Earl of Orkney
Encyclopedia
The Earl of Orkney was originally a Norse
jarl
ruling Orkney, Shetland and parts of Caithness
and Sutherland
. The Earls were periodically subject to the kings of Norway
for the Northern Isles
, and later also to the kings of Alba
for those parts of their territory in mainland Scotland (i.e. Caithness and Sutherland). The Earl's status as a Norwegian vassal
was formalised in 1195. In 1232 a Scottish dynasty descended from the Mormaers of Angus replaced the previous family descended from the Mormaers of Atholl, although it remained formally subject to Norway. This family was in turn replaced by the descendants of the Mormaers of Strathearn and later still by the Sinclair family
, during whose time Orkney passed to Scots control.
The first known Earl of Orkney was Rognvald Eysteinsson
(Rognvald, Earl of Møre
), who died around 890. Subsequent Earls, with one exception, were descended from Rognvald or his brother Sigurd
until 1232.
and, until 1194, the Shetland Islands
.
.
(Malise), Mormaer of Strathearn, a distant relative of the first Earl Gille Brigte. Maol Íosa ruled Orkney and Caithness from 1331 to 1350. He left several daughters, but no sons. Orkney passed to his son-in-law, the Swedish councillor Erengisle Suneson
. Another son-in-law, Alexander de l'Ard, ruled as Earl of Caithness
from 1350 until 1375, when the Earldom passed to the King of the Scots.
In 1379, the Earldom of Orkney, without Caithness, was granted to another son-in-law of Maol Íosa, Henry Sinclair, by King Haakon VI Magnusson
. Earl Henry ruled until his death in 1401, and was succeeded by a son named Henry, who was followed by his son Earl William
, to whom the Earldom of Caithness was granted by the King of Scots in 1455. However, Orkney and Shetland were pledged to James III
in place of a dowry for his bride Margaret of Denmark by Christian I. James took the Earldom of Orkney for the Crown in 1470, and William was thereafter Earl of Caithness alone until he resigned the Earldom in favour of his son William in 1476, dying in 1484.
, husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1567. Later that year, however, he forfeited the title when his wife was forced to abdicate.
The second creation of the title was for Lord Robert Stewart, an illegitimate son of King James V
. His successor Patrick, however, forfeited the title.
The last creation of the earldom was in favour of the man who would become the first British
Field Marshal
, Lord George Hamilton, the fifth son of William Douglas, Duke of Hamilton
. By marriage, the title passed to the O'Brien family, then to the Fitzmaurice family, and finally to the St John family. The present earl holds the subsidiary titles of Viscount of Kirkwall and Lord Dechmont. Both subsidiary titles were created at the same time as the earldom, in 1696.
was made Lord Dechmont, Viscount of Kirkwall and Earl of Orkney in the Peerage of Scotland
. Hamilton was the fifth son of William Douglas-Hamilton, Duke of Hamilton and 1st Earl of Selkirk and his wife Anne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton
. The peerages were created with remainder to the heirs whatsoever of his body, which means that the titles can be passed on through both male and female lines. Lord Orkney was succeeded by his eldest daughter Anne, the second Countess. She married her first cousin William O'Brien, 4th Earl of Inchiquin
. On her death the titles passed to her daughter, the third Countess. She married her second cousin Murrough O'Brien, 1st Marquess of Thomond
(the nephew of the fourth Earl of Inchiquin). She was succeeded by her daughter, the fourth Countess. She married the Hon. Thomas Fitzmaurice, second son of John Petty, 1st Earl of Shelburne
and younger brother of Prime Minister William Petty, 1st Marquess of Lansdowne. On her death the titles passed to her grandson, the fifth Earl. He sat in the House of Lords
as a Scottish Representative Peer
from 1833 to 1874.
His son, the sixth Earl, was a Scottish Representative Peer
from 1885 to 1889. He was succeeded by his nephew, the seventh Earl. On his death the peerages passed to his second cousin twice removed, the eighth Earl. He was the great-grandson of the Hon. Frederick Fitzmaurice, third son of the fifth Earl. The succession was approved by the Court of the Lord Lyon
in 1955. He died childless and was succeeded by his third cousin, the ninth Earl. He is the son of Frederick Oliver St John, son of Isabella Annie Fitzmaurice, daughter of the Hon. James Terence Fitzmaurice, fifth son of the fifth Earl of Orkney. Lord Orkney lives in Canada and has been a professor at the University of Manitoba
. His paternal grandfather Sir Frederick Robert St John was the youngest son of the Hon. Ferdinand St John, third son of George St John, 3rd Viscount Bolingbroke and 4th Viscount St John
. Consequently, Lord Orkney is also in remainder to the viscounties of Bolingbroke and St John and their subsidiary titles.
