John Erskine, Earl of Mar (1675–1732)
Scottish general (1675-1732)
John Erskine, Earl of Mar, KT (1675 – May 1732), was a Scottish politician who was a key figure in the Jacobite movement. He held the title of the 23rd Earl of Mar from the earldom's first creation and was the sixth earl in the title's seventh creation. Erskine has been noted as a politically savvy statesman who was adept at navigating the landscape of early 18th-century British politics.
The eldest son of Charles Erskine, Earl of Mar, Erskine inherited estates mired in financial difficulties. In 1714, following the accession of George I, he found himself without an official position and subsequently championed the Jacobite cause. He raised an army to contest Hanoverian rule, commanding it against a government army at the Battle of Sheriffmuir in November 1715. Despite having a numerical advantage, the battle proved to be a strategic defeat. After suffering another defeat at Fetteresso, Erskine sought refuge in France, where he spent the remainder of his life.
Mar's involvement in the Jacobite uprising led to a writ of attainder against him for treason in 1716, though it was posthumously reversed in 1824. Erskine died in exile in 1732 in Aachen.
“John Erskine, Earl of Mar (1675–1732)” enters the record as scottish general (1675-1732). Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what John, Erskine and Earl can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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