Clan Keith
Encyclopedia
Clan Keith is a Scottish clan
associated with Aberdeenshire
and Caithness
.
dipped three fingers into the blood of the slain and drew them down the shield of the warrior. Thereafter the warrior was named Marbhachir Chamius or Camus Slayer. It has been claimed that, ever since this event, that the Chief
of the Clan Keith has borne the same mark of three red lines on his arms.
Máel Coluim's victory at the Battle of Carham
in 1018 brought him into outright possession of the lands of the Lothian
s and the Merse
. The Keiths derive their name from the Barony of Keith
, Humbie
, East Lothian
, said to have been granted by the king to Marbhachir Chamius for his valour.
The first Keith on record as Marischal of Scotland is Hervey de Keith
(d.c. 1196) described as Marscallus Regis Scotie in correspondence between the monks of Kelso Abbey
and Jocelin
, the Bishop of Glasgow. He was Marischal during the reigns of Malcolm the Maiden and William the Lyon.
and later Knight Marischal of Scotland
was hereditary in the Keith family until the 18th century. It may have been conferred at the same time as the barony, since it was confirmed, together with possession of the lands of Keith, to Sir Robert Keith by a charter of King Robert the Bruce, and appears to have been held as annexed to the land by the tenure of grand serjeanty. Sir Robert Keith commanded Scottish light cavalry at the Battle of Bannockburn
in 1314 and was killed at the Battle of Dupplin Moor
. His grandson, also a Robert Keith
, was killed at the Battle of Neville's Cross
in 1346.
At the close of the 14th century Sir William Keith, by exchange of lands with Lord Lindsay, obtained the crag of Dunnottar in Kincardineshire
, where he built the Dunnottar Castle
, which became the stronghold of the Clan Keith. He died in about 1407. The castle is on a cliff-top south of Stonehaven.
. Both clans invaded each others' lands. In 1402 the Clan Irvine are said to have attacked and defeated an invading war party of the Clan Keith in what was known as the Battle of Drumoak.
In 1430 a later Sir William Keith was created Lord Keith, and a few years afterwards Earl Marischal
, and these titles remained in the family until 1716.
The Battle of Tannach (probably 1464) was fought between the Clan Keith, assisted by the Clan MacKay
against the Clan Gunn
. The inhabitants of Caithness assembled an army and met the MacKays and Keiths at a place in Caithness called Blair Tannie. After a cruel fight the Keiths and MacKays had the victory by means chiefly of an Assynt man John Mor MacIan-Riabhaich, who consequently became very famous in this region. Two "chieftains and leaders" of the inhabitants of Caithness were slain.
The Battle of Champions
(probably 1478) was fought between twelve men of the Clan Gunn and twenty four men of the Clan Keith. All the Gunns, including the chief of the clan, were killed. However, the chief of the Clan Keith was soon after killed by the Gunns in a revenge attack.
in their feud against the Clan Gordon
. The Forbeses were also joined by Clan Fraser
and Clan Crichton
. The Gordons were also joined by Clan Leslie
, Clan Irvine
and Clan Seton
. The feud between the Gordons and Forbeses which had gone on for centuries culminated in two full scale battles: The Battle of Tillieangus
and the Battle of Craibstone
.
William, fourth Earl Marischal (died 1581), was one of the guardians of Mary, Queen of Scots, during her minority, and was a member of her privy council on her return to Scotland. While refraining from extreme partisanship, he was an adherent of the Reformation
; he retired into private life at Dunnottar Castle about 1567, thereby gaining the sobriquet "William of the Tower." He was reputed to be the wealthiest man in Scotland. His eldest daughter Anne married the regent Murray.
His grandson George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal (c. 1553-1623), was one of the most cultured men of his time. He was educated at King's College
, Aberdeen
, where he became a proficient classical scholar, afterwards studying divinity under Theodore Beza
at Geneva
. The 5th Earl was responsible for the tower house
still extant on his ancestral lands at Keith Marischal
.
was a firm Protestant, and took an active part in the affairs of the Kirk
. His high character and abilities procured him the appointment of special ambassador to Denmark
to arrange the marriage of James VI with the Princess Anne
. He was subsequently employed on a number of important commissions; but he preferred literature to public affairs, and about 1620 he retired to Dunnottar, where he died in 1623. He is chiefly remembered as the founder in 1593 of the Marischal College
in the university of Aberdeen, which he richly endowed. From an uncle he inherited the title of Lord Altrie
about 1593.
