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 Marischal] to answer for his conduct towards Francis Sinclair, son of the Earl of Caithness (Reg. P. C. Scotl. viii. 38). He succeeded to the earldom on the death of his father, 2 April 1623. On 1 Oct. of the same year he granted a charter, ratifying his father's erection of Marischal College, Aberdeen, and mortification therefor of the lands of the Black and the White friars, but specially excepting the lands of the chaplanries of Bervie and Cowie (Fasti Mariscallanæ Aberdonensis, i. 190–4). He was present at the funeral of James I at Westminster Abbey, 5 May 1625 (, Annals, ii. 117). When Charles I in 1626 bought three ships for securing the Scottish coasts, the Earl Marischal was made commander of them; but, according to Sir James Balfour, allowed his captains to make good cheer instead of annoying the enemy (ib. ii. 141). When Charles entered Edinburgh after his coronation in 1633 the Earl Marischal received him at the High Tolbooth, and ‘conveyed him to his tribunal through his guard standing within the door and set the king down’ (, Memorials, i. 38). In the following year he fitted out a fleet, which he sent to the assistance of Uladislaus VII, king of Poland. He died at his castle of Dunnottar 28 Oct. 1635, and was buried in the church there on 26 Dec. following. By his wife, Lady Margaret Erskine, daughter of John, earl of Mar, he had four sons, William, seventh earl Marischal [q. v.]; George, eighth earl Marischal; Hon. Sir Robert Keith; and John, first earl of Kintore [q. v.]; and three daughters: Mary, married to John, lord Kinpont; Jane, to Alexander, lord Pitsligo; and Anne.

[Fasti Mariscallanæ Aberdonensis; Balfour's Annals of Scotland; Spalding's Memorialls of the Trubles (Spalding Club); Reg. P. C. Scotl.; Peter Buchan's Ancient and Noble Family of Keith; Douglas's Scottish Peerage (Wood), ii. 194.] 

KEITH, WILLIAM, seventh (1617?–1661), was the eldest son of William, sixth earl Marischal [q. v.], by his wife, Lady Margaret Erskine, daughter of John, earl of Mar. In 1640 his age was about twenty-three (, Memorials, i. 267). He succeeded to the earldom on the death of his father, 28 Oct. 1635. Although he wrote letters to Charles I apparently approving of the king's ecclesiastical policy, it became known in 1638 that his sympathies were with the covenanters. When the covenanting ministers in July of this year were refused permission to preach in the pulpits of the Aberdeen churches, they, with the Earl Marischal's consent, preached after the termination of the usual Sunday services in the Earl Marischal's close. On 22 Sept. he signed, with the other lords of the privy council, the letter expressing satisfaction with the king's concessions (, Annals, ii. 287;, Memorials, i. 107; , Scots Affairs, i. 110), but when these concessions were found to be illusory he took his stand with the covenanting party. Although moderate and pacific, he remained constant to his party. It was chiefly through his influence in Aberdeenshire and the north of Scotland that the influence of Huntly, the mainstay of Charles I in these districts, was neutralised. The power of these two great nobles was pretty equally balanced. When the Marquis of Huntly in the beginning of 1639 decided, at the instance of the government, to take up his residence in Aberdeen to watch the movements of the covenanters, he applied to the Earl Marischal for permission to reside in his house, but was refused (, i. 134). The Earl Marischal, when on 2 Feb. he rode through Aberdeen with his household from Inverugie to take up his residence at Dunnottar, ‘would not salute the marquis’ (ib. p. 135). Though the Earl Marischal stayed at Dunnottar, his men, tenants, and servants of Buchan and Mar took part in the first raid of Turriff in February (ib. p. 136). After Huntly dissolved his forces, the covenanters' committee on their way south rode on 15 Feb. to Dunnottar, and were cordially welcomed by the earl, who now declared himself plainly to be a covenanter (ib. p. 138). From this time he was the recognised head of the covenanting party in the north, the estates being, in regard to almost all their proceedings in Aberdeenshire and surrounding districts, guided chiefly by his advice. On the 27th he began to muster his tenants and servants within his baronies and lands of Kintore and Skene, enrolling their names so strictly that scarce any men were left to hold the plough (ib. p. 141). Montrose, with whom the Earl Marischal was required to co-operate, was approaching. Huntly sent two commissioners to treat with Montrose, and directed them also on the way to confer with the Earl Marischal. Their representations were ineffectual, and on 29 March the covenanting army under Montrose, reinforced by the followers of the Earl Marischal, who himself carried one of the five ensigns or colours, arrived at Aberdeen. Huntly on 13 April was invited to the Earl Marischal's house for a conference with Montrose, and taken prisoner to Edinburgh. The Earl Marischal and others of the covenanting committee then held a meeting at Monymusk, where, learn-