Laurence Oliphant, 4th Lord Oliphant

Laurence Oliphant, 4th Lord Oliphant (1529–1593) was a Scottish nobleman.

Early life He was the eldest son of Laurence Oliphant, 3rd Lord Oliphant and the former Margaret Sandilands. Among his sibling was Peter Oliphant (ancestor of the Oliphants of Langton), Catherine Oliphant (wife of Sir Alexander Oliphant of Kellie, and George Dundas of Dundas), Margaret Oliphant (wife of William Murray of Abercaimy, and James Clephane of Carslogie), Jean Oliphant (wife of William Moncreiffe of Moncreiffe), and Lilias Oliphant (wife of Robert Lundie of Balgonie).

In 1543 he was sent to England as a hostage for his father. After the marriage of Mary Queen of Scots to Darnley, while Master of Oliphant, he sat as an extraordinary member of the privy council in August 1565. In 1565 certain persons accused of serious crimes took over his house of Berrydale, which they garrisoned and held; but on 13 April 1566 they were ordered by the council to give it up to him within 24 hours under pain of being treated as rebels, i.e. being hang, drawn and quartered upon capture. He succeeded his father on 26 March of the same year, and was served heir on 2 May.

Career Oliphant sat on the assize for the trial of James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell for the murder of Darnley, signed the Ainslie Tavern Bond for Bothwell's marriage to the queen, and was one of the nine temporal lords present at the marriage. At the same time as John Hamilton he was admitted a member of the privy council. He joined the association on behalf of Mary at Hamilton on 8 May 1568, and fought for her at the battle of Langside. On this account he was charged to appear before the regent and lords of the privy council, and, failing to do so, was on 2 August 1568 denounced a rebel and put to the horn; but on 5 April 1569 he signed a "band for the king", and on 16 June again appeared as a member of the privy council.

After the death of the Regent Moray in January 1570, Oliphant met the leaders of the queen's party at Linlithgow, where they had a conference with the French ambassador. Henry Killigrew, in a letter to Lord Burghley in 1573, mentioned that Oliphant had joined the anti-Marian party after James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton's succession as regent to James VI; but he had attended a meeting of the privy council at Leith in May 1572, while Regent Mar was still alive. After the retirement of Morton from the regency, Oliphant attended the meeting of the parliament in Stirling Castle on 16 July 1578, presided over by the king. In November 1580 he was charged to answer before the council for an attack on Lord Ruthven, and on 7 December caution money was set that he would on the 9th enter into ward in Doune Castle in Menteith. Subsequently, disputes between him and the Earl of Caithness often came to the privy council. He built the castle of Newtyle or Hatton in 1575.

Personal life By Lady Margaret Hay, second daughter of George Hay, 7th Earl of Erroll. Together, they were the parents of two sons and three daughters, including: John Oliphant of Newlands. Elizabeth Oliphant, who married to William Douglas, 10th Earl of Angus, in 1585. Jean Oliphant, who married Alexander Bruce of Cultmalindie. Margaret Oliphant, who married Sir James Johnstone of Westerhall.

Lord Oliphant died at Caithness on 16 January 1593, and was buried in the church of Wick.