Earl of Arran (Scotland)

For the Irish title pertaining to the Aran Islands, see Earl of Arran (Ireland).

The earldom of Arran currently exists in two forms within the Scottish nobility, in reference to the Isle of Arran. One is a peerage title in the Peerage of Scotland, held as a subsidiary title by the Duke of Hamilton.

Arms of Arran are the arms of the Lord of the Isles: Argent, a lymphad with the sails furled proper flagged gules

The other is a baronage title in the Baronage of Scotland attached to the Lochranza Castle, which was auctioned off in the 1990s along with the ruins of the Castle. It is currently held by Susan Clark Livingston, Countess of Arran.^[1][2]

Scottish creations

Peerage of Scotland

Boyd, Earl of Arran

The earldom in the Peerage of Scotland was created on 26 April 1467 for Thomas Boyd and his new wife, the 14-year-old Princess Mary Stewart, daughter of the late James II of Scotland. Boyd's father, Robert, Lord Boyd, was a regent for Princess Mary's younger brother, the teenaged King James III, who was kept at Edinburgh Castle under the governorship of Boyd's brother Sir Alexander Boyd. The "unscrupulous" Lord Boyd, along with his "hapless" brother, arranged the marriage to the King's elder sister without consulting the King. As part of Princess Mary's dowry, Thomas Boyd was given the Isle of Arran and its earldom, Baronies of Stewarton and Kilmarnock, and extensive lands in Ayrshire, Carrick, the Great Cumbrae, Roxburgh, Forfar, and Perthshire.^[3] Four royal charters were simultaneously created covering the grants to Thomas Boyd. ^[4] They lived at Kilmarnock Castle and its newly built palace, and their joined arms, Boyd impaling the Royal Arms of Scotland, was carved into the wall.^[5]

James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran

However, the marriage was wildly unpopular, as the Isle of Arran was coveted royal land, and the King considered it unforgivable. Robert Boyd, Thomas Boyd, and Sir Alexander Boyd were attainted for treason in 1469 for abducting the King, and their titles and lands were forfeited. They fled to Denmark but Princess Mary, though reportedly very attached to her husband, returned to Scotland, where she presumably sought a pardon from her brother. Thomas Boyd was summoned to Scotland but failed to appear within 60 days.^[4] The marriage was formally annulled by the Pope Sixtus IV in April 1474.^[6] Robert Boyd died shortly afterward and Princess Mary was forced to marry James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton.^[7]

Hamilton, Earls of Arran

Arms of "James, Erle of Arran" at Stirling Castle

In 1482, the lands attainted from Thomas Boyd were restored to James Hamilton, 2nd Lord Hamilton, the only son of Princess Mary and the 1st Lord Hamilton. His son, James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran, succeeded his father in 1529. He was Regent of Scotland between 1542–54, and guardian of the young Mary, Queen of Scots. His son, James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran was to inherit the title after his father's death in 1575. However, having been declared insane in 1562, his brother John Hamilton managed the estate and kept James confined to Craignethan Castle. However, in 1586 his resignation was ruled by the Court of Session to be the act of a madman and his honours were restored.

In 1609, the title passed to James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton, when he inherited the earldom. Then in 1643, the 3rd Marquess of Hamilton was made Duke of Hamilton and received a second grant of the earldom of Arran. This created two separate creations of the earldom of Arran within the Hamilton family.

When the 2nd Duke of Hamilton died, the 1503 creation of the earldom became dormant, as it was left unclaimed. Meanwhile, the 1643 creation of the earldom continued to descend with the Dukedom of Hamilton, and the two titles remain united to this day.

Feudal lordship

The baronage earldom of Arran supposedly originated during feudal times, with its caput at Lochranza Castle, which dates to the 13th century.^[8] However, a feudal title, like much of the early history of Arran, is not recorded. For centuries, the Isle of Arran belonged to island chiefs the Lord of the Isles until it was claimed by the King of Scotland, and eventually erected into a title of nobility in the Peerage of Scotland in the late 15th century.^[9]

In 1994, Lady Jean Fforde (granddaughter of the 12th Duke of Hamilton), who was the 20th Countess of Arran, disponed the feudal earldom together with the ruins of Lochranza Castle in order to pay for central heating for her island cottage. She had been forced to surrender the family seat, Brodick Castle, to the National Trust of Scotland in lieu of death duties in 1960.^[10][11]

