William Keith, 6th Earl Marischal
Encyclopedia
William Keith, 6th Earl Marischal (c.1585–28 October 1635, castle of Dunnottar) was a Scottish lord, Earl Marischal
and naval official.
and his wife, Margaret (d. 1598), daughter of Alexander Home, 5th Lord Home
. He left for the continent in 1601, travelling for his education to Paris, Orléans, Tours and Saumur. He and his father were summoned on 1608 to answer for William's conduct to Francis Sinclair, son of the earl of Caithness. Keith acted as his father's deputy in the Scottish parliament in June 1621 and succeeded to his father's earldom on the latter's death on 2 April 1623.
He ratified his father's building of Marischal College
by a charter of 1 October 1623 and attended James VI and I
's funeral in 5 May 1625 at Westminster Abbey
. He was made a baronet of Nova Scotia at the end of May 1625 and, on the new Scottish privy council's restructuring in March 1626, he was made a member of it. He also joined the Scottish council of war on 12 July 1626 and was put in command of three ships to transport troops to aid Christian IV of Denmark
, Charles I
's uncle. This caused tension with Scotland's lord high admiral, Alexander, earl of Linlithgow, but these were in the end resolved by Marischal's confirmation as commander of the king's navy in Scotland on 9 July 1631. He received Charles I on his entry into Edinburgh in 1633 after his coronation and then in 1634 fitted out another fleet, which he sent to the assistance of Władysław IV Vasa
.
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 naval official.
Life
He was the eldest son of 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....
and his wife, Margaret (d. 1598), daughter of Alexander Home, 5th Lord Home
Alexander Home, 5th Lord Home
Alexander Home, 5th Lord Home was the son of George Home, 4th Lord Home and Mariotta Haliburton. He became Lord Home on the death of his father who was injured in a skirmish with the English two days before the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh.-Marriages:...
. He left for the continent in 1601, travelling for his education to Paris, Orléans, Tours and Saumur. He and his father were summoned on 1608 to answer for William's conduct to Francis Sinclair, son of the earl of Caithness. Keith acted as his father's deputy in the Scottish parliament in June 1621 and succeeded to his father's earldom on the latter's death on 2 April 1623.
He ratified his father's building of 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...
by a charter of 1 October 1623 and attended James VI and I
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...
's funeral in 5 May 1625 at Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
. He was made a baronet of Nova Scotia at the end of May 1625 and, on the new Scottish privy council's restructuring in March 1626, he was made a member of it. He also joined the Scottish council of war on 12 July 1626 and was put in command of three ships to transport troops to aid Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV was the king of Denmark-Norway from 1588 until his death. With a reign of more than 59 years, he is the longest-reigning monarch of Denmark, and he is frequently remembered as one of the most popular, ambitious and proactive Danish kings, having initiated many reforms and projects...
, Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
's uncle. This caused tension with Scotland's lord high admiral, Alexander, earl of Linlithgow, but these were in the end resolved by Marischal's confirmation as commander of the king's navy in Scotland on 9 July 1631. He received Charles I on his entry into Edinburgh in 1633 after his coronation and then in 1634 fitted out another fleet, which he sent to the assistance of Władysław IV Vasa
Władysław IV Vasa
Władysław IV Vasa was a Polish and Swedish prince from the House of Vasa. He reigned as King of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 8 November 1632 to his death in 1648....
.
Marriage and issue
On 12 October 1609 he and Lady Mary Erskine (daughter of John Erskine, earl of Mar and his second wife, Lady Mary Stuart) were contracted to be married. Eight of their children survived him:- William Keith, 7th Earl MarischalWilliam Keith, 7th Earl MarischalWilliam Keith, 7th Earl Marischal was a Scottish nobleman and Covenanter. He was the eldest son of William Keith, 6th Earl Marischal...
(1614–1671) - George Keith, 8th Earl Marischal
- Sir Robert Keith
- Alexander Keith (d. in or before 1654)
- John Keith, 1st Earl of KintoreJohn Keith, 1st Earl of KintoreSir 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. 1715) - Mary, married in 1633 to John, Lord Kinpont
- Jean married to Alexander, Lord Forbes of Pitsligo
- Anne