John Erskine, 17th Earl of Mar

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John Erskine, 17th Earl of Mar (died 29 October 1572), regent of Scotland, was a son of John, 5th Lord Erskine (d. 1552), who was guardian of King James V, and afterwards of Mary, Queen of Scots.

John, who succeeded his father as 6th Lord Erskine in 1552, and joined the religious reformers, but he was never very ardent in the cause, although he subscribed the letter asking the Protestant reformer John Knox to return to Scotland in 1557. The custody of Edinburgh Castle was in his hands, and during the struggle between the regent, Mary of Guise, and the lords of the Congregation he appears to have acted consistently in the interests of peace.

When Mary Stuart returned to Scotland in 1561 Lord Erskine was a member of her council, he favored her marriage with Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, and his wife, Annabella Murray, called by Knox a "verray Jesabell", was a frequent companion of the queen. In 1565 Erskine was granted the earldom of Mar. As guardian of James, afterwards King James VI, he prevented the young prince from falling into the hands of James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, and when the Scottish nobles rose against Mary and Bothwell, Mar was one of their leaders; he took part in the government of Scotland during Marys imprisonment at Lochleven, and also after her subsequent abdication. In September 1571 he was chosen regent of Scotland, but he was overshadowed and perhaps slighted by the James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton, and he died at Stirling on the 29 October 1572.

He was succeeded by his son John Erskine, 2nd Earl of Mar.

Government offices
Preceded by The Earl of Lennox	Regent of Scotland 1571–1572	Succeeded by The Earl of Morton
Peerage of Scotland
Preceded by John Erskine	Lord Erskine 1552 - 1572	Succeeded by John Erskine
Preceded by New Creation	Earl of Mar 1565 - 1572

[edit] References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.