View source for Earl of Erroll

{{Short description|Title in the Peerage of Scotland}}
{{other uses|Earl of Erroll (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2012}}
{{Infobox nobility title
| name              = Earldom of Erroll 
| image             = Coat of arms of the earl of Erroll, high constable of Scotland.png 
| image_size        =  
| alt               =  
| caption           = [[Coat of arms]] of Hay, Earls of Erroll: <br>''Argent, three escutcheons [[gules]]''
| creation_date     = 1453 
| creation          =  
| monarch           = [[James II of Scotland]] 
| peerage           = [[Peerage of Scotland]] 
| baronetage        =  
| first_holder      = William Hay, 1st Earl of Erroll 
| last_holder       =  
| present_holder    = [[Merlin Hay, 24th Earl of Erroll]] 
| heir_apparent     = Harry Thomas William Hay, Lord Hay 
| heir_presumptive  =  
| remainder_to      = [[heirs general]] [[heirs of the body|of the body]] of the grantee 
| subsidiary_titles = Lord Hay, Lord Slains
| status            =  
| extinction_date   =  
| family_seat       = [[Woodbury House, Bedfordshire|Woodbury House]] 
| former_seat       = [[New Slains Castle]] 
| motto             =  
| footnotes         =  
}}
[[File:Peerage COA Earls of Erroll.jpg|thumb|Coat of arms of Hay, Earls of Erroll, ''[[The Scots Peerage]]'']]
'''Earl of Erroll''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɛr|əl}})<ref>{{cite book|last=Pointon|first=G. E.|year=1983|title=BBC Pronouncing Dictionary of British Names|edition=2nd|publisher=Oxford University Press|page=87|isbn=0-19-282745-6}}</ref> is a title in the [[Peerage of Scotland]]. It was created in 1453 for [[William Hay, 1st Earl of Erroll|Sir William Hay]]. The subsidiary titles held by the Earl of Erroll are ''Lord Hay'' (created 1449) and ''Lord Slains'' (1452), both in the Peerage of Scotland. The Earls of Erroll also hold the hereditary office of [[Lord High Constable of Scotland]]. The office was once associated with great power. The Earls of Erroll hold the hereditary title of [[Clan chief|Chief]] of [[Clan Hay]].

The Earl of Erroll is one of four peers entitled to appoint a private [[pursuivant]], with the title "[[Slains Pursuivant|Slains Pursuivant of Arms]]".<ref name="kk">p60-61, Bruce, Alistair, Keepers of the Kingdom (Cassell, 2002), {{ISBN|0-304-36201-8}}</ref> [[Earl of Erroll (reel)|Earl of Erroll]] is also the name of a [[Scottish highland dance]], danced today at [[Highland games]] around the world.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Earl of Errol's Reel|url=http://www.scottish-country-dancing-dictionary.com/dance-crib/earl-of-errols-reel.html|publisher=Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary|access-date=6 April 2015}}</ref>

The family seat is Woodbury House, near [[Everton, Bedfordshire|Everton]], [[Bedfordshire]].

==History==

The Hay clan descends from [[Scoto-Norman]] knight [[William II de Haya|Guillaume de la Haye]], who first appears on the records circa 1160.<ref name="peerage">{{cite book|author=James Balfour Paul|author-link=James Balfour Paul|title=[[The Scots Peerage]]: Volume 3|date=1906|publisher=D. Douglas|pages=557–558|ref=Balfour Paul}}</ref>

[[Gilbert II de la Hay|Gilbert de la Hay]] (died April 1333), ancestor of the Earls of Erroll, was the older brother of William de la Hay, ancestor of the [[Earl of Kinnoull|Earls of Kinnoull]]. In 1251, William received a charter of two [[carucate]]s of land from his brother, which was confirmed by King [[Alexander III of Scotland|Alexander III]].<ref name="peerage"/>

==Regrant of the earldom of Erroll==
A [[:wikt:regrant|regrant]] was one of the peculiarities in the Scottish law of peerage, that a party might, by a resignation to the Crown, and a charter following upon such resignation, obtain power to nominate the heirs to succeed him in his honours and dignities. Some of the highest of the Scottish peerages are held under such nominations.<ref>[[Notes and Queries]]; p. 13; By Inc Chadwyck-Healey, William White; Published by [[Oxford University Press]], 1852; [https://books.google.com/books?id=F7ERAAAAYAAJ link]</ref>

[[Gilbert Hay, 11th Earl of Erroll]], on 13 November 1666, obtained a regrant of his honours. This regrant had special power to nominate his heirs. This nomination was made in 1674 with Gilbert appointing his cousin Sir John Hay of Keillour and his heir male, failing which, appointing Sir John Hay of Keillour's heir female, and failing which, appointing certain Hays of Tweeddale. The 11th Earl of Erroll having died in 1674 without issue, Sir John Hay of Keillour became 12th Earl of Erroll. On his death in 1704, his son, Charles became the 13th Earl of Erroll. Charles died unmarried in 1717, when the title devolved on his sister, Mary.

