George Stewart, 9th Seigneur d'Aubigny
Encyclopedia
George Stewart 9th Seigneur d'Aubigny (17 July 1618 – 23 October 1642) was a Scottish nobleman and Royalist commander in the English Civil War
. He was the son of Esmé Stewart, 3rd Duke of Lennox
, and his wife Katherine Clifton, 2nd Baroness Clifton
, and the brother of James Stewart, 1st Duke of Richmond and 4th Duke of Lennox
, and of the Royalist commander Lord Bernard Stewart
.
Stewart, his older brother Henry, and younger brother Ludovic were brought up at Aubigny
in France as Roman Catholics under the charge of their paternal grandmother, the old Duchess-Dowager, Katherine de Balsac.
Stewart's father, the Duke of Lennox, died in 1624, and Stewart became a ward of his cousin, King Charles I of England
. He inherited the Lordship of Aubigny
at the age of 14 on the death of his elder brother Henry in 1632. By 1633, he was a student at the Collège de Navarre
, part of the University of Paris
, and he did homage to Louis XIII of France
for the lordship of Aubigny on 5 August 1636, shortly after his eighteenth birthday. Later that year he moved to England.
In 1638 he secretly married Katherine Howard, the daughter of Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk
, and Elizabeth Home, without her father's consent, offending his guardian the king.
The portrait of Stewart by Anthony van Dyck
, now in the National Portrait Gallery, London, may have been painted to mark his marriage; the Latin inscription can be translated "Love is stronger than I am" which may allude to his conflicting loyalties. His younger brothers Lords John and Bernard are shown in a still more famous double Van Dyck portrait in the National Gallery, London
- the iconic image of Cavalier
s. They were also both killed in the Civil War.
George Stewart and Katherine Howard had two children:
He fought with the French against the Spanish in the Battle of Montjuïc (1641)
.
As civil war loomed in England, Stewart joined the forces of King Charles at York where he was knighted on 18 April 1642 along with his brother Bernard. He was mortally wounded in the first pitched battle of the war at Edgehill
on Sunday 23 October 1642, aged 24. He was buried in Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
. The lordship of Aubigny passed to his next brother, Ludovic, on his death.
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. He was the son of Esmé Stewart, 3rd Duke of Lennox
Esmé Stewart, 3rd Duke of Lennox
Esmé Stewart, 3rd Duke of Lennox KG was the son of Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox. He was a patron of the playwright Ben Jonson, who lived in his household for five years.He married Katherine Clifton, 2nd Baroness Clifton, in 1609...
, and his wife Katherine Clifton, 2nd Baroness Clifton
Katherine Clifton, 2nd Baroness Clifton
Katherine Clifton, 2nd Baroness Clifton was an English-born Scottish peeress ....
, and the brother of James Stewart, 1st Duke of Richmond and 4th Duke of Lennox
James Stewart, 1st Duke of Richmond
James Stewart, 1st Duke of Richmond, 4th Duke of Lennox was a Scottish nobleman. He was the eldest son of Esmé Stewart, 3rd Duke of Lennox and his wife Katherine Clifton, 2nd Baroness Clifton....
, and of the Royalist commander Lord Bernard Stewart
Lord Bernard Stewart
Lord Bernard Stewart was a Scottish aristocrat who served as a Royalist commander in the English Civil War. He was the youngest of five sons of Esmé Stewart, 3rd Duke of Lennox and his wife Katherine Clifton, 2nd Baroness Clifton, and the brother of James Stewart, 1st Duke of Richmond.Lord Bernard...
.
Stewart, his older brother Henry, and younger brother Ludovic were brought up at Aubigny
Aubigny
Aubigny may refer to several communes in France:*Aubigny, Allier*Aubigny, Calvados*Aubigny, Deux-Sèvres*Aubigny, Somme*Aubigny, Vendée*Aubigny-au-Bac, Nord*Aubigny-aux-Kaisnes, Aisne*Aubigny-en-Artois, Pas-de-Calais*Aubigny-en-Laonnois, Aisne...
in France as Roman Catholics under the charge of their paternal grandmother, the old Duchess-Dowager, Katherine de Balsac.
