Lords Ogilvy of Airlie (1491)

 

1st Lord Ogilvy, James Ogilvy, b.c.1430, a.1491, d.1504

 

The family of Ogilvy probably originated as a branch of the mormaers of Angus, descending from Gilbert, third son of Gilchrist, 1st Earl of Angus, and took their surname name from lands of Ogilvy near Glamis in Forfarshire. The cadet branch obtained the lands of Wester Powrie and later of Auchterhouse. Sir Walter Ogilvy (b.c.1360, d.1392) obtained the hereditary Sheriffdom of Forfarshire in 1365. His first son Sir Alexander Ogilvy of Auchterhouse (b.?, d.1371), was the ancestor of Patrick Ogilvy, 2nd Earl of Findlater, while his second son Sir Walter Ogilvy of Lintrathen (b.b.1391, d.1440) was Lord High Treasurer of Scotland from 1425 to 1431, and built a castle at Airlie in Forfarshire. Sir Walter’s first son, Sir John Ogilvy of Lintrathen (b.b.1414, d.c.1484) married Margaret Seton, daughter of George Seton, 3rd Lord Seton (for whom see the earls of Winton) and widow of Thomas Dunbar, 3rd Earl of Moray, and their son was raised to the peerage as 1st Lord Ogilvy of Airlie, having been Ambassador to Denmark in 1491.

 

2nd Lord Ogilvy, John Ogilvy, b.b.1462, a.1504, d.b.1505-1506

 

Son of the 1st Lord and his first wife Elizabeth Kennedy (b.b.1440, d.?).

 

3rd Lord Ogilvy, James Ogilvy, b.b.1489, a.c.1506, d.1513-1524

 

Son of the 2nd Lord and Jean Graham, daughter of William Graham, 2nd Lord Graham (from whom see the earls of Montrose).

 

4th Lord Ogilvy, James Ogilvy, b.b.1505, a.c.1524, d.1547-1548

 

Son of the 3rd Lord and Isobel Lindsay, daughter of Sir Alexander Lindsay, 7th Earl of Crawford. He was made an Extraordinary Lord of Session in 1542.

 

5th Lord Ogilvy, James Ogilvy, b.c.1541, a.c.1548, d.1606

 

Grandson of the 4th Lord and Helen Sinclair (b.?, d.1552-1562), daughter of Henry Sinclair, 3rd Lord St Clair, and son of James Ogilvy (b.b.1525, d.1547), who died at the Battle of Pinkie in 1547, and Katherine Campbell (b.?, d.1578), a grand-daughter of Archibald Campbell, 2nd Earl of Argyll. He was a supporter of Queen Mary, and was imprisoned after her escape from Lochleven until King James VI came of age. He served as Envoy to Denmark in 1596.

 

6th Lord Ogilvy, James Ogilvy, b.b.1571, a.1606, d.1616-1618

 

Son of the 5th Lord and Jean Forbes, daughter of William Forbes, 7th Lord Forbes.

 

7th Lord Ogilvy, James Ogilvy, b.1586, a.c.1618, d.1664-1665

 

Son of the 6th Lord and Lady Jean Ruthven (b.?, d.1611-1612), daughter of William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie. He was created 1st Earl of Airlie in 1639 and 1st Lord Ogilvy of Alith & Lintrathen. He was a Royalist and supporter of James Graham, 5th Marquess of Montrose. In 1640, his lands and castles were destroyed by the ruthless purge of Royalists conducted by Archibald Campbell, 8th Earl of Argyll, but he continued to fight against the Covenanters, joining Montrose in burning down Argyll’s own Castle Campbell at Dollar, which remains a ruin. on the winning side at the Battle of Kilsyth, but ultimately taken prisoner and sentenced to death after the Battle of Philiphaugh. He escaped and was later pardoned, and fought with the Scots against Cromwell, only to be imprisoned again, this time in the Tower of London, until the Restoration.

 

 

Earls of Airlie (1639)

 

1st Earl of Airlie, James Ogilvy, b.1586, a.1639, d.1664-1665

 

During his time fighting against the Covenanters, he was excommunicated and his title briefly forfeit.

 

2nd Earl of Airlie, James Ogilvy, b.c.1615, a.c.1665, d.1703

 

Son of the 1st Earl and Lady Isabel Hamilton (b.1595-1596, d.a.1665), daughter of Sir Thomas Hamilton, 1st Earl of Haddington. As with his father, he was a follower of King Charles I against the Covenanters, serving under Montrose. He was captured at the Battle of Philiphaugh and sentenced to death at St Andrews, only to escape after having exchanged clothing with his sister. He was also held prisoner in the Tower of London for fighting against Cromwell. After the Restoration he was made a Privy Counsellor.

 

3rd Earl of Airlie, David Ogilvy, b.b.1663, a.1704, d.1717

 

Son of the 2nd Earl and Helen Ogilvy (b.?, d.a.1663-1664), daughter of Sir George Ogilvy, 1st Lord Banff.

 

4th Earl of Airlie, James Ogilvy, b.b.1699, a.?, d.1730-1731

 

Son of the 3rd Earl and Lady Grizel Lyon, daughter of Patrick Lyon, 3rd Earl of Strathmore & Kinghorne. He took part in the Earl of Mar’s Jacobite rising in 1715, and was attainted, so that he could not inherit his father’s title, which then passed to his younger brother, although he was pardoned in 1725. Ultimately, in 1826, the attainder was reversed, allowing him to be listed as one of the holders of the title.

