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Robert, 4th Earl of Buchan
Robert married the grand-daughter and heiress of John Stewart, 3rd earl of
Buchan in about 1574. In his wife's right Robert Douglas became 5th Earl
of Buchan and Sheriff of Banff.
Death: 18 AUG 1580
Father: Sir Robert Douglas
of Lochleven
Mother: Margaret
(of Mar) Erskine
Marriage 1 Christian
(Countess of Buchan) Stewart
Christina Stewart, Countess of Buchan in her own right, succeeded her
grandfather, John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Buchan, in 1551. In that year she was, as
heir to her father, enfeoffed in the lands, jurisdictions, and offices
enumerated in her grandfather's charter of 1547. She was only three years of age
at her mother's death, and was placed under the guardianship of Margaret
Erskine, wife of Sir Robert Douglas of Lochleven.
In January 1549/50,
though Christina was only a young child, a contract of marriage was arranged
between her and James Stewart, afterwards Earl of Moray and Regent, the son of
Lady Douglas by King James V, which gave him possession of her lands.
Notwithstanding this he married another lady, and Christina was married to
Moray's uterine half-brother, Robert Douglas, second son of Sir Robert Douglas
of Lochleven. In his wife's right Robert Douglas became 5th Earl of Buchan and
Sheriff of Banff.
In 1574 they obtained a charter of the family estates,
heritable offices, and the Earlshill in conjunct fee, with remainder to the
heirs-male of the marriage, heirsfemale, heirs of the body of the Countess, and
finally, to the nearest lawful heirs of the Earl. Her husband, as Earl of
Buchan, took a prominent part in the political movements made in the minority of
James VI, and he supported the Regent Moray in opposition to the “Loyalists,”
who favored Mary Queen of Scots. After the Regent's assassination in 1570, he
was one of the four lords to whom the government of the country was committed in
name of the King.
They had one son and three daughters:
James
Douglas, 5th Earl of Buchan.
Christian, married to
Richard Douglas, brother
of William Douglas of Whittinghame.
Mariota, married to Alexander Irvine of
Drum.
Elizabeth, married, in 1592, to Andrew Fraser of Muchals, and had
issue.
The Earl of Buchan died at Mills of Drum, near Aberdeen, 18 August,
and the Countess at Aberdeen 20 September 1580
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