Henry Alexander (1606 - 1650)

Born 1606 in Logie, Clackmannanshire, Scotland [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Vanlore) Alexander — married 9 Dec 1637 (to 1650) in East Greenwich, London, England

Descendants

Died 1650 at about age 44 in Clackmannanshire, Scotland [uncertain]

Biography

Henry Alexander has Scottish Ancestors.

Henry Alexander was born in Scotland.

It has generally been asserted that the family of Alexander of Menstrie was descended from the Lords of the Isles through Alexander, second son of Donald, the third Lord on record, and that it is an offshoot from or connected with the clan Allister or McAllister. But there is no record evidence of this; the name Alexander is, as might be expected, found widely spread throughout Scotland.^[1] Rogers^[2] traces the Alexander lineage further, back to the settlement by Vikings, who were expelled in 1135.

Henry Alexander was the fourth son of William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling, and Janet Erskine. He was not named in accord with the so-called Ancestral Scottish Onomastic child-naming pattern, which would have Henry's older brother named after his paternal grandfather, in this case Alexander, rather than William. Neither did Henry's older sister Jean bear the name of her maternal grandmother, so the notion that the Onomastic naming system^[3] was applied in this family is not supported by the evidence.^[4]

Henry inherited the title of Earl of Stirling after the sudden death in 1640^[1] or 1644 ^[5][6][7]of his infant nephew^[2], William Alexander, son of his elder brother, William Alexander, who had inherited the title on the death of Henry's father William Alexander in 1640. Henry inherited but the title and debts of £32,680.^[2] There was some dispute about the limit of the Earldom: it was either extinguished after the fifth Earl or continued until at least the ninth Earl.^[5][8]

Henry's father William (1580-1640), was Sir William Alexander of Menstrie, Knight, Master of Requests to King James VI^[5][6], and was close to the crown, as he accompanied the Earl of Argyll abroad as the Earl's travelling companion and tutor^[2], suggesting that the title was conferred for his services to the crown rather than as a revenue-raising measure by the King. After James VI ascended the English throne William followed him to London, taking up a post on the personal staff of Prince Henry, Prince of Wales, King James' first-born. Prince Henry died in 1612 and in 1613 William was appointed 'gentleman-usher' to Prince Charles and was knighted in 1614. William was granted land to form the colony of Nova Scotia in the Americas, an enterprise that was quite unsuccessful.^[9] William was appointed Earl of Stirling on 14 Jun 1633.^[10][5]

Therefore, Henry Alexander was born into a family that had quite recently risen to the nobility, although they could trace their lineage back to some powerful Scottish figures, including Alexander McDonald, the so-called 'King of the Isles',^[5] and their fortunes were closely tied to those of the Stewart monarchy. Alexander's lifetime coincided with the rule of Charles the First (1600-1649), during the time when the seat of the combined Scottish and English monarchies was in London. Their political alegiances were, therefore clearly with the Stewart monarchy and, by virtue of the location of the Scottish court, England. It suggests a precarious, fragile position because of royal pressures to 'Anglicise' Scotland and the fierce Scottish opposition to those measures.^[11] Banks^[5] notes that at the time of William's death and, therefore Henry's accession to the title, '...Stirling's unpopularity was all-but universal'.

Prior to the Act of Union with England in 1707, Scottish titles, including that enjoyed by Alexander, were created by the Scottish Kings. Therefore, they pertained only to Scotland, in contrast with titles after the Act of Union, which pertained to the entirety of Great Britain. Scottish nobles had legal, social and Parliamentary roles, unlike later British ones.^[12]Hence Alexander would have been closely involved in the many social, religious and strategic currents of the time, which was one of violent polarisation and upheaval that was to lead to the so-called Civil War.^[13]

Henry Alexander engaged in foreign trade, following the example of the First Earl, trading with the coast of Africa, raising the possibility that he was actually engaged in slave trading.^[1]

Henry married Mary, youngest daughter of Sir Peter Vanlore, Baronet, of Tylenhurst, at Greenwitch and had three children:^[1][5]

1. Henry Alexander, who succeeded as 4th Earl of Stirling.^[1][5]
2. Mary (Alexander) Lee, who married Robert Lee of Binfield, Berkshire and died before 1662.^[1]
3. Jane Alexander, who died unmarried after Jan 1707.^[1]

Henry Alexander, 3rd Earl of Stirling, died in 1650. His father has been recorded as having been interrred '...in the family vault in the Parish Church...' at Stirling^[1], so it is likely that Henry was also interred there.