William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal
(c. 1617-1661), took a prominent part in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
, being at first a leader of the covenanting party in northeast Scotland, and the most powerful opponent of the Clan Gordon
and the Marquess of Huntly
. He cooperated with James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
in Aberdeenshire and neighbouring counties against the Gordons. With Montrose he signed the Cumbernauld Bond
in August 1640, but took no active steps against the popular party till 1648, when he joined the Duke of Hamilton
in his invasion of England, escaping from the rout at Preston
. In 1650 Charles II
was entertained by the Marischal at Dunnottar; and in 1651 the Scottish regalia were left for safe keeping in his castle. In 1651 the Royalists at the Battle of Worcester
were commanded by Colonel Keith. Taken prisoner, he was committed to the Tower of London
and was excluded from Oliver Cromwell
's Act of Grace. He was made a privy councillor at the Restoration
and died in 1661.
Sir John Keith
(d. 1714), brother of the 7th Earl Marischal, was, at the Restoration given the hereditary office of Knight Marischal
of Scotland, and in 1677 was created Earl of Kintore
, and Lord Keith of Inverurie and Keith-Hall, a reward for his share in preserving the regalia of Scotland, which were secretly conveyed from Dunnottar to another hiding-place, when the castle was besieged by Cromwell's troops, and which Sir John, perilously to himself, swore he had carried abroad and delivered to Charles II, thus preventing further search. From him are descended the Earls of Kintore.
(c. 1693–1778), served under Marlborough
, and like his brother James Francis Edward Keith (1696–1758), later a Prussian field marshal
, was a zealous Jacobite. He inherited the title of Earl Marischal
in 1712 and took over as chief of Clan Keith, but after taking part in the rising of 1715 had to escape to the continent. In the following year he was attainted, his estates and titles being forfeited to the Crown. Later he led the clan when they fought at the Battle of Glen Shiel
in 1719. He lived for many years in Spain
, where he concerned himself with Jacobite intrigues, but he took no part in the rebellion of 1745, proceeding about that year to Prussia
, where he became, like his brother Francis, intimate with Frederick the Great
. Frederick employed him in several diplomatic posts, and he is said to have conveyed valuable information to the Earl of Chatham
, as a reward for which he received a pardon from George II
, and returned to Scotland in 1759.
George Keith died unmarried and without issue in 1778. His heir male, on whom, but for the attainder of 1716, his titles would have devolved, was apparently his cousin Alexander Keith of Ravelston, to whom the attainted earl had sold the castle and lands of Dunnottar in 1766. James Francis Edward Keith did have issue with his common law wife Eva Merthen, but the identity of the children remains a mystery to this day. One theory states that her heirs, the purported brother and sister of her second husband J. D. von Reichenbach, were in fact her children with James Keith.
From Alexander Keith was descended, through the female line, Sir Patrick Keith Murray of Ochtertyre, who sold the estates of Dunnottar and Ravelston. After the attainder of 1716 the right of the Keiths of Ravelston to be recognized as the representatives of the Earls Marischal was disputed by Robert Keith
(1681–1757), bishop of Fife, a member of another collateral branch of the family. The bishop was a writer of some repute, his chief work, The History of the Affairs of the Church and State of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1734), being of considerable value for the reigns of James V
, James VI
, and Mary, Queen of Scots. He also published a Catalogue of the Bishops of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1755) and other less important historical and theological works.
Robert Murray Keith
(d. 1774), descended from a younger son of the family, was a British minister in Vienna
in 1748, and subsequently held other important diplomatic appointments, being known to his numerous friends, among whom were the leading men of letters of his time, as "Ambassador Keith". His son, Sir Robert Murray Keith
(1730–1795), was on Lord George Sackville
's staff at the Battle of Minden
. He became colonel of a regiment, the 87th Foot
, known as "Keith's Highlanders", who won distinction in the continental wars, but were disbanded in 1763. He was then employed in the diplomatic service, in which he achieved considerable success by his honesty, courage, and knowledge of languages. In 1781 he became lieutenant-general; in 1789 he was made a privy councillor.
of Clan Keith is James William Falconer Keith, 14th Earl of Kintore
(b. 1976).
