John (Stewart) Stewart of Balveny First Earl of Atholl (abt. 1440 - 1512)

Born about 1440 in Mortlach, Banffshire, Scotland [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret (Douglas) Countess of Atholl and Douglas — married before Mar 1460 in Perth, Perthshire, Scotland

Husband of Eleanor (Sinclair) Sinclair Countess of Atholl — married before 19 Apr 1475 in Scotland [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 15 Sep 1512 at about age 72 in Laighwood, Perthshire, Scotland

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John (Stewart) Stewart of Balveny First Earl of Atholl was a member of Scottish Nobility. Join: Scotland Project Discuss: Scotland

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John Stewart is a descendant of Magna Carta surety barons Robert de Vere, the Bigods, the Clares, and Saher de Quincy (see text below).

Biography

John (Stewart) Stewart of Balveny First Earl of Atholl is a member of Clan Stewart.

This profile is part of the Stewart Name Study.

John (Stewart) Stewart of Balveny First Earl of Atholl is Notable.

Family and Early Life

John Stewart, born about 1440, was the oldest child of Joan Beaufort, widow of James I of Scotland, and her second husband Sir James Stewart, the Black Knight of Lorn. ^[1][2] Several years after his mother's death, letters of safe conduct were issued in 1447 to John, his father, and his younger brother James by King Henry VI of England.^[3][4] The two boys and their father received an additional safe conduct on 17 August 1451.^[5] Sometime after this date John's father was killed at sea by Flemish pirates, and John and his brother were returned to Scotland.^[6] In or shortly before 1457 John Stewart was created earl of Atholl by his half-brother, King James II.^[7]

Marriage to Margaret Douglas

John married (first) before Mar 1460 to Margaret Douglas, "The Fair Maid of Galloway", widow of William, 8th earl of Douglas, divorced wife of James, 9th earl of Douglas, and daughter and heiress of Archibald, 5th earl of Douglas, and Duke of Touraine.^[2][8] On the occasion of his marriage to Margaret, the king granted Atholl the lordship and castle of Balveny in Banffshire, which had previously belonged to Margaret's brother-in-law, John Douglas, but was forfeited due to his participation in the rebellion.^[9][6] There were at least three children from this marriage:

• Janet Stewart (or Joanna or Jean); m. between c/m 14 Oct 1474 (when they were both children)^[10] and 16 Dec1482 to Alexander Gordon, 3rd Earl of Huntly;^[11] d. 27 Oct 1510^[12]
• Katherine Stewart; m. John, 6th Lord Forbes;^[10][13][14]; d. bef. 26 Feb 1510^[15]
• Elizabeth Stewart; m. bef. 1483 Andrew, Lord Gray^[10][16]

Margaret, countess of Atholl, died sometime before 19 April 1475.^[17][8]

Marriage to Eleanor Sinclair

Sir John Stewart married (second) before 19 Apr 1475, to Eleanor Sinclair, the daughter of William, 3rd earl of Orkney and 1st earl of Caithness.^[2][8] There were at least eleven children from this marriage:

• John Stewart, 2nd earl of Atholl and lord of Balveny; m. Janet Campbell;^[18][19] d. 1521^[20]
• Andrew Stewart, bishop-elect of Dunkeld, bishop of Caithness;^[2][8] d. 1542.^[21]
• Jean Stewart; m. Sir Robert Gordon, 2nd of Pitlurg.^[22][2][17]
• Christian Stewart; m. bef. 1 Mar 1505 to Neil Stewart of Fortingall and Garth;^[17][8] d. 1 Jun 1538.^[23]
• Elizabeth Stewart (or Isabel); m. bef. 24 Jan 1505 to Alexander Robertson of Strowan;^[24][25] still living 26 Aug 1508^[26]
• Margaret Stewart (or Elizabeth); m. Robert Robertson, younger of Strowan^[27][2]
• Marjory Stewart (or Mariote); m. Sir Colin Campbell, 3rd of Glenurchy;^[2][28] d. 26 Jul 1524^[29]
• Margaret Stewart; m. William Murray of Castletown^[30][2][28]
• Elisabeth Stewart (or Anne); m(1) Jan 1511 (cm dated 19 Jan 1511, ^[31] papal disp. dated 29 Jan 1511)^[32] John Stewart, 3rd earl of Lennox; m(2) cm 9 Dec 1529 Ninian, 3rd lord Ross^[33]
• Elspeth Stewart (or Elizabeth); m. bef. 2 Sep 1531 Robert Innes of Innermarky^[34][2][28]
• Jean Stewart; cm. 31 Aug 1507 to James Arbuthnot^[35] (see Research Notes)

