William (Livingston) Fourth Lord Livingston of Callendar (bef. 1482 - 1514)

Born before Jul 1482 in Callendar, Stirlingshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 1514 after age 31 in Callender House, Stirlingshire, Scotland [uncertain]

Biography

William (Livingston) Fourth Lord Livingston of Callendar is a member of Clan Livingstone.

William Livingston was a member of the aristocracy in Scotland.

William Livingston was the son of Sir James Livingston, 3rd Lord Livingston of Callendar, and his wife, Agnes Houston, daughter of John Houston of that Ilk. He was of age in 1503 and was thus born before 1480.^[1][2]

He inherited from his father and received a Charter of the family estates in 1503.

In 1504, 20 September, he granted a charter as superior of Pettyntoskane (now Bantaskine) in the barony of Callendar, in favour of Patrick Hepburn, his wife's uncle.^[3]

In 1507, 4 November, he was obliged to submit to a distraint upon part of his lands in favour of Sir James Schaw of Sauchy.

In 1510, 21 January, a charter of confirmation, of part of Callander in Menteith, Culter in Lanarkshire, and Cragston in Stirlingshire, in favour of himself and Agnes Hepburn, his spouse, was granted to Lord Livingston on his own resignation for conjunct infeftment. A month later he resigned the whole of his estates in favour of Alexander, his son and heir-apparent, reserving his life-rent and a reasonable terce to his wife.

In 1512 his domestic affairs seem to be out of hand and his son took forcible possession of Callendar House, and, in the following year, 1513, his wife obtained decree of divorce against him for adultery with Mariota Taylor, and having issue by her.^[4]

He married Agnes Hepburn, second daughter of Alexander Hepburn of Whitson (contract before 2 April 1501 and likely as early as 1490). Whitson was an estate in Stirlingshire near the Callendar estates. They had three sons and a daughter:

1. Alexander Livingston, likely born prior to 1490 as he as fiar of the lordship of Livingston, had, along with his spouse, Janet Stewart, a charter, dated 30 March 1511, confirming to them the dominical lands of the place of Callendar and others, and probably upon the strength of this he took possession of Callendar House, a step which involved a dispute with his father, and a deed of arbitration, dated 17 February 1513,
2. Mr. James Livingston. He appears 23 October 1547 in the Stirling Town Council and Court Book, at the arrestment of goods of deceased Mr. James Livingston, brother of Alexander, Lord Livingston, for behalf of his creditors. He was dead before this date. There is no notice of a marriage or children and it seems improbable given the loss of assets. The family historian^[5] provides a complete lineage from this person but without any authority and indeed appears to confuse him with a James Livingston that had taken the church.
3. William Livingston. He is styled brother-german of Alexander, Lord Livingston, in an action against the Earl of Huntly as to the rents of the lands of Pawplay in Orkney, 28 November 1553. He is said^[6] to have been Captain of the Royal Castle of Kirkwall in the Orkneys and to have married Margaret Strang.
4. Margaret Livingston. She was likely born about 1510. She married John Hay, fourth Lord Hay of Yester.

Mr. E. B. Livingston (Livingston Book; page 32) states some American writers assert that Lord William had another son, Robert, who was killed at Pinkie 1547. Balfour Paul discards this as lacking sufficient authority^[4] but it seems plausible that he was illegitimate. Lord Livingston was known to have had an affair which produced children and, although Balfour Paul does not provide the names, Robert may have been one of these.

The family historian^[7] also notices an Isobel Livingston, said to have married Sir Oliver Sinclair of Roslin as his third wife. According to Douglas's Peerage, this Isobel Livingston married Nicol Ramsay of Dalhousie, while the Scots Peerage declares Ramsay's wife was the daughter of Sir Robert Livingston of Wemyss. It is certainly not clear that she was a daughter of William and Agnes.

He died in 1514.^[4]

Research Notes

As he married 2 Apr 1501, his birth must have been prior to 2 Apr 1487. Delving further, his son Alexander was married 30 Mar 1511 placing Alexander's birth before 30 Mar 1497 and William's marriage before Jul 1496 and his birth before Jul 1482.

Sources

1. ↑ Paul, James Balfour. "The Scots Peerage : founded on Wood's ed. of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland; containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom", Edinburgh: David Douglas,1908, Vol. V, Archive.org, p. 434
2. ↑ Livingston, Edwin Brockholst, "The Livingstons of LIvingston Manor: Being the History of that Branch of the Scottish House of Callendar which settled in the English Province of New York during the Reign of Charles the Second", New York: Knickerbocker Press, 1910, Archive.org, p. 6
3. ↑ James Balfour Paul notes that Patrick Hepburn's mother's name is given in this charter as Alisone Forest, probably first wife of Patrick Hepburn, first Lord Hailes.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} Paul, James Balfour. "The Scots Peerage : founded on Wood's ed. of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland; containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom", Edinburgh: David Douglas,1908, Vol. V, Archive.org, p. 435
5. ↑ Livingston of Callendar
6. ↑ Livingston of Callendar
7. ↑ Livingston of Callendar

See also:

• Livingston of Callendar