ton's bedchamber the remarkable conference between Morton, Mar, and Killigrew, when the latter made the proposal on behalf of Elizabeth for the delivering up of Mary to her enemies in Scotland with a view to her execution (Cecil to Leicester, 9 Oct.) Killigrew reported that he found the regent ‘more cold’ than Morton, but that he yet seemed ‘glad and desirous to have it come to pass’ (Killigrew to Burghley, 9 Oct.). Immediately after the conference Mar retired to Stirling, and Killigrew followed him there on the 16th. Writing from Stirling on the 19th, Killigrew reports: ‘I perceive the regent's first coldness grew rather for want of skill how to compass so great a matter than for lack of good will to execute the same.’ Shortly after the ambassador's interview the regent was seized with a violent sickness, of which he died on 29 Oct. 1572. His illness was attributed by many to a disagreement with Morton in regard to the surrender of the castle (Melville, Memoirs, 249; Historie of James Sext, 120). Being a ‘man of meik and humayne nature, inclynit to all kynd of quyetness and modestie,’ says the author of the ‘Historie of James Sext,’ he, on account of Morton's refusal to come to terms with those in the castle, ‘decreittit na langer to remayne in Edinburgh, and tharefore depairtit to Sterling, whare for greif of mynd he deit.’ Mar had undoubtedly deeper causes for agitation, if not grief, than was suspected by those outside the secret conference.
Mar, in his difficult position as keeper of the young king, succeeded in winning the respect of both parties. The fact that his abilities were not of the highest order rather fitted him than otherwise for this position. As regent he was, however, merely the tool of Morton; for though actuated always in the discharge of his public duties by a high sense of honour, he had neither the force of character nor the power of initiative to enable him to carry out an independent policy in difficult circumstances. His wife, Annabella Murray, described by Knox as a ‘very Jesabell,’ on her husband's death remained along with Alexander Erskine in charge of the young king. She was, says Sir James Melville, ‘wyse and schairp, and held the king in gret aw’ (Memoirs, 262). King James was so sensible of the services she had rendered him that he placed the young Prince Henry under her charge (Birch, Life of Prince Henry, 11). In 1599 she is described as ‘haveng hir body waist and extenuatit by hir former service’ (Reg. Privy Council Scot. vi. 18), but she survived at least to 1602 (ib. 727). They had one son, John [q. v.], who succeeded to the earldom, and a daughter, Mary, who became Countess of Angus. Mar's will is printed in ‘Notes and Queries,’ 4th ser. viii. 321–4.
[Reg. Privy Council of Scotland; State Papers during the reign of Elizabeth; Reports of Hist. MSS. Commission, ii. iii. and v., passim; Knox's Works; Calderwood's Hist. of the Kirk of Scotland; Keith's Hist. of Scotland; Spotiswood's Hist. of the Church of Scotland; Sir James Melville's Memoirs; Richard Bannatyne's Memorials; Hist. of James Sext; Herries's Hist. of the Reign of Marie; Sadler State Papers; Stevenson's Illustrations of the Reign of Queen Mary; Buchanan's Hist. of Scotland; Douglas's Scottish Peerage (Wood), ii. 211–12; the Earl of Crawford's Earldom of Mar in Sunshine and Shade, 2 vols. 1882; the histories of Tytler, Hill Burton, and Froude.]
ERSKINE, JOHN (1509–1591), of Dun, Scottish reformer, was descended from a branch of the family of Erskine of Erskine, afterwards earls of Mar, the earliest of the Dun branch being Sir Thomas Erskine, who had a charter of that barony from Robert II, dated 8 Nov. 1376. The reformer was the son of Sir John Erskine, fifth laird of Dun, by his wife, Margaret Ruthven, countess dowager of Buchan, and was born in 1509. Four of his near relatives—his grandfather, father, granduncle, and uncle—were slain at Flodden in 1513. The wills and inventories of the grandfather and father (‘Dun Papers’ in Spalding Club Miscellany, iv. 10–16) prove that the family was exceptionally wealthy. His uncle, Sir Thomas Erskine of Brechin, secretary to James V, now became his guardian, and was specially careful to give him a good education. Bowick, in his ‘Life of John Erskine,’ states that he was educated at King's College, Aberdeen. m'Crie, in his ‘Life of Melville,’ wrongly interpreting a passage in James Melville's ‘Diary,’ states that Richard Melville, eldest brother of Andrew Melville, in the capacity of tutor accompanied Erskine to Wittemberg, where they studied under Melanchthon; but this Erskine is only described as ‘James Erskine, apperand of Dun,’ and as a matter of fact Richard Melville was more than twelve years the junior of John Erskine, having been born in 1522. In 1530 or 1531 Erskine, probably accidentally, was the cause of the death of Sir William Froster, a priest, in the bell tower of Montrose (Instrument of Sir William Froster's assythment, 5 Feb. 1530–1, in Spalding Club Miscellany, iv. 27–8). This may have been the reason of his going abroad, where he is supposed to have studied at a university. On his return he brought with him a French gentleman, Petrus de Marsiliers, whom he established at Montrose to teach Greek, ‘nocht heardof
