William Hay, 18th Earl of Erroll
Encyclopedia
William George Hay, 18th Earl of Erroll KT
, GCH
, PC
(21 February 1801 – 19 April 1846), styled Lord Hay between 1815 and 1819, was a Scottish peer
and politician.
, and his wife Alice (née Eliot). His paternal grandfather was James Hay, 15th Earl of Erroll
, son of William Boyd, 4th Earl of Kilmarnock
(who was attainted with his titles forfeited in 1746). He became heir apparent to the earldom in 1815 on the death of his elder brother, Lord Hay
. He was educated at Eton
.
and took his seat in the House of Lords
. He was Master of the Horse to Queen Adelaide
from 1830 to 1834. In 1831 he was sworn of the Privy Council
and created Baron Kilmarnock, of Kilmarnock
in the County of Ayr
, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
, a revival of the Kilmarnock title held by his great-grandfather. When the Whigs came to power under Lord Melbourne
in 1835, Erroll was appointed Master of the Buckhounds
. In 1839 he was promoted to Lord Steward of the Household on the decease of the Duke of Argyll
, a post he held until the administration fell in 1841.
AQpart from his political career Lord Erroll was also Knight Marischal
of Scotland from 1832 to 1846 and Lord-Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire from 1836 to 1846.
, the illegitimate daughter of William IV
and Dorothy Jordan, on 4 December 1820. They were the parents of four children:
Lord Erroll died in London
in April 1846, aged 45, and was succeeded by his eldest son, William. The Countess of Erroll died in January 1856, aged 54.
Order of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order...
, GCH
Royal Guelphic Order
The Royal Guelphic Order, sometimes also referred to as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, is a Hanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April 1815 by the Prince Regent . It has not been conferred by the British Crown since the death of King William IV in 1837, when the personal union of the...
, PC
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
(21 February 1801 – 19 April 1846), styled Lord Hay between 1815 and 1819, was a Scottish peer
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...
and politician.
Background and education
Erroll was the son of William Hay, 17th Earl of ErrollWilliam Hay, 17th Earl of Erroll
William Hay, 17th Earl of Erroll , known as Lord Hay until 1778, was a Scottish peer.Erroll was the son of James Hay, 15th Earl of Erroll and his second wife, Isabella Carr. He firstly married Jane Bell in 1792, and they had one child together...
, and his wife Alice (née Eliot). His paternal grandfather was James Hay, 15th Earl of Erroll
James Hay, 15th Earl of Erroll
James Hay, 15th Earl of Erroll was the son of William Boyd, 4th Earl of Kilmarnock.He was born with the name of James Boyd but legally changed it to James Hay in 1758, when he succeeded his great-aunt as Earl of Erroll .In 1749, he married Rebecca Lockhart In 1762,...
, son of William Boyd, 4th Earl of Kilmarnock
William Boyd, 4th Earl of Kilmarnock
William Boyd , 4th Earl of Kilmarnock, was a Scottish nobleman.William Boyd was educated at Glasgow. Like his father in the rebellion of 1715, William initially supported the Government side, but in the rebellion of 1745, owing either to a personal affront or to the influence of his wife or to his...
(who was attainted with his titles forfeited in 1746). He became heir apparent to the earldom in 1815 on the death of his elder brother, Lord Hay
James Hay, Lord Hay
James Hay, Lord Hay and Lord Slains was a British aristocrat and soldier.James Hay was the son of William Hay, 17th Earl of Erroll and his wife Alicia Eliot ....
. He was educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
.
Political career
Erroll succeeded his father in the earldom in 1819, aged 18. In 1822 he was elected a Scottish Representative PeerRepresentative peer
In 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...
and took his seat in 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....
. He was Master of the Horse to Queen Adelaide
Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen
Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and of Hanover as spouse of William IV of the United Kingdom. Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, is named after her.-Early life:Adelaide was born on 13 August 1792 at Meiningen, Thuringia, Germany...
from 1830 to 1834. In 1831 he was sworn of the Privy Council
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
and created Baron Kilmarnock, of Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock is a large burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland, with a population of 44,734. It is the second largest town in Ayrshire. The River Irvine runs through its eastern section, and the Kilmarnock Water passes through it, giving rise to the name 'Bank Street'...
in the County of Ayr
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
Peerage of the United Kingdom
The Peerage of the United Kingdom comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Act of Union in 1801, when it replaced the Peerage of Great Britain...
