SKENE, Alexander 9th of that Ilk ¹

   User ID: N330.

Alexander married Agnes FORBES, daughter of James FORBES 2nd Lord Forbes and Egidia KEITH.¹ (Agnes FORBES was born about 1463.)

  Marriage Notes:

"On the 19th of March, 1485, Alexander Skene is infeft as heir, served and retoured, to Gilbert Skene, his father, in the lands and barony of Skene.[....]

Alexander appears to have died in the year 1507, as towards the end of that year, on 12th February, 1507-8, there is in the Privy Seal Record a letter to Sir Alexander Irving of Drum and Duncan Forbes of the ward of the lands of the late Alexander Skene of that ilk, and of the marriage of Alexander Skene, his son and heir ; and on the third day of October, 1508, Agnes Forbes is served by a jury assembled at Aberdeen, before John, Earl of Crawfurd, and Lord Lyndesay, " qui jurati dicunt quod Agnes Forbes relicta Alexandri Skene de eodem tenetur habere racionabilem terciam omnium terrarum baronie de Skene exceptis duabus partibus terrarum de Lattir que attigit habere suam terciam in solari parte hujusmodi terrarum."

This Agnes Forbes, according to MS. authority, was a daughter of Lord Forbes, probably of James, second Baron Forbes, by Egidia de Keith, daughter of William, First Earl Marischal, and was thus sister of that Duncan Forbes who was one of the guardians of her infant son. By her Alexander Skene had two sons I. Alexander Skene, who succeeded him. II. James Skene, kindlie tenant of Bandodill, ancestor of the families of Skene of Ramore, Curriehill, Halyards in Midlothian, and Rubislaw."

from Skene of Skene

Note:

No other sources have been found that provide evidence that Agnes Forbes was in fact the daughter of James, second Lord Forbes. Since James died in 1462, she would have been considerably younger than her husband if Alexander's parents did not marry until 1481. Even if the charter of 1481 had been granted after their marriage, the age difference between their son and his wife would have been substantial.

The author of Memorials of the Family of Skene of Skene further states on page 23:

"This Agnes Forbes, according to MS. authority, was a daughter of
Lord Forbes, probably of James, second Baron Forbes, by Egidia de
Keith, daughter of William, First Earl Marischal, and was thus sister of
that Duncan Forbes who was one of the guardians of her infant son."

Duncan Forbes of Corsindae, however, was also stepfather to Alexander Skene, husband to Agnes, through Duncan's marriage to Christian Mercer. The suggestion that it was because he was the brother of Agnes that he was made guardian would not be strictly necessary. Duncan was, after all, Alexander's mother's second husband, so Alexander's sons were her grandchildren and therefore Duncan's step-grandchildren. Moreover, if Duncan and Agnes were siblings one might have expected that to be noted in the relevant documents. ¹