William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling

William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling

:"For others with similar names, see: William Alexander (disambiguation)."

William Alexander, Earl of Stirling (c. 1570, Menstrie, Clackmannanshire – 12 September 1640) was a Scotsman who was an early developer of Scottish colonisation of Nova Scotia.

When a young man he was appointed tutor to the Earl of Argyll and accompanied him abroad. At a later date he received the place of gentleman usher to Prince Charles, son of James VI of Scotland, and continued in favour at court after the king became James I of England. He attained reputation as a poet and writer of rhymed tragedies, and assisted the king in preparing the metrical version known as "The Psalms of King David, translated by King James," and published by authority of Charles I. He was knighted in 1614. In 1621 King James I granted him a royal charter appointing him governor of a vast territory in North America which was erected into a lordship and barony of Nova Scotia ("New Scotland"); the area now known as Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and part of the northern United States. The creation of Baronets of Nova Scotia was used to settle the plantation of the new province.

Alexander was an active promoter of his "New Scotland" and brought many British settlers to the maritimes. He was appointed Secretary for Scotland in 1626 and held that office for the rest of his life. In 1630, King Charles rewarded his service by creating him Viscount of Stirling and in 1633 he became Earl of Stirling.

Lord Stirling’s efforts at colonisation were less successful, at least from a monetary standpoint. He spent his fortune, and when the maritimes were returned to France in 1632, it was lost. He spent his later years with limited means, and died in London on September 12, 1640.

Stirling also wrote closet dramas: classical tragedies titled "Croesus, Darius, The Alexandrean," and "Julius Caesar". His plays were published in several editions (1604, 1607, 1616, 1637). [Chambers, E. K. "The Elizabethan Stage." 4 Volumes, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1923; Vol. 3, pp. 208-9.]

Honours

The Canadian Coast Guard has named the CCGS "Sir William Alexander" in his honour.

External links

* [http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=11 Biography at the "Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online"]
* [http://ns1763.ca/hfxrm/alexwill.html Photographs of Halifax monument]
* Nigel Tranter, "Poetic Justice", London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1996. A well-researched & lively retelling of the life of William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling.

References


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  • Stirling, William Alexander, 1st Earl of, Viscount Of Canada, Viscount Of Stirling, Lord Alexander Of Tullibody — ▪ British statesman also called  (1608/09–1630) Sir William Alexander   born c. 1576, , Menstrie, Clackmannan, Scot. died Feb. 12, 1640, London, Eng.       Scottish courtier, statesman, and poet who founded and colonized the region of Nova Scotia …   Universalium

  • Stirling, William Alexander, 1st earl of — born с 1576, Menstrie, Clackmannan, Scot. died Feb. 12, 1640, London, Eng. Scottish poet and colonizer of Canada. He was a member of the court of James I, where he wrote his sonnet sequence Aurora (1604). In 1621 he obtained a grant for territory …   Universalium

  • Earl of Stirling — was a title in the Peerage of Scotland created on 14 June 1633, along with the titles Viscount Canada and Lord Alexander of Tullibody, for William Alexander, 1st Viscount Stirling. He had already been created Viscount of Stirling and Lord… …   Wikipedia

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  • Stirling — /sterr ling/, n. 1. Also called Stirlingshire /sterr ling shear , sheuhr/. a historic county in central Scotland. 2. a city in and the administrative center of the Central region, in central Scotland, on the Forth River. 29,769. * * * I Town and… …   Universalium

  • William — /wil yeuhm/, n. 1. a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter W. 2. a male given name: from Germanic words meaning will and helmet. * * * (as used in expressions) Huddie William Ledbetter Aberhart William George William… …   Universalium

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