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John Stewart, Earl of Mar (died 1479)

For the son of James III of Scotland, see John Stewart, Earl of Mar (died 1503).

John Stewart (c. 1457 - 1479) was a Scottish prince. The third surviving son of King James II and his wife, Mary of Guelders, he held the title of Earl of Mar. John died under mysterious circumstances in Edinburgh, probably on the orders of his eldest brother, King James III.

Life

John was probably born in 1457.[1] He was the fourth son of James II of Scotland.[2] John had been given the title of Earl of Mar by 23 June 1459, after a dispute between the king's lawyers and Thomas, Lord Erskine, over possession of the earldom.[3] James II was killed by an exploding cannon in 1460, after which John's eldest brother, James III, became King of Scots.[4]

Little is known about John's life; the historian Gordon Donaldson called him "no more than a name".[5] John's potential marriage was discussed by the Scottish parliament in 1466.[6][7] He attended meetings of parliament in 1476 and 1479.[8] John frequently spent time in Aberdeen, and was apparently involved in disputes with residents of that burgh.[9] In April 1476, John received a royal letter commanding the residents of Aberdeen to support him in his local "feuds".[10]

John fell under the suspicion of his brother, James III, after attending parliament in Edinburgh in March 1479.[11] Later in 1479, John was arrested and imprisoned at Craigmillar Castle on the king's orders.[12] John's imprisonment may have been related to the downfall of his other brother, Alexander, Duke of Albany, earlier that same year.[13] Two contemporary chronicles claimed that John was arrested over his associations with witchcraft.[14] John was convicted in a trial at Craigmillar, and was then taken to a house in the Canongate of Edinburgh, presumably to serve his sentence.[15] However, he died at this house soon afterwards, possibly in December 1479.[16][17] According to John Lesley and other later historians, John was killed in his bathtub, traditionally while receiving the contemporary medical treatment of bloodletting.[18]

John never married, and left no known issue.[19]

Ancestry

References

  • Lynch, Michael (1992). Scotland: A New History. Pimlico. p. 156. ISBN 0-7126-9893-0.
  • Tabraham, Chris (2003). Craigmillar Castle – The Official Souvenir Guide. Historic Scotland. p. 6. ISBN 1-900168-10-3.
  1. ^ Macdougall, Norman (2009). James III (Second ed.). John Donald. p. 164. ISBN 978 1 904607 87 8.
  2. ^ John's brother David died around the time of his birth. "James II - died 1460". Medieval Lands. Foundation for Medieval Genealogy. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  3. ^ McGladdery, Christine (1990). James II (Second ed.). John Donald. p. 191. ISBN 978 1 904607 89 2.
  4. ^ Penman, Michael (2017). The Kings and Queens of Scotland (Reprinted ed.). The History Press. p. 219. ISBN 978 0 7524 3814 6.
  5. ^ Donaldson, Gordon. Scottish Kings. ISBN 0713410280.
  6. ^ Macdougall, Norman (2009). James III (Second ed.). John Donald. p. 73. ISBN 978 1 904607 87 8.
  7. ^ Brown, K.M. "1466/31". The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707. University of St. Andrews. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  8. ^ Macdougall, Norman (2009). James III (Second ed.). John Donald. p. 129. ISBN 978 1 904607 87 8.
  9. ^ Macdougall, Norman (2009). James III (Second ed.). John Donald. p. 165. ISBN 978 1 904607 87 8.
  10. ^ Macdougall, Norman (2009). James III (Second ed.). John Donald. p. 165. ISBN 978 1 904607 87 8.
  11. ^ Macdougall, Norman (2009). James III (Second ed.). John Donald. p. 165. ISBN 978 1 904607 87 8.
  12. ^ Macdougall, Norman (2009). James III (Second ed.). John Donald. p. 165. ISBN 978 1 904607 87 8.
  13. ^ Macdougall, Norman (2009). James III (Second ed.). John Donald. p. 165. ISBN 978 1 904607 87 8.
  14. ^ Nicholson, Ranald (1974). Scotland: The Later Middle Ages. Mercat Press. p. 485. ISBN 0901824 844.
  15. ^ Macdougall, Norman (2009). James III (Second ed.). John Donald. p. 165. ISBN 978 1 904607 87 8.
  16. ^ Macdougall, Norman (2009). James III (Second ed.). John Donald. p. 165. ISBN 978 1 904607 87 8.
  17. ^ "James II - died 1460". Medieval Lands. Foundation for Medieval Genealogy. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  18. ^ Nicholson, Ranald (1974). Scotland: The Later Middle Ages. Mercat Press. p. 485. ISBN 0901824 844.
  19. ^ "James II - died 1460". Medieval Lands. Foundation for Medieval Genealogy. Retrieved 24 April 2025.