James Stewart, Duke of Albany

“ In the autumn of 1514 he was nominated joint ambassador to the Lateran council, but sickness apparently prevented his departure. In 1520 he was present at the Field of the Cloth of Gold. In 1522 Shrewsbury was appointed steward of the Duke of Buckingham's lands, and in the same year he was placed in command of the English army sent to the Scottish borders against John Stewart, duke of Albany [q. v.] But his health was bad and his conduct feeble, and he was soon superseded by the Earl of Surrey. ”

“ After the council she removed to Stirling, taking with her the young king, and there, in April 1514, she gave birth to a posthumous son by James IV, Alexander, duke of Ross. Her rash marriage in August to Archibald Douglas, sixth earl of Angus, lost her the regency. Albany landed in Scotland on 18 May 1515, and at a parliament in Edinburgh on 12 July was proclaimed protector and governor of Scotland till James attained his eighteenth year. Eight lords were chosen, from whom Albany selected four, who went to Edinburgh, or more probably Stirling, with an offer that the queen might reject one. ”

“ In March 1424 he was appointed conservator of the seven years' truce with England, and was also made warden of the marches. On 16 Nov. 1420 he entered into a curious agreement with the regent Albany [see Stewart, Murdac] , becoming his ‘man of speciall feale and reteneu,’ while Albany bestowed on him half the profits of the office of justiciary of the north, and empowered him to ‘infeft’ his natural son Thomas in the earldom of Mar. His life rent in the earldom of Mar was thus converted into a fee, defrauding the rightful heir, Robert, lord Erskine, a cousin of the Countess Isabella. ”

“ Stewart do do everything with the King that a mistress should do; and that the King hath many bastard children that are known and owned, besides the Duke of Monmouth. After a great deale of this discourse I walked thence into the Parke with her little boy James with me, who is the wittiest boy and the best company in the world, and so back again through White Hall both coming and going, and people did generally take him to be my boy and some would aske me. ”

“ Agnes Menteith, married to Sir John Haldane of Gleneagles, and Elizabeth Menteith to John Napier of Merchiston. As the lord chancellor—Andrew Stewart, lord Avandale [q. v.] , grandson of Isabella, Earl Duncan's eldest daughter and suo jure Countess of Lennox [see under Stewart, Murdac, second Duke of Albany] , and desirous himself of succeeding to the earldom—took no action in Sir John Stewart's behalf, Stewart, on 12 Oct. ”

“ In 1519 he is found siding with Arran against Angus, and when, in May 1523, the regent Albany sailed for France, he was one of the four nobles to whom was committed the keeping of the boy-king, James V. He was sworn a privy councillor, on 4 Sept. 1524 concluded at Berwick a three months' truce with the Duke of Norfolk, and during the following winter was twice in London, endeavouring to negotiate a definite peace and a marriage between James and the Princess Mary. ”

“ Alexander Legh [q. v.] , as an envoy to Scotland to make reparation for the loss of a royal ship, the Yellow Carvel, which had been taken by the Duke of Gloucester's May Flower, and for another vessel of the laird of Luss taken by Lord Grey.
The last seven years of the life of Albany are crowded with romance and tragedy. The contrast in the character and ambition of the three brothers of the royal house (James III, Albany, and the Earl of Mar) burst into full light; the Scottish court became the scene of fratricidal strife and the country of revolution. ”

“ The duke of Albany, who became regent when Robert died, had no wish to see his nephew return, and concluded a corrupt agreement with the king of England, by which he undertook to keep Scotland out of the strife, if Henry would prevent the rightful heir from returning to claim his own.3 Hence Albany and his son ruled at Edinburgh for seventeen years, while James was detained in an honourable captivity at Windsor. ”

“ The older edifice that occupied this site was a hunting-tower of the Macduffs, earls of Fife, and was transferred with the earldom in 1371 to Robert Stewart, earl of Fife and Menteith, afterwards duke of Albany, second son of Robert II. Because of his father’s long illness and the incapacity of Robert III., his brother Albany was during many years virtual ruler of Scotland, and, in the hope of securing the crown, caused the heir-apparent—David, duke of Rothesay—to be conveyed to the castle by force and there starved to death, in 1402. ”

