View source for Robert Sutherland, 6th Earl of Sutherland

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox military person
| name          = Robert Sutherland, 6th Earl of Sutherland
| image         = Arms of de Moravia of Sutherland (ancient).svg
| caption       = Earl of Sutherland Coat of Arms
| birth_date          =Unknown
| death_date          = 1444
| death_place  = [[Dunrobin Castle]], [[Sutherland]], [[Scotland]]
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| nickname      =
| allegiance    = Scotland
| branch        =
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| relations     = [[William de Moravia, 5th Earl of Sutherland]] (father)<br />Margaret Stewart (wife)<br />[[John Sutherland, 7th Earl of Sutherland]] (son)
| laterwork     =
}}
'''Robert Sutherland''',<ref name="Cambridge">{{cite book |editor-last1=Greenway |editor-first1=D.E |editor-last2=Pryde |editor-first2=E.B |editor-last3=Roy |editor-first3=S. Porter |year=1996 |title=Handbook of British Chronology |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zcgxEvGAK_kC&dq=John+of+Sutherland+1344&pg=PA521 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |page=521 |isbn=9780521563505 |access-date=January 16, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Wier |first=Alison |year=1999 |title=Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy |location=[[London]] |page=221}}</ref> (died 1444) was the 6th [[Earl of Sutherland]] and chief of the [[Clan Sutherland]], a [[Scottish clan]] of the [[Scottish Highlands]].
==Early life==
Robert Sutherland, 6th Earl of Sutherland was the son of [[William de Moravia, 5th Earl of Sutherland]] and Joanna, daughter of Sir [[John de Menteith|John Menteith]],<ref name="Fraser">{{cite book |last=Fraser |first=Sir William|author-link=William Fraser (historian) |year=1892 |title=The Sutherland Book |url=https://archive.org/details/sutherlandbook01fras |volume=1 |location=[[Edinburgh]] |publisher=s.n |pages=[https://archive.org/details/sutherlandbook01fras/page/198/mode/2up 48]-56 |access-date=January 23, 2021}}</ref> the surname Sutherland having been fully adopted from the Earldom.<ref name="Cambridge"/> According to 17th century historian [[Sir Robert Gordon, 1st Baronet]], William, 5th Earl of Sutherland had been succeeded by his son, Earl John of Sutherland, who in turn was succeeded by his son Nicolas, Earl of Sutherland, who in turn was succeeded by Robert, Earl of Sutherland.<ref name="Gordon1">{{cite book |last=Gordon |first=Robert |date=1813 |orig-year=Printed from original manuscript 1580 – 1656|title=A Genealogical History of the Earldom of Sutherland |url=https://archive.org/details/genealogicalhist00gord |location=Edinburgh |publisher=Printed by George Ramsay and Co. for [[Archibald Constable]] and Company Edinburgh; and White, Cochrance and Co. London |author-link=Sir Robert Gordon, 1st Baronet|pages=[https://archive.org/details/genealogicalhist00gord/page/58/mode/2up 59]-70 |access-date=January 17, 2021}}</ref> However, according to 19th century historian [[William Fraser (historian)|William Fraser]], upon later investigation it was found that there was no John or Nicolas, Earls of Sutherland in between and that Robert was the son of William, 5th Earl of Sutherland.<ref name="Fraser"/>
==Earl of Sutherland==
[[File:Dunrobin Castle c.1813.jpg|thumb|right|275px|[[Dunrobin Castle]] as it appeared in about 1813, before later improvements. The first authentic record of the castle is dated 1401 during the time of Robert Sutherland, 6th Earl of Sutherland]]
In 1389, Robert is styled Earl of Sutherland when he was a witness to a [[Ecclesiastical court|ecclesiastical decree]] that was pronounced against [[Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan]], who was otherwise known as the ''Wolf of Badenoch'', in regard to his wife [[Euphemia I, Countess of Ross]].<ref name="Fraser"/>
According to [[Jean Froissart]]'s ''[[Froissart's Chronicles|Chronicles]]'', the  Earl of Sutherland attended the meeting of Scottish nobles and their followers at [[Southdean]] in the Forest of [[Jedburgh]] and which resulted in the [[Battle of Otterburn]] in 1388. The Scots intended to take advantage of disputes between the English king and his nobles by making a raid into England on a large scale, partly in retaliation for the English invasion of [[Richard II of England]] that had taken place three years before. The Scots divided their force into two unequal parts: the smaller was under [[James Douglas, 2nd Earl of Douglas]] which marched to [[Newcastle upon Tyne]] and ravaged [[County Durham|Durham]] almost all the way to [[Yorkshire]]. On their return the Battle of Otterburn was fought where Douglas was slain, but the Scots defeated the English. Meanwhile, the larger force of Scots under [[Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany|Robert Stewart, Earl of Fife]] and [[Archibald Douglas, 3rd Earl of Douglas|Archibald Douglas, Lord of Galloway]], had entered England by the [[Scottish Marches|Western Marches]] and marched towards [[Carlisle]]. It was this larger force that the Earl of Sutherland was part of, but their actions have not been recorded.<ref name="Fraser"/>
