| He succeeded his father while still under age, but as he had been placed, in 1577, in legal possession of the fee of the earldom he suffered no inconvenience from his minority. He, like his younger brother, began his education at the school of Dornoch, but he did not go forward to the Universities. After his accession he tried to make friends with the Earl of Caithness, who received him with great apparent friendship, but secretly attempted an act of treachery, which roused the young Earl to summon his men to make an attack on Caithness. He was, however, restrained by Huntly, and both Earls were bound over by the Privy Council to keep the peace on a penalty of 20,000 merks each. On 13 December 1597 the young Earl took part in the opening of Parliament, and carried the sword of State before the King, which he claimed as his hereditary right. The question of precedence between him and the Earl of Caithness was raised in this Parliament and caused a fresh feud between the Earls, which lasted during Sutherland's lifetime. In July 1598 he went abroad and travelled for two years, with a view to acquiring such knowledge and experience as would fit him for better service to his King and country. The removal of the Court from Edinburgh to London in 1603 tended to hinder the Earl's aspiration after statesmanship, but he bent his energies to develop his estates and benefit his people. He opened coalpits at Brora, erected saltpans, and otherwise made work available. On 29 April 1601 the Earl obtained a royal charter entailing the Sutherland estates and earldom, failing his own heirs-male, upon Robert, his younger brother-german and the heirs-male of his body, whom failing, upon Alexander Gordon, his next brother; whom all failing, upon Adam Gordon, son of George, first Marquess of Huntly, and his heirs-male. The earldom was also erected into a regality and the Inver of Brora was created a free burgh of barony and regality to be called Inverbrora, with all usual privileges. The Earl's territories were also erected into a sheriffdom to be called the sheriffdom of Sutherland, the Earls to be the hereditary sheriffs and Inverbrora the chief burgh. Much of the Earl's life was taken up with feuds with the Earl of Caithness, which at one time threatened to be serious, but matters were ultimately arranged. He adhered, like his mother, to the older faith of his family, and suffered a considerable amount of persecution in consequence. He was obliged to reside in St. Andrews and Edinburgh and so incur much expense, which he regretted, as it stopped useful work and improvements in his own county. All these things undermined his health, never very robust, and he died, at the early age of thirty-nine, at his house in Dornoch, on 11 September 1615. He left the care of his family and estates to his brother Sir Robert.18 |