James Stewart, 1st Earl of Buchan
Encyclopedia
James Stewart, 1st Earl of Buchan (1442–1499), was the second son of Sir James Stewart, the Black Knight of Lorne, and Joan Beaufort
, the widow of James I of Scotland
. "Hearty James" was a younger brother of John Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl
, and a younger half-brother of James II of Scotland
and Princess Margaret Stewart, first wife of Louis XI of France
.
of Auchterhouse
. They were parents to two children:
In 1467, his nephew James III
granted him and his wife the lands of the Baronies of Strathalva and Down, with the Castle of Banff
and the fishings of the water of River Deveron
. In 1469, James III conferred on Hearty James the Earldom of Buchan. James took on the titles Earl of Buchan
, first of the third creation, and Lord Auchterhouse.
James III gave Traquair House
and all its lands to his favourite
, Robert Boyd, 1st Lord Boyd
, then a few years later to his "Master of Music", who in turn sold it on to the King's uncle the Earl of Buchan
for the equivalent today of a few pounds.
When the southern barons entered into a conspiracy against the King, the Earl of Buchan naturally remained loyal. The King soon crossed the River Forth
, and passed into the northeastern counties, where a strong force rallied around him. He then marched southward, and came in sight of the rebellious barons at Blackness in West Lothian
, and the Earl of Buchan attacked and drove back the left wing of the insurgent army.
Negotiations were opened, and the Earl of Buchan insisted on severe measures against the insurgent nobles; but George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly
and William Hay, 3rd Earl of Erroll were opposed to this, and they retired to the north. It was evident, however, that Buchan’s view was right. A pacification was arranged in May, 1488, in which the barons promised to return to their allegiance and maintain the rights of the Crown and the peace of the kingdom; and thereupon the King disbanded his army and returned to Edinburgh
.
He died in 1499, and was succeeded by his son, Alexander.
Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scotland
Joan Beaufort was the Queen Consort of Scotland from 1424 to 1437 as the spouse of King James I of Scotland. During part of the minority of her son James II , she served as the Regent of Scotland....
, the widow of James I of Scotland
James 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...
. "Hearty James" was a younger brother of John Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl
John Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl
John Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl , also known as Sir John Stewart of Balveny, was a Scottish nobleman and ambassador to England .-Life:...
, and a younger half-brother of 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...
and Princess Margaret Stewart, first wife of Louis XI of France
Louis XI of France
Louis XI , called the Prudent , was the King of France from 1461 to 1483. He was the son of Charles VII of France and Mary of Anjou, a member of the House of Valois....
.
Life
By 1466, Hearty James married Margaret Ogilvie, the heiress of Sir Alexander OgilvieClan 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...
of Auchterhouse
Auchterhouse
Auchterhouse is a village, community, and civil parish in the Scottish council area of Angus, located north west of Dundee, south east of Alyth and south west of Forfar. It lies on the southern edge of the Sidlaw Hills, below Auchterhouse Hill, high...
. They were parents to two children:
- Alexander Stewart, 2nd Earl of BuchanAlexander Stewart, 2nd Earl of BuchanAlexander Stewart, 2nd Earl of Buchan was the only son of James Stewart, 1st Earl of Buchan, and Margaret Ogilvy. Alexander succeeded to the Earldom and the Barony of Kingedward and other lands, probably in 1499, as he got sasine of the Earldom on 23 January 1499/1500...
(d. 1505) - Isabel Stewart of Buchan, a mistressRoyal mistressA royal mistress is the historical position of a mistress to a monarch or senior Royal. Some mistresses have had considerable power. The prevalence of the institution can be attributed to the fact that royal marriages were until recent times conducted solely on the basis of political and dynastic...
of James IV of ScotlandJames IV of ScotlandJames IV was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all...
, and mother of Lady Janet StewartLady Janet StewartJanet Stewart, Lady Fleming was an illegitimate daughter of James IV of Scotland and served as governess to her niece, Mary, Queen of Scots. Janet was briefly a mistress to Henry II of France, by whom she had an illegitimate son, Henri d'Angouleme...
, who was in turn a mistress of Henry II of FranceHenry II of FranceHenry II was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559.-Early years:Henry was born in the royal Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, the son of Francis I and Claude, Duchess of Brittany .His father was captured at the Battle of Pavia in 1525 by his sworn enemy,...
.
In 1467, his nephew James III
James III of Scotland
James III was King of Scots from 1460 to 1488. James was an unpopular and ineffective monarch owing to an unwillingness to administer justice fairly, a policy of pursuing alliance with the Kingdom of England, and a disastrous relationship with nearly all his extended family.His reputation as the...
granted him and his wife the lands of the Baronies of Strathalva and Down, with the Castle of Banff
Banff, Aberdeenshire
Banff is a town in the Banff and Buchan area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Banff is situated on Banff Bay and faces the town of Macduff across the estuary of the River Deveron...
and the fishings of the water of River Deveron
River Deveron
The River Deveron , known anciently as the Dovern, is a river in the north east of Scotland. The river has a length of 60 miles, and has a reputation for its salmon, sea trout and brown trout fishing...
. In 1469, James III conferred on Hearty James the Earldom of Buchan. James took on the titles Earl of Buchan
Earl of Buchan
The Mormaer or Earl of Buchan was originally the provincial ruler of the medieval province of Buchan. Buchan was the first Mormaerdom in the High Medieval Kingdom of the Scots to pass into the hands of a non-Scottish family in the male line. The earldom had three lines in its history, not counting...