“ The reign of James III is an unsolved problem. But the constitutional feeling may be illustrated by a representative incident. The Parliament of 1482 was completely under the control of the Duke of Albany. The Estates passed acts which gave to him control of the property of the Crown, and power over the life and liberty of the lieges. One year later it rescinded all these acts and proscribed the duke. They may be right who have found great constitutional activity in the mysterious records of the reign. ”

“ The friends of the English alliance were now recovering the ascendant. The young King was twelve years old. It was concerted between Margaret and Henry that the minority should be considered at this point to have expired. No fresh regency should be established, and the Government should be conducted in the King's own name. James was in Stirling Castle, virtually a prisoner in the hands of the Duke of Albany's friends. ”

“ Although MacDonald of Gigha, in the reign of James VI., burst out of the castle on the Clyde, Dumbarton’s as well as Stirling’s walls seem to have been more formidable obstacles than the barriers of the capital fortress; or else it is a coincidence that Edinburgh’s prisoners have been gifted with more guile than the others. Certainly the Duke of Albany and the ninth Earl of Argyll escaped by relying upon cunning. Albany, brother of James III., was ordered into ward by his sovereign on a charge of plotting against the Throne. ”

“ STEWART, JOHN, Earl of Buchan (1381?–1424) , born about 1381, was the eldest son of the second marriage of Robert Stewart, first duke of Albany [q. v.] The first notice of him is in a grant made before 1399 to him and his younger brothers, Andrew and Robert, of the lands of Coull and O'Neil in Aberdeenshire (Exchequer Rolls, vol. iv. p. clxxxi) , and in later years, it is said, his valour obtained for him the popular epithet of ‘brave John O'Coul.’ He held only the rank of ‘squire’ in 1406, but on 20 Sept. ”

“ Immediately after these executions Albany went to the borders and took possession of their estates. Returning early in November, on the 12th of that month parliament confirmed the divorce of his father from his first wife, Catherine Sinclair, daughter of the Earl of Orkney [see Stewart, Alexander, Duke of Albany] , and declared Albany next heir to the kingdom and only heir of his father, thus bastardising his elder brother Alexander, who, in compensation, was made bishop of Moray and abbot of Scone. ”

“ Stewart was moved with compassion, perhaps with fear. He slipt the girth-buckle, and Rob, dropping down from behind the horse's croupe, dived, swam, and escaped, pretty much as described in the Novel. When James Stewart came on shore, the Duke hastily demanded where his prisoner was; and as no distinct answer was returned, instantly suspected Stewart's connivance at the escape of the Outlaw ”

“ The character of Albany, notwithstanding the different views taken of it both by contemporaries and by historians, does not seem difficult to understand. He was no general, but he was an able negotiator, succeeding in almost all he undertook—the treaty of Rouen, the divorce of Margaret, the protection of the Scots both in France and at Rome, the institution of the court of session, and the marriage of James to a French princess, though after his death Madeline of France was substituted by James's personal choice for Marie de Bourbon. ”

“ He was succeeded in the peerage by his grandson Andrew, who was gentleman of the bedchamber to James VI, and governor of Edinburgh Castle, and who in 1615 resigned his title to Sir James Stewart of Killeith, eldest son of James, earl of Arran; Andrew Stewart was subsequently, on 7 Nov. 1619, created Baron Castle Stewart in the peerage of Ireland, and he died in 1632. ”

“ On 20 May 1524 Albany once more returned to France, under the condition that if he did not come back before 1 Sept. his office should terminate and the young king receive the sceptre of his kingdom. But the queen-mother and the nobles in the English interest, on 26 July 1524, carried off James from Stirling to Edinburgh, where he was received with acclamations by the people as well as the nobles. A bond, still extant, was signed by the Bishops of Galloway and Ross, the Earl of Arran, and others, who undertook to be loyal subjects of the king, and annulled their engagements to Albany. ”

