William Keith, 2nd Earl of Kintore (1660 – 5 December 1718), was a Scottish nobleman.

Early life

He was the only son born to

John Keith, 1st Earl of Kintore Sir John Keith, 1st Earl of Kintore PC (Scot) ( – 12 April 1715), was a Scottish nobleman. Early life He was the fourth son of nine surviving children born to William Keith, 6th Earl Marischal, and Lady Mary Erskine. Among his siblings were ...

and the former Lady Margaret Hamilton. His two sisters were Lady Jean Keith (the wife of Sir William Forbes, 4th Baronet of Monymusk) and Lady Margaret Keith (the wife of Maj. Gavin Hamilton of Raploch). His paternal grandparents were William Keith, 6th Earl Marischal, and Lady Mary Erskine (the eldest daughter of John Erskine, 19th and ''

de jure In law and government, ''de jure'' (; ; ) describes practices that are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms, regardless of whether the practice exists in reality. The phrase is often used in contrast with '' de facto'' ('from fa ...

'' 2nd

Earl of Mar There are currently two earldoms of Mar in the Peerage of Scotland, and the title has been created seven times. The first creation of the earldom is currently held by Margaret of Mar, 31st Countess of Mar, who is also clan chief of Clan Mar. Th ...

and, his second wife, Marie Stewart, the daughter of

Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox, 1st Earl of Lennox, 6th Seigneur d'Aubigny (26 May 1583) of the Château d'Aubigny at Aubigny-sur-Nère in the ancient Provinces of France, province of Berry, France, Berry, France, was a Catholic French nob ...

). Among his extended family were uncles

William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal (16141670 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 Marque ...

and

George Keith, 8th Earl Marischal George may refer to: Names * George (given name) * George (surname) People * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE * George, stage name of Giorg ...

and aunts Mary Keith (wife of John,

Lord Kinpont 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 ...

), Jean Keith (wife of Alexander, Lord Forbes of Pitsligo, and Isobel Keith (wife of MP Edward Turnor, son of Edward Turnor,

Speaker of the House of Commons Speaker of the House of Commons is a political leadership position found in countries that have a House of Commons, where the membership of the body elects a speaker to lead its proceedings. Systems that have such a position include: * Speaker of ...

). His mother was the only child, born posthumously, of

Thomas Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Haddington Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the ...

by his second wife Lady Jean Gordon (the third daughter of

George Gordon, 2nd Marquess of Huntly George Gordon, 2nd Marquess of Huntly (c. 1592March 1649), styled Earl of Enzie from 1599 to 1636, eldest son of George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly by Lady Henrietta Stewart, daughter of Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox, born at Huntly Cast ...

and Lady Anne Campbell, herself a daughter of

Archibald Campbell, 7th Earl of Argyll Archibald may refer to: People and characters *Archibald (name), a masculine given name and a surname * Archibald (musician) (1916–1973), American R&B pianist * Archibald, a character from the animated TV show '' Archibald the Koala'' Other us ...

).
James Balfour Paul, Balfour Paul, Sir J., ''Scots Peerage'' IX vols. Edinburgh 1904.

Career

Beginning in 1714, he was a

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 death ...

of Scotland. Lord Kintore was a

Tory A Tory () is an individual who supports a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalist conservatism which upholds the established social order as it has evolved through the history of Great Britain. The To ...

and a Jacobite, and took part in the

1715 rising The Jacobite rising of 1715 ( ; 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. At Braemar, Aberdeenshire, local landowner the Ear ...

fighting at the

Battle of Sheriffmuir The Battle of Sheriffmuir (, ) was an engagement in 1715 at the height of the Jacobite rising of 1715, Jacobite rising in Scotland. The battlefield has been included in the Inventory of Historic Battlefields in Scotland and protected by Histor ...

. The rising, which is also known as Lord Mar's Revolt, which was the attempt by

James Francis Edward Stuart James Francis Edward Stuart (10 June 16881 January 1766), nicknamed the Old Pretender by Whigs (British political party), Whigs or the King over the Water by Jacobitism, Jacobites, was the House of Stuart claimant to the thrones of Ki ...

to regain the thrones of

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

and

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

for the exiled

House of Stuart The House of Stuart, originally spelled Stewart, also known as the Stuart dynasty, was a dynasty, royal house of Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland, Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland and later Kingdom of Great Britain, Great ...

