Henry Erskine, 3rd Lord Cardross

Henry Erskine, third Lord Cardross (1650 – 1693), was a Scottish peer and covenanter.

Background Erskine was the eldest son of David Erskine, 2nd Lord Cardross, by his first wife, Anne, who was fifth daughter of Sir Thomas Hope, king's advocate. The title of Lord Cardross was originally conferred on the first Earl of Mar, and, in accordance with the right with which he was invested of conferring it on any of his heirs male, it was granted by him to his second son Henry, along with the barony of Cardross. By his father young Erskine had been educated in the principles of the Covenanters, and at an early period distinguished himself by his opposition to the administration of Lauderdale and the official Church of Scotland. In this he was strongly supported by his wife, Catherine, youngest of the two daughters and coheiresses of Sir William Stewart of Kirkhill.

On account of his wife's determination to have a Presbyterian chaplain to perform worship in her own house, he was fined 4,000l. of which he paid 1,000l. After an attempt to obtain a remission for the rest of the fine he was, on 5 August 1675, committed to the prison of Edinburgh, where he remained for four years. During his absence in Edinburgh, illegal conventicle meetings were being held near Cardross. A party of guards in search of a covenanter named John King entered Cardross' house at midnight, broke into his chests, and after acting with great rudeness towards his wife, placed a guard on it.

Complaints to the King The officials complained that the conventicles had Cardross' encouragement; this was the chief cause why his fine was not relaxed. On 7 Aug. 1677, while still in prison, he was fined 3,000l. for permitting one of his children to be christened by unlicensed ministers. He went to Holland, and in 1688 he accompanied the Prince of Orange to England. His son David was an officer in the same army.