Francis Hay, 9th Earl of Erroll facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Earl of Erroll
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Arms of the Earl of Erroll
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| 13th Lord High Constable of Scotland | |
| In office 1585–1631 |
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| Preceded by | Andrew Hay |
| Succeeded by | William Hay |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 April 1564 Errol, Perthshire, Scotland |
| Died | 16 July 1631 (aged 67) Slains, Aberdeen, Scotland |
| Spouses | Lady Mary Stewart Lady Margaret Stewart Lady Elizabeth Douglas |
| Children | 13, including William, Anna, and Sophia |
| Parents | Andrew Hay, 8th Earl of Erroll Lady Jean Hay |
Francis Hay, 9th Earl of Erroll (born April 30, 1564 – died July 16, 1631) was an important Scottish nobleman. He became a Catholic and was involved in plans with the King of Spain against Queen Elizabeth I of England.
Contents
Who Was Francis Hay?
Francis Hay was the son of Andrew Hay, 8th Earl of Erroll. His older brother, Alexander, could not inherit the title. So, Francis became the Earl when his father passed away in 1585. This made him the 9th Earl of Erroll.
Early Life and First Marriage
In 1587, Francis Hay married Mary Stewart. She was the sister of the Earl of Atholl. Mary died soon after their marriage. There were rumors that he had not treated her well. Her family did not give him the money that was promised with the marriage. Her brother later sought revenge in 1589.
Becoming a Catholic and Political Actions
Early in his life, Francis Hay became a Catholic. He joined with George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly in plans against Queen Elizabeth I of England. She was a Protestant queen.
In 1589, he started writing secret letters to King Philip II of Spain. King Philip was also briefly King of England through his marriage to Queen Mary. One of Francis Hay's letters, where he promised loyalty to Spain, was found. Queen Elizabeth sent this letter to King James VI of Scotland.
Facing the Privy Council
In February 1589, Francis Hay was told to appear before the Privy Council. This was a group of advisors to the king. He did not show up. Because of this, he was declared a rebel.
He joined with Huntly and Crawford in a rebellion in northern Scotland. Their forces gave up at Aberdeen when the king arrived in April. In July, Francis Hay surrendered to King James. The king was kind and did not punish him severely. Francis Hay gave himself up at Edzell Castle on August 5, 1589.
Later Marriages and Disputes
In September 1589, he made a special agreement with Huntly to help each other. In 1590, he upset the king by marrying Lady Elizabeth Douglas. She was the daughter of the William Douglas, 6th Earl of Morton. The king had forbidden this marriage. This marriage was planned to create a political group. On April 21, 1590, others tried to stop him from marrying her at Megginch Castle. But Francis Hay believed he could change his new wife's friends' loyalties.
He also had a disagreement with the Earl of Atholl in Perth on June 29, 1591. This happened when Anne of Denmark was making a special visit to the town. Atholl was in charge of Perth, and Erroll was the Constable. They argued about who should go first in the procession.
Challenges and Rebellions
Francis Hay was put in prison because people thought he was involved in a plot. This plot was by Francis Stewart, 5th Earl of Bothwell to surprise the king at Falkland in June 1592. Even after he was released, he was again declared a rebel. This was because his signature was found on two Spanish Blanks. These were blank papers signed by plotters for a Spanish invasion of Scotland. The terms of the treaty would be added later.
After they failed to capture him in March 1593, Francis Hay and his friends were told to give up Catholicism or leave Scotland. They did not obey, so in 1594, they were declared traitors.
Battle of Glenlivet
In mid-1594, Francis Hay hosted his allies, the earls of Angus and Huntly, at Towie. They celebrated with bonfires and dancing. On October 3, they defeated a force sent against them at the Battle of Glenlivet. This force was led by the Earl of Argyll. Francis Hay's men carried a flag showing a cross and the beheading of Mary, Queen of Scots. Francis Hay himself was badly hurt by a bullet in his arm and an arrow in his leg. There was a false rumor that he had died.
Old Slains Castle, his home, was completely destroyed. The rebel lords left Scotland in 1595. Francis Hay was arrested by the states of Zeeland because of his continued plotting abroad. But he was later allowed to escape. He returned to Scotland secretly in 1596.
Return and Later Life
In March 1597, he was in Edinburgh and was especially favored by Anne of Denmark. On June 20, 1597, he gave up Catholicism and made peace with the Church of Scotland. He was liked by the king. In 1602, he was chosen to help negotiate the union between Scotland and England.
A letter from the Privy Council mentioned that one of his daughters served Queen Anne of Denmark.
However, his relationship with the Church of Scotland was not always good. People doubted if he had truly changed his beliefs. On May 21, 1608, he was restricted to the city of Perth to resolve his religious doubts. He was later declared a stubborn "papist" (a term for a Catholic). He was excommunicated (removed from the church), lost his property, and was imprisoned at Dumbarton. After some changes of mind, he was finally released in May 1611.
A long-standing disagreement about the hereditary office of Lord High Constable was finally settled. This office was between the families of Erroll and the Earls Marischal. The decision was made in favor of the Erroll family. This meant that the Earls of Erroll had a special place of honor, coming right after the royal family in Scotland.
Francis Hay died on July 16, 1631. He was buried in the church of Slains. A poet named Arthur Johnston wrote a poem in Latin for his funeral.
Family and Children
Francis Hay was married three times:
- Mary, daughter of John Stewart, 4th Earl of Atholl, in 1587.
- Margaret, daughter of James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray.
- Elizabeth, daughter of William Douglas, 6th Earl of Morton.
With his third wife, Elizabeth Douglas, he had five sons and eight daughters:
- William, who became the 10th Earl.
- George
- Francis
- Thomas
- Lewis
- Anna, who married George Seton, 3rd Earl of Winton.
- Jean, who married John Erskine, Earl of Mar.
- Mary, who married Walter Scott, 1st Earl of Buccleuch.
- Elizabeth, who married Hugh Sempill, 5th Lord Sempill and later James Douglas, 1st Lord Mordington.
- Sophia Hay, who married John, Viscount Melgum. He was the son of George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly.
- Margaret, who married John Seton. He was the son of Sir John Seton of Barns.
- Isabel, who never married.
- Helen, who passed away at the age of 10 in 1625.
See also
- Alexander Burnett of Leys (died 1619)
- Muchalls Castle
Images for kids
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Old Slains Castle, the former seat of the Earls of Erroll, was destroyed in 1594.
