Coat of arms of the Earls of Erroll, The Scots Peerage
Earl of Erroll is a title in the Peerage of Scotland . It was created in 1453 for Sir William Hay . The subsidiary titles held by the Earl of Erroll are Lord Hay (created 1449) and Lord Slains (1452), both in the Peerage of Scotland. The Earls of Erroll also hold the hereditary office of Lord High Constable of Scotland . The office was once associated with great power. The Earls of Erroll hold the hereditary title of Chief of Clan Hay .
The Earl of Erroll is one of four peers entitled to appoint a private pursuivant , with the title "Slains Pursuivant of Arms ".[1] Earl of Erroll is also the name of a Scottish highland dance , danced today at Highland games around the world.[2]
The family seat is Woodbury House, near Everton , Bedfordshire .
History
The Hay clan descends from Scoto-Norman knight Guillaume de la Haye , who first appears on the records circa 1160.[3]
Gilbert de la Hay (died April 1333), ancestor of the Earls of Erroll, was the older brother of William de la Hay, ancestor of the Earls of Kinnoull . In 1251, William received a charter of two carucates of land from his brother, which was confirmed by King Alexander III .[3]
Regrant of the earldom of Erroll
A regrant was one of the peculiarities in the Scottish law of peerage, that a party might, by a resignation to the Crown, and a charter following upon such resignation, obtain power to nominate the heirs to succeed him in his honours and dignities. Some of the highest of the Scottish peerages are held under such nominations.[4]
Gilbert Hay, 11th Earl of Erroll , on 13 November 1666, obtained a regrant of his honours. This regrant had special power to nominate his heirs. This nomination was made in 1674 with Gilbert appointing his cousin Sir John Hay of Keillour and his heir male, failing which, appointing Sir John Hay of Keillour's heir female, and failing which, appointing certain Hays of Tweeddale. The 11th Earl of Erroll having died in 1674 without issue, Sir John Hay of Keillour became 12th Earl of Erroll. On his death in 1704, his son, Charles became the 13th Earl of Erroll. Charles died unmarried in 1717, when the title devolved on his sister, Mary.
Mary Hay, 14th Countess of Erroll died in 1758 without issue. Mary's sister Margaret had previously died at Rome in 1723, however she had married James Livingston, 5th Earl of Linlithgow , 4th Earl of Callendar , and had issue, and it is from her that the present Earl of Erroll is descended.
This regrant was questioned in the House of Lords in 1797. The then Earl of Lauderdale had questioned George, the 16th Earl of Erroll's right to vote at an election of the peers of Scotland. One of the objections made to the title was that the title of Earl of Erroll was claimed through a nomination. It was decided in 1748 in the case of the earldom of Stair that this power of nomination could not be validly exercised after the Union . The House of Lords, after a full inquiry, decided in favour of the 16th Earl of Erroll's right to the title. That the Earl of Erroll holds the honours of his house undoubtedly and without dispute, is clear from the decision of the House of Lords.[5]
Earls of Erroll (1453)
William Hay, 1st Earl of Erroll (d. c. 1462)
Nicholas Hay, 2nd Earl of Erroll (d. 1470)
William Hay, 3rd Earl of Erroll (d. 1507)
William Hay, 4th Earl of Erroll (d. 1513)
William Hay, 5th Earl of Erroll (d. 1522)
William Hay, 6th Earl of Erroll (c. 1521–1541)
George Hay, 7th Earl of Erroll (d. 1573)
Andrew Hay, 8th Earl of Erroll (d. 1585)
Francis Hay, 9th Earl of Erroll (d. 1631)
William Hay, 10th Earl of Erroll (d. 1636)
Gilbert Hay, 11th Earl of Erroll (d. 1674)
John Hay, 12th Earl of Erroll (d. 1704)
Charles Hay, 13th Earl of Erroll (d. 1717)
Mary Hay, 14th Countess of Erroll (d. 1758)
James Hay, 15th Earl of Erroll (1726–1778)
George Hay, 16th Earl of Erroll (1767–1798)
William Hay, 17th Earl of Erroll (1772–1819)
William George Hay, 18th Earl of Erroll (1801–1846)
William Harry Hay, 19th Earl of Erroll (1823–1891)
Charles Gore Hay, 20th Earl of Erroll (1852–1927)
Victor Alexander Sereld Hay, 21st Earl of Erroll (1876–1928)
Josslyn Victor Hay, 22nd Earl of Erroll (1901–1941)
Diana Denyse Hay, 23rd Countess of Erroll (1926–1978)
Merlin Sereld Victor Gilbert Hay, 24th Earl of Erroll (b. 1948)
The heir apparent is the present holder's son Harry Thomas William Hay, Lord Hay (b. 1984).
