Lords Home (1473)

1^st Lord Home, Alexander Home, b.?, a.1473, d.1490-1491

The Homes (pronounced Hume) were descended from Patrick, second son of the 3^rd Earl of Dunbar, and were close allies and feudal inferiors of those earls. However when the 10^th Earl of Dunbar went over to the English, the Homes deserted his side and fought against him at the Battle of Homildon Hill, where the head of the family, Sir Alexander Home of Dunglass (b.?, d.1424), was taken prisoner. After his release, Sir Alexander accompanied Archibald Douglas, 4^th Earl of Douglas, to the Continent, and fell alongside him at the Battle of Verneuil. After the fall of the House of Dunbar, Sir Alexander’s son, also Alexander, obtained a significant portion of their estates and became Warden of the East March. He accompanied William Douglas, 8^th Earl of Douglas, to Rome for the Papal Jubilee in 1450, and was an envoy on behalf of James II to England. He took arms against his King at Sauchieburn and was rewarded by being invested as Hereditary Baillie of Coldingham Priory, whose revenues were enviable.

2^nd Lord Home, Alexander Home, b.?, a.1490-1491, d.1506

Grandson of the 1^st Lord and Marion Lauder, and son of Alexander Home (b.?, d.c.1456) and Agnes Hepburn, daughter of Sir Adam Hepburn of Hailes (for whom see the earls of Bothwell). He was made a Privy Counsellor in 1488 and Warden of the East March from 1489 to 1496. He was also made Great Chamberlain of Scotland for life. More importantly, he was Captain of Stirling Castle and Governor to the young King.

3^rd Lord Home, Alexander Home, b.b.1488, a.1506, d.1516

Son of the 2^nd Lord and Nichole Ker. He succeeded his father also as Great Chamberlain and Warden of the East March. He led the Scottish vanguard along with Gordon of Huntly at the Battle of Flodden, and as one of the leading survivors of that disaster, became embroiled in the intrigues of the time. He supported Margaret, the Queen Dowager, against the Regent, John Stewart, 2^nd Duke of Albany, and helped her to escape to England, where he began plotting Albany’s downfall. Albany then led an army into the Home heartlands and ravaged his estates. Home was then invited by Albany to meet at Dunglass, ostensibly to discuss an amnesty, but was taken prisoner. He managed to escape again to England, and after some negotiation made his peace with the Regent in return for a promise of good behaviour. This situation didn’t last long, and he returned to his dealings with his English equivalent, Lord Dacre. With much of the Borders in a state of anarchy, Albany convinced Home to attend him in Edinburgh, but instead of negotiation, Home was immediately arrested, found guilty of treason, and executed, along with his brother William. Another brother, David, Prior of Coldingham, was assassinated soon after. In place of Home, Albany appointed as Warden of the East March a French knight, Sieur de la Bastie. He was sent south from Edinburgh to quell any Home uprising but was ambushed and executed with prejudice by the Homes of Wedderburn, who were then declared forfeit. A large army was sent by the new Council of Regency, Albany having left for France, and in the face of this overwhelming force the Homes surrendered.

4^th Lord Home, George Home, b.?, a.1522, d.1549

Younger brother of the 3^rd Lord. The Home forfeiture was lifted in 1522, allowing the oldest surviving brother of the previous lord to take back his estates. Like the rest of his family, he was an unstable and aggressive character, and switched his allegiance between Albany and Archibald Douglas, 6^th Earl of Angus, who had married the Queen Dowager. He eventually helped drive Angus from power, and as Warden of the East March was instrumental in defending Scotland successfully from invasions by English armies in support of Angus. In 1545 he was made a Privy Counsellor. In 1547, Home Castle was besieged and taken by the Duke of Somerset after the Battle of Pinkie, but retaken the following year.

5^th Lord Home, Alexander Home, b.?, a.1549, d.1575

Son of the 4^th Lord and Mariot Halyburton, daughter of Patrick Halyburton, 5^th Lord Dirletoun. He was responsible for recovering Home Castle and Fast Castle from the English in dramatic style, and was made Warden of the East March in 1550. He was a supporter of the Reformation but in 1565 was high in the Queen’s favour, receiving her at Home Castle the following year. He then switched sides and took arms against her at the Battle of Langside, only to revert once more to her corner, holding out at Edinburgh Castle against the Regent Morton, until 1573. Although he was initially convicted of treason and forfeited, he was restored to his estates soon after.

6^th Lord Home, Alexander Home, b.c.1567, a.1578, d.1619

Son of the 5^th Lord and Agnes Gray, daughter of Patrick Gray, 4^th Lord Gray. In 1578 he obtained a reversal of his father’s forfeiture. When Francis Stewart, 1^st Earl of Bothwell, made his attempt capture the King in 1593, Home took the field against him, and this is perhaps why he was spared ex-communication by the General Assembly when other Catholic lords were declared forfeit, although he was forced to sign the Confession of Faith and attend the Reformed Church. He was a favourite of James VI and in 1605 he was created 1^st Earl of Home and 1^st Lord Dunglass.

Earls of Home (1605)

1^st Earl of Home, Alexander Home, as above

2^nd Earl of Home, James Home, b.?, a.?, d.1633

Son of the 1^st Earl and Mary Dudley (b.1586, d.?), daughter of Edward Dudley, 5^th Baron Dudley. He married twice but died without children.

3^rd Earl of Home, James Home, b.1615, a.1633, d.1666

There being no close male heirs, the earldom fell to a direct descendant of the 2^nd Lord Home’s younger brother John Home (b.?, d.1493). John Home married Margaret Ker. Their son Mungo Home (b.?, d.1513) married Elizabeth Stewart, daughter of James Stewart, 1^st Earl of Buchan. Their son Sir John Home (b.?, d.1573) married another Margaret Ker, daughter of Sir Andrew Ker of Cessford. Their son Sir James Home (b.?, d.1592) married Katherine Home, daughter of John Home of Easter Blackadder. Their son Sir John Home (b.?, d.1629) married firstly Marie Sinclair (b.?, d.1582), daughter of John Sinclair, Master of Caithness, Their son James Home (b.?, d.1620) married Anne Home (b.?, d.1621), daughter of George Home, Earl of Dunbar, and their son succeeded to the earldom, although the bulk of the Home estates were split between the previous earl’s two sisters. He was a Royalist during the Civil Wars and after the fall of Edinburgh Castle in 1650 had to turn his own castle over to English troops. At the Restoration he regained possession, but the power of Home had been lost.

4^th Earl of Home, Alexander Home, b.?, a.1666, d.1674

Son of the 3^rd Earl and Jean Douglas (b.1615, d.1694), daughter of William Douglas, 7^th Earl of Morton.

5^th Earl of Home, James Home, b.?, a.1674, d.1687

Younger brother of the 4^th Earl.

6^th Earl of Home, Charles Home, b.?, a.1687, d.1706

Younger brother of the 4^th and 5^th Earls. He opposed the Union, but died before the treaty was ratified.

7^th Earl of Home, Alexander Home, b.?, a.1706, d.1720

Son of the 6^th Earl and Anne Purvis, daughter of Sir William Purves, 1^st Baronet Purves of Purves Hall, Berwick. He was also an opponent of the Union, although he served as a Representative Peer from 1710 to 1713. During the 1715 Jacobite rebellion, he was suspected of being a potential supporter and confined as a prisoner in Edinburgh Castle.

8^th Earl of Home, William Home, b.1681, a.1720, d.1761

Son of the 7^th Earl and Anne Kerr (b.?, d.1727), daughter of Sir William Kerr, 2^nd Marquess of Lothian. He wisely decided to become an active supporter of the Government and joined the army in the service of the 2^nd Dragoon Guards, and fought at the Battle of Prestonpans. He was Colonel of the 48^th Foot Regiment from 1750 to 1752. He was a Representative Peer from 1741 to 1761 and was made Governor of Gibraltar in 1757, reaching the rank of Lieutenant-General in the King’s Own Scottish Borderers in 1759. He had no children.

9th Earl of Home, Alexander Home, b.?, a.1761, d.1786

Younger brother of the 8^th Earl. He was a clergyman in the Church of England.

10^th Earl of Home, Alexander Ramey-Home, b.1769, a.1786, 1841

Son of the 9^th Earl and Abigail Brown Ramey (b.?, d.1814). He was Lord-Lieutenant of Berwickshire from 1794 to 1841 and a Representative Peer from 1807 to 1841.

11^th Earl of Home, Cospatrick Alexander Home, b.1799, a.1841, d.1881

Son of the 10^th Earl and Lady Elizabeth Scott (b.?, d.1837), daughter of Sir Henry Scott, 3^rd Duke of Buccleuch. Educated at Christ Church College Oxford, he joined the Foreign Office before becoming a Representative Peer from 1842 to 1874. He was a Major-General in the Royal Company of Archers from 1859 and a Lieutenant-General from 1878 until his death. His wife was the heiress of various Douglas estates from her maternal grandfather Archibald James Edward Douglas, 1^st Baron Douglas of Douglas (a title that had become extinct on the death of the 4^th holder), and he added the Douglas name to his own when he was created 1^st Baron Douglas of Douglas, Lanarkshire, in 1875.

12^th Earl of Home, Charles Alexander Douglas-Home, b.1834, a.1881, d.1918

Son of the 11^th Earl and Lucy Elizabeth Montagu-Scott (b.1805, d.1877), daughter of Henry James Montagu-Scott, 2^nd Baron Montagu of Boughton. Educated at Eton and Trinity College Cambridge, he was Lord-Lieutenant of Berwickshire from 1879 to 1890 and served as Aide-de-Camp to Queen Victoria from 1887 to 1897. He was a Captain in the Royal Company of Archers and was invested as a Knight of the Thistle in 1899.

13^th Earl of Home, Charles Cospatrick Archibald Douglas-Home, b.1873, a.1918, d.1951

Son of the 12^th Earl and Maria Grey (b.1849, d.1919), a descendant of General Charles Grey, 1^st Earl Grey. Educated at Eton and Christ Church College Oxford, he fought in the First World War, being mentioned in despatches, and was later an officer in the Cameronians. He served as Lord-Lieutenant of Berwickshire and was made a Knight of the Thistle in 1930.

14^th Earl of Home, Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, b.1903, a.1918, d.1995

Son of the 13^th Earl and Lady Lillian Lambton (b.1881, d.1966), daughter of Frederick William Lambton, 4^th Earl of Durham. Also educated at Eton and Christ Church College Oxford, he was MP for Lanarkshire from 1931 to 1945, including a stint as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Neville Chamberlain from 1935 to 1940. He again served as MP from 1950 and was made a Privy Counsellor in 1951, continuing to hold high offices of state, including a period as Foreign Secretary from 1960 to 1963. in 1962 he was made a Knight of the Thistle. He succeeded Harold Macmillan as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury in 1963, but only remained in office for one year before losing the election of Harold Wilson, after which he stepped down as leader of the Conservative Party and was replaced by Edward Heath. He abdicated as earl when he became Prime Minister, but was later, in 1974, awarded the life peerage of Baron Home of Hirsel (the family seat at Coldstream in the Borders). He was also Chancellor of the Order of the Thistle from 1973 to 1974.

15^th Earl of Home, David Alexander Cospatrick Douglas-Home, b.1943, a.1995

Son of the 14^th Earl and Elizabeth Hester Alington (b.?, d.1990). Educated at Eton and Christ Church College Oxford, he served as a director on various company boards, including Morgan Grenfell, and was later Chairman of Coutts. As well as being the 15^th Earl, he is also 20^th Lord Home, 15^th Lord Dunglass and 5^th Baron Douglas of Douglas. He is also Chief of Clan Home and heir-general to the House of Douglas.

The courtesy title for the heir is Lord Dunglass.