The title of Earl Marischal was created in the

Peerage of Scotland The Peerage of Scotland ( gd, Moraireachd na h-Alba, sco, Peerage o Scotland) is one of the five divisions of peerages in the United Kingdom and for those peers created by the King of Scots before 1707. Following that year's Treaty of Union, ...

for William Keith, the Great Marischal of Scotland.

History

The office of Marischal of Scotland (or ''Marascallus Scotie'' or ''Marscallus Scotiae'') had been hereditary, held by the senior member and

Chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boa ...

of Clan Keith, since Hervey ''(Herveus)'' de Keith, who held the office of Marischal under Malcolm IV and

William I William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087 ...

. The descendant of Herveus, Sir Robert de Keith (d.1332), was confirmed in the office of Great Marischal of Scotland by

King Robert the Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventuall ...

around 1324. Robert de Keith's great-grandson, William, was raised to the Peerage as Earl Marischal by

James II James II may refer to: * James II of Avesnes (died c. 1205), knight of the Fourth Crusade * James II of Majorca (died 1311), Lord of Montpellier * James II of Aragon (1267–1327), King of Sicily * James II, Count of La Marche (1370–1438), King C ...

in about 1458. The peerage died out when George Keith, the 10th Earl, forfeited it by joining the

Jacobite Rising of 1715 The Jacobite rising of 1715 ( gd, Bliadhna Sheumais ; or 'the Fifteen') was the attempt by James Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender) to regain the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland for the exiled Stuarts The House of Stuart, ori ...

. The role of the Marischal was to serve as custodian of the Royal

Regalia of Scotland The Honours of Scotland (, gd, Seudan a' Chrùin Albannaich), informally known as the Scottish Crown Jewels, are the regalia that were worn by Scottish monarchs at their coronation. Kept in the Crown Room in Edinburgh Castle, they date from the ...

, and to protect the king's person when attending parliament. The former duty was fulfilled by the 7th Earl during the

Wars of the Three Kingdoms The Wars of the Three Kingdoms were a series of related conflicts fought between 1639 and 1653 in the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland and Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland, then separate entities united in a pers ...

, who hid them at

Dunnottar Castle Dunnottar Castle ( gd, Dùn Fhoithear, "fort on the shelving slope") is a ruined medieval fortress located upon a rocky headland on the north-eastern coast of Scotland, about south of Stonehaven. The surviving buildings are largely of the 1 ...

. The role of regulation of heraldry carried out by the English Earl Marshal is carried out in Scotland by the

Lord Lyon King of Arms The Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grant ...

. The separate office of

Knight Marischal The office of Knight Marischal was first created for the Scottish coronation of Charles I in 1633, at Scone. Unlike the separate office of Marischal, the office of Knight Marischal is not heritable, and has continued to be filled up to the deat ...

was first created for the Scottish coronation of King Charles I in 1633. The office is not heritable, although it has been held by members of the Keith family. The title was forfeited in 1715, due to the last Earl's participation in the

Jacobite Rising , war = , image = Prince James Francis Edward Stuart by Louis Gabriel Blanchet.jpg , image_size = 150px , caption = James Francis Edward Stuart, Jacobite claimant between 1701 and 1766 , active ...

Marischals and Great Marischals of Scotland

Hervey de Keith Hervey de Keith (died c. 1185) was a Scoto-Norman adventurer and nobleman and first recorded Marischal of Scotland. Life Keith took his name from the Barony of Keith, in East Lothian, which he held the north eastern part; the south western par ...

(d. c. 1196) #

Philip de Keith Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who popularize ...

(d. c. 1225), paternal grandson of Hervey de Keith, older brother of David de Keith #

David de Keith 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 ...

, paternal grandson of Hervey de Keith, younger brother of Philip de Keith (co-jointly with his brother above and paternal nephew below) #

(d. c. 1250), paternal nephew of David de Keith # Richard de Keith (fl. 12??) #

(fl. 1269) #

John de Keith Sir John de Keith, Marischal of Scotland (died c.1270), was a Scottish noble. He was a son of Hervey de Keith (died 1249) and Margaret de Douglas. John inherited the position of Marischal of Scotland in 1249, which was charged with the safety ...

(d. c. 1270) #

William de Keith William is a masculine given name of Norman French origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conques ...

(d. c. 1293) # Sir Robert Keith (d. 1332) # Sir Robert Keith (d. 1346) # Sir

Edward Keith Sir Edward Keith (d. 17 Oct 1346) was a Scottish nobleman and hereditary 11th Earl Marischal, Marischal of Scotland. Biography Sir Edward Keith was the son of William de Keith (d. ), 8th Marischal of Scotland, and Barbara de Seaton, daughter of ...

