Charles (Erskine) Erskine Fifth Earl of Mar CMG (1650 - 1689)

Born 19 Oct 1650 in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 23 May 1689 at age 38 in Alloa, Clackmannanshire, Scotland

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Biography

Charles Erskine was a member of the aristocracy in British Isles.

Charles (Erskine) Erskine Fifth Earl of Mar CMG is Notable.

Charles (Erskine) Erskine Fifth Earl of Mar CMG is a member of Clan Erskine.

Charles was the son of John Erskine and Jean Mackenzie born 19 Oct 1650.^[1]

He is regarded as both the 22nd Earl (in the 1st creation) and the 5th Earl (in the 7th).

He succeeded his father in September 1668 and received a grant of his father's escheat on 8 October 1668. He had a sasine of his lands from certain creditors on 19 September 1670, and a Crown charter of the lands of the earldom on 25 March 1674 to him and the heirs-male of his body, whom failing, to George Erskine, his brother-german, and the heirs-male of his body.^[1]

In 1670 also he was accorded the privilege of a fair and weekly market, to be held at Kildrummy. He was, in 1681, empowered to exact a small toll from passengers and goods passing over the bridge at Tullibody, which required serious repair, to which the money was to be devoted.

He had another charter to his lands, on 1 June 1677, to himself and the heirs-male of his body, whom failing, to his heirs-male and heirs whomsoever successively, which was ratified by Parliament in 1685.

In 1678 he was commissioned, by Charles II, to raise a Regiment to "to keep the peace and put down brigands, mercenaries, and rebels." This Regiment was named the Earl of Mar's Regiment, later the Royal Scots Fusiliers.

He did not, however, continue to support James when he came to the throne and voted against the pro-Catholic policy in 1686. He lost favour with James and was deprived of his office as Keeper of Stirling castle. The Deputy-Governor of Stirling at the time was a relative, Sir John Erskine, son to Sir Charles Erskine, Lord of Alva (Baronetage of Nova Scotia; Alva being in Fife)). Sir John would marry Mary Maule after the death of Charles (subject of this Profile).

He also lost the Colonelcy of his Regiment, it being taken over by Colonel Thomas Buchan, a Loyalist officer.^[2]

Late in 1688 he was directed to move against the Highland Rebellion. In doing so the Highlanders closed on a number of his castles and destroyed Kildrummy, Corgarf, and Braemar.

Although he joined in welcoming William to the throne in 1689 he did not live long after. He died, intestate, between 22 and 24 May 1689.^[3]

He married, contract 2 April 1674, Mary Maule, only daughter of George, Earl of Panmure.^[3] She survived him, and was married, secondly, on 29 April 1697, to Colonel John Erskine, Deputy Governor of Stirling Castle, son of Sir Charles Erskine of Alva.

They had a number of children, five of which died young and are not noted in Balfour Paul's work:

• John Erskine; who would inherit the titles and become Earl of Mar.
• James Erskine; who studied for law, and was called to the bar 28 July 1705. He was chief factor (manager of the estates) in Scotland for his brother the Earl while Secretary of State, who, on 4 October 1705, appointed him Principal Keeper of the Signet (Seal of the King). He was a strong Presbyterian, and was much esteemed by the clergy. He was raised to the Bench, as Lord Grange, on 18 October 1706. He was MP for Stirling.
• Mr. Henry (Harry) Erskine; born 11 September 1682. He entered the army and served as captain in the Royal Scots Fusiliers (same Regiment his father raised, now known as Francis O'Farrell's Regiment under Marlborough in the Low Countries about 1702. In 1705 he purposed to return to Scotland. In 1706 he was named lieutenant colonel of Lord Mark Kerr's regiment (the Regiment would be later re-raised as 11th Dragoons), and sailed to Lisbon for the campaign against Spain. He commanded the regiment at the battle of Almanza on 14 April 1707, where he was killed. He is not known to have been married.
• Jean Erskine; she married, at Twickenham, 21 February 1712, Sir Hugh Paterson of Bannockburn, Bart., and had issue. She died at Bannockburn, 16 November 1763, survived by her husband, who died at Touch 23 March 1777.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Paul, James Balfour. The Scots Peerage : founded on Wood's ed. of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland; containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom, Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1908, Vol. V, Archive.org, p. 626
2. ↑ Records of the Regiment; Historical record of the Twenty-First Regiment, or the Royal North British Fusiliers
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Paul, James Balfour. The Scots Peerage : founded on Wood's ed. of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland; containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom, Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1908, Vol. V, Archive.org, p. 627

See also:

• Wikipedia: Charles_Erskine,_Earl_of_Mar

• Wikidata: Item Q5077425, en:Wikipedia

• Cokayne, George Edward, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, London: William Pollard & Co, 1932, Ed. 2 Vol VIII, Complete Peerage 2nd ed. v8 pp. 426-429

• Mar, Earl of (S, 1114) Cracroft's Peerage