Kwartierstaat van William Falconer, 6^th Lord of Halkerton

			Click here for the descendants (in Dutch) of Gerhardus (Gerrit) Sichterman, great-grandfather of Christina Elisabeth
3 Antony Adriaan Keith-Falconer	4 Christina Elisabeth Sichterman [1745], painted by Philip van Dijk

Upon Antony Adriaan’s marriage, his father gave the house and lands of Inglishmaldie (follow link), with an annual income of £100. On 23 April 1766, he released to his brothers and sisters his interest in the estates in Holland of Lord Halkerton and Rembt van Iddekinge, and went to Scotland, so that his children would be British subjects by virtue of their place of birth, a necessary step to ensure his right to inherit the title and lands of the Earl of Kintore. Arriving in August 1766, at Inglismaldie, he soon began improving his estates. His lands included Halkerton, Powburg, Burnton, Inglismaldie, one third of Balmakelly, Canterland, Smiddyhill, Shiels, Barnhill, Collardoe, Glensaugh, Glenfarquhar, Corsbitte, Drumhendry, Capoch, all in Kincardineshire and Dunlappie in Augus. The value of his father’s lands in Scotland, ±1770, was about £9.836. He was exceedingly eccentric, having a great propensity for shooting his tenants’ and neighbours’ barndoor fowls. His fowling exploits also included shooting a small bird that had flown in through an open window of Logie-Pert church, during service - which, he explained, was to prevent the bird disturbing the minister and the congregation. Antony Adriaan became the 5th Earl of Kintore. The title Earl of Kintore was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1677 for Sir John Keith, along with the title of Lord Keith of Inverurie and Keith Hall. At the death of William, 4th Earl of Kintore, in 1761 the Earldom should have passed under the terms of the 1694 regrant to his cousin George Keith, 10th and last Earl Marischal, as heir male of George Keith, 8th Earl Marischal, the elder brother of John Keith, 1st Earl of Kintore. However, in 1715, for having supported the cause of the Stuart Kings, the English revoked his titles and estates. Exiled to Europe, the Earldom of Kintore remained suspended until the death of George Keith on 28 May 1778. When George Keith died, it was decided that the titles and the estates should pass to the heir general of the 4th Earl of Kintore, his great-nephew Antony Adriaan Falconer, grandson of Katharine Margaret Keith, the sister of the 4th Earl of Kintore. Anthony Adriaan then changed his surname to Keith-Falconer. The chiefship of Clan Keith then also passed to Antony Ardiaan. See also: The Earls of Kintore.

5a Keith Hall estate; lands of the Earl of Kintore from: Open Government Licence: Contains Historic Environment Scotland and Ordnance Survey data - Ordnance Survey Licence number 100021521 (click map left, or link above, for the Open Government Keith Hall estate map PDF document) Keith Hall coordinate: N57.28081 W2.35331

5b Keith Hall [1909] 5c Keith Hall, aerial photo

Keith Hall, about one mile southeast of Inverurie - Aberdeenshire, was once called Caskieben Castle. Home of the Earls of Kintore. In 1663 Sir John Keith bought the property from the Johnstone’s of that Ilk. In the period till 1700 he built-on the 16th century Z-plan old castle of Caskieben tower house a large and stately south front and east wing in the Palladian style and renamed it all "Keith Hall". The old part consists of a main block of four stories and garret with square towers, projecting from opposite corners, and round stair-towers. The title Earl of Kintore was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1677 for Sir John Keith, along with the title of Lord Keith of Inverurie and Keith Hall. The 1st Earl died in 1715. The 2nd Earl lived only until 1718 and was succeeded by his son John. In 1729 he married Mary Erskine and work recommenced at Keith Hall but with limited finances. The 4th Earl also lived at Keith Hall, but made no changes to the Hall. From the death of the 4th Earl in 1761 Keith Hall was empty for 17 years, till in 1778 the title Earl of Kintore and the estates passed to the heir general of the 4th Earl, his great-nephew Antony Adriaan Falconer, 7th Lord Falconer of Halkerton, grandson of the 4th Earls’s sister Katharine Margaret Keith, who had married the 4th Lord Falconer of Halkerton in 1703. By the time of his succession Antony Adriaan commissioned the Keith Hall interior to be refurbished despite the fact that his main home was at Inglismaldie, Kincardineshire (follow link). The formal landscape which existed around Keith Hall in the 18th century was extended in the informal style following an improvement plan prepared by Thomas White in 1794 for the 6th Earl of Kintore. Some further improvements were made by the 8th Earl between 1844-1880. The 9th Earl improved the gardens and created the lake to the south of the house. In 1914 however, his trustees sold the estate which, at that time, extended to some 17,126 acres (6,936 ha). The house and a small part of the original estate was repurchased by the 9th Earl. Michael Keith, 13th Earl of Kintore, understood that the income from the estate was not going to be enough to live off and maintain Keith Hall in the manner his ancestors had. In 1984 a major restoration of Keith Hall started to converted it into six houses and eight flats that were sold in 1985. The Earl and Countess of Kintore moved their residence to the converted Stables on the estate. The garden is now owned by Keith Hall Gardens Ltd., which was formed to restore and maintain the gardens for the benefit and use of the owners of the house.

