View source for Earl of Seafield

{{Short description|Title in the peerage of Scotland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox nobility title
| name              = Earldom of Seafield 
| image             = [[File:Coronet of a British Earl.svg|130px|centre]] [[File:Earl of Seafield arms.svg|150px|centre]]
| image_size        =  
| alt               =  
| caption           = <div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
'''[[Blazon]]'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''''Arms:''' Grandquarterly 1st and 4th counterquarterly Ist and IVth Argent a lion passant guardant Gules crowned with an imperial crown and collared with an open crown Proper (Ogilvie); IInd and IIIrd Argent a cross engrailed Sable (Sinclair of Deskford); 2nd and 3rd Gules three celestial crowns Or (Grant).''
</div>	
</div>
| creation_date     =  1701
| creation          =  
| monarch           = [[William III of England|William III and II]]
| peerage           = [[Peerage of Scotland]] 
| baronetage        =  
| first_holder      = [[James Ogilvy, 4th Earl of Findlater]] 
| last_holder       =  
| present_holder    =  [[Ian Ogilvie-Grant, 13th Earl of Seafield]]
| heir_apparent     =  James Ogilvie-Grant, Viscount Reidhaven
| heir_presumptive  = 
| remainder_to      =  
| subsidiary_titles = Viscount of Reidhaven<br />Viscount of Seafield<br />Lord Ogilvy of Deskford and Cullen<br />Lord Ogilvy of Cullen
| status            =  
| extinction_date   = 
| family_seat       = [[Cullen House]] (Old Cullen)<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.scottish-places.info/features/featurefirst9607.html |title=Cullen House |website=Scottish places info}}</ref>
| former_seat       =
| motto             =  
| footnotes         =  
}}
'''Earl of Seafield''' is a title in the [[Peerage of Scotland]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Archives |first=The National |title=The Discovery Service |url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F15849 |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Parliamentary career for The Earl of Seafield - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament |url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/2098/career |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=members.parliament.uk |language=en}}</ref> It was created in 1701 for [[James Ogilvy, 4th Earl of Findlater|James Ogilvie]], who in 1711 succeeded his father as 4th [[Earl of Findlater]]. The earldoms of Findlater and Seafield continued to be united until 1811, when the earldom of Findlater became dormant, while the earldom of Seafield remains extant.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Archives |first=The National |title=The Discovery Service |url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F15849 |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Historic Earls and Earldoms of Scotland - Chapter VI - Earldom and Earls of Findlater, and Seafield - Section II |url=https://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/earldoms/chapter6s2.htm |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=www.electricscotland.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Parliamentary career for The Earl of Seafield - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament |url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/2098/career |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=members.parliament.uk |language=en}}</ref>

==History==
[[Image:4thEarlOfFindlater.jpg|thumb|left|240px|James Ogilvie, 4th Earl of Findlater and 1st Earl of Seafield, Lord Chief Baron of Scotland]]
The [[James Ogilvy, 4th Earl of Findlater|first Earl of Seafield]]'s branch of the Ogilvie family descended from Sir Walter Ogilvie, whose brother Sir John Ogilvy was the ancestor of the [[Earl of Airlie|Earls of Airlie]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Archives |first=The National |title=The Discovery Service |url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F15849 |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Historic Earls and Earldoms of Scotland - Chapter VI - Earldom and Earls of Findlater, and Seafield - Section II |url=https://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/earldoms/chapter6s2.htm |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=www.electricscotland.com}}</ref>

In 1616, the aforementioned Sir Walter Ogilvie's descendant and namesake, Sir Walter Ogilvie, was created '''Lord Ogilvie of Deskford''' in the Peerage of Scotland. His son, the second Lord, was created '''[[Earl of Findlater]]''' in the Peerage of Scotland in 1638. Three years later, in 1641, Lord Findlater obtained a new patent with remainder to his daughter Elizabeth and her husband Sir Patrick Ogilvie. Upon his death in 1653, the first Earl of Findlater was succeeded by his son-in-law Sir Patrick while Elizabeth was granted the style and title of Countess of Findlater as though she held the title in her own right.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Archives |first=The National |title=The Discovery Service |url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F15849 |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Historic Earls and Earldoms of Scotland - Chapter VI - Earldom and Earls of Findlater, and Seafield - Section II |url=https://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/earldoms/chapter6s2.htm |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=www.electricscotland.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Parliamentary career for The Earl of Seafield - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament |url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/2098/career |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=members.parliament.uk |language=en}}</ref>