Scottish clan
Scottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...
associated with 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...
and 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...
.
Origins
It is said that a Scottish warrior slew the Danish General Camus at the legendary Battle of Barrie in 1010. For this, King Máel Coluim II of ScotlandMalcolm II of Scotland
Máel Coluim mac Cináeda , was King of the Scots from 1005 until his death...
dipped three fingers into the blood of the slain and drew them down the shield of the warrior. Thereafter the warrior was named Marbhachir Chamius or Camus Slayer. It has been claimed that, ever since this event, that the Chief
Scottish clan chief
The Scottish Gaelic word clann means children. In early times, and possibly even today, clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the Scottish clan. From its perceived founder a clan takes its name. The clan chief is the representative of this founder, and...
of the Clan Keith has borne the same mark of three red lines on his arms.
Máel Coluim's victory at the Battle of Carham
Battle of Carham
The Battle of Carham was a battle between the Kingdom of Scotland and the Northumbrians at Carham on Tweed in 1018 or possibly 1016. It is also sometimes known as the Battle of Coldstream, from the town of Coldstream...
in 1018 brought him into outright possession of the lands of the Lothian
Lothian
Lothian forms a traditional region of Scotland, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills....
s and the Merse
Berwickshire
Berwickshire or the County of Berwick is a registration county, a committee area of the Scottish Borders Council, and a lieutenancy area of Scotland, on the border with England. The town after which it is named—Berwick-upon-Tweed—was lost by Scotland to England in 1482...
. The Keiths derive their name from the Barony of Keith
Keith Marischal
Keith Marischal is a Scottish Baronial Country house lying in the parish of Humbie, East Lothian, Scotland. The original building was an "L-shaped" Tower house, built long before 1589 when it was extended into a "U-shaped" courtyard house. In the nineteenth century the courtyard was filled in...
, Humbie
Humbie
Humbie is a hamlet and rural parish in East Lothian, Scotland. It lies in the south-west of the county, approximately 10 miles south-west of Haddington and 15 miles south-east of Edinburgh. Humbie as we know it today was formed as the result of the union between Keith Marischal and Keith Hundeby in...
, East Lothian
East Lothian
East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....
, said to have been granted by the king to Marbhachir Chamius for his valour.
The first Keith on record as Marischal of Scotland is Hervey de Keith
Hervey de Keith
Hervey de Keith was a Scoto-Norman nobleman and first recorded Marischal of Scotland.-Life:Keith took his name from the Barony of Keith, in East Lothian, which he held the north eastern part; the south western part was held by SimonFraser...
(d.c. 1196) described as Marscallus Regis Scotie in correspondence between the monks of Kelso Abbey
Kelso Abbey
Kelso Abbey is what remains of a Scottish abbey founded in the 12th century by a community of Tironensian monks first brought to Scotland in the reign of Alexander I. It occupies ground overlooking the confluence of the Tweed and Teviot waters, the site of what was once the Royal Burgh of Roxburgh...
and Jocelin
Jocelin
Jocelin was a twelfth-century Cistercian monk and cleric who became the fourth Abbot of Melrose before becoming Bishop of Glasgow, Scotland. He was probably born in the 1130s, and in his teenage years became a monk of Melrose Abbey...
, the Bishop of Glasgow. He was Marischal during the reigns of Malcolm the Maiden and William the Lyon.
Wars of Scottish Independence
The office of Earl MarischalEarl Marischal
The title of Earl Marischal was created in the peerage of Scotland for William Keith, the Great Marischal of Scotland.The office of "Marischal of Scotland" had been held heritably by the senior member of the Keith family since Hervey de Keith, who held the office of Marischal under Malcolm IV and...
and later Knight Marischal of Scotland
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 the 11th Duke of Hamilton in 1863...
was hereditary in the Keith family until the 18th century. It may have been conferred at the same time as the barony, since it was confirmed, together with possession of the lands of Keith, to Sir Robert Keith by a charter of King Robert the Bruce, and appears to have been held as annexed to the land by the tenure of grand serjeanty. Sir Robert Keith commanded Scottish light cavalry at the Battle of Bannockburn
Battle of Bannockburn
The Battle of Bannockburn was a significant Scottish victory in the Wars of Scottish Independence...
in 1314 and was killed at the Battle of Dupplin Moor
Battle of Dupplin Moor
The Battle of Dupplin Moor was fought between supporters of the infant David II, the son of Robert the Bruce, and rebels supporting the Balliol claim in 1332. It was a significant battle of the Second War of Scottish Independence.-Background:...
