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, 2nd Earl of Morton.Bernard Burke, ''Genealogical History of the Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages of the British Empire'' (Burke's Peerage/Genealogical Publishing Co., 1883/1985, 1996) p. 303 He succeeded his grandfather,

William Keith, 3rd Earl Marischal William is a male given name of 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 Norman conquest of Engl ...

.George Edward Cokayne, ''The complete peerage; or, A history of the House of lords and all its members from the earliest times'', Volume VIII (The St. Catherine Press, Ltd., London, 1932), p. 477 He was one of the earls who accompanied James V to France for his marriage to

Madeleine of Valois Madeleine of France or Madeleine of Valois (10 August 1520 – 7 July 1537) was a French princess who briefly became Queen of Scotland in 1537 as the first wife of King James V. The marriage was arranged in accordance with the Treaty of Rouen ...

, daughter of King

Francis I of France Francis I (french: François Ier; frm, Francoys; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin on ...

. The wedding took place on 1 January 1537 at

Notre Dame Cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris (; meaning "Our Lady of Paris"), referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (an island in the Seine River), in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. The cathedral, dedicated to the ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

and was followed by days of

Jousting Jousting is a martial game or hastilude between two horse riders wielding lances with blunted tips, often as part of a tournament. The primary aim was to replicate a clash of heavy cavalry, with each participant trying to strike the opponen ...

at the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

. He fought at the

Battle of Pinkie The Battle of Pinkie, also known as the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh ( , ), took place on 10 September 1547 on the banks of the River Esk near Musselburgh, Scotland. The last pitched battle between Scotland and England before the Union of the Crow ...

in 1547, in which the Scots were defeated by the English forces led by

Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset (150022 January 1552) (also 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Viscount Beauchamp), also known as Edward Semel, was the eldest surviving brother of Queen Jane Seymour (d. 1537), the third wife of King Henry VI ...

in a bloody battle that was part of the

War of the Rough Wooing The Rough Wooing (December 1543 – March 1551), also known as the Eight Years' War, was part of the Anglo-Scottish Wars of the 16th century. Following its break with the Roman Catholic Church, England attacked Scotland, partly to break the ...

. Keith was said to have been in favour of the proposed marriage between the infant

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 ...

, and Prince Edward of England, son of King Henry VIII.''

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 ...

'', Sir James Balfour Paul, Vol. VI (David Douglas, Edinburgh, 1909), pp. 46–7 He held the Office of

Extraordinary Lord of Session Extraordinary Lords of Session were lay members of the Court of Session in Scotland from 1532 to 1762, and were part of the historical judiciary of Scotland. When the Court of Session was founded in 1532, it consisted of the Lord President, 14 ...

in 1541, 1561, and lastly in 1573. In 1561, he was a member of Queen Mary's Privy Council, and while refraining from extreme partisanship, he was an adherent of the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

. Later, the Earl Marischal retired with his great fortune to a secluded life 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 ...

becoming known locally as "William of the Tower."''

'', Sir James Balfour Paul, Vol. VI (David Douglas, Edinburgh, 1909), pp. 48–9 The Earl died on 7 October 1581.

Marriage and issue

He married Margaret Keith. William and Margaret had thirteen children: * William Keith, Master of Marischal (died 1580).''

'', Sir James Balfour Paul, Vol. VI (David Douglas, Edinburgh, 1909), p. 49 * Robert Keith, 1st Lord Altrie (died 1596).''

'', Sir James Balfour Paul, Vol. VI (David Douglas, Edinburgh, 1909), p. 50 * John Keith, probable Rector of Duffas. *

Agnes Keith, Countess of Moray Agnes Keith, Countess of Moray (c. 1540 – 16 July 1588) was a Scottish noblewoman. She was the wife of James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, regent of Scotland and the illegitimate half-brother of Mary, Queen of Scots, making her a sister-in-law ...

(or Annas), m. 1st to the

Regent Moray James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray (c. 1531 – 23 January 1570) was a member of the House of Stewart as the illegitimate son of King James V of Scotland. A supporter of his half-sister Mary, Queen of Scots, he was the regent of Scotland for hi ...

, 2nd. to

Colin Campbell, 6th Earl of Argyll Colin Campbell, 6th Earl of Argyll (c. 1542– October 1584) was a Scottish nobleman and politician. He was appointed to the Lord Chancellorship of Scotland. Biography He was the eldest son of Archibald Campbell, 4th Earl of Argyll and his sec ...

. She died 16 July 1588 at Edinburgh. * Alexander Keith * Alison, m. to

Alexander Abernethy, 6th Lord Saltoun Alexander Abernethy, 6th Lord Saltoun (died 1587) was a Scottish landowner and courtier. He was the son of William Abernethy, 5th Lord Saltoun (d. 1543), and Elizabeth Hay daughter of John Hay, 2nd Lord Hay of Yester (d. 1513). The Abernethy estat ...

(died 1587). * Mary, m. to Sir John Campbell of Calder (dispensation for consanguinity). * Beatrice, m. to Sir John Allardice of Allardice. She died 19 May 1596. * Joneta, m. to James Crichton of Frendraught. * Margaret, m. to John Kennedy of Blairquhan. * Elizabeth, m. to Sir Alexander Irvine of Drum. Their son Robert Irvine was Master of Household to George, Earl Marischal, during his diplomatic mission to Denmark. * Isobel, m. Alexander Strachan of Thornton. She died August 1595. * Barbara, promised in m., failing her sister Isobel, to Alexander Strachan; m. Alexander Forbes of Pitsligo. Keith's chief residence was

in Aberdeenshire. When he died on 7 October 1581, he was succeeded by his grandson, George Keith, son of William, Master of Marischal; George became the 5th Earl Marischal.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marischal, William, Keith, 4th Earl Year of birth unknown 1581 deaths Earls Marischal Members of the Privy Council of Scotland 16th-century Scottish people Scottish soldiers Privy Council of Mary, Queen of Scots Extraordinary Lords of Session