ERSKINE, Robert Lord Erskine, 13th Earl of Mar (1st creation), Sir ^{1 2 3}

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  General Notes:

EARLDOM OF MAR

This is an ancient earldom, going back to the 12th century and possibly earlier.

In 1435 King James II of Scots failed to keep his agreement with Robert, 1st Lord Erskine who was the rightful heir to the title, and effectively seized it for the Crown. The Erskine claim to it is known as the 1st Creation.

The title then was offered through time, and seven creations, mainly to descendants of the Scottish monarch. The seventh creation of the title in 1565 eventually created a clash of claims in the 18th century between the descendants of the ancient earls and those of the Erskine family, which was resolved by the House of Lords in 1875.

This decision was itself questioned and put right in 1885, when the Earldom of Mar Restitution Act declared that there would be two Earldoms of Mar. The ancient earldom, assumed for the purposes of the legislation to have been created in 1404, continued in the person of John Goodeve Erskine, alongside that of the 1565 creation of earldom, represented in the person of the Earl of Kellie, which had been the '1st Creation'. ^{2 4}

Robert married Elizabeth LINDSAY, daughter of David LINDSAY of Glenesk, Earl of Crawford and Elizabeth STEWART.^{1 2} (Elizabeth LINDSAY was born about 1384.)

  Marriage Notes:

"5. Elizabeth (daughter of David Lindsay), said to have been married to Sir Robert Keith, Marischal of Scotland, but probably to Robert (Erskine), Earl of Mar." (see Note below)

from Scots Peerage (vol.3)



"Lord Erskine is usually said to have married a daughter of Robert Stewart of Lorn and Innermeath, but there is good reason to believe that he married the daughter of David, Earl of Crawford, referred to (her name not being given, but it was probably Elizabeth) in an agreement between that nobleman and Sir Thomas Erskine, dated at Brechin 20 December 1400. By that writ it was arranged that Sir Robert Erskine should marry a daughter of the Earl, who obliged himself to aid Sir Thomas and his wife Janet to recover possession of the lands of Mar and Garioch belonging to her."

from Scots Peerage (vol 5)

Note:

Acccording to Scots Peerage, volume six, Elizabeth was the wife of Sir William Douglas. There is some doubt about the given names of the Lindsay daughters and their respective spouses. This may have been confused by the fact that mother of Robert Erskine's spouse was named Elizabeth. See the Research Notes for Christian Lindsay ID M915, which offers an explanation for the confusion and a possible resolution of it. ^{1 2 5 6}