. His grandson, also a Robert Keith
Robert Keith (d. 1346)
Sir Robert Keith was a Scottish nobleman and Marischal of Scotland.He was a grandson of the Robert Keith who commanded the Scottish cavalry at the Battle of Bannockburn....
, was killed at the Battle of Neville's Cross
Battle of Neville's Cross
The Battle of Neville's Cross took place to the west of Durham, England on 17 October 1346.-Background:In 1346, England was embroiled in the Hundred Years' War with France. In order to divert his enemy Philip VI of France appealed to David II of Scotland to attack the English from the north in...
in 1346.
At the close of the 14th century Sir William Keith, by exchange of lands with Lord Lindsay, obtained the crag of Dunnottar in Kincardineshire
Kincardineshire
The County of Kincardine, also known as Kincardineshire or The Mearns was a local government county on the coast of northeast Scotland...
, where he built the 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...
, which became the stronghold of the Clan Keith. He died in about 1407. The castle is on a cliff-top south of Stonehaven.
15th century and clan conflicts
The Clan Keith were often at feud with the neighbouring Clan IrvineClan Irvine
-Origins of the clan:As a surname Irvine is of territorial origins from one of two places of the same name. Firstly from Irving, an old parish in Dumfriesshire and from Irvine in Ayrshire....
. Both clans invaded each others' lands. In 1402 the Clan Irvine are said to have attacked and defeated an invading war party of the Clan Keith in what was known as the Battle of Drumoak.
In 1430 a later Sir William Keith was created Lord Keith, and a few years afterwards Earl Marischal
Earl Marischal
The title of Earl Marischal was created in the peerage of Scotland for William Keith, the Great Marischal of Scotland.The office of "Marischal of Scotland" had been held heritably by the senior member of the Keith family since Hervey de Keith, who held the office of Marischal under Malcolm IV and...
, and these titles remained in the family until 1716.
The Battle of Tannach (probably 1464) was fought between the Clan Keith, assisted by the Clan MacKay
Clan MacKay
Clan Mackay is an ancient and once powerful Scottish clan from the far north of the Scottish Highlands, but with roots in the old kingdom of Moray. They were a powerful force in politics beginning in the 14th century, supporting Robert the Bruce. In the centuries that followed they were...
against the Clan Gunn
Clan Gunn
Clan Gunn is a Scottish clan associated with northeastern Scotland, including Caithness and Sutherland as well as the Orkney Islands.The clan's origins stretch over the sea to Norway, and the Clan Gunn themselves claim descent from the legendary viking Sweyn Asleifsson, the progenitor of the clan,...
. The inhabitants of Caithness assembled an army and met the MacKays and Keiths at a place in Caithness called Blair Tannie. After a cruel fight the Keiths and MacKays had the victory by means chiefly of an Assynt man John Mor MacIan-Riabhaich, who consequently became very famous in this region. Two "chieftains and leaders" of the inhabitants of Caithness were slain.
The Battle of Champions
Battle of Champions
The Battle of Champions was a trial by combat fought in 1478 or 1464 between two Scottish clans, Clan Gunn and Clan Keith. It took place at the chapel of St Tears on the coast north of Wick in Caithness, between Ackergill Tower and Girnigoe Castle. It was arranged to settle a dispute with a battle...
(probably 1478) was fought between twelve men of the Clan Gunn and twenty four men of the Clan Keith. All the Gunns, including the chief of the clan, were killed. However, the chief of the Clan Keith was soon after killed by the Gunns in a revenge attack.