Eleanor Sinclair, countess of Atholl, died 21 March 1519 and was buried in the cathedral at Dunkeld.^[36]

Political Activities

John Stewart, 1st earl of Atholl, was an active supporter of his nephew, James III, when James ascended to the throne of Scotland in 1460.^[6] He served as royal lieutenant within Atholl, and in 1481 was granted the forest of Cluny and the park of Laighwood as a reward for his help in putting down the rebellion of John of the Isles.^[6] Things began to fall apart, however, as early as 1479 when James III imprisoned his own brothers (Alexander Stewart, duke of Albany, and John Stewart, earl of Mar) who were much more popular among the people than the king was himself.^[37][38] The duke of Albany managed to escape his imprisonment and flee to England, where an English army was mustered in his support and began preparing for an invasion of Scotland.^[6] Atholl and his younger brother James, earl of Buchan, switched their allegiance to their two youngest nephews and managed to seize James III, imprisoning him in Edinburgh Castle.^[6] Unfortunately, the rebellion was completely disorganized and eventually fell apart, allowing the king to retain his hold on the government.^[6] Atholl, seeing that further resistance would be useless, once again pledged his support to James III. Buchan, who did not, was banished by the king in 1483.^[6]

In 1488 the king's own son and heir, the future James IV, led a new rebellion again his father.^[6] This time Atholl remained loyal to the king, and participated in several campaigns against the insurgents.^[6] When James IV eventually ascended to the throne, Atholl was briefly imprisoned by the new king in the castle at Dunbar.^[39][2] On his release, he (probably wisely) removed himself from the politics of court and concentrated on building up his own lands in Perthshire.^[6] His son-in-law, Neil Stewart of Fortingall, along with John, Atholl's own son and heir, were very active however in fighting some of the king's policies in Perthsire and their activities included destroying the castle of Weem.^[6] Atholl's failure to prosecute those who took part in this attack resulted in his being summoned, along with his son-in-law, to answer a new charge of treason.^[6] He appears to have successfully reconciled with James IV, however, as his lands were not forfeited and the charge was eventually dropped.^[6]

Death

John Stewart, 1st earl of Atholl, died 15 September 1512 at Laighwood, and was buried in Dunkeld Cathedral.^[2][40]

Research Notes

Daughter Jean who married James Arbuthnot:

There is disagreement about who Jean's parents were.

• The Scots Peerage places her as a daughter of John Stewart, 2nd earl of Atholl.^[18][41] Although the author, Sir Jame Balfour Paul, updated this family in his Addenda et Corrigenda he stood firm on Jean's father being the 2nd earl.^[42] The Red Book of Scotland (which was published in 2020) also places Jean as a daughter of the 2nd earl.^[43] It cites the Arbuthnott Inventory as a source for the date of her marriage contract (31 Aug 1507)^[43][44] and gives 19 April 1522 as the date of her death.^[43] There is another much earlier (1920) genealogy published by an Arbuthnot family member which likewise styles Jean as a daughter of the 2nd earl.^[45]
• However, Douglas Richardson believes that Jean was actually a daughter of John Stewart, 1st earl of Atholl, giving no sourcing and observing only that "chronology dictates that she be placed one generation earlier in the Stewart family tree."^[35]

We do not know Jean's date of birth, we know only that her marriage contract was dated 31 August 1507.^[35][43] We cannot know if her marriage occurred shortly after this date, or if her parents executed this contract on her behalf when she was still a young child.

