Sir John Colquhoun, Knight from King James IV, 11th Chief of Colquhoun, 13th of Luss

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LY2H-TF1
• _UID: 6FCDABC6C0E84CB084C88E05C214547DD7E9
• Military Service: 1514; he conspired with his father-in-law to seize Dumbarton Castle.

John married Margaret Cunningham after 1530 in Luss, Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Margaret and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

John married Elizabeth Stewart, of Lennox after 1530 in Luss, Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Elizabeth and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LZVL-B9C
• _UID: AE7E095AB7444716B796AF891A50D26D1560

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: GDGJ-HV2
• _UID: AA1B5EC6EC7343BB92907E2A5A34A83C826F

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: MX3G-ZHJ
• _UID: DCF0E8E6BF964AB69FDE91A075BE92BC1E5C

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LTGN-XTC
• _UID: FF01CCA742724ECFAAB51C9B8F7A93F6ECAB

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: G55F-H19
• _UID: F46B6DFB24FB47638EFE279B063DA3C48820

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: GLKD-4T2
• _UID: 269284F003A44A05B4AD873ACCF2F5E2D910

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LRFF-5B6
• _UID: 88B424B402914ED99C87FEB4DA69DDEBAE79

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: GSKB-W94
• _UID: DF9A3E3A4E97404CB80CA944B3CA714B4C52

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LR2G-2BX
• _UID: F04F4525106E4D75B0536C349B18E67DA22F

Family/Spouse: Elizabeth Napier. Elizabeth and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Humphrey married Helen Katherine Graham, of Montrose in 1522 in Luss, Argyll and Bute (Dunbarton), Scotland. Helen and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Jean Erskine. Jean and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: GQKK-KN5
• _UID: 65A422F40E9C44679983A0C0191305F11244

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: K8CR-GF6
• _UID: 8DC376AFB85945A8B71B9C64EC1F43E17426

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: 9Q99-J6B
• _UID: FDA43623536F4E8BB783524C0B297E9EBDB5

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: GNH4-D2R
• _UID: B98DF3D99A3A4038A2ED1DAE4F2DDA99A7FF

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LR2G-1LW
• Occupation: served as royal chamberlain and was involved in various diplomatic missions in the 15th century
• _UID: C1FC0853CBA44D9DB9E9D6CC6389E99E2850

John married Lady Agnes Boyd on 3 Nov 1564 in Luss, Argyll and Bute (Dunbarton), Scotland. Agnes was born in 1543; died in 1584. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

John married Lady Christian Erskine on 25 Jan 1535 in Scotland. Christian was born in 1501 in Scotland; died in 1564. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: L2HF-2QT
• _UID: 56FEFF854D124CDBA43742FB42FD5BE7F7B2

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: L2HF-L8P
• _UID: 0F636392CD084CEB8CCE6FA8393155AF5274

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: K8X2-LP9
• _UID: D79F584A495745C3932289BFD21D0241EF64

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: GXJ3-C4W
• _UID: 473A4CED09964A04BED43614E33848DBC1F0

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: GKHP-75X
• _UID: 6ADFE5F38E714770AB6F6EE06A4585D84B75

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LHJ5-11M
• _UID: FFABF66A73FA4A1F928A2D05DEA726472065

Family/Spouse: Margaret Jean Willsone Hamilton. Margaret was born in 1563 in Argyll, Scotland; died in 1625 in Dumbarton, Dunbartonshire, Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: GH54-3B2
• Name: John Ian Roy Colquhoun
• _UID: B3EA70F0B69C4A3AB391F23973006BCFEF29

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LJPS-59Y
• _UID: E7208D26540C46D186E1AF74066943C835D3

Family/Spouse: Mathew Stewart. Mathew was born in 1550 in Scotland; died after 1606. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KNSD-2T4
• _UID: 48E3FB1FE1FA4839A67E605543FDDF851E06

Notes:

(Research):Chief of Clan Colquhoun
15th of Colquhoun & 17th of Luss

From the 1844 original edition of Sir William Fraser's The Chiefs of Colquhoun and their Country:

Alexander Colquhoun was 15th Laird of Colquhoun & 17th of Luss from 1592-1617. It does not appear that Alexander was ever knighted, so he did not have the title of "Sir."

