William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling

William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling, was a Scottish poet, courtier and colonial promoter who served James VI and I and Charles I. He wrote courtly and religious verse and held senior administrative office in Scotland.

Alexander promoted the Scottish colony of Nova Scotia and devised the baronetcy scheme intended to finance settlement. The project brought him titles and influence but also financial difficulty and limited lasting colonial success.