Robert (Stewart) Stewart First Earl of Orkney (1533 - 1593)

Born 1533 in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Jean (Kennedy) Stewart — married 14 Dec 1561 in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland

Descendants

Died 4 Feb 1593 at about age 60 in Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Stevenson Browne [send private message]

Biography

Robert (Stewart) Stewart First Earl of Orkney is Notable.

Sir Robert Stewart was a member of the aristocracy in British Isles.

Robert Stewart, Knt., 1st Earl of Orkney and Lord of Zetland (Shetland) (spring of 1533 – 4 February 1593), was a recognized illegitimate son of James V Stewart, King of Scotland and his mistress, Euphame Elphinstone.

Robert Stewart of Strathdown, Ist Earl of Orkney, Lord of Zetland was half-brother to Mary, Queen of Scots and uncle to James VI and I of Scotland and England.^[1]

Robert married Lady Janet Kennedy, daughter of Gilbert Kennedy, 3rd Earl of Cassillis and Margaret Kennedy, on 14 Dec 1561 at Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland.^[1]

In 1539 Robert was made Commendator of Holyrood Abbey, and Commendator of Charlieu Abbey in France by 1557.^[1] On 9 Feb 1560 he testified against the Hamiltons, Duke of Châtellerault and Earl of Arran, and the Protestant Lords of the Congregation to James MacGill and John Bellenden of Auchnoule. They were collecting evidence for Henri Cleutin and Jacques de la Brosse, the French advisors of his step-mother Mary of Guise who planned to have the Hamiltons charged with treason against his half-sister, Mary, Queen of Scots and France. Robert himself had signed some of the letters that were to be cited as evidence.

Robert was knighted as Sir Robert Stewart of Strathdon on 15 May 1565, as part of marriage celebrations of Mary, Queen of Scots and Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. In 1581 he was named, by James VI, the 1st Earl in a second creation of the Earldom of Orkney. The new earldom replaced a short-lived Dukedom of Orkney, which had been awarded in 1567 by Mary, Queen of Scots, to her notorious third husband James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell. This dukedom was forfeit later that same year after Mary was forced to abdicate and Bothwell was charged with treason. Prior to this dukedom there had existed an Earldom of Orkney that was surrendered in 1470 by William Sinclair, 3rd Earl of Orkney.

Mary wrote a will at Sheffield in 1577 ineffectually declaring his title to Orkney null and void, after Robert was imprisoned in 1575 for obtaining a letter from the King of Denmark declaring him sovereign of Orkney. His crimes included colluding with Shetland pirates. The Earl was imprisoned at Linlithgow Palace. He was released in 1579.

Robert Stewart built the Palace of Birsay on Orkney, Scotland.The castle was constructed in two phases. The first phase of work, begun in the 1570s, consisted of the great hall located in the south range, above the main door. Beside this was Lord Orkney's private chamber in the south-east corner tower. An inscription above the entrance, dated 1574, marks this phase.

Earl’s Palace, Birsay, Orkney

The second phase, completed in the 1580s, saw a new range containing a great hall and chamber built on the north side of the courtyard. The second phase probably followed Robert's acquisition of the Earldom of Orkney in 1581. After the death of Robert Stewart, the palace was used only occasionally by later earls of Orkney, and was not occupied after the mid-17th century. On his death in 1593 the earldom passed to his son Patrick Stewart, 2nd Earl of Orkney.

Robert Stewart died 4 Feb 1592/93.^[1] He was buried in the Stewart Aisle at Saint Magnus Cathedral and Churchyard in Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Scotland.^[2]

Children of Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney and Lady Janet Kennedy

Earl Robert and Lady Janet had nine children.^[1]

1. Henry Stewart, Master of Orkney d. a 1589
2. Patrick Stewart, 2nd Earl of Orkney b. a 1568, d. 6 Feb 1615
3. John Stewart, 1st and last Earl of Carrick+ d. fr 22 Jun 1643 - 3 Mar 1645/46
4. Sir James Stewart
5. Sir Robert Stewart
6. Marie Stewart
7. Jean Stewart b. c 1563
8. Elizabeth Stewart
9. Barbara Stewart

Children of Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney

Earl Robert had a large number of illegitimate children.^[1]

1. Robert Stewart, who was legitimated
2. James Stewart, also legitimated
3. James Stewart of Graemsay, Orkney; mother said to be Janet Robertson of Strowan
4. William Stewart of Egilshay
5. George Stewart of Eynhallow, who was legitimated 29 Nov 1586; his mother, also mother if Edward and David, was Marjorie Sandilands, wife of Adam Gordon, brother of John Gordon of Avachie; George died before 30 March 1616
6. Edward Stewart of Brugh; succeeded to his brother George before 30 March 1616
7. David Stewart of How
8. Christian Stewart married to John Mouat of Hougaland in Shetland, and as his widow, was living, and in feud with her brother-in-law in 1634
9. Grizel, married before 27 December 1591 to Hugh Sinclair of Brugh, Shetland
10. Mary, said to have been married to Lawrence Sinclair of Goat, Shetland

Research Notes

• The Peerage : accessed 25 Jun 2018

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} Paul, James Balfour, Sir, 1846-1931, ed. dn. The Scots peerage; founded on Wood's edition of Sir Robert Douglas's peerage of Scotland; containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom. Edinburgh : D. Douglas. 1904. Stewart, Earl of Orkney, pp. 573-7.
2. ↑ Robert Stewart Find A Grave: Memorial #84549118

See also:

• Wikipedia: Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney

• Wikidata: Item Q3183663, en:Wikipedia

• The Kith and Kin Chronicles Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney and Lord of Shetland

• Undiscovered Scotland Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney