Page:The Complete Peerage Ed 2 Vol 3.djvu/96

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76 CASSILLIS V. 1576. 5. John (Kennedy), Earl of Cassillis, iifc. [S.], s. and h., b. 1575. High Treasurer [S.] 22 Mar. 1598/9, but removed therefrom 1599. He w., Nov. 1597 (cont. dat. 4 Nov.), Jean, widow of John (Maitland), ist Lord Maitland of Thirlistane [S.], only da. and h. of James (Fleming), 4th Lord Fleming [S.], by- Barbara, da. of James (Hamilton), Earl of Arran [S.], Regent of Scotland. The desire " to keep his estate entire " was the cause of his marriage with a woman past child bearing. He was warded in Blackness I Nov. 1604, for assaulting his wife. She d. 23 June 1609, aged 55, and was bur. at Haddington with her ist husband. He d. s.p., Oct. 161 5. VL 1 61 5. 6. John (Kennedy), Earl of Cassillis, i^c. [S.], nephew and h., being s. and h. of Hew Kennedy, some- times styled Master of Cassillis, by Katherine, da. of Uchtred Mac- dowall, of Garthland, which Hugh was next br. and h. presumptive of the last Earl, and d. before 25 Mar. 1607. He, who was served heir to his uncle 25 July 1616, was called "the grave and solemn Earl." He was a zealous Presbyterian and one of the 3 Elders sent to the Divines at Westm., in 1643, to ratify " the solemn league." He was also sent to Charles I in Sep. 1646 to urge him to accept the English propositions; and to Charles II at Breda in Mar. 1649, with other instructions from Pari. Justice Gen. and an Extraordinary Lord of Session 1649 to 1 651, at which date, after the defeat of Worcester, he resigned office. He was, however, appointed one of the 62 members of Cromwell's " House of Lords," but did not sit.(^) Appointed P.C. [S.] 13 Feb. 1 660/1. From June 1661 to July 1662 he was again one of the 4 Extraordinary Lords of Session [S.]. He m., istly, he under age and she under 15 (cont. dat. Edinburgh 21 Dec. 1621, "Whitehall 7 Jan. 1621/2), Jean, 5th da. of Thomas (Hamilton), 1st Earl of Haddington [S.], being 3rd da. by his 2nd wife, Margaret, da. of James Foulis. She, who was b. at Edinburgh, 5 Feb. 1607, d. shortly before 15 Dec. 1642, and was bur. 5 Jan. 1642/3, at Maybole.() (') See a list of these in vol. iv. Appendix G. C") She is supposed to have been the heroine of the ballad of " The Gypsie Laddie " : "The gypsies they cam' to Lord Casillis 'yett. And oh, but they sang bonnie: They sang sae sweet, and sae complete. That doun came our fair Ladie. She cam' tripping down the stairs, With a' her maids before her As soon as they saw her weel-far'd face, They cast their glamourie owre her." According, however, to another tradition, the lover was not a gipsy " laddie " who thus bewitched her, but Sir John Faa, of Dunbar, to whom she had been attached before her marriage with the " solemn Earl." Anyhow, having been recaptured, she d. at or near Maybole. The story is altogether mythical, and is discredited by a letter written shortly after her death by her husband, speaking of her with great respect and tenderness.