William Keith, 4th Earl Marischal
Encyclopedia
William Keith, 4th Earl Marischal (24 July 1506 - 7 October 1581) was a Scottish nobleman and politician.
He fought at the Battle of Pinkie in 1547, in which the Scots were defeated by the English forces led by Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
in a sanguineous battle that was part of the War of the Rough Wooing. Keith was said to have been in favour of the proposed marriage between the infant Mary, Queen of Scots, and Prince Edward of England
, son of King Henry VIII
. He held the Office of Extraordinary Lord of Session in 1541, 1561, and lastly in 1573.
In 1561, he was a member of Queen Mary's Privy Council
.
Alexander, (1540-1630)
Keith's chief residence was Dunnottar Castle
in Aberdeenshire
.
James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, his son-in-law, was the illegitimate half-brother of Queen Mary, and regent
for her son King James VI
from 1567 to January 1570 when he was assassinated.
When he died on 7 October 1581, he was succeeded by his grandson, George Keith
, who became 5th Earl Marischal.
Family background and career
Keith was born on 24 July 1506, the son of Robert Keith, Master of Marischal and Lady Elizabeth Douglas.He fought at the Battle of Pinkie 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
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Viscount Beauchamp of Hache, KG, Earl Marshal was Lord Protector of England in the period between the death of Henry VIII in 1547 and his own indictment in 1549....
in a sanguineous battle that was part of the War of the Rough Wooing. Keith was said to have been in favour of the proposed marriage between the infant Mary, Queen of Scots, and Prince Edward of England
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
, son of King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
. He held the Office of Extraordinary Lord of Session in 1541, 1561, and lastly in 1573.
In 1561, he was a member of Queen Mary's Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
.
Marriage and issue
He was married to Margaret Keith, by whom he had at least nine children:- William Keith, Master of Marischal (died 1580)
- Hon. Robert Keith, 1st Lord Altrie (died 1596)
- Agnes Keith, Countess of MorayAgnes Keith, Countess of MorayAgnes Keith, Countess of Moray was a Scottish noblewoman having been the eldest daughter of William Keith, 4th Earl Marischal. 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 of the...
also Anne (c.1540 – 16 July 1588), m. 1st to the Regent MorayJames Stewart, 1st Earl of MorayJames Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray , a member of the House of Stewart as the illegitimate son of King James V, was Regent of Scotland for his nephew, the infant King James VI of Scotland, from 1567 until his assassination in 1570...
, 2nd. to Colin Campbell, 6th Earl of ArgyllColin Campbell, 6th Earl of ArgyllColin Campbell, 6th Earl of Argyll was a Scottish nobleman and politician. He was appointed to the Lord Chancellorship of Scotland.-Biography:... - Elizabeth, m. to Sir Alexander Irvine of Drum
- Alison, m. to Alexander Abernethy, 6th Lord Saltoun
- Mary, m. to Sir John Campbell of Calder
- Beatrice, m. to Sir John Allardice of Allardice
- Janet, m. to James Crichton of Frendraught
Alexander, (1540-1630)
- Margaret, m. to Sir John Kennedy of Balquhan.
Keith's chief residence was Dunnottar Castle
Dunnottar Castle
Dunnottar Castle is a ruined medieval fortress located upon a rocky headland on the north-east coast of Scotland, about two miles south of Stonehaven. The surviving buildings are largely of the 15th–16th centuries, but the site is believed to have been an early fortress of the Dark Ages...
in Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
.
James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, his son-in-law, was the illegitimate half-brother of Queen Mary, and regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
for her son King James VI
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
from 1567 to January 1570 when he was assassinated.
When he died on 7 October 1581, he was succeeded by his grandson, George Keith
George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal
George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal was a Scottish nobleman and Earl Marischal. He succeeded as earl on 7 October 1581, upon the death of his grandfather, William Keith, 4th Earl Marischal....
, who became 5th Earl Marischal.