Walter Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl
Encyclopedia
Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl, Strathearn and Caithness (died 26 March 1437) was a Scottish nobleman, the son of Robert II of Scotland
. Stewart was an enthusiastic advocate of the ransom and return to Scotland of the future king in exile, James I of Scotland
, in 1424. In 1425 he served as a member of the jury of 21 which tried and executed his cousin Murdoch Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany
. Eventually however Atholl turned against the King and conspired in his assassination in 1437. He was tried for murder and was executed after 3 days of gruesome torture.
by his second wife Euphemia de Ross
, daughter of Aodh, Earl of Ross
. He was also a younger half-brother of Robert III of Scotland
and an uncle of the above mentioned James I of Scotland.
He married first, sometime before 1378, Margaret Barclay, Lady of Brechin, by whom he had two sons:
In 1390, his niece Euphemia resigned to him the Earldom of Caithness
. In 1404, he was created Earl of Atholl
.
, which was accomplished in 1424, and was a member of the jury which tried his cousin Murdoch Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany
, and which culminated in the execution of Albany and two of his sons.
He was made Great Justiciar of Scotland and Earl of Strathearn
in 1427. He resigned Caithness to his son Alan in 1428, but regained it on Alan's death without issue in 1431.
The depth of his loyalties to James is unclear. The chronicler Buchanan (1582) saw in his efforts to return James to Scotland and support him against Albany and his children a deep-laid plan for those two branches of the House of Stewart to destroy each other — and clear his own way to the throne, reviving the old charge of illegitimacy against his half-brother Robert III. Others aver that it was the imprisonment and subsequent death of his son David that turned him against the king.
and Sir Robert Graham in a conspiracy against James I, which assassinated the king on 20 February 1437. Robert Stewart unbarred the doors to the royal apartments, permitting assassins to enter the King's lodging at the Dominican Friars
in Perth
. The King hid himself under the floorboards, only to be discovered by Sir Robert Graham, who personally finished him off.
However, Atholl found little popular support for his cause, and the conspirators were swiftly apprehended. They were attainted
and put to death in Edinburgh
by a series of tortures remarkable and hideous even for that era. Walter was tortured over a period of three days. On the first, he was put in a cart with a crane, hoisted up, dropped, and jerked violently to a stop to stretch his joints. He was then placed in a pillory
and "crowned with a diadem of burning iron" bearing the inscription "King of all Traitors". On the second day, he was bound to a hurdle and dragged along the high street of Edinburgh. (Some claim he was also blinded and tortured with red-hot iron pincers on this day, but Buchanan speaks only of the hurdle.) On the third, he was disembowelled while alive, his entrails burnt before his face, and his heart was torn out and burnt. Finally, his corpse was beheaded and quartered, and the quarters displayed around the realm.
Robert II of Scotland
Robert II became King of Scots in 1371 as the first monarch of the House of Stewart. He was the son of Walter Stewart, hereditary High Steward of Scotland and of Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert I and of his first wife Isabella of Mar...
. Stewart was an enthusiastic advocate of the ransom and return to Scotland of the future king in exile, 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...
, in 1424. In 1425 he served as a member of the jury of 21 which tried and executed his cousin Murdoch Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany
Murdoch Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany
Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany was a leading Scottish nobleman, the son of Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany and the grandson of King Robert II of Scotland, who founded the Stewart dynasty. In 1389 he was Justiciar North of the Forth. In 1402 he was captured at the Battle of Homildon Hill and would...
. Eventually however Atholl turned against the King and conspired in his assassination in 1437. He was tried for murder and was executed after 3 days of gruesome torture.
Early life
He was a son of Robert II of ScotlandRobert II of Scotland
Robert II became King of Scots in 1371 as the first monarch of the House of Stewart. He was the son of Walter Stewart, hereditary High Steward of Scotland and of Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert I and of his first wife Isabella of Mar...
by his second wife Euphemia de Ross
Euphemia de Ross
Euphemia de Ross was the second wife and first Queen consort of Robert II of Scotland.She was a daughter of Aodh, Earl of Ross and Margaret de Graham, Hugh's 2nd wife and daughter of Sir David de Graham of Montrose. She first married John Randolph, 3rd Earl of Moray but the marriage was childless...
, daughter of Aodh, Earl of Ross
Aodh, Earl of Ross
Hugh [probably Gaelic: Aodh], was the third successor of Ferchar mac in tSagairt as Mormaer of Ross .Hugh was a favorite of King Robert I of Scotland, who endowed him with many lands. Aodh even married Robert's sister, Maud...
. He was also a younger half-brother of Robert III of Scotland
Robert III of Scotland
Robert III was King of Scots from 1390 to his death. His given name was John Stewart, and he was known primarily as the Earl of Carrick before ascending the throne at age 53...
and an uncle of the above mentioned James I of Scotland.
He married first, sometime before 1378, Margaret Barclay, Lady of Brechin, by whom he had two sons:
- Alan Stewart, 4th Earl of Caithness (d. 1431)
- David Stewart, Master of Atholl (d. bef. 1437)
In 1390, his niece Euphemia resigned to him the Earldom of Caithness
Earl of Caithness
Earl of Caithness is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland, and has a very complex history. Its first grant, in the modern sense as to have been counted in strict lists of peerages, is now generally held to have taken place in favor of Maol Íosa V, Earl of...
. In 1404, he was created Earl of Atholl
Earl of Atholl
The Mormaer of Earl of Atholl refers to a medieval comital lordship straddling the highland province of Atholl , now in northern Perthshire. Atholl is a special Mormaerdom, because a King of Atholl is reported from the Pictish period. The only other two Pictish kingdoms to be known from...
.
Ransom and return of James I of Scotland
He was energetic in retrieving his nephew James I from the Kingdom of EnglandKingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
, which was accomplished in 1424, and was a member of the jury which tried his cousin Murdoch Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany
Murdoch Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany
Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany was a leading Scottish nobleman, the son of Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany and the grandson of King Robert II of Scotland, who founded the Stewart dynasty. In 1389 he was Justiciar North of the Forth. In 1402 he was captured at the Battle of Homildon Hill and would...
, and which culminated in the execution of Albany and two of his sons.
He was made Great Justiciar of Scotland and Earl of Strathearn
Earl of Strathearn
The Mormaer of Strathearn or Earl of Strathearn was a provincial ruler in medieval Scotland. Of unknown origin, the mormaers are attested for the first time in a document perhaps dating to 1115. The first known mormaer, Maol Íosa I is mentioned by Ailred of Rievaulx as leading native Scots in the...
in 1427. He resigned Caithness to his son Alan in 1428, but regained it on Alan's death without issue in 1431.
The depth of his loyalties to James is unclear. The chronicler Buchanan (1582) saw in his efforts to return James to Scotland and support him against Albany and his children a deep-laid plan for those two branches of the House of Stewart to destroy each other — and clear his own way to the throne, reviving the old charge of illegitimacy against his half-brother Robert III. Others aver that it was the imprisonment and subsequent death of his son David that turned him against the king.
Assassination of James I
Whatever the cause of Stewart's rage against the King, he joined with his grandson Robert Stewart, Master of AthollRobert Stewart, Master of Atholl
Robert Stewart, Master of Atholl was a Scottish nobleman of royal descent. He was the grandson of Walter Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl, and the great-grandson of Robert II of Scotland. He was executed, along with his grandfather and other Scottish noblemen on 26 March 1437, for his role in the murder...
and Sir Robert Graham in a conspiracy against James I, which assassinated the king on 20 February 1437. Robert Stewart unbarred the doors to the royal apartments, permitting assassins to enter the King's lodging at the Dominican Friars
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
in Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
. The King hid himself under the floorboards, only to be discovered by Sir Robert Graham, who personally finished him off.
However, Atholl found little popular support for his cause, and the conspirators were swiftly apprehended. They were attainted
Bill of attainder
A bill of attainder is an act of a legislature declaring a person or group of persons guilty of some crime and punishing them without benefit of a judicial trial.-English law:...
and put to death in 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...
by a series of tortures remarkable and hideous even for that era. Walter was tortured over a period of three days. On the first, he was put in a cart with a crane, hoisted up, dropped, and jerked violently to a stop to stretch his joints. He was then placed in a pillory
Pillory
The pillory was a device made of a wooden or metal framework erected on a post, with holes for securing the head and hands, formerly used for punishment by public humiliation and often further physical abuse, sometimes lethal...
and "crowned with a diadem of burning iron" bearing the inscription "King of all Traitors". On the second day, he was bound to a hurdle and dragged along the high street of Edinburgh. (Some claim he was also blinded and tortured with red-hot iron pincers on this day, but Buchanan speaks only of the hurdle.) On the third, he was disembowelled while alive, his entrails burnt before his face, and his heart was torn out and burnt. Finally, his corpse was beheaded and quartered, and the quarters displayed around the realm.