunningham.
The eldest son of William Cunningham, 8th Earl of ...
.
* Eleanor Montgomerie.
* Anna Montgomerie.
He married, secondly, Margaret Scott, daughter of
Walter Scott, 1st Lord Scott of Buccleuch
Walter Scott, 5th of Buccleuch, 1st Lord Scott of Buccleuch (1565 – 15 December 1611) was a Scottish nobleman and famous border reiver, known as the "Bold Buccleuch" and leader of Kinmont Willie's Raid. Scott was the son of Sir Walter Sco ...
. In May 1650 she sent him a letter discussing the sacking of a female servant and wrote "God Almighty send a good trial of all the witches, and send them a hot fire to burn them with".
[''HMC Eglinton'' (London, 1885), p. 57: William Fraser]
''Memorials of the Montgomeries'', vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1859), pp. 295-6
/ref>
References
*
1588 births
1661 deaths
6
17th-century Scottish peers
Members of the Privy Council of Scotland
Members of the Parliament of Scotland 1617
Members of the Convention of the Estates of Scotland 1621
Members of the Parliament of Scotland 1621
Members of the Convention of the Estates of Scotland 1625
Members of the Parliament of Scotland 1628–1633
Members of the Parliament of Scotland 1639–1641
Members of the Parliament of Scotland 1648–1651
Alexander
Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
{{Scotland-earl-stub
Clan Montgomery