. Due to his participation in the uprising, he was deprived of the office of Knight Marischal. After his death,

Charles Hamilton, Lord Binning Charles Hamilton, Lord Binning (1697 – 27 December 1732), was a Scotland, Scottish nobleman, politician and poet. Life The son of Thomas Hamilton, 6th Earl of Haddington, and Helen Hope, he used the courtesy title Lord Binning from birth. Lor ...

became Knight Marischal. Upon his father's death in April 1715, he succeeded as the 2nd

Earl of Kintore Earl of Kintore is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1677 for Sir John Keith, third son of William Keith, 6th Hereditary Earl Marischal of Scotland (see Earl Marischal for earlier history of the family) and Chief of Clan ...

Personal life

Before 8 August 1687, Keith was married to the Hon. Catherine Murray, the eldest daughter of David Murray, 4th Viscount of Stormont and Lady Jean Murray (a widow of

James Murray, 2nd Earl of Annandale James may refer to: People * James (given name) * James (surname) * James (musician), aka Faruq Mahfuz Anam James, (born 1964), Bollywood musician * James, brother of Jesus * King James (disambiguation), various kings named James * Prince Jame ...

and the eldest daughter of

James Carnegie, 2nd Earl of Southesk James Carnegie, 2nd Earl of Southesk (c. 1600–1669) was a Scottish nobleman. He inherited the Earldom of Southesk from David Carnegie, 1st Earl of Southesk. His son, Robert Carnegie, 3rd Earl of Southesk, succeeded him. References ...

). Together, they were the parents of two sons and a daughter: *

John Keith, 3rd Earl of Kintore Earl of Kintore is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1677 for Sir John Keith, third son of William Keith, 6th Hereditary Earl Marischal of Scotland (see Earl Marischal for earlier history of the family) and Chief of Clan ...

(1699–1758), who married Mary Erskine (1714–1772), the only daughter of Rachel Chiesley and

James Erskine, Lord Grange James Erskine, Lord Grange (1679 – 20 January 1754) was a Scottish advocate, judge and politician. He served as Lord Justice Clerk and a Lord of Justiciary. Life The son of Charles Erskine, Earl of Mar, by his spouse Lady Mary, eldest daught ...

Principal Keeper of the Signet and a

Lord Justice Clerk The Lord Justice Clerk is the second most senior judge in Scotland, after the Lord President of the Court of Session. The current Lord Justice Clerk is Lord Beckett, who was appointed to the position on 4 February 2025, succeeding Lady Dorr ...

and a

Lord of Justiciary The High Court of Justiciary () is the Supreme Courts of Scotland, supreme Scottish criminal law, criminal court in Scotland. The High Court is both a court of first instance, trial court and a court of appeal. As a trial court, the High Cour ...

(second son of

Charles Erskine, Earl of Mar Charles Erskine, Earl of Mar (19 October 165023 May 1689) was a Scottish nobleman. He is regarded as both the 22nd earl (in the 1st creation) and the 5th earl (in the 7th). He raised the 21st Regiment of Foot, or Royal Scots Fusiliers, in 1679 ...

and Lady Mary Maule, a daughter of

George Maule, 2nd Earl of Panmure George may refer to: Names * George (given name) * George (surname) People * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE * George, stage name of Giorg ...

), in 1729. *

William Keith, 4th Earl of Kintore William is a masculine given name of Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era. It is ...

(1701–1761), who died unmarried. * Lady Catherine Margaret Keith, who married

David Falconer, 4th Lord Falconer of Halkerton David Falconer, 4th Lord of Halkerton (27 May 1681 – 24 September 1751) was a Scottish peer. He held the title from 1724 to 1751. Early life Falconer was born on 27 May 1681 in Edinburgh. He was the son of Sir David Falconer of Newton and Mar ...

. Lord Kintore died on 5 December 1718. He was succeeded by his eldest son,

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 * Second E ...

Descendants

In 1761, on the death of his youngest son, the 4th Earl, the earldom should have passed under the terms of the 1694 regrant to his cousin George Keith, 10th and last Earl Marischal, as heir male of

, the elder brother of

; however, he had been attainted for his part in the

and so the earldom of Kintore remained suspended until the death of the 10th Earl Marischal on 28 May 1778, when it was inherited by the heir general of the 4th Earl of Kintore, Anthony Adrian Falconer, 7th Lord Falconer of Halkerton (a grandson of the 2nd Earl's daughter Lady Catherine), who became the 5th Earl of Kintore.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kintore, William Keith, 2st Earl Of 1660 births 1718 deaths Nobility from Aberdeenshire Earls of Kintore 17th-century Scottish people 18th-century Scottish nobility Scottish Jacobites Scottish knights