The office of Knight Marischal was first created for the Scottish coronation of Charles I in 1633, at Scone. Unlike the separate office of Marischal, the office of Knight Marischal is not heritable, and has continued to be filled up to the death of the 11th Duke of Hamilton in 1863. The office is vacant but has not been abolished.
At the time of the Jacobite rising of 1715, the Knight Marischal was a Keith, and with his kinsman George, the 10th Earl Marischal, was in rebellion. However, as the office is non-heritable, it could not be forfeited, although the holder was stripped of office.
The salary attached to the post was £400 in 1660.Reid, John J., The Scottish Regalia, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries, 9 December (1889) The Public Offices (Scotland) Act 1817 provided that no person thereafter appointed as Knight Marshall should receive a salary.Public Offices (Scotland) Act 1817, section 10.
Knights Marischal
1660–1714: John Keith, 1st Earl of Kintore 1714–1715: William Keith, 2nd Earl of Kintore 1718–1732: Charles Hamilton, Lord Binning 1733–1758: John Keith, 3rd Earl of Kintore 1758: James Erskine, Lord Barjarg 1785: Sir Robert Laurie, Bt 1805: William Hay, 17th Earl of Erroll 1819–1832: Alexander Keith, later Sir Alexander 1832–1846: William George Hay, 18th Earl of Erroll 1846–1863: William Hamilton, 11th Duke of Hamilton
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