It does appear, however, that Jean's daughter Isabel was married before 1531 to David Ocheterlony of Kellie.^[46] This would indicate that Isabel's birth date may have been somewhere around 1513 (she was one of four children) and suggests that her mother, Jean, may well have married in 1507. If she did marry in 1507, Jean's birthdate can be estimated to be c.1489. John Stewart, 2nd earl of Atholl, was born c.1476 (his parents married c.1475), which would have made him about 13 years of age when Jean was born. This supports Richardson's hypothesis that Jean was a daughter of John Stewart, 1st earl of Atholl, and a sister to the 2nd earl.

There are still numerous difficulties in documenting the children of John Stewart and Isabel Sinclair: three of the daughters were named Jean (or Janet) which seems unusual, and there is no primary documentation for the birthdate of any of the children. Douglas Richardson , for example, places Christian as the third daughter of John and his first wife, Margaret. ^[2]The Red Book of Scotland places Katherine rather than Christian as a daughter of John's first marriage,^[10] and that is the order which has been followed here.

Lacking any further information, Jean has been attached to this profile as a daughter of the 1st earl of Atholl. Stevens-17832 22:00, 2 March 2023 (UTC)

Notes from previous version of profile

There are conflicts among the reputable sources about which wife had which daughters (Catherine and Jean), and in one case (Jean) the name of her husband. One Jean is assigned to two husbands, not necessarily incorrectly, but with no indication she had two husbands. It is even possible that there were three daughters, some incorrectly translated in English as Jean. There is a primary source quoted in Scots Peerage that makes one Jean clearly wife of Arbuthnott. Richardson in "Royal Ancestry" agrees. No secondary source quotes a primary source for Catherine. Richardson quotes a very reputable secondary source (Andrew MacEwen in "The Genealogist" (USA) Vol. 2, Issue1) about Sinclair, but that article is silent about this question. In a private message he states he cannot at this time provide a reason for his choice, and Mr. MacEwen, the expert on these matters, died before he could be contacted.

