Individual Details
John "Earl of Buchan" Stewart
(1380 - 17 Aug 1424)
[[Category:Clan Stewart]]
[[Category:Earl of Buchan]]
[[Category:Earl of Ross]]
[[Category: Scots in French Service]]
[[Category:Battle of Baugé]]
[[Category:Battle of Verneuil]]
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}
}
}
}
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== Biography ==John Stewart was the eldest son of [[Stewart-1526|Robert Stewart]], Duke of Albany, Regent of Scotland, the illegitimate son to King Robert II, and his second wife [[Keith-258|Muriella Keith]], daughter of Sir William Keith, Marischal of Scotland.[[#S-1]] Balfour Paul; Vol 2, page 264; [https://archive.org/stream/scotspeeragefoun02paul#page/264/mode/2up John Stewart, Earl of Buchan]
He was born about 1380, and was trained to the profession of arms from his youth. He likely went overseas early and found service in one of the mercenary bands. He is noticed as having served under [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hawkwood Sir John Hawkwood] and he became a distinguished leader.
===Earl of Buchan===In 1406, his father, the Duke of Albany, was appointed Regent of Scotland, during the imprisonment of the King James I, and the most powerful man in the land. On 20 September 1406 the Duke of Albany, styling himself Earl of Buchan, gave to him "totum . . . comitatum nostrum de Buchane" erecting the lands pertaining to it into a free barony, with remainder to his brothers Andrew and Robert.
On 12 March 1407 his father resigned in his favour the office of Chamberlain of Scotland, which he held till his death. In 1407 he received from his maternal grandfather grants of lands in Stirlingshire, with the office of Sheriff of the county; and the barony of Obeyn, now Aboyne, in Aberdeenshire.
===Earl of Ross===In 1415, on the resignation of Euphemia Leslie, Countess of Ross, who was then a Crown ward (in ward to the Regent), he received the barony of Kingedward. Although Balfour Paul notes that this action was "a violation of the rights of [[Leslie-169|Mary Leslie]] her aunt, married to [[Macdonald-273|Donald]], Lord of the Isles" it legally wasn't. The article on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stewart,_Earl_of_Buchan wikipedia] is misleading and perpetuates a myth. Euphemia Leslie, certainly under some pressure and a minor, on 15 June 1415 ( a considerable time after the Battle of Harlaw), all her lands and titles including the earldom of Ross, and lands in the counties of Inverness, Nairn, Kincardine, and Fife, to the Crown (the Regent), an action that was not unusual. Again, as was common, she received them back again by charter, first, to the heirs male of his own body, whom failing (an occurrence which was likely), to John Stewart, Earl of Buchan, whom failing, to Robert Stewart, brother of John, whom failing to the king and his heirs. This latter charter thus altered the Charter for Ross, of 1370, which had allowed Mary Leslie a claim.
From that time he was sometimes styled Earl of Ross. Bain provides[[#S-2]] Robert Bain; page 80; [https://archive.org/stream/historyofancient00bain#page/80/mode/2up John Stewart, 10th Earl of Ross] that he was absent almost the entire time that he held the Earldom. Although Bain denigrates him for failing to attend the Earldom during the MacDonald invasion of Scotland in 1411 and then failing to appear at Harlaw later that year, this could only have been a criticism in his capacity as Earl of Buchan. He mentions that he was with Hawkwood at the time and thus in Florence.
He must have been in Scotland towards the end of 1415 as his father, Regent, sends him to England, in 1416, to treat for the release of James I., but he returned unsuccessful. It could be supposed that not too considerable effort was made as it was not in the best interests of the Albany Stewarts to facilitate James' return.
===Service in France===In 1419Wikipedia mentions 1419, although the incident, noticed in Liber Pluscardensis, i. 355. is stated as occurring in 1420. he went to France with 6/7000 Scottish soldiers to support Charles VII. who had suffered severely against the English at the [[:Category: Battle of Agincourt|Battle of Agincourt]] in 1415. The Scots spent some time distributed in garrisons. His father, Robert, died in Sep 1420, and his role, as Regent, and titles fell to his brother, [[Stewart-1651|Murdoch]].
Stewart's soldiers prove unpopular amongst the French, owing to their fondness for food and drink, but success in battle would make the Scottish army extremely welcome in France. In 1420 Stewart was appointed to command the combined Franco-Scottish army that would meet, 21 March 1421, the English at the [[:Category:Battle of Baugé|Battle of Baug��]]. His popularity cemented at the battle, a rout in which the Franco-Scots did not lose any man of importance, whereas Henry V lost some of his most senior commanders plus the heir to the throne of England and commander of his forces in France, and Stewart was rewarded with the appointment as Constable of France by the French King, making him the effective commander-in-chief of the French army. He was also given land at Châtillon-sur-Indre, and the services of an astrologer, suggesting an interest outside of warfare.
Later in 1421 he took part in the unsuccessful siege of Alençon, which nearly led to another battle, and also in the successful attack on Montmirail in May-June. Early in 1423 he led an unsuccessful campaign in the Ile-de-France, before returning to Scotland at the head of an embassy seeking further reinforcements.
