Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Oliphant, Laurence (d.1566)

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1430552Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 42 — Oliphant, Laurence (d.1566)1895Thomas Finlayson Henderson ‎

OLIPHANT, LAURENCE, third Lord Oliphant (d. 1566), was the son of Colin, master of Oliphant (killed at the battle of Flodden in 1513), by Lady Elizabeth Keith, second daughter of William, third earl Marischal. He succeeded his grandfather John, second lord, in 1516, and was one of the Scottish nobles taken prisoner at the rout of Solway Moss on 25 Nov. 1542 (Diurnal of Occurrents, p. 25), his capturer being Dacre's servant (Hamilton Papers, ed. Bain, i. 325). He reached Newark on 15 Dec., he and other prisoners being then so 'crazed' by the hardships of their march that their subsequent journey to London was a little delayed (ib. p. 335). The annual value of his lands was then estimated at two thousand merks Scots, or five hundred merks sterling, and the value of his goods at four thousand merks Scots (State Papers, Henry VIII, v. 233). He remained in England in the custody of Sir Thomas Lee, knt., but on 1 July 1543 was allowed to be ransomed for eight hundred merks sterling, on condition that, along with other captive Scottish nobles, he should acknowledge Henry VIII as lord-superior, should co-operate in procuring him the government of Scotland, and should exert his influence to get the infant Queen Mary delivered to Henry, to be brought up in England. On obtaining his liberty he, however, made no attempt to fulfil these pledges, and he declined to enter himself a prisoner in England in August for making of his bond and promise for the payment of the ransom. When Lord Huntly began a reformation of religion in his territories, Lord Oliphant, in February 1560, at a meeting at Aberdeen, promised to do as Huntly advised (Cal. State Papers, For. Ser. 1569-1660, entry 710); but it is doubtful if he ever joined against the queen-dowager (ib. 1560-1, entry 172). He died on 26 March 1566. By Margaret, eldest daughter of James Sandilands of Cruvie, he had three sons and four daughters. The sons were: Laurence, fourth lord Oliphant [q. v.]; Peter, ancestor of the Oliphants of Langton; and William. The daughters were: Catherine, married first to Sir Alexander Oliphant of Kellie, and secondly to George Dundas of Dundas; Margaret, married first to William Murray of Abercaimy, and secondly to James Clephane of Carslogie; Jean, to William Moncriefie of Moncriefie; and Lilias, to Robert Lundie of Balgonie.

[Diurnal of Occurrents (Bannatyne Club); Sadleir's State Papers; State Papers, Hen. VIII; Hamilton Papers; Anderson's Oliphants in Scotland, 1879, pp. xxxvii-xl; Douglas's Scottish Peerage, ed. Wood, ii. 333-4.]

T. F. H.