Earl of Airlie is a title of the peerage in Scotland created on 2 April 1639 for James Ogilvy, 7th Lord Ogilvy of Airlie, along with the title "Lord Ogilvy of Alith and Lintrathen". The title "Lord Ogilvy of Airlie" was then created on 28 April 1491.
In 1715, James Ogilvy, son of the 3rd Earl, took part in a Jacobite uprising against the Crown and was therefore punished by being attainted; consequently, after his father's death two years later, he was unable to inherit the title. He was, however, pardoned in 1725. After his death, his brother John was recognised as the Earl; John's son David was also attainted, but later pardoned. Then, a cousin also named David Ogilvy claimed the title suggesting that the previous attainders did not affect his succession, but the House of Lords rejected his claim. Parliament later passed an Act completely reversing the attainders; therefore, David Ogilvy was allowed to assume the title. In the list of Earls below, the attainders are therefore disregarded for the purpose of numbering.
The Earl is the Chief of Clan Ogilvy.
The Earl's heir apparent uses the title ‘Lord Ogilvy’.
The family seats are Airlie Castle and Cortachy Castle, near Kirriemuir, Angus, Scotland.
Coat of arms
The heraldic blazon for the coat of arms of the Earldom is Argent, a lion passant guardant gules, armed and langued azure, crowned with an imperial crown and collared with an open one, both proper.;
Family history
The family was probably descended from Gillebride, Earl of Angus, who received lands from William the Lion. Sir Walter Ogilvy (died 1440) of Lintrathen, Lord High Treasurer of Scotland from 1425 to 1431, was the Son of Sir Walter Ogilvy of Wester Powrie and Auchterhouse, a man, says Andrew of Wyntoun, "stout and manfull, bauld and wycht", who was killed in 1392. He built a castle at Airlie in Forfarshire and left two sons. The elder of these, Sir John Ogilvy (D.C 1484), was the father of Sir James Ogilvy (c. 1430–c. 1504), who was made a Lord of Parliament in 1491; and the younger, Sir Walter Ogilvy, was the ancestor of the Earls of Findlater. The Earldom of Findlater, bestowed on James Ogilvy, Lord Ogilvy of Deskford, in 1638, was united in 1711 with the Earldom of Seafield and became dormant after the death of James Ogilvy, the 7th Earl, in October 1811.
Sir James Ogilvy's descendant, James Ogilvy, 5th Lord Ogilvy of Airlie (c. 1541–1606), a son of James Ogilvy, master of Ogilvy, who was killed at the Battle of Pinkie in 1547, took a leading part in Scottish politics during the reigns of Mary — Queen of Scotts, and of James VI. In June 1562, the 5th Lord Ogilvy was badly injured in a duel with John Gordon of Findlater in Edinburgh. John Gordon was imprisoned until Ogilvy recovered.