Who are the parents and grandparents of Walter Alexander, a cousin of the 1st Earl of Stirling

Question

Sir Walter Alexander (1572-1637) is supposedly a 2nd cousin of William B. Alexander, the 1st Earl of Stirling, but I'm lacking such documentation.  The Rev. Dr. Charles Rogers in Memorial Vol. 1 devotes an entire chapter to him and his family.  Though the peerage.com and Burke's list Lucy Alexander as the daughter of the 2nd Earl of Stirling, Dr Rogers list her as Walter's daughter.  Lucy was born about 1614 and thus would have been too old to be the daughter of the 2nd Earl of Sterling; hence, justifying Rogers' assertion that she was Walter's granddaughter.  Some genealogies do list Walter as the grandson of Alexander Alexander II, but don't document their evidence. Lucy married Captain Edward Harrington. Walter married by Sarah Gray and Ann Fowle, but only Ann had children.  We need good sourcing here!

Comments

Perhaps, there were two Lucy Alexanders and two Edward Harrington's.

One Lucy (Alexander) Harrington was born about 1614 and died in 1638.  She's too old to be the granddaughter of the Earl of Stirling through his son William Alexander Viscount Canada as William was born in 1604.  She's also too old to the Lucy Alexander who married Captain Edward Harrington; this Lucy (Alexander) Harrington was the daughter of Henry Alexander, son of Walter Alexander and Anne Fowle.

The earlier Lucy (Alexander) Harrington is listed on www.thepeerage.com as the daughter of William, Viscount Canada, and Margaret Douglas, but the dates don't fit the parents' birth years nor their marriage date of 1629.  It's also listed in Burke's that way.  Need some help there.

Answer 1

http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/atoc/earlofstirling01.pdf  see page 40 says Walter was a gent. Usher to the King's son Henry.  William is listed as a gent. of the Privy Chamber to Henry.  The decree does not explain their relationship but they evidently approached the King together with an idea the King granted.

p 208:  Of the marriage of William, Lord Alexander, and Lady Margaret Douglas, were born a son, William, and two daughters, Catherine and Margaret. William, only son of Lord Alexander, was born about the year 1632. He succeeded his grandfather as second Earl of Stirling in February 1640, and died in May of the same year..

p 259 There is an entire chapter on CHAPTER XII. FAMILY OF SIR WALTER ALEXANDER. AMONG those who followed James VI. to England on his accession to the English throne, was Walter Alexander, a scion of the House of Menstry. Walter Alexander was born at Stirling in 1572 (Funeral Certificate, College of Arms). He obtained the office of " gentleman usher, daily waiter," to Prince Henry,   (parents not named).

Walter Alexander married, first, Sara Gray, a native of Scotland.  Early in November 1605, he married, secondly, Anne Fowles.  Anne, second wife of Walter Alexander, was daughter of Alphonsus Fowles of St James's, Westminster, Justice of the Peace.

p 260 On the 10th June 1621, Walter Alexander was, along with William Alexander, eldest son of Sir William Alexander, admitted an honorary burgess of Stirling (Stirling Burgh Kecords).

Following up on Menstry

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexanders_of_Menstrie

still looking have to go for a while

Comments

Looking further I found this but have no idea how to confirm it.  I think the author was not sure of this with the ? showing

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~sassytazzy/family/surnames/alexander/docs/alexanderchart40gensogrl.html

Answer 2

I was trying to put a date on the 1st earl's grandfather, the William d 1574 who married Coutts, and I realized we have two different versions of the senior line.  The blog has two more generations compared to Balfour Paul.

That makes the dates very tight, with 5 generations dying in 26 years.

Balfour Paul moves William of Clow (m Marshall) up a generation and then moves William (m Coutts) up 2 generations to be a son of Elizabeth Douglas.

Oo-er.

Answer 3

Sir Walter Alexander, a gentleman usher of Charles I, of St. Margaret’s parish in Westminster wrote a will dated 29 March 1637.

To daughter Anne Alexander, now being unmarried, etc.

Close called Gravel Pits in Westminster leased to me by Alphonsus Fowles, Esq.

Wife Dame Anne Alexander

Eldest son Charles Alexander

Son Henry Alexander

Eldest daughter now married Lucy Herbert

Wife exex. Proved 15 April 1637