Robert Maclellan, 1st Lord Kirkcudbright (died 1641) was Provost of Kirkcudbright

Kirkcudbright

Kirkcudbright, is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.The town lies south of Castle Douglas and Dalbeattie, in the part of Dumfries and Galloway known as the Stewartry, at the mouth of the River Dee, some six miles from the sea...

 in 1607, and was best known for his riotous (and violent) behavior. Robert was a direct descendant of the Laird of Bombie, Patrick Maclellan

Patrick Maclellan of Bombie

Patrick Maclellan of Bombie Patrick Maclellan of Bombie Patrick Maclellan of Bombie (d. c. 1450 Sheriff of Galloway, then the head of his family, and a staunch royalist declined an invitation to join William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas, along with the Earls of Ross and Crawford and Ormond in a...

 whom the 8th Earl of Douglas

William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas

William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas, 2nd Earl of Avondale was a Scottish nobleman. He was the eldest son of James Douglas, 7th Earl of Douglas and Beatrice Sinclair....

 had murdered.

The son of Sir Thomas Maclellan

Thomas Maclellan of Bombie

Sir Thomas Maclellan was Provost of Kirkcudbright and father of Robert Maclellan, 1st Lord Kirkcudbright. He was responsible for the construction of MacLellan's Castle in the town....

, Robert in his youth, found himself imprisoned in Blackness Castle

Blackness Castle

Blackness Castle is a 15th century fortress, near the village of Blackness, Scotland, on the south shore of the Firth of Forth. It was built, probably on the site of an earlier fort, by Sir George Crichton in the 1440s. At this time, Blackness was the main port serving the Royal Burgh of...

, as punishment for his part in an affray caused along the Kirkcudbright High Street. He was likewise imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...

 for shooting a relative of the Minister of the Church of Kirkcudbright, the consequence of a family feud.

Nevertheless Robert (fourth in descent from Sir William), was appointed as a gentleman of the bedchamber to James VI of Scotland and Charles I of England

Charles I of England

Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...

, who raised him to the rank of baronet

Baronet

A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...

, and subsequently, in 1633, elevated him to the peerage

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...

 with the title Lord Kirkcudbright.

MacLellan was succeeded in obtaining grants of land in Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 during the Plantation of Ulster

Plantation of Ulster

The Plantation of Ulster was the organised colonisation of Ulster—a province of Ireland—by people from Great Britain. Private plantation by wealthy landowners began in 1606, while official plantation controlled by King James I of England and VI of Scotland began in 1609...

 but the family inheritance began to diminish with payments being regularly required for the up keep of troops to protect his Irish estates.

A zealous Presbyterian, he took a prominent part in the affairs of the Covenanters, with whose principles, from the commencement of their difference with Charles I, he identified himself, and in 1639 he was with a considerable following at the camp at Dunse Law.

Lord Kirkcudbright died in 1641, leaving no male heir, the title therefore was devolved upon his nephew, also named Thomas.