Lady Jean Stewart (also known as Jane Stuart; c. 1533 – 7 January 1587/88), was an

illegitimate Legitimacy, in traditional Western common law, is the status of a child born to parents who are legally married to each other, and of a child conceived before the parents obtain a legal divorce. Conversely, ''illegitimacy'', also known as ''b ...

daughter of King

James V of Scotland James V (10 April 1512 – 14 December 1542) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Scotland from 9 September 1513 until his death in 1542. He was crowned on 21 September 1513 at the age of seventeen months. James was the son of James IV of Sco ...

by his mistress,

Elizabeth Bethune Elizabeth Bethune, or Beaton (died after 1581), was one of the mistresses of King James V of Scotland. Their daughter, Lady Jean Stewart, married Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll. Elizabeth was the daughter of Sir David Beaton of Creich, a ...

(sometimes spelled ''Betoun'' or ''Beaton'').

Childhood

Jean was born between 1528 and 1537. Her mother Elizabeth was the daughter of Sir John Bethune, 2nd of

Creich Creich ( gd, Craoich, ) is a substantial parish on the north side of the Dornoch Firth the largest settlement being Bonar Bridge. It lies in Sutherland, Scotland. There is a church (now in ruins) and graveyard for the Parish of Creich. Creich M ...

, and Janet Hay. Elizabeth Bethune was first married to

John Stewart, 4th Lord Innermeath John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

, by whom she had two sons: James Stewart, later 5th Lord Innermeath and the poet

John Stewart of Baldynneis John Stewart of Baldynneis (c. 1545–c. 1605) was a writer and courtier at the Scottish Court. he was one of the Castalian Band grouped around James VI. He was the son of Elizabeth Beaton, a former mistress of James V, and John Stewart, 4th Lo ...

. She married, secondly, James Gray, son of

Patrick Gray, 4th Lord Gray Patrick Gray, 4th Lord Gray (c. 1518 -1584) was a Scottish landowner and Sheriff of Angus, active during the war of the Rough Wooing as a supporter of the Scottish Reformation. Family Patrick Gray was the son of Egidia Mercer and Gilbert Gray of ...

. As an infant, Lady Jean Stewart was brought up in the household of

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 ...

, the Queen of Scotland as wife of King James V, and then briefly in the nursery of the Queen's eldest son, Prince James, the Duke of Rothesay, her legitimate half-brother. The Scottish treasurer's accounts record purchases for the infant Lady Jean. In September 1538, she was given a canopy made with 27 ells of red, yellow, and green cloth. By March 1539, she was housed with her illegitimate half-brothers, " Lord James of Kelso and " Lord James of Saint Andrews", and had a black velvet and

taffeta Taffeta (archaically spelled taffety or taffata) is a crisp, smooth, plain woven fabric made from silk, cuprammonium rayons, acetate, and polyester. The word is Persian (تافته) in origin and means "twisted woven". As clothing, it is used in ...

night gown lined with 'martrik' sable. In May 1539 she moved with the court 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 ...

St Andrews St Andrews ( la, S. Andrea(s); sco, Saunt Aundraes; gd, Cill Rìmhinn) is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fou ...

. Her clothes were washed at

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 ...

in April 1540. In July 1540, at

, she was sent seven hanks of coloured silks and cloth to embroider samplers, and in December 1540, she was given a missal and a matins book. A list of payments for livery clothes for the household servants of the two Princes made in January 1541 includes two servants of his half-sister Lady Jean Stewart, Cristiane Baxstar and Thomas Stroupe.

Countess of Argyll

On 1 July 1553, Jean was married to

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 ...

; they would divorce later on 23 June 1573, the reason being desertion. During her married years, Jean lived for a time at Dunoon Castle, where her half-sister,

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 ...

, visited her in 1563, and granted several charters during her stay there. The queen gave her a substantial allowance or pension of £150 Scots paid three times each year. The Countess was at

Holyrood Palace The Palace of Holyroodhouse ( or ), commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace or Holyroodhouse, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinbu ...

in December 1563. Mary, Queen of Scots, was tired after dancing on her twenty-first birthday and stayed in bed. The ambassador Thomas Randolph gave the Countess a diamond ring for Mary, a gift from

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". El ...

. On the night of 9 March 1566, Jean Stewart, her mother Elizabeth, and her half-sister Queen Mary, witnessed the murder of Queen Mary's secretary,

David Rizzio David Rizzio ( ; it, Davide Rizzio ; – 9 March 1566) or Riccio ( , ) was an Italian courtier, born in Pancalieri close to Turin, a descendant of an ancient and noble family still living in Piedmont, the Riccio Counts di San Paolo e Solbrito ...

, at Holyroodhouse. At the baptism of Prince James at

in December 1566, she went in the chapel on behalf of the English ambassador, the

Earl of Bedford Earl of Bedford is a title that has been created three times in the Peerage of England and is currently a subsidiary title of the Dukes of Bedford. The first creation came in 1138 in favour of Hugh de Beaumont. He appears to have been degraded fr ...

, and was godmother. He gave her a valuable ruby ring. After the "lang siege" of

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. ...

in 1573, Lady Jean and her aunt

Margaret Beaton Margaret Beaton, Lady Reres (floruit 1560–1580) was a Scottish courtier and companion of Mary of Guise and Mary, Queen of Scots. She was blamed by the enemies of Mary, Queen of Scots, for her involvement in alleged immorality at court. Career Ma ...

were taken prisoner. She requested not be delivered to her husband, the Earl of Argyll. The English ambassador Henry Killigrew reported she was living comfortably at

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 ...

's board in June 1574, probably at

Dalkeith Palace Dalkeith Palace is a country house in Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland. It was the seat of the Dukes of Buccleuch from 1642 until 1914, and is owned by the Buccleuch Living Heritage Trust. The present palace was built 1701–1711 on the site of the ...

Later life

In May 1583 she had an illness described as a "spire of appoplexie" and considered finding a treatment in France, travelling through England. She died at her lodging in the Canongate of Edinburgh which she rented from the goldsmith William Cokkie on 7 January 1588, attended by her servant and "special friend" Katrine Hamilton. Lady Jean Stewart was buried next to her father, King James V, in the royal vault at Holyrood Palace in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

.RCAHMS, ''Inventory of Monuments in Edinburgh'' (HMSO, 1951), p. 136

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart, Jean 1530s births Burials at Holyrood Abbey Court of James V of Scotland Court of Mary, Queen of Scots Jean Stewart Year of birth uncertain 1588 deaths 16th-century Scottish women 16th-century Scottish people

Argyll Argyll (; archaically Argyle, in modern Gaelic, ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland. Argyll is of ancient origin, and corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of ...

Daughters of kings