The heir apparent
is the present holder's son Oliver St John, Viscount Kirkwall (b. 1969).
Norsemen
Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who spoke what is now called the Old Norse language belonging to the North Germanic branch of Indo-European languages, especially Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Swedish and Danish in their earlier forms.The meaning of Norseman was "people...
jarl
Earl
An earl is a member of the nobility. The title is Anglo-Saxon, akin to the Scandinavian form jarl, and meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. In Scandinavia, it became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced with duke...
ruling Orkney, Shetland and parts of Caithness
Caithness
Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
and Sutherland
Sutherland
Sutherland is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic administrative county of Scotland. It is now within the Highland local government area. In Gaelic the area is referred to according to its traditional areas: Dùthaich 'IcAoidh , Asainte , and Cataibh...
. The Earls were periodically subject to the kings of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
for the Northern Isles
Northern Isles
The Northern Isles is a chain of islands off the north coast of mainland Scotland. The climate is cool and temperate and much influenced by the surrounding seas. There are two main island groups: Shetland and Orkney...
, and later also to the kings of Alba
Kingdom of Alba
The name Kingdom of Alba pertains to the Kingdom of Scotland between the deaths of Donald II in 900, and of Alexander III in 1286 which then led indirectly to the Scottish Wars of Independence...
for those parts of their territory in mainland Scotland (i.e. Caithness and Sutherland). The Earl's status as a Norwegian vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
was formalised in 1195. In 1232 a Scottish dynasty descended from the Mormaers of Angus replaced the previous family descended from the Mormaers of Atholl, although it remained formally subject to Norway. This family was in turn replaced by the descendants of the Mormaers of Strathearn and later still by the Sinclair family
Henry I Sinclair, Earl of Orkney
Henry I Sinclair, Earl of Orkney and feudal baron of Roslin was a Scottish nobleman. He is sometimes identified by another spelling of his surname, St. Clair. He was the grandfather of William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness, the builder of Rosslyn Chapel...
, during whose time Orkney passed to Scots control.
The first known Earl of Orkney was Rognvald Eysteinsson
Ragnvald Eysteinsson
Rognvald "The Wise" Eysteinsson is the founder of the Earldom of Orkney in the Norse Sagas. Three quite different accounts of the creation of the Norse earldom on Orkney and Shetland exist...
(Rognvald, Earl of Møre
Møre og Romsdal
is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in Molde, while Ålesund is the largest city.-The name:...
), who died around 890. Subsequent Earls, with one exception, were descended from Rognvald or his brother Sigurd
Sigurd Eysteinsson
Sigurd Eysteinsson was the second Viking Earl of Orkney, who succeeded his brother Rognvald Eysteinsson. He was a leader in the Viking conquest of what is now northern Scotland. Bizarrely, he was killed by the severed head of one his enemies, Máel Brigte, who may have been mórmaer of Moray...
until 1232.
Norse Earls of Orkney
The Norse Earldom was frequently under joint rule. The possessions of the Earldom included the Mormaerdom of CaithnessMormaerdom of Caithness
The Mormaer of Caithness ruled a distinct mormaerdom in medieval Scotland in that it generally was held by a "foreign" prince, the Norse Earl of Orkney, the ruler of neighboring "Norwegian" province....
and, until 1194, the Shetland Islands
Shetland Islands
Shetland is a subarctic archipelago of Scotland that lies north and east of mainland Great Britain. The islands lie some to the northeast of Orkney and southeast of the Faroe Islands and form part of the division between the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the North Sea to the east. The total...
.
- Ragnvald EysteinssonRagnvald EysteinssonRognvald "The Wise" Eysteinsson is the founder of the Earldom of Orkney in the Norse Sagas. Three quite different accounts of the creation of the Norse earldom on Orkney and Shetland exist...
