Alexander Stewart of Bonkyll (c.1271 – 1319) was a Scottish nobleman. He was the eldest son of
Sir John Stewart (d. 1298), and the father of
John Stewart, 1st Earl of Angus
John Stewart, 1st Earl of Angus, Lord of Bonkyl, ''jure uxoris'' Lord of Abernethy (died 9 December 1331) was a medieval Scottish nobleman.
Stewart was the son of Sir Alexander Stewart of Bonkyll, great-grandson of Alexander Stewart, 4th High S ...
.
Family
Alexander was the first cousin of
Walter the Steward, father of King
Robert II of Scotland
Robert II (2 March 1316 – 19 April 1390) was King of Scots from 1371 to his death in 1390. The son of Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland, and Marjorie, daughter of King Robert the Bruce, he was the first monarch of the House of St ...
, and of
Sir James Douglas James Douglas may refer to:
Scottish noblemen
Lords of Angus
* James Douglas, 3rd Earl of Angus (1426–1446), Scottish nobleman
* James Douglas, Earl of Angus (1671–1692), son of the 2nd Marquess of Douglas
Lords of Douglas
* James Douglas, ...
, two of the most important commanders during the
First War of Scottish Independence
The First War of Scottish Independence was the first of a series of wars between English and Scottish forces. It lasted from the English invasion of Scotland in 1296 until the ''de jure'' restoration of Scottish independence with the Treaty ...
. He was also the brother-in-law of
Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray
Thomas may refer to:
People
* List of people with given name Thomas
* Thomas (name)
* Thomas (surname)
* Saint Thomas (disambiguation)
* Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church
* Thomas the ...
, nephew of King
Robert I of Scotland. His mother was Margaret de Bonkyl, the daughter of Sir Alexander de Bonkyl of that Ilk. Alexander's wife was Jean Fitz James
ean's surname should be "fitz Alexander" as the custom was "fitz" (daughter of) or "Fitz" (son of) then the father's Christian name in this case "Alexander" hence "Jean fitz Alexander" daughter of Alexander Fitz James, with whom he had two children, a son and heir,
John Stewart, and a daughter, Isabella Stewart, who married
Domhnall II, Earl of Mar.
[Alison Weir, ''Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy'' (London, U.K.: The Bodley Head, 1999), page 208. Hereinafter cited as ''Britain's Royal Families''.]
Life
His father had been one of the strongest supporters of the exiled
John Balliol
John Balliol ( – late 1314), known derisively as ''Toom Tabard'' (meaning "empty coat" – coat of arms), was King of Scots from 1292 to 1296. Little is known of his early life. After the death of Margaret, Maid of Norway, Scotland entered an ...
and was killed at the
Battle of Falkirk. After the disaster at Falkirk
William Wallace
Sir William Wallace ( gd, Uilleam Uallas, ; Norman French: ; 23 August 1305) was a Scottish knight who became one of the main leaders during the First War of Scottish Independence.
Along with Andrew Moray, Wallace defeated an English army ...
resigned as
Guardian of Scotland
The Guardians of Scotland were regents who governed the Kingdom of Scotland from 1286 until 1292 and from 1296 until 1306. During the many years of minority in Scotland's subsequent history, there were many guardians of Scotland and the post was ...
and was replaced by
John Comyn
John Comyn III of Badenoch, nicknamed the Red (c. 1274 – 10 February 1306), was a leading Scottish baron and magnate who played an important role in the First War of Scottish Independence. He served as Guardian of Scotland after the forced ...
, nephew of the exiled Balliol. After Comyn achieved some notable success fighting against the English a quarrel broke out between Comyn and his rival
Robert the Bruce
Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventual ...
over their competing rights to the throne. During a meeting between the two sides at
Dumfries in 1306, Comyn was fatally stabbed by Bruce and his supporters and the War of Independence now became a civil war. Because of his father's long allegiance to King John, Alexander fought under
John MacDougall of Lorn against Bruce but was captured by his cousin James Douglas in 1308 and was given a royal
pardon. He died circa 1319.
See also
*
Bonkyl Kirk
References
Year of birth unknown
1319 deaths
Alexander
Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
Year of birth uncertain
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