David Wemyss, 2nd Earl of Wemyss (6 September 1610July 1679) was an army officer. He was the only son of

John Wemyss, 1st Earl of Wemyss John Wemyss, 1st Earl of Wemyss (1586–1649) was a Scottish politician. He was a son of Sir John Wemyss and Margaret Douglas, a daughter of Sir William Douglas of Lochleven. His home was Wemyss Castle in Fife. Around 1610 he acquired the e ...

and Jean Gray (d. 1640), daughter of Lord Gray. As Lord Elcho, a title he held between 1633 and 1649, he commanded a regiment of Fife infantry in the Scottish army which reached Newcastle upon Tyne in August 1640. On 1 September 1644, at the head of about 6000 men, he was routed by Montrose at Tippermuir, and in August 1645, as supernumerary commander to Lieutenant-General William Baillie, again suffered defeat by Montrose's forces at Kilsyth. He married three times: *(July 1625) Anna Balfour (d. 1649), daughter of

Robert Balfour, 2nd Lord Balfour of Burleigh Robert Balfour, 2nd Lord Balfour of Burleigh (died 18 August 1663) was a Scottish military commander. Balfour was son of Sir Robert Arnot of Fernie, chamberlain of Fife. He married Margaret, daughter of Michael Balfour of Burleigh and Margaret, ...

; they had one daughter who survived to adulthood, Jean Wemyss (1629-1715), who married (1),

Archibald Douglas, 1st Earl of Ormond Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus, 1st Earl of Ormond (1609–1655) was the eldest son of William Douglas, 1st Marquis of Douglas, from whom he obtained the courtesy title of Earl of Angus.Vian in the DNB spells the title Earl of Ormonde. Lee in ...

(2), George Gordon, 15th Earl of Sutherland. *(April 1650) Helenor (d. 1652), daughter of

John Fleming, 2nd Earl of Wigtown The title of Earl of Wigtown (or Wigton or Wigtoun) was created twice in the Peerage of Scotland. The first creation was in 1341 for Malcolm Fleming, and was surrendered in 1372, when the second Earl sold the Earldom and territory to Archibal ...

; *(13 January 1653) Margaret (d. 1688), daughter of

John Leslie, 6th Earl of Rothes John Leslie, 6th Earl of Rothes (1600 – 23 August 1641) was a Scottish nobleman, one of the main leaders of the Covenanters. Life Born in Leslie, Fife, he was the only son of James Leslie, Master of Rothes (died 1607) and Katherine Drummond, ...

, and widow of

Francis Scott, 2nd Earl of Buccleuch Francis Scott, 2nd Earl of Buccleuch (21 December 1626 – 22 November 1651) was a Scottish peer. He was the son of Walter Scott, 1st Earl of Buccleuch and his wife, Lady Mary Hay, daughter of Francis Hay, 9th Earl of Erroll. Upon the death of hi ...

; one daughter, Margaret, the only child to outlive her father. He died in 1679 at

Wemyss Castle Wemyss Castle (pronounced eems is situated in Wemyss on the sea cliffs between the villages of East Wemyss and West Wemyss in Fife, Scotland. Wemyss Castle is considered to be a multi-period building, and today's castle includes many elements ...

in Fife, whose estate he had done much to develop. The estates and titles passed to his daughter Margaret, countess of Wemyss.William Fraser, ''Memorials of the family of Wemyss of Wemyss'', vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1888), p. 293.

References

1610 births 1679 deaths 17th-century Scottish peers Members of the Parliament of Scotland 1648–1651 2 Clan Wemyss {{Scotland-earl-stub