The power of the Alnbany Stewarts was on the wane. Murdoch, not as strong as his father, was bowing to the will of the nobility and seeking the return of James I from captivity. England too, now under Henry VI wanted the issued closed and sought his ransom. In the early months of 1423 their attempts to resolve the issue met with little response from the Scots, clearly influenced by the Albany Stewarts and adherents. Amongst these [[Douglas-389|Archibald Douglas]], 4th Earl of Douglas was an astute and adaptable power in Southern Scotland whose influence now eclipsed that of the Albany Stewarts.
A ransom treaty of £40,000 sterling (less a dowry remittance of 10,000 marks) was agreed at Durham on 28 March 1424 to which James attached his own seal. The king and queen, escorted by English and Scottish nobles, reached Melrose Abbey on 5 April and were met by Murdoch Stewart who relinquished his governor's seal of office.
By this point John Stewart had left, likely understanding the questioning that was on the horizon. In March 1424 he returned to France as part of another large Scottish army, this time under the command of Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas (and now duke of Touraine).
===Death at Verneuil===By the summer of 1424 the English were besieging the city of Ivry, close to Le Mans. A large Franco-Scottish army under the command of Douglas, Buchan, the duke of Alençon and the viscounts of Narbonne and Aumâle moved to relieve the siege, but before they could arrive, the town surrendered. After a council of war it was decided to attack some of the English possession on the border of Normandy. In mid-August the combined army captured Verneuil. The English commander in France, the duke of Bedford, responded quickly, leading an army south to Verneuil. The senior French commanders would have preferred to retire, but it seems that the Scots convinced them to make a stand. On 17 August 1424 the Franco-Scottish army suffered a heavy defeat. Both Buchan and Douglas were killed during the battle, along with around 4,000 of the Scottish contingent.
The defeat at Verneuil seriously weakened the position of Charles VII. in France. It also had a significant impact on Scottish politics with James I now returned from captivity in England. The deaths of Douglas and Buchan, two of the most influential Scottish magnates and the backbone of the Albany Stewarts, meant the end for that house. In the following year James ordered the arrest and execution of Murdoch Stewart, second duke of Albany. One unexpected side effect of the battle of Verneuil was a revival in the power of the Scottish kings.
===Family===He married, in 1413 and prior to taking up the Earldom of Ross, Elizabeth Douglas, daughter to [[Douglas-389|Archibald Douglas]], 4th Earl of Douglas, his comrade in arms. After his death in 1424, Elizabeth married Sir Thomas Stewart, an illegitimate son of Sir Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar. He died in 1435 and she married, thirdly, William Sinclair, Earl of Orkney and later Caithness. She died at some point prior to 1451.
With Elizabeth he had a daughter:
* Margaret Stewart; likely born about 1415 and who married, dispensation dated 1436, as his first wife, George Seton, 1st Lord Seton, whose father, Sir William Seton of that Ilk died with her father at the battle of Verneuil.
===Arms===The arms provided on wikipedia, at the date of this edit, are incorrect but the author notified. Balfour Paul[[#S-1]] Balfour Paul; Vol 2, page 265. provides his arms as those of Buchan; Azure, three garbs or. These arms are carried by his daughter into her marriage and then into the family of Lord Seton where they were borne quartered.
However his arms are noted[https://archive.org/stream/heraldryofstewar00johnuoft#page/36/mode/2up The heraldry of the Stewarts, with notes on all the males of the family, descriptions of the arms, plates and pedigrees], quoting Nisbet as being quartered, 1st and 3rd, Scotland, 2nd and 4th Buchan; crest a wheat sheaf (garb). These arms are provided here.
===His lands and titles===The elder of the two brothers, Andrew and Robert, named in the charter, by his father, conferring the earldom of Buchan in 1406, was probably dead before 1415, as he does not appear, with Robert in the Charter associated with the Earldom of Ross.
Robert was alive in 1431, and after the return of James I, and had become a Crown pensioner. He never laid any claim, at least one that is recorded, to the earldom of Ross and the barony of Kingedward, nor the earldom of Buchan. It can be presumed that this was an arrangement with James I and all of these issues were resolved by James I in his vigorous destruction of the Albany Stewart; he escaping with his life.
On the death of John Buchan, James took the opportunity to bring both these Earldoms under his direct control as mentioned in the conditions of the Charter of 1415. A number of his relatives held the titles for a time. Mary Stewart, fifth daughter of James I., was styled Countess of Buchan prior to 1440, and having married, in 1444, Wolfart van Borselen, Count of Grandpre, and Lord of Campvere in Holland, he is said to have become Earl of Buchan in her right.[[#S-1]] Balfour Paul; Vol 2, page 265 quoting LiberPluscardensis, i. 390; and Exch. Rolls, iv. p. clxii. If so he never appears in that capacity in the Scottish Parliament. Bower also mentions that James I. made George Dunbar, eleventh Earl of March, Earl of Buchan, but there is no other source to this and no record; it also seems improbable given the circumstances of the day.
== Footnotes ==
== Sources ==
* Source S-1}
* Source S-2}
* [http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/people_stewart_john_third_buchan.html Military History Encyclopaedia on the Web]
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This person was created through the import of Jim Walker gedcom 4 Wikitree may 22 2011.ged on 24 May 2011.