[[Mary Hay, 14th Countess of Erroll]] died in 1758 without issue. Mary's sister Margaret had previously died at Rome in 1723, however she had married James Livingston, 5th [[Earl of Linlithgow]], 4th [[Earl of Callendar]], and had issue, and it is from her that the present Earl of Erroll is descended.

This regrant was questioned in the [[House of Lords]] in 1797. The then [[Earl of Lauderdale]] had questioned George, the 16th Earl of Erroll's right to vote at an election of the peers of Scotland. One of the objections made to the title was that the title of Earl of Erroll was claimed through a nomination. It was decided in 1748 in the case of the [[Earl of Stair|earldom of Stair]] that this power of nomination could not be validly exercised after the [[Treaty of Union|Union]]. The House of Lords, after a full inquiry, decided in favour of the 16th Earl of Erroll's right to the title. That the Earl of Erroll holds the honours of his house undoubtedly and without dispute, is clear from the decision of the House of Lords.<ref>[[Notes and Queries]]; p. 13; By Inc Chadwyck-Healey, William White; Published by [[Oxford University Press]], 1852; [https://archive.org/stream/notesqueries06londuoft#page/12/mode/2up link]</ref>
{{tree chart/start|style=font-size:85%;line-height:90%;float:right;}}
{{tree chart | | 1st | | | | 1st='''[[William Hay, 1st Earl of Erroll|1st Earl of Erroll]]'''<BR> ''d. 1462''}}
{{tree chart | | |)|-|-|-|.| | | | | | }}
{{tree chart | | 2nd | | 3rd | | 2nd='''2nd Earl of Erroll'''<BR> ''d. 1490''|3rd='''[[William Hay, 3rd Earl of Erroll|3rd Earl of Erroll]]'''<BR> ''d. 1507''}}
{{tree chart | | |,|-|-|-|(| | | | | | }}
{{tree chart | | 4th | | TH | | 4th='''4th Earl of Erroll'''<BR> ''d. 20 October 1513''|TH=Thomas Hay<BR> ''d. 20 October 1513''}}
{{tree chart | | |!| | | |!| | | | | | }}
{{tree chart | | 5th | | |!| | |5th='''5th Earl of Erroll'''<BR> ''d. 1522''}}
{{tree chart | | |!| | | |!| | | | | | }}
{{tree chart | | 6th | | 7th | | 6th='''[[William Hay, 6th Earl of Erroll|6th Earl of Erroll]]'''<BR> ''d. 1541''|7th='''7th Earl of Erroll'''<BR> ''d. 1573''}}
{{tree chart | | |!| | | |!| | | | | | }}
{{tree chart | |JH|y| 8th | | JH=Jean Hay |8th='''[[Andrew Hay, 8th Earl of Erroll|8th Earl of Erroll]]'''<BR> ''d. 1585''}}
{{tree chart | | |,|-|^|-|.| | | | | | }}
{{tree chart | |  9th | | ME  | | 9th='''[[Francis Hay, 9th Earl of Erroll|9th Earl of Erroll]]'''<BR> ''d. 1631''|ME=George Hay}}
{{tree chart | | |!| | | |!| | | | | | }}
{{tree chart | |  10th | | MB  | | 10th='''10th Earl of Erroll'''<BR> ''d. 1636''|MB=Sir Andrew Hay}}
{{tree chart | | |!| | | |!| | | | | | }}
{{tree chart | |  11th | | 12th  | |  11th='''11th Earl of Erroll'''<BR> ''d. 1674 (no issue)''<BR>''obtained regrant''|12th=Sir John Hay<BR>'''[[John Hay, 12th Earl of Erroll|12th Earl of Erroll]]'''<BR>''d. 1704''}}
{{tree chart | | |,|-|-|-|+|-|-|-|.| | }}
{{tree chart | |  13th | | 14th  | | dau1 | |  13th='''13th Earl of Erroll'''<BR> ''d. 1717 (no issue)''|14th='''[[Mary Hay, 14th Countess of Erroll|14th Countess]]'''<BR>'''of Erroll'''<BR>''d. 1758 (no issue)''|dau1=Margaret Hay<BR>''d. 1723''<BR>''m.'' 5th [[Earl of Linlithgow]]}}
{{tree chart | | | | | | |,|-|-|-|(| | }}
{{tree chart | | | | | | son1 | | dau2 | | son1=Lord Livingston<BR> ''d. 1715 (no issue)''|dau2=Anne Livingston<BR>''d. 1747''<BR>''m.'' [[William Boyd, 4th Earl of Kilmarnock|4th Earl of Kilmarnock]]}}
{{tree chart | | | | | | | | | | |!| | }}
{{tree chart | | | | | | | | | | 15th | | 15th='''[[James Hay, 15th Earl of Erroll|15th Earl of Erroll]]'''<BR> ''d. 1778''}}
{{tree chart | | | | | | |,|-|-|-|(| | }}
{{tree chart | | | | | | 16th | | 17th | | 16th='''[[George Hay, 16th Earl of Erroll|16th Earl of Erroll]]'''<BR> ''d. 1798 (no living issue)''|17th='''[[William Hay, 17th Earl of Erroll|17th Earl of Erroll]]'''<BR> ''d. 1819''}}
{{tree chart | | | | | | | | | | |!| | }}
{{tree chart/end}}