On 2 November 1389, the Earl of Sutherland was a witness to a decree made against the Earl of Buchan for him to live with and not mistreat his wife who he had left for a woman named Mariota filia Athyn. The decree was pronounced at the Church of the Friars preachers of [[Inverness]]. The next record of Robert, Earl of Sutherland is in 1401 when he granted to his brother Kenneth of Sutherland, and his male heirs, the lands of Drummoy, Torrish and [[Backies]], giving pasture in the Glen to all the inhabitants of Backies. The earl reserved for himself and his heirs the mill of Dunrobin with the running water and fish, except for the fish called "Pellokis" which alone the grantee should be allowed to carry home, with no question from the earl or his heirs. This [[charter]] was dated at [[Dunrobin Castle]] and is the first authentic record of that castle.<ref name="Fraser"/> Sir Robert Gordon stated that Dunrobin Castle was founded by an earlier Robert, Earl of Sutherland in about 1100 and that it was named after him: "Doun-Robin signefeth the mote or hill of Robert".<ref name="Gordon1"/> However, William Fraser stated that this was an "imaginary" Robert, Earl of Sutherland who Gordon had written about.<ref name="Fraser"/>
Henry Sutherland of Torboll, younger son of [[Nicholas Sutherland, 1st of Duffus]], received from Robert, 6th Earl of Sutherland, the £40 lands of [[Torboll]] which Nicholas Sutherland had previously resigned to the earl.<ref name="Peerage">{{cite book |last=Paul |first=James Balfour |author-link=James Balfour Paul |year=1906 |title=The Scots Peerage; Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland; Containing an Historical and Genealogical Account of the Nobility of that Kingdom |url=https://archive.org/details/scotspeeragefoun03paul/page/n7/mode/2up |volume=III |location=Edinburgh |publisher=[[David Douglas (publisher)|David Douglas]] |pages=[https://archive.org/details/scotspeeragefoun03paul/page/190/mode/2up 191]-192 |access-date=August 28, 2021}}</ref>
Robert, 6th Earl of Sutherland held the earldom for seventy years.<ref name="Fraser"/> According to Gordon, during Robert's chiefship, his clan led by [[Murray of Aberscross|Angus Moray of Aberscross]] fought against the [[Clan Mackay]] at the [[Battle of Drumnacoub]].<ref name="Gordon1"/> This battle is also mentioned by the historians [[George Buchanan]] (1506-1582)<ref>{{cite book |last=Buchanan |first=George |author-link=George Buchanan |year=1827 |orig-year=Printed from original latin manuscript of 1579 |title=History of Scotland |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofscotlan02buchuoft/page/n7/mode/2up|volume=2 |location=[[Glasgow]] and Edinburgh |publisher=[[Archibald Fullarton]] and [[Blackie and Son]] |page=[https://archive.org/details/historyofscotlan02buchuoft/page/94/mode/2up 94] |access-date=January 28, 2021 |quote=Republished in 1827 in English by James Aikman}}</ref><ref name="Robert Makay 1829 p.66">{{cite book |last=Mackay |first=Robert |year=1829 |title=History of The House and Clan of The Name Mackay |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofhousecl00mack/page/n5/mode/2up |location=Edinburgh |publisher=Printed for the author by Andrew Jack & Co |page=[https://archive.org/details/historyofhousecl00mack/page/66/mode/2up 66] |access-date=January 28, 2021}}</ref> and the 18th century [[John Pinkerton]] who quoted the 15th century [[chronicler]], [[Walter Bower]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Pinkerton |first=John |author-link=John Pinkerton |year=1797 |title=The History of Scotland |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.41783/page/n3/mode/2up |location=[[The Poultry]], London |publisher=[[Charles Dilly]] |volume=1 |page=[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.41783/page/n141/mode/2up 125] |access-date=January 28, 2021 |quote=Quoting: [[Walter Bower|Bower, Walter]] (1385-1449). ''[[Scotichronicon]]'', p. 491.}}</ref><ref name="Robert Makay 1829 p.66"/> According to Gordon, [[Angus Du Mackay, 7th of Strathnaver]] was at enmity with his cousins Neil Neilson Mackay and Morgan Neilson Mackay. Angus Murray of Aberscross who was a supporter of the Earl of Sutherland, offered his two daughters in marriage to Neil Neilson Mackay and Morgan Neilson Mackay if they were to take the Mackay lands of Strathnaver from Angus Du Mackay. The Earl of Sutherland gave Neil and Morgan the support of all his forces. In the battle, Neil and Morgan were both killed as was their father-in-law Angus Murray. Angus Du Mackay of Strathnaver was also killed but his lands were retained by his sons Neil and John.<ref name="Gordon1"/>
==Family==
Robert, 6th Earl of Sutherland is said to have died in 1442, and Fraser states that he was certainly dead in 1444 when his son John is designated Earl of Sutherland. Robert married Margaret Stewart, daughter of Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan (the ''Wolf of Badenoch'') and had three sons:<ref name="Fraser"/>
#[[John Sutherland, 7th Earl of Sutherland]], heir and successor.
