House of Bethune
Encyclopedia
The House of Béthune or House of Bethune (as it is usually written in English) is a French noble house dating back to about 1000 CE. They came from Béthune
, in the former province of Artois
in the north of France. They were traditionally lords (seigneurs) of the town and castle of Béthune and Advocates
of the Abbey of St. Vaast at Arras
. Later branches included hereditary princes, dukes, counts and archbishops as well as a cardinal.
in 1099 with Robert II, Count of Flanders
, and was rewarded with the seigneurie of Bessan, now Beit She'an, in the Kingdom of Jerusalem
. His descendants, some of whom married Armenians and Greeks, spread through Palestine and Cyprus.
, starting with Jean de Béthune. Baron of Baye, in 1529. His son was François de Béthune, Baron of Rosny, whose eldest son Louis died in 1578. His second son was Maximilien de Béthune, Duke of Sully (1559–1641), French minister, who became a Pair de France with his elevation to Duke of Sully. In 1602 he bought the Château de Sully-sur-Loire
, which remained in the family until 1962, and in 1605 the principality of Boisbelle, where he founded the town of Henrichemont
. Descendants of the first Duke of Sully include:
, viscounts of Lières
, marquesses of Hesdigneul-lès-Béthune
and counts of Noyelles-lès-Vermelles
. Eugène François Léon, prince de Béthune (1746–1823), marquess of Hesdigneul, count of Noyelles, viscount of Nielles, was made a hereditary prince
by Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
in 1781. His descendants are titled either Prince of Béthune, Marquess of Béthune Hesdigneul (for the first successor) or Count of Béthune (for the other children of the Prince) and include:
, the Bethunes had properties in England. These they sold and some moved to Scotland. By about 1220, their names start appearing in Scottish records as knights and clerics. One, Sir David de Bethune is sheriff of Forfar in 1290 and attends Parliament as a baron. Another, Sir Robert de Bethune, in 1291 swears loyalty to Edward I of England. Alexander de Bethune, possibly son of Sir David, was knighted by the Bruce family and his presumed son Robert de Bethune married into the Balfour family, sheriffs in Fife
. Their home was the castle of Balfour, in 2011 a ruin, between the rivers Ore and Leven just south of Milton of Balgonie. Spelling of the family name changed from de Bethune to Bethune, Betune, and Beaton.
and in 1502 acquired the castle of Creich in Fife, in 2011 a ruin. Members of this branch include:
of Scotscraig.
, Cardinal David Bethune had at least eight children, many of whose descendants are today spread throughout the world. Of his children:
Béthune
Béthune is a city in northern France, sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department.-Geography:Béthune is located in the former province of Artois. It is situated South-East of Calais, West of Lille, and North of Paris.-Landmarks:...
, in the former province of Artois
Artois
Artois is a former province of northern France. Its territory has an area of around 4000 km² and a population of about one million. Its principal cities are Arras , Saint-Omer, Lens and Béthune.-Location:...
in the north of France. They were traditionally lords (seigneurs) of the town and castle of Béthune and Advocates
Advocatus Ecclesiae
Advocatus ecclesiae , literally 'advocate of the church', is the Latin title, in the Middle Ages, of certain lay persons, generally of noble birth, whose duty it was, under given conditions, to represent a particular church or monastery, and to defend its rights against force.-History:These...
of the Abbey of St. Vaast at Arras
Arras
Arras is the capital of the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. The historic centre of the Artois region, its local speech is characterized as a Picard dialect...
. Later branches included hereditary princes, dukes, counts and archbishops as well as a cardinal.
Lords of Béthune and Advocates of Arras
- Robert I Faisseux (or Fasciculus), seigneur de Béthune, RichebourgRichebourg, Pas-de-CalaisRichebourg is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. It was formed on 21 February 1971 by merging Richebourg-Saint-Vaast and Richebourg-l'Avoué...
and CarencyCarencyCarency is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village located 8 miles northwest of Arras on the D58 road...
. is the first of the house of Bethune. He is thought by some to descend from the Counts of ArtoisCounty of ArtoisThe County of Artois was an historic province of the Kingdom of France, held by the Dukes of Burgundy from 1384 until 1477/82, and a state of the Holy Roman Empire from 1493 until 1659....
. - Robert II, ca. 1066. son of Robert I.
- Robert III, died 1100, son of Robert II.
- Robert IV, died 1128, son of Robert III.
- William I, died 1138, son of Robert IV.
- Robert V "Le Roux", died 1191 on crusade at AcreAcre, IsraelAcre , is a city in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay. Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the country....
in Palestine, son of William I. - Robert VI (d. 1194), eldest son of Robert V.
- William II (or Guillaume) (died 1213), brother of Robert VI, by marriage lord of DendermondeDendermondeDendermonde is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of East Flanders in the Denderstreek. The municipality comprises the city of Dendermonde proper and the towns of Appels, Baasrode, Grembergen, Mespelare, Oudegem, Schoonaarde, and Sint-Gillis-bij-Dendermonde...
. - Daniel, died 1227, eldest son of William II.
- Robert VII, died 1249 on crusade in Sardinia, second son of William II.
- Maud (or Mahaut), daughter and heiress of Robert VII, married Guy, Count of Flanders, mother of Robert III, Count of Flanders, called Robert of Béthune.
Other members of the Artois branch
- Conon de BéthuneConon de BéthuneConon de Béthune was a crusader and "trouvère" poet.-Life:...
, son of Robert V, poet, who served on the Fourth CrusadeFourth CrusadeThe Fourth Crusade was originally intended to conquer Muslim-controlled Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. Instead, in April 1204, the Crusaders of Western Europe invaded and conquered the Christian city of Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire...
and settled at Adrianople, now EdirneEdirneEdirne is a city in Eastern Thrace, the northwestern part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1365 to 1453, before Constantinople became the empire's new capital. At present, Edirne is the capital of the Edirne...
, where some sources say he was made king. - John (or Jean), brother of Conon, bishop of Cambrai.
- BaldwinBaldwin of BethuneBaldwin of Bethune or Baldwin de Béthune , a knight from the House of Bethune in Artois and a crusader, was close companion to successive English kings and on marriage to Hawise of Aumale became Count of Aumale with extensive estates in England.-Origins:Baldwin was the third son of Robert V of...
or Baudouin, died 1212, brother of Robert VI and William II, a close companion of King Richard I of EnglandRichard I of EnglandRichard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
, who married Hawise of AumaleHawise of AumaleHawise, countess of Aumale was the daughter and heiress of William "the Fat" , Count of Aumale and Cicely, daughter and co-heiress of William fitz Duncan. She became countess of Essex as well by her marriage to the third earl of Essex, William de Mandeville.Hawise was countess in her own right...
and became thus Count of Aumale. - Jeanne de Béthune, Viscountess of Meaux, who looked after Joan of ArcJoan of ArcSaint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
during her captivity.
Béthunes in Palestine & Cyprus
A member of the Artois family, Adam, son of Robert III de Béthune (died 1100), went as a knight on the First CrusadeFirst Crusade
The First Crusade was a military expedition by Western Christianity to regain the Holy Lands taken in the Muslim conquest of the Levant, ultimately resulting in the recapture of Jerusalem...
in 1099 with Robert II, Count of Flanders
Robert II, Count of Flanders
Robert II was Count of Flanders from 1093 to 1111. He became known as Robert of Jerusalem or Robert the Crusader after his exploits in the First Crusade.-History:...
, and was rewarded with the seigneurie of Bessan, now Beit She'an, in the Kingdom of Jerusalem
Kingdom of Jerusalem
The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Catholic kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 after the First Crusade. The kingdom lasted nearly two hundred years, from 1099 until 1291 when the last remaining possession, Acre, was destroyed by the Mamluks, but its history is divided into two distinct periods....