, Earl of Møre, 9th century - Sigurd EysteinssonSigurd EysteinssonSigurd Eysteinsson was the second Viking Earl of Orkney, who succeeded his brother Rognvald Eysteinsson. He was a leader in the Viking conquest of what is now northern Scotland. Bizarrely, he was killed by the severed head of one his enemies, Máel Brigte, who may have been mórmaer of Moray...
(Sigurd the Mighty), brother of Ragnvald, 9th century - Guthorm Sigurdsson, c. 890
- Hallad Rognvaldsson, c. 891–c. 893
- Turf-Einar Rognvaldsson (Turf-Einar), c. 893–c. 946
- Arnkel Turf-Einarsson, 946–954 (died at the same battle as Eric BloodaxeEric BloodaxeEric Haraldsson , nicknamed ‘Bloodaxe’ , was a 10th-century Scandinavian ruler. He is thought to have had short-lived terms as the second king of Norway and possibly as the last independent ruler of the kingdom of Northumbria Eric Haraldsson (Eric, anglicised form of ; died 954), nicknamed...
) - Erlend Turf-Einarsson, (d. 954) (died at the same battle as Eric BloodaxeEric BloodaxeEric Haraldsson , nicknamed ‘Bloodaxe’ , was a 10th-century Scandinavian ruler. He is thought to have had short-lived terms as the second king of Norway and possibly as the last independent ruler of the kingdom of Northumbria Eric Haraldsson (Eric, anglicised form of ; died 954), nicknamed...
) - Thorfinn Turf-EinarssonThorfinn Turf-Einarsson, Earl of OrkneyThorfinn 'Skullsplitter' Hausakljufr was earl of Orkney. He was the youngest son of Torf-Einarr. Thorfinn married Grelod, daughter of the Mormaer of Caithness and granddaughter of Thorstein the Red. Thorfinn and Grelod had five sons and two daughters...
(Thorfinn Skull-Splitter), c. 963–c. 976 - Arnfinn Thorfinnsson, with Havard, Ljot and Hlodvir, c. 976–c. 991
- Havard Thorfinnsson, with Arnfinn, Ljot and Hlodvir, c. 976–c. 991
- Ljot Thorfinnsson, with Arnfinn, Havard and Hlodvir, c. 976–c. 991
- Hlodvir Thorfinnsson, with Arnfinn, Havard and Ljot, c. 980–c. 991
- Sigurd HlodvirssonSigurd Hlodvirsson, Earl of OrkneySigurd Hlodvisson , popularly known as Sigurd the Stout, was Earl of Orkney. The main source for his life is the Orkneyinga Saga, written some two centuries after his death....
(Sigurd the Stout), 991–1014 - Brusi SigurdssonBrusi SigurdssonBrusi Sigurdsson was one of Sigurd Hlodvirsson's four sons . He was jointly Earl of Orkney from 1014. His life is recorded in the Orkneyinga Saga....
, with Einar, Sumarlidi and Thorfinn, 1014–1030 - Einar SigurdssonEinar Sigurdsson, Earl of OrkneyEinar Sigurdsson , also called Einar Wry-Mouth, was a son of Sigurd Hlodvirsson. He was jointly Earl of Orkney from 1014. His life is recorded in the Orkneyinga Saga....
(Einar Wry-mouth), with Brusi and Sumarlidi, 1014–1020 - Sumarlidi SigurdssonSumarlidi SigurdssonSumarlidi Sigurdsson was jointly Earl of Orkney with his brothers Brusi and Einar Wry-Mouth following the death of their father, Sigurd Hlodvisson at the battle of Clontarf.Sumarlidi is reported to have died in his bed...
, with Brusi and Einar, 1014–1015 - Thorfinn SigurdssonThorfinn Sigurdsson, Earl of OrkneyThorfinn Sigurdsson , called Thorfinn the Mighty, was an 11th-century Earl of Orkney. One of five brothers , sons of Earl Sigurd Hlodvirsson by his marriage to the daughter of Malcolm II of Scotland...
(Thorfinn the Mighty), with Brusi and Rögnvald, 1020–1064 - Rögnvald BrusasonRognvald BrusasonRognvald Brusason , son of Brusi Sigurdsson, was Earl of Orkney jointly with Thorfinn Sigurdsson from about 1037 onwards. His life is recorded in the Orkneyinga Saga....