==Earls of Erroll (1453)==
*[[William Hay, 1st Earl of Erroll]] (d. c. 1462)
*[[Nicholas Hay, 2nd Earl of Erroll]] (d. 1470)
*[[William Hay, 3rd Earl of Erroll]] (d. 1507)
*[[William Hay, 4th Earl of Erroll]] (d. 1513)
*[[William Hay, 5th Earl of Erroll]] (d. 1522){{efn-lr|name=counting|There is some confusion among the sources on the counting of the Earls. Some sources appear to conflate the William Hay who died in 1522 with his son, William Hay, who was born in 1521. Also, some sources do not include Countess Mary Hay in the count of Earls. This leaves some sources reporting James Hay as the 13th Earl, a difference in the count which is then passed down to his successors.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Taylor |first1=James |title=The great historic families of Scotland |volume=2 |date=1887 |publisher=J. S. Virtue & co. |location=London |pages=[https://archive.org/details/cu31924024250031/page/n422 373]-377 |url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924024250031 |access-date=5 January 2020}}</ref>}}
*[[William Hay, 6th Earl of Erroll]] (c. 1521–1541){{efn-lr|name=counting}}
*[[George Hay, 7th Earl of Erroll]] (d. 1573)
*[[Andrew Hay, 8th Earl of Erroll]] (d. 1585)
*[[Francis Hay, 9th Earl of Erroll]] (d. 1631)
*[[William Hay, 10th Earl of Erroll]] (d. 1636)
*[[Gilbert Hay, 11th Earl of Erroll]] (d. 1674)
*[[John Hay, 12th Earl of Erroll]] (d. 1704)
*[[Charles Hay, 13th Earl of Erroll]] (d. 1717)
*[[Mary Hay, 14th Countess of Erroll]] (d. 1758){{efn-lr|name=counting}}
*[[James Hay, 15th Earl of Erroll]] (1726–1778)
*[[George Hay, 16th Earl of Erroll]] (1767–1798)
*[[William Hay, 17th Earl of Erroll]] (1772–1819)
*[[William Hay, 18th Earl of Erroll|William George Hay, 18th Earl of Erroll]] (1801–1846)
*[[William Hay, 19th Earl of Erroll|William Harry Hay, 19th Earl of Erroll]] (1823–1891)
*[[Charles Hay, 20th Earl of Erroll|Charles Gore Hay, 20th Earl of Erroll]] (1852–1927)
*[[Victor Hay, 21st Earl of Erroll|Victor Alexander Sereld Hay, 21st Earl of Erroll]] (1876–1928)
*[[Josslyn Hay, 22nd Earl of Erroll|Josslyn Victor Hay, 22nd Earl of Erroll]] (1901–1941)
*[[Diana Hay, 23rd Countess of Erroll|Diana Denyse Hay, 23rd Countess of Erroll]] (1926–1978)
*[[Merlin Hay, 24th Earl of Erroll|Merlin Sereld Victor Gilbert Hay, 24th Earl of Erroll]] (b. 1948)

The [[heir apparent]] is the present holder's son Harry Thomas William Hay, Lord Hay (b. 1984).

==See also==
[[File:Peter Drummond-Murray of Mastrick.jpg|thumb|175px|[[Slains Pursuivant]] [[Peter Drummond-Murray of Mastrick]], the [[private officer of arms]] of the Earl of Erroll, who displays the arms of Hay on his [[tabard]]]]
*[[Clan Hay]]
*[[Baron Kilmarnock]]
*[[Earl of Kinnoull]]

==Footnotes==
{{notelist-lr}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Hansard-contribs | mr-william-hay | William Harry Hay, 19th Earl of Erroll }}

{{Extant British earldoms}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Erroll}}
[[Category:Earldoms in the Peerage of Scotland]]
[[Category:Earls of Erroll| ]]
[[Category:Clan Hay]]
[[Category:1453 establishments in Scotland]]
[[Category:Noble titles created in 1453]]