Earl of Buchan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Earldom of Buchan
Coat of Arms This is the special design that represents the Earls of Buchan. It shows different symbols for the families who have held the title over time.
Creation date	1469
Creation	Third
Monarch	James III of Scotland
Peerage	Peerage of Scotland
First holder	James Stewart
Present holder	Henry Erskine, 18th Earl
Heir apparent	Alexander Erskine, Lord Cardross
Subsidiary titles	Lord Cardross
Seat(s)	Newnham House

Earldom of Buchan The Arms of the Realm and Ancient Local Principalities of Scotland

The Mormaer (pronounced "mor-MAIR") or Earl of Buchan (pronounced "BUCK-an") was a very important leader in the old Scottish province of Buchan. This area is in the northeast of Scotland. The title of Earl of Buchan was special because it was the first time a major Scottish title passed to a family that wasn't originally Scottish through the male line.

The Earldom of Buchan has had three main periods in its long history. Today, the title is held by the Erskine family. The current Earl is Harry Erskine, who is the 18th Earl of Buchan. He was born in 1960.

What Was the Mormaerdom of Buchan?

The first known leader of Buchan was Gartnait. His name is found in old Gaelic writings from the Book of Deer. This book is a very important source of information about early Scottish history. It helps us understand the local traditions and culture of Buchan.

After Gartnait, the title passed through different families. Around the year 1214, the Earldom of Buchan became the first Scottish title to be inherited by a non-Scottish family. This happened when the Comyn family took over through marriage. Alexander Comyn, Earl of Buchan inherited the title from his mother. However, the Comyn family lost the title during the Wars of Scottish Independence.

This map shows the old area of the Earldom of Buchan.

The Second Creation of the Earldom (1374)

After the Comyns lost the title, it belonged to the Scottish King for a while. Later, in 1374, the title was given to Alexander Stewart. He was famously known as the "Wolf of Badenoch." By this time, the area of Buchan that he controlled was much smaller. It was no longer a large, powerful region.

The Third Creation of the Earldom (1469)

In 1469, the earldom was given to James Stewart. He also became Lord Auchterhouse at the same time. James Stewart was the second son of Sir James Stewart, known as the Black Knight of Lorn. His older brother was John Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl.

The title stayed in the direct male line of the Stewart family for a few generations. However, James's grandson, John, the third Earl, died in 1551. John's only son had died in a battle called the Battle of Pinkie in 1547. So, the title went to John's granddaughter, Christina. She became the Countess of Buchan in her own right.

Christina married Robert Douglas. Robert then became the Earl of Buchan because of his marriage to Christina. Their daughter, Mary, later became the Countess of Buchan. She married James Erskine. James was the younger son of John Erskine, the Earl of Mar. James also became Earl of Buchan through his wife.

In 1617, the King officially made James and Mary the Earl and Countess of Buchan. This meant the title would pass to their male children. In 1633, it was decided that the Earldom of Buchan would be considered as if it started in 1469.

This line of the family ended in 1695 when the eighth Earl died without marrying. The title then passed to the male relatives of the 6th Earl's younger brother, Henry Erskine. This means that since 1695, the Earls of Buchan are not direct descendants of the first Earl of Buchan.

David Erskine, who was the 4th Lord Cardross, became the ninth Earl. He was the great-grandson of Henry Erskine. The Scottish Parliament recognized his right to the title in 1698. He later served in the House of Lords as a Scottish representative.

His oldest son, Henry David Erskine, became the tenth Earl. He was a member of the Royal Society, a famous group for scientists. His oldest son, David, the eleventh Earl, started the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. He was also known for being a bit unusual.

The title then went to Henry, the twelfth Earl. He was the nephew of the eleventh Earl. In 1850, the 12th Earl and his wife, Caroline, became Catholic.

The direct line of the twelfth Earl ended in 1960. The fifteenth Earl died without marrying. The title then passed to Donald Erskine, who was the 7th Baron Erskine. He became the sixteenth Earl. He was a descendant of Lord Chancellor Thomas Erskine, 1st Baron Erskine.

As of 2022, the title is held by the grandson of the sixteenth Earl. He is the eighteenth Earl, and he inherited the title from his father in 2022. The family's main home is Newnham House, which is near Newnham, Hampshire.

Who Held the Title?

This is a list of the people who have held the title of Mormaer or Earl of Buchan.

Early Mormaers/Earls of Buchan

This is a stone carving of Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, at Dunkeld Cathedral. He was buried there.

• Unknown early leaders
• ?Cainnech (early 1100s)
• Gartnait (after 1131)
• Éva (Éua) ingen Garnait (around 1174)
  • She married Colbán (around 1174)
• Fergus (died before 1214)
• Marjory
  • She married William Comyn, who was a high-ranking official in Scotland (died 1233)
• Alexander Comyn (died 1289)
• John Comyn (died 1308)
  • The title was taken away from him. Alice Comyn and her husband Henry Beaumont (died 1340) claimed the title.

Earls of Buchan: Second Creation (1374)

• Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan (died 1394 or 1405) - known as the "Wolf of Badenoch"
• Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany (died 1420) - he gave the title to his son in 1406
• John Stewart, Earl of Buchan (died 1424) – He was killed in the Battle of Verneuil
• James I of Scotland (died 1437)
  • Mary Stewart, Countess of Buchan (1428–1465), Countess from 1444
  • Wolfert VI van Borselen (1433–1489), Earl of Buchan through his wife from 1444 until 1469. He was a governor in Holland.

Earls of Buchan: Third Creation (1469)

• James Stewart, 1st Earl of Buchan (1442–1487)
• Alexander Stewart, 2nd Earl of Buchan (died 1505)
• John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Buchan (around 1497–1551)
• Christina Stewart, 4th Countess of Buchan (died 1580)
• James Douglas, 5th Earl of Buchan (died 1601)
• Mary Douglas, 6th Countess of Buchan (died 1628) (Her husband James Erskine, 6th Earl of Buchan (died 1640) also used the title)
• James Erskine, 7th Earl of Buchan (became Earl in 1640, died 1664)
• William Erskine, 8th Earl of Buchan (died 1695)
• David Erskine, 9th Earl of Buchan (died 1745)
• Henry David Erskine, 10th Earl of Buchan (1710–1767)
• David Stewart Erskine, 11th Earl of Buchan (1742–1829)
• Henry David Erskine, 12th Earl of Buchan (1783–1857)
• David Stuart Erskine, 13th Earl of Buchan (1815–1898)
• Shipley Gordon Stuart Erskine, 14th Earl of Buchan (1850–1934)
• Ronald Douglas Stewart Mar Erskine, 15th Earl of Buchan (1878–1960)
• Donald Cardross Flower Erskine, 16th Earl of Buchan (1899–1984)
• Malcolm Erskine, 17th Earl of Buchan (1930–2022)
• Henry Thomas Alexander Erskine, 18th Earl of Buchan (born 1960)

The Current Earl of Buchan

Henry Erskine, the 18th Earl of Buchan, was born on May 31, 1960. He is the older son of the 17th Earl and his wife, Hilary Diana Cecil Power. He went to Eton College, a famous school. Before he became Earl in 2022, he was known as Lord Cardross.

In 1987, he married Charlotte Catherine Lucinda Beaumont. She is the daughter of the Honourable Matthew Henry Beaumont. They have two sons:

• Alexander Erskine, Lord Cardross (born 1990), who is the next in line to the title.
• Frederick Alastair Erskine (born 1992).

Family Connections

See Also

• Earl of Atholl
• Earl of Mar
• Lord Cardross
• Baron Erskine