, with Thorfinn, c. 1037–c. 1045 - Paul and Erlend Thorfinnsson, 1064–1098
- Sigurd MagnussonSigurd I of NorwaySigurd I Magnusson , also known as Sigurd the Crusader , was King of Norway from 1103 to 1130. His rule, together with his brother Eystein I of Norway , has been regarded by historians as a golden age for the medieval Kingdom of Norway...
(Sigurd the Jerusalem-farer), later King of Norway, son of King Magnus BarelegMagnus III of NorwayMagnus Barefoot or Magnus III Olafsson was King of Norway from 1093 until 1103 and King of Mann and the Isles from 1099 until 1103.-Background:...
, 1098–1103 - Haakon PaulssonHaakon PaulssonHaakon Paulsson was a Norwegian Jarl and jointly ruled the Earldom of Orkney together with his cousin Magnus Erlendsson....
, son of Paul Thorfinsson, with Magnus, 1103–1123 - Magnus ErlendssonMagnus Erlendsson, Earl of OrkneySaint Magnus, Earl Magnus Erlendsson of Orkney, sometimes known as Magnus the Martyr, was the first Earl of Orkney to bear that name, and ruled from 1108 to about 1115...
(Saint Magnus), with Haakon, 1108–1117 - Harald HaakonssonHarald HaakonssonHarald Haakonsson was joint Earl of Orkney in 1122–1127.-References:...
, with Paul, 1122–1127 - Paul HaakonssonPaul HaakonssonPaul Haakonsson was joint Earl of Orkney from 1122 until 1137.Paul Haakonsson served jointly as Earl of Orkney together with Harald Haakonsson. Paul Haakonsson had not been well loved by his female kin. In 1137, Paul was reportedly abdicated and killed on the orders of the mother of Harald...
, with Harald, 1122–1137 - Rögnvald Kali Kolsson (Saint Rögnvald), with Harald Maddadsson and Erlend, 1136–1158
- Harald MaddadssonHarald MaddadssonHarald Maddadsson was Earl of Orkney and Mormaer of Caithness from 1139 until 1206. He was the son of Matad, Mormaer of Atholl, and Margaret, daughter of Earl Haakon Paulsson of Orkney...
, with Rögnvald, Erlend and Harald Eiriksson, 1134–1206 - Erlend HaraldssonErlend HaraldssonErlend Haraldsson was joint Earl of Orkney in 1151–1154....
, son of Harald Haakonsson, with Harald Maddadsson, 1151–1154 - Harald EirikssonHarald EirikssonHarald Eiríksson was joint Earl of Orkney with Harald Maddadsson. Harald Eiríksson, also known as Harald the Young, was the son of Orkney chief Eirik Stagbrell and Ingerid Ragnvaldsdotter, the daughter of Rögnvald Kali Kolsson, the former Earl of Orkney....
, in CaithnessCaithnessCaithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
, grandson of Rögnvald Kali, with Harald, 1191–1194 - David HaraldssonDavid HaraldssonDavid Haraldsson was joint Earl of Orkney from 1206 to 1214.David Haraldsson and his brother Jon Haraldsson were the sons of Harald Maddadsson with his second wife Hvarflod, daughter of Earl Máel Coluim of Moray. Jon and David became joint Earls of Orkney after the death of their father in 1206...
, with Heinrik and Jon, 1206–1214 - Heinrik HaraldssonHeinrik HaraldssonHeinrik Haraldsson was joint Earl of Orkney from 1206 until before 1231. Heinrek Haraldsson was the son of Harald Maddadsson and his first wife Affrica...
, in CaithnessCaithnessCaithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
, with David and Jon, 1206–before 1231 - Jon HaraldssonJon HaraldssonJon Haraldsson was Earl of Orkney between 1206 and 1231.Jon Haraldsson and his brother David were the sons of Harald Maddadsson with his second wife Hvarflod, daughter of Earl Máel Coluim of Moray. Jon and David were joint Earls of Orkney after the death of their father...
, with David and Heinrik, 1206–1231
The Angus Earls
In 1236, Magnus, son of Gille Brigte, Mormaer of Angus, was granted the Earldom of Orkney by King Haakon HaakonssonHaakon IV of Norway
Haakon Haakonarson , also called Haakon the Old, was king of Norway from 1217 to 1263. Under his rule, medieval Norway reached its peak....