The Alexander family name is fairly common in Scotland, ranking 93rd in 1841 and being most common in Peeblesshire (1043.84), Angus (431.14) and Caithness (428.72)^[14]

Croll-284 05:08, 6 May 2021 (UTC)

Biographical Timeline

• Feb 1626: Entered Glasgow University^[1][2]

• 13 Oct 1634: Received letters patent under the Great Seal ... granting then the sole priviledge, for thirty-one years, of exporting goods from Scotland to Africa.^[2]

• 21 Apr 1636: The King granted Henry and his associates ... the exclusive power of trading with ... parts of Africa...^[2]

• 9 Nov 1636: Admitted a burgess of Stirling and holder of 'Agent for the Convention of Royal Burghs'^[1][2]

• 9 Dec 1637: Married Mary, youngest daughter of Sir Peter Vanlore, Baronet, of Tylenhurst, at Greenwich^[1][2]

• 18 May 1638: Death of Henry's brother.^[1]

• 7 Jun 1638: Henry and his brothers-in-law petitioned the Lord Treasurer for the payment of £1,000 each from the estate of Sir Peter Vanlore^[2]

• 12 Feb 1640: Death of his father, 1st Earl, in London, England.^[1]

• May 1640: Death of his nephew, the 2nd Earl and Henry's succession as Third Earl.^[1][2]

• 1650: Died^[1][2]

Research Notes

• Henry was apparently the third son of the First Earl of Stirling, calling into question either the WikiTree profile birth dates for his brothers William, Robert and Anthony or Henry's birth date.
• Searches of Clackmannanshire cemetery records have yielded no relevant results, but records might be found in Mitchell JF, Mitchell S. 1968. "Monumental inscriptions (pre 1855) in Clackmannanshire" Edinburgh: Scottish Genealogy Society.
• Wikidata has his death as 1644 and Wikipedia has his death as 1650, as does Balfour Paul.

Searches

• Ancestry: no relevant results. Accessed 4 May 2021.
• no deth source found on Scotlands People. Accessed 4 May 2021.
• Wikipedia: The Scots Peerage Accessed 9 Apr 2021: Results as above.
• Family Search: no relevant results. Accessed 6 May 2021.
• Guild of One Name Studies: no results. Accessed 6 May 2021.
• Happy Haggis: no results. Accessed 6 May 2021.
• Old Scottish Genealogy and Family History: no results. Accessed 6 May 2021.
• Roots Chat: no results. Accessed 6 May 2021.
• Clackmannanshire Cemetery Records Search: no results; out of date range. Accessed 6 May 2021.
• Geni: Clackmannanshire - Monumental Inscriptions, Cemeteries and Graveyards: no relevant results. Accessed 6 May 2021.
• Gravestone Photograph Resource: no results. Accessed 6 May 2021.
• Scottish Monumental Inscriptions: no results. Accessed 6 May 2021.
• Find a Grave In Scotland: no results. Accessed 26 Jun 2021.

