James Stewart, 1st Lord Doune (1529-1590) was a Scottish landowner.

Career

James Stewart was the son of Sir James Stewart of

Beith Beith is a small town in the Garnock Valley, North Ayrshire, Scotland approximately south-west of Glasgow. The town is situated on the crest of a hill and was known originally as the "''Hill o' Beith''" (hill of the birches) after its ''Court ...

(d. 1547), Constable 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 ...

, who was the third son of Andrew Stewart, 1st Lord Avondale, and Margaret Lindsay daughter of John Lindsay, 3rd Lord Lindsay of the Byres, widow of Richard,

Lord Innermeath Lord Innermeath is an extinct title in the Peerage of Scotland created c. 1471 for Walter Stewart, 1st Lord Innermeath. Stewart had previously been Lord of Lorne, but resigned that title - which came with substantial comital power - under pressure ...

. His father was killed at

Dunblane Dunblane (, gd, Dùn Bhlàthain) is a small town in the council area of Stirling in central Scotland, and inside the historic boundaries of the county of Perthshire. It is a commuter town, with many residents making use of good transport links ...

in 1547 by Edmondstone of Duntreath and his followers, in a quarrel over the office of Steward of Menteith.

Mary of Guise Mary of Guise (french: Marie de Guise; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was a French noblewoman of the House of Guise, a cadet branch of the House of Lorraine and one of the most powerful families in France. She ...

wrote from

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 ...

to his mother Lady Innermeath, counselling patience and offering support. Stewart was Constable of Doune Castle, and Commendator of

Inchcolm Abbey Inchcolm Abbey is a medieval abbey located on the island of Inchcolm in the Firth of Forth in Scotland. The Abbey, which is located at the centre of the island, was founded in the 12th century during the episcopate of Gregoir, Bishop of Dunkeld. ...

. He was often called "St Colme" in contemporary letters. When

Lord Darnley Lord Darnley is a noble title associated with a Scottish Lordship of Parliament, first created in 1356 for the family of Stewart of Darnley and tracing a descent to the Dukedom of Richmond in England. The title's name refers to Darnley in Scot ...

was made Lord of Ardmanoch and

Earl of Ross The Earl or Mormaer of Ross was the ruler of the province of Ross in northern Scotland. Origins and transfers In the early Middle Ages, Ross was part of the vast earldom of Moray. It seems to have been made a separate earldom in the mid 12th ...

on 15 May 1565, Stewart was one of 15 men who were made knights. He was created Lord Doune on 24 November 1581. Castle Campbell 08

In 1560 he was one of Lords of the Articles at the

Scottish Reformation Parliament The Scottish Reformation Parliament was the assembly commencing in 1560 that claimed to pass major pieces of legislation establishing the Scottish Reformation, most importantly the Confession of Faith Ratification Act 1560; and Papal Jurisdiction ...

. In August 1561 he was in France, and wrote to Lord James, the queen's half-brother, that

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...

was determined to come back to Scotland. She told him to make it known she would not take offers from Scottish lords for their loyalty. He brought Mary's letters to Queen Elizabeth at

Heveningham Heveningham is a village and civil parish in the East Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. Located four miles south-west of Halesworth, in 2005 it had a population of 120. Heveningham Hall, a country house built in 1777, once belo ...

in Suffolk on 16 August, where he gave her excuses for not ratifying the

Treaty of Edinburgh The Treaty of Edinburgh (also known as the Treaty of Leith) was a treaty drawn up on 5 July 1560 between the Commissioners of Queen Elizabeth I of England with the assent of the Scottish Lords of the Congregation, and the French representatives o ...

and confirmed that Mary was returning to Scotland. He returned to Scotland 4 days after Mary's arrival with her safe-conduct document from Elizabeth. In November 1561 he was sent to France, and travelled down the Great North Road to London in six days. While he was in London he took ferry boats over the

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

several times, costing 6 shillings and 4 pence. He then went to Dover to get a boat for France. On his return to England in January 1562, Elizabeth gave him a letter for Mary Queen of Scots, in which she apologised for not sending her portrait because the artist was unwell. Mary, Queen of Scots mentioned to the ambassador Thomas Randolph that she would send Elizabeth a ring with a diamond made like a heart by the envoy who brought the portrait. He married Margaret Campbell (d. 1592), sister of

Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll (1532/1537 – 12 September 1573) was a Scottish nobleman, peer, and politician. He was one of the leading figures in the politics of Scotland during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the early par ...