16th century and clan conflicts
In 1571 the Clan Keith joined forces with the Clan ForbesClan Forbes
Clan Forbes is a Lowland Scottish clan from Aberdeenshire, Scotland.-Origins:Concerning the origin of this Scottish clan, John of Forbes, the first upon record, seems to have been a man of importance in the time of William the Lion, and was the father of Fergus, from whom the clan are descended....
in their feud against the Clan Gordon
Clan Gordon
Clan Gordon, also known as the House of Gordon, is a Scottish clan. The chief of the clan was the powerful Earl of Huntly, now also Marquess of Huntly.-Origins:...
. The Forbeses were also joined by Clan Fraser
Clan Fraser
Clan Fraser is a Scottish clan of French origin. The Clan has been strongly associated with Inverness and the surrounding area since the Clan's founder gained lands there in the 13th century. Since its founding, the Clan has dominated local politics and been active in every major military conflict...
and Clan Crichton
Clan Crichton
Clan Crichton is a Lowland Scottish clan.-Clan history:The lands of Kreitton formed one of the earliest baronies around Edinburgh and are mentioned in charters of the early 12th century.-Early Crichtons:...
. The Gordons were also joined by Clan Leslie
Clan Leslie
Clan Leslie is a Lowland Scottish clan.-Origins:The family name comes from the Leslie lands of Aberdeenshire and was to become famous in Germany, Poland, France and Russia...
, Clan Irvine
Clan Irvine
-Origins of the clan:As a surname Irvine is of territorial origins from one of two places of the same name. Firstly from Irving, an old parish in Dumfriesshire and from Irvine in Ayrshire....
and Clan Seton
Clan Seton
Clan Seton is a Scottish clan which does not currently have a chief, therefore it is considered an Armigerous clan.-Origins of the Clan:The name Seton is believed to be derived from the village of Sai in Normandy although other explanations have been suggested, such as from Tranent meaning "a sea...
. The feud between the Gordons and Forbeses which had gone on for centuries culminated in two full scale battles: The Battle of Tillieangus
Battle of Tillieangus
The Battle of Tillieangus was fought on 10 October 1571 between the Gordons and the Forbes near White Hill of Tillyangus, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.-Battle:...
and the Battle of Craibstone
Battle of Craibstone
The Battle of Craibstone was fought on 20 November 1571 between Clan Gordon and the Clan Forbes on an area that has now been constructed over, found in central Aberdeen, Scotland....
.
William, fourth Earl Marischal (died 1581), was one of the guardians of Mary, Queen of Scots, during her minority, and was a member of her privy council on her return to Scotland. While refraining from extreme partisanship, he was an adherent of the Reformation
Scottish Reformation
The Scottish Reformation was Scotland's formal break with the Papacy in 1560, and the events surrounding this. It was part of the wider European Protestant Reformation; and in Scotland's case culminated ecclesiastically in the re-establishment of the church along Reformed lines, and politically in...
; he retired into private life at Dunnottar Castle about 1567, thereby gaining the sobriquet "William of the Tower." He was reputed to be the wealthiest man in Scotland. His eldest daughter Anne married the regent Murray.
His grandson George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal (c. 1553-1623), was one of the most cultured men of his time. He was educated at King's College
King's College, Aberdeen
King's College in Old Aberdeen, Scotland is a formerly independent university founded in 1495 and an integral part of the University of Aberdeen...
, Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
, where he became a proficient classical scholar, afterwards studying divinity under Theodore Beza
Theodore Beza
Theodore Beza was a French Protestant Christian theologian and scholar who played an important role in the Reformation...
at Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
. The 5th Earl was responsible for the tower house
Tower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...
still extant on his ancestral lands at Keith Marischal
Keith Marischal
Keith Marischal is a Scottish Baronial Country house lying in the parish of Humbie, East Lothian, Scotland. The original building was an "L-shaped" Tower house, built long before 1589 when it was extended into a "U-shaped" courtyard house. In the nineteenth century the courtyard was filled in...
.
17th century and Civil War
George Keith, 5th Earl MarischalGeorge 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....
was a firm Protestant, and took an active part in the affairs of the Kirk
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
. His high character and abilities procured him the appointment of special ambassador to Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
to arrange the marriage of James VI with the Princess Anne
Anne of Denmark
Anne of Denmark was queen consort of Scotland, England, and Ireland as the wife of King James VI and I.The second daughter of King Frederick II of Denmark, Anne married James in 1589 at the age of fourteen and bore him three children who survived infancy, including the future Charles I...
