George Elphinstone ¹⁴⁴

  General Notes:

His father had died under forfeiture so Elphinstone did not succeed to
the title in 1612, but he was restored to the peerage on 4 August 1613
as the second Lord Balmerino. In December 1634 he was accused of
'penning and setting down of a scandalous libel, and divulging and
dispersing it amongst his Majesty's lieges; at the least of concealing
and not revealing of Mr William Haig' (Hargrave, 1.593). The jury
was split down the middle, and only the casting vote of its foreman,
the treasurer Sir John Stewart, now earl of Traquair, ensured a guilty
verdict. Balmerino was sentenced to death, and accepted his sentence
'with a smyle and with a low curtsie' (Row, 378). The sentence was
suspended until the King's will was declared, and Balmerino was
returned to Edinburgh Castle. Well aware of public opinion, Traquair
advised the King not to carry out the death sentence. In July 1635,
after thirteen months incarceration, Balmerino was freed from
Edinburgh Castle, and allowed to return to his estates in Fife on
condition that he remained within 6 miles of his house at Balmerino.
In November, he was finally granted his full liberty.
On the evening of 27 February 1649 Balmerino dined with Argyll in
Edinburgh and retired to bed in good spirits, but awoke feeling sick
about three in the morning of 28 February, and died suddenly of an
apoplexy.