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Orkney, Earl of (S, 1581 - forfeited 1615)

Creation: let.pat. 28 Oct 1581

Forfeited: 1 Feb 1614/5

Family name: Stewart

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Arms:

Quarterly:  !st and 4th, the Arms of Scotland debruised by a Ribbon sinister Sable;  2nd and 3rd, Azure a Ship sails furled Or (Orkney)

Crest:

A King enthroned holding in his right hand a Sword and in his left a Falcon all proper

Supporters:

Dexter:  a Unicorn;  Sinister: a Griffin

Motto:

 Sic fuit et erit

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Robert [Stewart], 1st Earl of Orkney

illegitimate son of James V, King of Scotland, by his mistress Hon Euphemia Elphinstone, 2nd dau. of Alexander [Elphinstone], 1st Lord Elphinstone, by his wife Elizabeth Berlay or Barlow, an English lady attached to the Court of Margaret, Queen Consort of King James IV

born

1533

mar.

c. 14 Dec 1561 Lady Jean Kennedy (d. Sep 1598), 1st dau. of Gilbert [Kennedy], 3rd Earl of Cassillis, by his wife Margaret Kennedy, dau. of Alexander Kennedy of Bargany

children

1. Hon Henry Stewart, Master of Orkney (b. bef. 3 Nov 1566;  dvp. betw. 1589 and 25 Jun 1590)

2. Hon Patrick Stewart, later 2nd Earl of Orkney

3. Hon John Stewart, later 1st Earl of Carrick

4. Hon Sir James Stewart of Eday and Tullos, Gentleman of the Bedchamber to King James VI (d. after 1635), mar. Margaret Lyon, and had issue:

1a. Col Robert Stewart of Eday, mar., and had issue

2a. Col John Stewart of Newark, mar., and had issue

1a. Mary Stewart, mar. 1639 Alexander Bothwell of Glencorse

2a. Margaret Stewart

3a. Jean Stewart, mar. (1) Maj George Crichton of Abekie, and (2) Frederick Lyon of Brigtoun

5. Hon Sir Robert Stewart of Middleton, secretary to the Vice-Chancellor of Poland (d. after 1604)

1. Lady Mary Stewart, mar. after 25 Nov 1585 as his second wife Patrick [Gray], 6th Lord Gray, and had issue

2. Lady Jean Stewart (d. after 1642), mar. (1) Patrick [Leslie], 1st Lord Lindores, and (2) as his third wife Robert [Melville], 1st Lord Melville of Moneymaill, and had issue by her first husband

3. Lady Elizabeth Stewart, mar. Hon James Sinclair of Murchill, 2nd son of Hon John Sinclair, Master of Caithness (by his wife and second cousin Lady Jean Stewart, widow of John [Stewart], 1st Lord Darnley, and only dau. by his first wife of Patrick [Hepburn], 3rd Earl of Bothwell), 1st son and heir ap. of George [Sinclair], 4th Earl of Caithness, and had issue

4. Lady Barbara Stewart, mar. Hugh Halcro of Halcro

died

4 Feb 1592/3

created

28 Oct 1581 Lord Zetland and Earl of Orkney

suc. by

son

note

granted the Commendatorship of Holyrood House 1539;  went to France with his half-sister, Queen Mary, in 1548;  took the side of the Protestants and was one of the Lords of the Congregation 1559 ; signed the Treaty of Berwick with Queen Elizabeth I of England 1560;  granted the Crown lands in Orkney and Zetland 1564 (revoked when Queen Mary married the Earl of Bothwell and created him Duke of Orkney);  knighted 1565;  one of those dining with Queen Mary when her secretary, Rizzio, was murdered 1565/6;  he exchanged the temporalities of Holyroodhouse for those of the See of Orkney 1568;  accused of treason for intriguing with the King of Denmark regarding the Orkney Isles and imprisoned in Edinburgh and Linlithgow Castles 1575-78;  present at the Convention of Stirling 1579;  Privy Councillor 1580;  Lord Auditor of the Exchequer 1581;  present at the Convention of Edinburgh 1581;  a Commissioner to execute the laws against the Jesuits 1589

Patrick [Stewart], 2nd Earl of Orkney

born

betw. 18 Sep 1568 and 25 Jun 1569

mar.

betw. 1595 and 29 Oct 1598 his second cousin Hon Margaret Bellenden (d. after 21 Mar 1619/20), widow of Sir Lewis Bellenden of Auchinoule, Justice-Clerk of Scotland, and 2nd dau. of William [Livingstone], 6th Lord Livingstone, by his wife Hon Agnes Fleming, 3rd dau. of Malcolm [Fleming], 3rd Lord Fleming, by his wife Lady Janet Stewart, illegitimate dau. of James IV, King of Scotland

died

s.p. legit. 6 Feb 1614/5

note

granted the Priory of Whithorn in commendam 1582 ; Lieutenant Depute of Orkney and Shetland 1592; present at Conventions in 1594, 1596 and 1599; escorted Queen Anne to Stirling Castle 1603; following complaints against his rule in the North he was arrested and kept imprisoned in either Edinburgh or Dunbarton Castles; he was stripped of his office of Justiciar and his earldom annexed to the Crown 1612; following the rebellion of his illegitimate son, Robert Stewart, he was found guilty of high treason and beheaded, when all his titles were forfeited to the Crown

 First written 15 Oct 2011

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