Biography of William Ruthven 1st Earl Gowrie 1541-1584
Paternal Family Tree: Ruthven
Around 1543 William Ruthven 1st Earl Gowrie was born to Patrick Ruthven 3rd Lord Ruthven and Janet Douglas.
Before 1551 [his father] Patrick Ruthven 3rd Lord Ruthven and [his mother] Janet Douglas were married. She the illegitmate daughter of Archibald Douglas 6th Earl Angus (age 61).
After 1551 [his father] Patrick Ruthven 3rd Lord Ruthven and Janet Stewart were married. His second marriage, her fourth. She the daughter of John Stewart 2nd Earl Atholl and Janet Campbell Countess Atholl. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.
In 1552 Henry Stewart 1st Lord Methven (age 57) died. His son [his future brother-in-law] Henry Stewart 2nd Lord Methven (age 23) succeeded 2nd Lord Methven.
On 17 Aug 1561 William Ruthven 1st Earl Gowrie (age 18) and Dorothea Stewart Countess Gowrie were married. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.
On 13 May 1566 [his father] Patrick Ruthven 3rd Lord Ruthven died.
Before 03 Mar 1572 [his brother-in-law] Henry Stewart 2nd Lord Methven (age 44) and [his half-sister] Jean Ruthven Lady Methven were married. She by marriage Lord Methven. He a great x 5 grandson of King Edward III of England.
On 03 Mar 1572 [his brother-in-law] Henry Stewart 2nd Lord Methven (age 44) was shot and killed by a cannon at Edinburgh Castle [Map]. His son Henry Stewart 3rd Lord Methven succeeded 3rd Lord Methven.
In 1576 [his son] James Ruthven 2nd Earl Gowrie was born to William Ruthven 1st Earl Gowrie (age 33) and [his wife] Dorothea Stewart Countess Gowrie.
In 1577 [his son] John Ruthven 3rd Earl Gowrie was born to William Ruthven 1st Earl Gowrie (age 34) and [his wife] Dorothea Stewart Countess Gowrie.
Before 14 Nov 1578 [his son-in-law] John Stewart 5th Earl Atholl (age 15) and [his daughter] Mary Ruthven Countess Atholl were married. She the daughter of William Ruthven 1st Earl Gowrie (age 35) and Dorothea Stewart Countess Gowrie. He the son of John Stewart 4th Earl Atholl and Margaret Fleming Countess Atholl (age 49). They were second cousins.
On 12 Jan 1580 [his son] Alexander Ruthven was born to William Ruthven 1st Earl Gowrie (age 37) and [his wife] Dorothea Stewart Countess Gowrie.
On 23 Aug 1581 William Ruthven 1st Earl Gowrie (age 38) was created 1st Earl Gowrie. [his wife] Dorothea Stewart Countess Gowrie by marriage Countess Gowrie.
22 Aug 1582. The Raid of Ruthven was a plot by several nobles led by William Ruthven 1st Earl Gowrie (age 39) to kidnap the fifteen years old King James VI of Scotland (age 16), son of Mary Queen of Scots (age 39), (before he became King of England) to reform the government of Scotland.
The nobles included John Erskine 19th Earl Mar (age 20), Thomas Lyon Master of Glamis, Robert Boyd 5th Lord Boyd (age 65), Patrick Lindsay 6th Lord Lindsay of the Byres (age 61), and David Erskine Commendator of Dryburgh.
They were opposed by Esme Stewart 1st Duke Lennox (age 40) and James Stewart 1st Earl Arran who controlled the government.
King James VI of Scotland (age 16) was captured whilst hunting near Ruthven Castle.
The rebels were joined by Francis Stewart 5th Earl Bothwell (age 19) and James Cunningham 7th Earl Glencairn (age 30).
Esme Stewart 1st Duke Lennox (age 40) was exiled; he died a year later in Paris. James Stewart 1st Earl Arran was imprisoned.
In Jul 1583 the King (age 17) gained his freedom after nearly a year of being imprisoned. Most of the rebels appear to have been pardoned except William Ruthven 1st Earl Gowrie (age 40) who continued to plot against the King.
Robert Douglas Master of Morton and his brother-in-law Laurence Oliphant Master of Oliphant were exiled.
On 03 May 1584 William Ruthven 1st Earl Gowrie (age 41) was beheaded at Stirling Castle [Map] for continuing to rebel against the King. His son [his son] James Ruthven 2nd Earl Gowrie (age 8) succeeded 2nd Earl Gowrie
On 05 Aug 1600. The Gowrie Conspiracy was an attempt by [his son] John Ruthven 3rd Earl Gowrie (age 23) and his brother [his son] Alexander Ruthven (age 20) to kill King James I (age 34). He, King James, had had their father William Ruthven 1st Earl Gowrie executed for his part in the Raid of Ruthven eighteen years earlier.
The attempt was botched. John Ruthven 3rd Earl Gowrie (age 23) and Alexander Ruthven (age 20) were killed, the former by John Ramsay 1st Earl Holderness (age 20).
[his son] William Ruthven fled to France.
[his son] Patrick Ruthven was imprisoned for nineteen years at the Tower of London [Map].
[his daughter] Margaret Ruthven Countess Montrose was born to William Ruthven 1st Earl Gowrie and Dorothea Stewart Countess Gowrie.
[his daughter] Mary Ruthven Countess Atholl was born to William Ruthven 1st Earl Gowrie and Dorothea Stewart Countess Gowrie.
[his daughter] Sophia Ruthven Duchess Lennox was born to William Ruthven 1st Earl Gowrie and Dorothea Stewart Countess Gowrie.
[his son] William Ruthven was born to William Ruthven 1st Earl Gowrie and Dorothea Stewart Countess Gowrie.
[his son] Patrick Ruthven was born to William Ruthven 1st Earl Gowrie and Dorothea Stewart Countess Gowrie.
Kings Wessex: Great x 17 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 13 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 19 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 14 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings England: Great x 12 Grand Son of King John "Lackland" of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 9 Grand Son of Robert "The Bruce" I King Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 24 Grand Son of Louis "Pious" King Aquitaine I King Franks
Kings France: Great x 17 Grand Son of Robert "Pious" II King France
Great x 2 Grandfather: William Ruthven 1st Lord Ruthven
Great x 1 Grandfather: William Ruthven
Great x 2 Grandmother: Isabel Livingstone
GrandFather: William Ruthven 2nd Lord Ruthven
Father: Patrick Ruthven 3rd Lord Ruthven
Great x 1 Grandfather: Patrick Halyburton 4th Lord Dirletoun
GrandMother: Janet Halyburton Lady Dirletoun
William Ruthven 1st Earl Gowrie 12 x Great Grand Son of King John "Lackland" of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: William Douglas 2nd Earl Angus 6 x Great Grand Son of King John "Lackland" of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: George Douglas 4th Earl Angus 7 x Great Grand Son of King John "Lackland" of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Hay Countess Angus
Great x 2 Grandfather: Archibald "Bell the Cat" Douglas 5th Earl Angus 8 x Great Grand Son of King John "Lackland" of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Isabella Sibbald Countess Angus
Great x 1 Grandfather: George Douglas 9 x Great Grand Son of King John "Lackland" of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Boyd 5th of Kilmarnock
Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert Boyd 1st Lord Boyd
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Boyd Countess Angus
GrandFather: Archibald Douglas 6th Earl Angus 10 x Great Grand Son of King John "Lackland" of England
Great x 2 Grandfather: John Drummond 1st Lord Drummond
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Drummond m Douglas
Mother: Janet Douglas 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King John "Lackland" of England