6 Letters from Alexander Falconer [1789 & 1793]

Klik op de enveloppe links voor meer gedetailleerde informatie over Alexander. U vind er printbare PDF versies van zijn huwelijks contract en brieven, zowel in het Nederlands als in het Engels. Click on the envelope left for more detailed information about Alexander. You will find printable PDF versions of this marriage contract and letters there, in both Dutch and English.

Alexander and his brother William were sent to Scotland at the beginning of 1770, in order to learn the language and customs of Scotland, indicating how thoroughly Dutch they were. They attended school in St. Andrews and at Perth Academy. In 1775 Alexander returned to Holland, where he intended to begin a mercantile carrier. it seems doubtful that he was successful in this objective, but he did secure a post as master of artillery at Groningen. In the 1790’s, he suffered from financial insolvency, and in 1799 it was ordered that furniture of his be sold in order to pay off debts amounting to 2151 Caroly guilders. He lived on Hardingestraat at the time of the birth of his first child, then by 1789 the family lived on Turfstraat.
bron: book "Falconer of Halkerton" by Paul McKee Gifford, page 43.

13 John Falconer of Jamaica [1731], painted by William Robertson

John came to Jamaica in 1746 or shortly before. In a letter dated 23 Feb. 1752 to his brother, Alexander, 5th Lord, he mentions that he hoped to leave Jamaica by the time his eldest son was 5 or 6 and never return, but that he would not leave until he could get a yearly income of 1000 or 1500 pounds from his sugar plantation. His son turned 5 in late 1754, but the father was still in Jamaica in the 1760s, and his will was proved in Jamaica in 1769.
John married a rich young widow, Frances Nairn, in 1748. She was the daughter of Brigadier Gen. John Nairn and his wife Frances Williams (who was daughter of Rowland Williams, an early Welsh soldier-settler in Jamaica) and the widow of Richard Lindsay. John came into possession of her estate in Clarendon, but it had a lot of debts. John never could pay off his creditors, so he died in relative poverty.

23 William Keith [1736], painted by John Alexander

William Keith succeeded his brother John as 4th Earl of Kintore. He never married and on his death in 1761 no-one could prove a claim to his title, which resulted in the earldom lying dormant for seventeen years.
On the death of the 4th Earl the Earldom should have passed under the terms of the 1694 regrant to his cousin George Keith, 10th and last Earl Marischal, as heir male of George Keith, 8th Earl Marischal, the elder brother of John Keith, 1st Earl of Kintore. However, in 1715, for having supported the cause of the Stuart kings, the English revoked his titles and estates. Exiled to Europe, the Earldom of Kintore remained suspended until the death of George Keith, 10th Earl Marischal, on 28 May 1778. The chiefship of Clan Keith then passed to the heir general of the 4th Earl of Kintore (via his sister Katharine Margaret Keith to her grandson): Antony Adrian Keith-Falconer, 5th Earl of Kintore, 7th Lord Falconer of Halkerton.

By the mid-17th century the lands of Glenfarquhar were owned by the Falconers of Haulkerton, whose origins in the area also go back to the time of William the Lion. A Sir David Falconer seems to be the first recorded Falconer of Glenfarquhar, appearing in the Records of the Parliament of Scotland as early as 1643. Sir David’s eldest son, Sir Alexander, was created a baronet in 1671, and interestingly there is a stone carved with the date 1671 installed in the south west wall of the steading at Mains of Glenfarquhar. It may be that as Sir Alexander’ status in society rose, he added to, or rebuilt Glenfarquhar Castle. A second stone inscribed SAF 1674 DHG (presumably for Sir Alexander Falconer and his wife Margaret Graeme – the DHG may actually be DMG for Dame Margaret Graeme) has since been lost, and several other stones from the castle are said to be incorporated within Mains of Glenfarquhar.
See more at: Glenfarquhar Castle

