Clan Keith

There is no better summary of the themes that emerge from the eight centuries of history recorded about the noble House of Keith-Marischal than words that were written in the Scottish Review, of October 1898-

No Scottish house, amid all the glorious traditions of Highland clans and Lowland families, has a more honourable record than that of Keith. For 700 years it held the position of Marischal of Scotland; its titles of honour were unique in being taken not from territorial possessions, but from the high office of State.

There is honourable pride in the explanation that, if, in comparison with others, the Keiths were few in the number of cadet families, and behind in the boast of a “pridefu’ kin”, the reason was that “Having been in every action, and by virtue of their office of Marischal present at every battle, the males were seldom allowed to increase to any considerable number”.

The Keiths were ever to the front in the sternest stress of battle, and their chaste and simple shield showed none of the stains of treachery and dishonour that dim the lustre of other proud bearings.

Most tellings of the Keith story start before recorded history in the time when myth and legend co-mingle into tradition.

An old tradition makes the Lowland House of Keith-Marischal of kin to the Clan Chattan of Badenoch. This tells how their forbears the Chatti fought the Romans in the Hercynian forest (near modern Hesse), and then came by the Rhine to Katwyck on the coast of Holland. From there they sent colonies to Britain after Germanticus threatened the region, in 10 AD. Their first settlement was in Caithness from where they spread into the Highlands. On landing the Catti were attacked by Scottish wildcats, which they barely managed to overcome and made their symbol. Many centuries later the Keiths had in their castle at Dunnottar until 1652 a table made from oaken planks said to have been taken from the ship that brought their forbears to Scotland.

This origin legend was further embellished in the 16th century by the story of the slaying by Raibeart, a Chatti warrior, of Camus a giant Danish invader. King of Scots Malcolm II pushed his hand into Camus’ warm body and drew his bloody fingers down Raibeart’s shield to mark the claim and spoke the words “marbhachir Chamius” (Camus’ slayer). The claim was disputed by another Scots warrior, the matter settled by individual combat and when Raibeart prevailed, the king said “firinn agus” (truth is justice), the meaning of the Keith’s Latin motto “Veritas Vincit” (truth prevails). There is no evidence for this supposed battle at Barry on 2 February 1010 having taken place as it seems to have been a creation of Scots historical author, Hector Boece (1465-1536). Boece first Principal of King's College in Aberdeen, a predecessor of the University of Aberdeen, may have had good reason to wish to complement the powerful House of Keith Marischal then well established in Aberdeenshire by writing into history their legendary progenitor. After Malcolm won Lothian in the Battle of Chathem in 1018, the lands of Keth were given to Raibeart, whose descendants took the area’s name as their own. Supposedly Raibeart also received the isle of Inchkeith in the Firth of Forth.

In the period of transition from legend to records there is usually some confusion and inconsistency. According to some Raibert was the first marischal, although this seems unlikely since it is a feudal tile and office and more likely introduced to Scotland during the Davidian revolution.

What is known, that can be verified in surviving records is that in the reign if David I a Norman adventurer named Hervey acquired lands in the Barony of Keith, in East Lothian, which he held the north eastern part; the south western part was held by Simon Fraser. The two sections of the estate were known as Keith Harvey and Keith Symmars respectively. He took the name Hervey de Keith and was appointed the first recorded King’s Marischal. The role of the Marischal was to serve as custodian of the Royal Regalia, and to protect the king's person when attending parliament. He also held court determining matters relating to military pay, ransoms and booty. At coronations his ceremonial role was to stand at the king’s left side and proclaim the royal personage.

From Harvey Keith Marischal descend five Marischals, five Great Marischals (from 1328) and ten Earls Marischal until the 10th and last, George Keith, was attainted in 1716 for his part in the Jacobite uprising in the previous year.

Whether the first Keith was of the blood of Clan Chattan or a Norman knight, his descendants were and are proud to the core of their Scottish heritage and fought valiantly to preserve the community f the realm. At every juncture in early and modern Scottish history when important matters of defence, diplomacy, religion and governance of the realm were at stake, you will find Keiths were to the fore exercising high office of state:

During the wars of independence, Sir Robert the first Great Marischal was an early convert to the patriotic side and the hero of the Battle of Inverurie. He led the500 Scots mounted troops (Keiths) against the mass of 5,000 English and Welsh archers on the second day of the Battle of Bannockburn. This brought relief to the Scots schiltrons from plunging arrow fire. He, his son and grandson all died in battle and the office passed to his brother Sir Edward who also perished with his boots on.

Among the other notable Keiths from this period was Sir William Keith of Galston who was in command of troops under Sir James Douglas at the Capture of Berwick in 1318. Upon the death of Robert I 1329 he accompanied Sir James Douglas on crusade, with the King's embalmed heart and was one of the few survivors of the Battle of Teba. He was responsible for returning the King's heart and Douglas' bones and heart to Scotland. He was in command at Berwick again in 1333 when Halidon Hill took place. In 1335 he was an ambassador to England, and in 1336 he was killed fighting at the Siege of Stirling Castle.

