Alexander Stewart (archbishop of St Andrews)
Alexander Stewart (c. 1493 – 9 September 1513) was an illegitimate son of King James IV of Scotland and his mistress Marion Boyd. He was the eldest illegitimate child of King James IV of Scotland his mistress Marion Boyd. He was an elder brother of Catherine Stewart his only full sibling, a half brother to James Stewart, Margaret Stewart and Janet Stewart the other royal illegitimate children of James IV and his mistresses. He was an older half brother of James V.
Mother
His mother was Marion Boyd daughter of Angus Boyd who was Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus’s brother in - law through his second wife. Angus’s influence over the young King may have been how Marion and James IV met and eventually had two children, Alexander born around 1493 and Catherine born around 1494.
Church Life
From a young age Alexander was groomed for a life in the church. At the age of four his father received a dispensation from illegitimacy by Julius II enabling him to join the church. By September 1502 he was archdeacon, when his uncle James, Duke of Ross died in 1504 his father the King nominated him as the new Archbishop of St Andrews. Alexander was still only a boy at age 11 which would mean his father could still receive the revenues of St Andrews since Alexander was under age until he turned 27.
Education and Erasmus
He received a superb education firstly from James Watson, later Dean of the Arts faculty at St Andrews, and latterly from Patrick Paniter whom he seemed to have been close to. In 1507 Alexander Stewart was sent to France on the royal ship the Treasurer. His education continued with lengthy journeys to the low countries, and Italy in 1507. In Padua he studied rhetoric and Greek under Erasmus who wrote a moving obituary after young Alexander’s death at the battle of Flodden field.[1] Erasmus mentioned their time at Siena where after studies in the morning Alexander would play the monochord, recorder or lute in the afternoon.[2] Alexander returned to Scotland in 1510 and at the age of 17 became Lord Chancellor of Scotland.
Later life
Alexander was reportedly severely myopic, possibly from extensive study in poor conditions. In 1511 he co-founded St Leonard's College in St Andrews, whose chapel still stands (minus its original tower). A gateway with his coat of arms above the arch survives in St Andrews. He was killed along with his father at the Battle of Flodden Field.
References
- ^ Hay, Denys, Letters of James IV, HMSO (1954), 252, 8 Dec. 1533: Mynors, RAB., ed., Collected Works of Erasmus, Adages, vol. 3, Toronto, (1991), 240-243, Adage 2.5.1 Spartam nactus es, trans. English
- ^ Shire, Helena M., Stewart Style 1513-1542, Tuckwell, (1996), 126-7, quoting Phillips, M. M., The Adages of Erasmus, Cambridge (1964), 305-307.
Norman Macdougall James the Fourth
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| Scoto-Norman era bishops |
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| Pre-Reformation archbishops | ||
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Afterwards, see also: Episcopal Archbishops of St Andrews, Bishops of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane (etc.) & Roman Catholic Archbishops of St Andrews and Edinburgh (etc.) | ||
- 1490s births
- 1513 deaths
- House of Stuart
- Illegitimate children of James IV of Scotland
- 16th-century Roman Catholic archbishops
- Abbots of Dunfermline
- Archbishops of St Andrews
- Deaths at the Battle of Flodden
- Founders of Scottish schools and colleges
- Chancellors of the University of St Andrews
- Scottish people of Danish descent