#Alexander Sutherland of [[Dunbeath Castle|Dunbeath]], according to a 1982 study by the [[The Genealogist|Association for Promotion of Scholarship in Genealogy]], the 18th-century discovery by [[David Dalrymple, Lord Hailes|Lord Hailes]] of the 15th century [[Will and testament|testament]] of Alexander Sutherland of Dunbeath, shows that he was the second son of Robert Sutherland, 6th Earl of Sutherland. Alexander Sutherland of Dunbeath left two legitimate daughters: Marjory, who married as the second wife to [[William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness]] and Mariota (or Marion) who married William Calder, son of William Calder the [[Thane of Calder]] or [[Thane of Cawdor]]. Alexander Sutherland of Dunbeath also left five illegitimate sons and three illegitimate daughters: Alexander Sutherland who was the [[Archdeacon of Caithness]], Robert Sutherland, Nicholas Sutherland, Edward Sutherland, John Sutherland, Eleanor Sutherland, Catherine Sutherland and Jonet Sutherland.<ref>{{cite journal |last=MacEwen |first=Andrew B. W |year=1982 |title=The Family Connections of Alexander Sutherland of Dunbeath |url=http://marshall.3utilities.com:8000/DISK%201/genealogy/refs/books/MacEwen,%20Andrew%20B%20W,%20Family%20connections%20of%20Alexander%20Sutherland%20of%20Dunbeath,%201982.pdf |journal=[[The Genealogist]] |location=New York |publisher=[[American Society of Genealogists|Association for Promotion of Scholarship in Genealogy]] |pages=139, and 144–145 |access-date=September 4, 2021}}</ref>
#Robert Sutherland, who according to Gordon led the forces that defeated the forces of [[John of Islay, Earl of Ross]] at the [[Battle of Skibo and Strathfleet]] in 1455, having been sent to do so by his elder brother, John, 7th Earl of Sutherland.<ref>Gordon, Robert (1813). p. 74.</ref> According to Gordon, this Robert Sutherland also led a company of Sutherland men on the side of the Clan Mackay at the [[Battle of Aldy Charrish]] in the 1480s against the [[Clan Ross]].<ref name="Gordon1"/> However, 19th-20th century historian Angus Mackay disputes Sutherland's presence at the battle stating that it would be unlikely that the Earl of Sutherland at the time would have assisted against the Rosses as he was married to a daughter of the Ross chief of Balnagowan, and also that the feudal superiority of the Sutherlands over the Mackays "nowhere existed save in his own fertile imagination".<ref>{{cite book |last=Mackay |first=Angus |year=1906 |title=The Book of Mackay |url=https://archive.org/details/bookofmackay00mack |location=Edinburgh |publisher=N. Macleod |pages=[https://archive.org/details/bookofmackay00mack/page/70 70]-71 |access-date=January 28, 2021}}</ref> Fraser also adds that if Robert Sutherland was present at this battle then he must have been a very old man.<ref name="Fraser"/> James Fraser of Wardlaw wrote the ''Wardlaw Manuscript'' in about 1674 and it states that Robert Sutherland was actually killed at the Battle of Aldy Charrish.<ref name="Wardlaw">{{cite book |last=Fraser |first=James |date=1905 |orig-year=Edited from original manuscript (c.1674) with notes and introduction, by William Mackay |title=Chronicles of the Frasers: the Wardlaw manuscript entitled 'Polichronicon seu policratica temporum, or, The true genealogy of the Frasers', 916–1674 |url=https://archive.org/details/chroniclesoffras00frasrich |location=Inverness |publisher=Printed at the University Press by [[Thomas Constable (printer and publisher)|T. and A. Constable]] for the [[Scottish History Society]] |pages=[https://archive.org/details/chroniclesoffras00frasrich/page/114/mode/2up 114]–115 |access-date=September 16, 2022}}</ref>
#Alexander Sutherland, listed by Fraser as of whom nothing more is known other than he may have been the ancestor of Alexander Sutherland of Dilred (or Dirlot) who was [[Iye Roy Mackay, 10th of Strathnaver#Apprehension of Sutherland of Dirlot|killed in 1499]].<ref name="Fraser"/>
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-reg|sct}}
{{s-bef|before=[[William de Moravia, 5th Earl of Sutherland|William de Moravia]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Earl of Sutherland]]|years=c. 1370 – 1444}}
{{s-aft|after=[[John Sutherland, 7th Earl of Sutherland|John Sutherland]]}}
{{end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sutherland, Robert de Moravia, 6th Earl of}}
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:1444 deaths]]
[[Category:Nobility from Highland (council area)]]
[[Category:Earls of Sutherland|Robert]]
[[Category:De Moravia family|Robert]]
[[Category:14th-century Scottish earls]]