John Sutherland, (died 1508) was the 8th Earl of Sutherland and chief of the Clan Sutherland, a Scottish clan of the Scottish Highlands.
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Early life
He was the son of John Sutherland, 7th Earl of Sutherland and Margaret, daughter or sister of Sir William Ballie of Lamington. His elder brother, Alexander, Master of Sutherland, had predeceased their father between 1444 and 1456, and John, therefore, succeeded as the 8th earl.
Earl of Sutherland
John Sutherland, 8th Earl of Sutherland is referred to in 1464 as being represented by a prosecutor when James III of Scotland unusually made the formal revocation of the alienation of Crown property. John, Earl of Sutherland received in 1467, a charter of the lands of "Spanziedale", now called Spinningdale, and also Pulrossie. According to 19th-century historian William Fraser, the 17th-century historian Sir Robert Gordon, 1st Baronet knew of the original writ but did not give the full details and that it was no longer extant. However, as these lands had been granted to Celestine MacDonald (son of Alexander of Islay, Earl of Ross), in 1464, it is probable that they were bestowed by him.
John Sutherland, 8th Earl of Sutherland held the earldom for more than forty years. He granted, in 1471, as superior a precept for John Sutherland of Forse as heir to his father, Richard Sutherland of Forse, in the lands of Backies, Torrish, and Drummoy. In the same year, the earl granted to Nicolas Sutherland, son and heir of Angus Sutherland of Torboll, a charter for the lands of Torboll, Pronsy, and others which had been resigned into the earl's hands at Dornoch. Twenty years later, Nicholas Sutherland of Torboll, and his brother, Donald, were both dead and so the lands went to the third son of Angus, Hugh.
