The peerage of Scotland: containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom, ... collected from the public records, and ancient chartularies of this nation, ... Illustrated with copper-plates. By Robert Douglas, Esq;.

RUTHVEN Lord RUTHVEN.

AS the rise and descent of the great and antient name of Ruthven is to be found under the title of earl of Gowrie, page 303d of this work, to that we refer our read∣ers, and proceed to deduce the descent of this noble family from their immediate ancestor,

WILLIAM, second lord Ruthven, the thirteenth generation of the illustrous house of Gowrie, in a direct male line. He married Janet Haliburton, daughter and co-heiress of Patrick lord Haliburton of Dirleton, by whom he had two sons, and seven daughters. 1. Pa∣trick, his successor, who was father of William first earl of Gowrie; 2. Alexander Ruthven, progenitor of this family. For the daughters vide title Gowrie.

I. ALEXANDER, second son of William lord Ruthven, got from his father the lands and barony of Freeland in Perth-shire, which hath continued to be one of the chief titles of his family ever since.

He got from his nephew William, earl of Gowrie, a charter, dilecto patruo suo Alexan∣dro Ruthven de Freeland,* 1.1 et Isabellae Fother∣ingham, sponsae suae, of part of the lands of Fort-Teviot, 1st August 1585.

He afterwards got a charter under the great seal,* 1.2 Alexandra Ruthven de Freeland, of some lands and an orchard, lying on the side of the water of Earn, with a fishing on that river, dated anno 1598.

By the said Isabel, a daughter of— Fotheringham of Powrie, he left issue two sons, and three daughters.

1. William, his heir.

2. Alexander, whose only son, colonel William Ruthven, died in the king's service without issue.

1st daughter, Jean, married to— Mercer of Clevidge.

2. Barbara, married to Henry Rattray of that ilk, ancestor of the Rattrays of Craighall.

3. Isabel, married to baron Reid in Strath∣ardale, of whom Alexander Robertson of Stra∣loch, alias baron Reid, is now the represen∣tative.

He died in the beginning of the year 1600, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

II. WILLIAM, who got a charter under the great seal,* 1.3 Willielmo Ruthven de Freeland, of the lands of Kirkton-Malar, and a fishing on the water of Earn, anno 1607.

He married Elizabeth, daughter of sir Wil∣liam Moncrief of that ilk, by whom he had a son,

Sir Thomas, afterwards lord Ruthven,— and two daughters.

1. Mary, married to George Hay of Naugh∣ton, and had issue.

2. Elizabeth, married to sir David Mac∣Gill of Rankeillor, and had issue.

He died of the plague, anno 1608, and was succeeded by his son,

III. Sir THOMAS RUTHVEN of Freeland, a man of great parts and spirit.

He was deeply engaged on the parliament's side during the civil war,* 1.4 and was appointed one of the commissioners to the treaty of Rip∣pon, anno 1641.

He was made colonel of one of the regi∣ments that were sent against the earl of Hunt∣ly,* 1.5 anno 1644.

He was one of the committee of estates in the years 1646 and 1647, and was appoint∣ed one of the colonels for Perth-shire, for putting the nation in a posture of defence, after the murder of the king,* 1.6 and was made one of the commissioners of exchequer, anno 1649.

However king Charles II. was so much convinced of his attachment to the interest of the royal family,* 1.7 that he was pleased to raise him to the dignity of the peerage, by the title of lord Ruthven of Freeland, anno 1651.

After the restoration he got a charter un∣der the great seal,* 1.8 Thomae domino Ruthven, of the lands of Forgundenny, &c. &c. in 1663.

He married Isabel Balfour, daughter of Ro∣bert lord Burleigh, by whom he had a son,

David, his heir,—and three daughters.

1. Anne, married, 1st, to sir William Cun∣ningham of Cunninghamhead; 2dly, to Wil∣liam Cunningham younger of Craigends; but of her there is now no succession.