. He was subsequently employed on a number of important commissions; but he preferred literature to public affairs, and about 1620 he retired to Dunnottar, where he died in 1623. He is chiefly remembered as the founder in 1593 of the Marischal College
Marischal College
Marischal College is a building and former university in the centre of the city of Aberdeen in north-east Scotland. The building is owned by the University of Aberdeen and used for ceremonial events...
in the university of Aberdeen, which he richly endowed. From an uncle he inherited the title of Lord Altrie
Lord Altrie
Lord Altrie is a title in the Peerage of Scotland that was created on July 29, 1587 for Robert Keith. On his death, about 1593, it was inherited by his nephew George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal, and has remained united with that title.-Lords Altrie :...
about 1593.
William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal
William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal
William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal was a Scottish nobleman and Covenanter. He was the eldest son of William Keith, 6th Earl Marischal...
(c. 1617-1661), took a prominent part in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
Wars of the Three Kingdoms
The Wars of the Three Kingdoms formed an intertwined series of conflicts that took place in England, Ireland, and Scotland between 1639 and 1651 after these three countries had come under the "Personal Rule" of the same monarch...
, being at first a leader of the covenanting party in northeast Scotland, and the most powerful opponent of the Clan Gordon
Clan Gordon
Clan Gordon, also known as the House of Gordon, is a Scottish clan. The chief of the clan was the powerful Earl of Huntly, now also Marquess of Huntly.-Origins:...
and the Marquess of Huntly
Marquess of Huntly
Marquess of Huntly is a title in the Peerage of Scotland created on 17 April 1599 for George Gordon, 6th Earl of Huntly. It is the oldest existing marquessate in Scotland, and the second-oldest in the British Isles, only the English marquessate of Winchester being older...
. He cooperated with James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose was a Scottish nobleman and soldier, who initially joined the Covenanters in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, but subsequently supported King Charles I as the English Civil War developed...
in Aberdeenshire and neighbouring counties against the Gordons. With Montrose he signed the Cumbernauld Bond
Cumbernauld Bond
Cumbernauld Bond was a pledge between eighteen Scottish noblemen who met at Cumbernauld in August 1640 to defend Scotland against extreme Presbyterians and to defend the National Covenant for the public good against those who used it predominantly for private gain...
in August 1640, but took no active steps against the popular party till 1648, when he joined the Duke of Hamilton
Duke of Hamilton
Duke 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...
in his invasion of England, escaping from the rout at Preston
Battle of Preston (1648)
The Battle of Preston , fought largely at Walton-le-Dale near Preston in Lancashire, resulted in a victory by the troops of Oliver Cromwell over the Royalists and Scots commanded by the Duke of Hamilton...
. In 1650 Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
was entertained by the Marischal at Dunnottar; and in 1651 the Scottish regalia were left for safe keeping in his castle. In 1651 the Royalists at the Battle of Worcester
Battle of Worcester
The Battle of Worcester took place on 3 September 1651 at Worcester, England and was the final battle of the English Civil War. Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians defeated the Royalist, predominantly Scottish, forces of King Charles II...
were commanded by Colonel Keith. Taken prisoner, he was committed to the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
and was excluded from Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
's Act of Grace. He was made a privy councillor at the Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
and died in 1661.
Sir John Keith
John Keith, 1st Earl of Kintore
Sir John Keith, 1st Earl of Kintore was a Scottish nobleman.The fourth son of William Keith, 5th Earl Marischal, he held Dunnottar Castle against Oliver Cromwell, and preserved the regalia in 1650...
(d. 1714), brother of the 7th Earl Marischal, was, at the Restoration given the hereditary office of Knight Marischal
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 the 11th Duke of Hamilton in 1863...
of Scotland, and in 1677 was created Earl of Kintore
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 Earl Marischal . He was made Lord Keith of Inverurie and Keith Hall at the same time, also in the Peerage of Scotland...
, and Lord Keith of Inverurie and Keith-Hall, a reward for his share in preserving the regalia of Scotland, which were secretly conveyed from Dunnottar to another hiding-place, when the castle was besieged by Cromwell's troops, and which Sir John, perilously to himself, swore he had carried abroad and delivered to Charles II, thus preventing further search. From him are descended the Earls of Kintore.