(d. c. 1351) # Sir William Keith (d. c. 1410) # Sir Robert Keith (d. c. 1430) #

William Keith, Marischal of Scotland William is a masculine given name of Norman French origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conques ...

(d. 1463)

Earls Marischal of Scotland (c. 1458)

William Keith, 1st Earl Marischal The title of Earl Marischal was created in the Peerage of Scotland for William Keith, the Great Marischal of Scotland. History The office of Marischal of Scotland (or ''Marascallus Scotie'' or ''Marscallus Scotiae'') had been hereditary, held by ...

(d. 1483)Marischal, Earl (S, 1458 - forfeited 1716)
Cracroft's PeerageMcGladdery, C. A. 2004 "Keith family (per. c. 1300–c. 1530), nobility." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
/ref> #

William Keith, 2nd Earl Marischal William is a male given name of Germanic languages, Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norm ...

(d. 1530) #

William Keith, 3rd Earl Marischal William is a male given name of Germanic languages, Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norm ...

(d. 1581)Wasser, Michael. 2016 "Keith, William, third Earl Marischal (c. 1510–1581), magnate." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
/ref> #

William Keith, 4th Earl Marischal William Keith, 4th Earl Marischal (died 7 October 1581) was a Scottish nobleman and politician. Family background and career William Keith was the son of Robert Keith, Master of Marischal and Lady Elizabeth Douglas, daughter of John Douglas, ...

(d. 15??) #

George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal (c. 1553–1623) was a Scottish nobleman and Earl Marischal. He succeeded as earl on 7 October 1581, upon the death of his grandfather, William Keith, 4th Earl Marischal. Early life George Keith was the so ...

(c. 1553 – 1623)Simmons, John. 2004 "Keith, George, fourth Earl Marischal (1549/50–1623), magnate and founder of Marischal College, Aberdeen." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
/ref> #

William Keith, 6th Earl Marischal William Keith, 6th Earl Marischal (c. 1585 – 28 October 1635, castle of Dunnottar) was a Scottish lord, Earl Marischal and naval official. Life He was the eldest son of George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal and his wife, Margaret (d. 1598), daughter ...

(c. 1585 – 1635)Henderson, T. F. 2004 "Keith, William, fifth Earl Marischal (c. 1585–1635), naval official." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
/ref> #

William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal (16101670 or 1671) was a Scottish nobleman and Covenanter. He was the eldest son of William Keith, 6th Earl Marischal. Life During the English Civil War, the 7th Earl Marischal joined James Graham, 1st Marques ...

(1614 – 1671)Stevenson, David. 2006 "Keith, William, sixth Earl Marischal (1614–1671), nobleman." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
/ref> #

George Keith, 8th Earl Marischal George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd President ...

(d. 1694)Nicholson, Eirwen E. C. 2004 "Drummond (married name Keith), Mary, Countess Marischal (1675–1729), Jacobite sympathizer." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
/ref> #

William Keith, 9th Earl Marischal William Keith, 9th Earl Marischal KT (c. 1664 – 27 May 1712, London) was a Scottish Jacobite politician and Earl Marischal of Scotland. Life His parents were the army officer George Keith, 8th Earl Marischal (d. 1694) and the courtier Lady M ...

(c. 1664 – 1712) # George Keith, 10th Earl Marischal (c. 1693 – 1778) (''forfeit 1715'')Furgol, Edward M. 2006 "Keith, George, styled tenth Earl Marischal (1692/3?–1778), Jacobite army officer and diplomatist in the Prussian service." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
/ref> Before the sequence was revised by Thomas Innes of Learney in 1927, the 1st Earl's father, William Keith (died 1463), was deemed to be the first Earl Marischal, so that the final Earl was the eleventh.Innes, Thomas. "The First Earl Marischal." The Scottish Historical Review 24, no. 96 (1927): 280-97
/ref>

References

* Balfour Paul, Sir James-'' The Scots Peerage Vol. VI.'' Edinburgh 1909 * {{DEFAULTSORT:Earl Marischal Lists of Scottish people Great Officers of State of Scotland Political office-holders in Scotland Positions within the British Royal Household Forfeited earldoms in the Peerage of Scotland Noble titles created in 1458

History

Marischals and Great Marischals of Scotland

Earls Marischal of Scotland (c. 1458)

See also

References