26 Sir Alexander Falconer, 1st Lord Falconer of Halkerton, repainted by William Robertson

Sir Alexander Falconer is descended from an old Mearns family descended from the royal falconers of Kincardine Castle.
On 9 July 1630 Sir Alexander succeeded Lord Woodhall as an ordinary Lord of Session. King Charles I granted Sir Alexander a yearly pension of £200 with the title, for his ability, integrity, and affection for administration of Justice.
In November 1641 was appointed anew by king and parliament to be judge "ad vitam aut culpam" (= for life or until fault). He represented Kincardineshire in the convention 1643–4, and in the parliaments of 1644–5, 1645–7. He was a commissioner for the loan and tax in 1643, and a member of the committee of war for Kincardineshire in 1643, 1644, and 1646, and for Forfarshire in 1648. He was a commissioner for the plantation of kirks in 1644, a commissioner of the exchequer in 1645, a member of the committee of estates in 1645 and 1647, and a colonel for Aberdeenshire in 1648.
His rise and influence in the Scottish government was recognized on 20 December 1646, when he was created "Lord Falconer of Halkerton", with destination to himself and his heirs-male whatsoever.
On 15 February 1649 he was deprived of his seat in the College of Justice, and "ordained to lend money for the public use", on account of his accession to the "engagement". He appears, however, as Baron Falconer in the list of Scots nobility in 1650, and was a commissioner of supply for Kincardineshire in 1656 and 1659.
Falconer was reappointed to his seat in the College of Justice at the Restoration, and retained it till his death. In 1661 he was a commissioner of excise, and a member of the commission for visiting the university of Aberdeen. He appears as sitting in parliament as Lord Halkerton till 1669, and died 1 October 1671.

30 William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal [1636], painted by George Jamesone	31 Elizabeth Seton, painted by George Jamestone

William, son of the 6th Earl Marischal. William Keith signed the National Covenant for Religious Freedom and joined the army of James Graham, First Marquis of Montrose, in 1639. Six years later, however, Montrose switched to supporting the Royalist Army due to the mounting threat of Oliver Cromwell. This put Montrose at odds with the 7th Earl, who chose to decline Montrose’s offers of negotiation and refused him entrance to Dunnottar to discuss terms. In retaliation, the Captain’s envoy set fire to every house, barn, stable and even ship in the baronies of Dunnottar, Fetteresso and Cowie.
In July 1650, the young King Charles II arrived in north-east Scotland and stayed a while at Dunnottar. Outraged by the king’s return to Scotland, Oliver Cromwell, the self-proclaimed Lord Protector, led an invasion to the north. In some haste Charles II was crowned at Scone, but the crown and other regalia were then hidden at Dunnottar by order of the King. Shortly thereafter, the Earl Marischal and a number of other Scottish noblemen were captured by a troop of Cromwell’s forces.
While imprisoned in the Tower of London (he was held there for ten years), the Earl named George Ogilvy of Barras to serve as Governor of Dunnottar Castle (1651-2). Shortly thereafter the castle was under siege from Cromwell’s army, and by May 1652, it remained the only place in Scotland that still flew the royal flag. Under heavy artillery bombardment that resulted in the partial destruction of the castle, and with no hope for reinforcements from royalists, Ogilvy surrendered after 8 months. Before the surrender, however, the Scottish regalia were smuggled away from the castle and hidden at nearby Kinneff Church.
The Honours remained in the custody of Mr Grainger at Kinneff until the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. At the opening of the Scottish Parliament the following year, the Earl Marischal carried the crown, his brother, George (later the 8th Earl) the scepter, and the younger brother John (later the first Earl of Kintore) the sword.
The 7th Earl thus upheld the traditions of the Marischalcy but his finances had suffered severely, partly through his own extravagance, but mainly due to the continuous troubles. He spent most of the rest of his life in London where he could more easily hide his poverty.
He was married twice, which produced three daughters from the first marriage but no children from the second. He was, therefore, succeeded by his brother George in 1661.

32 George Keith, painted by John Baptist de Medina	33 Mary Hay, painted by David Scougall

George, the 8th Earl Marischal, served as a Colonel in France. Colonel George Keith of Aden Brother to the previous Earl, George Keith supported his brother and Charles II during the Restoration. His involvement with the protection of the Scottish Regalia is noted above. At the time of his brother’s death, much of the families wealth had diminished. Dunnottar Castle, once the pride of the Keiths, had been badly damaged by Cromwell’s forces: the Keep was vulnerable to the elements and the stately halls had been rifled of their contents. The Earl Marischal did not have the means to repair the damage, so Dunnottar served as a military depot. In the summer of 1685 it served as a prison to 122 men and 45 women Covenanters (resulting from Charles II’s rejection of religious freedom in favor of the Episcopacy).

40 Agnes Keith [5161], painted by Hans Eworth	41 James Stewart [1561], painted by Hans Eworth

James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray. The illegitimate half-brother and chief adviser of Mary, Queen of Scots. Member of the House of Stewart as the illegitimate son of King James V, was Regent of Scotland for his half-nephew, the infant King James VI, from 1567 until his assassination.
On January 23, 1570 the first recorded assassination by a firearm took place. The victim was James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray – the Regent for the infant James VI of Scotland. He was assassinated by gunshot by James Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh, a supporter of Mary, Queen of Scots.

