Ref:

"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh, 1880
"History of Fife"- Sir Robert Sibbald, ed. 1803, p.94

2I. HERVEY (WARIN 1)

"Hervi, son of Warin" witnessed the charter of Annandale to Robert de Brus in 1124.(1) There is an undated charter that records disputes concerning the kirk of Keth donated to the monastery of Kelso by "Herveus Marchad"(2)

Kelso Abbey

Issue-

Ref:

(1) Nat. MSS. of Scotland- I, No. 19
(2) Chartulary of Kelso- Tome I, 95, p. 70

"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh, 1880

3I. HERVEY (WARIN 1, HERVEY 2)

d. before 1196

This Hervey is the first clearly authenticated ancestor of the family of Keith. He received a grant from David I of the north-west part of the lands of Keith in the parish of Humbie, East Lothian. It was first called Keith-Hervey and later Keith Marischal.(1) Simon Fraser was granted the southeast portion of the same manor known as Keith-Hundeby. Hervey had his own chapel on his manor and gave a yearly tribute to the mother church at Kelso. He had a long dispute with the monks at Kelso concerning this payment. The disagreement was settled by Joceline, Bishop of Glasgow and Osbert, Prior of Paisley, acting as the Pope's delegates in 1176. They decided that the monks should receive 20/ per year from the chapel of Keith-Hervey.(2)

Hervey was Marischal or Farrier to Malcolm IV and William the Lion. He witnessed several charters of King William from 1178.

Issue-

Ref:

(1) "Caledonia"- Chalmers, Vol.II, p.532
(2) "Liber de Calchou"- Vol.I, pp.70-1

"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh, 1880
"The Scots Peerage"- Vol.VI, pp.25-6

4I. MALCOLM (WARIN 1, HERVEY 2, HERVEY 3)

In 1178 Malcolm witnessed a grant to the monks of Arbroath where he was called the "son of Herveus".(1) He witnessed several other charters between 1185 and 1220, however he is never called "Marischal".(2)

Issue-

Ref:

(1) "Chartulary of Arbroath"- Vol.I, p.9
(2) Kelso Chartulary- Tome I, 146, p. 113; II, 346, p. 292

"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh, 1880
"The Scots Peerage"- Vol.VI, pp.26-8

5I. PHILIP (WARIN 1, HERVEY 2, HERVEY 3, MALCOLM 4)

m. EDA LORENS
d. before 1225

Philip succeeded his grandfather as Marischal. He witnessed a charter from William the Lion to the monks of Arbroath between 1189 and 1199(1) as well as several other charters.

He married a daughter of Hugh Lorens or Lawrence and Eda Fraser as indicated by the charter of 1190 in which her son "Herveius filius Philippi Marescalli" confirmed the donation of the kirk of Keith made to the monastery of Kelso by "qm Symon Fraser" who was her maternal grandfather.(2)

Ref:

(1) "Chartulary of Arbroath"- Vol.I, p.58
(2) Kelso Chartulary- Tome I, 87, p. 64

"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh, 1880
"The Scots Peerage"- Vol.VI, p.28

6I. HERVEY (WARIN 1, HERVEY 2, HERVEY 3, MALCOLM 4, PHILIP 5)

d. before 1250

Keith Chapel

About 1230 Hervey confirmed to the monks of Kelso the church of Keith as granted by Symon Fraser(1) and he renewed this grant about 1236 when the two deeds were ratified by Alexander II.(2) Hervey witnessed a donation to the monastery of Coldingham in 1222(3) and between 1214 and 1218 he witnessed another charter to the monastery of Arbroath.(4)

Arbroath Abbey

Hervey and his uncle David were joint Marischals of Scotland at the marriage of Alexander II and Princess Joan of England at York 15 June 1220. One of the jobs of the Marischal was to be the keeper of the Royal Regalia/Crown Jewels.

The Crown Jewels of Scotland

Ref:

(1) "Liber de Calchou"- Vol.I, p.67
(2) Ibid- p.69
(3) "Chartulary of Coldingham"- p.29
(4) "Chartulary of Arbroath"- Vol.I, p.74

"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh, 1880
"The Scots Peerage"- Vol.VI, p.28

7I. JOHN (WARIN 1, HERVEY 2, HERVEY 3, MALCOLM 4, PHILIP 5, HERVEY 6)

m. MARGARET COMYN
d. before 1270

John was in possession of the lands of Keith and the office of Marischal by 1250 when he settled a dispute with the monastery of Kelso concerning the kirk of Keith referring to "patris mei Heruei Marescalli".(1) "Johannes Marescallus de Keth" confirmed a grant to the Hospital of Soltre to some land in the district of Johnston, near Keith about 1250.(2) He also confirmed the grants made by his ancestors to the monks of Kelso.(3)

Issue-

Ref:

(1) "Liber de Calchou"- Vol.I, p.66
(2) "Chartulary of Soltre"- p.31
(3) "Liber de Calchou"- Vol.I, p.66

"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh, 1880
"The Scots Peerage"- Vol.VI, pp.28-9

8I. WILLIAM (WARIN 1, HERVEY 2, HERVEY 3, MALCOLM 4, PHILIP 5, HERVEY 6, JOHN 7)

m. BARBARA De SETON
d. before 1293

"Dominis Willielmo Keth... militibus" witnessed a donation to the monastery of Paisley in 1270.(1)

Paisley Abbey

Issue-

Ref:

(1) "Chartulary of Levenax"- p.33

"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh, 1880
"The Scots Peerage"- Vol.VI, pp.29-33

9III. EDWARD (WARIN 1, HERVEY 2, HERVEY 3, MALCOLM 4, PHILIP 5, HERVEY 6, JOHN 7, WILLIAM 8)

m.1. before July 1305 ISABELLA SINTON of Sinton
2. CHRISTIAN MENTEITH (m.2. Sir Robert Erskine of that Ilk)
d. before 1351

Edward was Sheriff of Selkirk in 1328.(1) He was one of the jurors at an inquisition in 1341 held at Aberdeen by his brother Robert de Keth, Great Marischal of Scotland.(2)

Edward succeeded his brother Robert after his death at the battle of Durham in 1346.

Issue- first three children by Isabella, last child by Christian.

Ref:

(1) Exch. Rolls- Vol.I, p.105
(2) Reg. Epis. Aberdeen- Vol. I, p.69

"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh, 1880
"The Scots Peerage"- Vol.VI, pp.33-5

10I. WILLIAM (WARIN 1, HERVEY 2, HERVEY 3, MALCOLM 4, PHILIP 5, HERVEY 6, JOHN 7, WILLIAM 8, EDWARD 9)

m. MARGARET FRASER
d. between 1407 & 1410

On 3 May 1351 Sir William de Keith named Margaret Fraser his wife in a charter of the land of Wester Mathers near Arbuthnot to Alexander of Berkley which he declared himself owner of in her right.(13) Margaret inherited her grandfather's large estates. In a charter in 1361 granted by her and her husband she is called "neptis et heres bone memorie quondam Domini Alexandri Fraser, Militis" and one of these estates was the forest of Cowie which was in William's ppossession in 1359.(14)

In a charter from Donald, Earl of Lennox, to Walter Buchanan of that Ilk, from 1342 to 1362, the lands of Drumfade and Kirkmichael in Dumbartonshire were described as having been resigned by "dominus Willelmus de Keth".(1) In 1354 William was called "Marescallus Scotiae".(2)

William was one of the commissioners to negociate the release of King David II in 1357 and was sent to England in 1358 when he had a safe conduct pass for himself and his 60 horsemen.(3)

In 1358 William witnessed a charter from David II.(4) In Sept. 1364 as the King's Marischal he witnessed the confirmation by David II to a grant of the lands of Galchull in Banff to the Bishop of Aberdeen.(5)

