| Earldom of Morton | |
|---|---|
  Arms of Douglas, Earls of Morton:Quarterly, 1st and 4th, Argent a man's heart Gules ensigned of an imperial crown proper, on a chief Azure three mullets of the first (for Douglas); 2nd and 3rd, Argent three piles issuing from the chief Gules, and in chief two mullets of the field (Douglas of Dalkieth and Lochleven).[1] | |
| Creation date | 1548 |
| Created by | Mary |
| Peerage | Peerage of Scotland |
| First holder | James Douglas, 1st Earl of Morton |
| Present holder | Stewart Douglas, 22nd Earl of Morton |
| Heir apparent | John Douglas, Lord Aberdour |
| Subsidiary titles | Lord Aberdour |
| Seat(s) | Dalmahoy Farms |
| Former seat(s) | Aberdour Castle Dalmahoy Conaglen House |
| Motto | Lock sicker (be sure)[2] |
The titleEarl of Morton was created in thePeerage of Scotland in 1458 forJames Douglas ofDalkeith. Along with it, the titleLord Aberdour was granted. This latter title is thecourtesy title for the eldest son and heir to the Earl of Morton.
The family seat is Dalmahoy Farms,Morton nearKirknewton,West Lothian.
The Douglases of Dalkeith are descended fromAndrew Douglas of Hermiston (orHerdmanston) (d.b. 1277), younger son ofArchibald I, Lord of Douglas (fl. c. 1198–1238). He was succeeded by his sonWilliam Douglas of Hermiston, a signatory of theRagman Roll in 1296. William of Hermiston's son,James Douglas of Lothian succeeded his father and produced two sons,Sir William Douglas andSir John Douglas. Sir William Douglas, known as theKnight of Liddesdale or theFlower of Chivalry obtained the privileges of the barony of Dalkeith, inMidlothian, in 1341, and the barony ofAberdour, inFife, in 1342. Following his murder at the hands of his godsonWilliam Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas, both baronies passed to his nephew,James Douglas, 1st Lord Dalkeith. James Douglas was confirmed in this position when his title was ratified by the Earl of Douglas prior to 1370. The lands of Dalkeith, andAberdour, inFife, were combined as a single barony in 1386, with the principal seat atDalkeith Castle, and a secondary residence atAberdour Castle.[3] James was the brother ofNicholas Douglas, 1st Lord of Mains.[4]
The 4th Lord Dalkeith succeeded to his estates upon the resignation of his father c. 1457 and in 1458 was raised to the peerage asEarl of Morton, prior to his marriage toJoanna, the mutedeaf daughter of KingJames I.[3] Lord Dalkeith was then a subsidiary title held by the Earls of Morton, and used as a courtesy title for the eldest son and heir, until the title and estates of Dalkeith were sold to theEarl of Buccleuch by the 7th Earl in 1642. When in 1458, James Douglas, lord Dalkeith, was to receive the name 'Morton' for his intended earldom, a protest was presented against this creation, asserting correctly that the lands of Mortoun belonged heritably to his step-grandmother, Janet Borthwick, widow of Sir James Douglas, known as 1st Lord of Dalkeith, and to her son William Douglas (progenitor of theWhittingehame branch of the Douglases), to which the Chancellor answered that "Lord Dalkeith was not to receive his title in the Earldom for the lands ofMortoun lying in the Lordship ofNiddisdale but for the lands of Mortoun in the territory ofCaldercleir".
In 1538,James V summoned the3rd Earl before thePrivy Council for non-payment of hisfeudal dues,[3] and in 1540 the Earl was banished toInverness.[5] Morton reachedBrechin, inAngus, where he signed a deed resigning his lands to his kinsman Robert Douglas ofLochleven, who was then compelled to resign the lands in turn to James V.[5] After James V's death in late 1542,George Douglas of Pittendreich and theEarl of Arran assisted Morton in reclaiming his lands, including Aberdour. In return their sons were to marry two of Morton's three daughters. Pittendreich's sonJames (1525–1581) married the heiress, Elizabeth, and succeeded to the earldom in 1553.[5]
The4th Earl of Morton became Regent of Scotland in 1572, for the infantJames VI and I.[6] However, once James VI reached the age of majority, the 4th Earl was implicated in the murder of James' father,Lord Darnley in 1567, and was executed in 1581.[7] The earldom was forfeited between 1581 and 1586, although the nephew-in-law of the 4th earl (also grandson of the 3rd earl),John Maxwell, 8th Lord Maxwell (1552–1593) was created Earl of Morton in 1581, and continued to use the title until his death.[8] AlthoughArchibald Douglas, 8th Earl of Angus (1555–1588) was confirmed as 5th Earl of Morton in 1586,[9] Lord Maxwell's title of Morton, which had been revoked in 1585, was revived in 1587 and 1592. As a result, two families were in possession of the Earldom, and a conflict arose. This continued into the time of the 7th Earl of Morton (1582–1648), whenJohn Maxwell, 9th Lord Maxwell (c. 1586–1613), also claimed the earldom. Lord Maxwell, however, was forfeited in 1609 and his rights then failed, his titles and estates being restored in 1618 to his brother Robert, with the title ofEarl of Nithsdale (1620) in lieu of Morton.
Theheir apparent is the present holder's son John David Sholto Douglas, Lord Aberdour (b. 1986).
Historical residences of the Earl of Morton include:
