Lords Glamis (1445)

1^st Lord Glamis, Patrick Lyon, b.?, a.?, d.1459

Clan Lyon probably originated from the French family of de Leon who came into Scotland when Edgar, son of Malcolm Canmore, came north from England to take the Scottish crown from with half-brother Duncan II. Sir John Lyon (b.c.1340, d.1382) married Princess Joanna (or Jean) Stewart (b.1336-1355, d.a.1404), daughter of King Robert II and was made Thane of Glamis, also obtaining the lands of Tannadice and later of Kinghorne. He was Lord High Chamberlain from 1377 to 1382. His son, John Lyon of Glamis (b.?, d.1435) married Elizabeth Graham, daughter of Sir Patrick Graham, Earl of Strathearn and another descendant of Robert II. Their son Patrick Lyon was created 1^st Lord Glamis and served as a Privy Counsellor and Master of the Royal Household.

2^nd Lord Glamis, Alexander Lyon, b.?, a.1459, d.1486

Son of the 1^st Lord and Isabel Ogilvy (b.?, d.1484), daughter of Sir Walter Ogilvy of Lintrathen, ancestor of the earls of Airlie.

3^rd Lord Glamis, John Lyon, b.?, a.1486, d.1497

Younger brother of the 1^st Lord.

4^th Lord Glamis, John Lyon, b.?, a.1497, d.c.1500

Son of the 3^rd Lord and Elizabeth Scrymgeour (b.?, d.1492), daughter of John Scrymgeour of Dudhope, Constable of Dundee and Hereditary Standard-Bearer (for whom see the earls of Dundee).

5^th Lord Glamis, George Lyon, b.?, a.1500, d.c.1505

Son of the 4^th Lord and Elizabeth Gray (b.?, d.c.1526), daughter of Andrew Gray, 2^nd Lord Gray.

6^th Lord Glamis, John Lyon, b.c.1491, a.1505, d.1528

Younger brother of the 5^th Lord.

7^th Lord Glamis, John Lyon, b.c.1521, a.1528, d.1559

Son of the 6^th Lord and Janet Douglas (b.?, d.1737), a grand-daughter of Archibald Douglas, 5^th Earl of Angus. After the fall of the House of Douglas, Lady Glamis was burned at the stake, accused of witchcraft as part of King James V’s vengeance on all those associated with the Douglas name. Lord Glamis protested sufficiently for himself to be sentenced to death and his estates declared forfeit. However, the sentence was delayed until he reached his majority, and when King James V died in 1543, he was released and his estates restored by Parliament.

8^th Lord Glamis, John Lyon, b.c.1544, a.1559, d.1578

Son of the 7^th Lord and Janet Keith, a grand-daughter of both William Keith, 2^nd Earl Marischal and John Douglas, 2^nd Earl of Morton. A supporter of the Regents Moray and Lennox against Queen Mary, he was made Lord Chancellor of Scotland and Keeper of the Great Seal.

9^th Lord Glamis, Patrick Lyon, b.c.1575, a.1578, d.1615

Son of the 8^th Lord and Elizabeth Abernethy (b.?, d.b.1581), daughter of William Abernethy, 5^th Lord Saltoun of Abernethy. He was Captain of the Royal Guard and a Privy Counsellor, and in 1606 he was created 1^st Earl of Kinghorne.

Earls of Kinghorne (1606)

1^st Earl of Kinghorne, Patrick Lyon, as above

2^nd Earl of Kinghorne, John Lyon, b.1596, a.1615, d.1646

Son of the 1^st Earl and Lady Anne Murray (b.1579, d.1618), daughter of Sir John Murray, 1^st Earl of Tullibardine. A supporter of Montrose and the Covenant, he remained faithful to the cause, and at great expense, when Montrose switched sides.

3^rd Earl of Kinghorne, Patrick Lyon, b.1643, a.1646, d.1695

Son of the 2^nd Earl and Lady Elizabeth Maule (b.?, d.1659), daughter of Patrick Maule, 1^st Earl of Panmure. In a new patent of 1677, he became Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, 1^st Viscount Lyon and 1^st Lord Glamis, Tannadyce, Sidlaw & Strathditchie. He improved the estates left impoverished by his father and enlarged Glamis Castle.

4^th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, John Lyon, b.1663, a.1695, d.1712

Son of the 3^rd Earl and Helen Middleton (b.?, d.c.1708), daughter of John Middleton, 1^st Earl of Middleton. He was a Privy Counsellor, but opposed the Treaty of Union in 1707.

5^th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, John Lyon, b.1696, a.1712, d.1715

Son of the 4^th Earl and Lady Elizabeth Stanhope (b.c.1663, d.1723), daughter of Philip Stanhope, 2^nd Earl of Chesterfield. He was killed at the Battle of Sheriffmuir.

6^th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, Charles Lyon, b.c.1699, a.1715, d.1728

Younger brother of the 5^th Earl. Not directly implicated alongside his brother, he was allowed to succeed to the title. He died from wounds received during a street brawl.

7^th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, James Lyon, b.c.1702, a.1728, d.1734-1735

Younger brother of the 5^th and 6^th Earls.

8^th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, Thomas Lyon, b.1704, a.1734-1735, d.1753

Younger brother again of the previous three earls. He moved to England, and the family have been predominantly English since then, although retaining strong links with Scotland with the family seat at Glamis.

9^th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, John Bowes, b.1737, a.1753, d.1776

Son of the 8^th Earl and Jean Nicholsen (b.1713, d.1778). He was born John Lyon, but had his name legally changed to that of his wife.

10^th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, John Lyon-Bowes, b.1769, a.1776, d.1820

Son of the 9^th Earl and Mary Eleanor Bowes (b.1749, d.1800). In 1815 he was created 1^st Baron Bowes in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, this title becoming extinct at his death with no immediate legitimate heir, although he did have a natural son John Bowes (b.1811, d.1885) by his mistress Mary Milner (b.?, d.1860). A day before his death, he married Mary in order to try to legitimise John. However this failed due to the fact that they were living in England under English Law and so Scottish Loaw, which would have allowed the legitimacy, could not be applied. John was raised by his mother, now Dowager Countess, and was educated at Eton and Trinity College Cambridge and went on to become a renowned art collector and racehorse owner.

11^th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, Thomas Bowes-Lyon, b.1773, a.1820, d.1846

Younger brother of the 10^th Earl.

12^th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, Thomas George Lyon-Bowes, b.1822, a.1846, d.1865

Grandson of the 11^th Earl and Mary Elizabeth Louisa Rodney Carpenter (b.1783, d.1811), and son of Thomas George Lyon-Bowes, Lord Glamis (b.1801, d.1834) and Charlotte Grimstead (b.c.1798, d.1881).

13^th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, Claude Bowes-Lyon, b.1824, a.1865, d.1904

Younger brother of the 12^th Earl. In 1887 he was created 1^st Baron Bowes in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. He was a Representative Peer from 1870 to 1892 and Lord-Lieutenant of Angus from 1874 to his death.

14^th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, Claude George Bowes-Lyon, b.1855, a.1904, d.1944

Son of the 13^th Earl and Frances Dora Smith (b.1833, d.1922). Educated at Eton, he served in the 2^nd Life Guards from 1876 to 1882. His youngest daughter, Lady Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (b.1900, d.2002), married Prince Albert, Duke of York, in 1923 at Westminster Abbey, and to mark this, he was invested as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order. In 1928 he was made a Knight of the Thistle. When King Edward VIII abdicated in 1936, Prince Albert succeeded his brother as King George VI, and as the Queen Consort’s father, Strathmore was made a Knight of the Garter and also 1^st Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.

15^th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, Patrick Bowes-Lyon, b.1884, a.1944, d.1949

Son of the 14^th Earl and Nina Cecilie Cavendish-Bentinck (b.1862, d.1938).

16^th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, Timothy Patrick Bowes-Lyon, b.1918, a.1949, d.1972

Son of the 15^th Earl and Lady Dorothy Beatrix Godolphin Osborne (b.1888, d.1946), daughter of Sir George Godolphin Osborne, 10^th Duke of Leeds. He was first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II.

17^th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, Fergus Michael Claude Bowes-Lyon, b.1928, a.1972, d.1987

Grandson of the 14^th Earl and son of Captain Michael Claude Hamilton Bowe-Lyon (b.1893, d.1953) and Elizabeth Margaret Cator (b.1899, d.1959). He was also a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II.

18^th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, Michael Fergus Bowes-Lyon, b.1957, a.1987

Son of the 17^th Earl and Mary Pamela McCorquodale (b.1932). Educated at Eton, the University of Aberdeen and RMA Sandhurst, he reached the rank of Captain in service of the Scots Guards. As well as being 18^th Earl, he is also 26^th Lord Glamis, 16^th Lord Glamis, Tannadyce, Sidlaw & Strathditchie, 6^th Baron Bowes and 16^th Viscount Lyon.

The courtesy title for the heir is Lord Glamis.

(Last updated: 03/07/2009)