Huntly, George Gordon, 4th earl of
Huntly, George Gordon, 4th earl of,
1514–62, Scottish nobleman. He was made lord high chancellor in 1546. Although a Roman Catholic, he led a revolt against Mary Queen of ScotsMary Queen of Scots(Mary Stuart), 1542–87, only child of James V of Scotland and Mary of Guise. Through her grandmother Margaret Tudor, Mary had the strongest claim to the throne of England after the children of Henry VIII.
..... Click the link for more information. and was killed at the battle of Corrichie. His son, George Gordon, 5th earl of Huntly, d. 1576, was, however, a favorite of Mary and may have been an associate of the earl of Bothwell in the murder (1567) of Lord Darnley. He supported Mary's cause until 1572, when he resigned it as hopeless. His son, George Gordon, 6th earl and 1st marquess of Huntly, 1562–1636, plotted with Spain for the restoration of Catholicism in Scotland and raised a rebellion in 1589. He regained the favor of the young James VI (later James I of England), who commissioned him to murder (1592) the 2d earl of Murray. After another rebellion (1594), however, James blew up his castle at Strathbogie, and Huntly left the country. He was soon pardoned again and made (1599) marquess and lieutenant of the north, but he was in continual trouble with the Presbyterian Church, which doubted the sincerity of his abjuration of Catholicism, and he lost favor after the accession (1625) of Charles I.