William Alexander
Privacy Level: Open (White)

William Alexander (abt. 1567 - 1640)

Sir William "Earl of Stirling, Viscount of Canada, and Lord Alexander of Tullibody" Alexander
Born about in Menstrie, Clackmannanshire, Scotlandmap [uncertain]
Ancestors ancestors
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married 1601 [location unknown]
Descendants descendants
Died at about age 73 in Menstrie, Clackmannanshire, Scotlandmap
Problems/Questions Profile manager: David Hughey private message [send private message]
Profile last modified | Created 1 Mar 2011
This page has been accessed 11,533 times.

Contents

Biography

Scottish flag
William Alexander was born in Scotland.
William Alexander is a member of Clan MacAlister.
European Aristocracy
Sir William Alexander was a member of the aristocracy in British Isles.
Notables Project
William Alexander is Notable.

William Alexander was a Scottish courtier and poet who was involved in the Scottish colonisation of Charles Fort, later Port-Royal, Nova Scotia in 1629 and Long Island, New York.

The marriage of his parents was ‘about 1566 or 1567,’ so William Alexander has been estimated to be born about 1567, He is also known as Viscount of Canada, Baron of Menstrie, and Baronet of Nova Scotia [1].

Parents and Education

William Alexander was the only son of Alexander Alexander (d. 1581) and Marion Graham, daughter of Gilbert Graham of Gartavertane. [2][3]. His father died while he was young and his grand uncle James was appointed his tutor. Paul believes he received his early education at the Grammar School of Stirling and University of Leyden. He was chosen as travelling companion to Archibald, seventh Earl of Argyll, and went with him to France, Spain and Italy.

1601 Marriage

He married in 1601 Janet Erskine, daughter of Sir William Erskine [3][4]

1603 to London

William Alexander was among the Scots nobility who accompanied James VI to London when he assumed the throne of England as James I.

1605 Lands at Menstrie

As early as 1605 he had a relationship with lands at Menstrie as a renter. Over time this relationship involved mineral rights and then ownership, culminating in a charter 30 July 1638 from the king conveying to him absolute proprietorship of Menstrie.

1614 Poet Drummond

William Alexander formed a friendship with the poet Drummond, who visited him at Menstrie when William was there to superintend his mining business. Alexander wrote poetry and was selected by the King to publish a translation of the psalms.

1621 Nova Scotia

He joined the king in promoting an attempt to colonize North America, obtaining a charter to create 100 baronies in Nova Scotia. A few of these baronies were created, but the effort came to an end when by treaty Nova Scotia was turned over to France.

Later, in January 1635, he obtained from the Council of New England a grant of the Island of Matowack -- today known as Long Island, New York, which he proposed to call the Isle of Stirling. This endeavor like many of his others came to naught.

1624 Public Service

Alexander held various posts from the king, including Principal Secretary for Scotland.

1630 Titles

On 4 September 1630 a patent was issued creating him "Viscount of Stirling and Lord Alexander of Tullibody". At the coronation of Charles on 14 June 1633, he was created "Earl of Stirling, Viscount of Canada, and Lord Alexander of Tullibody."

1640 Death

He died 12 February (Some show September) 1640 at his Covent Garden townhouse in London. He was insolvent at the time of his death. Kingsley notes that he left debts of £136,000. [4]His estate was confirmed in Edinburgh Commissary Court on 4 December 1641.[5]

Reflecting on his life, Paul wrote, "A far-seeing statesman, with ideas much in advance of his time, and with talents which distinguished him from his contemporaries, he stands out as one of the most brilliant of his countrymen that the seventeenth century produced. But from a mundane point of view he was a failure. His great schemes of colonisation were not destined to be carried into execution for long after his day, and then in a manner which he did not anticipate. His literary productions failed to attract the attention of the public, and his edition of the Psalms seemed to accentuate an unpopularity when he had already earned by his fearless and impartial administration in his office of Secretary of State. His body was buried 12 April 1640 in the family vault in the Parish Church in Stirling.

Issue

Sir William Alexander and his wife Janet had eight sons and 3 daughters. [2][3]