Note

• The references to Banks^[5] should be understood in the light of their context. The Earldom had apparently been extinguished when a claimant to it began legal action to be recognised as the de jurie and de facto Earl. Banks presents an in-depth argument for recognition, partly on the grounds of the antiquity of the title. Mc Gregor^[6] published an equally-detailed argument against recognition. These arguments took place in 1832, well after the Third Earl, but one should be aware of possible biases.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14} Henry, Third Earl of Stirling, Vol VIII, pg 181 in Paul, James Balfour, Sir, 1846-1931: 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 v8, p181: Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming: Internet Archive 2021. Internet Archive. Accessed 9 Apr 2021.
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11} Wayback Machine: Rogers C. 1877. Memorials of the Earl of Stirling and the House of Alexander. (Vol 1.) Edinburgh: William Patterson. Accessed 21 Jul 2021.
3. ↑ Rogers
4. ↑ Robb JB. 2020. 'The Scottish Onomastic Child-naming Pattern' Accessed 30 Apr 2021.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8} Wayback Machine: Banks T. 1832. An Analytical Statement of the Case of Alexander, Earl of Stirling and Dovan, &c, &c, &c Containing an Explanation of His Official Dignities, and Peculiar Territorial Rights and Privileges in the British Colony of Novia Scotia and Canada, &c, &c, and Also Shewing the Descent of the Stirling Peerage Honours, Supported by Legal Evidence and the Law and Obaoe of Scotland, Appertaining Thereto: With a Variety of Incidental Notes and Observations. London: James Cochrane and Co. Accessed 21 Jul 2021.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} https://ia800306.us.archive.org/24/items/cihm_32534/cihm_32534.pdf MacGregor S. 1839.] The Stirling Peerage. Trial of Alexander Humphrys or Alexander, Styling Himself Earl of Stirling, Before the High Court of Justiciary, For Forgery, on 29th April, 1839, and Four Following Days. Edinburgh: William Blackwood and Sons and London: T cadell. Accessed 21 Jul 2021.
7. ↑ Wayback Machine: MacGregor S. 1839. The Stirling Peerage. Trial of Alexander Humphrys or Alexander, Styling Himself Earl of Stirling, Before the High Court of Justiciary, For Forgery, on 29th April, 1839, and Four Following Days. Edinburgh: William Blackwood and Sons and London: T cadell.
8. ↑ Wayback Machine: Lockhart E. 1836. Narrative of the Oppressive Law Proceedings, and Other Measures, Reported to the British Government, and Numerous Private Individuals to Overpower the Earl of Stirling, and Subvert his Lawful Rights. Edinburgh.
9. ↑ Electric Scotland: Wilson Poets 005 V 1: 'Earl of Stirling'. pp70-72 Accessed 30 Apr 2021
10. ↑ Royalty, Nobility and Gentry of Scotland in the 16th Century accessed 6 May 2021.
11. ↑ Harvie C. 2014. Scotland: a Short History.Oxford: Oxford University Press.
12. ↑ Registry of Scottish Nobility Accessed 9 Apr 2021.
13. ↑ Davies N. 1996. Europe: a History. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p552
14. ↑ Old Scottish Genealogy and Family History: Scottish Surnames Accessed 6 May 2021.

See also:

• Wikipedia: 'Earl of Stirling' Accessed 6 May 2021.
• 'Alexander, Earl of Stirling' Accessed 5 May 2021
• Peerage.com
• Wikidata: Item Q61782001

Other possible sources:

• Brown WC. 1980. Clackmannanshire: a Guide to Historical Sources. Stirling, Scotland: Forth Naturalist and Historian. SeeFamily Search accessed 12 Jun 2021
• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Family History Department. 1990. Index to Old Parochial Registers: Clackmannan County. Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah. SeeFamily Search accessed 12 Jun 2021
• Aberdeen and North-East Scotland Family History Society. 1980. The Counties of Clackmannan, Kinross and Fife Showing Overall Dates of Od Parochial Records. Scotland: Aberdeen: Aberdeen and North East Scotland Family History Society. See Family Search accessed 12 Jun 2021
• Flett I. 1987. Source Book 1987: an alphabetical guide to reference sources in the Tay Valley area. Scotland: Dundee: Tay Valley Family History Society. See Family Search accessed 12 Jun 2021
• Pellow A. Tay Valley People. Scotland: Dundee: Tay Valley Family History Society. See Family Search accessed 12 Jun 2021
• National Archives of Scotland. Scotland, Roxburgh, Stirling, Clackmannan Shires and Stewartry of Montieth, particular register of sasines, etc,, first series, land and property, 1617-1660. See Family Search
• National Archives of Scotland. Scotland, Roxburgh, Stirling, Clackmannan Shires and Stewartry of Montieth, particular register of sasines, etc,, second series, land and property, 1661-1871. See Family Search