See also
Slains Pursuivant Peter Drummond-Murray of Mastrick (pictured), was the private officer of arms of the Earl of Erroll.
References
External links
Sorted by (historical) entity at time of grant
England
Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 22nd Earl of Shrewsbury
Edward Stanley, 19th Earl of Derby
William Hastings-Bass, 17th Earl of Huntingdon
William Herbert, 18th Earl of Pembroke
Charles Courtenay, 19th Earl of Devon
Robert Fiennes-Clinton, 19th Earl of Lincoln
Alexander Howard, 22nd Earl of Suffolk
William Herbert, 15th Earl of Montgomery
Alexander Feilding, 12th Earl of Denbigh
Anthony Fane, 16th Earl of Westmorland
Alexander Howard, 15th Earl of Berkshire
Richard Bertie, 14th Earl of Lindsey
Daniel Finch-Hatton, 17th Earl of Winchilsea
John Montagu, 11th Earl of Sandwich
Paul Capell, 11th Earl of Essex
George Howard, 13th Earl of Carlisle
Nicholas Ashley-Cooper, 12th Earl of Shaftesbury
Daniel Finch-Hatton, 12th Earl of Nottingham
Richard Bertie, 9th Earl of Abingdon
Timothy Bentinck, 12th Earl of Portland
Richard Lumley, 13th Earl of Scarbrough
Rufus Keppel, 10th Earl of Albemarle
George Coventry, 13th Earl of Coventry
William Child Villiers, 10th Earl of Jersey
Scotland
Alistair Sutherland, 25th Earl of Sutherland
Anthony Lindsay, 30th Earl of Crawford
Margaret of Mar, 31st Countess of Mar
Merlin Hay, 24th Earl of Erroll
Malcolm Sinclair, 20th Earl of Caithness
Stewart Douglas, 22nd Earl of Morton
James Leslie, 22nd Earl of Rothes
Henry Erskine, 18th Earl of Buchan
Hugh Montgomerie, 19th Earl of Eglinton
John Stuart, 21st Earl of Moray
James Erskine, 14th Earl of Mar
Michael Douglas-Home, 16th Earl of Home
James David Drummond, 10th Earl of Perth
Simon Bowes-Lyon, 19th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
James Erskine, 16th Earl of Kellie
George Baillie-Hamilton, 14th Earl of Haddington
Andrew Stewart, 14th Earl of Galloway
Ian Maitland, 18th Earl of Lauderdale
James Lindesay-Bethune, 16th Earl of Lindsay
Simon Abney-Hastings, 15th Earl of Loudoun
Charles Hay, 16th Earl of Kinnoull
Andrew Bruce, 11th Earl of Elgin
James Charteris, 13th Earl of Wemyss
James Ramsay, 17th Earl of Dalhousie
David Ogilvy, 14th Earl of Airlie
Alexander Leslie-Melville, 15th Earl of Leven
John Grant, 13th Earl of Dysart
John Douglas-Hamilton, 12th Earl of Selkirk
Patrick Carnegy, 15th Earl of Northesk
Andrew Bruce, 15th Earl of Kincardine
Anthony Lindsay, 13th Earl of Balcarres
Filippo Rospigliosi, 12th Earl of Newburgh
Alexander Scrymgeour, 12th Earl of Dundee
Patrick Hope-Johnstone, 11th Earl of Annandale and Hartfell
Iain Cochrane, 15th Earl of Dundonald
James Keith, 14th Earl of Kintore
Malcolm Murray, 12th Earl of Dunmore
Alexander Leslie-Melville, 14th Earl of Melville
Peter St John, 9th Earl of Orkney
James Charteris, 9th Earl of March
Ian Ogilvie-Grant, 13th Earl of Seafield
John Dalrymple, 14th Earl of Stair
Harry Primrose, 8th Earl of Rosebery
Patrick Boyle, 10th Earl of Glasgow
Great Britain
Robert Shirley, 14th Earl Ferrers
William Legge, 10th Earl of Dartmouth
Peter Bennett, 10th Earl of Tankerville
Charles Finch-Knightley, 12th Earl of Aylesford
Richard Parker, 9th Earl of Macclesfield
James Waldegrave, 13th Earl Waldegrave
Charles Stanhope, 12th Earl of Harrington
Quentin Wallop, 10th Earl of Portsmouth
Guy Greville, 9th Earl Brooke
George Hobart-Hampden, 10th Earl of Buckinghamshire
Piers North, 10th Earl of Guilford
Joseph Yorke, 10th Earl of Hardwicke
Robin Fox-Strangways, 10th Earl of Ilchester