Another notable Keith was Thomas Dickson of Symington and Hazelside. His grandfather was Philip de Keith, successor to Hervey. He was the son of Richard (Dicks) de Keith and Margaret Douglas and was granted a charter of lands in 1306 by Robert I. He was present at the Battle of Stirling Bridge and was cut down on Palm Sunday 1307 by English from the garrison of Douglas Castle in a surprise attacked gone wrong.

In 1392 Sir William de Keith and his wife obtained the Dunnottar Estate south of Stonehaven in a land swap with their son-in-law Lord Lindsay. There under license they erected a Royal castle on a headland. The castle remained a stronghold of the Keiths until 1716 when it was forfeit to the Crown and sold in 1719. The pardoned Earl Marshal bought it back in 1760 but unable to keep up the payments it was sold to the Keiths of Ravelston.

Another William Keith, was raised to the peerage as Earl Marischal by James II in about 1458.

At the Battle of Flodden, the Earl Marischal (who was not present) lost two sons, a son-inlaw, and a brother along with his king.

During the 15th, 16th and early 17th centuries the House of Keith-Marischal became immensely powerful due to the following:

•Close allegiance to and marriage with the Royal Stewarts.

•Sustaining minimal damage to their estates during the Wars of Independence.

•Gaining an enormous share of the estates in the north east forfeit by the Comyn Clans.

•Marrying heiresses, often their cousins.

•From property forfeit by the Roman Catholic Church after the reformation on account of their early conversion to and support for the protestant Religion.

•Land speculation.

•Commercial endeavours, especially trade with the Low Countries.

Agnes Keith, Countess of Moray, eldest daughter of William Keith, 4th Earl Marischal was the wife of James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, Regent of Scotland (from 1567) and the illegitimate half-brother of Mary, Queen of Scots, making her a sister-in-law of the Scottish queen. As the wife of the regent, Agnes was the most powerful woman in Scotland from 1567 until her husband's assassination in 1570. In 1568, before the Battle of Langside, she coldly informed her frightened cousin, George Gordon, 5th Earl of Huntly, "ye haf mad me angary" when he indicated that he would support the Marion side rather than her husband. During the Marion Civil War that followed Mary, Queen of Scot’s exile the Keiths took the side of the Regents for the infant James VI.

Between 1571 and 1572, Agnes became the second wife of Sir Colin Campbell, the son of Archibald Campbell, 4th Earl of Argyll heir presumptive to the earldom of Argyll, by whom she had another three children including Archibald Campbell, 7th Earl of Argyll. Agnes was excommunicated by the Church on 25 April 1573 for “non-adherence to her husband”. It was recorded that Sir Colin was "overmuch ledd by his wyf".

George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal built Marischal College in Aberdeen by a charter of 1 October 1623 and attended James VI and I's funeral in 5 May 1625 at Westminster Abbey. He was made a baronet of Nova Scotia at the end of May 1625 and, on the new Scottish privy council's restructuring in March 1626, he was made a member of it.

William Keith, 6th Earl Marischal was Earl Marischal and naval official. Three of his sons were to become earls by inheritance and elevation. He was married to a most remarkable and capable woman Lady Mary (Erskine) Keith Countess of Marischal.

William 7th Earl Marischal, succeeded to the earldom on the death of his father in 1635. He was a Presbyterian, and Covenanter. After the surrender of Charles I in 1646 he became an ardent Royalist. Raising a troop of horse at his own expense, he marched with them into England in 1648, and was present at the battle of Preston, where he narrowly escaped being taken prisoner. He subsequently entertained Charles II at Dunnottar Castle in 1650, and would have accompanied him to England, had he not been appointed, along with the Earls of Crawford and Glencairn, to remain at home in charge of the kingdom. After the defeat at Worcester, he was attainted by the Cromwellian Parliament and imprisoned in the Tower where he remained till the Restoration. From this time the Keith-Marishal’s fortunes declined.

Hi brother John Keith, while just a your was part of the garrison of Dunnottar Castle that held out against Cromwell’s Roundheads for eight months over the winter of 1651/52. Through this and the courage of the Minister of Kineff Kirk and his wife, the Honours of Scotland were preserved from destruction by Cromwell. Dunnottar was damage by mortar fire during the siege and sacked by the Roundheads after the honorable surrender of the garrison. At the Restoration, John Keith was knighted and in 1677 elevated to Earl of Kintore. He was for a time Scotland’s Treasurer under James VII/II, supported the accession of William and Mary following the “glorious revolution” and voted for the Union in 1707.

The 9th Earl Marischal was an outspoken critic of Whig policies, and ardent Jacobite and opponent of the Union. He was arrested and sent to London for trial for seditious remakes in opposition to the Union, but instead through Royal favour (Queen Anne) he became a Scottish representative peer.

After his death in 1712 he was succeeded by George the 10th and last Earl Marischal. After Queen Anne’s death he joined his cousin the Earl of Marl in the 1715 Jacobite uprising, and after its failure he was attainted by Parliament. Although pardoned in 1760 he live out his live in Potsdam in the company of his great friend Redrick the Great of Prussia. After his death the chiefship of the Clan Keith devolved to the 4th Earl of Kintore, in whose line of descent it has been held to the current 14th Earl.