.
- Magnus, son of Gille Brigte, c. 1236–1239
- Gille Brigte, son of Magnus, 1239–?
- Gille Brigte, son of Gille Brigte, perhaps the same as the previous Gille Brigte, ?–1256
- Magnus, son of Gille BrigteMagnus(II), son of Gille BrigteMagnus , son of Gille Brigte, was Earl of Orkney in 1256–1273....
, 1256–1273 - Magnus MagnussonMagnus Magnusson, Earl of OrkneyMagnus Magnusson was Earl of Orkney in 1273–1284. In 1284 he joined with other Scottish noblemen who acknowledged Margaret of Norway as the heir of Alexander.-Sources:...
, 1273–1284 - Jón MagnússonJon Magnusson, Earl of OrkneyJón Magnússon was Earl of Orkney in 1284–c. 1300....
, 1284–c. 1300 - Magnús JónssonMagnus Jonsson, Earl of OrkneyMagnús Jónsson was Earl of Orkney c. 1300–1321....
, c. 1300–1321
The Strathearn and Sinclair Earls
Some time after Magnus Jonsson's death, around 1331, the Earldom was granted to Maol ÍosaMaol Íosa V, Earl of Strathearn
Maol Íosa V of Strathearn was the last of the native Gaelic family of Strathearn mormaers. He ruled Strathearn as mormaer/earl between 1330 and 1334, and was Earl of Orkney between 1331 and 1350....
(Malise), Mormaer of Strathearn, a distant relative of the first Earl Gille Brigte. Maol Íosa ruled Orkney and Caithness from 1331 to 1350. He left several daughters, but no sons. Orkney passed to his son-in-law, the Swedish councillor Erengisle Suneson
Erengisle Suneson, Earl of Orkney
Erengisle Sunesson of Hultboda, earl of Orkney was an important Swedish magnate in 14th century. In his later life, he was known as Jarl Erengisle in Sweden...
. Another son-in-law, Alexander de l'Ard, ruled as Earl of Caithness
Earl of Caithness
Earl of Caithness is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland, and has a very complex history. Its first grant, in the modern sense as to have been counted in strict lists of peerages, is now generally held to have taken place in favor of Maol Íosa V, Earl of...
from 1350 until 1375, when the Earldom passed to the King of the Scots.
In 1379, the Earldom of Orkney, without Caithness, was granted to another son-in-law of Maol Íosa, Henry Sinclair, by King Haakon VI Magnusson
Haakon VI of Norway
Haakon VI of Norway was King of Norway from 1343 until his death and King of Sweden from 1362 until 1364, when he was deposed by Albert of Mecklenburg in Sweden.-Background:...
. Earl Henry ruled until his death in 1401, and was succeeded by a son named Henry, who was followed by his son Earl William
William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness
William Sinclair , 1st Earl of Caithness , 3rd Earl of Orkney , Baron of Roslin was a Scottish nobleman and the builder of Rosslyn Chapel, in Midlothian....
, to whom the Earldom of Caithness was granted by the King of Scots in 1455. However, Orkney and Shetland were pledged to James III
James III of Scotland
James III was King of Scots from 1460 to 1488. James was an unpopular and ineffective monarch owing to an unwillingness to administer justice fairly, a policy of pursuing alliance with the Kingdom of England, and a disastrous relationship with nearly all his extended family.His reputation as the...
in place of a dowry for his bride Margaret of Denmark by Christian I. James took the Earldom of Orkney for the Crown in 1470, and William was thereafter Earl of Caithness alone until he resigned the Earldom in favour of his son William in 1476, dying in 1484.
- Maol ÍosaMaol Íosa V, Earl of StrathearnMaol Íosa V of Strathearn was the last of the native Gaelic family of Strathearn mormaers. He ruled Strathearn as mormaer/earl between 1330 and 1334, and was Earl of Orkney between 1331 and 1350....
, (Strathearn 1330–1334; Caithness 1331–1334) 1331–1350 - Erengisle SunesonErengisle Suneson, Earl of OrkneyErengisle Sunesson of Hultboda, earl of Orkney was an important Swedish magnate in 14th century. In his later life, he was known as Jarl Erengisle in Sweden...
