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EYTHEN, Lord,
a title in the peerage of Scotland, now extinct, conferred, in 1642, by
Charles the First, on Sir James King of Barracht and Birness, or Burnhouse,
in Aberdeenshire, who had attained the rank of lieutenant-general in the
service of Gustavus Adolphus, king of Sweden. In 1641 he was sent for by
the Scots Estates to answer a charge of disaffection to his native
country, in levying horses and men in Denmark for the service of his
majesty, and on his appearance in parliament on the 2d November of that
year, he solemnly protested that he was neither counsellor nor actor in
the unhappy disputes that had arisen betwixt the king and his subjects,
and although he had been urged by his majesty to undertake the levying of
troops for him, he had altogether refused it on any condition whatever, in
respect it was against his native country and his conscience also; on
which the house acquitted him, and declared him a good and honest patriot
and deserving of the thanks and approbation of his country. [Balfour’s
Annals, vol. iii. p. 130.] He was subsequently appointed by Charles,
lieutenant-general of his army, under the earl of Newcastle, He also
created him a peer of Scotland under the above title, with limitation to
the heirs-male of his body, by patent dated at York, 28th March
1642. In the patent the word is spelled Eythin, but there can be no doubt
that the title was assumed from the river Ythan in Aberdeenshire.
Clarendon says that the earl of Newcastle being unacquainted with the art
of war, the chief command of the army was in effect vested in General
King, who had served with the highest reputation under Gustavus Adolphus.
[History of the Rebellion, vol. ii. p. 293.] On the 26th
July 1644 the Scots parliament passed a decreet of forfeiture against Lord
Ythan, but on the 14th January 1647 they passed another
rescinding his forfeiture. In 1659 he was included with other noblemen and
gentlemen in the act of classes. The date of his death has not been
recorded, and the title appears to have become extinct at his death. |