By a charter dated between 1366 and 1407, he exchanged his lands in Kinmundy in the barony of Aden, for Pittendreich in Stirlingshire with Thomas Fraser of Cornton.(6)

William was at the coronation of Robert II at Scone in 1371, and in 1373 he was one of the signers of the second Act of Settlement by him.(7)

On 5 Aug. 1378 William sold to Sir William and Lady Christian Lindsay of the Byres, the lands of Touchfraser in Stirlingshire.(8) On 8 Mar. 1392 William and Margaret exchanged the lands of Pittendreich for those of Uchterutherstruther or Struthers (Crawford Priory) and Wester Markinch in Fife for the barony and castle of Dunottar in Kincardineshire with Sir William Lindsay of the Byres with Lindsay reserving an annual payment of £8.

Dunottar Castle

William of Keith, Marischal of Scotland, and Margaret [Fraser] his spouse, with joint consent and assent, after full consideration of their common weal and that of their heirs, grant and confirm to Sir William of Lyndesay, Knight, and their well-beloved daughter, Christian [Keith], his spouse, and the longer liver of them, and to the lawful heirs of their bodies; whom failing, to the heirs and assignees of Sir William Lyndesay, the lands of Ochtirothirstruthir, of Wester Markynch, of Petyndreich, with eight pounds annualrent out of the lands of Dunotyr with the castle thereof, in excambion for the lands of Dunotyr and the castle, with all their right pertinents, as in their charters made thereupon : And in case it should happen that William of Keith, or Margaret his spouse, or any of their heirs, successors, or assignees should gainstand the premises in whole or in part, or come in the contrary thereof by word or deed, they bind themselves in the sum of one thousand pounds sterling money of Scotland, to be paid to Sir William Lyndesay and Christian his spouse, and the heirs of their bodies; whom failing, to their heirs and assignees whomsoever, without any gainsaying or exception, in name of skaith and expenses; and further, in the sum of one thousand pounds sterling, in name of penalty, to be proportionally paid to the fabric of the kirks of St. Andrews, Aberdeen, and Glasgow, before they be heard before any judge, spiritual or secular, in plea or complaint anent the premises : With a clause of warrandice in the usual terms : Renouncing for themselves and their heirs all remedy of law, canon and civil, in the contrary of the premises : And for greater faith, Margaret [Fraser], touching the holy evangels, gave her bodily oath not to come at any time in contrary of the premises. They also bind and oblige themselves to surrender of new, at any future time, all charters and evidents of these lands; to grant infeftment therein and fulfil all other things needful for security : For the observance of all which they bind themselves by oath, their heirs and executors, and all their goods, moveable and immoveable, their lands and tenements, to be distrained, taken, poinded, and led away, at the will of Sir William Lyndesay and Christian his spouse, without license of any judge, to be possessed or sold till satisfaction be made. In witness of all which they caused their seals to be appended at Fetheresso, the eighth day of the month of March 1392.(9) On 14 June 1395 a papal bull was issued by Pope Benedict XIII removing the excommunication placed on William by the Bishop of St. Andrews for building a tower upon the Rock of Dunottar which had been the site of the parish church.(10) The picturesque ruins of Dunnottar remained in the Keith family until their forfeiture in 1716.

In 1401 William received from Robert III a charter of tailzie to the office of Marischal, barony of Keith, barony of Aden, forest of Kintore, and other lands.(11)

On 2 May 1407 Margaret and William granted a charter of the barony of Aboyne, Aberdeenshire to John Stewart, Lord of Buchan and his heirs, whom failing to Andrew Stewart and Robert Stewart and then to Robert Keith, their second son. The same day they granted another charter of the lands of Touch and Drippis in Stirlingshire with the office of vicecomes to the same family members. (15) They must have granted a portion of their estates to their daughter Elizabeth and her husband Sir Adam de Gordon, Lord of Strathbogie as their daughter Elizabeth who married Sir Alexander Seton in 1436 took steps to assert her hereditary right to Cardenye which had been granted to Sir Alexander Fraser in augmentation of his barony of Cluny by King Robert I in 1325.(16) The office of Marischal and most of the estates descended to their son Robert and from that arose the feuding between the families of Seton-Gordon, Earls of Huntly, and Keith Marischal in regards to the lands that had belonged to Margaret Fraser as heiress to her grandfather. The feud continued until its settlement in 1444.(17)

By his marriage to Margaret, William obtained the forest of Cowie, Strachan, Fetteresso and Aboyne.(12)

Issue-

Ref:

(1) "The Lennox"- Vol. II, p.26
(2) Cart. De Aberbrothoc- Vol.II, p.26
(3) Rot. Scotiae- Vol.I, pp.370,376; Antiq. of Aberdeen- Vol.IV, p.713; Foedera- Record ed., Vol.III, p.409
(4) Hadd. Coll.- ii
(5) Cal. Papal Reg.- Vol.IV, p.90
(6) Antiq. of Aberdeen- Vol.I, p.404
(7) Acta Parl. Scot.- Vol.I, p.546
(8) Precept of Sasine, Lindsay Charter chest
(9) Robertson's "Index"- p.144; Lindsay charter chest at Crawford Priory
(10) Papal Reg.
(11) Antiq. of Aberdeen- Vol.II, p.35
(12) "Frasers of Philorth"- Vol.I, p.81
(13) Spalding Club Miscellany- Vol. II, pp. 72, 238; V, p. 248
(14) Antiquities of Aberdeenshire- Vol. II, p. 73; Chamberlain Rolls- Vol. I, p. 339
(15) Robertson's Index- p. 163, Nos. 19-20; Antiquities of Aberdeenshire- Vol. II, p. 35
(16) Antiquities of Aberdeenshire- Vol. III, p. 316
(17) Ibid- Vol. II, p. 74; III, p. 230; IV, p. 340

The Frasers of Philorth- Alexander Fraser, Edinburgh, 1879- Vol. I, pp. 80-91
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh, 1880
"The Scots Peerage"- Vol.VI, pp.35-8

13II. ROBERT (WARIN 1, HERVEY 2, HERVEY 3, MALCOLM 4, PHILIP 5, HERVEY 6, JOHN 7, WILLIAM 8, EDWARD 9, WILLIAM 10)

m. Heiress of Troup
d. before 20 July 1430

In 1375 Robert had a charter of confirmation from Robert II of the forest of Cowie, the forest of Mounth and other lands.(1) In Mar. 1406/7, Robert, Duke of Albany, confirmed two charters by his father-in-law, Sir William de Keth, Marischal of Scotland, to his son and heir Sir Robert de Keth, Lord of Troup, one to the office of Sheriff of Kincardineshire, the other to the barony of Keith, office of Marischal of Scotland, lands of Colbanyston, barony of Aldene (Aden), the forest of Kintore in Aberdeenshire, and other lands in Banffshire.(2) Robert obtained the barony of Troup from his wife. In two charters of the year 1407 Robert de Keth, son of William the Marischal, appears as a substitute after John Stewart, Lord of Buchan, and his two brothers Andrew and Robert.(3)

Robert was one of the commissioners to negociate the release of James I in 1423/4 and was a hostage for his ransom 28 Mar. 1424, his estate being valued at 800 marks.(4) On 16 June 1425 he was handed over to Sir John Langeton, Warden of York Castle, but on the same day he was given leave to return to Scotland until the following Martinmas.(5)

Robert died before 20 July 1430 when his son William witnenssed a charter as "marescallus Scotiae".(6)

Issue-

Ref:

(1) Reg. Mag. Sig.- I, No.499
(2) Ibid- No.883-4
(3) Ibid- No.893
(4) Cal. Doc. Scot.- IV, p. 942, 952
(5) Ibid- 981, 983
(6) Misc. of Spalding Club- Vol. II, p.322

"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh, 1880
"The Scots Peerage"- Vol.VI, pp.38-9

16I. WILLIAM (WARIN 1, HERVEY 2, HERVEY 3, MALCOLM 4, PHILIP 5, HERVEY 6, JOHN 7, WILLIAM 8, EDWARD 9, WILLIAM 10, ROBERT 11)

m. MARJORIE FRASER (dispensation granted 26 Apr. 1414 by Pope Benedict XIII, d. before Aug. 1442)
d. before 16 Mar. 1463/4

In a charter dated 20 May 1442 William gave to Robert de Keth, Knight, his eldest son, whom failing to William, John or Alexander, brothers of said Robert, the lands of Keith, Garvock, Dunottar, Fetteresso, Strathechin, Culpersow, Kintore, and Aden, as well as the offices of Marischal of Scotland and Sheriff of Kincardine.(1)

The role of the Marischal was to be the custodian of the Royal Regalia and protect the king when he was attending Parliament.

Between 1446 and 1451 he was made a Lord of Parliament as Lord Keith. He was one of the guarantors of the peace treaty with the English in 1457 and on 6 Aug. he witnessed the confirmation of a treaty by King James II.(2) He was then made Earl Marischal in 1458.

Issue-

Ref:

(1) Reg. Mag. Sig.- 28 Oct. 1444
(2) "Foedera"- Vol.V, pt. ii, p.77

The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant- G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, Gloucester, 1910-1959- Vol. VIII, p. 476
A Genealogical History of the Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages of the British Empire- Sir Bernard Burke, C.B. LL.D., Burke's, 1883- p. 303
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh, 1880
"The Scots Peerage"- Vol.VI, pp.39-41

11II. JOHN (WARIN 1, HERVEY 2, HERVEY 3, MALCOLM 4, PHILIP 5, HERVEY 6, JOHN 7, WILLIAM 8, EDWARD 9)

m. MARIOTA De CHEYNE of Inverugie, daughter of Reginald de Cheyne of Inverugie & Mary, d. of Freskin de Moravia

By his marriage to Mariota by Papal dispensation 12 Mar. 1369, John acquired the estates of Inverugie and Strabrock as well as one-third of the barony of Duffus.

Ref:

"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh, 1880
"The Scots Peerage"- Vol.VI, pp.33-5

GILBERT (great-grandson of John)

d.c.1494

Gilbert was of Inverugie, Ludquhairn or Ludquharn.

Some references imply that Gilbert was the son of Andrew, son of John, however, it seems as though, given the dates involved, that there was another generation in there. The Scots Peerage states that the William who married Janet Dunbar was the great-great-grandson of John which makes more sense.

Ravenscraig Castle- Inverugie, c.1491

Issue-

m. JANET DUNBAR of Westfield
d. 24 May 1521 Inverugie

On 31 Mar. 1476 William had a charter from the King to the lands of Galvail and Hythe in Banffshire.(1) On 6 Oct. 1508 he had a charter incorporating the lands of Straloch in Banffshire with the barony of Inverugie.(2)

Issue-

Ref:

(1) Reg. Mag. Sig.
(2) Ibid

The Baronage of Scotland- Sir Robert Douglas, 1974
"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh, 1880

"The Scots Peerage"- Vol.VI, pp.34-5

19II. WILLIAM (GILBERT, WILLIAM 18) m. JANET, daughter of Lord Gray (m.1. John Charteris of Cuthilgurdy, 2. after 1508 Sir David Wemyss of that Ilk (d. Flodden), d. Oct. 1539)
d. between 1518 & 1521

Issue-

Ref:

"The Scottish Nation"- William Anderson, A. Fullarton & Co., Edinburgh, 1880
"The Scots Peerage"- Vol.VI, p.34

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