John Sutherland,
(died 1508) was the 8th
Earl of Sutherland
Earl of Sutherland is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created circa 1230 for William de Moravia and is the premier earldom in the Peerage of Scotland. The earl or countess of Sutherland is also the chief of Clan Sutherland.
The origin ...
and chief of the
Clan Sutherland
Clan Sutherland is a Highland Scottish clan whose traditional territory is the shire of Sutherland in the far north of Scotland. The chief of the clan was also the powerful Earl of Sutherland, however in the early 16th century this title passed ...
, a
Scottish clan
A Scottish clan (from Goidelic languages, Gaelic , literally 'children', more broadly 'kindred') is a kinship group among the Scottish people. Clans give a sense of shared identity and descent to members, and in modern times have an official ...
of the
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands ( sco, the Hielands; gd, a’ Ghàidhealtachd , 'the place of the Gaels') is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Sco ...
.
Early life
He was the son of
John Sutherland, 7th Earl of Sutherland
John Sutherland, (died 1460) was the 7th Earl of Sutherland and chief of the Clan Sutherland, a Scottish clan of the Scottish Highlands.
Early life
He was the son of Robert Sutherland, 6th Earl of Sutherland and Margaret Stewart, daughter of ...
and Margaret, daughter or sister of Sir William Ballie of Lamington. His elder brother, Alexander, Master of Sutherland, had predeceased their father between 1444 and 1456, and John, therefore, succeeded as the 8th earl.
Earl of Sutherland
John Sutherland, 8th Earl of Sutherland is referred to in 1464 as being represented by a prosecutor when
James III of Scotland
James III (10 July 1451/May 1452 – 11 June 1488) was King of Scots from 1460 until his death at the Battle of Sauchieburn in 1488. He inherited the throne as a child following the death of his father, King James II, at the siege of Roxburgh Ca ...
unusually made the formal revocation of the alienation of Crown property. John, Earl of Sutherland received in 1467, a charter of the lands of "Spanziedale", now called
Spinningdale
Spinningdale ( gd, Spainnigeadal) is a hamlet, in the Parish of Creich, on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth in eastern Sutherland, in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies northeast of Bonar Bridge and is in the Scottish council area of Highlan ...
, and also
Pulrossie. According to 19th-century historian
William Fraser, the 17th-century historian
Sir Robert Gordon, 1st Baronet
Sir Robert Gordon of Gordonstoun (14 May 1580 – 1656) was a Scottish politician and courtier, known as the historian of the noble house of Sutherland.
Early life
Born at Dunrobin Castle, Golspie, Sutherland, on 14 May 1580, he was the fourth ...
knew of the original writ but did not give the full details and that it was no longer extant. However, as these lands had been granted to Celestine MacDonald (younger son of
Alexander of Islay, Earl of Ross
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 ...
), in 1464, it is probable that they were bestowed by him.
John Sutherland, 8th Earl of Sutherland held the earldom for more than forty years. He granted, in 1471, as superior a
precept
A precept (from the la, præcipere, to teach) is a commandment, instruction, or order intended as an authoritative rule of action.
Religious law
In religion, precepts are usually commands respecting moral conduct.
Christianity
The term is en ...
for
John Sutherland of Forse as heir to his father, Richard Sutherland of Forse, in the lands of
Backies
Golspie ( , gd, Goillspidh) is a village and parish in Sutherland, Highland, Scotland, which lies on the North Sea coast in the shadow of Ben Bhraggie. It has a population of around 1,350.
History
The name derives from the Norse for "gu ...
, Torrish, and Drummoy. In the same year, the earl granted to Nicolas Sutherland, son and heir of Angus Sutherland of Torboll, a
charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...
for the lands of Torboll, Pronsy, and others which had been resigned into the earl's hands at
Dornoch
Dornoch (; gd, Dòrnach ; sco, Dornach) is a town, seaside resort, parish and former royal burgh in the county of Sutherland in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth, near to where it opens into the Moray ...
. Twenty years later, Nicholas Sutherland of Torboll, and his brother, Donald, were both dead and so the lands went to the third son of Angus, Hugh.
In 1476, the Earl of Sutherland was in dispute with Sir Robert Crichton of
Sanquhar
Sanquhar ( sco, Sanchar, gd, Seanchair) is a village on the River Nith in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, north of Thornhill and west of Moffat. It is a former Royal Burgh.
It is notable for its tiny post office, established in 1712 and con ...
over the property of the lands of "Cragton", which according to Fraser was perhaps Culmaily in
Golspie
Golspie ( , gd, Goillspidh) is a village and parish in Sutherland, Highland, Scotland, which lies on the North Sea coast in the shadow of Ben Bhraggie. It has a population of around 1,350.
History
The name derives from the Norse for "gull ...