, first of the third creation, and Lord Auchterhouse.
James III gave Traquair House
Traquair House
Traquair House, approximately 5 miles southeast of Peebles, is claimed to be the oldest continually inhabited house in Scotland. It is built in the style of a fortified mansion, and not strictly a castle...
and all its lands to his favourite
Favourite
A favourite , or favorite , was the intimate companion of a ruler or other important person. In medieval and Early Modern Europe, among other times and places, the term is used of individuals delegated significant political power by a ruler...
, Robert Boyd, 1st Lord Boyd
Robert Boyd, 1st Lord Boyd
Robert Boyd, 1st Lord Boyd Lord Boyd, was a Scottish statesman.-Biography:Robert Boyd was knighted, and was created a Peer of Parliament by James II of Scotland at some date between 1451 and 18 July 1454 . In 1460 he was one of the Regents during the minority of James III...
, then a few years later to his "Master of Music", who in turn sold it on to the King's uncle the Earl of Buchan
Earl of Buchan
The Mormaer or Earl of Buchan was originally the provincial ruler of the medieval province of Buchan. Buchan was the first Mormaerdom in the High Medieval Kingdom of the Scots to pass into the hands of a non-Scottish family in the male line. The earldom had three lines in its history, not counting...
for the equivalent today of a few pounds.
When the southern barons entered into a conspiracy against the King, the Earl of Buchan naturally remained loyal. The King soon crossed the River Forth
River Forth
The River Forth , long, is the major river draining the eastern part of the central belt of Scotland.The Forth rises in Loch Ard in the Trossachs, a mountainous area some west of Stirling...
, and passed into the northeastern counties, where a strong force rallied around him. He then marched southward, and came in sight of the rebellious barons at Blackness in West Lothian
West Lothian
West Lothian is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, the Scottish Borders and South Lanarkshire....
, and the Earl of Buchan attacked and drove back the left wing of the insurgent army.
Negotiations were opened, and the Earl of Buchan insisted on severe measures against the insurgent nobles; but George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly
George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly
George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly was Chancellor of Scotland from 1498–1501.Gordon fought on the King's side against the Douglases during The Douglas Rebellion and helped secure a defeat at the Battle of Brechin. The 2nd Earl completed the building work that his father begun in constructing Huntly...
and William Hay, 3rd Earl of Erroll were opposed to this, and they retired to the north. It was evident, however, that Buchan’s view was right. A pacification was arranged in May, 1488, in which the barons promised to return to their allegiance and maintain the rights of the Crown and the peace of the kingdom; and thereupon the King disbanded his army and returned to Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
.
He died in 1499, and was succeeded by his son, Alexander.
Illegitimate issue
James Stewart had several illegitimate children with his mistress Margaret Murray (b. ca. 1446), many of whom were later legitimized by a royal charter issued in 1488–1489.- James Stewart, 1st LairdLairdA Laird is a member of the gentry and is a heritable title in Scotland. In the non-peerage table of precedence, a Laird ranks below a Baron and above an Esquire.-Etymology:...
of TraquairTraquairthumb|right|Cottages at TraquairTraquair is a small village and civil parish in the old county of Peeblesshire, but since 1975, a part of the Scottish Borders...
(1480–1513), killed at the Battle of Flodden FieldBattle of Flodden FieldThe Battle of Flodden or Flodden Field or occasionally Battle of Branxton was fought in the county of Northumberland in northern England on 9 September 1513, between an invading Scots army under King James IV and an English army commanded by the Earl of Surrey...
, he was the ancestor of John Stewart, 1st Earl of TraquairJohn Stewart, 1st Earl of TraquairJohn Stewart, 1st Earl of Traquair was a Scottish statesman, the son of John Stewart, the younger, of Traquair in Peeblesshire, of a branch, originally illegitimate, of the house of Buchan, and was created Baron Stewart of Traquair in 1628 and earl of Traquair in 1633.He was appointed...
. - Lady Agnes Stewart, married first Adam Hepburn, 2nd Earl of BothwellAdam Hepburn, 2nd Earl of BothwellAdam Hepburn, 2nd Earl of Bothwell was a Scottish nobleman, who succeeded his father Patrick Hepburn, 1st Earl of Bothwell in 1508...
, secondly Alexander Home, 3rd Lord HomeAlexander Home, 3rd Lord HomeAlexander Home, 3rd Lord Home His mother was Nicholace Ker, a daughter of George Ker of Samuelston, his father the 2nd Lord Home. Alexander Home was found guilty of treason in 1516 and executed....
and thirdly John Maxwell, 4th Lord MaxwellJohn Maxwell, 4th Lord MaxwellJohn Maxwell, 4th Lord Maxwell was a Scottish nobleman and head of the Border family or clan of Maxwell.-Origins:Maxwell was the eldest son and heir of John Maxwell, 3rd Lord Maxwell and Janet, the daughter of George Crichton, 1st Earl of Caithness...
. They had at least eight children. He was killed at the Battle of Flodden FieldBattle of Flodden FieldThe Battle of Flodden or Flodden Field or occasionally Battle of Branxton was fought in the county of Northumberland in northern England on 9 September 1513, between an invading Scots army under King James IV and an English army commanded by the Earl of Surrey...
on 9 September 1513, she died in February, 1557.