. His descendants, some of whom married Armenians and Greeks, spread through Palestine and Cyprus.
Dukes of Sully
In the sixteenth century, descendants of the house of Artois lived at the Château de Rosny-sur-SeineChâteau de Rosny-sur-Seine
The Château de Rosny-sur-Seine is a château in the Louis XIII style, situated in Rosny-sur-Seine in Yvelines, on the left bank of the Seine, at a short driving distance from Paris by the road to Rouen....
, starting with Jean de Béthune. Baron of Baye, in 1529. His son was François de Béthune, Baron of Rosny, whose eldest son Louis died in 1578. His second son was Maximilien de Béthune, Duke of Sully (1559–1641), French minister, who became a Pair de France with his elevation to Duke of Sully. In 1602 he bought the Château de Sully-sur-Loire
Château de Sully-sur-Loire
The Château de Sully-sur-Loire is a castle, converted to a palatial seigneurial residence, situated in the commune of Sully-sur-Loire, Loiret, France.-History:...
, which remained in the family until 1962, and in 1605 the principality of Boisbelle, where he founded the town of Henrichemont
Henrichemont
Henrichemont, formerly known as Boisbelle, is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre region of France. The village was created and named in honour of Henri IV in 1609 by Maximilien de Béthune, Duke of Sully to be the capital of the principality of Boisbelle and possibly a refuge for the...
. Descendants of the first Duke of Sully include:
- Maximilien II (1588-1634), his eldest son, Marquess of Rosny, Prince of Henrichemont, Baron of Bontin.
- Maximilien François (1614–1661), his son, second Duke of Sully.
- Maximilien Pierre Francois (1640-1694), his son, 3rd Duke of Sully.
- Maximilien Francois Pierre (1664-1712), his son, 4th Duke of Sully.
- Maximilien Henri (1669-1729). his brother, 5th Duke of Sully.
- Louis Pierre Maximilien (1685-1751), his third cousin, 6th Duke of Sully.
- Maximilien Antoine Armand (1730-1786), his first cousin once removed, Prince of Henrichemont & Boisbelle, 7th Duke of Sully but called Duc de Béthune.
- Maximilien Alexis (1750-1776), his son, 8th Duke of Sully.
- Maximilien Gabriel (1756-1807), his brother, 9th Duke of Sully
- Maximilien (1784-1807), his son, 10th and last Duke of Sully.
House of Béthune-Orval
- François (1598-1678), second son of Maximilien, 1st Duke of Sully, was created Duke of Orval and Pair de France by King Louis XIII but the grant was not registered with the court and so could not pass to his heirs:
- Maximilien Alpin (c1625-1692), his eldest surviving son, was Marquess of Béthune and Count of Orval.
- Louis Pierre Maximilen, his grandson, became 6th Duke of Sully (see above).
House of Béthune-Chârost
The family of Béthune-Chârost were Pairs de France from 1690 on as Duke of Béthune-Chârost. This branch started with Philippe de Béthune (died in 1649), Baron of Chârost, brother of Maximilien de Béthune, Duke of Sully. His descendants include:- Louis (1605–1681), 1st Duke of Chârost.
- Henry (1604–1680), brother of Louis, bishop of BayonneRoman Catholic Diocese of BayonneThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Bayonne, is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church in France. The diocese comprises the Department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques, in the Region of Aquitaine....
, of MaillezaisAncient Diocese of MaillezaisThe former Catholic diocese of Maillezais in north-west France was erected in 1317, by Pope John XXII. Maillezais is now found in the department of Vendée.-History:...
(1630–1646), archbishop of Bordeaux (1646–1680). - Louis Armand (1640–1717), son of Louis, 2nd Duke of Chârost.
- Armand I (1663–1741), his son, 3rd Duke of Chârost, Baron of Ancenis.