-- MERGED NOTE ------------
[[Category:Scotland, Arbroath Profiles Needs Review]]
[[Category:Declaration of Arbroath, Edward Keith Family Worklist]]
[[Category:Declaration of Arbroath, Stewart Family Worklist]]
[[Category:Clan Stewart]]
[[Category: Earls of Buchan]]
[[Category: Earls of Ross]]
[[Category: Scots in French Service]]
[[Category:Battle of Baugé]]
[[Category:Battle of Verneuil]]
}
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}
}
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== Biography ==
}
}
John Stewart was the eldest son of [[Stewart-1526|Robert Stewart]], Duke of Albany, Regent of Scotland, the illegitimate son to King Robert II, and his second wife [[Keith-258|Muriella Keith]], daughter of Sir William Keith, Marischal of Scotland.[[#S-1]] Balfour Paul; Vol 2, page 264; [https://archive.org/stream/scotspeeragefoun02paul#page/264/mode/2up John Stewart, Earl of Buchan]
He was born about 1380, and was trained to the profession of arms from his youth. He likely went overseas early and found service in one of the mercenary bands. He is noticed as having served under [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hawkwood Sir John Hawkwood] and he became a distinguished leader.
===Earl of Buchan===In 1406, his father, the Duke of Albany, was appointed Regent of Scotland, during the imprisonment of the King James I, and the most powerful man in the land. On 20 September 1406 the Duke of Albany, styling himself Earl of Buchan, gave to him "totum . . . comitatum nostrum de Buchane" erecting the lands pertaining to it into a free barony, with remainder to his brothers Andrew and Robert.
On 12 March 1407 his father resigned in his favour the office of Chamberlain of Scotland, which he held till his death. In 1407 he received from his maternal grandfather grants of lands in Stirlingshire, with the office of Sheriff of the county; and the barony of Obeyn, now Aboyne, in Aberdeenshire.
===Earl of Ross===In 1415, on the resignation of Euphemia Leslie, Countess of Ross, who was then a Crown ward (in ward to the Regent), he received the barony of Kingedward. Although Balfour Paul notes that this action was "a violation of the rights of [[Leslie-169|Mary Leslie]] her aunt, married to [[Macdonald-273|Donald]], Lord of the Isles" it legally wasn't. The article on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stewart,_Earl_of_Buchan wikipedia] is misleading and perpetuates a myth. Euphemia Leslie, certainly under some pressure and a minor, on 15 June 1415 ( a considerable time after the Battle of Harlaw), all her lands and titles including the earldom of Ross, and lands in the counties of Inverness, Nairn, Kincardine, and Fife, to the Crown (the Regent), an action that was not unusual. Again, as was common, she received them back again by charter, first, to the heirs male of his own body, whom failing (an occurrence which was likely), to John Stewart, Earl of Buchan, whom failing, to Robert Stewart, brother of John, whom failing to the king and his heirs. This latter charter thus altered the Charter for Ross, of 1370, which had allowed Mary Leslie a claim.
From that time he was sometimes styled Earl of Ross. Bain provides[[#S-2]] Robert Bain; page 80; [https://archive.org/stream/historyofancient00bain#page/80/mode/2up John Stewart, 10th Earl of Ross] that he was absent almost the entire time that he held the Earldom. Although Bain denigrates him for failing to attend the Earldom during the MacDonald invasion of Scotland in 1411 and then failing to appear at Harlaw later that year, this could only have been a criticism in his capacity as Earl of Buchan. He mentions that he was with Hawkwood at the time and thus in Florence.
He must have been in Scotland towards the end of 1415 as his father, Regent, sends him to England, in 1416, to treat for the release of James I., but he returned unsuccessful. It could be supposed that not too considerable effort was made as it was not in the best interests of the Albany Stewarts to facilitate James' return.
===Service in France===In 1419Wikipedia mentions 1419, although the incident, noticed in Liber Pluscardensis, i. 355. is stated as occurring in 1420. he went to France with 6/7000 Scottish soldiers to support Charles VII. who had suffered severely against the English at the [[:Category: Battle of Agincourt|Battle of Agincourt]] in 1415. The Scots spent some time distributed in garrisons. His father, Robert, died in Sep 1420, and his role, as Regent, and titles fell to his brother, [[Stewart-1651|Murdoch]].
Stewart's soldiers prove unpopular amongst the French, owing to their fondness for food and drink, but success in battle would make the Scottish army extremely welcome in France. In 1420 Stewart was appointed to command the combined Franco-Scottish army that would meet, 21 March 1421, the English at the [[:Category:Battle of Baugé|Battle of Baug��]]. His popularity cemented at the battle, a rout in which the Franco-Scots did not lose any man of importance, whereas Henry V lost some of his most senior commanders plus the heir to the throne of England and commander of his forces in France, and Stewart was rewarded with the appointment as Constable of France by the French King, making him the effective commander-in-chief of the French army. He was also given land at Châtillon-sur-Indre, and the services of an astrologer, suggesting an interest outside of warfare.
Later in 1421 he took part in the unsuccessful siege of Alençon, which nearly led to another battle, and also in the successful attack on Montmirail in May-June. Early in 1423 he led an unsuccessful campaign in the Ile-de-France, before returning to Scotland at the head of an embassy seeking further reinforcements.
