John Stewart, Commendator Of Coldingham
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

John Stewart, Commendator of Coldingham (1531–1563) was a Scottish landowner. He was a son of Elizabeth Carmichael (1514–1550) and
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 King James IV a ...
. His mother later married John Somerville of
Cambusnethan Cambusnethan is a historic parish in North Lanarkshire in Scotland. The largest settlement in the parish is Wishaw, and Cambusnethan now appears on maps as a village almost contiguous with Wishaw. The village is approximately long, straddling ...
.


Career

As a child, John Stewart was given the estates and incomes of
Coldingham Priory Coldingham Priory was a house of Benedictine monks. It lies on the south-east coast of Scotland, in the village of Coldingham, Berwickshire. Coldingham Priory was founded in the reign of David I of Scotland, although his older brother and prede ...
, and was usually called the Prior or Commendator of Coldingham, or "Lord John". His father, James V, wrote to Cardinal
Rodolfo Pio da Carpi Rodolfo Pio da Carpi (22 February 1500 – 2 May 1564) was an Italian cardinal, humanist and patron of the arts. The nephew of a diplomat, he himself became a diplomat by the age of thirty, and came to know both Emperor Charles V and King F ...
, in July 1541 that John should be
Prior of Coldingham The Prior of Coldingham was the head of the Benedictine monastic community of Coldingham Priory in Berwickshire, Scotland. The priory was founded during the reign of David I of Scotland, although his older brother and predecessor, King Edgar of S ...
in place of Adam Blackadder, who became Abbot of Dundrennan, and his son would be able to prevent Protestant doctrine spreading from the nearby border with England. In his letter, James V explained that the danger of the "new doctrines" spreading was great because of the "community of language", the Scots language being similar in some respects to English. At this time, John Stewart was around nine years old, as an adult, he sometimes resided at Coldingham. In August 1548 Lord John Stewart and his half-brother Lord Robert sailed for France from Dumbarton with
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 List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...
. According to an English observer, Henry Johnes, their elder half brothers, Lord James Prior of St Andrews and
James Stewart, Commendator of Kelso and Melrose James Stewart, Commendator of Kelso and Melrose (c. 1529–1557) was a member of the Scottish royal family. Career James Stewart was a son of James V of Scotland and Elizabeth Schaw, a member of the Schaw of Sauchie family. His exact birthdate is ...
refused to go.


Regency of Mary of Guise

In 1550, after the conclusion of the war known the
Rough Wooing The Rough Wooing (; December 1543 – March 1551), also known as the Eight Years' War, was part of the Anglo-Scottish Wars of the 16th century. Following the English Reformation, the break with the Catholic Church, England attacked Scotland ...
, he accompanied his step-mother
Mary of Guise Mary of Guise (; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was List of Scottish royal consorts, Queen of Scotland from 1538 until 1542, as the second wife of King James V. She was a French people, French noblewoman of the ...
on a visit to the French court. Stewart was in Paris in February 1551 and wrote to Mary of Guise. His letter concerns a property in France, the Abbey of Flavigny en Auxois, a gift to him from
Henry II of France Henry II (; 31 March 1519 – 10 July 1559) was List of French monarchs#House of Valois-Angoulême (1515–1589), King of France from 1547 until his death in 1559. The second son of Francis I of France, Francis I and Claude of France, Claude, Du ...
. In July 1553, his sister
Lady Jean Stewart Lady Jean Stewart (also known as Jane Stuart; c. 1533 – 7 January 1588), was an illegitimate daughter of King James V of Scotland by his mistress, Elizabeth Bethune (sometimes spelled ''Betoun'' or ''Beaton''). Childhood Jean was born betw ...
was contracted to marry
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 ...
. Her cash dowry of 5,000 merks was to be paid by Mary of Guise and her brothers, the Commendators of Kelso, Holyrood, and Coldingham. In April 1558 he wrote to Mary of Guise from
Coldingham Coldingham is a village and parish in Berwickshire in the Scottish Borders. It lies a short distance inland from Coldingham Bay, three miles northeast of the fishing village of Eyemouth. Parish The parish lies in the east of the Lammermuir ...
about a dispute amongst his tenants in Glasgow who were now threatened with legal action by Robert, Lord Sempill, as Sheriff of
Renfrew Renfrew (; ; ) is a town west of Glasgow in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It is the historic county town of Renfrewshire. Called the "Cradle of the Royal Stewarts" for its early link with Scotland's former royal house, Renfrew gaine ...
. Stewart wanted Guise, who was now
Regent of Scotland A regent is a person selected to act as head of state (ruling or not) because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. The following is a list of regents throughout history. Regents in extant monarchies Those who held a regency b ...
, to intervene in favour of his tenants. During the Reformation Crisis the English government sent a fleet of warships to Scotland, and subsequently, by the Treaty of Berwick, an army to assist the
Protestants Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
at the
siege of Leith The siege of Leith ended a twelve-year encampment of French troops at Leith, the port near Edinburgh, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland. French troops arrived in Scotland by invitation in 1548. In 1560 the French soldiers opposed Scottish supporter ...
. In January 1560 John Stewart sighted the English fleet commanded by
William Wynter Admiral Sir William Wynter (c. 1521 – 20 February 1589) held the office of Surveyor and Rigger of the Navy for 40 years, from 1549 until his death in 1589, and combined that with the office of Master of Navy Ordnance from 1557. He was an admira ...
off
Dunbar Dunbar () is a town on the North Sea coast in East Lothian in the south-east of Scotland, approximately east of Edinburgh and from the Anglo–Scottish border, English border north of Berwick-upon-Tweed. Dunbar is a former royal burgh, and ...
sailing towards the
Isle of May An isle is an island, land surrounded by water. The term is very common in British English. However, there is no clear agreement on what makes an island an isle or its difference, so they are considered synonyms. Isle may refer to: Geography * Is ...
and sent a boat to investigate.