- Paul François (1682–1757), his son, 4th Duke of Chârost & 1st Duke of Ancenis.
- François Joseph (1719–1739), his son, 5th Duke of Chârost & 2nd Duke of Ancenis.
- Armand II Joseph (1738–1800), his son, 6th and last Duke of Chârost & 3rd and last Duke of Ancenis.
House of Béthune-Chabris
Hippolyte (1603-1665), elder brother of Louis, 1st Duke of Chârost, was made Marquess of Chabris and Count of Selles.- Henri (1632-1690), his second son, was Count of Selles.
- Armand (1635–1703), his brother, was bishop of PuyRoman Catholic Diocese of Le Puy-en-VelayThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Le Puy-en-Velay , is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church in France. The diocese comprises the whole department of Haute-Loire, in the Region of Auvergne. Currently the diocese is a suffragan of the diocese of Bourges...
(1661–1703). - Hippolyte (1643–1720), another brother, was bishop of VerdunBishopric of VerdunThe Bishopric of Verdun was also a state of the Holy Roman Empire; it was located at the western edge of the Empire and was bordered by France, the Duchy of Luxembourg, and the Duchy of Bar. It was annexed to France in 1552; this was recognized by the Holy Roman Empire in the Peace of Westphalia of...
(1681–1720). - Louis (1663-1734), son of Henri, was Count of Béthune.
- Louis Armand (1711–1792), his son, was Marquess of Béthune.
- Armand Louis (1756-1833), his son, was the last Marquess of Béthune.
House of Béthune-Selles
François Gaston (1638-1692), 4th son of Hippolyte de Béthune, a Lieut-General in the French army, was Marquess of Chabris.- Louis Marie Victor, his son (1670-1744), Count of Béthune, was a Field Marshal in the French army and Grand Chamberlain to Stanislaus Leszczyński when he became Duke of Lorraine and Bar in 1737.
- Joachim Casimir Léon (1724-1769), his son, a Field Marshal in the French army, was the last Count of Béthune.
Béthunes in Poland & Lithuania
Two daughters of Francois Gaston, Marquess of Chabris (1638-1692) and his wife Marie Louise de La Grange married important members of the Polish-Lithuanian aristocracy and have multitudes of descendants.- Jeanne Marie (c1673-1744) married Count Jan Stanislaw JablonowskiJablonowskiJabłonowski is the surname of a Polish szlachta family. Because Polish adjectives have different forms for the genders, Jabłonowska is the form for a female family member.-History:...
(1669-1731) and had five children who all married. - Marie Christine Cathérine (1677-1721) was married first to Prince Stanislaw Kazimierz RadziwillRadziwillThe Radziwiłł family is an noble family of Lithuanian origin. The descendants of Kristinas Astikas, a close associate of the 14th century Lithuanian ruler Vytautas, were highly prominent for centuries, first in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, later in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the...
(1648-1690), without children, and then to Prince Aleksander Pawel SapiehaSapiehaThe Sapieha is a Polish-Lithuanian princely family descending from the medieval boyars of Smolensk. The family acquired great influence in the sixteenth century.-History:...
(1671-1734), leaving three married children and one priest.
House of Béthune-des-Planques
The family of Bethune called "des Planques" were the counts of Saint-VenantSaint-Venant
Saint-Venant is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Saint-Venant is situated some northwest of Béthune and west of Lille, at the junction of the D186 and D916 roads and by the banks of the Lys River.-Population:-Places of interest:* The...
, viscounts of Lières
Lières
Lières is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Lières situated some northwest of Béthune and west of Lille, on the D185 and D91, by the banks of the Nave River.-Population:-Places of interest:...
