)
, house =
House of Stuart
The House of Stuart, originally spelt Stewart, was a royal house of Scotland, England, Ireland and later Great Britain. The family name comes from the office of High Steward of Scotland, which had been held by the family progenitor Walter fi ...
, father =
Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany
Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany ( gd, Muireadhach Stiubhart) (136224 May 1425) 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 ...
, mother =
Isabella of Lennox
Isabella of Lennox (d.1458) was the ruler of Lennox, from 1437–1458, and last in the line of Mormaers or native Scottish rulers. As the wife of Murdoch Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany (d.1425), she was also Duchess of Albany (1420–1425), but ...
, birth_date =circa 1400
, birth_place =
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. Possibly
Stirling
Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...
,
Stirlingshire
Stirlingshire or the County of Stirling, gd, Siorrachd Sruighlea) is a Counties of Scotland, historic county and registration countyRegisters of Scotland. Publications, leaflets, Land Register Counties. of Scotland. Its county town is Stirli ...
.
, death_date =1429 (some sources say 1449)
, death_place =
Antrim,
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
James Mor Stewart, called James the Fat, ( gd, Seamas Mór) (c. 1400–1429 or 1449) was the youngest son of
Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany
Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany ( gd, Muireadhach Stiubhart) (136224 May 1425) 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 ...
and
Isabella of Lennox
Isabella of Lennox (d.1458) was the ruler of Lennox, from 1437–1458, and last in the line of Mormaers or native Scottish rulers. As the wife of Murdoch Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany (d.1425), she was also Duchess of Albany (1420–1425), but ...
. When his father and brothers were executed by King
James I James I may refer to:
People
*James I of Aragon (1208–1276)
*James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327)
*James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu
*James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347)
*James I of Cyprus (1334–13 ...
for treason in 1425, James led a rebellion against the king, taking the town of
Dumbarton
Dumbarton (; also sco, Dumbairton; ) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. In 2006, it had an estimated population of 19,990.
Dumbarton was the ca ...
and killing the keeper of
Dumbarton Castle
Dumbarton Castle ( gd, Dùn Breatainn, ; ) has the longest recorded history of any stronghold in Scotland. It sits on a volcanic plug of basalt known as Dumbarton Rock which is high and overlooks the Scottish town of Dumbarton.
History
Dumba ...
. His success was short lived and he soon fled to
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, where he would spend the remainder of his life in exile. A second attempt at rebellion in 1429 saw a fleet sail to Ireland to collect James "to convey him home that he might be king", but he died before the attempt could be made.
James's eldest son
James "Beag" Stewart
James "Beag" Stewart (c1424-1470) of Baldorran was the seventh illegitimate son of James Mor Stewart (known as "James the Fat"), who fled into exile in Ireland when his father Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany was executed for treason by James I o ...
was able to secure a royal
pardon
A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the ju ...
and return to Scotland, and was the ancestor of the
Stewarts of Ardvorlich on
Lochearnside, whose family history is recounted by
Sir Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy' ...
in ''
A Legend of Montrose
''A Legend of Montrose'' is an historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, set in Scotland in the 1640s during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It forms, along with ''The Bride of Lammermoor'', the 3rd series of Scott's ''Tales of My Landlord''. The tw ...
''. James Mor's brother Walter (executed 1425) left a son,
Andrew Stewart, 1st Lord Avondale, who became
Lord Chancellor of Scotland
The Lord Chancellor of Scotland, formally the Lord High Chancellor, was a Great Officer of State in the Kingdom of Scotland.
Holders of the office are known from 1123 onwards, but its duties were occasionally performed by an official of lower st ...
in 1459, and was one of the leading servants of King
James III of Scotland
James III (10 July 1451/May 1452 – 11 June 1488) was King of Scots from 1460 until his death at the Battle of Sauchieburn in 1488. He inherited the throne as a child following the death of his father, King James II, at the siege of Roxburgh Ca ...
.
Biography
Little is known of James's life before the arrest of his father, the Duke of Albany, and his eldest son Alexander, for treason by King
James I of Scotland
James I (late July 139421 February 1437) was King of Scots from 1406 until his assassination in 1437. The youngest of three sons, he was born in Dunfermline Abbey to King Robert III and Annabella Drummond. His older brother David, Duke of Ro ...
on 21 March 1425, on the 9th day of the March parliament.
The family properties of
Doune Castle
Doune Castle is a medieval stronghold near the village of Doune, in the Stirling council area of central Scotland and the historic county of Perthshire. The castle is sited on a wooded bend where the Ardoch Burn flows into the River Teith. It l ...
and
Falkland Palace
Falkland Palace, in Falkland, Fife, Scotland, is a royal palace of the Scottish Kings. It was one of the favourite places of Mary, Queen of Scots, providing an escape from political and religious turmoil. Today it is under the stewardship of ...
were captured, and
Duke Murdoch and two of his sons were imprisoned and held pending trial. James soon became a rallying point for enemies of the King, raising a large rebellion against the crown. Initially at least, events moved in his favour. He received the support of his mother's supporters in the Lennox, and also from
Fionnlagh MacCailein,
Bishop of Argyll
The Bishop of Argyll or Bishop of Lismore was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Argyll, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics. It was created in 1200, when the western half of the territory of the Bishopric of Dunkeld was formed into t ...
, a long-standing supporter of the Albany Stewarts.
James marched on the town of
Dumbarton
Dumbarton (; also sco, Dumbairton; ) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. In 2006, it had an estimated population of 19,990.
Dumbarton was the ca ...
, burned it, and killed the keeper of the royal
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
there, Sir John Stewart of Dundonald, who was the King's uncle. However, the castle itself, commanded by John Colquhoun, successfully held out against James's men.
Among other supporters were the
Clan Galbraith
Clan Galbraith is a Scottish clan. The clan does not have a chief recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms. Because of this, the clan is considered an armigerous clan, and as such Clan Galbraith has no standing under Scots Law. The clan-name of ...
, in particular the ninth chief
James Galbraith of Culcreuch who joined Stewart's rebellion. As many as 600 members of the clan were forced to flee after the failure of the revolt, exiled to
Kintyre
Kintyre ( gd, Cinn Tìre, ) is a peninsula in western Scotland, in the southwest of Argyll and Bute. The peninsula stretches about , from the Mull of Kintyre in the south to East and West Loch Tarbert in the north. The region immediately north ...
and the
Isle of Gigha
Gigha (; gd, Giogha, italic=yes; sco, Gigha) or the Isle of Gigha (and formerly Gigha Island) is an island off the west coast of Kintyre in Scotland. The island forms part of Argyll and Bute and has a population of 163 people. The climate is m ...
, where they adopted the new name of MacBhreatneaich of M'Vretny ("son of the Briton") .
Escape to Ireland
James Mor's rebellion was quickly defeated. His father and brothers were found guilty of
treason
Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...
by a jury of knights and peers, and executed after a trial. At a stroke, almost all of James' family was wiped out. Only his mother,
Isabella of Lennox
Isabella of Lennox (d.1458) was the ruler of Lennox, from 1437–1458, and last in the line of Mormaers or native Scottish rulers. As the wife of Murdoch Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany (d.1425), she was also Duchess of Albany (1420–1425), but ...
survived the insurrection. Later in 1425, pursued by a royal expedition, James fled to
Antrim,
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, accompanied by the sons of his dead brother Walter, to escape the King's justice. Few details of his escape survive but it seems likely that he sought assistance from the
Campbell Campbell may refer to:
People Surname
* Campbell (surname), includes a list of people with surname Campbell
Given name
* Campbell Brown (footballer), an Australian rules footballer
* Campbell Brown (journalist) (born 1968), American television ne ...
s of
Lochawe
Loch Awe (Scottish Gaelic: ''Loch Obha'') is a large body of freshwater in Argyll and Bute, Scottish Highlands. It has also given its name to a village on its banks, variously known as Loch Awe or Lochawe. There are islands within the loch such ...
, to whom he was closely linked by blood and marriage.
James Mor would never return to his native Scotland. He remained an
exile
Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...
in Ireland until his death.
[Confusingly, different sources give James' death as, variously, 1429 and 1449. Most sources agree on 1429, but this date is not consistent with the suggested birth dates of most of his children] His widowed mother and sister remained in Scotland.
Claim to the throne
James Stewart was in line to
claim the throne as sole surviving grandson of the Duke of Albany, brother to the late King
Robert III.
Family and legacy
In Ireland, James became involved with an unknown woman with the surname MacDonald. Some sources suggest she was one of the daughters of
Iain Mòr Tànaiste MacDhòmhnaill, 1st Earl of Antrim, the son of
John of Islay, Lord of the Isles
:''This article refers to John I, Lord of the Isles; for John II, see John of Islay, Earl of Ross''
John of Islay (or John MacDonald) ( gd, Eòin Mac Dòmhnuill or gd, Iain mac Aonghais Mac Dhòmhnuill) (died 1386) was the Lord of the Isles (1 ...
and Earl of Ross.
James did not marry, but he had seven illegitimate children:
*
James "Beag" Stewart
James "Beag" Stewart (c1424-1470) of Baldorran was the seventh illegitimate son of James Mor Stewart (known as "James the Fat"), who fled into exile in Ireland when his father Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany was executed for treason by James I o ...
(born c.1424–1470) was able to secure a royal pardon and return to Scotland. He married Annabel Buchanan, daughter of Patrick, 14th Lord of Buchanan, and was granted the estate "Baldorran" from his cousin John Stewart Damby in 1457.
He is the ancestor of the Stewarts of Ardvorlich on Lochearnside, whose family history is recounted by
Sir Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy' ...
in ''
A Legend of Montrose
''A Legend of Montrose'' is an historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, set in Scotland in the 1640s during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It forms, along with ''The Bride of Lammermoor'', the 3rd series of Scott's ''Tales of My Landlord''. The tw ...
''.
[Stewarts of Balquhidder webpage](_blank)
Retrieved November 2010
* Murdoch Stewart, born c.1427 in Antrim, Ireland.
* Arthur Stewart, born c.1429 in Antrim, Ireland.
* Robert Stewart, born c.1433 in Antrim, Ireland.
* Matilda Stewart, born c.1435
* Alexander Stewart, born c.1437 in Antrim, Ireland.
James' mother Isabella of Lennox was imprisoned by King James in
Tantallon Castle
Tantallon Castle is a ruined mid-14th-century fortress, located east of North Berwick, in East Lothian, Scotland. It sits atop a promontory opposite the Bass Rock, looking out onto the Firth of Forth. The last medieval curtain wall castle to ...
after the execution of her husband and children. However, in 1437 the King was himself assassinated, and soon afterwards Isabella was released from captivity, eventually recovering her lands and title. In the next few years, although forced to govern her province from her castle at
Inchmurrin
Inchmurrin ( gd, Innis Mhearain) is an island in Loch Lomond in Scotland. It is the largest fresh water island in the British Isles.
Geography and geology
Inchmurrin is the largest and most southerly of the islands in Loch Lomond. It reache ...
,
Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond (; gd, Loch Laomainn - 'Lake of the Elms'Richens, R. J. (1984) ''Elm'', Cambridge University Press.) is a freshwater Scottish loch which crosses the Highland Boundary Fault, often considered the boundary between the lowlands of Ce ...
,
she issued a large numbers of charters, was popular in the province, and was tolerated by King
James II. At some point after she regained her liberty, Isabella brought her young grandchildren, the children of James the Fat, to be raised at her castle at
Inchmurrin
Inchmurrin ( gd, Innis Mhearain) is an island in Loch Lomond in Scotland. It is the largest fresh water island in the British Isles.
Geography and geology
Inchmurrin is the largest and most southerly of the islands in Loch Lomond. It reache ...
.
Ancestry
See also
*
Clan Stewart
Clan Stewart (Gaelic: ''Stiùbhart'') is a Scottish Highland and Lowland clan. The clan is recognised by Court of the Lord Lyon; however, it does not have a Clan Chief recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms. Because the clan has no chief it ...
*
Stewart of Balquhidder
*
List of heirs of Scotland
This is a list of the individuals who were, at any given time, considered the next in line to inherit the throne of Scotland, should the incumbent monarch die. Those who actually succeeded (at any future time) are shown in bold. Stillborn childre ...
Notes
References
;General
* Brown, Michael, ''James I.'' Edinburgh: Canongate Press, 1994. .
* Campbell, Alastair, ''A History of Clan Campbell, Volume 2''
Dewar, Peter Beauclerk, p.482, ''Burke's Landed Gentry of Great Britain''Retrieved November 2011
* Nelker, Gladys P, ''The Clan Steuart'', 1970.
External links
Retrieved November 2010
*
ttp://www.chuckspeed.com/balquhidder/history/jstewart.htm James the Fat at chuckspeed.comRetrieved November 2010
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart, James, The Great
James Mor
Medieval Gaels from Scotland
15th-century Scottish people
1429 deaths
Year of birth unknown
Younger sons of dukes