DUNBAR. 201 Earldom [S.] 1. "George Howme, Knt., High Treasurer of Seot- XII. 1605 " was °" 7 Jui y 1604 > "BARON HUME (Home), OF to ' BERWICK " [S.], with rem. to his heirs for ever.( a ) Shortly lpio afterwards he was as "Lord Home of Berwick in England 11 [sic ■ but query] bv patent dat. at Windsor, 3 July 1605, cr. EARL OF DUNBAR IS.], with rem. to his heirs mule.( b ) He was 4th and yst. s. of Alexander Home, or Hume,(°) of Manderston, co. Berwick, by Janet, da. of George Home, or Hume, of Spot ; was a Gent, of the Bed- chamber to King James VI [S.], in 1585, by whom he was Knighted, in 1590 ; Master of the Wardrobe, 1590, and High Treasurer [S.], 5 Sep. 1601. Attending tbe King into England, he was made P.C., in 1603, and in the next year cr. a Peer as above stated. Chancellor of the Exchequer [S.] ; High Commissioner to the general assembly [S.], 1606-10, being employed by the King for the restoration of episcopacy in Scotland j el. KG. 23 April and inst. 18 May 1608. He m. Catharine, da. of Sir Alexander Gordon, of Gight, by Mary, da. of Cardinal David Betoun, Archbishop of St. Andrew's [S.] He d. s.p.m. at Whitehall somewhat suddenly( d ) 29 Jany. 1611/2, since which time his Iwnours have remained dormant.( a ) Ho was bur. at Dunbar. M.I. in 1151 or 1155, together with the Earldom of March [S.] on Alexander Stewart, 2d s. of King James it [S.], soon afterwards cr. Duke ok Albany [S.] ; seo that title 145S-83. He was the only person who held the Earldom of March [S.] between the forfeiture of the Dunbar family (some 20 years previously) and this creation of 15S0 when (as shewn in the text) the Barony of Dunbar was conferred with this Earldom of March. The Duke certainly held the feudal Lordship and Castle of Dunbar, which were part of his estates when forfeited in 14S3. ( a ) See " Creations, 1483-1646," in ap. 47th Rep. D.K. Pub. Records. There is no allusion therein to the remarkable clause in this creation (which, as it was never exercised came to an end at the death of the grantee), enabling the grantee to nominate any kinsman or relation " to have and hold the same dignity to him and his heirs." See vol. ii, p. 14, note "a," for a chronological list of this class of creations. The patent was directed to pass also under the great seal of Scotland, which shews it to be certainly a Scotch (even if it was also an English) dignity. The following note thereto is given in " Hewlett," p. 39. "There appears to havo been much uncertainty after the accession of King James VI [S.] to the throne of England, as to the manuer in which Peerages of Scotland should be created. These letters patent [7 July 1604] and the letters patent creating Lord Kinloss, Lord Bruce of Kinloss, dated in the same year [i.e. the next day, 8 July 1604, on which day, also, Sir Thomas Erskine was cr. Baron Erskine of Dirletoun in Scotland], were directed to pass under the Great Seals of the two Kingdoms, and they are the only instances of grants made in such a form. Subsequently dignities were conferred under commissions addressed to the great Officers of State in Scotland, commanding them to inaugurate or invest the grantees with the honour to be conferred, and subsequently, towards the close of the reign of King James, by ordinary charters or letters patent passed in pursuance of warrants signed by the Sing himself in England or wherever he might be." ( b ) See Wood's " Douglas," vol. ii, p. 675. ( c ) The family of Hume or Home claimed descent in the male lino from the ancient house of Dunbar, Earls'of Dunbar [S.] thro' Patrick, 2d son of Earl Gospatric, the third of that name. ( d ) His death is attributed to poison given him by Secretary Cecil. See a full account thereof in Scott's " Staggering State of Scots Statesmen." This is probably a calumny. He was, however, a cause of much jealousy. Archp. Spottiswoode describes him as "a man of deep wit, few words, and, in his Majesty's service, no less faithful than fortunate." (°) The Barony of Home of Berwick [S.] being to heirs general would appear to be vested in the issue of his two daughters and coheirs. These were (1) Ann wife of Sir James Home, and mother of James, who in Feb. 1633 sue. as 3d Earl of Home [S.] being ancestor of the succeeding Earls (2) Elizabeth m. March 1611/2 (the preparations thereof having been mado by her lately deed, father) Theophilus (Howard;, 2d Earl of Suffolk, whose representative is the Lord Howard de Walden.
