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 Dryburgh Abbey and Inchmahome Priory, positions securing him a large income. His cousin

Adam Erskine 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. His father's wife was Margaret Fleming, later Countess of Atholl. He was ma ...

was made Commendator of

Cambuskenneth Cambuskenneth ( gd, Camas Choinnich ) is a village in the city of Stirling, Scotland. It has a population of 250 and is the site of the historic Cambuskenneth Abbey. It is situated by the River Forth and the only road access to the village is alo ...

. Erskine's surviving accounts show that his kinsman

Arthur Erskine of Blackgrange Arthur Erskine of Blackgrange (died 1571) was a Scottish courtier. He was a son of John Erskine, 5th Lord Erskine and Margaret Campbell. He became an equerry or master of the stable to Mary, Queen of Scots. John Knox noted that he accompanied her ...

and his wife Magdalen Livingstone stayed at Dryburgh on the 9 and 10 of October 1566 before riding to

Jedburgh Jedburgh (; gd, Deadard; sco, Jeddart or ) is a town and former royal burgh in the Scottish Borders and the traditional county town of the historic county of Roxburghshire, the name of which was randomly chosen for Operation Jedburgh in ...

to join

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of S ...

. On 21 March 1567 he witnessed and signed an inventory of guns and artillery equipment at

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. ...

. The occasion of making the inventory was that his uncle, now Earl of Mar, resigned responsibility for the castle to James Balfour of Pittendreich. In a formal ceremony, Erskine, with John Cunningham of Drumquhassil,

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, 2nd ...

, Alexander Forrester of Garden, and Archibald Haldane, Constable of Edinburgh Castle, gave the castle keys to James Cockburn of Skraling. In May 1585 his wife, Margaret Haldane, was held at Kildrummy Castle in the custody of the Master of Elphinstone.

Francis Walsingham Sir Francis Walsingham ( – 6 April 1590) was principal secretary to Queen Elizabeth I of England from 20 December 1573 until his death and is popularly remembered as her "spymaster". Born to a well-connected family of gentry, Wal ...

, at the instance of her brother, wrote to Edward Wotton, an English diplomat in Edinburgh, to ask that she be moved to more congenial location. For a time,

William Stewart of Caverston William Stewart of Caverston and Traquair (died 1605), was a Scottish landowner and Captain of Dumbarton Castle. Career He was a brother of Sir John Stewart of Traquair. His lands were at Caverston, or Caberston, sometimes given as "Taberstoun". ...

, was made Commendator of Dryburgh. In 1590 Jean Fleming, Lady Thirlestane paid him £132 Scots for the

teind In Scotland a teind () was a tithe derived from the produce of the land for the maintenance of the clergy. It is also an old lowland term for a tribute due to be paid by the fairies to the devil every seven years. Found in the story of Tam Lin as ...

of Lauder.Miles Kerr-Peterson & Michael Pearce, 'James VI's English Subsidy and Danish Dowry Accounts', ''Scottish History Society Miscellany XVI'' (Woodbridge, 2020), p. 71. David Erskine died on 28 May 1611. Margaret Haldane, Lady Dryburgh, died on 13 January 1618.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Erskine, David 16th-century Scottish people 1611 deaths

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...