2. Elizabeth, who carried on the line of this family, of whom more afterwards.

3. Jean, died without issue.

This lord Ruthven died in an advanced age, anno 1674, and was succeeded by his son,

IV. DAVID, second lord Ruthven, who was in great favour with king William,* 1.9 and was one of the lords of the treasury, but di∣ed without issue, anno 1701; and there being no descednents of his eldest sister Anne, as before observed, the representation devolved upon the issue of Elizabeth his second sister, to whom we now return.

IV. ELIZABETH, second daughter of Tho∣mas first lord Ruthven, and sister-german of David the second lord, married sir Francis Ruthven of Reidcastle, descended of the house of Gowrie, by whom she had only one sur∣viving daughter,

V. ISABEL, grand-child of Thomas first lord Ruthven, who, upon the death of her uncle David the second lord, and his eldest sister Anne, without succession, became un∣doubted representative of this noble family.

She succeeded accordingly,* 1.10 and had letters as a baroness to the coronations of both king George I. and II.

She married colonel James Johnston of Gratney, a cadet of the most noble family of Annandale, to whom she had a son,

James, now lord Ruthven, and a daughter.

Anne, married, 1st, to Henry Rollo, Esq; second son of Robert fourth lord Rollo; 2dly, to Frederick Bruce of Bunzeon, Esq; but hath no issue.

Isabel baroness of Ruthven died anno 1732, and was succeeded by her son,

VI. JAMES, who now enjoys the estate and honours of lord Ruthven of Freeland, is the third lord of this family, and hath voted as a peer at several elections.

The patent was accidentally burnt with the house of Freeland some years ago, and is not upon record; but if the honours were to the heirs general of the patentee's body, this lord's title to the peerage is indisputable.

And it must be observed, that in the year 1706, when the roll of the Scotch peers was adjusted for the union parliament, the lord Ruthven was continued on the roll, though the male line of the first lord was extinct some years before. He was ranked, accord∣ing to his creation, immediately after the lord Colvile, and before lord Rutherfoord; and by the articles of the union this was to be the established and fixed roll in futuram rei memoriam, &c.

In the year 1739, when the house of peers gave an order to the lords of session to make a particular enquiry into the titles of the Scotch peerage, the roll of 1706 was their rule; and they found the titles of no less than twenty-five peers of that roll dubious:* 1.11 the lord Ruthven was none of that number; but has continued on the rolls in his proper place uncontraverted to this day.

James, third lord Ruthven, married, 1st, Janet, daughter of William Nisbet of Dirle∣ton, Esq; by whom he had two sons.

1. James, master of Ruthven, an officer in the army.

2. William, who died unmarried.

He married, 2dly, lady Anne Stewart, daughter of James earl of Bute, by lady Anne Campbell, daughter of Archibald duke of Ar∣gyle, by whom he had two sons, and eight daughters.

1. Stewart, who died young.

2. John, a captain of a ship of war.

1st daughter, Anne.

2. Isabel, married to captain John Mac∣Dougal.

3. Wortley-Montague.

4. Elizabeth.

5. Jean, died young.

6. Crace, died young.

7. Janet.

8. Crawford, died young.

ARMS.

Pallee of six argent and gules.

SUPPORTERS; on the dexter a ram, and on the sinister a goat, both proper.

CREST; a ram's head coupee.

MOTTO; Deed shaw.

CHIEF SEAT,

At Freeland, now Ruthven-house, in Perth-shire.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Chart. penes dominum Ruthven.
• * 1.2

  Chart. in pub. archiv.
• * 1.3

  Ibidem.
• * 1.4

  Rescinded acts of parl.
• * 1.5

  Guthrie's me∣moirs.
• * 1.6

  Rescinded acts of parlt.
• * 1.7

  Rolls of par∣liament in the public regist.
• * 1.8

  Chart. in pub. archiv.
• * 1.9

  Mr. Martin's collections, vol. II. p. 127.
• * 1.10

  Penes dom. Ruthven.
• * 1.11

  Report of the lords of sessi∣on to the H. of peers, printed in 1740.