Castle Campbell Castle Campbell is a medieval castle situated above the town of Dollar, Clackmannanshire, in central Scotland. It was the lowland seat of the earls and dukes of Argyll, chiefs of Clan Campbell, from the 15th to the 19th century, and was visited ...

on 10 January 1563. There was a masque involving courtiers and musicians dressed in white taffeta as shepherds. However, both Mary, Queen of Scots and her half brother

James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray (c. 1531 – 23 January 1570) was a member of the House of Stewart as the illegitimate son of King James V of Scotland, James V of Scotland. A supporter of his half-sister Mary, Queen of Scots, he was the regent ...

became ill. His sister Elizabeth married Robert Crichton of Cluny. In 1568 Mary Queen of Scots wrote to St Colme from

Bolton Castle Bolton Castle is a 14th-century castle located in Wensleydale, Yorkshire, England (). The nearby village of Castle Bolton takes its name from the castle. The castle is a Grade I listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The castle was da ...

asking him to write more often, in cipher, and send Crichton to her. His brother Archibald Stewart married Helen Acheson, whose family owned Acheson's Haven near

Prestongrange Prestongrange is a place in East Lothian, Scotland, United Kingdom, situated between Musselburgh to the west, and Prestonpans to the east. The place name derives from "Preston", meaning "priest's town", and a grange (or granary) which was wo ...

. In January 1581 his eldest son James Stewart married Elizabeth Stewart, the elder daughter of

Regent Moray James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray (c. 1531 – 23 January 1570) was a member of the House of Stewart as the illegitimate son of King James V of Scotland. A supporter of his half-sister Mary, Queen of Scots, he was the regent of Scotland for his ...

. The wedding was celebrated on 31 January in Fife with a tournament of "running at the ring" and

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 ...

took part. Two day after the party came to Leith, where a water pageant culminated with a theatrical assault on a Papal

Castel Sant'Angelo The Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as Castel Sant'Angelo (; English: ''Castle of the Holy Angel''), is a towering cylindrical building in Parco Adriano, Rome, Italy. It was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausol ...

, built on boats on the

water of Leith The Water of Leith (Scottish Gaelic: ''Uisge Lìte'') is the main river flowing near central Edinburgh, Scotland, and flows into the port of Leith where it flows into the sea via the Firth of Forth. Name The name ''Leith'' may be of Britto ...

. Some of her relatives and father's friends thought the Lord Doune's son was not of sufficient status to marry her. In June 1581 James VI rewarded Sir James Stewart of Doune for his expenses keeping the former

Regent Morton James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton (c. 1516 – 2 June 1581, aged 65) was the last of the four regents of Scotland during the minority of King James VI. He was in some ways the most successful of the four, since he won the civil war that had b ...

a prisoner, with the unpaid rents and duties of the lands of

Aberdour Aberdour (; Scots: , gd, Obar Dobhair) is a scenic and historic village on the south coast of Fife, Scotland. It is on the north shore of the Firth of Forth, looking south to the island of Inchcolm and its Abbey, and to Leith and Edinburgh beyo ...

. In April 1583 the English diplomat Robert Bowes thought James VI had employed Lord Doune to hasten his departure from Scotland. Lord Doune was trying to get the Jesuit William Holt released from

Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. ...

so he could go to France. In May 1583 Esmé Stewart, Duke of Lennox wrote to him from Paris, asking him to take care of his son

Ludovic Ludovic is a given name and has also been a surname. People with the given name A * Ludovic Albós Cavaliere (born 1979), Andorran ski mountaineer * Ludovic Ambruș (born 1946), Romanian wrestler who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics * Lud ...

and help him recover his former possessions in Scotland for his benefit. When Sir James Balfour appeared to forgiven for any involvement in the murder of Lord Darnley in February 1584, Doune protested and said to James VI, "God forbid that the King shall so little regard his father's murder." James VI answered that Doune had forgiven his father's murder. In 1587 he seized the houses of

Carnock Carnock ( gd, A' Chàrnaich) is a village and parish of Fife, Scotland, west of Dunfermline. It is east of Oakley, Fife. The name of the village derives from Scottish Gaelic, from ''ceàrn'' ("corner"), with a suffix denoting a toponym, thus ...

and

Bannockburn Bannockburn (Scottish Gaelic ''Allt a' Bhonnaich'') is an area immediately south of the centre of Stirling in Scotland. It is part of the City of Stirling. It is named after the Bannock Burn, a stream running through the town before flowing int ...

