John Stewart was a Scottish soldier and Constable of

Stirling Castle Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological ...

for

James VI of Scotland James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until hi ...

He was known as "Master John Stewart", perhaps indicating a university education. In 1576 he carried out improvements and repairs to Stirling castle, including a new timber gallery on the west side of the Palace, and repairs to the gatehouse. At this time, James VI was resident in the castle, in the care of

Annabell Murray, Countess of Mar Annabell Murray, Countess of Mar (1536–1603), was a Scottish landowner, courtier and royal servant, the keeper of the infant James VI and his son Prince Henry at Stirling Castle Annabell Murray was a daughter of Sir William Murray of Tullibardi ...

. Stewart's account for the work at Stirling in 1576 survives in the National Archives of Scotland. Timber and slates were brought to Stirling by boat on the River Forth. A blacksmith, John Cowan, made an iron support for the new doorway from the gallery into the passage that leads to the rooms above the king's outer chamber. Stewart was ill in March 1581 and his duties were given to the gunner Michael Gardiner who became depute-keeper of Stirling Castle. When he recovered, the keeping of the castle was restored to him on 28 March, and on 4 April 1581, Stewart signed an inventory of the brass and iron cannon in the castle.

Family

John Stewart married Margaret Makstoun or Maxton. They had a son, also John Stewart, who was a varlet or valet in the king's chamber from March 1573. John Stewart, the valet, died in 1593. The royal master of work William Schaw ordered a carpenter in the Canongate, and royal gunner, David Selkirk, to make his coffin. His widow Lucrece Fleming, a daughter of

Lord Fleming Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...

, married Robert Graham of the Fauld, a borderer, who died in 1600. James VI wrote to the English border warden Lord Scrope for help for her to secure his legacy.Joseph Bain
''Calendar of Border Papers'', vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1894), p. 663
National Records of Scotland, E21/70 f. 83.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart, John Scottish soldiers Court of James VI and I People of Stirling Castle