HAY, GEORGE [SSNE 5056]

Surname: HAY
First name: GEORGE
Title/rank: COLONEL, LORD KINFAUNS, SECOND EARL OF KINNOULL, SIR
Nationality: SCOT
Region: KINFAUNS, PERTH AND KINROSS
Social status: NOBILITY

Text source

Sir George Hay of Kinfauns was the second son of Sir George Hay, Lord Chancellor of Scotland (1622), Viscount Dupplin and Lord Hay of Kinfauns (1627), and First Earl of Kinnoull (1633). He served as a captain under the Earl of Morton [SSNE 92] during the disastrous Ile de Rhé expedition of 1628. By 9 March 1629, command of the regiment feel to Kinfauns, and he received further permission from the Scottish Privy Council to recruit more men for service in the Dutch Republic, and received further permission to pick up soldiers who deserted after the Ile de Rhé. Around this time, Kinfauns wrote to Sir James Hay, Earl of Carlisle [SSNE 1470] why he desired to serve in the Dutch Republic: "my affection to my lord of Mortone entered me to be a souldier, now my love of the trade moves me to continew," (TNA).

On 25 May 1629, Kinfauns arrived in the Republic with 2,040 men, and rumors circulated that another 500 men were en route. On 31 May 1629, an additional company of 118 men under Captain Morgan Arnot [SSNE 8244] arrived and joined Kinfauns' regiment. Kinfauns' regiment arrived at 's-Hertogenbosch on 11 June, and Kinfauns swore allegiance on 18 June. Kinfauns and his regiment, by the end of June, were sent to the eastern borders of the Republic in an attempt to thwart any Spanish or Imperial counterattack that might attempt to relieve the siege at 's-Hertogenbosch. After patrolling the eastern Betuwe for some weeks, Kinfauns' regiment joined the garrison at Arnhem and remained there until at least 18 August. The regiment rejoined the besiegers at 's-Hertogenbosch and helped force the surrender of the city on 17 September. The regiment was disbanded shortly thereafter and Kinfauns returned to Scotland. In his later career, Kinfauns was Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard from 1632-1635. In 1643, he refused to sign the Solemn League and Covenant. He died in 1644.

N.B.

Kinfauns relationship with the Earl of Morton was deeper than just shared military service. Both were members of the Privy Council, and, in 1622, Kinfauns married Lady Anne Douglas, the Earl's daughter, with whom he had six sons and six daughters.

Sources:

Akkerman, Nadine (ed.), The Correspondence of Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia (2 Vols, Oxford 2015), Vol. 1, p. 771.

Besluiten Staten Generaal, 1626-1630, ed. I.J.A. Nijenhuis, P.L.R. De Cauwer, W.M. Gijsbers, et al. (The Hague: Instituut Nederlandse Geschiedenis, 2007), 14 April 1629 (20), 25 May 1629 (23), 31 May 1629 (1), 1 June 1629 (1), 18 June 1629 (1),

de Cauwer, Peter, Tranen van bloed, Het Beleg van ‘s-Hertogenbosch en de oorlog in de Nederlanden, 1629 (Amsterdamn, 2008), p. 109.

Ferguson, J., Papers Illustrating the History of the Scots Brigade in theservice of the United Netherlands, 1572-1697 (Edinburgh, 1899), pp. 396-405.

Paul, Sir James Balfour, The Scots Peerage (8 vols., Edinburgh, 1904-1911), V, p.

Ten Raa, F.J.G, and de Bas, F., Het Staatsche Leger, 1568-1795, IV (Breda, 1915), p. 279.

TNA, SP 16/529 f. 88. Sir George Hay to James, Earl of Carlisle, [Dec.] 1628.

This entry updated by Mr Jack Abernethy.

Service record

THE STUART KINGDOMS, FRANCE, LA ROCHELLE, EARL OF MORTON'S REGIMENT: Arrived 1628-01-01, as CAPTAIN; Departed 1628-12-31, as CAPTAIN; Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
THE DUTCH REPUBLIC, THE SCOTS BRIGADE, HAY'S: Arrived 1629-01-01, as COLONEL; Departed 1630-12-31, as COLONEL; Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
THE STUART KINGDOMS, ENGLAND: Arrived 1632-01-01, as CAPTAIN OF THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD; Departed 1635-12-31; Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY