Thomas Ruthven, 1st Lord Ruthven of Freeland facts for kids
Thomas Ruthven, 1st Lord Ruthven (died 6 May 1671) was an important Scottish nobleman. He received the title of Lord Ruthven of Freeland from King Charles II in 1651. This made him a member of the Peerage of Scotland, which is a group of noble families in Scotland.
Who Was Thomas Ruthven?
Thomas Ruthven was born into a well-known Scottish family. His father was William Ruthven of Freeland. His mother was Isabella Fotheringham. Thomas was also a great-great-grandson of another important person named William Ruthven, 1st Lord Ruthven. This means his family had a long history of important people.
Becoming a Lord
In January 1651, Thomas Ruthven was given a special title. King Charles II made him the first Lord Ruthven of Freeland. This was a big honor. At this time, King Charles II was not ruling England. He was in exile, meaning he had to live outside his country. However, he had just been crowned King of Scots at a place called Scone. Even though he was in exile from England, he still had power in Scotland.
His Family and Title
Lord Ruthven married a woman named Isabel. She was the daughter of Robert Balfour and Margaret Balfour, 2nd Lady Balfour of Burleigh. Thomas and Isabel had a son named David. David later became the 2nd Lord Ruthven of Freeland, taking over his father's title.
They also had daughters. One daughter, Jean, later became the 3rd Lady Ruthven of Freeland. After Jean passed away, the title went to the children of another daughter, Elizabeth. Elizabeth had married Sir Francis Ruthven, 1st Baronet. This shows how the title of Lord Ruthven of Freeland continued through the family.
