) , 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 , 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 ...

. 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 historic county and registration countyRegisters of Scotland. Publications, leaflets, Land Register Counties. of Scotland. Its county town is Stirling. It borders Perth ...

. , death_date =1429 (some sources say 1449) , death_place = Antrim,

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

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 and

. 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 Dum ...

. His success was short lived and he soon fled to

, 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 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 j ...

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 ...

''. 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 s ...

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 C ...

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 ...

on 21 March 1425, on the 9th day of the March parliament. The family properties of Doune Castle 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 Fionnlagh MacCailein or Finlay ''Colini'' (died 1419) was a medieval Scottish bishop. Both his early life and the details of his career as Bishop of Dunblane are not well known, however it is known that he held the latter bishopric between 1403 ...

Bishop of Argyll The Bishop of Argyll or Bishop of Lismore was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Argyll The Diocese of Argyll was an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of Scotland in the Middle Ages. The Diocese was led by the Bishop of Argyll, and wa ...

, a long-standing supporter of the Albany Stewarts. James marched on the town of

, 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 o ...

, in particular the ninth chief

James Galbraith of Culcreuch James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguati ...

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 nor ...

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,

survived the insurrection. Later in 1425, pursued by a royal expedition, James fled to Antrim,

, 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 Campbells of

Lochawe Loch Awe (Scottish Gaelic: ''Loch Obha'') is a large body of Fresh water, 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 ...

, 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 and Earl of Ross. James did not marry, but he had seven illegitimate children: * James "Beag" Stewart (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

in ''

''.Stewarts of Balquhidder webpage
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,

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 ...

, 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.

Ancestry

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