, marquesses of Hesdigneul-lès-Béthune
Hesdigneul-lès-Béthune
Hesdigneul-lès-Béthune is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A small farming village, situated some southwest of Béthune at the junction of the D181 and the D941 roads and one mile from junction 6 of the A26 autoroute.-Population:-Places...
and counts of Noyelles-lès-Vermelles
Noyelles-lès-Vermelles
Noyelles-lès-Vermelles is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Noyelles-lès-Vermelles is situated about southeast of Béthune and southwest of Lille, at the junction of the D943 and D166 roads....
. Eugène François Léon, prince de Béthune (1746–1823), marquess of Hesdigneul, count of Noyelles, viscount of Nielles, was made a hereditary prince
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
by Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790 and ruler of the Habsburg lands from 1780 to 1790. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I...
in 1781. His descendants are titled either Prince of Béthune, Marquess of Béthune Hesdigneul (for the first successor) or Count of Béthune (for the other children of the Prince) and include:
- Maximilien-Guillaume-Auguste (1774–1856), 2nd Prince de Béthune
- Albert-Marie-Joseph (1776–1868), brother of the previous, 3rd Prince de Béthune
Scottish branch
It is unclear when exactly the Scottish branch of the house of Bethune originated. From the time of Henry I of EnglandHenry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
, the Bethunes had properties in England. These they sold and some moved to Scotland. By about 1220, their names start appearing in Scottish records as knights and clerics. One, Sir David de Bethune is sheriff of Forfar in 1290 and attends Parliament as a baron. Another, Sir Robert de Bethune, in 1291 swears loyalty to Edward I of England. Alexander de Bethune, possibly son of Sir David, was knighted by the Bruce family and his presumed son Robert de Bethune married into the Balfour family, sheriffs 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...
. Their home was the castle of Balfour, in 2011 a ruin, between the rivers Ore and Leven just south of Milton of Balgonie. Spelling of the family name changed from de Bethune to Bethune, Betune, and Beaton.
Bethune of Balfour
- Robert, who married Janet Balfour, heiress to her brother.
- John I, their son, first lairdLairdA Laird is a member of the gentry and is a heritable title in Scotland. In the non-peerage table of precedence, a Laird ranks below a Baron and above an Esquire.-Etymology:...
of Balfour from the Bethune family - John II , son of the first, laird of Balfour
- Archibald, third laird, ca. 1421
- John III, son of Archibald, fourth laird
- John IV, son of John III, fifth laird. John IV had six sons and five daughters, including John V, the sixth laird; David, founder of the Bethune of Creich family; Robert, abbot of Coupar AngusCoupar Angus AbbeyCoupar Angus Abbey was a Cistercian monastery near Coupar Angus, in central Scotland, on the boundary between Angus and Gowrie.It was founded on the old royal manor of Coupar in 1161 x 1162 with the patronage of Máel Coluim IV , King of Scots, by Cistercian monks from Melrose Abbey...
, MelroseMelrose AbbeyMelrose Abbey is a Gothic-style abbey in Melrose, Scotland. It was founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks, on the request of King David I of Scotland. It was headed by the Abbot or Commendator of Melrose. Today the abbey is maintained by Historic Scotland...
and GlenluceGlenluce AbbeyGlenluce Abbey, near to Glenluce, Scotland, was a Cistercian monastery called also Abbey of Luce or Vallis Lucis and founded around 1190 by Rolland or Lochlann, Lord of Galloway and Constable of Scotland...
; Archibald, laird of Pitlochie and Capildrae; Andrew, prior of St Andrews Cathedral PriorySt Andrews Cathedral PriorySt Andrews Cathedral Priory was a priory of Augustinian canons in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. Plans were made for its foundation in the reign of Alaxandair mac Maíl Choluim , who set aside some land for that purpose. It was finally established by King David I and his son in 1140 with canons from...
; and JamesJames BeatonDr. James Beaton was a Scottish church leader, the uncle of Dr. David Cardinal Beaton and the Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland....