The power of the Alnbany Stewarts was on the wane. Murdoch, not as strong as his father, was bowing to the will of the nobility and seeking the return of James I from captivity. England too, now under Henry VI wanted the issued closed and sought his ransom. In the early months of 1423 their attempts to resolve the issue met with little response from the Scots, clearly influenced by the Albany Stewarts and adherents. Amongst these [[Douglas-389|Archibald Douglas]], 4th Earl of Douglas was an astute and adaptable power in Southern Scotland whose influence now eclipsed that of the Albany Stewarts.
A ransom treaty of £40,000 sterling (less a dowry remittance of 10,000 marks) was agreed at Durham on 28 March 1424 to which James attached his own seal. The king and queen, escorted by English and Scottish nobles, reached Melrose Abbey on 5 April and were met by Murdoch Stewart who relinquished his governor's seal of office.
By this point John Stewart had left, likely understanding the questioning that was on the horizon. In March 1424 he returned to France as part of another large Scottish army, this time under the command of Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas (and now duke of Touraine).
===Death at Verneuil===By the summer of 1424 the English were besieging the city of Ivry, close to Le Mans. A large Franco-Scottish army under the command of Douglas, Buchan, the duke of Alençon and the viscounts of Narbonne and Aumâle moved to relieve the siege, but before they could arrive, the town surrendered. After a council of war it was decided to attack some of the English possession on the border of Normandy. In mid-August the combined army captured Verneuil. The English commander in France, the duke of Bedford, responded quickly, leading an army south to Verneuil. The senior French commanders would have preferred to retire, but it seems that the Scots convinced them to make a stand. On 17 August 1424 the Franco-Scottish army suffered a heavy defeat. Both Buchan and Douglas were killed during the battle, along with around 4,000 of the Scottish contingent.
The defeat at Verneuil seriously weakened the position of Charles VII. in France. It also had a significant impact on Scottish politics with James I now returned from captivity in England. The deaths of Douglas and Buchan, two of the most influential Scottish magnates and the backbone of the Albany Stewarts, meant the end for that house. In the following year James ordered the arrest and execution of Murdoch Stewart, second duke of Albany. One unexpected side effect of the battle of Verneuil was a revival in the power of the Scottish kings.
===Family===He married, in 1413 and prior to taking up the Earldom of Ross, Elizabeth Douglas, daughter to [[Douglas-389|Archibald Douglas]], 4th Earl of Douglas, his comrade in arms. After his death in 1424, Elizabeth married Sir Thomas Stewart, an illegitimate son of Sir Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar. He died in 1435 and she married, thirdly, William Sinclair, Earl of Orkney and later Caithness. She died at some point prior to 1451.
With Elizabeth he had a daughter:
* Margaret Stewart; likely born about 1415 and who married, dispensation dated 1436, as his first wife, George Seton, 1st Lord Seton, whose father, Sir William Seton of that Ilk died with her father at the battle of Verneuil.
===Arms===The arms provided on wikipedia, at the date of this edit, are incorrect but the author notified. Balfour Paul[[#S-1]] Balfour Paul; Vol 2, page 265. provides his arms as those of Buchan; Azure, three garbs or. These arms are carried by his daughter into her marriage and then into the family of Lord Seton where they were borne quartered.
However his arms are noted[https://archive.org/stream/heraldryofstewar00johnuoft#page/36/mode/2up The heraldry of the Stewarts, with notes on all the males of the family, descriptions of the arms, plates and pedigrees], quoting Nisbet as being quartered, 1st and 3rd, Scotland, 2nd and 4th Buchan; crest a wheat sheaf (garb). These arms are provided here.
===His lands and titles===The elder of the two brothers, Andrew and Robert, named in the charter, by his father, conferring the earldom of Buchan in 1406, was probably dead before 1415, as he does not appear, with Robert in the Charter associated with the Earldom of Ross.
Robert was alive in 1431, and after the return of James I, and had become a Crown pensioner. He never laid any claim, at least one that is recorded, to the earldom of Ross and the barony of Kingedward, nor the earldom of Buchan. It can be presumed that this was an arrangement with James I and all of these issues were resolved by James I in his vigorous destruction of the Albany Stewart; he escaping with his life.
On the death of John Buchan, James took the opportunity to bring both these Earldoms under his direct control as mentioned in the conditions of the Charter of 1415. A number of his relatives held the titles for a time. Mary Stewart, fifth daughter of James I., was styled Countess of Buchan prior to 1440, and having married, in 1444, Wolfart van Borselen, Count of Grandpre, and Lord of Campvere in Holland, he is said to have become Earl of Buchan in her right.[[#S-1]] Balfour Paul; Vol 2, page 265 quoting LiberPluscardensis, i. 390; and Exch. Rolls, iv. p. clxii. If so he never appears in that capacity in the Scottish Parliament. Bower also mentions that James I. made George Dunbar, eleventh Earl of March, Earl of Buchan, but there is no other source to this and no record; it also seems improbable given the circumstances of the day.