, and a townhouse in Stirling belonging to

Robert Drummond of Carnock Sir Robert Drummond of Carnock (died 1592) was Master of Work to the Crown of Scotland from 1579 to 1583. This was the responsibility for building and repair of palaces and castles. His appointment was made to be "as Sir James Hamilton of Finnart ...

, which were forfeit due to a failed property transaction. He died in 1590. It was said that his widow, Margaret Campbell, Lady Doune, died in April 1592, from grief at not being allowed to bury her son, the murdered Earl of Moray, in Edinburgh. She left a note requesting the king take action against his murderers.

Family

The children of James Stewart and Margaret Campbell included: *

James Stewart, 2nd Earl of Moray James Stewart (later Stuart), 2nd Lord Doune, 2nd Earl of Moray (c. 1565 – 7 February 1592) was a Scotland, Scottish nobleman, the son of James Stewart, 1st Lord Doune and Margaret Campbell. He was murdered by George Gordon, 1st Marquess o ...

(d. 1592), he married

Elizabeth Stuart, 2nd Countess of Moray Elizabeth Stewart, 2nd Countess of Moray suo jure (Late 1565 – 18 November 1591), was the daughter of James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray and Agnes Keith. She was born at St Andrews while her father was in exile in England following the Chas ...

, and became the subject of a popular ballad, '' The Bonnie Earl of Moray''. * Henry or Harry Stewart, later Lord St Colm, and Tutor of

James Stewart, 3rd Earl of Moray James Stuart, 3rd Earl of Moray (1581 – 6 August 1638) was the son of James Stewart, 2nd Earl of Moray and Elizabeth Stuart, 2nd Countess of Moray. Early years Moray was only around the age of 11 when his father was murdered and within mon ...

. * Archibald Stewart * John Stewart, (d. Dec 1609) * Alexander Stewart * Mary Stewart, married

Sir John Wemyss Sir John Wemyss (1558–1621) was a Scottish landowner. Biography He was the son of David Wemyss (d. 1596) and Cecilia Ruthven, a daughter of William Ruthven, 2nd Lord Ruthven. His home was Wemyss Castle in Fife. The coastal location was sometim ...

of Wemyss (d. 1622) in 1581. Their eldest son was

John Wemyss, 1st Earl of Wemyss John Wemyss, 1st Earl of Wemyss (1586–1649) was a Scottish politician. He was a son of Sir John Wemyss and Margaret Douglas, a daughter of Sir William Douglas of Lochleven. His home was Wemyss Castle in Fife. Around 1610 he acquired the esta ...

. * Margaret Stewart, who was betrothed to John Stewart, Master of Orkney, but died c. 1599. * Jean Stewart (d. 1 Jul 1622), a lady in waiting to

Anne of Denmark Anne of Denmark (; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I; as such, she was Queen of Scotland The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional fo ...

who married in 1596

Simon Fraser, 6th Lord Lovat Simon Fraser, 6th Lord Lovat (1570–1633) was a Scottish courtier and landowner. Simon Fraser was the son of Hugh Fraser, 5th Lord Lovat and Elizabeth Stewart daughter of John Stewart, 4th Earl of Atholl. He was born on 13 April 1570. Biogr ...

.Michael Pearce
'Anna of Denmark: Fashioning a Danish Court in Scotland', ''The Court Historian'', 24:2 (2019), p. 148
He was the son of

Hugh Fraser, 5th Lord Lovat Hugh Fraser, 5th Lord Lovat (c. 1545–1577) was a Scottish landowner. He was the son of Alexander Fraser, 4th Lord Lovat (d. 1557) and Janet Campell, a daughter of John Campbell of Cawdor. He was known as "Red Hugh" from the colour of his hair ...

and Elizabeth Stewart, later Countess of Arran.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart, James 1590 deaths Court of James VI and I

James Stewart, 1st Lord Doune James Stewart, 1st Lord Doune (1529-1590) was a Scottish landowner. Career James Stewart was the son of Sir James Stewart of Beith (d. 1547), Constable of Doune Castle, who was the third son of Andrew Stewart, 1st Lord Avondale, and Margaret Lind ...

Year of birth uncertain 16th-century Scottish peers Ambassadors of Scotland to England Peers of Scotland created by James VI 1529 births