18th century and Jacobite uprisings
George Keith, 10th Earl MarischalGeorge Keith, 10th Earl Marischal
George Keith, 10th Earl Marischal was a Scottish and Prussian army officer and diplomat...
(c. 1693–1778), served under Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, Prince of Mindelheim, KG, PC , was an English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reigns of five monarchs through the late 17th and early 18th centuries...
, and like his brother James Francis Edward Keith (1696–1758), later a Prussian field marshal
Generalfeldmarschall
Field Marshal or Generalfeldmarschall in German, was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire; in the Austrian Empire, the rank Feldmarschall was used...
, was a zealous Jacobite. He inherited the title of Earl Marischal
Earl Marischal
The title of Earl Marischal was created in the peerage of Scotland for William Keith, the Great Marischal of Scotland.The office of "Marischal of Scotland" had been held heritably by the senior member of the Keith family since Hervey de Keith, who held the office of Marischal under Malcolm IV and...
in 1712 and took over as chief of Clan Keith, but after taking part in the rising of 1715 had to escape to the continent. In the following year he was attainted, his estates and titles being forfeited to the Crown. Later he led the clan when they fought at the Battle of Glen Shiel
Battle of Glen Shiel
The Battle of Glen Shiel was a battle in Glen Shiel, in the West Highlands of Scotland on 10 June 1719, between British government troops and an alliance of Jacobites and Spaniards, resulting in a victory for the government forces. It was the last close engagement of British and foreign troops on...
in 1719. He lived for many years in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, where he concerned himself with Jacobite intrigues, but he took no part in the rebellion of 1745, proceeding about that year to Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
, where he became, like his brother Francis, intimate with Frederick the Great
Frederick II of Prussia
Frederick II was a King in Prussia and a King of Prussia from the Hohenzollern dynasty. In his role as a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, he was also Elector of Brandenburg. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel...
. Frederick employed him in several diplomatic posts, and he is said to have conveyed valuable information to the Earl of Chatham
Earl of Chatham
Earl of Chatham, in the County of Kent, was a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1766 for William Pitt the Elder on his appointment as Lord Privy Seal, along with the subsidiary title Viscount Pitt, of Burton Pynsent in the County of Somerset, also in the Peerage of Great...
, as a reward for which he received a pardon from George II
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
, and returned to Scotland in 1759.
George Keith died unmarried and without issue in 1778. His heir male, on whom, but for the attainder of 1716, his titles would have devolved, was apparently his cousin Alexander Keith of Ravelston, to whom the attainted earl had sold the castle and lands of Dunnottar in 1766. James Francis Edward Keith did have issue with his common law wife Eva Merthen, but the identity of the children remains a mystery to this day. One theory states that her heirs, the purported brother and sister of her second husband J. D. von Reichenbach, were in fact her children with James Keith.
From Alexander Keith was descended, through the female line, Sir Patrick Keith Murray of Ochtertyre, who sold the estates of Dunnottar and Ravelston. After the attainder of 1716 the right of the Keiths of Ravelston to be recognized as the representatives of the Earls Marischal was disputed by Robert Keith
Robert Keith (historian)
Robert Keith was a Scottish Episcopal bishop and historian.-Life:Born at Uras in Kincardineshire, Scotland, on 7 February 1681, he was the second son of Alexander Keith and Marjory Keith . He was educated at Marischal College, Aberdeen between 1695 and 1699; graduating with an A.M...
(1681–1757), bishop of Fife, a member of another collateral branch of the family. The bishop was a writer of some repute, his chief work, The History of the Affairs of the Church and State of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1734), being of considerable value for the reigns of 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...
, 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...
, and Mary, Queen of Scots. He also published a Catalogue of the Bishops of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1755) and other less important historical and theological works.
Robert Murray Keith
Robert Murray Keith
Robert Murray Keith was a British diplomat. He was descended from a younger son of the 2nd Earl Marischal.Keith was minister in Vienna in 1748 and from 1753 Minster-plenipotentary. In 1757, he transferred to St. Petersburg and remained there until October 1762, when the imperial government...