Guy Greville, 9th Earl of Warwick
William Sackville, 11th Earl De La Warr
William Pleydell-Bouverie, 9th Earl of Radnor
Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer
Allen Bathurst, 9th Earl Bathurst
George Villiers, 8th Earl of Clarendon
Alexander Murray, 8th and 9th Earl of Mansfield
Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 7th Earl Talbot
Christopher Edgcumbe, 9th Earl of Mount Edgcumbe
Charles Fortescue, 8th Earl Fortescue
Alexander Murray, 9th Earl of Mansfield
George Herbert, 8th Earl of Carnarvon
Edward Cadogan, 9th Earl Cadogan
James Harris, 7th Earl of Malmesbury
Ireland
Kingdom of Ireland
Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 22nd Earl of Waterford
John Boyle, 15th Earl of Cork
William Anthony Nugent, 13th Earl of Westmeath
John Brabazon, 15th Earl of Meath
Alexander Feilding, 11th Earl of Desmond
Roger Lambart, 13th Earl of Cavan
John Boyle, 15th Earl of Orrery
Derry Moore, 12th Earl of Drogheda
Peter Forbes, 10th Earl of Granard
Ivo Bligh, 12th Earl of Darnley
Myles Ponsonby, 12th Earl of Bessborough
Thomas Butler, 11th Earl of Carrick
Henry Boyle, 10th Earl of Shannon
Arthur Gore, 9th Earl of Arran
Patrick Stopford, 9th Earl of Courtown
John Savile, 8th Earl of Mexborough
David Turnour, 8th Earl Winterton
Robert King-Tenison, 12th Earl of Kingston
Robert Jocelyn, 10th Earl of Roden
David Vaughan, 9th Earl of Lisburne
Patrick Meade, 8th Earl of Clanwilliam
Randal McDonnell, 10th Earl of Antrim
Thomas Pakenham, 8th Earl of Longford
George Dawson-Damer, 7th Earl of Portarlington
Charles Bourke, 11th Earl of Mayo
Michael Annesley, 12th Earl Annesley
Andrew Cole, 7th Earl of Enniskillen
John Crichton, 7th Earl Erne
George Bingham, 8th Earl of Lucan
John Lowry-Corry, 8th Earl Belmore
Andrew Stuart, 9th Earl Castle Stewart
Nicholas Alexander, 7th Earl of Caledon
Richard Hely-Hutchinson, 8th Earl of Donoughmore
After 1801
United Kingdom
King George III
Peter St Clair-Erskine, 7th Earl of Rosslyn
Benjamin Craven, 9th Earl of Craven
Rupert Onslow, 8th Earl of Onslow
Julian Marsham, 8th Earl of Romney
John Pelham, 9th Earl of Chichester
Francis Grosvenor, 8th Earl of Wilton
John Herbert, 8th Earl of Powis
Simon Nelson, 10th Earl Nelson
Philip Kent Grey, 7th Earl Grey
William Lowther, 9th Earl of Lonsdale
Conroy Ryder, 8th Earl of Harrowby
Prince Regent King George IV King William IV Queen Victoria
Thomas Coke, 8th Earl of Leicester
Anthony Noel, 6th Earl of Gainsborough
William Byng, 9th Earl of Strafford
Mark Pepys, 9th Earl of Cottenham
Graham Wellesley, 8th Earl Cowley
David Ward, 5th Earl of Dudley
Hugh Montgomerie, 7th Earl of Winton
John Russell, 7th Earl Russell
John Mackenzie, 5th Earl of Cromartie
John Wodehouse, 5th Earl of Kimberley
Richard Wortley, 5th Earl of Wharncliffe
Simon Cairns, 6th Earl Cairns
John Lytton, 5th Earl of Lytton
William Palmer, 5th Earl of Selborne
John Northcote, 5th Earl of Iddesleigh
Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy, 5th Earl of Cranbrook
King Edward VII King George V
Harry Primrose, 4th Earl of Midlothian
Michael Hicks Beach, 3rd Earl St Aldwyn
David Beatty, 3rd Earl Beatty
Alexander Haig, 3rd Earl Haig
Edward Guinness, 4th Earl of Iveagh
Roderick Balfour, 5th Earl of Balfour
Raymond Asquith, 3rd Earl of Oxford and Asquith
Patrick Jellicoe, 3rd Earl Jellicoe
Peter Mackay, 4th Earl of Inchcape
William Peel, 3rd Earl Peel
King George VI Queen Elizabeth II
Italics in entries mean the peer also holds a previously listed earldom of higher precedence