Thomas (Stewart) Stewart Ist of Minto (abt. 1435 - 1500)

Born about 1435 in Garlies, Scotland [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Isobel Stewart — married [date unknown] in Renfrewshire, Scotland

Descendants

Died 1500 at about age 65 in Minto, Roxburghshire, Scotland [uncertain]

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Thomas (Stewart) Stewart Ist of Minto was an inhabitant of Medieval Scotland. Join: Scotland Project Discuss: Scotland

Biography

Thomas (Stewart) Stewart Ist of Minto is a member of Clan Stewart.

This profile is part of the Stewart Name Study.

Thomas Stewart was the second son of Sir William Stewart of Dalswinton^[1]and Garlies.^[2] The mother is difficult to ascertain in source. Douglas in his work The Peerage of Scotland,^[3] suggests that she was Euphame Graham. Sir James Balfour Paul, who bases his work on Douglas, rejects this and suggests his first wife was an Elizabeth (no surname provided) citing the charter record and is not confident of, but doesn't reject, a second wife.

Thomas was familiaris armiger suus (Squire of the Body) to King James III in 1476 and held the post for some years.^[4]

In 1480 he was Provost of Glasgow, a position that will become hereditary to this line of Stewart.

On 25 Jun 1489 there is a Charter, under the Great Seal, to Thomas Stewart, of Minto, and Isobel Stewart, his wife, of the lands of Househill in the Lordship of Dornlee in the sheriffdom of Renfrew. The Charter states that these lands were those of her mother's, Janet Cameron, the spouse of the late Lord Walter Stewart of Arthurlie.^[5]

On 20 Feb 1489/90, there is a Charter, under the Great Seal, to Thomas Stewart of Minto and Isobel, his wife of the lands of Bysby, in the Lordship of Kilbride, sheriffdom of Lanark (thus now part of Glasgow), which had been resigned by John Simple, of Elliotstown.^[6]

Family

He married Isabella Stewart, daughter and co-heiress of Walter Stewart of Arthurle (of Castlemilk) (Arthurlie) and his wife, Janet Cameron.^[7]

They had a number of children:^[8]

• John Stewart. Eldest son and heir. He had a charter to himself and his wife of the barony of Minto and lands of Busby in Lanarkshire 23 February 1502/3. He died 9 Sep 1513.

• William Stewart, born c. 1479. He was parson of Lochmaben, rector of Ayr, and a prebendary of Glasgow. In 1527 he was made Dean of Glasgow, and was appointed Lord High Treasurer 2 October 1530, which he held for seven years. At the same time he was granted the Provostry of Lincluden, and on 14 November 1532 was made Bishop of Aberdeen. In February 1533/34 he was sent with Sir Adam Otterburn, the King's Advocate, as an ambassador to England, to negotiate a treaty of peace. He died April 1545, and was buried in the cathedral of Aberdeen.
• Malcolm Stewart.
• Nicholas Stewart.
• Robert Stewart. On 15 February 1514 is styled brother-german of the late John Stewart, knight.
• Agnes Stewart, married John Stewart, of Cardonald, son of Alan Stewart of Cardonald, and had a daughter, Agnes.
• Marion Stewart, married Adam Maxwell of Southbar, third son of Herbert, first Lord Maxwell.
• Margaret Stewart, married Charles Pollok of Pollok, with children.

Note that Douglas, in his work The Peerage of Scotland,^[9] suggests that there were only two sons; John and William. Sir James Balfour Paul is more accurate in regards to this family and his sources are also cited in his work.^[10]

Death and Burial

He died in 1500, the place of death is not stated in source. He is buried in Aberdeen cathedral.^[11]

Armorial

It should be noted that individuals carried various armorials. Thomas Stewart carried three different arms. The one depicted, on this page, were the last, provided in Robson; or, a fess chequy, azure and argent, surmounted of a bend engrailed, and in chief a rose gules.^[12]

The "bend" is one of the distinguishing emblems for this line of the family and illustrates descendants of the Stewarts of Bonkyl. The use of a fesse chequy surmounted of a bend dexter, engrailed, marks the younger son of the line, and in this case represents his father, William, who was the younger brother to Sir John (later of Darnley).^[13]

Estates of Minto

These estates are derived from the marriage between Sir Alexander Stewart, of Darnley, and an unnamed Turnbull, sister of Sir John Turnbull of Minto. She inherited the estates of Minto and these passed to the second son, Sir William, ancestor to the Earls of Galloway.^[14]

Thomas, on 2 November 1476, was granted the lands of Sealaws and Morebattle (Marbottle), and a third part of the barony of Minto, with the superiority of the whole barony, thus giving him title to Baron of Minto, on his elder brother's resignation.

His wife, Isabel, brought possessions, mainly in Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire with her as her inheritance as co-heir to Walter Stewart of Arthurlie. On 10 August 1477, he received the lands of Househill, in Lanarkshire; and on 20 February 1489-90 (confirmed by royal charter dated 25 June 1489), the lands of Busby, also Lanarkshire (Charter dated 20 February 1489/90).^[15]

The seat of the barony of Minto is in Roxburghshire, now Scottish Borders and was roughly the same size as the more modern Parish of Minto.

Sources

Footnotes:

1. ↑ The Scots Peerage; Paul: Vol 2, page 78 Lord Blantyre
2. ↑ The peerage of Scotland; Douglas; Stewart, Lord Blantyre
3. ↑ The peerage of Scotland; Douglas; Stewart, Lord Blantyre
4. ↑ The Scots Peerage; Paul: Vol 4, page 151 Earl of Galloway
5. ↑ Registrum magni sigilli; James Balfour Paul Ed; Vol 2 (1424-1513). Charter number 1856; page 392
6. ↑ Registrum magni sigilli; James Balfour Paul Ed; Vol 2 (1424-1513). Charter number 1936; page 407
7. ↑ The Scots Peerage; Paul: Vol 2, page 77 Lord Blantyre
8. ↑ The Scots Peerage; Paul: Vol 2, page 77 Lord Blantyre
9. ↑ The peerage of Scotland; Douglas; Stewart, Lord Blantyre
10. ↑ The Scots Peerage; Paul: Vol 2, page 77 Lord Blantyre
11. ↑ The Scots Peerage; Paul: Vol 2, page 78 Lord Blantyre
12. ↑ The British herald, or cabinet of armorial bearings of the nobility & gentry of Great Britain & Ireland, from the earliest to the present time: Robson; 1830, Stewart of Minto.
13. ↑ This is discussed at length in The Scots Peerage; Paul: Vol 4, page 146 Earl of Galloway
14. ↑ This is discussed at length in The Scots Peerage; Paul: Vol 4, page 145 Earl of Galloway
15. ↑ The Scots Peerage; Paul: Vol 2, page 77 Lord Blantyre

Publications:

• The British herald, or cabinet of armorial bearings of the nobility & gentry of Great Britain & Ireland, from the earliest to the present time: Robson; 1830, Stewart of Minto.

• Heraldry of the Stewart; available from the National Library of Scotland as a pdf. Take care with this source for genealogical research as the lineage on some Stewart lines is inaccurate. It is best to reserve its use for armorials of the family.

• Paul, James Balfour. The Scots Peerage (David Douglas, Edinburgh, 1904-1914)

• The peerage of Scotland : containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom, from their origin to the present generation; Douglas, Wood's ed. Stewart, Lord Blantyre

• Registrum magni sigilli regum Scotorum : The register of the Great seal of Scotland, A.D. 1306-1668; James Balfour Paul Ed; Vol 2 (1424-1513). Archive.org