In December 1994, the title and land were auctioned through the Manorial Society of Great Britain for a reputed £410,000 to millionaire businessman John de Bruyne.^[12] The sale fell through, however.^[13] In 1995, when Swiss businessman Willi Ernst Sturzenegger purchased Lochranza Castle, acquiring the associated feudal lands that had been sold outside the Hamilton family, this transfer of property also included disposition of the baronage earldom. According to Scots property law, this resulted in the succession of the baronage title passing to Sturzenegger, establishing its line of succession down to the present day.^{[citation needed]}

In 1997, Sturzenegger petitioned the Lord Lyon King of Arms, seeking official recognition as "Willi Ernst Sturzenegger of Arran, Earl of Arran in the territorial baronage of Scotland". He also requested a grant of arms reflecting his claimed title as "Earl of Arran in the territorial baronage of Scotland". Sturzenegger based his petition on his assertion that he owned "the Lands and Earldom of Arran in the County of Bute including inter alia the Castle of Lochranza the caput thereof". Feudal tenure was formally abolished in Scotland with the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act 2000, which went into force in 2004.^[8] In 2006, Sturzenegger repetitioned the Lyon Court, this time seeking official recognition as "Willi Ernst Sturzenegger of Arran, Feudal Earl of Arran" along with the appropriate heraldic additaments to represent this title. In his 2009 ruling, Lord Lyon David Sellar denied this second petition from Sturzenegger.^[8]

In 2015, the new Lord Lyon Joseph Morrow reversed the decision in a similiar petition concerning the feudal lordship of Garioch, writing, "in Scotland anyone is at liberty to call themselves what they wish subject to it not being the intention to deceive another person."^[14]

The arms of the baronage earldom of Arran are the same as the arms of the Lord of the Isles (also used in other Scottish arms including Earl of Caithness, the Duke of Argyll, and the Duke of Rothesay): Argent, a lymphad with the sails furled proper flagged gules. These are quartered today with the arms of Hamilton (Gules, three cinquefoils ermine) by the Duke of Hamilton.^[15]

Earls of Arran

Earls of Arran, first creation (1467)

• Thomas Boyd, Earl of Arran (died c. 1472) (forfeit 1469)

Earls of Arran, second and third creations (1503, 1643)

• James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran (c. 1475–1529)
• James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran (1515–1575)
• James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran (1533/1538–1609) (under attainder 1579–1585 on account of insanity)
• James Hamilton, 4th Earl of Arran (1589–1625) (had already succeeded as 2nd Marquess of Hamilton)

See Duke of Hamilton for further succession.

Earls of Arran, baronage title

• Lady Jean Fforde, 20th Countess of Arran (died 2017) (dispone 1994)
• Willi Ernst Sturzenegger, 21st Earl of Arran (1995–2023)
• Susan Clark Livingston, 22nd Countess of Arran (2023–present)

Family tree

v t e Douglas-Hamilton family trees: Dukes of: Abercorn, Brandon, and Hamilton; Earls of: Abercorn, Arran (Scotland), and Selkirk with subsidiary and courtesy titles

