ERROLL (or ERROL), FRANCIS HAY, 9TH EARL OF (d. 1631), Scottish nobleman, was the son of Andrew, 8th earl, and of Lady Jean Hay, daughter of William, 6th earl. He succeeded to the earldom (cr. 1453) in 1585, was early converted to Roman Catholicism, and as the associate of Huntly joined in the Spanish conspiracies against the throne of Elizabeth. An intercepted letter led to his denunciation as a rebel by the council in 1589. He en gaged with Huntly and Crawford in a rebellion in the north of Scotland, but their forces surrendered at Aberdeen on the arrival of the king in April; and in July Erroll gave himself up to James, who refrained from exacting any penalty. In September he entered into a bond with Huntly for mutual assistance.
In 1590 he displeased the king by marrying, in spite of his prohibition, Lady Elizabeth Douglas, daughter of the earl of Morton. He was imprisoned on suspicion of complicity in the attempt made by Gray and Bothwell to surprise the king at Falk land in June 1592 ; and though he obtained his release, he was again proclaimed a rebel. After a failure to apprehend him in March 1593, Erroll and his companions were sentenced to abjure Romanism or leave the kingdom; and on their non-compliance were in 1594 declared traitors. On Oct. 3 they defeated at Glen livet a force sent against them under Argyll ; though Erroll him self was severely wounded, and Slains castle, his seat, razed to the ground. The rebel lords left Scotland in 1595. Erroll returned to Scotland secretly in 1596, and made his peace with the Kirk. In 1602 he was appointed a commissioner to negotiate the union with England. Between 1608 and 1611 he was in prison as an "obstinate papist." Erroll died on July 16, 1631, and was buried in the church of Slains.
See The Erroll Papers (Spalding Club Miscellany, vol. ii. 21I) ; Andrew Lang, Hist. of Scotland, vol. ii. ; Hist. MSS. Comm. MSS. of Earl of Mar and Kellie; D. Calderwood's Hist. of the Church of Scot land; John Spalding's Memorials (Spalding Club, 185o) ; Treason and Plot, by M. A. S. Hume (Igo') ; Collected Essays of T. G. Law, ed. by P. H. Brown (i 904) •