James Stewart, 1st Earl of Buchan

James Stewart, 1st Earl of Buchan (1442–1499), was the second son of Sir James Stewart, the Black Knight of Lorne, and Joan Beaufort, the widow of James I of Scotland. "Hearty James" was a younger brother of John Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl, and a younger half-brother of James II of Scotland and Princess Margaret Stewart, first wife of Louis XI of France.

Life

By 1466, Hearty James married Margaret Ogilvie, the heiress of Sir Alexander Ogilvie of Auchterhouse. They were parents to two children:

• Alexander Stewart, 2nd Earl of Buchan (d. 1505)
• Isabel Stewart of Buchan, a mistress of James IV of Scotland, and mother of Lady Janet Stewart, who was in turn a mistress of Henry II of France.

In 1467, his nephew James III granted him and his wife the lands of the Baronies of Strathalva and Down, with the Castle of Banff and the fishings of the water of River Deveron. In 1469, James III conferred on Hearty James the Earldom of Buchan. James took on the titles Earl of Buchan, first of the third creation, and Lord Auchterhouse.

James III gave Traquair House and all its lands to his favourite, Robert Boyd, 1st Lord Boyd, then a few years later to his "Master of Music", who in turn sold it on to the King's uncle the Earl of Buchan for the equivalent today of a few pounds.

When the southern barons entered into a conspiracy against the King, the Earl of Buchan naturally remained loyal. The King soon crossed the River Forth, and passed into the northeastern counties, where a strong force rallied around him. He then marched southward, and came in sight of the rebellious barons at Blackness in West Lothian, and the Earl of Buchan attacked and drove back the left wing of the insurgent army.

Negotiations were opened, and the Earl of Buchan insisted on severe measures against the insurgent nobles; but George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly and William Hay, 3rd Earl of Erroll were opposed to this, and they retired to the north. It was evident, however, that Buchan’s view was right. A pacification was arranged in May, 1488, in which the barons promised to return to their allegiance and maintain the rights of the Crown and the peace of the kingdom; and thereupon the King disbanded his army and returned to Edinburgh.

He died in 1499, and was succeeded by his son, Alexander.

Illegitimate issue

James Stewart had several illegitimate children with his mistress Margaret Murray (b. ca. 1446), many of whom were later legitimized by a royal charter issued in 1488–1489.

• James Stewart, 1st Laird of Traquair (1480–1513), killed at the Battle of Flodden Field, he was the ancestor of John Stewart, 1st Earl of Traquair.
• Lady Agnes Stewart, married first Adam Hepburn, 2nd Earl of Bothwell, secondly Alexander Home, 3rd Lord Home and thirdly John Maxwell, 4th Lord Maxwell. They had at least eight children. He was killed at the Battle of Flodden Field on 9 September 1513, she died in February, 1557.

External links

• Article on Stewart family
• Earls of Buchan
• Stewarts of Traquair
• Scottish History Online