James Stewart, 1st Duke of Richmond, 4th Duke of Lennox KG (6 April 1612 – 30 March 1655),

lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power (social and political), power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the Peerage o ...

of the Manor of Cobham, Kent, was a Scottish nobleman. A third cousin of King

Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...

, he was a Privy Councillor and a key member of the

Royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gove ...

party in the

English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...

. In 1641–42, he served as

Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports is the name of a ceremonial post in the United Kingdom. The post dates from at least the 12th century, when the title was Keeper of the Coast, but it may be older. The Lord Warden was originally in charge of the ...

. He spent five months in exile in 1643, returning to England to defend the city of

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

for the king.

Origins

He was the eldest son of Esmé Stewart, 3rd Duke of Lennox (1579–1624) by his wife

Katherine Clifton, 2nd Baroness Clifton Katherine Clifton, 2nd Baroness Clifton (c. 1592 – buried 17 September 1637), was an English-born Scottish peer (later known as the Countess of March, then Duchess of Lennox and then Countess of Abercorn). Birth and origins Katherine was ...

(c.1592–1637).

Career

He inherited the Dukedom of Lennox on his father's death in 1624 and in 1625, at the age of 13, was made a

Gentleman of the Bedchamber Gentleman of the Bedchamber was a title in the Royal Household of the Kingdom of England from the 11th century, later used also in the Kingdom of Great Britain. A Lord of the Bedchamber was a courtier in the Royal Households of the United Kingdo ...

to the newly crowned King Charles I, who knighted him on 29 June 1630 and invested him as a knight of

Order of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. The most senior order of knighthood in the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system, it is outranked in ...

in 1633.

Dukedom of Richmond

The Earldom of Richmond had become absorbed into the crown in 1485 when Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, became King Henry VII. The Scottish connection to the Richmond title began in 1613 when James Stewart's uncle

Ludovic Stewart, 2nd Duke of Lennox Ludovic Stewart, 2nd Duke of Lennox and 1st Duke of Richmond (29 September 157416 February 1624) was a Scotland, Scottish nobleman and a second cousin of King James VI and I. He was involved in court theatre and the Plantation of Ulster in ...

(1574–1624), was created by King James I as

Earl of Richmond The now-extinct title of Earl of Richmond was created many times in the Peerage of Peerage of England, England. The earldom of Richmond, North Yorkshire, Richmond was initially held by various Breton people, Breton nobles; sometimes the holde ...

and was later, in 1623, created by the same king

Duke of Richmond Duke of Richmond is a title in the Peerage of England that has been created four times in British history. It has been held by members of the royal Tudor and Stuart families. The current dukedom of Richmond was created in 1675 for Charles ...

and

Earl of Newcastle Earl of Newcastle-upon-Tyne is a title that has been created three times. The first creation came in the Peerage of England in 1623 in favour of Ludovic Stewart, 2nd Duke of Lennox. He was made Duke of Richmond at the same time. For information o ...

. However he died childless a year later when all his titles (excepting those inherited from his father, namely Duke and Earl of Lennox) became extinct. On 21 August 1637 he was created the 3rd Baron Clifton via his mother. The title Duke of Richmond was re-created in 1641 by King Charles I for Ludovic's nephew and eventual heir James Stewart, 4th Duke of Lennox, who was also granted Cobham Hall and the manor of

Cobham, Kent Cobham () is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the borough of Gravesham in Kent, England. The village is located south-east of Gravesend, and just south of Watling Street, the Roman road from Dover to London. The parish ...

, which became his main residence.

Marriage and children

On 3 August 1637, he married Mary Villiers, a daughter of

George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham ( ; 20 August 1592 – 23 August 1628), was an English courtier, statesman, and patron of the arts. He was a favourite and self-described "lover" of King James VI and I. Buckingham remained at the heigh ...

, by whom he had issue: * Esmé Stewart, 2nd Duke of Richmond, 5th Duke of Lennox (1649–1660) who died aged 10 in 1660, whereupon both titles descended to his first-cousin Charles Stewart, 3rd Duke of Richmond, 6th Duke of Lennox (1638–1672). *Lady Mary Stewart (10 July 1651 – 4 July 1668), Baroness Clifton in 1660; married Richard Butler, 1st Earl of Arran. No issue.

Death and burial

He died on 30 March 1655 aged 42 and was buried in

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...

Notes

References

Entry at ThePeerage.com
* Weiss Gallery, ''Illustrious Company: Early Portraits 1545–1720'', 1998 (catalogue with commentary).

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Richmond, James Stewart, 1st Duke of 1612 births 1655 deaths Lord high admirals of Scotland Lords Warden of the Cinque Ports 201 104

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military aviator. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morali ...

Knights of the Garter Lord high chamberlains of Scotland James Stewart, 1st Duke of Richmond Members of the Parliament of Scotland 1628–1633 17th-century Scottish military personnel 17th-century Scottish peers Barons Clifton Burials at Westminster Abbey