  1. Jean Alexander, b. 1600. Lady Jean Alexander (d. 1670) m.(1) in 1623, Hugh Montgomery, 2nd Viscount of the Ards (d. 1642) and (2) Maj-Gen. Robert Munro, son of Obsdale Munro of Foulis. (7) Lady Jean Alexander (d. 1670), married first, 1623, Hugh Montgomery, 2nd Viscount of the Ards (d. 1642) and second, Maj-Gen. Robert Munro, son of Obsdale Munro of Foulis; [4]
  2. Robert Alexander, b. 1604. Hon. Robert Alexander (d. by 1638); (9) Hon. Robert Alexander (d. by 1638); [4]
  3. William Alexander Lord Alexander, b. 1604. (1) Sir William Alexander (c.1604-38), Lord Alexander d. 18 May 1638 [4]
  4. Anthony Alexander, b. 1605. Hon. Sir Anthony Alexander (dsp 17 Sep 1637), m. Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Henry Wardlaw, bt. of Pitreavie. (2) Hon. Sir Anthony Alexander (d. 1637), educated at Glasgow University; licenced to travel abroad, 1626-29; Master of Works in Scotland, 1629-37 (jointly with James Murray until the latter's death in 1634); knighted, 1635; married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Henry Wardlaw, bt. of Pitreavie but died without issue, 17 September 1637; [4]
  5. Henry Alexander IIIrd Earl of Stirling, b. 1606. Henry Alexander (d. 1647), 3rd Earl of Stirling d. 1650. (3) Henry Alexander (d. 1647), 3rd Earl of Stirling (q.v.); [4]
  6. Margaret Alexander , b. 1607. Lady Margaret Alexander m.(1) 1620 Sir William Murray (d. 1646), 1st bt., of Dunearn; (8) Lady Margaret Alexander, married 1620 Sir William Murray (d. 1646), 1st bt., of Dunearn; [4]
  7. Elizabeth Alexander, b. 1608 . Lady Elizabeth Alexander (d. unm. Dec 1642). (11) Lady Elizabeth Alexander (d. 1642); died unmarried, December 1642. [4]
  8. Charles Alexander, b. 1611. Hon. Charles Alexander (d. 1664), m. bef. 1645, Anna Drurie 2s. (5) Hon. Charles Alexander (d. 1664), married, before 1645, Anna Drurie and had issue two sons; [4]
  9. John Alexander, b. 1612. Hon. John Alexander of Gartmore (d. 1641/2), m. Agnes (d. c.1636), daughter of Robert Graham of Gartmore, 1da. (4) Hon. John Alexander]] of Gartmore (d. 1641/2), Master of Minerals and Metals in Scotland (jointly with his father), 1635; Master of the Mint in Scotland, 1635-41; married Agnes (d. c.1636), daughter of Robert Graham of Gartmore and had issue one daughter; [4]
  10. Ludovich Alexander, b. 1614. Hon. Ludovic Alexander, died young; (10) Hon. Ludovic Alexander, died young; [4]
  11. James Alexander, b. 1615. Lt-Col. Hon. James Alexander (d. 1671), m(1) 16 August 1656, Margaret (d. 1662), daughter of Capt. Hon. David Scrimgeour (2) c.1668, Grizel, daughter of Hon. James Hay, 1da. (6) Lt-Col. Hon. James Alexander (d. 1671), married first, 16 August1656, Margaret (d. 1662), daughter of Capt. Hon. David Scrimgeour and second, c.1668, Grizel, daughter of Hon. James Hay and had issue one daughter; [4]

Research Notes

Birth Year Estimates

[6]

David Reid in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography [3] followed by Wikipedia [2] estimate his birth a decade later, saying he was probably born in 1577 at Menstrie Castle , Clackmannanshire, Scotland.

Children

Children Notes: Burke's has a da. Mary, who m. Sir William Murray 1st Bt., but she's not in the Scots Peerage, I think she's been confused with Margaret.

Sons James, Anthony have been disconnected, they were born well before his marriage, the former has a different surname. They didn't have a son named Archibald or Andrew.

Sources

  1. Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 01, Alexander, William (1567?-1640), Grosart, Alexander Balloch.https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Alexander,_William_(1567%3F-1640)_(DNB00)
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Wikipedia: William_Alexander,_1st_Earl_of_Stirling
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 David Reid,‘Alexander, William, first earl of Stirling (1577–1640)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Oct 2006
  4. 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 Nick Kingsley. Landed Families of Britain and Ireland. (80) Alexander of Menstrie, Earls of Stirling
  5. Will or Testament: "Wills and Testaments," database, National Records of Scotland, (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ : accessed 22 May 2023), Surname Alexander, Forename William, Date 4/12/1641, Description Earl of Stirling, Type Testament Dative and Inventory, Court Edinburgh Commissary Court; citing Reference Number CC8/8/60.
  6. Birth date: Sir James Balfour Paul. The Scots Peerage Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert Doublas's Peerage of Scotland. Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1911. Alexander Earl of Stirling Accessed November 7, 2018 jhd




Is William your ancestor? Please don't go away!
 star icon Login to collaborate or comment, or
 star icon contact private message the profile manager, or
 star icon ask our community of genealogists a question.
Sponsored Search by Ancestry.com

DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with William by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA. Y-chromosome DNA test-takers in his direct paternal line on WikiTree:

Have you taken a DNA test? If so, login to add it. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA.



Comments: 14

Leave a message for others who see this profile.
There are no comments yet.
Login to post a comment.
Hi PM's, I will be editing and working on this profile for the Scotland Project. If there are any questions please make contact. Thank you.
posted by David Urquhart
Do we know where the middle initial "B" came from?
posted by Jack Day
Alexander-13407 and Alexander-642 appear to represent the same person because: Clear duplicate.
posted by Jack Day
There are some problems with this profile. Margaret Alexander, was the daughter of William Alexander, Lord Alexander, (I don't think he ever used the title Viscount Canada) the eldest son of William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling. In which case this profile needs to be unlinked from Alexander Alexander as his father and merged with Alexander-629. Or Margaret can be unlinked as his daughter, and connected to Alexander-629, and then the merge you have proposed to Alexander-642 can go ahead. See The Scots Peerage https://archive.org/stream/scotspeeragefoun08pauluoft#page/176/mode/2up
posted by John Atkinson
Alexander-8664 and Alexander-642 appear to represent the same person because: William Alexander the Earl of Stirling
posted by David Hughey Ph.D.
Alexander-8538 and Alexander-642 appear to represent the same person because: same name, same spouse, same birth and death, same time frame, same location
Alexander-4623 and Alexander-642 appear to represent the same person because: It appears that these two profiles represent the Sir William Alexander of Menstrie. Can you please merge.
posted by Doug Straiton
Scottish courtier, statesman, and poet who founded and colonized the region of Nova Scotia in Canada. His last important poetical work, Doomes-day, or, The Great Day of the Lords Judgement (1614), caused King James to choose him to collaborate in translating the Psalms.
posted by Cheryl (Stone) Caudill
Alexander-642 and Alexander-4625 appear to represent the same person because: Vital data matches
posted by Maria Maxwell
Alexander-4671 and Alexander-2365 do not represent the same person because: all different
posted by Darrell Parker
Alexander-4670 and Alexander-642 appear to represent the same person because: Same DOB, Spouse, Death, Child
posted by Darrell Parker