John Erskine, 17th Earl of Mar

John Erskine, 17th Earl of Mar (died 28 October 1572), regent of Scotland, was a son of John, 5th Lord Erskine, who was guardian of King James V, and afterwards of Mary, Queen of Scots.

John was Commendator of Dryburgh Abbey from 1547,^[1] and succeeded his father as 6th Lord Erskine in 1552. He joined the religious reformers, but was never very ardent in the cause. He did subscribe to the letter asking the Calvinist 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, Queen of Scots, returned to Scotland in 1561 Lord Erskine was a member of her council and was in favor of her marriage with Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. 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 Castle, and also after her subsequent abdication. In September 1571 he was chosen Regent of Scotland, but he was overshadowed and perhaps slighted by James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton. He died at Stirling on 29 October 1572 of, what is widely agreed to have been natural causes (although some sources indicate that he may have been poisoned at the will of Morton).

John began building the house at Stirling called 'Mar's Wark', now a ruin the care of Historic Scotland.

References

Alan Stewart Cradle King

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.