On 27 March 1530, Elizabeth Keith married George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly, the wealthiest and most powerful landowner in the Scottish Highlands, whose estates approached those of an independent monarch. He was also the leading Catholic magnate in Scotland. Her brother promised to give Elizabeth five thousands merks as a tocher. Upon her marriage, Elizabeth became the Countess of Huntly. The Huntlys’ chief residence was Strathbogie Castle in the Scottish Highlands. The Earl became Lord Chancellor of Scotland in 1546 following the death of David Beaton, Archbishop of St. Andrews. He was taken prisoner at the battle of Pinkie on 10 September 1547 and Elizabeth came with him to Berwick-upon-Tweed, returning to Scotland at the end of the month.

Elizabeth Gordon (born Keith), Countess of Huntly, was a Scottish noblewoman and the wife of George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly, Scotland’s leading Catholic magnate during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots. In 1562, Elizabeth encouraged her husband to raise forces against Queen Mary which led to his being outlawed, and after his death, his titles forfeited to the Crown. Elizabeth’s son Sir John Gordon was executed for having taken part in his father’s rebellion.
She succeeded to the title of Countess of Huntly at her marriage on 27 March 1530, but like all Scottish married women in the sixteenth century would never have used her husband’s surname. Her daughter, Lady Jean Gordon, Countess of Bothwell was the first wife of James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, third husband of Mary, Queen of Scots.
In March 1566, Elizabeth, who had by that time become a loyal adherent of Queen Mary, spent the night tending the queen, who was in her sixth month of pregnancy, at Holyrood Palace following the murder of David Rizzio. She devised various plans for Mary’s escape which the latter rejected as having been impracticable. She finally managed to smuggle a letter to her son George, who also had become Mary’s partisan, ordering him to stand by at Seton with a party of nobles to aid the queen on her journey to Dunbar Castle after she successfully escaped from the palace.

George Gordon succeeded to the title of 4th Earl of Huntly on 21 January 1523. George Gordon inherited his earldom and estates in 1524 at age 10. As commander of the King’s Army he defeated the English at the Battle of Haddon Rig in 1542, was a member of the council of Regency under James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran and Cardinal Beaton and succeeded as Chancellor on the murder of Beaton in 1546. He was captured at the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh in 1547, but escaped and in 1550 accompanied Mary of Guise to France. He joined the Lords of the Congregation in 1560 and was prepared to accept Mary, Queen of Scots, until she transferred the Earldom of Moray, which had been given to the Earl of Huntly in 1549, to her half-brother Lord James Stewart, at which point he withdrew to his estates in the North-East of Scotland.

Sir William was served heir of his father in the barony of Tullibardine 6 Oct. 1461, and in ward in 1463. He had sasine of the barony of Tullibardine 10 May 1465.
In 1490 the Drummonds set fire to the church of Monivaird killing seven Murrays and thirteen others. The offenders were brought to trial in October 1490 and on 9 Jan. 1491 Lord Drummond entered into a bond with William to make reparations for the misdeeds of his second son, David, who was then an outlaw, for the burning of the church and the slaughter of the King’s subjects.
William was made Steward, Forester, and Coroner of the Earldom of Strathearn and lordship of Balquhidder by royal letters 18 Jan. 1482/1483.
William was frequently in Parliament and was a commissioner to negociate with the English and had a safe conduct for six months into England 22 May 1495. In 1507 he was excused from attending court or the King’s host due to his advanced age.
He had a charter to Trewin and the loch and isle of Dry Isle on 17 Apr. 1506. He had a new charter on 2 Mar. 1511/1512 to the Bordland of Glencoy in the barony of Tullibardine which had been appraised for £100.

Sir Alexander, who had a charter from King Robert III of the lands of Grandown (now Grandholm), Craibstone and others. On 3 November 1402, he also had a charter from Isabel, Countess of Mar and Garioch of the lands of Glendowachy and Doun, confirmed by King Robert III by charter dated 8 February 1403. He is said to have been commander of the Scottish Horse at the battle of Harlaw [1411]. On 2 June 1413, he witnesed a charter of his brother, the Marischal, where he is designed ‘miles’.

Margaret Graham, Countess of Menteith was married four times, two of her marriages occurring before the age of twenty. She married firstly Sir John de Moray, Lord of Bothwell, (son of Sir Andrew de Moray and Lady Christina Bruce). Because she and Moray were related within the forbidden degree of kinship, a papal dispensation was sought and received in 1348. Lady Margaret took her husband’s surname and was known as Margaret of Moravia.
Around 1360, she married thirdly Sir John Drummond of Concraig, a marriage intended to relieve a long-standing feud between their respective clans. Once again Margaret took the surname of her husband. As before, the degree of kinship required a papal dispensation, but since their son John had been born before the couple sought the dispensation, they were required to do penance. Sir John died quite soon after the dispensation was granted, probably before the year was out.