Earl of Stirling
Encyclopedia
Earl of Stirling was a title in the Peerage of Scotland
created on 14 June 1633, along with the titles Viscount Canada and Lord Alexander of Tullibody, for William Alexander, 1st Viscount Stirling
. He had already been created Viscount of Stirling and Lord Alexander of Tullibody on 4 September 1630. He had been created a baronet in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia, of Menstrie, Clackmannan on 12 July 1625.
It became dormant upon the death of the 5th Earl in 1739, although one William Alexander of New York
, known to history as Major General Lord Stirling of the Continental Army
, years before the American Revolutionary War
pursued a claim to succeed to the dormant earldom. The claim from senior male descent from the first earl's grandfather was ultimately turned down by the House of Lords
-although he was allowed to vote in the election of the Scottish
representative peers.
There was an attempt to assert that there was a new grant of the title of Earl of Dovan in 1637 connected with the title of Earl of Stirling, and a new destination of descent for the title of Earl of Stirling, but the court case against Alexander Humphrys-Alexander (1783–1859) filed in 1839 ruled that the documents in support of such case were forgeries.
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 on 14 June 1633, along with the titles Viscount Canada and Lord Alexander of Tullibody, for William Alexander, 1st Viscount Stirling
William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling
William Alexander, Earl of Stirling was a Scotsman who was an early developer of Scottish colonisation of Port Royal, Nova Scotia and Long Island, New York...
. He had already been created Viscount of Stirling and Lord Alexander of Tullibody on 4 September 1630. He had been created a baronet in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia, of Menstrie, Clackmannan on 12 July 1625.
It became dormant upon the death of the 5th Earl in 1739, although one William Alexander of New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, known to history as Major General Lord Stirling of the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
, years before the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
pursued a claim to succeed to the dormant earldom. The claim from senior male descent from the first earl's grandfather was ultimately turned down by 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....
-although he was allowed to vote in the election of the Scottish
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...
representative peers.
There was an attempt to assert that there was a new grant of the title of Earl of Dovan in 1637 connected with the title of Earl of Stirling, and a new destination of descent for the title of Earl of Stirling, but the court case against Alexander Humphrys-Alexander (1783–1859) filed in 1839 ruled that the documents in support of such case were forgeries.
Baronets of Menstrie (1625)
- Sir William Alexander, 1st BaronetWilliam Alexander, 1st Earl of StirlingWilliam Alexander, Earl of Stirling was a Scotsman who was an early developer of Scottish colonisation of Port Royal, Nova Scotia and Long Island, New York...
(1576–1640) (created 1st Viscount of Stirling in 1630)
Viscounts of Stirling (1630)
- William Alexander, 1st Viscount of StirlingWilliam Alexander, 1st Earl of StirlingWilliam Alexander, Earl of Stirling was a Scotsman who was an early developer of Scottish colonisation of Port Royal, Nova Scotia and Long Island, New York...
(1576]–1640) (created 1st Earl of Stirling in 1633)
Earls of Stirling (1633)
- William Alexander, 1st Earl of StirlingWilliam Alexander, 1st Earl of StirlingWilliam Alexander, Earl of Stirling was a Scotsman who was an early developer of Scottish colonisation of Port Royal, Nova Scotia and Long Island, New York...
(1576–1640) - William Alexander, 2nd Earl of Stirling (d.1640)
- Henry Alexander, 3rd Earl of Stirling (d.1644)
- Henry Alexander, 4th Earl of Stirling (d.1691)
- Henry Alexander, 5th Earl of Stirling (1664–1739)
See also
- William Alexander, (1726–1783), descended from the 1st Earl's grandfather; his claim to the earldom was not recognized by the British House of LordsHouse of LordsThe 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....
. However the claimant was permitted to vote with the ScottishScotlandScotland 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...
Representative peerRepresentative peerIn 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...
s, and was known as "Lord Stirling". - Province of New YorkProvince of New YorkThe Province of New York was an English and later British crown territory that originally included all of the present U.S. states of New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Vermont, along with inland portions of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine, as well as eastern Pennsylvania...
: in 1664 the Duke of York, James II of England, purchased Long Island and other lands granted Stirling in 1635.