Mary, Queen of Scots' personal rule

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 List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...
made him keeper of
Dunbar Castle Dunbar Castle was one of the strongest fortresses in Scotland, situated in a prominent position overlooking the Dunbar Harbour, harbour of the town of Dunbar, in East Lothian. Several fortifications were built successively on the site, near th ...
when she returned to Scotland in August 1561. The English diplomat Thomas Randolph wrote that Lord John was in the queen's favour in October 1561, for his "leaping and dancing", and would marry the Earl of Bothwell's sister,
Jean Hepburn Jean Hepburn, Lady Darnley, Mistress of Caithness, Lady Morham (died 1599) was a Scottish noblewoman and a member of the Border clan of Hepburn. Her brother was James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, the third husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. Jean's ...
. She had previously been " handfasted" to another man, Robert Lauder younger of the Bass, on 24 July 1556, but the marriage was not completed. Lord John, his half-brother Lord Robert, the Marquis of Elbeuf and others performed in a tournament in December 1561 on the sands of Leith. There was "
running at the ring Running at the ring, riding at the ring or tilting at the ring is an equestrian tournament activity originally practiced at European royal courts and likely derived from other lance games like Quintain (jousting), quintain. It gained new popularity ...
", with two teams of six men, one team dressed as women, the other as exotic foreigners in strange masque garments. Mary, Randolph, the French ambassador
Paul de Foix Paul de Foix de Carmain (1528–1584) was a French prelate and diplomat. He was son of Jean de Foix, comte de Carmain, by his wife Aldonce. He studied Greek and Roman literature at Paris, and jurisprudence at Toulouse, where shortly after finishi ...
, and Monsieur de Moret, envoy from the
Duke of Savoy The titles of the count of Savoy, and then duke of Savoy, are titles of nobility attached to the historical territory of Savoy. Since its creation, in the 11th century, the House of Savoy held the county. Several of these rulers ruled as kings at ...
attended this entertainment. There had been a similar tournament at
Amboise Amboise (; ) is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. Today a small market town, it was once home to the French royal court. Geography Amboise lies on the banks of the river Loire, east of Tours. It is also about awa ...
involving Mary's uncle Francis, the Grand Prior, dressed as a gypsy with a baby, and the
Duke of Nemours Duke of Nemours was a title in the Peerage of France. The name refers to Nemours in the Île-de-France region of north-central France. History In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Lordship of Nemours, in the Gâtinais, France, was a possession of th ...
as a townsman's wife with a bunch of keys, and in 1594 another event involving cross-dressing was staged at the baptism of Prince Henry at
Stirling Castle Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most historically and architecturally important castles in Scotland. The castle sits atop an Intrusive rock, intrusive Crag and tail, crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill ge ...
. Lord Robert married Jean Kennedy, sister of the
Earl of Cassilis Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. In modern Britain, an earl is a member of the peerage, ranking below a marquess and above a viscount. A feminine form of ''earl'' never developed; instead, ''countess'' is used. The titl ...
on 13 December 1561. Soon after this Lord John was involved in a disturbance in Edinburgh that started as a kind of masque in the town. He and the
Earl of Bothwell Earl of Bothwell was a title that was created twice in the Peerage of Scotland. It was first created for Patrick Hepburn in 1488, and was forfeited in 1567. Subsequently, the earldom was recreated for the 4th Earl's nephew and heir of line, F ...
and the Marquis of Elbeuf went to the house of Cuthbert Ramsay where Alison Craik, a merchant's daughter and mistress of the Earl of Arran was lodged, wearing masks. When they were not admitted they broke down the doors. There were complaints to the queen and she issued a reprimand. Bothwell and Lord John ignored this and the next day there was a face-off between their followers and the Hamiltons in the market place. Mary sent him to arrest the
Earl of Huntly Marquess of Huntly is a title in the Peerage of Scotland that was created on 17 April 1599 for George Gordon, 6th Earl of Huntly. It is the oldest existing marquessate in Scotland, and the second-oldest in the British Isles; only the English ma ...
at
Huntly Castle Huntly Castle is a ruined castle north of Huntly, Scotland, Huntly in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, where the rivers River Deveron, Deveron and River Bogie, Bogie meet. It was the ancestral home of the chief of Clan Gordon, Earl of Huntly. There hav ...
in October 1562. On the day
William Kirkcaldy of Grange Sir William Kirkcaldy of Grange (c. 1520 –3 August 1573) was a Scottish politician and soldier who fought for the Scottish Reformation. He ended his career holding Edinburgh castle on behalf of Mary, Queen of Scots and was hanged at the c ...
and the Tutor of Pitcur arrived first and surrounded the house. While Kirkcaldy was talking to the porter, the castle watchman on the tower spotted Coldingham and the Master of Lindsay and their troops a mile off. He alerted the Earl, who hopped over a low wall at the back of the castle and found a horse before Pitcur could stop him.
Elizabeth Keith, Countess of Huntly Elizabeth Keith, Countess of Huntly (fl. 1530-1566), was a Scottish noblewoman and the wife of George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly, Scotland's leading Catholic magnate during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots. In 1562, Elizabeth encouraged her husb ...
then welcomed the queen's men in and gave them a meal and showed them around the place. He entertained Mary at Dunbar Castle on 30 December 1562. He died at Inverness in November 1563.
John Knox John Knox ( – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister, Reformed theologian, and writer who was a leader of the country's Reformation. He was the founder of the Church of Scotland. Born in Giffordgate, a street in Haddington, East Lot ...
told a story about his last words. Someone told
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 List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...
that Stewart's deathbed wish was that she would become a Protestant. Mary declared without hesitation that this version of Coldingham's speech was a lie invented by the treasurer
John Wishart of Pitarrow Sir John Wishart of Pitarrow (died 1585) was a Scottish lawyer, courtier, comptroller of the exchequer, and rebel. Career He was the eldest son of James Wishart of Cairnbeg in the parish of Fordoun in Aberdeenshire. His grandfather, James Wisha ...
and her brother Moray's secretary John Wood.


