William Ramsay, 1st Earl of Dalhousie facts for kids

William Ramsay, 1st Earl of Dalhousie (died 1672) was an important Scottish nobleman, army officer, and politician. He played a big role in Scottish history during a time of many changes and wars.

Early Life and Titles

William Ramsay was the oldest son of George Ramsay, who was the 1st Lord Ramsay of Dalhousie. His mother was Margaret Douglas.

In 1617 and 1621, William was chosen to represent the town of Montrose in the Scottish parliament. This meant he spoke for the people of Montrose in important government meetings.

On July 21, 1618, the king gave him a special document, called a charter. This charter officially gave him ownership of the large estate of Dalhousie and other lands in Midlothian.

When his father passed away in 1629, William took over his father's titles and lands. Then, in 1633, during the crowning of King Charles I in Scotland, William was given even higher titles. He became the Earl of Dalhousie and Lord Ramsay of Kerington. This was made official with a special document called a patent.

Wars and Important Roles

William Ramsay lived during a time known as the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. These were a series of wars across Scotland, England, and Ireland.

He was among the people who supported the Covenanters. These were Scots who signed a special agreement, or Covenant, to protect their Presbyterian church and their way of life from changes the king wanted to make. Dalhousie signed a complaint against the bishops who were trying to change the church.

In 1639, he signed a letter from the Covenanter leaders to the Earl of Essex. He also served as a colonel, leading soldiers in the Covenanter army. This army gathered on Dunse Law to stop King Charles I from moving north during the First Bishops' War.

In 1640, he was a colonel again when the Covenanter army crossed the River Tweed and went into England.

In 1641, Dalhousie was named to a new list of privy councillors. These were important advisors to the king.

In 1644, Dalhousie was fighting in England with his horse soldiers. But later that year, he was called back to Scotland. He went north to help Argyll fight against Montrose. In 1645, Montrose's son, James, was placed with Dalhousie to be educated.

In 1646, Dalhousie was given the important job of high sheriff for Edinburgh county. This meant he was in charge of law and order there.

In 1648, he was asked to be a colonel for Midlothian to support King Charles I. However, it seems he did not take this job. Instead, he remained a strong supporter of Argyll. In 1649, he was one of the nobles who attended a parliament meeting that passed a strict law against those who had fought for the king. In 1651, King Charles II named him colonel for Midlothian.

Later Life and Family

Because William Ramsay had supported King Charles II, he had to pay a fine in 1654 under a law from Oliver Cromwell. He passed away in November 1672.

William Ramsay had a large family. With his first wife, Lady Margaret Carnegie, he had four sons and three daughters:

• George, who became the second Earl of Dalhousie
• John
• James
• William
• Marjory, who married James Erskine, 7th Earl of Buchan
• Anne, who married John Scrymgeour, 1st Earl of Dundee first, and then Sir Henry Bruce
• Magdalene, who never married

He had no children with his second wife, Jocosa Apsley.