Earl of Kellie
Encyclopedia
The title Earl of Kellie or Kelly is one of the peerage
titles of in the Peerage of Scotland
, created in 1619 for Sir Thomas Erskine, who was Captain of the Guard
and Groom of the Stool
for James VI. It is named after Barony of Kellie in Fife
, Scotland
.
The Earldom of Kellie was united with the Earldom of Mar in 1835, when the twenty-sixth Earl of Mar
became also the eleventh Earl of Kellie. At the death of that Earl in 1866, the Earldom of Kellie and the family's estates passed to Walter Erskine, the cousin of the late Earl, and his heir-male. Meanwhile, it was assumed that the Earldom of Mar passed to John Francis Goodeve, the late Earl's nephew, and his heir-general. Goodeve changed his name to Goodeve Erskine; his claim was agreed upon by most individuals. He even participated in the election of representative peers for the Peerage of Scotland.
However, the Earl of Kellie submitted a petition to the House of Lords
asking that the Earldom of Mar be declared his, dying before it could be considered. His son, the thirteenth Earl of Kellie, renewed the petition, and the Lords decided the matter in 1875, determining that the Earldom of Mar properly belonged to the Earl of Kellie. However, due to a sentiment that the Lords had decided wrongly, the Earldom of Mar Restitution Act was passed. That Act declared that there were two Earldoms of Mar — one that would belong to the Earl of Kellie, and another that would belong to John Goodeve Erskine. For further details, see Earl of Mar
.
The subsidiary titles belonging to the Earl of Mar and Kellie are: Viscount of Fentoun or Fenton (created 1606), Lord Erskine (1429) and Lord Erskine of Dirleton (1603), the former of which is used as a courtesy title
for the eldest son and heir of the Earl. Both titles are in the Peerage of Scotland. The Earl is Hereditary Keeper of Stirling Castle
.
The heir presumptive is the Earl's brother the Hon. Alexander David Erskine, Master of Mar (b. 1952).
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
titles of 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...
, created in 1619 for Sir Thomas Erskine, who was Captain of the Guard
Captain of the Guard
The Captain of the Guard is the commanding position of a military security force. The position of Captain of the Guard is not or no longer associated with the rank of Captain. The Guard is commonly associated with bodyguard duty for royalty or head of state, but the Guard can refer to the military...
and Groom of the Stool
Groom of the Stool
The Groom of the Stool was the most intimate of a monarch's courtiers, whose physical intimacy naturally led to him becoming a man in whom much confidence was placed by his royal master, and with whom many royal secrets were shared as a matter of course...
for James VI. It is named after Barony of Kellie in Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
The Earldom of Kellie was united with the Earldom of Mar in 1835, when the twenty-sixth Earl of Mar
Earl of Mar
The Mormaer or Earl of Mar is a title that has been created seven times, all in the Peerage of Scotland. The first creation of the earldom was originally the provincial ruler of the province of Mar in north-eastern Scotland...
became also the eleventh Earl of Kellie. At the death of that Earl in 1866, the Earldom of Kellie and the family's estates passed to Walter Erskine, the cousin of the late Earl, and his heir-male. Meanwhile, it was assumed that the Earldom of Mar passed to John Francis Goodeve, the late Earl's nephew, and his heir-general. Goodeve changed his name to Goodeve Erskine; his claim was agreed upon by most individuals. He even participated in the election of representative peers for the Peerage of Scotland.
However, the Earl of Kellie submitted a petition to 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....
asking that the Earldom of Mar be declared his, dying before it could be considered. His son, the thirteenth Earl of Kellie, renewed the petition, and the Lords decided the matter in 1875, determining that the Earldom of Mar properly belonged to the Earl of Kellie. However, due to a sentiment that the Lords had decided wrongly, the Earldom of Mar Restitution Act was passed. That Act declared that there were two Earldoms of Mar — one that would belong to the Earl of Kellie, and another that would belong to John Goodeve Erskine. For further details, see Earl of Mar
Earl of Mar
The Mormaer or Earl of Mar is a title that has been created seven times, all in the Peerage of Scotland. The first creation of the earldom was originally the provincial ruler of the province of Mar in north-eastern Scotland...
.
The subsidiary titles belonging to the Earl of Mar and Kellie are: Viscount of Fentoun or Fenton (created 1606), Lord Erskine (1429) and Lord Erskine of Dirleton (1603), the former of which is used as a courtesy title
Courtesy title
A courtesy title is a form of address in systems of nobility used for children, former wives and other close relatives of a peer. These styles are used 'by courtesy' in the sense that the relatives do not themselves hold substantive titles...
for the eldest son and heir of the Earl. Both titles are in the Peerage of Scotland. The Earl is Hereditary Keeper of Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep...
.
Earls of Kellie (1619)
- Sir Thomas Erskine, 1st Earl of KellieThomas Erskine, 1st Earl of KellieSir Thomas Erskine, 1st Earl of Kellie KG was a Scottish peer.-Biography:Thomas Erskine was the eldest surviving son of Sir Alexander Erskine of Gogar and Margaret Home....
(1566–1639) - Thomas Erskine, 2nd Earl of Kellie (d. 1643)
- Alexander Erskine, 3rd Earl of KellieAlexander Erskine, 3rd Earl of Kellie-Biography:Alexander Erskine inherited the title after the death of his brother Thomas in 1643.The earl was a staunch Royalist, fighting as Colonel of Foot for Fife and Kinross and in 1648 was involved in an attempt to rescue the King...
(d. 1677) - Alexander Erskine, 4th Earl of Kellie (d. 1710)
- Alexander Erskine, 5th Earl of Kellie (d. 1756)
- Thomas Alexander Erskine, 6th Earl of Kellie (1732–1781)
- Archibald Erskine, 7th Earl of Kellie (1736–1795)
- Charles Erskine, 8th Earl of Kellie (1765–1799). in 1797 he succeeded to the Erskine of Cambo baronetcyErskine BaronetsThere have been five Baronetcies created for person with the surname Erskine, two in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia, one in the Baronetage of Great Britain and two in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom...
which merged with the Earldom until its extinction in 1829. - Thomas Erskine, 9th Earl of KellieThomas Erskine, 9th Earl of KellieThomas Erskine, 9th Earl of Kellie was a Scottish merchant, landowner and politician who for many years lived in the Swedish port city of Gothenburg...
(c. 1745–1828) - Methven Erskine, 10th Earl of Kellie (c. 1750–1829)
- John Francis Miller Erskine, (23rd) 9th Earl of Mar, 11th Earl of Kellie (1795–1866)
- Walter Coningsby Erskine, 10th Earl of Mar and 12th Earl of Kellie (1810–1872)
- Walter Henry Erskine, 11th Earl of Mar and 13th Earl of Kellie (1839–1888)
- Walter John Francis Erskine, 12th Earl of Mar and 14th Earl of KellieWalter John Francis Erskine, 12th Earl of MarWalter John Francis Erskine, 12th Earl of Mar and 14th Earl of Kellie KT JP was a Scottish nobleman.The eldest son of Walter Erskine, 11th Earl of Mar and Mary Anne Forbes, he was educated at Eton and served as a Lieutenant in the Scots Guards from 1887 until 1892.He succeeded his father in 1888,...
(1865–1955) - James Francis Hervey Erskine, 13th Earl of Mar and 15th Earl of Kellie (1921–1993)
- James Thorne Erskine, 14th Earl of Mar and 16th Earl of Kellie (b. 1949)
The heir presumptive is the Earl's brother the Hon. Alexander David Erskine, Master of Mar (b. 1952).