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 estates included Saltoun in

East Lothian East Lothian (; ; ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, as well as a Counties of Scotland, historic county, registration county and Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area. The county was called Haddingtonshire until 1921. In ...

. His house in the north was

Rothiemay Milltown of Rothiemay (Scottish Gaelic: ''Ràth a' Mhuigh'') is a small inland village, built mostly of granite, in the north-east of Scotland and is within the Moray council area bordering neighbouring Aberdeenshire across the river to the so ...

, described in the sixteenth century as "a palace very fair". When

Mary of Guise Mary of Guise (; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was List of Scottish royal consorts, Queen of Scotland from 1538 until 1542, as the second wife of King James V. She was a French people, French noblewoman of the ...

was fatally ill in

Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age. There has been a royal castle on the rock since the reign of Malcol ...

, Saltoun, Lord James Stewart, and the

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 ...

had dinner with her on 8 June 1560. Saltoun favoured the cause of

James VI of Scotland 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 the Marian Civil War. He was one of the lords who signed on 1 May 1570 the instructions given to Robert Pitcairn, Commendator of Dunfermline, as ambassador to England, asking

Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to: Queens regnant * Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland * Elizabeth II (1926–2022; ), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms * Queen B ...

to declare support for the regime in Scotland, and for English troops. On 23 August 1570 Saltoun wrote with the Laird of

Pitsligo Pitsligo was a coastal parish in the historic county of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, containing the fishing villages of Rosehearty, Pittulie and Sandhaven,

from Rothiemay to the

Earl of Morton The title Earl of Morton was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1458 for James Douglas of Dalkeith. Along with it, the title Lord Aberdour was granted. This latter title is the courtesy title for the eldest son and heir to the Earl of Morton. ...

with news of a ship arrived at Aberdeen and its passengers. It was a Flanders "

pink Pink is a pale tint of red, the color of the Dianthus plumarius, pink flower. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, p ...

" carrying Mr John Hamilton and two Spanish servants of the

Duke of Alva Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ...

. They went to

Huntly Castle Huntly Castle is a ruined castle north of Huntly, Scotland, Huntly in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, where the rivers River Deveron, Deveron and River Bogie, Bogie meet. It was the ancestral home of the chief of Clan Gordon, Earl of Huntly. There hav ...

to see the

Earl of Huntly Marquess of Huntly is a title in the Peerage of Scotland that was created on 17 April 1599 for George Gordon, 6th Earl of Huntly. It is the oldest existing marquessate in Scotland, and the second-oldest in the British Isles; only the English ma ...

with Mr Robert Gordon, but missed the Earl and returned to Aberdeen. John Hamilton had been to the Duke of Alva seeking support for the cause of

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 List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...

. He heard they would bring 6,000 men to land at Aberdeen. This intelligence came by "quiet means" from a favourer of the king's party. In a second letter from Glenbervie Saltoun described the two servants of the Duke of Alba on the "pink" as a Florentine called Caesar Ruspoty and a man from Picardy called Philip Hensier. The Prior of Coldingham and Sir James Balfour were going to depart from Aberdeen in the "pink", while

Lord Seton Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are e ...

and Katherine Neville, Countess of Northumberland were going to take another boat. The contemporary chronicle, ''The Historie of James the Sext'' adds that the "pink" brought armour and firearms for six hundred men, seven cannons, with gunpowder and money for Huntly, who was the Queen's Lieutenant of the North. In 1578 Saltoun was noted in a list, perhaps in error, as a supporter of Mary, Queen of Scots.

Family

He married Alison Keith (d. 1567), daughter of William Keith, 4th Earl Marischal. Their children included: * George Abernethy, 7th Lord Saltoun, who married Margaret Stewart, daughter of

John Stewart, 4th Earl of Atholl John Stewart, 4th Earl of Atholl (died 25 April 1579), called the Fair, was a Scottish nobleman and courtier. He was favoured by Mary, Queen of Scots, but later turned against her. Biography Stewart was the son of John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Ath ...

. In 1574 George, Master of Saltoun, killed a member of the Innes family, a kinsman of

Regent Morton James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton (c. 1516 – 2 June 1581) was a Scottish nobleman. He played a leading role in the murders of Queen Mary's confidant, David Rizzio, and king consort Henry Darnley. He was the last of the four regents of Scot ...

.''Calendar State Papers Scotland: 1574-1581'', vol. 5 (Edinburgh, 1907), pp. 36-37. * Elizabeth Abernethy, married John Innes of Innes. * Alexander Abernethy, married Elizabeth Crichton, daughter of Sir James Crichton of Frendraught. * Jean Abernethy, who married (1) Alexander Seton of Meldrum, and (2) John Urquhart of Craigfintry, the Tutor of Cromarty. The 6th Lord's sister, Elizabeth Abernethy, married (1) William Meldrum of Fyvie, and (2)

John Lyon, 8th Lord Glamis John Lyon, 8th Lord Glamis (died 1578) was a Scottish nobleman, judge and Lord High Chancellor of Scotland. Life He was the eldest son of John Lyon, 7th Lord Glamis, by his wife, Janet Keith, daughter of Robert Keith, Master of Marischal, and si ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saltoun, Alexander Abernethy, 6th Lord 1587 deaths Nobility from East Lothian 16th-century Scottish landowners 16th-century Scottish peers Lords of Parliament (pre-1707) 6