Sources

1. ↑ Paul, Sir James Balfour, ed., The Scots Peerage, founded on Wood's edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland. Edinburgh: David Douglas, (1904), vol. 1, p. 441.
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11} Richardson, Douglas. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols., ed. Kimball G. Everingham. (Salt Lake City: the author, 2013), vol. 5, pp. 42-44 STEWART 13. John Stewart, Knt.
3. ↑ Bain, Joseph. Calendar of Documents Relating to Scotland. Edinburgh: H.M. General Register House (1881), vol. 4, p. 240, no. 1181; p. 244, no. 1203.
4. ↑ Hardy, Thomas D (ed). Syllabus (in English) of the Documents Relating to England and other Kingdoms (Rymer's Fœdera). London: Longmans, Green (1869), vol. 2, p. 678 (22 Nov 1447)
5. ↑ Hardy, Thomas D (ed). Syllabus (in English) of the Documents Relating to England and other Kingdoms (Rymer's Fœdera). London: Longmans, Green (1869), vol. 2,p. 682 (17 Aug 1451).
6. ↑ ^{6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13} Boardman, S.I. Stewart, John, first earl of Atholl. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online edition (23 Sep 2004), available here by subscription.
7. ↑ Rot. Scot. ii, 383, cited in Henderson, Thomas F. Stewart, John (1440? - 1512). Dictionary of National Biography online edition.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4} Paul, Sir James Balfour, ed., The Scots Peerage, founded on Wood's edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland. Edinburgh: David Douglas, (1904), vol. 1, p. 442.
9. ↑ Paul, Sir James Balfour (ed). Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum: The Register of the Great Seal of Scotland. Edinburgh: General Register House (1882), vol. 2, vol. 2, p. 157, no. 750.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3} MacGregor, Gordon. The Red Book of Scotland. Scotland: by the author (2020), vol. 9, p. 400.
11. ↑ Paul, Sir James Balfour (ed). Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum: The Register of the Great Seal of Scotland. Edinburgh: General Register House (1882), vol. 2, p. 320, no. 1532.
12. ↑ MacGregor, James. (Donald Gregory, transl). Chronicle of Fortingal, p. 60, available here.
13. ↑ Macfarlane, Walter. Macfarlane's Genealogical Collection. (1750), reprinted by the Scottish Historical Society (1900), vol. 2, p. 214.
14. ↑ Lumsden, Matthew. Genealogy of the Family Forbes. Inverness: the Journal office (1819), p. 11.
15. ↑ Paul, Sir James Balfour (ed). Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum: The Register of the Great Seal of Scotland. Edinburgh: General Register House (1882), vol. 2, p. 734, no. 3426.
16. ↑ Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburg: D. Douglas (1904), vol. 4, p. 276, where she is specifically referenced as the third daughter of John, earl of Atholl (brother uterine of James II) by his first wife Margaret.
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1 17.2} MacGregor, Gordon. The Red Book of Scotland. Scotland: by the author (2020), vol. 9, p. 401
18. ↑ ^{18.0 18.1} Paul, Sir James Balfour, ed., The Scots Peerage, founded on Wood's edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland. Edinburgh: David Douglas, (1904), vol. 1, p. 443.
19. ↑ Richardson, Douglas. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols., ed. Kimball G. Everingham. (Salt Lake City: the author, 2013), vol. 5, p. 44 STEWART 13i. John Stewart, 2nd earl of Atholl
20. ↑ Fraser, William. The Sutherland Book. Edinburgh: by the author (1892), vol. 1, p. 96, n..
21. ↑ Keith, Robert. An Historical Catalogue of the Scottish Bishops. Edinburgh: Bell & Bradfute (1824), p. 215.
22. ↑ Temple, Rev. William. The Thanage of Fermartyn. Aberdeen: Wyllie & Son (1894), p. 310.
23. ↑ MacGregor, James. (Donald Gregory, transl). Chronicle of Fortingal, p. 63, available here.
24. ↑ Paul, Sir James Balfour (ed). Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum: The Register of the Great Seal of Scotland. Edinburgh: General Register House (1882), vol. 2, p. 598, no. 2814.
25. ↑ Macfarlane, Walter. Macfarlane's Genealogical Collection. (1750), reprinted by the Scottish Historical Society (1900),vol. 2. p. 309.
26. ↑ RPS, vol. i, no 1717, cited in MacGregor, Gordon. The Red Book of Scotland. Scotland: by the author (2020), vol. 9, p. 402.
27. ↑ Macfarlane, Walter. Macfarlane's Genealogical Collection. (1750), reprinted by the Scottish Historical Society (1900), vol. 2, p. 310.
28. ↑ ^{28.0 28.1 28.2} MacGregor, Gordon. The Red Book of Scotland. Scotland: by the author (2020), vol. 9, p. 402.
29. ↑ MacGregor, James. (Donald Gregory, transl). Chronicle of Fortingal, p. 61, available here.
30. ↑ Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1904), vol. 1, p. 461.
31. ↑ GD220/2/1/120, cited in MacGregor, Gordon. The Red Book of Scotland. Scotland: by the author (2020), vol. 9, p. 402.
32. ↑ Fraser's The Lennox. vol. 2, pp. 192, 195, cited in Paul, Sir James Balfour, ed., The Scots Peerage, founded on Wood's edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland. Edinburgh: David Douglas, (1904), vol. 1, p. 442.
33. ↑ Acta Dominorum Concilii, xli, f25, cited in Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1914), vol. 9, pp. 27-28.
34. ↑ Paul, Sir James Balfour (ed). Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum: The Register of the Great Seal of Scotland. Edinburgh: General Register House (1882), vol. 3, vol. 3, p. 233, no. 1063.
35. ↑ ^{35.0 35.1 35.2} Richardson, Douglas. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols., ed. Kimball G. Everingham. (Salt Lake City: the author, 2013), vol. 5, p. 1 SPOTSWOOD 14. Jean (or Janet) Stewart.
36. ↑ MacEwen, Andrew B.W. Some Corrections to the Sinclair Pedigree. The Genealogist.'American Society of Genealogists, vol. 2, no. 1 (1981), available here by subscription. Citing a typed copy of The Chronicle of Fortingal among the papers of John MacGregor, W.S., Scottish Record Office, Edinburgh, GD 50/61, p. 2: "Obitus Elene SInglar comitisse Atholie xxj Mertii anno &c vc xviij, et sepulta in Dunkell [that is, Dunkeld Cathedral]."
37. ↑ Ashley, Mike. The Mammoth Book of British Kings & Queens. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, Inc. (1998), p. 563.
38. ↑ Mackenzie, Agnes Mure. The Rise of the Stewarts. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd, Ltd. (1957), p. 273.
39. ↑ *Henderson, Thomas F. Stewart, John (1440? - 1512). Dictionary of National Biography online edition.
40. ↑ Atholl Chronicles, cited in Paul, Sir James Balfour, ed., The Scots Peerage, founded on Wood's edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland. Edinburgh: David Douglas, (1904), vol. 1, p. 441.
41. ↑ Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1904), vol. 1, p. 288.
42. ↑ Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1914), vol. 9, pp. 27-28.
43. ↑ ^{43.0 43.1 43.2 43.3} MacGregor, Gordon. The Red Book of Scotland. Scotland: by the author (2020), vol. 9, p. 403.
44. ↑ Arbuthnott Family and Estate Papers. University of Aberdeen Special Collections, more information available here.
45. ↑ Arbuthnot, Ada J.E. Memories of the Arbuthnots of Kincardineshire and Aberdeenshire. London: G. Allen & Unwin Ltd (1920), p. 50.
46. ↑ Arbuthnot Inventory, Continuation, cited in Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1904), vol. 1, p. 288.