, (Orkney only) 1353–1357 - Alexander de l'ArdEarl of CaithnessEarl of Caithness is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland, and has a very complex history. Its first grant, in the modern sense as to have been counted in strict lists of peerages, is now generally held to have taken place in favor of Maol Íosa V, Earl of...
, (Caithness only) 1350–1375 - Henry Sinclair, (Orkney and Shetland) 1379–1401
- Henry SinclairHenry II Sinclair, Earl of OrkneyHenry Sinclair, 2nd Earl of Orkney was a Scottish nobleman and Pantler of Scotland.-Life:He was son of Henry Sinclair, 1st Earl of Orkney by his wife Jean, daughter of John Halyburton of Dirleton. Sinclair was one of those captured following the Battle of Homildon Hill, but released on ransom...
, (Orkney and Shetland) 1401–? - William SinclairWilliam Sinclair, 1st Earl of CaithnessWilliam Sinclair , 1st Earl of Caithness , 3rd Earl of Orkney , Baron of Roslin was a Scottish nobleman and the builder of Rosslyn Chapel, in Midlothian....
, (Orkney and Shetland; Caithness 1455–1476) ?–1470
Scottish Earls
The next Orkney title was the dukedom of Orkney, which was given to James Hepburn, 4th Earl of BothwellJames Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell
James Hepburn, 1st Duke of Orkney , better known by his inherited title as 4th Earl of Bothwell, was hereditary Lord High Admiral of Scotland. He is best known for his association with and subsequent marriage to Mary, Queen of Scots, as her third husband...
, husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1567. Later that year, however, he forfeited the title when his wife was forced to abdicate.
The second creation of the title was for Lord Robert Stewart, an illegitimate son of King James V
James V of Scotland
James V was King of Scots from 9 September 1513 until his death, which followed the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss...
. His successor Patrick, however, forfeited the title.
The last creation of the earldom was in favour of the man who would become the first British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
, Lord George Hamilton, the fifth son of William Douglas, Duke of Hamilton
William Douglas, Duke of Hamilton
William Douglas-Hamilton, 3rd Duke of Hamilton, KG, PC , born Lord William Douglas, was the son of William Douglas, 1st Marquess of Douglas and his second wife Lady Mary Gordon, a daughter of George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly...
. By marriage, the title passed to the O'Brien family, then to the Fitzmaurice family, and finally to the St John family. The present earl holds the subsidiary titles of Viscount of Kirkwall and Lord Dechmont. Both subsidiary titles were created at the same time as the earldom, in 1696.
Dukes of Orkney (1567)
- James Hepburn, 1st Duke of OrkneyJames Hepburn, 4th Earl of BothwellJames Hepburn, 1st Duke of Orkney , better known by his inherited title as 4th Earl of Bothwell, was hereditary Lord High Admiral of Scotland. He is best known for his association with and subsequent marriage to Mary, Queen of Scots, as her third husband...
(c. 1535–1578) (forfeit 1567)
Earls of Orkney, Second Creation (1581)
- Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of OrkneyRobert Stewart, 1st Earl of OrkneyRobert Stewart, Knt., 1st Earl of Orkney and Lord of Zetland was a recognized illegitimate son of James V, King of Scotland, and his mistress Eupheme Elphinstone....
(1533–1593) - Patrick Stewart, 2nd Earl of OrkneyPatrick Stewart, 2nd Earl of OrkneyPatrick Stewart, 2nd Earl of Orkney and Lord of Shetland was the son of Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney.On the death of his uncle, Lord Robert Stewart, junior, in 1581 Patrick was given the gift of the Priory of Whithorn...
(c. 1569–1614) (forfeit 1614)
Earls of Orkney, Third Creation (1696)
The third creation came in 1696 when the soldier Lord George HamiltonGeorge Hamilton, 1st Earl of Orkney
Field Marshal George Douglas-Hamilton, 1st Earl of Orkney KT was a British soldier and Scottish nobleman and the first British Army officer to be promoted to the rank of Field Marshal. The son of the Duke and Duchess of Hamilton, he fought for William of Orange in Ireland and the Low Countries...
was made Lord Dechmont, Viscount of Kirkwall and Earl of Orkney in the Peerage of Scotland
Peerage of Scotland
The Peerage of Scotland is the division of the British Peerage for those peers created in the Kingdom of Scotland before 1707. With that year's Act of Union, the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England were combined into the Kingdom of Great Britain, and a new Peerage of Great Britain was...
