[4] The first earl's father was created Lord Lindsay of Balcarres on 27 June 1633.

A prominent supporter of Charles I, he was further elevated as Earl of Balcarres and Lord Lindsay of Balneil in 1651.

During the rule of Oliver Cromwell, the first earl died in exile in Breda in 1659.

He fled to Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye after the Glorious Revolution when it was discovered he was part of a plot to restore James to the English throne.

In 1843, James Lindsay, 7th Earl of Balcarres, put forward his claim, based on the research of his eldest son Alexander.