James Stewart, the Black Knight of Lorn
Encyclopedia
James Stewart, the Black Knight of Lorn was born about 1383, Innermeath, Scotland
. He died after 1451.
, through his second son Sir John Stewart of Bonkill
, who was killed at the Battle of Falkirk
fighting alongside Sir William Wallace
. His father Sir John Stewart (d. 26 Apr 1421) was ambassador to England and was married to Isabel MacDougall (d. 21 Dec 1439) heiress to the House of Ergadia, the senior line descending from Somerled
. His mother was also a descendant of Robert I of Scotland
through his second marriage to Elizabeth de Burgh
.
in 1437, power was held by Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas
as regent
for the underage James II of Scotland
. The Stewarts of Lorne were amongst his most trusted supporters, and their power greatly increased while the Douglas family
controlled Scotland and the king was a mere 7 years of age. However the unexpected death of the 5th Earl of Douglas from a fever in 1439 saw power now being uneasily shared between William, 1st Lord Crichton
, Chancellor of Scotland and Sir Alexander Livingston, Governor of Stirling Castle
.
Stewart and his Douglas allies now plotted to overthrow the new government. They planned to kidnap the young James II who was being held by Livingstone in his stronghold of Stirling Castle. Their intentions if their plan succeeded is not known, but it was during this time that Stewart married the dowager queen, Joan Beaufort, and became stepfather to James II
. Whether or not he intended to merely become regent or he intended to usurp the crown through his own legitimate descent from Robert the Bruce is one of the more interesting questions of this period in Scottish history. However, Livingstone arrested Lady Joan on 3 Aug 1439, imprisoning her in Stirling Castle, while throwing Sir James and his brother Sir William into its dungeon. They were later released on good behaviour. He was given safe conduct to England in 1445, 1447, and 1451. He was supposedly captured at sea by Flemish
pirates and put to death after 1451.
. They had a papal dispensation
for both consanguinity
and affinity
. She was a daughter of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset
(son of Katherine De Roet/Swynford and John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, the son of Edward III of England
) by his wife Lady Margaret Holland, daughter of Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent
and Joan 'The Fair Maid' of Kent.
James Stewart and Joan Beaufort had 3 children:
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. He died after 1451.
Early life
He was a direct male line descendant of Alexander Stewart, 4th High Steward of ScotlandAlexander Stewart, 4th High Steward of Scotland
Alexander Stewart was 4th hereditary High Steward of Scotland from his father's death in 1246.A son of Walter Stewart, 3rd High Steward of Scotland by his wife Bethóc, daughter of Gille Críst, Earl of Angus, Alexander is said to have accompanied Louis IX of France on the Seventh Crusade...
, through his second son Sir John Stewart of Bonkill
John Stewart of Bonkyll (d.1298)
John Stewart of Bonkyll was a son of Alexander Stewart the High Steward of Scotland and Jean, daughter of Séamus Macrory, Lord of Bute. He was a military commander during the First Scottish War of Independence and during the Battle of Falkirk, he commanded the Scottish archers, and was killed on 22...
, who was killed at the Battle of Falkirk
Battle of Falkirk
The Battle of Falkirk, which took place on 22 July 1298, was one of the major battles in the First War of Scottish Independence...
fighting alongside Sir William Wallace
William Wallace
Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight and landowner who became one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence....
. His father Sir John Stewart (d. 26 Apr 1421) was ambassador to England and was married to Isabel MacDougall (d. 21 Dec 1439) heiress to the House of Ergadia, the senior line descending from Somerled
Somerled
Somerled was a military and political leader of the Scottish Isles in the 12th century who was known in Gaelic as rí Innse Gall . His father was Gillebride...
. His mother was also a descendant of Robert I of Scotland
Robert I of Scotland
Robert I , popularly known as Robert the Bruce , was King of Scots from March 25, 1306, until his death in 1329.His paternal ancestors were of Scoto-Norman heritage , and...
through his second marriage to Elizabeth de Burgh
Elizabeth de Burgh
Elizabeth de Burgh was the second wife and the only queen consort of King Robert I of Scotland.-Life:She was born in Dunfermline, Fife in Scotland, the daughter of the powerful Richard Óg de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster and his wife Margarite de Burgh...
.
Political career
James was a younger brother of Robert Stewart, 1st Lord Lorne (1382-1449), whose descendants bore this title. He was an ally of the Black Douglases, Earls of Douglas. After the murder of James I of ScotlandJames I of Scotland
James I, King of Scots , was the son of Robert III and Annabella Drummond. He was probably born in late July 1394 in Dunfermline as youngest of three sons...
in 1437, power was held by Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas
Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas
Archibald Douglas was a Scottish nobleman and General, son of Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas and Margaret Stewart, eldest daughter of Robert III...
as regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
for the underage James II of Scotland
James II of Scotland
James II reigned as King of Scots from 1437 to his death.He was the son of James I, King of Scots, and Joan Beaufort...