Alexander was the 3rd son. His eldest brother, Humphrey, was murdered at 27 by MacGregors and MacFarlands. His other elder
brother, John, died prior to 1592. His parent and siblings were noted as:

Sir John Colquhoun only had children by his 2nd wife, Agnes Boyd;  3 sons & 2 daughters:
1. Sir Humphrey, who succeeded him.
2. John, 2nd son, who had a reputation for harassing the tenants of neighboring lands.
3. Alexander, who succeeded his brother, Humphrey
4. Jean, who married Sir Mathew Stewart of Minto as his 2nd wife.
5. Margaret, who married Sir James Edmonstone of Duntreath, Knight.

And he had an illegitimate son, Gavin, who was given land by his "brother-germain", Alexander Colquhoun of Luss. In this agreement, Gavin was referred to as the '"natural son" of Sir John Colquhoun of Luss.

Humphrey, the prior laird and Alexander's brother, had not paid taxes to King James VI that were owed by all the lairds of the land and had his lands in Luss taken from him and given to the Lord of the Privy Seal, Walter Commandator of Blantyre. Humphrey had to pay him 5000 merks for the return of the lands.

Alexander acted as official tutor to his nieces, Jean, Margaret, and Annas, the daughters of his deceased brother, Humphrey.

As we have heard, Jean, was raped by the marauders who killed her father, and did not long survive him, perhaps due to the injuries she suffered that day.

The Colquhouns were feuding with the MacFarlanes, the MacGregors, and the Buchanans. In order to settle the Buchanan feud, Alexander Colquhoun married the daughter of Sir George Buchanan of that Ilk, Helen Buchanan. That seems to have finally settled affairs betwixt the 2 clans. The marriage contract was signed on 25 Oct 1596.

The deadly feuds in the Highlands continued, with Alexander Colquhoun among them, and King James finally brought the various heads of clan before him and made them find others who would be responsible for them financially if they broke the peace. This didn't really work and the feuding went on into the 1600's.

In 1600, Alexander's great-uncle, William Chirnside, Pastor of Luss, finally died and Alexander gave the parish church and its' living to Duncan Arrall.

The Colquhouns finally settled with the MacFarlanes in 1603 but the MacGregors were a worse problem for them.

In Dec 1602, there was the deadly MacGregor attack in Glenfinlas.

On 7 Feb 1603, Glenfruin and its' bloody nightmare for the Colquhouns occurred. The MacGregors so horrified the King and the country with their attack on the Colquhouns that the name Gregor and MacGregor were abolished. MacGregors were hunted down and put on trial, others simply put to death. And this went on for more than a decade.

In 1616, Sir Alexander Colquhoun of Luss, was gifted land in Ireland from the King. He was given a portion of 1000 English acres, in the precinct of Portlough, Barony of Raphoe, County of Donegal, Ireland, which became known as the Manor of Corkagh. 

His obligations as to the Irish lands were that 1) he would annually pay the King (after the 1st two years), ?5, 6 shillings, 8 cents; 2) make upon the land within 2 years a strong Court or Bawn; 3) have ready in his house at all times a convenient store of arms, with which to furnish a competent number of men for their defense; 4)  Place, within 2 years, a competent number of English or inland Scots tenants upon his portion; 5) Be present, or place someone to be present, for 5 years upon the property; and 6) Enter a bond of ?200 for due performance of these conditions.

Alexander sent his daughter, Nancy, and her husband, John McAuselan (younger son of the Baron McAuselan), to live on the land and to develop it to the standards of the Crown.

In Alexander's first will, he gave the Irish inheritance of Corkagh Manor to Nancy and John McAuselan, but just before his death (in fact on 16 May 1617), Alexander changed his will to give over the land to his son, Adam, instead.

Alexander Colquhoun died on 23 May 1617.