, archbishop of Glasgow, archbishop of St AndrewsArchbishop of St AndrewsThe Bishop of St. Andrews was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of St Andrews and then, as Archbishop of St Andrews , the Archdiocese of St Andrews.The name St Andrews is not the town or church's original name...
. - John V, died 1524: he had seven sons and five daughters, including John VI; James, laird of Balfarge, father of James, archbishop of Glasgow; and DavidDavid BeatonThe Most Rev. Dr. David Cardinal Beaton was Archbishop of St Andrews and the last Scottish Cardinal prior to the Reformation.-Career:...
, archbishop of St Andrews and cardinalCardinal (Catholicism)A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
. - John VI.
- John VII, son of John VI.
- John VIII, son of John VII, born in 1546, died without children.
- Robert, brother of John VIII and tenth laird of Balfour.
- David, son of Robert, born 1574.
- John IX, son of David, born 1594.
- James, son of John IX, born in 1620.
- David II, son of James, born between 1648 and 1654.
- James II, son of David II, fifteenth laird from 1709 to 1719, when he died in France without issue, having fled there as a rebel after the failure of the 1715 Jacobite risingJacobite risingThe Jacobite Risings were a series of uprisings, rebellions, and wars in Great Britain and Ireland occurring between 1688 and 1746. The uprisings were aimed at returning James VII of Scotland and II of England, and later his descendants of the House of Stuart, to the throne after he was deposed by...
. - David III, nephew of James II, had no sons.
- Henry, brother of David III, had no children.
- Anne, daughter of David III, first female laird of Balfour, died without children.
- William Congalton, grand nephew of Anne, assumed the name Bethune, and became the nineteenth laird of Balfour from 1785 until 1798, when he died without children.
- Gilbert, brother of William, died in 1836 without children.
- Eleanor, his sister, married Colonel John Drinkwater, who changed his name to John Drinkwater BethuneJohn Drinkwater BethuneColonel John Drinkwater Bethune , born John Drinkwater, was an English army officer and military historian, and was well known for his journal, which he kept during the Great Siege of Gibraltar.- Life and career :...
, and died in 1848. - John Elliot Drinkwater BethuneJohn Elliot Drinkwater BethuneJohn Elliot Drinkwater Bethune , previously John Elliot Drinkwater, a barrister and law member of the Governor-General's Council, was an Anglo-Indian lawyer and a pioneer in promoting women's education in 19th-century India....
. their eldest son, died without children in 1851. - Admiral Charles Ramsay Drinkwater BethuneCharles BethuneCharles Ramsay Drinkwater Bethune CB was a British officer of the Royal Navy. He rose to the rank of Admiral during his career.- Early Life :...
, his brother, became laird and died in 1884. - Charles Congalton Bethune, his eldest son, sold the Balfour estate and so ceased to be laird. His younger brother, Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Cecil Bethune (1855-1930), commanded Bethune’s Mounted Infantry in the Second Boer WarSecond Boer WarThe Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
.
Bethune of Creich
The Bethunes of Creich, descend from Sir David Bethune, son of John IV, who was Lord High TreasurerTreasurer of Scotland
The Treasurer was a senior post in the pre-Union government of Scotland, the Privy Council of Scotland.The full title of the post was Lord High Treasurer, Comptroller, Collector-General and Treasurer of the New Augmentation, formed as it was from the amalgamation of four earlier offices...
and in 1502 acquired the castle of Creich in Fife, in 2011 a ruin. Members of this branch include:
- John, 2nd Laird of Creich.
- Janet, sister of John, who married James Hamilton, 1st Earl of ArranJames Hamilton, 1st Earl of ArranJames Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran and 2nd Lord Hamilton was a Scottish nobleman and first cousin of James IV of Scotland.-Biography:...
. - Grisel, sister of John, who married John Lyle, 4th Lord Lyle.
- David II, 3rd laird, son of John, was unmarried.
- Robert, 4th laird of Creich, brother of David II.