Marriage and children

He married
Jean Hepburn Jean Hepburn, Lady Darnley, Mistress of Caithness, Lady Morham (died 1599) was a Scottish noblewoman and a member of the Border clan of Hepburn. Her brother was James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, the third husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. Jean's ...
, daughter of
Patrick Hepburn, 3rd Earl of Bothwell Patrick Hepburn, 3rd Earl of Bothwell (1512 – September 1556) was the son of Adam Hepburn, Lord Hailes, who died at the Battle of Flodden the year after Patrick's birth. Hepburn was known as the ''Fair Earl''. He owed this more to his look ...
. The wedding was celebrated at
Crichton Castle Crichton Castle is a ruined castle near the village of Crichton in Midlothian, Scotland. It is situated at the head of the River Tyne, south of the village of Pathhead, and the same distance east of Gorebridge. Constructed as a tower house in ...
on 3 January 1562. Mary, Queen of Scots and
James Stewart, 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. At times a supporter of his half-sister Mary, Queen of Scots, he was the regent of Scotl ...
(a half-brother to both Mary and John) attended. The English diplomat Thomas Randolph, who was not invited, heard there was 'much good sport and pastimes.'
Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie (also Lindesay or Lyndsay; c. 1532–1580) was a Scottish chronicler, author of ''The Historie and Chronicles of Scotland, 1436–1565'', the first history of Scotland to be composed in Scots rather than Lat ...
said the entertainments lasted four days. Their children included: * Francis Stewart, who became
Earl of Bothwell Earl of Bothwell was a title that was created twice in the Peerage of Scotland. It was first created for Patrick Hepburn in 1488, and was forfeited in 1567. Subsequently, the earldom was recreated for the 4th Earl's nephew and heir of line, F ...
* Christine Stewart, who was appointed to
rock the cradle ''Rock the Cradle'' is an MTV reality show in which the offspring of rhythm and blues, R&B, popular music, pop, and rock stars from the 1980s and 1990s vie in a six-week singing competition. The show debuted on April 3, 2008, and ended on May 8 ...
of Prince James in March 1568.
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. At times a supporter of his half-sister Mary, Queen of Scots, he was the regent of Scot ...
and
Regent Morton James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton (c. 1516 – 2 June 1581) was a Scottish nobleman. He played a leading role in the murders of Queen Mary's confidant, David Rizzio, and king consort Henry Darnley. He was the last of the four regents of Scot ...
bought her clothes. * Marjorie or Margaret Stewart, who was also in the king's household at Stirling before August 1570. She married (1) William Sinclair of Underhoull,
Unst Unst (; ) is one of the North Isles of the Shetland Islands, Scotland. It is the northernmost of the inhabited British Isles and is the third-largest island in Shetland after Shetland Mainland, Mainland and Yell (island), Yell. It has an area o ...
, a son of
Olave Sinclair Olave Sinclair of Havera (South Havra) and Brow (died 1573) was an official on Shetland, known as the "foud". He collected taxes due to the Scottish crown. His first name is sometimes written as Oliver, Ola, or Olaf. Battle of Summerdale Olave Sin ...
, (2) William Bruce of
Symbister Symbister is the largest village and port on Whalsay, an island in the Shetland archipelago of Scotland. The population in 1991 was 797. The focus of the village is the harbour, which is home to small Fishing vessel, fishing boats as well as larg ...
, a relation of
Laurence Bruce Laurence Bruce of Cultmalindie (20 January 1547 – August 1617) was a Scottish landowner and factor to the Earl of Orkney. He features in a number of traditional stories of Shetland. Background He was the son of John Bruce of Cultmalindie and Eu ...
of Cultmalindie. John Stewart also had a son Hercules Stewart by an unknown mother. After the death of the Commendator, Jean Hepburn married John, Master of Caithness. In 1567, she was said to be in the favour of Mary, Queen of Scots, instead of Margaret, Lady Rires.P. F. Tytler, ''History of Scotland'', 7 (Edinburgh, 1842), p. 375.


Ancestors


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart, John Court of James V of Scotland
John 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 E ...
Court of Mary, Queen of Scots
John 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 E ...
16th-century Scottish people 1531 births 1563 deaths Sons of kings