“ He was one of the organizers and the first Vice-President of the Albany Savings Bank, founded in 1820, and of the Albany Chamber of Commerce,—the President, in both instances, being Stephen Van Rensselaer. When he died, in 1832, the New York "Evening Post" said of him: "He has done more to build up the city [of Albany] than any other individual."
Two portraits of the first William James have survived, and present him as a man of medium height, rather portly, clean-shaven, hearty, friendly, confident, and distinctly Irish. ”

“ It is evident that Albany was suspected of murder, for he took the trouble to be officially acquitted of any part in his death. Only grassy mounds now indicate the position of this castle, which must have been, according to the investigations of Lord Bute, of considerable extent.
The execution of Albany's son as a traitor made Falkland Crown property. The palace began to be erected by James II., but its chief builder was James IV., [pg 93] who spent large sums of money on the work, and much enjoyed the sport to be obtained in the neighbourhood. ”

“ I say in respect to the life; but that was the point for me, that whereas the smartness and newness beyond the sea supposedly disavowed the low, they did so but thinly and vainly, falling markedly short of the high; which the little boxed and boiled Albany attained to some effect of, after a fashion of its own, just by having its so thoroughly appreciable note-value in a scheme of manners. ”

“ Meantime, the town, and in August 1482 the castle, of Berwick was retaken by the English army. The border burgh never again became Scottish. Gloucester and Albany at once marched to Edinburgh. Then, by a sudden and inexplicable change, Albany and James were reconciled, through the mediation of the Archbishop of St. Andrews and Lord Avondale, the chancellor. Albany received a remission for his treasonable treaty with Edward IV, and in the parliament of December 1482 was appointed lieutenant-general of the kingdom. ”

“ Besides, she flattered herself that the king would ever think himself eternally obliged to her, for having opposed the retreat and marriage of a girl, whom at that time he loved to distraction. This fine reasoning determined her conduct. All her industry was employed in persuading Miss Stewart to abandon her schemes; and what is most extraordinary in this adventure, is, that, after having prevailed upon her to think no more either of the Duke of Richmond, or of a nunnery, she charged herself with the office of reconciling these two lovers. ”

“ The king was her valentine in 1664, and the Duke of York in 1665. Yet Miss Stewart exasperated Charles by her unwillingness to yield to his importunities. Her obduracy, according to Hamilton, was overcome by the arrival at court of a calèche from France. The honour of the first drive was eagerly contested by the ladies of the court, including even the queen. A bargain was struck, and Miss Stewart was the first to be seen in the new vehicle.
In January 1667 Miss Stewart's hand was sought in marriage by Charles Stuart, third duke of Richmond and sixth duke of Lennox [q. v.] ”

“ Dying in 1420, Albany was succeeded as regent by his son, Murdoch. At first James was confined in the Tower of London, but in June 1407 he was removed to the castle at Nottingham, whence about a month later he was taken to Evesham. His education was continued by capable tutors, and he not only attained excellence in all manly sports, but became perhaps more cultured than any other prince of his age. In person he was short and stout, but well-proportioned and very strong. His agility was not less remarkable than his strength ”

“ The Scottish nobles who had possession of the king were willing to acknowledge Albany, but wanted to ignore Gloucester. In the beginning of August Albany and Gloucester, with the English army, lay at Lethington, near Haddington. James was in the castle of Edinburgh under the custody of his uncles, the Earls of Atholl and Buchan. ”

“ State Papers, vol. iv. pp. 146–149. ↑ 'Queen Margaret to the Duke of Norfolk: State Papers, vol. iv. pp. 167, 168.' ↑ 'The noblemen and commons do much desire the amity of England, and the commons universally hate the Duke of Albany of all men living. The Earl of Angus is desired universally amongst them.'—Norfolk, Dacre, and Magnus to Wolsey: State Papers, vol. ”

“ Majesty, exclaimed, ‘He’s gone!’ and then turning aside, he added, in a somewhat lower voice, ‘He’s gone!—Would he were the King!’ So, and please your Majesty, did mine ears report his words.”
“Ha!” exclaimed James, with an air of great dissatisfaction, “Ar’t sure that he so spake? From all that thou hast seen, as well as heard at Drummin, it would seem to us that both thine eyes and thine ears have been wonderfully sharp to pick up evil against Sir Walter Stewart. ”