. Hamilton was the fifth son of William Douglas-Hamilton, Duke of Hamilton and 1st Earl of Selkirk and his wife Anne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton
Anne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton
Anne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton was a Scottish peeress.The daughter of Sir James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton and 3rd Marquess of Hamilton, Scottish General and premier peer of the realm, and Lady Mary Feilding, daughter of William Feilding, 1st Earl of Denbigh and Lady Susan Villiers, a...
. The peerages were created with remainder to the heirs whatsoever of his body, which means that the titles can be passed on through both male and female lines. Lord Orkney was succeeded by his eldest daughter Anne, the second Countess. She married her first cousin William O'Brien, 4th Earl of Inchiquin
William O'Brien, 4th Earl of Inchiquin
William McWilliam O'Brien, 4th Earl of Inchiquin, KB, PC was an Irish peer and politician.-Background:O'Brien was the eldest son of William O'Brien, 3rd Earl of Inchiquin and his wife, Mary , sister of the 1st Earl of Jersey, and inherited his father's titles in 1719.-Political career:Inchiquin...
. On her death the titles passed to her daughter, the third Countess. She married her second cousin Murrough O'Brien, 1st Marquess of Thomond
Murrough O'Brien, 1st Marquess of Thomond
Murrough O'Brien, 1st Marquess of Thomond KP, PC , known from 1777 to 1800 as the 5th Earl of Inchiquin, was an Irish peer, soldier and politician.-Life:Murrough O'Brien was born in 1726 to Hon...
(the nephew of the fourth Earl of Inchiquin). She was succeeded by her daughter, the fourth Countess. She married the Hon. Thomas Fitzmaurice, second son of John Petty, 1st Earl of Shelburne
John Petty, 1st Earl of Shelburne
John Petty, 1st Earl of Shelburne PC , known as John FitzMaurice until 1751 and as The Viscount FitzMaurice between 1751 and 1753, was an Anglo-Irish peer and politician...
and younger brother of Prime Minister William Petty, 1st Marquess of Lansdowne. On her death the titles passed to her grandson, the fifth Earl. He sat in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
as a Scottish Representative Peer
Representative peer
In the United Kingdom, representative peers were those peers elected by the members of the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of Ireland to sit in the British House of Lords...
from 1833 to 1874.
His son, the sixth Earl, was a Scottish Representative Peer
Representative peer
In the United Kingdom, representative peers were those peers elected by the members of the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of Ireland to sit in the British House of Lords...
from 1885 to 1889. He was succeeded by his nephew, the seventh Earl. On his death the peerages passed to his second cousin twice removed, the eighth Earl. He was the great-grandson of the Hon. Frederick Fitzmaurice, third son of the fifth Earl. The succession was approved by the Court of the Lord Lyon
Court of the Lord Lyon
The Court of the Lord Lyon, also known as the Lyon Court, is a standing court of law which regulates heraldry in Scotland. Like the College of Arms in England it maintains the register of grants of arms, known as the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland, as well as records of...
in 1955. He died childless and was succeeded by his third cousin, the ninth Earl. He is the son of Frederick Oliver St John, son of Isabella Annie Fitzmaurice, daughter of the Hon. James Terence Fitzmaurice, fifth son of the fifth Earl of Orkney. Lord Orkney lives in Canada and has been a professor at the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
. His paternal grandfather Sir Frederick Robert St John was the youngest son of the Hon. Ferdinand St John, third son of George St John, 3rd Viscount Bolingbroke and 4th Viscount St John
George St John, 3rd Viscount Bolingbroke
George Richard St John, 3rd Viscount Bolingbroke and 4th Viscount St John , styled The Honourable from birth until 1787, was a British peer and politician...
. Consequently, Lord Orkney is also in remainder to the viscounties of Bolingbroke and St John and their subsidiary titles.
- George Hamilton, 1st Earl of OrkneyGeorge Hamilton, 1st Earl of OrkneyField Marshal George Douglas-Hamilton, 1st Earl of Orkney KT was a British soldier and Scottish nobleman and the first British Army officer to be promoted to the rank of Field Marshal. The son of the Duke and Duchess of Hamilton, he fought for William of Orange in Ireland and the Low Countries...