 

5th Earl of Airlie, John Ogilvy, b.1699, a.1731, d.1761

 

Younger brother of the 4th Earl. He inherited the title as his elder brother was denied that right by attainder, but no sequence number was attached.

 

6th Earl of Airlie, David Ogilvy, b.1725, a.?, d.1803

 

Son of the 5th Earl and Margaret Ogilvy (a distant cousin). Another avowed Jacobite, he joined Prince Charles Edward Stewart in 1745 and was attainted. After Culloden he escaped via Scandinavia to France and served in the French army, reaching the rank of Lieutenant-General. He was pardoned in 1778 and returned to Scotland in 1783. Although styled Earl of Airlie, he was not empowered to assume his honours and was not given any sequence number.

 

7th Earl of Airlie, David Ogilvy, b.1751, a.?, d.1812

 

Son of the 6th Earl and Margaret Johnstone (b.1724, d.1757), daughter of Sir James Johnstone, 3rd Baronet Johnstone of Westerhall. He was mad and died unmarried, and was succeeded by his uncle.

 

8th Earl of Airlie, Walter Ogilvy, b.1733, a.1812, d.1819

 

Younger brother of the 6th Earl, again holding the title without sequence number. He claimed the family honours, arguing that the attainders of his brother and uncle were both obtained prior to their accession and thus should not affect his rights. However the House of Lords was reluctant to proceed.

 

9th (4th) Earl of Airlie, David Ogilvy, b.1785, a.1819, d.1849

 

Son of the 8th Earl and Jean Ogilvy (b.?, d.1818). Although he was styled Earl of Airlie in 1819 upon the death of his father, it was not until 1826 that full honours were restored by Act of Parliament, whereupon he was officially recognised as 4th Earl. He reached the rank of Captain in the 42nd Highlanders, took his place as a Representative Peer from 1833 to 1849 and was Lord-Lieutenant of Forfarshire from 1828 to 1849.

 

10th (5th) Earl of Airlie, David Graham Drummond Ogilvy, b.1826, a.1849, d.1881

 

Son of the 9th Earl and Clementina Drummond (b.?, d.1835). Educated at Christ Church College Oxford, he was a Representative Peer from 1850 to 1881. He served as a Captain in the Forfarshire Yeomanry Cavalry and the 12th Forfarshire Rifle Volunteers from 1856 and was invested as a Knight of the Thistle in 1862. He was also High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from 1872 to 1873.

 

11th (6th) Earl of Airlie, David Stanley William Ogilvy, b.1856, a.1881. d.1900

 

Son of the 10th Earl and the Honorable Henrietta Blanche Stanley, daughter of Edward John Stanley, 2nd Baron Stanley of Alderley, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. He was educated at Eton and then Balliol College Oxford before seeing active service with several different regiments and in several different fields of war, including the Second Afghan War, Sudan and Egypt, reaching the rank of Lieutenant. He returned to Scotland and served as a Representative Peer from 1885 to 1900. He reached the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the 12th Lancers in 1897. He died in action in South Africa during the Second Boer War.

 

12th (7th) Earl of Airlie, David Lyulph Gore Wolseley Ogilvy, b.1893, a.1900, d.1968

 

Son of the 11th Earl and Lady Mabell Frances Elizabeth Gore, daughter of the 5th Earl of Arran and the Arrans Islands (a title from the Peerage of Ireland). He was a highly decorated soldier, obtaining the Military Cross during the First World War. He later reached the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Scots Guards. He was a Representative Peer from 1922 to 1963 and he served as Lord-Lieutenant of Angus from 1936 to 1967. He was appointed as Lord Chamberlain in 1937 and was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) in 1938. He was invested as a Knight of the Thistle in 1942, being Chancellor of that Order from 1956 to 1966.

 

13th (8th) Earl of Airlie, David George Patrick Coke Ogilvy, b.1926, a.1968

 

Son of the 12th Earl and Lady Alexandra Marie Bridget Coke, daughter of Thomas William Coke, 3rd Earl of Leicester. He was born in London and educated at Eton. He fought in the Second World War, reaching the rank of Captain in the Scots Guards. He moved into merchant banking in 1953, joining Henry Schoder Wagg & Co, and subsequently served a director from 1961, and Chairman from 1973, overseeing its transition to Schroders plc in 1977. He left Schroders in 1984 to become Lord Chamberlain and a Privy Counsellor. He was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in 1984 and was Chancellor of that Order from 1984 to 1987. He was invested as a Knight of the Thistle in 1985, and has been the incumbent Chancellor of the Order of the Thistle since 2007. He served as Chairman of General Accident from 1987 to 1997. He has also been Lord-Lieutenant of Angus from 1989 and in 2004 he became Captain-General of the Royal Company of Archers. As well as being 8th Earl of Airlie, he is also 14th Lord Ogilvy of Airlie and 8th Lord Ogilvy of Alith and Lintrathen.

 

 

The courtesy title of the heir is Lord Ogilvy.

 

(Last updated: 28/02/2012)

 

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