. The case was tried before the
Lords auditors
The Court of Exchequer was formerly a distinct part of the court system of Scotland, with responsibility for administration of government revenue and jurisdiction of adjudicate on cases relating to customs and excise, revenue, stamp duty and p ...
who decided against the earl. Two other cases of litigation were recorded concerning the earl in 1494. The first was at the instance of Sir Gilbert Keith of
Inverugie
Inverugie ( gd, Inbhir Ùigidh) is a small village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, to the northwest of Peterhead
Peterhead (; gd, Ceann Phàdraig, sco, Peterheid ) is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is Aberdeenshire's biggest settlement ...
, for the reduction of a letter of reversion granted to him by the earl of £40 worth of lands in
Strath Ullie in
Sutherland
Sutherland ( gd, Cataibh) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in the Highlands of Scotland. Its county town is Dornoch. Sutherland borders Caithness and Moray Firth to the east, Ross-shire and Cromartyshire (later ...
; and secondly, a charter made by Sir Gilbert in favour of the earl for £40 worth of lands in Subister and others, in
Caithness
Caithness ( gd, Gallaibh ; sco, Caitnes; non, Katanes) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland.
Caithness has a land boundary with the historic county of Sutherland to the west and is otherwise bounded by ...
. The
Lords of Council continued the case for the earl to produce his titles, but no decision is recorded.
Also in 1494, the Lords of Council declared that the Earl of Sutherland and his accomplices had done wrong in taking
Skelbo Castle
Skelbo Castle is a ruined 14th century keep, located near Dornoch, Sutherland, Scotland. The remaining wall is best preserved at the northern side of the castle. The remains are protected as a scheduled monument. The castle is located at a former ...
and also in taking two children of
John Murray. They also ordered the earl to deliver the castle to Thomas Kinnaird, to be held by him in the terms of a charter, to set the children free and to pay 100
merks
The merk is a long-obsolete Scottish silver coin. Originally the same word as a money mark of silver, the merk was in circulation at the end of the 16th century and in the 17th century. It was originally valued at 13 shillings 4 pence (exactly ...
to Kinnaird. No further proceedings against the earl are recorded but the Murrays and Kinnairds continued to debate possession of the castle.
The earl is mentioned in connection with the
Battle of Aldy Charrish in the 1480s, where according to Gordon, the earl's uncle, Robert Sutherland, led a company of Sutherland men on the side of the
Clan Mackay
Clan Mackay ( ; gd, Clann Mhic Aoidh ) is an ancient and once-powerful Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan from the far North of the Scottish Highlands, but with roots in the old Mormaer of Moray, Kingdom of Moray. They supported Robert I ...
against the
Clan Ross
Clan Ross ( gd, Clann Anndrais ) is a Highland Scottish clan. The original chiefs of the clan were the original Earl of Ross, Earls of Ross.
History
Origins
The first recorded chief of the Clan Ross was Fearchar, Earl of Ross, "Fearcher Mac ...
.
However, 19th-20th century historian Angus Mackay disputes Sutherland's presence at the battle stating that it would be unlikely that the Earl of Sutherland at the time would have assisted against the Rosses as he was married to a daughter of the Ross chief of Balnagowan, and also that the feudal superiority of the Sutherlands over the Mackays "nowhere existed save in his own fertile imagination".
Fraser also adds that if Robert Sutherland was present at this battle then he must have been a very old man.
Gordon also stated that this Robert Sutherland led the forces that defeated the forces of
John of Islay, Earl of Ross
:''This article refers to John II, Lord of the Isles; for John I, see John of Islay, Lord of the Isles''
John of Islay (or John MacDonald) (1434–1503), Earl of Ross, fourth (and last) Lord of the Isles, and ''Mac Domhnaill'' (chief of Clan Don ...
at the
Battle of Skibo and Strathfleet
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
in 1455, having been sent to do so by his elder brother, John Sutherland, 7th Earl of Sutherland.
According to historian D. M Rose, the 7th and 8th Earls of Sutherland did little to advance their family's reputation, leaving their kinsman the
Murays of Culbin,
Pulrossie and
Aberscross to fight their battles.
Gordon also records that two sons of the 8th Earl's "bastard" brother, Thomas, had incensed the earl by their conduct and so he ordered them killed. One of them was slain within
Dunrobin Castle
Dunrobin Castle (mostly 1835–1845 — present) is a stately home in Sutherland, in the Highland area of Scotland, as well as the family seat of the Earl of Sutherland and the Clan Sutherland. It is located north of Golspie and approximatel ...
, while the other escaped some distance, but being wounded was soon overtaken and dispatched.
Gordon also stated that the earl was charged with unkindness to his mother, whose building at
Helmsdale
Helmsdale ( sco, Helmsdal, gd, Bun Ilidh) is a village on the east coast of Sutherland, in the Highland (council area), Highland council area of Scotland. The modern village was planned in 1814 to resettle communities that had been removed from ...
is said to have been pulled down as well as forcing her into a second marriage.