(1666–1737) - Anne O'Brien, 2nd Countess of OrkneyAnne O'Brien, 2nd Countess of OrkneyAnne Douglas-Hamilton, 2nd Countess of Orkney was a Scottish noblewoman and the eldest daughter of Field Marshal George Hamilton, 1st Earl of Orkney, and Elizabeth Villiers....
(d. 1756) - Mary O'Brien, 3rd Countess of OrkneyMary O'Brien, 3rd Countess of OrkneyMary O'Brien, 3rd Countess of Orkney was the eldest daughter of Anne O'Brien, 2nd Countess of Orkney and William O'Brien, 4th Earl of Inchiquin, and Countess of Orkney in her own right....
(c. 1721–1791) - Mary FitzMaurice, 4th Countess of OrkneyMary FitzMaurice, 4th Countess of OrkneyMary FitzMaurice, 4th Countess of Orkney was a Scottish suo jure peeress, the only surviving child of Murrough O'Brien, 1st Marquess of Thomond and Mary O'Brien, 3rd Countess of Orkney....
(1755–1831)- John Hamilton FitzMaurice, Viscount KirkwallJohn FitzMaurice, Viscount KirkwallJohn Hamilton FitzMaurice, Viscount Kirkwall , known as John FitzMaurice until 1791, was a British politician.-Background:...
(1778–1820)
- John Hamilton FitzMaurice, Viscount Kirkwall
- Thomas John Hamilton FitzMaurice, 5th Earl of OrkneyThomas FitzMaurice, 5th Earl of OrkneyThomas FitzMaurice, 5th Earl of Orkney , was born 8 August 1803 and died 16 May 1877. He married Charlotte Irby on 14 March 1826. Their son George William Hamilton FitzMaurice became the 6th Earl of Orkney. Their fourth son, Alexander Temple FitzMaurice, became a Groom of the Bedchamber in 1867...
(1803–1877) - George William Hamilton FitzMaurice, 6th Earl of OrkneyGeorge FitzMaurice, 6th Earl of OrkneyGeorge William Hamilton FitzMaurice, 6th Earl of Orkney was a Scottish nobleman.George FitzMaurice was the son of Thomas FitzMaurice, 5th Earl of Orkney and the Hon. Charlotte Irby. He married Amelia de Samuel in London in 1872...
(1827–1889) - Edmond Walter FitzMaurice, 7th Earl of Orkney (1867–1951)
- Cecil O'Bryen FitzMaurice, 8th Earl of OrkneyCecil FitzMaurice, 8th Earl of OrkneyCecil O'Bryen Fitz-Maurice, 8th Earl of Orkney was a Scottish peer. He held the subsidiary titles of Viscount of Kirkwall and Baron of Dechmont....
(1919–1998) - Oliver Peter St John, 9th Earl of Orkney (b. 1938)
The heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
is the present holder's son Oliver St John, Viscount Kirkwall (b. 1969).
See also
- Mormaer of Caithness
- Duke of HamiltonDuke of HamiltonDuke of Hamilton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created in 1643. It is the senior dukedom in that Peerage , and as such its holder is the Premier Peer of Scotland, as well as being head of both the House of Hamilton and the House of Douglas...
- Earl of Inchiquin
- Earl of Inchiquin and Marquess of ThomondBaron InchiquinBaron Inchiquin is one of the older titles in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1543 for Murrough O'Brien, Prince of Thomond, who was descended from the great high king Brian Boru)...
- Earl of SelkirkEarl of SelkirkEarl of Selkirk is a title in the Peerage of Scotland.It was created on 4 August 1646 for Lord William Douglas, third son of William Douglas, 1st Marquess of Douglas, along with the title Lord Daer and Shortcleuch...
- Viscount BolingbrokeViscount BolingbrokeViscount Bolingbroke / Viscount St John is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain and is currently held by Nicholas Alexander Mowbray St John, the 9th Viscount Bolingbroke and 10th Viscount St John who lives in Sydney Australia....
- Viscount St John
External links
- Earl Henry Sinclair
- The 9th and present Earl of Orkney
- Orkneyjar The Heritage of the Orkney Islands