Alexander Colquhoun and his wife, Helen Buchanan had 6 sons and 5 daughters (listed as males first, then females):
1.  John, who succeeded him and was created a baronet.
2.  Humphrey of Balvie, who inherited the Colquhoun estate at Balvie from his father.
3.  Alexander
4.  Walter, who with his brother, George, moved to Sweden and became cannon makers to King Adolphus Gustavus.
5.  Adam, who inherited the lands in Ireland
6.  George, who went to Sweden. See Walter.
7.  Jean, who married Allan, 5th Lord Cathcart in 1626. She remarried upon his death to Sir Duncan Campbell, Baronet, of Auchinbrecht. Her 3rd husband was Sir William Hamilton, Knight, and 3rd son of James, Earl of Abercorn.
8.  Nancy, who married a McAuley and moved to Ireland.
9.  Katharine, who married Sir John Mure of Auchindraine, Knight.
10. Helen
11. Mary

-----
Edited to Add (Story about Alexander's 2 older brothers, Humphrey and John, and Dunglass Castle):

Dunglass was once the chief stronghold of the Clan Colquhoun. From 1439 onwards it was the seat of Sir John Colquhoun, Lord Chamberlain of Scotland and one of the most distinguished men of his time. The tower-house is said by Tranter to have been the work of Sir Humphrey Colquhoun, 16th of Luss, who, he goes on to tell us "in 1592 was slain at Bannachra (a castle now much more ruined than this, that lies between Helensburgh and Loch Lomond) by MacFarlanes and MacGregors as he went upstairs to bed, a tampered with servant carrying a light which intermittently silhouetted the laird at the stairway's arrow-slit windows - unneighbourly conduct but phenomenal shooting!"

An intriguing story, about which I immediately wanted to know more! Here's the full story:

In July 1592, a party of Macgregors and Macfarlanes came down upon the low country of Dumbartonshire, and committed vast ravages, especially upon the territory of the Colquhouns. At the head of his vassals, and accompanied by several of the gentlemen of the neighbourhood, Sir Humphry Colquhoun attacked the invaders, and after a bloody conflict, which was only put an end to at nightfall, he was overpowered by his assailants, and forced to retreat. To quote from Mr Fraser's Chiefs of the Colquhouns ?

"He betook himself to the castle of Bannachra, a stronghold which had been erected by the Colquhouns at the foot of the north side of the hill of Bennibuie, in the parish of Luss. A party of the Macfarlanes and Macgregors pursued him, and laid siege to his castle. One of the servants who attended the knight was of the same surname as himself. He had been tampered with by the assailants of his master, and treacherously made him their victim. The servant, while conducting his master to his room up a winding stair of the castle, made him by preconcert, a mark for arrows of the clan who pursued him, by throwing the glare of a paper torch upon his person when opposite a loophole. A winged arrow, darted from its string with a steady aim, pierced the unhappy knight to the heart, and he fell dead on the spot. The fatal loophole is still pointed out, but the stair, like its unfortunate lord, has crumbled into dust".

The story goes that the death of the chief was brought about by his second brother, John. At any rate an entry in the diary of Robert Birrell, burgess of Edinburgh, dated 30th November, 1592, mentions that "John Cachoune was beheidit at the Crosse at Edinburghe for murthering of his auen brother the Lairde of Lusse." Further confirmation of the tradition that John was the guilty man is to be found in the fact that Sir Humphrey was succeeded, not by his second but by his third brother, Sir Alexander Colquhoun.
Last Changed: May 31, 2022

K
KariannePrange

Alexander married Lady Margaret Helen Buchanan in 1595. Margaret was born on 1 Feb 1576 in Buchanan, Stirling, Scotland; died on 23 May 1617 in Luss, Argyll and Bute (Dunbarton), Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: GNHH-45Y
• _UID: 39D227B44F434A7C8A262184860A9E29EA48

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: GZK3-W9Q
• _UID: 2CCC24E7C87B43AC8594978B28F9E6F56C7B