. The Stewarts of Lorne were amongst his most trusted supporters, and their power greatly increased while the Douglas family
Clan Douglas
Clan Douglas is an ancient Scottish kindred from the Scottish Lowlands taking its name from Douglas, South Lanarkshire, and thence spreading through the Scottish Borderland, Angus, Lothian and beyond. The clan does not currently have a chief, therefore it is considered an armigerous clan.The...
controlled Scotland and the king was a mere 7 years of age. However the unexpected death of the 5th Earl of Douglas from a fever in 1439 saw power now being uneasily shared between William, 1st Lord Crichton
William Crichton, 1st Lord Crichton
William Crichton, 1st Lord Crichton of Sanquhar was an important political figure in Scotland.He held various positions within the court of James I. At the death of James I, William Crichton was Sheriff of Edinburgh, Keeper of Edinburgh Castle, and Master of the King’s household...
, Chancellor of Scotland and Sir Alexander Livingston, Governor of Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep...
.
Stewart and his Douglas allies now plotted to overthrow the new government. They planned to kidnap the young James II who was being held by Livingstone in his stronghold of Stirling Castle. Their intentions if their plan succeeded is not known, but it was during this time that Stewart married the dowager queen, Joan Beaufort, and became stepfather to James II
James II of Scotland
James II reigned as King of Scots from 1437 to his death.He was the son of James I, King of Scots, and Joan Beaufort...
. Whether or not he intended to merely become regent or he intended to usurp the crown through his own legitimate descent from Robert the Bruce is one of the more interesting questions of this period in Scottish history. However, Livingstone arrested Lady Joan on 3 Aug 1439, imprisoning her in Stirling Castle, while throwing Sir James and his brother Sir William into its dungeon. They were later released on good behaviour. He was given safe conduct to England in 1445, 1447, and 1451. He was supposedly captured at sea by Flemish
County of Flanders
The County of Flanders was one of the territories constituting the Low Countries. The county existed from 862 to 1795. It was one of the original secular fiefs of France and for centuries was one of the most affluent regions in Europe....
pirates and put to death after 1451.
Family
He married, before 21 Sep 1439, Joan Beaufort, Dowager Queen of Scotland and widow of James I of ScotlandJames I of Scotland
James I, King of Scots , was the son of Robert III and Annabella Drummond. He was probably born in late July 1394 in Dunfermline as youngest of three sons...
. They had a papal dispensation
Papal dispensation
Papal dispensation is a reserved right of the Pope that allows for individuals to be exempted from a specific Canon Law. Dispensations are divided into two categories: general, and matrimonial. Matrimonial dispensations can be either to allow a marriage in the first place, or to dissolve one...
for both consanguinity
Consanguinity
Consanguinity refers to the property of being from the same kinship as another person. In that respect, consanguinity is the quality of being descended from the same ancestor as another person...
and affinity
Affinity (law)
In law and in cultural anthropology, affinity, as distinguished from consanguinity, is kinship by marriage. It is the relation which each party to a marriage bears to the kindred of the other. In English, affinity is usually signified by adding "-in-law" to the degree of kinship...
. She was a daughter of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset
John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset
John Beaufort, 1st Marquess of Somerset and 1st Marquess of Dorset, later only 1st Earl of Somerset, KG was the first of the four illegitimate children of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, and his mistress Katherine Swynford, later his wife...
(son of Katherine De Roet/Swynford and John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, the son of Edward III of England
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
) by his wife Lady Margaret Holland, daughter of Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent
Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent
Thomas Holland , 2nd Earl of Kent, 3rd Baron Holand KG was an English nobleman and a councillor of his half-brother, King Richard II of England.-Family and early Life:...
and Joan 'The Fair Maid' of Kent.
James Stewart and Joan Beaufort had 3 children:
- John Stewart, 1st Earl of AthollJohn Stewart, 1st Earl of AthollJohn Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl , also known as Sir John Stewart of Balveny, was a Scottish nobleman and ambassador to England .-Life:...
- James Stewart, Earl of Buchan, d. 1499. Married 27 Mar 1459, to Margaret OgilvyClan Ogilvy-Origins of the clan:The Ogilvys are one of the most distinguished families in Scotland and take their name from Gillebride the second son of Gille Chriosd, Celtic Earl of Angus...
, daughter of Alexander Ogilvy of Auchterhouse. He is also associated with Margaret MurrayClan MurrayClan Murray is a Highland Scottish clan. The Murrays were a great and powerful clan whose lands and cadet houses were scattered throughout Scotland.- Origins of the Clan :...
; whether she was a wife or mistress is unknown. - Andrew Stewart, c. 1443-1501. The Bishop of MorayBishop of MorayThe Bishop of Moray or Bishop of Elgin was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Moray in northern Scotland, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics...
from 1483-1501.
Sources
- http://www.thepeerage.com/p10213.htm#i102129
- Alison Weir, Britain's Royal Family: A Complete Genealogy (London, U.K.: The Bodley Head, 1999), page 230. Hereinafter cited as Britain's Royal Family.
- Bruce A. McAndrew, Scotland's Historic Heraldry (Woodbridge, Suffolk, U.K : Boydell Press, 2006) page 205
- Edward Kimber & John Almon, The Peerage of Scotland (London, U.K: Piccadilly, 1767), page 340.