== Footnotes ==
== Sources ==
* Source S-1}
* Source S-2}
* [http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/people_stewart_john_third_buchan.html Military History Encyclopaedia on the Web]
[[Category:Earl of Buchan]]
[[Category:Earl of Ross]]
[[Category: Scots in French Service]]
[[Category:Battle of Baugé]]
[[Category:Battle of Verneuil]]
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}
}
}
}
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== Biography ==John Stewart was the eldest son of [[Stewart-1526|Robert Stewart]], Duke of Albany, Regent of Scotland, the illegitimate son to King Robert II, and his second wife [[Keith-258|Muriella Keith]], daughter of Sir William Keith, Marischal of Scotland.[[#S-1]] Balfour Paul; Vol 2, page 264; [https://archive.org/stream/scotspeeragefoun02paul#page/264/mode/2up John Stewart, Earl of Buchan]
He was born about 1380, and was trained to the profession of arms from his youth. He likely went overseas early and found service in one of the mercenary bands. He is noticed as having served under [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hawkwood Sir John Hawkwood] and he became a distinguished leader.
===Earl of Buchan===In 1406, his father, the Duke of Albany, was appointed Regent of Scotland, during the imprisonment of the King James I, and the most powerful man in the land. On 20 September 1406 the Duke of Albany, styling himself Earl of Buchan, gave to him "totum . . . comitatum nostrum de Buchane" erecting the lands pertaining to it into a free barony, with remainder to his brothers Andrew and Robert.
On 12 March 1407 his father resigned in his favour the office of Chamberlain of Scotland, which he held till his death. In 1407 he received from his maternal grandfather grants of lands in Stirlingshire, with the office of Sheriff of the county; and the barony of Obeyn, now Aboyne, in Aberdeenshire.
===Earl of Ross===In 1415, on the resignation of Euphemia Leslie, Countess of Ross, who was then a Crown ward (in ward to the Regent), he received the barony of Kingedward. Although Balfour Paul notes that this action was "a violation of the rights of [[Leslie-169|Mary Leslie]] her aunt, married to [[Macdonald-273|Donald]], Lord of the Isles" it legally wasn't. The article on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stewart,_Earl_of_Buchan wikipedia] is misleading and perpetuates a myth. Euphemia Leslie, certainly under some pressure and a minor, on 15 June 1415 ( a considerable time after the Battle of Harlaw), all her lands and titles including the earldom of Ross, and lands in the counties of Inverness, Nairn, Kincardine, and Fife, to the Crown (the Regent), an action that was not unusual. Again, as was common, she received them back again by charter, first, to the heirs male of his own body, whom failing (an occurrence which was likely), to John Stewart, Earl of Buchan, whom failing, to Robert Stewart, brother of John, whom failing to the king and his heirs. This latter charter thus altered the Charter for Ross, of 1370, which had allowed Mary Leslie a claim.
From that time he was sometimes styled Earl of Ross. Bain provides[[#S-2]] Robert Bain; page 80; [https://archive.org/stream/historyofancient00bain#page/80/mode/2up John Stewart, 10th Earl of Ross] that he was absent almost the entire time that he held the Earldom. Although Bain denigrates him for failing to attend the Earldom during the MacDonald invasion of Scotland in 1411 and then failing to appear at Harlaw later that year, this could only have been a criticism in his capacity as Earl of Buchan. He mentions that he was with Hawkwood at the time and thus in Florence.
He must have been in Scotland towards the end of 1415 as his father, Regent, sends him to England, in 1416, to treat for the release of James I., but he returned unsuccessful. It could be supposed that not too considerable effort was made as it was not in the best interests of the Albany Stewarts to facilitate James' return.
===Service in France===In 1419Wikipedia mentions 1419, although the incident, noticed in Liber Pluscardensis, i. 355. is stated as occurring in 1420. he went to France with 6/7000 Scottish soldiers to support Charles VII. who had suffered severely against the English at the [[:Category: Battle of Agincourt|Battle of Agincourt]] in 1415. The Scots spent some time distributed in garrisons. His father, Robert, died in Sep 1420, and his role, as Regent, and titles fell to his brother, [[Stewart-1651|Murdoch]].
Stewart's soldiers prove unpopular amongst the French, owing to their fondness for food and drink, but success in battle would make the Scottish army extremely welcome in France. In 1420 Stewart was appointed to command the combined Franco-Scottish army that would meet, 21 March 1421, the English at the [[:Category:Battle of Baugé|Battle of Baug��]]. His popularity cemented at the battle, a rout in which the Franco-Scots did not lose any man of importance, whereas Henry V lost some of his most senior commanders plus the heir to the throne of England and commander of his forces in France, and Stewart was rewarded with the appointment as Constable of France by the French King, making him the effective commander-in-chief of the French army. He was also given land at Châtillon-sur-Indre, and the services of an astrologer, suggesting an interest outside of warfare.
Later in 1421 he took part in the unsuccessful siege of Alençon, which nearly led to another battle, and also in the successful attack on Montmirail in May-June. Early in 1423 he led an unsuccessful campaign in the Ile-de-France, before returning to Scotland at the head of an embassy seeking further reinforcements.
The power of the Alnbany Stewarts was on the wane. Murdoch, not as strong as his father, was bowing to the will of the nobility and seeking the return of James I from captivity. England too, now under Henry VI wanted the issued closed and sought his ransom. In the early months of 1423 their attempts to resolve the issue met with little response from the Scots, clearly influenced by the Albany Stewarts and adherents. Amongst these [[Douglas-389|Archibald Douglas]], 4th Earl of Douglas was an astute and adaptable power in Southern Scotland whose influence now eclipsed that of the Albany Stewarts.
