Earl of Seafield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Earldom of Seafield |
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  Blazon Arms: Grandquarterly 1st and 4th counterquarterly Ist and IVth Argent a lion passant guardant Gules crowned with an imperial crown and collared with an open crown Proper (Ogilvie); IInd and IIIrd Argent a cross engrailed Sable (Sinclair of Deskford); 2nd and 3rd Gules three celestial crowns Or (Grant). |
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| Creation date | 1701 |
| Monarch | William III and II |
| Peerage | Peerage of Scotland |
| First holder | James Ogilvy, 4th Earl of Findlater |
| Present holder | Ian Derek Francis Ogilvie-Grant, 13th Earl of Seafield |
| Heir apparent | James Andrew Ogilvie-Grant, Viscount Reidhaven |
| Subsidiary titles | Viscount of Reidhaven Viscount of Seafield Lord Ogilvy of Deskford and Cullen Lord Ogilvy of Cullen |
| Seat(s) | Cullen House |
The Earl of Seafield is an important title in the Peerage of Scotland. A "peerage" is a special rank given by a king or queen. This title was first created in 1701 for a man named James Ogilvy.
Later, in 1711, James Ogilvy also became the 4th Earl of Findlater, inheriting that title from his father. For many years, the titles of Earl of Findlater and Earl of Seafield were held by the same person. This continued until 1811. After that, the Findlater title became "dormant," meaning no one claimed it. However, the Earldom of Seafield is still active today.
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History of the Seafield Earls
The Ogilvy family, from which the first Earl of Seafield came, has a long history. They are related to the family of the Earl of Airlie.
In 1616, an ancestor named Sir Walter Ogilvy was given the title Lord Ogilvy of Deskford. His son, the second Lord, was then made the Earl of Findlater in 1638. This was also a title in the Peerage of Scotland.
A few years later, in 1641, the first Earl of Findlater made a special arrangement. His daughter Elizabeth and her husband, Sir Patrick Ogilvy, could inherit the title. When the first Earl died in 1653, Sir Patrick became the Earl. Elizabeth was also recognized as the Countess of Findlater.
In the late 1600s, James Ogilvy became a very important person in Scottish politics. He was the eldest son of the third Earl of Findlater. He held many high-ranking jobs. These included Secretary of State for Scotland (like a top government minister) and Lord Chancellor of Scotland (a chief legal officer).
Before he became Earl of Findlater, James Ogilvy received new titles in 1698. He was made Lord Ogilvy of Cullen and Viscount of Seafield. Then, in 1701, he received even more honors. He was created Lord Ogilvy of Deskford and Cullen, Viscount of Reidhaven, and Earl of Seafield. All these titles were part of the Peerage of Scotland. In 1711, he also became the fourth Earl of Findlater.
The titles of Findlater and Seafield stayed together for about 100 years. But when the seventh Earl of Findlater and fourth Earl of Seafield passed away, the Findlater title became dormant. The Earldom of Seafield and its other titles went to his second cousin, Sir Lewis Alexander Grant. When Lewis inherited the title, he added "Ogilvy" to his name, becoming Grant-Ogilvy.
After the fifth Earl of Seafield died in 1840, his younger brother became the sixth Earl. He changed the order of the family names to Ogilvy-Grant. In 1858, the seventh Earl, his son, was given another title: Baron Strathspey. This was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.
However, this barony (Baron Strathspey) ended when the eighth Earl died in 1884. The Scottish titles, like the Earldom of Seafield, went to his uncle, who became the ninth Earl. The title of Baron Strathspey was created again for him a few months later.
When the eleventh Earl of Seafield died in 1915, the baronetcy and the barony of Strathspey separated from the earldom. This was because the baronetcy and barony could only be passed down to male heirs. So, these titles went to the late Earl's younger brother.
The earldom and its other titles, which could be inherited by females, went to the Earl's daughter. She became the twelfth Countess of Seafield. As of 2017, her only son is the thirteenth Earl. He inherited the title in 1969.
The main family home is Cullen House, located near Cullen in Moray, Scotland. The family also owns large areas of land in Strathspey. Many of the Earls of Seafield are buried at a special mausoleum. This is at the Duthil Old Parish Church and Churchyard in Duthil, Inverness-shire. This place now serves as a center for the Clan Grant. The 11th Earl was killed in a war in 1915 and is buried in Belgium.
The Seafield family owns a very large estate, about 84,500 acres. This makes them one of the biggest landowners in Scotland.
Who Held the Titles?
Lords Ogilvy of Deskford (Created 1616)
- Walter Ogilvy, 1st Lord Ogilvy of Deskford (died 1626)
- James Ogilvy, 2nd Lord Ogilvy of Deskford (died 1653) (He was also made Earl of Findlater in 1638)
Earls of Findlater (Created 1638/1641) and Seafield (Created 1701)
- James Ogilvy, 1st Earl of Findlater (died 1653)
- Patrick Ogilvy, 2nd Earl of Findlater (died 1658)
- James Ogilvy, 3rd Earl of Findlater (died 1711)
- James Ogilvy, 4th Earl of Findlater (1663–1730) (He was also made Earl of Seafield in 1701)
- James Ogilvy, 5th Earl of Findlater, 2nd Earl of Seafield (died 1764)
- James Ogilvy, 6th Earl of Findlater, 3rd Earl of Seafield (died 1770)
- James Ogilvy, 7th Earl of Findlater, 4th Earl of Seafield (1750–1811) (After him, the Earldom of Findlater became dormant)
Earls of Seafield (Created 1701)
- Lewis Alexander Grant-Ogilvy, 5th Earl of Seafield (1767–1840)
- Francis William Ogilvy-Grant, 6th Earl of Seafield (1778–1853)
- John Charles Ogilvy-Grant, 7th Earl of Seafield (1815–1881)
- Ian Charles Ogilvy-Grant, 8th Earl of Seafield (1851–1884)
- James Ogilvy-Grant, 9th Earl of Seafield (1817–1888)
- Francis William Ogilvy-Grant, 10th Earl of Seafield (1847–1888)
- James Ogilvie-Grant, 11th Earl of Seafield (1876–1915)
- Nina Ogilvie-Grant-Studley-Herbert, 12th Countess of Seafield (1906–1969)
- Ian Derek Francis Ogilvie-Grant, 13th Earl of Seafield (born 1939)
The heir apparent is the current Earl's son, James Andrew Ogilvie-Grant, Viscount Reidhaven (born 1963). An "heir apparent" is the person who is definitely next in line to inherit the title.
The heir apparent's heir presumptive is his brother, Hon. Alexander Derek Henry Ogilvie-Grant (born 1966). An "heir presumptive" is someone who is currently next in line, but their position could change if a closer heir is born.
The heir apparent’s heir presumptive’s heir apparent is his son, John Francis Henry Ogilvie-Grant (born 2000). After him are his two younger sons: Ivan James Valentine Ogilvie-Grant (born 2003) and James Aeneas Ogilvie-Grant (born 2006).
See also
- Colquhoun baronets, of Colquhoun
- Baron Strathspey
- Clan Ogilvy
- Earl of Airlie