, a revival of the Kilmarnock title held by his great-grandfather. When the Whigs came to power under Lord Melbourne
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, PC, FRS was a British Whig statesman who served as Home Secretary and Prime Minister . He is best known for his intense and successful mentoring of Queen Victoria, at ages 18-21, in the ways of politics...
in 1835, Erroll was appointed Master of the Buckhounds
Master of the Buckhounds
The Master of the Buckhounds was an officer in the Master of the Horse's department of the British Royal Household. The holder was also His/Her Majesty's Representative at Ascot. It was a political office, so the holder, who was always a nobleman, changed with every change of government. The office...
. In 1839 he was promoted to Lord Steward of the Household on the decease of the Duke of Argyll
George Campbell, 6th Duke of Argyll
George William Campbell, 6th Duke of Argyll GCH, PC , styled Earl of Campbell from 1768 to 1770 and Marquess of Lorne from 1770 to 1806, was a Scottish Whig politician and nobleman.-Background:...
, a post he held until the administration fell in 1841.
AQpart from his political career Lord Erroll was also 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 from 1832 to 1846 and Lord-Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire from 1836 to 1846.
Family
Lord Erroll married Lady Elizabeth FitzClarenceElizabeth Hay, Countess of Erroll
Elizabeth Hay, Countess of Erroll was the illegitimate daughter of King William IV of the United Kingdom and Dorothea Jordan. She married William Hay, 18th Earl of Erroll, and became Countess of Erroll on 4 December 1820 at age 19. Due to Hay's parentage, William Hay became Lord Steward of the...
, the illegitimate daughter of William IV
William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
and Dorothy Jordan, on 4 December 1820. They were the parents of four children:
- Lady Ida Harriet Augusta Hay (18 October 1821 – 22 October 1867), one of the Queen's bridesmaids, married Charles Noel, 2nd Earl of GainsboroughCharles Noel, 2nd Earl of GainsboroughCharles George Noel, 2nd Earl of Gainsborough , styled Viscount Campden between 1841 and 1866, was a British peer and Whig politician.-Background:...
. - William Harry Hay, 19th Earl of Erroll (3 May 1823 – 3 December 1891), married Eliza Amelia Gore on 20 September 1848.
- Lady Agnes Georgiana Elizabeth HayAgnes Duff, Countess FifeLady Agnes Georgiana Elizabeth Hay was an Irish-Scottish aristocrat.Agnes was born at Dublin, Ireland. She was the third child of William Hay, 18th Earl of Erroll and Elizabeth FitzClarence, one of the illegitimate children of King William IV and his mistress Dorothea Jordan.Agnes died at the age...
(12 May 1829 – 18 December 1869), who married James Duff, 5th Earl FifeJames Duff, 5th Earl FifeJames Duff, 5th Earl Fife was a Scottish nobleman.Duff was the son of Sir Alexander Duff, younger brother of James Duff, 4th Earl Fife and Anne Stein, the daughter of James Stein of Gilbogie....
in 16 March 1846. Their son, Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of FifeAlexander Duff, 1st Duke of FifeAlexander William George Duff, 1st Duke of Fife KG, KT, GCVO, PC, VD , styled Viscount Macduff between 1857 and 1879 and known as The Earl Fife between 1879 and 1889, was a British Peer who married Princess Louise of Wales, the third child and eldest daughter of King Edward VII and Alexandra of...
, married Princess LouiseLouise, Princess Royal and Duchess of FifeThe Princess Louise, Princess Royal and Duchess of Fife was the third child and the eldest daughter of King Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark...
, daughter of King Edward VIIEdward VII of the United KingdomEdward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
. - Lady Alice Mary Emily Hay (7 July 1835 – 7 June 1881) married Charles Edward Louis Casimir Stuart (1824–1882), nephew of fraud John Sobieski StuartJohn Sobieski StuartJohn Sobieski Stuart and Charles Edward Stuart were names used by John Carter Allen and Charles Manning Allen, two 19th century English brothers who are best-known for their role in Scottish cultural history...
.
Lord Erroll died in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in April 1846, aged 45, and was succeeded by his eldest son, William. The Countess of Erroll died in January 1856, aged 54.