James II 1430–1460 King of Scotland Earl of Arran (Scotland) (1st creation), 1467 Lord Hamilton, 1445 Thomas Boyd d. c. 1473 Earl of Arran Mary Stewart 1453–1488 dowager Countess of Arran James Hamilton c. 1415–1479 1st Lord Hamilton James III 1451–1488 King of Scotland Earldom of Arran (1st creation) forfeit, 1469 Earl of Arran (Scotland) (2nd creation), 1503 James Hamilton c. 1475–1529 2nd Lord Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran James IV 1473–1513 King of Scotland Catherine Stewart (illegit.) c. 1495–1554 James Douglas d. 1548 Earl of Morton Duke of Châtellerault (France) (5th creation), 1548 James Hamilton c. 1516–1575 2nd Earl of Arran, 3rd Lord Hamilton, 1st Duke of Châtellerault Margaret Douglas c. 1510–1579 Dukedom of Châtellerault (5th creation) forfeit, 1559 Marquess of Hamilton, Earl of Arran, and Lord Aven, 1599 Lord Paisley, 1587 James Hamilton c. 1533–1609 3rd Earl of Arran, 4th Lord Hamilton Anne Hamilton c. 1535 – c. 1574 m. George Gordon Earl of Huntly John Hamilton 1540–1604 1st Marquess of Hamilton Claud Hamilton 1546–1621 1st Lord Paisley Earl of Cambridge (England) (4th creation) and Baron of Innerdale, 1619 Lord Abercorn, 1603 Earl of Abercorn, 1606 Earls of Angus George Gordon 1562–1636 Marquess of Huntly James Hamilton 1589–1625 2nd Marquess of Hamilton, 4th Earl of Arran, 1st Earl of Cambridge and Baron of Innerdale, 5th Lord Hamilton, Lord Aberbrothwick/Arbroath James Hamilton 1575–1618 1st Earl of Abercorn and Lord Abercorn Duke of Hamilton, Marquess of Clydesdale, Earl of Arran and Cambridge (Scotland) and Baron of Aven and Innerdale, 1643 Earl of Lanark, 1639 Baron Hamilton of Strabane, 1617 William Douglas 1589–1660 Marquess of Douglas, Earl of Angus, Lord Abernethy, Lord Bonkyll and Preston, Lord Jedburgh Forest Mary Gordon c. 1600–1674 James Hamilton 1606–1649 1st Duke of Hamilton, Marquess of Clydesdale, Earl of Arran and Cambridge, and Lord Aven and Innerdale, 3rd Marquess of Hamilton, 5th Earl of Arran, 2nd Earl of Cambridge and Baron of Innerdale William Hamilton 1616–1651 2nd Duke of Hamilton, Marquess of Clydesdale, Earl of Arran and Cambridge, and Lord Aven and Innerdale, 1st Earl of Lanark, 6th Earl of Arran, 3rd Earl of Cambridge and Baron of Innerdale James Hamilton c. 1604 – c. 1670 2nd Earl of Abercorn and Lord Abercorn, 2nd Lord Paisley, 1st Lord Hamilton of Strabane Claud Hamilton c. 1606–1638 2nd Lord Hamilton of Strabane George Hamilton c. 1607–1679 Earldom of Cambridge (4th creation) and Barony of Innerdale extinct and Earldom of Arran (2nd creation) dormant, 1651 Earl of Selkirk and Lord Daer and Shortcleuch, 1646 see Earl of Ormond family tree for Earls of Angus, etc. William Douglas (Hamilton) 1634–1694 jure uxoris Duke of Hamilton, Marquess of Clydesdale, Earl of Arran and Cambridge, and Lord Aven and Innerdale, suo jure 1st Earl of Selkirk and Lord Daer and Shortcleuch Anne Hamilton 1631–1716 suo jure 3rd Duchess of Hamilton, Marchioness of Clydesdale, Countess of Arran and Cambridge, and Lady Aven and Innerdale, 2nd Countess of Lanark George Hamilton c. 1636 – c. 1680 3rd Earl of Abercorn and Lord Abercorn James Hamilton c. 1633 – c. 1670 Lord Paisley James Hamilton 1633–1655 3rd Lord Hamilton of Strabane George Hamilton c. 1636–1668 4th Lord Hamilton of Strabane James Hamilton c. 1620–1673 Ceded Dukedom of Hamilton to 4th Duke, 1698 Duke of Brandon and Baron Dutton, 1711 Earl of Ruglen, 1697 Earl of Orkney (3rd creation), 1697 Viscount Strabane and Baron Mountcastle, 1701 James Hamilton 1658–1712 4th Duke of Hamilton, Marquess of Clydesdale, Earl of Arran and Cambridge, and Lord Aven and Innerdale, 1st Duke of Brandon and Baron Dutton, 3rd Earl of Lanark and Lord Machansyre and Polmont Charles Douglas 1663–1739 2nd Earl of Selkirk and Lord Daer and Shortcleuch John Douglas-Hamilton 1664–1744 3rd Earl of Selkirk and Lord Daer and Shortcleuch, 1st Earl of Ruglen George Hamilton 1666–1737 1st Earl of Orkney Basil Hamilton 1671–1701 Catherine Hamilton Charles Hamilton d. 1701 5th Earl of Abercorn and Lord Abercorn, 6th Lord Hamilton of Strabane Claud Hamilton 1658–1691 4th Earl of Abercorn and Lord Abercorn, 5th Lord Hamilton of Strabane James Hamilton c. 1661–1734 6th Earl of Abercorn and Lord Abercorn, 7th Lord Hamilton of Strabane Earls of Ruglen Earls of Orkney Basil Hamilton 1696–1742 James Hamilton 1685–1744 7th Earl of Abercorn and Lord Abercorn, 8th Lord Hamilton of Strabane Viscount Hamilton, 1786 James Hamilton 1703–1743 5th Duke of Hamilton, Marquess of Clydesdale, Earl of Arran and Cambridge, and Lord Aven and Innerdale, 2nd Duke of Brandon and Baron Dutton, 4th Earl of Lanark and Lord Machansyre and Polmont Lord Anne Hamilton 1709–1748 Dunbar Douglas 1722–1799 4th Earl of Selkirk and Lord Daer and Shortcleuch James Hamilton 1712–1789 8th Earl of Abercorn and Lord Abercorn, 9th Lord Hamilton of Strabane John Hamilton 1714–1755 Baron Hamilton of Hameldon county, Leicester, 1776 Marquess of Abercorn, 1790 James Hamilton 1724–1758 6th Duke of Hamilton, Marquess of Clydesdale, Earl of Arran and Cambridge, and Lord Aven and Innerdale, 3rd Duke of Brandon and Baron Dutton, 5th Earl of Lanark and Lord Machansyre and Polmont Elizabeth Gunning (c. 1733–1790) suo jure 1st Baroness Hamilton Archibald Hamilton 1740–1819 9th Duke of Hamilton, Marquess of Clydesdale, Earl of Arran and Cambridge, and Lord Aven and Innerdale, 6th Duke of Brandon, Marquess of Douglas, Earl of Angus, and Lord Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest, 8th Earl of Lanark and Lord Machansyre and Polmont Charles Powell Hamilton 1747–1825 John Hamilton 1756–1818 9th Earl of Abercorn and Lord Abercorn, 1st Marquess of