A ransom treaty of £40,000 sterling (less a dowry remittance of 10,000 marks) was agreed at Durham on 28 March 1424 to which James attached his own seal. The king and queen, escorted by English and Scottish nobles, reached Melrose Abbey on 5 April and were met by Murdoch Stewart who relinquished his governor's seal of office.
By this point John Stewart had left, likely understanding the questioning that was on the horizon. In March 1424 he returned to France as part of another large Scottish army, this time under the command of Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas (and now duke of Touraine).
===Death at Verneuil===By the summer of 1424 the English were besieging the city of Ivry, close to Le Mans. A large Franco-Scottish army under the command of Douglas, Buchan, the duke of Alençon and the viscounts of Narbonne and Aumâle moved to relieve the siege, but before they could arrive, the town surrendered. After a council of war it was decided to attack some of the English possession on the border of Normandy. In mid-August the combined army captured Verneuil. The English commander in France, the duke of Bedford, responded quickly, leading an army south to Verneuil. The senior French commanders would have preferred to retire, but it seems that the Scots convinced them to make a stand. On 17 August 1424 the Franco-Scottish army suffered a heavy defeat. Both Buchan and Douglas were killed during the battle, along with around 4,000 of the Scottish contingent.
The defeat at Verneuil seriously weakened the position of Charles VII. in France. It also had a significant impact on Scottish politics with James I now returned from captivity in England. The deaths of Douglas and Buchan, two of the most influential Scottish magnates and the backbone of the Albany Stewarts, meant the end for that house. In the following year James ordered the arrest and execution of Murdoch Stewart, second duke of Albany. One unexpected side effect of the battle of Verneuil was a revival in the power of the Scottish kings.
===Family===He married, in 1413 and prior to taking up the Earldom of Ross, Elizabeth Douglas, daughter to [[Douglas-389|Archibald Douglas]], 4th Earl of Douglas, his comrade in arms. After his death in 1424, Elizabeth married Sir Thomas Stewart, an illegitimate son of Sir Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar. He died in 1435 and she married, thirdly, William Sinclair, Earl of Orkney and later Caithness. She died at some point prior to 1451.
With Elizabeth he had a daughter:
* Margaret Stewart; likely born about 1415 and who married, dispensation dated 1436, as his first wife, George Seton, 1st Lord Seton, whose father, Sir William Seton of that Ilk died with her father at the battle of Verneuil.
===Arms===The arms provided on wikipedia, at the date of this edit, are incorrect but the author notified. Balfour Paul[[#S-1]] Balfour Paul; Vol 2, page 265. provides his arms as those of Buchan; Azure, three garbs or. These arms are carried by his daughter into her marriage and then into the family of Lord Seton where they were borne quartered.
However his arms are noted[https://archive.org/stream/heraldryofstewar00johnuoft#page/36/mode/2up The heraldry of the Stewarts, with notes on all the males of the family, descriptions of the arms, plates and pedigrees], quoting Nisbet as being quartered, 1st and 3rd, Scotland, 2nd and 4th Buchan; crest a wheat sheaf (garb). These arms are provided here.
===His lands and titles===The elder of the two brothers, Andrew and Robert, named in the charter, by his father, conferring the earldom of Buchan in 1406, was probably dead before 1415, as he does not appear, with Robert in the Charter associated with the Earldom of Ross.
Robert was alive in 1431, and after the return of James I, and had become a Crown pensioner. He never laid any claim, at least one that is recorded, to the earldom of Ross and the barony of Kingedward, nor the earldom of Buchan. It can be presumed that this was an arrangement with James I and all of these issues were resolved by James I in his vigorous destruction of the Albany Stewart; he escaping with his life.
On the death of John Buchan, James took the opportunity to bring both these Earldoms under his direct control as mentioned in the conditions of the Charter of 1415. A number of his relatives held the titles for a time. Mary Stewart, fifth daughter of James I., was styled Countess of Buchan prior to 1440, and having married, in 1444, Wolfart van Borselen, Count of Grandpre, and Lord of Campvere in Holland, he is said to have become Earl of Buchan in her right.[[#S-1]] Balfour Paul; Vol 2, page 265 quoting LiberPluscardensis, i. 390; and Exch. Rolls, iv. p. clxii. If so he never appears in that capacity in the Scottish Parliament. Bower also mentions that James I. made George Dunbar, eleventh Earl of March, Earl of Buchan, but there is no other source to this and no record; it also seems improbable given the circumstances of the day.
== Footnotes ==
== Sources ==
* Source S-1}
* Source S-2}
* [http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/people_stewart_john_third_buchan.html Military History Encyclopaedia on the Web]
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This person was created through the import of Jim Walker gedcom 4 Wikitree may 22 2011.ged on 24 May 2011.
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[[Category:Scotland, Arbroath Profiles Needs Review]]
[[Category:Declaration of Arbroath, Edward Keith Family Worklist]]
[[Category:Declaration of Arbroath, Stewart Family Worklist]]
[[Category:Clan Stewart]]
[[Category: Earls of Buchan]]
[[Category: Earls of Ross]]
[[Category: Scots in French Service]]
[[Category:Battle of Baugé]]
[[Category:Battle of Verneuil]]
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== Biography ==
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John Stewart was the eldest son of [[Stewart-1526|Robert Stewart]], Duke of Albany, Regent of Scotland, the illegitimate son to King Robert II, and his second wife [[Keith-258|Muriella Keith]], daughter of Sir William Keith, Marischal of Scotland.[[#S-1]] Balfour Paul; Vol 2, page 264; [https://archive.org/stream/scotspeeragefoun02paul#page/264/mode/2up John Stewart, Earl of Buchan]
He was born about 1380, and was trained to the profession of arms from his youth. He likely went overseas early and found service in one of the mercenary bands. He is noticed as having served under [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hawkwood Sir John Hawkwood] and he became a distinguished leader.