However, Fraser states that the latter accusation has shown to be unfounded. According to Fraser, the earl's shortcomings were due to his mental weakness, which Gordon says nothing of. A "breive of idiotry" was issued by
James IV of Scotland
James IV (17 March 1473 – 9 September 1513) was King of Scotland from 11 June 1488 until his death at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. He inherited the throne at the age of fifteen on the death of his father, James III, at the Battle of Sauchi ...
in 1494, and Sir Duncan Forster of Skipnish, John Cumming of Earnside, and Alexander Cumming of Altyre were sworn in as sheriffs of
Inverness
Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histori ...
, specially appointed to carry out the legal services of the brief. The barons and freeholders of the shires of Inverness,
Elgin,
Forres
Forres (; gd, Farrais) is a town and former royal burgh in the north of Scotland on the Moray coast, approximately northeast of Inverness and west of Elgin. Forres has been a winner of the Scotland in Bloom award on several occasions. There ...
,
Banff and
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
, were summoned to attend the inquest. Fraser stated that there is no record of the proceedings, but a proclamation of the brief was duly made, and the earl, having been declared incapable of managing his own affairs, was placed under the care of a
tutor
TUTOR, also known as PLATO Author Language, is a programming language developed for use on the PLATO system at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign beginning in roughly 1965. TUTOR was initially designed by Paul Tenczar for use in co ...
. According to Fraser, this had an important bearing on the circumstances in which his daughter,
Elizabeth
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist
Ships
* HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships
* ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
, later succeeded to the earldom. The earl survived for some years after this, but under continuous guardianship. The last record was an order issued in February 1499 by the Lords of Council requiring Sir James Dunbar of Cumnock to bring the earl and his minor son to the king, their expenses being paid for.
According to Gordon, John Sutherland, 8th Earl of Sutherland died in 1508,
but Fraser stated that the documents which would have confirmed this were no longer in the family charter chest.
Family
Fraser stated that there was considerable difficulty in identifying the marriages of John, 8th Earl of Sutherland, even though Gordon stated that he married firstly, a daughter of
John of Islay, Earl of Ross and Lord of the Isles.
Fraser stated that as the earl received a grant for the lands of Spinningdale in 1467 which in 1464 had been granted to Celestine MacDonald, that it is not improbable that the earl had actually married a daughter of Celestine MacDonald. When the earl was summoned to Edinburgh in 1499, the record refers to a divorce between him and his wife who was named as "Fingole". Fraser stated that this Fingole has not been identified but that the wife of Celestine MacDonald had a similar name and therefore suggested a descent from that family. However, Fraser also states that later in 1509 to 1512 when the rents of the earldom of Sutherland were being administered by the Crown, a Catherine, Countess of Sutherland, is found drawing
terce
Terce is a canonical hour of the Divine Office. It consists mainly of psalms and is held around 9 a.m. Its name comes from Latin and refers to the third hour of the day after dawn. With Sext, None and Compline it belongs to the so-called "Little ...
from the lands and that this is clear proof that she was the widow of John, Earl of Sutherland, but it has not been ascertained who she was or if she was identical with Fingole.
According to 19th-20th century historian Angus Mackay, the earl was, if not married to, at least
hand-fasted with a daughter of the chief of the Clan Ross of
Balnagown Castle.
John Sutherland, 8th Earl of Sutherland had the following children:
#
John Sutherland, 9th Earl of Sutherland, heir and successor, died 1514.
#
Elizabeth Sutherland, 10th Countess of Sutherland
Elizabeth Sutherland, (died 1535) was the 10th Countess of Sutherland having succeeded to the Earldom of Sutherland after her brother John Sutherland, 9th Earl of Sutherland died in 1514.
Early life
She was the daughter of John Sutherland, 8th ...
, successor of her elder brother John, 9th Earl. She married Adam Gordon, a younger son of
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 ...
, the chief of the
Clan Gordon
Clan Gordon is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan, historically one of the most powerful Scottish clans. The Gordon lands once spanned a large territory across the Highlands. Presently, Gordon is seated at Aboyne Castle, Aberdeenshire ...
.
#
Alexander Sutherland, 1st of Killipheder, recorded as an illegitimate son by Gordon.
He married a sister of
John Mackay, 11th of Strathnaver
John Mackay, 11th of Strathnaver (died 1529), was the eleventh chief of the ancient Clan Mackay, a Scottish clan of the Scottish Highlands.
Early life
John Mackay, 11th of Strathnaver, was the eldest son of Iye Roy Mackay, 10th of Strathnaver, and ...
, chief of Clan Mackay, and disputed the right to the Earldom of Sutherland with his elder sister Elizabeth and her Gordon husband, apparently at the instigation of Mackay.
According to Gordon, Alexander Sutherland was later killed by the Gordons who succeeded as Earls of Sutherland at the
Battle of Alltachuilain in 1519 or 1520.
#George Sutherland, who according to Gordon was another illegitimate son and who died young.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sutherland
John
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Secon ...
John
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Secon ...
1508 deaths