 The family estates were forfeited for their support of the royalists but were later restored by Charles II of England in 1660.John Erskine, Earl of Mar was known as "bobbing John" due to his change of political allegiance in accordance with the needs of survival that was not unknown to the Scottish nobility.He had been a supporter of the Union, however when he attended court in London in 1714 he was not offered the post of Secretary of State for Scotland, which he considered to be an insult.