===Earl of Buchan===In 1406, his father, the Duke of Albany, was appointed Regent of Scotland, during the imprisonment of the King James I, and the most powerful man in the land. On 20 September 1406 the Duke of Albany, styling himself Earl of Buchan, gave to him "totum . . . comitatum nostrum de Buchane" erecting the lands pertaining to it into a free barony, with remainder to his brothers Andrew and Robert.
On 12 March 1407 his father resigned in his favour the office of Chamberlain of Scotland, which he held till his death. In 1407 he received from his maternal grandfather grants of lands in Stirlingshire, with the office of Sheriff of the county; and the barony of Obeyn, now Aboyne, in Aberdeenshire.
===Earl of Ross===In 1415, on the resignation of Euphemia Leslie, Countess of Ross, who was then a Crown ward (in ward to the Regent), he received the barony of Kingedward. Although Balfour Paul notes that this action was "a violation of the rights of [[Leslie-169|Mary Leslie]] her aunt, married to [[Macdonald-273|Donald]], Lord of the Isles" it legally wasn't. The article on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stewart,_Earl_of_Buchan wikipedia] is misleading and perpetuates a myth. Euphemia Leslie, certainly under some pressure and a minor, on 15 June 1415 ( a considerable time after the Battle of Harlaw), all her lands and titles including the earldom of Ross, and lands in the counties of Inverness, Nairn, Kincardine, and Fife, to the Crown (the Regent), an action that was not unusual. Again, as was common, she received them back again by charter, first, to the heirs male of his own body, whom failing (an occurrence which was likely), to John Stewart, Earl of Buchan, whom failing, to Robert Stewart, brother of John, whom failing to the king and his heirs. This latter charter thus altered the Charter for Ross, of 1370, which had allowed Mary Leslie a claim.
From that time he was sometimes styled Earl of Ross. Bain provides[[#S-2]] Robert Bain; page 80; [https://archive.org/stream/historyofancient00bain#page/80/mode/2up John Stewart, 10th Earl of Ross] that he was absent almost the entire time that he held the Earldom. Although Bain denigrates him for failing to attend the Earldom during the MacDonald invasion of Scotland in 1411 and then failing to appear at Harlaw later that year, this could only have been a criticism in his capacity as Earl of Buchan. He mentions that he was with Hawkwood at the time and thus in Florence.
He must have been in Scotland towards the end of 1415 as his father, Regent, sends him to England, in 1416, to treat for the release of James I., but he returned unsuccessful. It could be supposed that not too considerable effort was made as it was not in the best interests of the Albany Stewarts to facilitate James' return.
===Service in France===In 1419Wikipedia mentions 1419, although the incident, noticed in Liber Pluscardensis, i. 355. is stated as occurring in 1420. he went to France with 6/7000 Scottish soldiers to support Charles VII. who had suffered severely against the English at the [[:Category: Battle of Agincourt|Battle of Agincourt]] in 1415. The Scots spent some time distributed in garrisons. His father, Robert, died in Sep 1420, and his role, as Regent, and titles fell to his brother, [[Stewart-1651|Murdoch]].
Stewart's soldiers prove unpopular amongst the French, owing to their fondness for food and drink, but success in battle would make the Scottish army extremely welcome in France. In 1420 Stewart was appointed to command the combined Franco-Scottish army that would meet, 21 March 1421, the English at the [[:Category:Battle of Baugé|Battle of Baug��]]. His popularity cemented at the battle, a rout in which the Franco-Scots did not lose any man of importance, whereas Henry V lost some of his most senior commanders plus the heir to the throne of England and commander of his forces in France, and Stewart was rewarded with the appointment as Constable of France by the French King, making him the effective commander-in-chief of the French army. He was also given land at Châtillon-sur-Indre, and the services of an astrologer, suggesting an interest outside of warfare.
Later in 1421 he took part in the unsuccessful siege of Alençon, which nearly led to another battle, and also in the successful attack on Montmirail in May-June. Early in 1423 he led an unsuccessful campaign in the Ile-de-France, before returning to Scotland at the head of an embassy seeking further reinforcements.
The power of the Alnbany Stewarts was on the wane. Murdoch, not as strong as his father, was bowing to the will of the nobility and seeking the return of James I from captivity. England too, now under Henry VI wanted the issued closed and sought his ransom. In the early months of 1423 their attempts to resolve the issue met with little response from the Scots, clearly influenced by the Albany Stewarts and adherents. Amongst these [[Douglas-389|Archibald Douglas]], 4th Earl of Douglas was an astute and adaptable power in Southern Scotland whose influence now eclipsed that of the Albany Stewarts.
A ransom treaty of £40,000 sterling (less a dowry remittance of 10,000 marks) was agreed at Durham on 28 March 1424 to which James attached his own seal. The king and queen, escorted by English and Scottish nobles, reached Melrose Abbey on 5 April and were met by Murdoch Stewart who relinquished his governor's seal of office.