See also:

• Bain, Joseph. Notes on a Dispensation for the Marriage of Johanna Beaufort with the Black Knight of Lorn. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, vol. 16 (1881-2), p.175.

• Charles Cawley. John Stewart, Ch. 2.D., entry in "Medieval Lands": A prosopography of medieval European noble and royal families © by Charles Cawley, hosted by Foundation for Medieval Genealogy (FMG). database (accessed 21 Oct 2019).

• McAndrew, Bruce A. Scotland's Historic Heraldry. Suffolk: Boydell Press (2006), p. 281.

• Notes and Queries, 4th Ser. vol. 7 (1871, London. Dr. Arbuthnot, pp. 8-9. Available here.

• Sinclair, Alexander. Dissertation Upon "Heirs Male"... Edinburgh: William Blackwood and Sons (1837), pp. 117-118 (available here).

• Stewart, Duncan. A Short Historical and Genealogical Account of the Royal Family of Scotland.... Edinburgh: W. Sands (1739), reprinted by ECCO, pp. 171-173.

• Wikipedia: John Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl

• Wikidata: Item Q1240207, en:Wikipedia

Acknowledgements

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Magna Carta Project

This profile was re-reviewed for the Magna Carta Project by Jen Hutton on 3 March 2023.

This profile is in a trail badged by the Magna Carta Project.

John Stewart appears in project-approved/badged trails from Gateway Ancestor Alexander Spotswood to Magna Carta Surety Barons Gilbert de Clare, Richard de Clare, Hugh le Bigod, Roger le Bigod, Saher de Quincy, and Robert de Vere. Each of these trails can be viewed in the Magna Carta Trails section of the Gateway's profile.

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