Stewart's father, the Duke of Lennox, died in 1624, and Stewart became a ward of his cousin, King Charles I of England
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
. He inherited the Lordship of Aubigny
Duke of Aubigny
The Scottish Dukes of Aubigny had their origins in Aubigny-sur-Nère, France, from the 15th century, which was an important honour throughout the Auld Alliance and Ancien Régime...
at the age of 14 on the death of his elder brother Henry in 1632. By 1633, he was a student at the Collège de Navarre
Collège de Navarre
The College of Navarre was one of the colleges of the historic University of Paris, rivaling the Sorbonne and renowned for its library. It was founded by Queen Joan I of Navarre in 1305, who provided for three departments, the arts with 20 students, philosophy with 30 and theology with 20...
, part of the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
, and he did homage to Louis XIII of France
Louis XIII of France
Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority...
for the lordship of Aubigny on 5 August 1636, shortly after his eighteenth birthday. Later that year he moved to England.
In 1638 he secretly married Katherine Howard, the daughter of Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk
Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk
Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk, KG was an English nobleman and politician.Born at the family estate of Saffron Walden, he was the son of Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk, by his second wife Catherine Knyvet of Charlton, and succeeded his father in 1626.Sir Theophilus Howard was named in...
, and Elizabeth Home, without her father's consent, offending his guardian the king.
The portrait of Stewart by Anthony van Dyck
Anthony van Dyck
Sir Anthony van Dyck was a Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England. He is most famous for his portraits of Charles I of England and his family and court, painted with a relaxed elegance that was to be the dominant influence on English portrait-painting for the next...
, now in the National Portrait Gallery, London, may have been painted to mark his marriage; the Latin inscription can be translated "Love is stronger than I am" which may allude to his conflicting loyalties. His younger brothers Lords John and Bernard are shown in a still more famous double Van Dyck portrait in the National Gallery, London
National Gallery, London
The National Gallery is an art museum on Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The gallery is an exempt charity, and a non-departmental public body of the Department for Culture, Media...
- the iconic image of Cavalier
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
s. They were also both killed in the Civil War.
George Stewart and Katherine Howard had two children:
- Charles StewartCharles Stewart, 3rd Duke of RichmondCharles Stewart, 3rd Duke of Richmond, 6th Duke of Lennox KG was the only son of George Stewart, 9th Seigneur d'Aubigny and Katherine Howard, daughter of Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk...
, later 3rd Duke of Richmond and 6th Duke of Lennox (1638–1672) - Katherine Stewart, later Baroness Clifton of Leighton Bromswold (1640–1702)
He fought with the French against the Spanish in the Battle of Montjuïc (1641)
Battle of Montjuïc (1641)
Battle of Montjuïc took place on 26 January 1641 during the Catalan Revolt. A Spanish force under Pedro Fajardo launched an attack on a Catalan rebel force, made up mainly of Miquelet militias led by Francesc de Tamarit, and their French allies....
.
As civil war loomed in England, Stewart joined the forces of King Charles at York where he was knighted on 18 April 1642 along with his brother Bernard. He was mortally wounded in the first pitched battle of the war at Edgehill
Battle of Edgehill
The Battle of Edgehill was the first pitched battle of the First English Civil War. It was fought near Edge Hill and Kineton in southern Warwickshire on Sunday, 23 October 1642....
on Sunday 23 October 1642, aged 24. He was buried in Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
Christ Church Cathedral is the cathedral of the diocese of Oxford, which consists of the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. It is also, uniquely, the chapel of Christ Church, a college of the University of Oxford.-History:...
. The lordship of Aubigny passed to his next brother, Ludovic, on his death.