By this point John Stewart had left, likely understanding the questioning that was on the horizon. In March 1424 he returned to France as part of another large Scottish army, this time under the command of Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas (and now duke of Touraine).
===Death at Verneuil===By the summer of 1424 the English were besieging the city of Ivry, close to Le Mans. A large Franco-Scottish army under the command of Douglas, Buchan, the duke of Alençon and the viscounts of Narbonne and Aumâle moved to relieve the siege, but before they could arrive, the town surrendered. After a council of war it was decided to attack some of the English possession on the border of Normandy. In mid-August the combined army captured Verneuil. The English commander in France, the duke of Bedford, responded quickly, leading an army south to Verneuil. The senior French commanders would have preferred to retire, but it seems that the Scots convinced them to make a stand. On 17 August 1424 the Franco-Scottish army suffered a heavy defeat. Both Buchan and Douglas were killed during the battle, along with around 4,000 of the Scottish contingent.
The defeat at Verneuil seriously weakened the position of Charles VII. in France. It also had a significant impact on Scottish politics with James I now returned from captivity in England. The deaths of Douglas and Buchan, two of the most influential Scottish magnates and the backbone of the Albany Stewarts, meant the end for that house. In the following year James ordered the arrest and execution of Murdoch Stewart, second duke of Albany. One unexpected side effect of the battle of Verneuil was a revival in the power of the Scottish kings.
===Family===He married, in 1413 and prior to taking up the Earldom of Ross, Elizabeth Douglas, daughter to [[Douglas-389|Archibald Douglas]], 4th Earl of Douglas, his comrade in arms. After his death in 1424, Elizabeth married Sir Thomas Stewart, an illegitimate son of Sir Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar. He died in 1435 and she married, thirdly, William Sinclair, Earl of Orkney and later Caithness. She died at some point prior to 1451.
With Elizabeth he had a daughter:
* Margaret Stewart; likely born about 1415 and who married, dispensation dated 1436, as his first wife, George Seton, 1st Lord Seton, whose father, Sir William Seton of that Ilk died with her father at the battle of Verneuil.
===Arms===The arms provided on wikipedia, at the date of this edit, are incorrect but the author notified. Balfour Paul[[#S-1]] Balfour Paul; Vol 2, page 265. provides his arms as those of Buchan; Azure, three garbs or. These arms are carried by his daughter into her marriage and then into the family of Lord Seton where they were borne quartered.
However his arms are noted[https://archive.org/stream/heraldryofstewar00johnuoft#page/36/mode/2up The heraldry of the Stewarts, with notes on all the males of the family, descriptions of the arms, plates and pedigrees], quoting Nisbet as being quartered, 1st and 3rd, Scotland, 2nd and 4th Buchan; crest a wheat sheaf (garb). These arms are provided here.
===His lands and titles===The elder of the two brothers, Andrew and Robert, named in the charter, by his father, conferring the earldom of Buchan in 1406, was probably dead before 1415, as he does not appear, with Robert in the Charter associated with the Earldom of Ross.
Robert was alive in 1431, and after the return of James I, and had become a Crown pensioner. He never laid any claim, at least one that is recorded, to the earldom of Ross and the barony of Kingedward, nor the earldom of Buchan. It can be presumed that this was an arrangement with James I and all of these issues were resolved by James I in his vigorous destruction of the Albany Stewart; he escaping with his life.
On the death of John Buchan, James took the opportunity to bring both these Earldoms under his direct control as mentioned in the conditions of the Charter of 1415. A number of his relatives held the titles for a time. Mary Stewart, fifth daughter of James I., was styled Countess of Buchan prior to 1440, and having married, in 1444, Wolfart van Borselen, Count of Grandpre, and Lord of Campvere in Holland, he is said to have become Earl of Buchan in her right.[[#S-1]] Balfour Paul; Vol 2, page 265 quoting LiberPluscardensis, i. 390; and Exch. Rolls, iv. p. clxii. If so he never appears in that capacity in the Scottish Parliament. Bower also mentions that James I. made George Dunbar, eleventh Earl of March, Earl of Buchan, but there is no other source to this and no record; it also seems improbable given the circumstances of the day.
== Footnotes ==
== Sources ==
* Source S-1}
* Source S-2}
* [http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/people_stewart_john_third_buchan.html Military History Encyclopaedia on the Web]
Events
| Birth | 1380 | Argyll, Scotland | |||
| Marriage | 1413 | Lady Elizabeth Douglas | |||
| Death | 17 Aug 1424 | Verneuil-sur-Avre, Haute-Normandie, France | |||
| Alt name | Earl of Buchan and Ross | ||||
| Reference No | 1745231 | ||||
| Reference No | 1771930 | ||||
| Reference No | 60 |
Families
| Spouse | Lady Elizabeth Douglas (1394 - 1451) |
| Father | Robert "1st Duke of Albany" Stewart (1340 - 1420) |
| Mother | Lady Muriella Keith (1351 - 1449) |
| Sibling | Marjory Stewart (1388 - 1432) |
| Sibling | Andrew Stewart (1382 - 1412) |
| Sibling | Robert Stewart (1385 - 1435) |
| Sibling | Lady Elizabeth Stuart (1385 - 1446) |