Alexander Ruthven

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources.
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. (help, get involved!)
Any material not supported by sources may be challenged and removed at any time. This article has been tagged since November 2006.
For the British politician born 1939, see Alexander Ruthven, 2nd Earl of Gowrie.

Alexander Ruthven was born on 12 January 1580 at the Ruthven Castle in Perthshire, Scotland. This, and other events in his life are open to speculation due to the record keeping of the day, and 'interesting' paradoxes in regards to his marriage to a Miss Trotter (who was eight years his senior) and his son James Trotter, Esquire (who would have been born when Alexander was approximately nine years old).

The Ruthven family genealogy, based on its royal ties to Scottish Monarchy [Stewarts] dates back to Adam, the first man. This is according to the genealogical records held by the Royal Scottish archives.

[edit] Gowrie conspiracy as revenge?

Much has been written about the Gowrie conspiracy and the role Alexander had in the event. Nothing is definitive as to what happened on 5 August 1600 which left Alexander and his brother, the Earl of Gowrie dead. The facts preceding and following lend to understanding the "Power Struggle" and intrigue between the Ruthven family and the James family.

[edit] Events before

The Ruthven family was a wealthy land-owning aristocratic clan in Scotland. The first Earl, William Ruthven, married Dorothea Stewart who was a direct descendant of James Stewart (Black Knight of Lorn). Dorothea was an illegitimate child of James V of Scotland, a cousin of Mary, Queen of Scots.

Alexander's Grandfather and father participated in the Rizzio's murder. Some claim that Rizzio was more than an advisor to Queen Mary, and was the father of James, who becomes James I, King of England. They interfamily dynamics create multiple hypotheses with interesting intrigues that were played out in the life of Queen Mary and her son, from the time the Ruthven's held a gun to Mary's womb (with James inside) while having Rizzio taken out and killed.

[edit] Events after

The Ruthven family maintained power and position in the aristocracy after the Rizzio murder, but not after 5 August 1600. Alexander's grandson Thomas founded the Ruthven family of Freeland, but little is said of his father (who was he?)

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../a/l/e/Alexander_Ruthven_a1d1.html"