- ElizabethElizabeth BethuneElizabeth Bethune, or Beaton, was one of the mistresses of James V of Scotland. Their daughter Jean married Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll...
, sister of Robert, one of the mistresses of King James V of ScotlandJames V of ScotlandJames V was King of Scots from 9 September 1513 until his death, which followed the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss...
. - JanetJanet BeatonJanet Beaton, Lady of Branxholme and Buccleugh was an aristocratic Scottish woman. She was a mistress of James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell....
, Lady of Branxholme and Buccleugh (1519–1569), sister of Robert. - MaryMary BeatonMary Beaton was a Scottish noblewoman and an attendant of Mary, Queen of Scots.- Family :Mary was born in 1543, the third of five children of Robert Beaton, 4th Laird of Criech and Joanna Renwall. Mary's mother was one of Marie de Guise's ladies-in-waiting...
, daughter of Robert, one of the Four Maries who accompanied Mary, Queen of Scots, to France.
Bethune of Bandon
Robert Bethune, second son of David Bethune of Balfour (born 1574), became 1st laird of Bandon near Falkland, in 2011 a ruin. Three of his children left descendants:- David Bethune of Bandon, died 1718, father of David Bethune of Balfour and Henry Bethune of Balfour.
- William Bethune of Craigfoodie, died 1699, whose descendants are now the senior members of the house of Bethune.
- Catherine Bethune in 1657 married Patrick Lindsay, 3rd of Wormiston, and started the family of Lindesay-Bethune who hold the title of Earl of LindsayEarl of LindsayEarl of Lindsay is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1633 for John Lindsay, 10th Lord Lindsay, who later inherited the ancient Earldom of Crawford. The two earldoms remained united until the death of the twenty-second Earl of Crawford, also sixth Earl of Lindsay...
.
Bethune of Blebo
Andrew Bethune, second son of David Bethune of Balfour (born 15740, became 1st laird of Blebo in Fife. His descendant Margaret Bethune, died 1791, married Sir William Sharp and gave rise to the Bethune BaronetsBethune Baronets
There have been two Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Bethune, one in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia and one in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom....
of Scotscraig.
Descendants of the Cardinal
With his lifelong partner Marion OgilvyMarion Ogilvy
Marion Ogilvy was the wife or mistress of Cardinal Beaton an advisor of James V of Scotland.Marion was a younger daughter of Sir James Ogilvy of Lintrathen. Sir James, a diplomat, was created Lord Ogilvy of Airlie by James IV of Scotland in 1491. Her mother was Janet Lyle Marion Ogilvy (c....
, Cardinal David Bethune had at least eight children, many of whose descendants are today spread throughout the world. Of his children:
- David, laird of MelgundMelgund CastleMelgund Castle, lying around 2 kilometres due east of Aberlemno in Angus, Scotland, is a restored 16th century house which today serves as a private residence....
, married the daughter of the 5th Lord Lindsay of The ByresEarl of LindsayEarl of Lindsay is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1633 for John Lindsay, 10th Lord Lindsay, who later inherited the ancient Earldom of Crawford. The two earldoms remained united until the death of the twenty-second Earl of Crawford, also sixth Earl of Lindsay...
. - Margaret married David Lindsay, 10th Earl of CrawfordEarl of CrawfordThe title Earl of Crawford is one of the most ancient extant titles in Great Britain, having been created in the Peerage of Scotland for Sir David Lindsay in 1398. It is the premier earldom recorded on the Union Roll.The title has a very complex history...
. - Agnes married George Gordon, 4th of Gight, becoming an ancestress of the poet George Gordon Byron[3] and of Queen Elizabeth II.
- Alexander, laird of Hospitalfield & Carsgownie, was ancestor of Thomas Bethune of Tarvet, who acquired the estate of Kilconquahar in Fife, and was father of Margaret (1704-1778), wife of George Lindsay, 5th of Wormiston, and ancestress of the Earls of Lindsay.