William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling

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

William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling

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 and Long Island, New York.

Early life

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.

Nova Scotia

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.

He was appointed Secretary for Scotland in 1626 and held that office for the rest of his life.

Lord Stirling’s efforts at colonisation were less successful, at least in monetary terms. He briefly established a Scottish settlement at Annapolis Royal, led by his son William Alexander (the younger). However the effort cost him most of 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 12 September 1640. However Alexander's settlement provided the basis for British claims to Nova Scotia and the other Maritime Provinces and his baronets provided the Coat of arms of Nova Scotia and Flag of Nova Scotia which are still in use today.^[1]

Long Island

In 1630, King Charles rewarded his service by creating him Viscount of Stirling and in 1633 he became Earl of Stirling.

On April 22, 1636 Charles told that the Plymouth Colony which had laid claim to the Long Island but had not settled it give the island to Alexander. Through his agent James Farret (who personally received Shelter Island and Robins Island) in turn sold most of the eastern island to the New Haven Colony and Connecticut Colony.^[2]

Farret arrived in New Amsterdam in 1637 to present his claim of English sovereignty and was arrested and sent to prison in Holland where he escaped. English attempted to settle at Cow Bay at what today is Port Washington, New York in 1640 but were arrested and released after saying they were mistaken about the title.^[3] Following Alexander's death ub 1640m eastern Long Island was quickly settled by the English while the western portion would wait another 40 years before the Dutch left.

Author

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).^[4]

Honours

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

External links

• Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
• 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