Alexander (Sutherland) Sutherland VIIIth of Duffus (1534 - 1570)

Born 1534 in Duffus, Morayshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Janet (Grant) Sutherland — married 26 Jan 1552 in Duffus, Moray, Scotland

Descendants

Died 1570 at about age 36 in Duffus, Morayshire, Scotland

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Bob Brodie [send private message], James Sutherland [send private message], and Gordon Mac Rae [send private message]

Alexander Sutherland was a member of the aristocracy in British Isles.

Biography

Alexander (Sutherland) Sutherland VIIIth of Duffus is a member of Clan Sutherland.

Alexander Sutherland was the eldest son, and heir, of William Sutherland of Duffus and his wife Elizabeth Stewart.^[1] He was a minor when his father died sometime before the end of 1543. His mother survived his father and remarried to James Murray of Culbardie. She was still alive in August 1579.^[2] He succeeded his father before 29 December 1543, when his ward and marriage were gifted to Sir John Campbell of Calder.^[3]

He was still a minor in December 1554, when he was infeft, under dispensation from the Earl of Sutherland as overlord, in the lands and castle of Skelbo, and in Invershin and other lands named. He may, however, have reached majority by 2 May 1555, when he received sasine of the lands of Duffus and others, near Elgin.^[4] He was thus likely born c. 1533.

On 7 November 1562 the lands of Skelbo, Invershin, with Pronsy, Torboll, and all his other territory in Sutherland, were erected by the Earl of Sutherland into a barony, to be called the barony of Skelbo, to him and his heirs and assignees, to be held for ward and relief and other usual services.^[5]

In 1559 he entered into a matrimonial union between their families with the Earl of Caithness. In this they agreed that Alexander Sutherland, then about five years old, the eldest son of the Laird, or his brothers, in succession, should marry Elizabeth Sinclair, eldest daughter of the Earl, or her sisters, in succession, until a marriage was completed.^[6]

He was an MP in 1560.

He was certainly alive on 24 March 1569-70, but did apparently not long survive long, as no later reference to him has been found, and his lands of Duffus were in nonentry from about the middle of 1571.^[7] His wife, Janet, survived him and married James Dempster of Auchterless (contract dated at Elgin 26 September 1577) . She made her will 19 October 1600, and died in that month.^[8]

Family

He married, in terms of a contract dated 26 January 1552-53, and while still under age, Janet, third daughter of James Grant of Freuchie.^[9] They had children:

• Alexander Sutherland. The eldest son, referred to as younger of Duffus in various writs, but there is no evidence as to whether he ever succeeded to Duffus. He was born in 1554, as in the contract entered into on 9 July 1563 between his father and the Earl of Caithness for his marriage with Elizabeth Sinclair, it is stipulated the marriage should take place at Lammas 1568, when he would be fourteen. The marriage did take place, but whether he survived his father or not is uncertain. He had no issue, and his wife survived him, marrying, as her second husband, Hugh Mackay of Farr.

• William Sutherland, the heir to his brother Alexander and successor to his father.

• James Sutherland. Born 1561. ^[10] When about three years old, or earlier, he was placed in fostering with Angus Sutherland "Hectorsone". In 1590 he appears in the Privy Council Records as cautioner for his mother Janet Grant. He had the lands of Kinstearie in Morayshire, which were given to him in 1593 by his brother William, on his marriage with Violet, daughter of Thomas Fraser of Strichen. He was his mother's only executor. He is named as a witness frequently until 1623. He had a son John, whose son William married Margaret, daughter of William Innes of Kinnermonie, issue two sons, David and Hugh. David succeeded to Kinstearie, and his great-grandson James Sutherland of Kinstearie is, in 1766, described as his father's only son.

• Elizabeth Sutherland. Married (contract apparently dated 9 November 1590) to Archibald Douglas of Pittendriech, a natural son of the Regent Morton. She is described as sister of William Sutherland of Duffus. She had issue a daughter, Elizabeth, married to John Innes of Leuchars.

Alexander was born in 1534.

Sources

1. ↑ Balfour Paul: Vol 3, Page 199
2. ↑ Balfour Paul: Vol 3, Page 199
3. ↑ Balfour Paul: Vol 3, Page 200
4. ↑ Balfour Paul: Vol 3, Page 200
5. ↑ Balfour Paul: Vol 3, Page 200
6. ↑ Balfour Paul: Vol 3, Page 200
7. ↑ Balfour Paul: Vol 3, Page 200
8. ↑ Balfour Paul: Vol 3, Page 200
9. ↑ Balfour Paul: Vol 3, Page 200
10. ↑ Balfour Paul: Vol 3, Page 202

• Balfour Paul, Sir James. The Scots Peerage (David Douglas, Edinburgh, 1904-1914); in 9 Volumes.

• Vol 2 for Earl of Caithness, Vol 3 for Lord Duffus and Vol 7 for Mackay Lord Reay.

• the peerage.com for Alexander Sutherland of Duffus. Please take care when using this as source as the family is incomplete and in error in the detail of the family.

• James Brown Sutherland

• The Heraldry of the Murrays, G. Harvey Johnston FSA Scot, W&A.K. Johnston, Ltd., Edinburgh and London, MCMX, p. 9