Early life William Alexander was the son of Alexander of
Menstrie and Marion, daughter of an Allan Couttie. He was born at
Menstrie Castle, near
Stirling. The family was old and claimed to be descended from
Somerled,
Lord of the Isles, through
John of Islay. Because his father died in 1580, and William was entrusted to the care of his great-uncle James in Stirling, he was probably educated at Stirling grammar school. There is a tradition that he was at the
University of Glasgow; and, according to his friend the poet
William Drummond of Hawthornden, he was a student at
Leiden University. As a young man, William became tutor to the
Earl of Argyll and accompanied him on his travels in France, Spain and Italy. William married, before 1604, Janet, daughter of Sir William Erskine "The Parson of Campsie", one of the
Balgonie family. He was introduced by Argyll to the court of King James VI in
Edinburgh, taking on the role of a courtier-poet. He was one of the senior aristocrats who moved to London with the king in 1603 when he became King of England. He received the place of
Gentleman Usher to
Prince Charles, son of James I of England (
James VI of Scotland), in 1603, and continued in favour at court after Prince Charles became Charles I of England in 1625. In 1607, his father-in-law received a pension of £200 a year to be shared with William, and half the pension continued after Erskine's death. William built a reputation as a poet and writer of rhymed tragedies, and assisted King James I and VI in preparing the metrical version known as "The Psalms of King David, translated by King James" and published by authority of Charles I. James knighted him in 1609 and appointed him the
Master of Requests for Scotland in 1614, effectively his private secretary. In 1613, he began a correspondence with the poet
William Drummond of Hawthornden, which ripened into a lifelong intimacy after their 1614 meeting at Menstrie Castle, where Alexander was on one of his short annual visits. William Alexander was involved in the
silver mines at Hilderston by 1614. In 1615, he was made a member of the
Scottish Privy Council. Alexander was an active
freemason, belonging to
Mary's Chapel Lodge, Edinburgh, from July 1634.
Nova Scotia . ,
Victoria Park, Halifax,
Nova Scotia (1957) In 1621, King James I granted Stirling a
royal charter appointing him mayor of a vast territory which was enlarged into a lordship and barony of
Nova Scotia (meaning
New Scotland); the area is now known as Nova Scotia,
New Brunswick, and parts of the northern
United States. The creation of
Baronets of Nova Scotia was used to settle the
plantation of the new province, which was later increased (at least on paper) to include much of Canada. Stirling was appointed as
Secretary of State 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, as his recruitment efforts made unrealistic promises about the new territory and were offered on meager terms. He briefly established a Scottish settlement at
Charles Fort, later Port-Royal, Nova Scotia, led by his son
William Alexander (the younger). However, the effort cost him most of his fortune, and when the region—now Canada's three
Maritime Provinces and the state of
Maine—was returned to
France in 1632, it was lost. He was unable to obtain from the treasury, in spite of royal support, £6,000 as compensation for his losses. He spent his later years with limited means. However, Alexander's settlement provided the basis for Scottish claims to Nova Scotia, and his baronets provided the
Coat of arms of Nova Scotia and
Flag of Nova Scotia which are still in use today.
Long Island In 1624, William Alexander wrote in his
Encouragement to Colonies, dedicated to Prince Charles, "these seeds of Scepters have been first from hence sowne in America", laying "the foundation of a Worke". In 1630,
King Charles rewarded his service by creating him Lord Alexander of
Tullibody and
Viscount of Stirling. Three years later, when Charles was crowned in Holyrood in 1633, he became
Earl of Stirling and Viscount Canada, and Earl of Dovan in 1639. On 22 April 1636, Charles told the
Plymouth Colony, which had laid claim to Long Island but had not settled it, to give the island to Alexander. Through his agent James Farret (who personally received
Shelter Island and
Robins Island), Alexander in turn sold most of the eastern island to the
New Haven Colony and
Connecticut Colony. Farret arrived in
New Amsterdam in 1637 to present his claim of English sovereignty but was arrested and sent to prison in Holland where he escaped. English colonists attempted to settle at Cow Bay at what today is
Port Washington, New York in 1640, but after an alert by Native leader
Penhawitz were arrested by the Dutch and released after saying they were mistaken about the title. After 1640, eastern Long Island was quickly settled by the English while the western portion remained under Dutch rule until 1674.
Death and succession Alexander died in London on 12 February 1640. He was succeeded by his grandson William Alexander, 2nd Earl of Stirling (c. 1632 - May 1640), a child who himself died the same year. The 3rd Earl, Henry Alexander (died 1650), was the second son of William Alexander, the 1st Earl. ==Literary works==