In the late 17th century, [[James Ogilvy, 4th Earl of Findlater|James Ogilvie]], eldest son of the third Earl of Findlater, was a prominent statesman and served as [[Secretary of State for Scotland]], as President of the [[Parliament of Scotland|Scottish Parliament]], as [[Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland]], as [[Lord Chancellor of Scotland]], as [[Court of Exchequer (Scotland)|Lord Chief Baron of the Court of the Exchequer in Scotland]] and as a [[List of Scottish representative peers|Scottish representative peer]]. In 1698, thirteen years before he succeeded his father, he was raised to the Peerage of Scotland in his own right as '''Lord Ogilvie of Cullen''' and '''Viscount of Seafield''', with remainder, failing heirs male of the body, to heirs of entail. In 1701, he was further honoured when he was created '''Lord Ogilvie of Deskford and Cullen''', '''Viscount of Reidhaven''' and '''Earl of Seafield''', also in the Peerage of Scotland and with the same remainder. In 1711, he succeeded his father as fourth Earl of Findlater.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Archives |first=The National |title=The Discovery Service |url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F15849 |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Historic Earls and Earldoms of Scotland - Chapter VI - Earldom and Earls of Findlater, and Seafield - Section II |url=https://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/earldoms/chapter6s2.htm |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=www.electricscotland.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Parliamentary career for The Earl of Seafield - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament |url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/2098/career |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=members.parliament.uk |language=en}}</ref>

The earldoms of Findlater and Seafield remained united for the next hundred years. However, on the death of his great-grandson, the [[James Ogilvy, 7th Earl of Findlater|seventh and fourth Earl]] respectively, the lordship of Ogilvie and Deskford and the earldom of Findlater became dormant. The earldom of Seafield and its subsidiary titles were inherited by the late Earl's second cousin Sir Lewis Alexander Grant, 9th Baronet, of Colquhoun (see [[Colquhoun baronets]] for earlier history of the Grant family). He was a grandson of Lady Margaret Ogilvie, daughter of the fifth Earl of Findlater and second Earl of Seafield. On his succession to the earldom, he assumed the additional surname of ''Ogilvie'', styling himself ''Grant-Ogilvie''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Archives |first=The National |title=The Discovery Service |url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F15849 |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Historic Earls and Earldoms of Scotland - Chapter VI - Earldom and Earls of Findlater, and Seafield - Section II |url=https://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/earldoms/chapter6s2.htm |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=www.electricscotland.com}}</ref>
[[File:Duthil Old Parish Church and Churchyard 19.JPG|thumb|Grant mausolea at [[Duthil Old Parish Church and Churchyard]]]]
After the [[Lewis Ogilvie-Grant, 5th Earl of Seafield|fifth Earl of Seafield]]'s death in 1840, his younger brother and successor, the [[Francis Ogilvie-Grant, 6th Earl of Seafield|sixth Earl]], reversed the order of the surnames, styling himself ''Ogilvie-Grant''. In 1858, the latter's son, the seventh Earl, was created '''[[Baron Strathspey]]''', of Strathspey in the Counties of Inverness and Moray, in the [[Peerage of the United Kingdom]]. The barony became extinct on the death of his son, the eighth Earl, in 1884, while the Scottish titles were passed on to the Earl's uncle, the ninth Earl. The barony of Strathspey was revived for him only a few months after he succeeded his nephew.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Archives |first=The National |title=The Discovery Service |url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F15849 |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Historic Earls and Earldoms of Scotland - Chapter VI - Earldom and Earls of Findlater, and Seafield - Section II |url=https://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/earldoms/chapter6s2.htm |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=www.electricscotland.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Parliamentary career for The Earl of Seafield - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament |url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/2098/career |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=members.parliament.uk |language=en}}</ref>

On the death of the eleventh Earl of Seafield in 1915, the baronetcy and barony of Strathspey separated from the earldom. The baronetcy and barony, which only could be passed on to male heirs, were inherited by the late Earl's younger brother, the fourth Baron (see the [[Baron Strathspey]] for later history of these titles). The earldom and the other subsidiary titles, which could be inherited by females, were passed on to the Earl's daughter and only child, the twelfth Countess. {{As of|2017}}, the titles are held by her only son, the thirteenth Earl, who succeeded in 1969.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Archives |first=The National |title=The Discovery Service |url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F15849 |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Historic Earls and Earldoms of Scotland - Chapter VI - Earldom and Earls of Findlater, and Seafield - Section II |url=https://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/earldoms/chapter6s2.htm |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=www.electricscotland.com}}</ref>

The family seat is [[Cullen House]], near [[Cullen, Moray|Cullen]], [[Moray]]. The family also owns estates at [[Strathspey, Scotland|Strathspey]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Who owns Scotland? |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news-2-15012/who-owns-scotland-here-s-the-next-five-in-our-top-20-1-1153750 |website=The Scotsman}}</ref> Many Earls of Seafield are buried at the mausoleum at ''[[Duthil Old Parish Church and Churchyard]]'', which lies just outside the village of [[Duthil]], [[Inverness-shire]], and now serves as a [[Clan Grant]] Centre. The [[James Ogilvie-Grant, 11th Earl of Seafield|11th Earl]] was killed in action in 1915 and is buried at [[Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery]] in Belgium.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Archives |first=The National |title=The Discovery Service |url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F15849 |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Historic Earls and Earldoms of Scotland - Chapter VI - Earldom and Earls of Findlater, and Seafield - Section II |url=https://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/earldoms/chapter6s2.htm |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=www.electricscotland.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Parliamentary career for The Earl of Seafield - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament |url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/2098/career |access-date=2025-07-28 |website=members.parliament.uk |language=en}}</ref>

The Seafield family possess an 84,500-acre estate, making them one of the principal landowners in Scotland.<ref name="ScotsmanTop20">{{cite news |title=Who owns Scotland? Here's the next five in our top 20 |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/who-owns-scotland-heres-next-five-our-top-20-2508263 |access-date=28 July 2021 |work=The Scotsman |date=30 December 2008}}</ref>

==List of title holders==
[[File:Duthil Old Parish Church and Churchyard - Grant Mausoleum nr church - arms.JPG|thumb|Arms of the Earl of Seafield at the [[Duthil Old Parish Church and Churchyard|Grant Mausoleum, Duthil]]]]

===Lords Ogilvie of Deskford (1616)===
*Walter Ogilvie, 1st Lord Ogilvie of Deskford (died 1626)
*[[James Ogilvy, 1st Earl of Findlater|James Ogilvie, 2nd Lord Ogilvie of Deskford]] (died 1653) (created '''Earl of Findlater''' in 1638)

===Earls of Findlater (1638/1641) and Seafield (1701)===
*[[James Ogilvy, 1st Earl of Findlater|James Ogilvie, 1st Earl of Findlater]] (died 1653)
*[[Patrick Ogilvy, 2nd Earl of Findlater|Patrick Ogilvie, 2nd Earl of Findlater]] (died 1658)
*[[James Ogilvy, 3rd Earl of Findlater|James Ogilvie, 3rd Earl of Findlater]] (died 1711)
*[[James Ogilvy, 4th Earl of Findlater|James Ogilvie, 4th Earl of Findlater]] (1663–1730) (created '''Earl of Seafield''' in 1701)
*[[James Ogilvy, 5th Earl of Findlater|James Ogilvie, 5th Earl of Findlater, 2nd Earl of Seafield]] (died 1764)
*[[James Ogilvy, 6th Earl of Findlater|James Ogilvie, 6th Earl of Findlater, 3rd Earl of Seafield]] (died 1770)
*[[James Ogilvy, 7th Earl of Findlater|James Ogilvie, 7th Earl of Findlater, 4th Earl of Seafield]] (1750–1811) (earldom of Findlater dormant)

===Earls of Seafield (1701)===
*[[Lewis Ogilvie-Grant, 5th Earl of Seafield|Lewis Alexander Grant-Ogilvie, 5th Earl of Seafield]] (1767–1840)
*[[Francis Ogilvie-Grant, 6th Earl of Seafield|Francis William Ogilvie-Grant, 6th Earl of Seafield]] (1778–1853)
*[[John Ogilvie-Grant, 7th Earl of Seafield|John Charles Ogilvie-Grant, 7th Earl of Seafield]] (1815–1881)
*[[Ian Ogilvie-Grant, 8th Earl of Seafield|Ian Charles Ogilvie-Grant, 8th Earl of Seafield]] (1851–1884)
*[[James Ogilvie-Grant, 9th Earl of Seafield]] (1817–1888)
*[[Francis Ogilvie-Grant, 10th Earl of Seafield|Francis William Ogilvie-Grant, 10th Earl of Seafield]] (1847–1888)
*[[James Ogilvie-Grant, 11th Earl of Seafield]] (1876–1915)
*[[Nina Ogilvie-Grant, 12th Countess of Seafield|Nina Caroline Ogilvie-Grant, 12th Countess of Seafield]] (1906–1969)
*[[Ian Ogilvie-Grant, 13th Earl of Seafield|Ian Derek Francis Ogilvie-Grant, 13th Earl of Seafield]] (born 1939)<ref name="Lady Pauline obit">{{cite news |title=Lady Pauline Ogilvie-Grant Nicholson; Aristocrat |url= http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/obituaries/lady-pauline-ogilvie-grant-nicholson-aristocrat-1.1004143 |access-date=15 October 2014 |work=[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]] |date=5 February 2010}}</ref>

The [[heir apparent]] is the present holder's son James Andrew Ogilvie-Grant, Viscount Reidhaven (born 1963).<ref>[http://artsweb.bham.ac.uk/bmms/1994/09September94.html BMMS September 1994<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

==See also==
*[[Baron Strathspey]]
*[[Clan Ogilvie]]

== Notes ==
{{more citations needed|date=February 2013}}
{{Reflist|2}}

== References ==
*Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990, {{Page needed |date=February 2013}}
*{{Rayment|date=February 2012}}

==External links==
*{{Hansard-contribs | mr-ian-ogilvie-grant | Ian Derek Francis Ogilvie-Grant, 13th Earl of Seafield }}

{{Extant British earldoms}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seafield}}
[[Category:Earldoms in the Peerage of Scotland]]
[[Category:Peerages created for eldest sons of peers]]
[[Category:Noble titles created in 1701]]
[[Category:Peerages created with special remainders]]