Abercorn, 10th Lord Hamilton of Strabane James Hamilton 1755–1769 7th Duke of Hamilton, Marquess of Clydesdale, Earl of Arran and Cambridge, and Lord Aven and Innerdale, 4th Duke of Brandon and Baron Dutton, Marquess of Angus and Abernethy, Marquess of Douglas, Earl of Angus, and Lord Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest, 6th Earl of Lanark and Lord Machansyre and Polmont Douglas Hamilton 1756–1799 8th Duke of Hamilton, Marquess of Clydesdale, Earl of Arran and Cambridge, and Lord Aven and Innerdale, 5th Duke of Brandon, Marquess of Douglas, Earl of Angus, Lord Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest, and Baron Dutton, 7th Earl of Lanark and Lord Machansyre and Polmont, 2nd Baron Hamilton Alexander Hamilton 1767–1852 10th Duke of Hamilton, Marquess of Clydesdale, Earl of Arran and Cambridge, and Lord Aven and Innerdale, 7th Duke of Brandon, Marquess of Douglas, and Baron Dutton, Earl of Angus, and Lord Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest, 9th Earl of Lanark and Lord Machansyre and Polmont Augustus Barrington Price Anne Powell Douglas-Hamilton 1781–1849 Thomas Douglas 1771–1820 5th Earl of Selkirk and Lord Daer and Shortcleuch James Hamilton 1786–1818 Viscount Hamilton Duke of Abercorn, of Strabane and Duke of Abercorn, 1868 William Alexander Anthony Archibald Hamilton 1811–1863 11th Duke of Hamilton, Marquess of Clydesdale, Earl of Arran and Cambridge, and Lord Aven and Innerdale, 8th Duke of Brandon, Marquess of Douglas, Earl of Angus, Lord Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest, and Baron Dutton10th Earl of Lanark and Lord Machansyre and Polmont Charles Douglas-Hamilton 1808–1873 Dunbar James Douglas 1809–1885 6th Earl of Selkirk and Lord Daer and Shortcleuch James Hamilton 1811–1885 2nd Marquess of Abercorn, 10th Earl of Abercorn and Lord Abercorn, 1st Duke of Abercorn, 11th Lord Hamilton of Strabane Duke of Châtellerault (France) (5th creation), revived 1548 William Alexander Louis Stephen Douglas-Hamilton 1845–1895 12th Duke of Hamilton, Marquess of Clydesdale, Earl of Arran and Cambridge, and Lord Aven and Innerdale, 9th Duke of Brandon, Marquess of Douglas, Earl of Angus, Lord Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest and Baron Dutton, 2nd Duke of Châtellerault, 8th Earl of Selkirk and Lord Daer and Shortcleuch, 11th Earl of Lanark and Lord Machansyre and Polmont Charles George Douglas-Hamilton 1847–1886 7th Earl of Selkirk and Lord Daer and Shortcleuch James Hamilton 1838–1913 2nd Duke of Abercorn, 3rd Marquess of Abercorn, 11th Earl of Abercorn and Lord Abercorn, 12th Lord Hamilton of Strabane Alfred Douglas Douglas-Hamilton 1862–1940 13th Duke of Hamilton, Marquess of Clydesdale, Earl of Arran and Cambridge, and Lord Aven and Innerdale, 10th Duke of Brandon, Marquess of Douglas, Earl of Angus (1633 creation), Lord Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest, and Baron Dutton, 20th Earl of Angus (1389 creation), 9th Earl of Selkirk and Lord Daer and Shortcleuch, 12th Earl of Lanark and Lord Machansyre and Polmont James Albert Edward Hamilton 1869–1953 3rd Duke of Abercorn, 4th Marquess of Abercorn, 12th Earl of Abercorn and Lord Abercorn, 13th Lord Hamilton of Strabane Douglas Douglas-Hamilton 1903–1973 14th Duke of Hamilton, Marquess of Clydesdale, Earl of Arran and Cambridge, and Lord Aven and Innerdale, 11th Duke of Brandon, Marquess of Douglas, Earl of Angus (1633 creation), Lord Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest, and Baron Dutton, 21st Earl of Angus (1389 creation), 13rd Earl of Lanark and Lord Machansyre and Polmont George Nigel Douglas-Hamilton 1906–1994 10th Earl of Selkirk and Lord Daer and Shortcleuch, 10th Lord Daer and Shortcleuch Malcolm Douglas-Hamilton 1909–1964 James Edward Hamilton 1904–1979 4th Duke of Abercorn, 5th Marquess of Abercorn, 13th Earl of Abercorn and Lord Abercorn, 14th Lord Hamilton of Strabane Baron Selkirk of Douglas, 1997 Angus Douglas-Hamilton 1938–2010 15th Duke of Hamilton, Marquess of Clydesdale, Earl of Arran and Cambridge, and Lord Aven and Innerdale, 12th Duke of Brandon, Marquess of Douglas, Earl of Angus (1633 creation), Lord Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest, and Baron Dutton, 22nd Earl of Angus (1389 creation), 14th Earl of Lanark and Lord Machansyre and Polmont James Alexander Douglas-Hamilton 1942–2023 11th Earl of Selkirk and Lord Daer and Shortcleuch, Earldom disclaimed, 1994, Baron Selkirk of Douglas Alasdair Douglas-Hamilton b. 1939 James Hamilton b. 1934 5th Duke of Abercorn, 6th Marquess of Abercorn, 14th Earl of Abercorn and Lord Abercorn, 15th Lord Hamilton of Strabane Barony Selkirk of Douglas expired as a life peerage, 2023 Alexander Douglas-Hamilton b. 1978 16th Duke of Hamilton, Marquess of Clydesdale, Earl of Arran and Cambridge, and Lord Aven and Innerdale, 13th Duke of Brandon, Marquess of Douglas, Earl of Angus (1633 creation), Lord Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest, and Baron Dutton, 23rd Earl of Angus (1389 creation), 15th Earl of Lanark and Lord Machanshyre and Polmont John William Douglas-Hamilton b. 1979 John Andrew Douglas-Hamilton b. 1978 12th Earl of Selkirk and Lord Daer and Shortcleuch Charles Douglas Douglas-Hamilton (b. 1979) Angus Gavin Douglas-Hamilton b. 1968 James Hamilton b. 1969 styled Marquess of Hamilton Heir presumptive to the Earldom of Selkirk Douglas Douglas-Hamilton b. 2012 styled Marquess of Douglas and Clydesdale William Frederick Douglas-Hamilton b. 2014 Basil George Douglas-Hamilton b. 2016 William Douglas-Hamilton b. 1999 James Hamilton b. 2005 styled Viscount Strabane Heir apparent to the dukedoms of Hamilton and Brandon

