Earls of Glencairn

GLENCAIRN, EARLS OF. The 1st earl of Glencairn in the Scottish peerage was ALEXANDER CUNNINGHAM (d. 1488), a son of Sir Robert Cunningham of Kilmaurs in Ayrshire. Made a lord of the Scottish parliament as Lord Kilmaurs not later than 1469, Cunningham was created earl of Glencairn in 1488; and a few weeks later he was killed at the battle of Sauchieburn whilst fighting for King James III. against his rebellious son, afterwards James IV. His son and successor, ROBERT (d. c. 1490), was deprived of his earldom by James IV., but before 1505 this had been revived in favour of Robert's son, CUTHBERT (d. c. 1540), who became 3rd earl of Glencairn, and whose son WILLIAM (c. 1490-1547) was the 4th earl. This noble, an early adherent of the Reformation, was during his public life frequently in the pay and service of England.

William's

son, ALEXANDER, the 5th earl (d. 1574), was a more pronounced reformer than his father, whose English sympathies he shared, and was among the intimate friends of John Knox. He anticipated Lord James Stewart, afterwards the regent Murray, in taking up arms against the regent, Mary of Guise, in 1558• When in Aug. 1561 Mary queen of Scots returned to Scotland, Glencairn was made a member of her council; he changed sides more than once, and was found fighting against Mary at Car berry Hill and at Langside. The earl, who was a violent iconoclast, died on Nov. 23, 1574. His short satirical poem against the Grey Friars is printed by Knox in his History of the Reformation.