Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Hay, William (d.1576)
HAY, WILLIAM, fifth Lord Yester (d. 1576), supporter of Mary Queen of Scots, was the eldest son of John, fourth lord Yester, by his wife Margaret, eldest daughter of the fourth Earl of Livingstone. His father, who was taken prisoner at the battle of Pinkie in 1547, and was for some time in confinement, died in 1557. The son was served heir in 1559. He had been living in France, and on 20 June of this year received a passport from Elizabeth into Scotland (Cal. State Papers, For. Ser. 1558–9, entry 863). Writing to Sir William Cecil on 20 June, Throckmorton states that he is mistrusted and a great papist (ib. p. 870). Nevertheless he was one of the noblemen who subscribed the ‘Book of Discipline’ in the Tolbooth on 27 Jan. 1560–1 (Knox, Works, ii. 129). He also signed the treaty of Berwick. On 14 Feb. 1561–2 the queen confirmed a charter to him and his wife Margaret Ker of the lands of Belton, with manor, turret, and fortalice, in the county of Haddington (Reg. Mag. Sig. ii. entry 1410). He was present as one of the extraordinary lords of the privy council at the meeting at Edinburgh, 1 Aug. 1565, when the Earl of Moray was charged to appear before the king and queen (Reg. P. C. Scotl. i. 347), and in the ‘roundabout raid’ against Moray was one of those who commanded the van which was nominally led by Darnley (ib. p. 379). From this time he was among the steadiest supporters of the queen. He was one of the first to join her and Bothwell after their flight from Borthwick Castle to Dunbar, and marched with his dependents to her support at Carberry Hill. When it was determined to convey her to Lochleven, Hay and other nobles gathered to attempt her relief, but circumstances proved unfavourable (Keith, Hist. ii. 647). He also signed the band for the deliverance of the queen from Loch Leven, and fought for her at Langside. In March 1570 he subscribed the letter to the queen of England advising her to unite the Scottish factions ‘as one flock under the obedience of one head by entering into conditions with the queen of Scotland’ (printed in Calderwood, ii. 547–50). He abandoned his endeavours when Queen Mary's cause became hopeless. His name appears as a member of the privy council held at Leith on 6 Feb. 1571–2, and from this time he may be reckoned among the ‘king's party.’ He died in August 1576. By his wife Margaret, daughter of John Ker of Ferniehirst, he had two sons, William, sixth lord Hay, and John, seventh lord Hay, from whom the present Marquis of Tweeddale is descended, and four daughters, Margaret, married first to James, seventh lord Borthwick, and secondly to Sir Robert Lauder; Catharine, married to Robert Swinton of Swinton; Jean, to Sir James Hay of Barra; and Elizabeth, to William Ker of Broomland.
[Knox's Works; Calderwood's Hist. of the Church of Scotland; Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, vols. i. ii.; Illustrations of the Reign of Mary (Bannatyne Club); Cal. State Papers, For. Ser., Reign of Elizabeth; Cal. State Papers, Scott. Ser.; Douglas's Scottish Peerage (Wood), ii. 606.]