References

1. "Baronage – Registry of Scots Nobility". Retrieved 21 June 2024.
2. "The Feudal Baronies of Scotland". debretts.com. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
3. Macdougall, Norman (8 June 2009). James III. Birlinn Ltd. pp. 111–115. ISBN 978-1-78885-242-5. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
4. Balfour Paul, James (1904). The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: D. Douglas. pp. 147–148. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
5. "Thomas Boyd, Earl of Arran's Coat of Arms". Future Museum Southwest Scotland. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
6. Balfour Paul, James (1904). The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: D. Douglas. p. 20. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
7. Burke, Bernard (1866). A Genealogical History of the Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages of the British Empire. Harrison. p. 69. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
8. "Note in Petition: WILLI ERNST STURZENEGGER of ARRAN" (PDF). Lord Lyon King of Arms. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 August 2019.
9. Landsborough, David (1847). Arran, a poem, and Excursions to Arran, with reference to the natural history of the island. pp. 97–102. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
10. "Obituary: Lady Jean Fforde". The Times. 15 October 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
11. "An earl from the East for an island in the west?". The Herald. 10 September 1994. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
12. "Why the new Earl of Arran is hand in glove with the Queen". The Herald Scotland. 21 December 1994. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
13. McKee, Victoria (9 June 1996). "Blue Blood and the Color of Money". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
14. "Note issued with Warrant for Letters Patent from Lord Lyon King of Arms in the application of George David Menking" (PDF). Court of the Lord Lyon. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
15. Debrett's Peerage, 1968, p.528