(d. 1774), descended from a younger son of the family, was a British minister in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
in 1748, and subsequently held other important diplomatic appointments, being known to his numerous friends, among whom were the leading men of letters of his time, as "Ambassador Keith". His son, Sir Robert Murray Keith
Robert Murray Keith (the younger)
Lieutenant-General Sir Robert Murray Keith KB was a British soldier and diplomat.He was born in Edinburgh, the eldest son of Robert Murray Keith and his wife daughter of Sir William Cunningham, 2nd baronet, of Caprington...
(1730–1795), was on Lord George Sackville
George Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville
George Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville PC , known as the Hon. George Sackville to 1720, as Lord George Sackville from 1720 to 1770, and as Lord George Germain from 1770 to 1782, was a British soldier and politician who was Secretary of State for America in Lord North's cabinet during the American...
's staff at the Battle of Minden
Battle of Minden
The Battle of Minden—or Thonhausen—was fought on 1 August 1759, during the Seven Years' War. An army fielded by the Anglo-German alliance commanded by Field Marshal Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick, defeated a French army commanded by Marshal of France Louis, Marquis de Contades...
. He became colonel of a regiment, the 87th Foot
87th Regiment of Foot (Keith's Highlanders)
The 87th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1759 and disbanded in 1763.The regiment was raised at Perth in August 1759 by regimenting three companies detached from the 42nd Foot, the Black Watch...
, known as "Keith's Highlanders", who won distinction in the continental wars, but were disbanded in 1763. He was then employed in the diplomatic service, in which he achieved considerable success by his honesty, courage, and knowledge of languages. In 1781 he became lieutenant-general; in 1789 he was made a privy councillor.
19th century
From the Keith family through the female line was descended George Keith Elphinstone, Baron Keith of Stonehaven, Marischal and afterwards Viscount Keith, whose titles became extinct at the death of his daughter Margaret, Baroness Keith, in 1867.Chief
The current ChiefScottish clan chief
The Scottish Gaelic word clann means children. In early times, and possibly even today, clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the Scottish clan. From its perceived founder a clan takes its name. The clan chief is the representative of this founder, and...
of Clan Keith is James William Falconer Keith, 14th Earl of Kintore
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 Earl Marischal . He was made Lord Keith of Inverurie and Keith Hall at the same time, also in the Peerage of Scotland...
(b. 1976).
Castles
- Keith Marischal HouseKeith MarischalKeith Marischal is a Scottish Baronial Country house lying in the parish of Humbie, East Lothian, Scotland. The original building was an "L-shaped" Tower house, built long before 1589 when it was extended into a "U-shaped" courtyard house. In the nineteenth century the courtyard was filled in...
, site of the original Barony of Keith, held by the family until the 18th c. - Keith Hall estate in AberdeenshireAberdeenshireAberdeenshire 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...
is the current seat of the chief of Clan Keith. - Dunnottar CastleDunnottar CastleDunnottar 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...
became the seat of the chief of Clan Keith in 1639 but is now ruined. - Fetteresso CastleFetteresso CastleFetteresso Castle is a 14th century towerhouse, rebuilt in 1761 as a Scottish gothic style Palladian manor, with clear evidence of prehistoric use of the site. It is situated immediately west of the town of Stonehaven in Kincardineshire slightly to the west of the A90 dual carriageway...
passed from the Clan StrachanClan StrachanClan Strachan is a Scottish clan originating from Aberdeenshire. The clan does not currently have a chief, therefore it is treated as an Armigerous clan.The Clan Strachan warcry–slogan is Clachnaben!- Highland Clan :...
to the Clan Keith chief, Earl MarischalEarl MarischalThe title of Earl Marischal was created in the peerage of Scotland for William Keith, the Great Marischal of Scotland.The office of "Marischal of Scotland" had been held heritably by the senior member of the Keith family since Hervey de Keith, who held the office of Marischal under Malcolm IV and...
during the early 14th century.
Clan Profile
- Mottos: Dexter, Quae amissa salva (What has been lost is safe), Sinister, Veritas vincit (Truth conquers), On compartment, Thay say: quhat they say: thay haif sayed: let thame say
- Slogan: A Keith, Veritas Vincit (also Truth Prevails)
- Plant Badge:White Rose