Ancestral Trails 2016 » Alexander STEWART (± 1343-1405)

Personal data Alexander STEWART 

• He was born about 1343 in Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland.
• Title: 1st Earl of Buchan
• (Nickname) : The Wolf of Badenoch.
• (Alternative Name) : Alasdair Mór mac an Rígh.
• He died on June 20, 1405 in Buchan, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
• He is buried in the year 1405 in Dunkeld Cathedral, Perthshire, Scotland.
• A child of Robert STEWART and Elizabeth MURE

Household of Alexander STEWART

(1) He is married to Mariota MACKAY.

They got married

Child(ren):

1. Duncan STEWART  ± 1377-????
2. Walter STEWART  ± 1379-????
3. Margaret STEWART  ± 1381-???? 
4. Andrew STEWART  ± 1376-????
5. James STEWART  ± 1378-????
6. Robert STEWART  ± 1380-????
7. Alexander STEWART  ± 1375-1435 

(2) He is married to Euphemia ROSS.

They got married July 1382 at Buchan, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Notes about Alexander STEWART

Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, Alasdair Mór mac an Rígh, and called the Wolf of Badenoch (1343 - 20 June 1405), was the third surviving son of King Robert II of Scotland and youngest by his first wife, Elizabeth Mure of Rowallan. He was the first Earl of Buchan since John Comyn, from 1382 until his death. Alexander married the widowed Euphemia I, Countess of Ross, but they had no children although he did have a large family by his longtime mistress, Mairead inghean Eachann. Alexander was Justiciar of Scotia for a time, but not an effective one. He held large territories in the north of Scotland before eventually losing a large part of them. Alexander is remembered for his destruction of the royal burgh of Elgin and its cathedral. His nickname was earned due to his notorious cruelty and rapacity but there is no proof that it was used during his lifetime.

Known in charters as Alexander Senescalli (Latin for Steward), first noted when, on 14 August 1370, he issued letters patent from Ruthven Castle undertaking to grant protection to the Bishop of Moray and all of his lands, men and property in Badenoch. His father, Robert the Steward, had acquired the lands of Badenoch probably from Euphemia, Countess of Moray who had become his second wife. Robert had a petulant relationship with his uncle, King David II of Scotland. In 1368 he and his sons were required by David's parliament to take an oath that they would keep their undisciplined followers in check-later that year, Robert and Alexander were imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle possibly as a result of these oaths having been broken. Following Robert's accession to the throne, Alexander was formally made Lord of Badenoch on 30 March 1371.

Alexander's possession of Badenoch was unaffected by the restoration of the Earldom of Moray to John Dunbar in March 1372, nor were the territories of John MacDonald, Lord of the Isles, in Lochaber-similarly with the lands of Urquhart (south of Inverness) which had been granted to David Stewart, Earl of Strathearn and King Robert's eldest son with his second wife, Euphemia. Alexander further extended his territorial gains in 1371 by leasing the Urquhart lands from his younger half-brother and then obtained possession of the Barony of Strathavon bordering his Badenoch lands. In October 1372, Alexander was given the Royal Lieutenancy for those lands outwith the Earldom of Moray north and west of Inverness and added lands in Aberdeenshire and north Perthshire. In the same year, he was Royal Justiciar in the Appin of Dull in Perthshire which meant that Alexander held crown authority from north Perthshire to the Pentland Firth.

Alexander de Ard, a principal claimant for the Earldom of Caithness as the eldest grandson of Earl Malise, resigned his territories to the crown in favour of both Alexander and his half-brother David. However Alexander effectively doubled his land holdings when he married Euphemia Countess of Ross, in June 1382. Alexander became the jure uxoris Earl of Ross and this provided him the Ross lands (but only during his own lifetime). Other lands belonging to his wife - including Lewis, Skye, Dingwall and Kingedward in Aberdeenshire - he held in joint ownership with her. His possession of the Barony of Kingedward, a large part of the former Earldom of Buchan allowed King Robert to give Alexander the title of Earl of Buchan only days after his marriage. Alexander ruled these territories with the help of his own private cateran forces, building up resentment among other land owners and this included Alexander Bur, Bishop of Moray.

Mairead inghean Eachann (Mariota Mackay)
According to historian Angus Mackay, Alexander Stewart the Wolf of Badenoch's mistress, who is given in this article as Mairead inghean Eachann, was in fact Mariota Mackay, daughter of Iye Mackay, 4th of Strathnaver, and they had the following children:

Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar
James Stewart, of Fortingall & Garth
Duncan Stewat
Sir Andrew Stewart, of Strathaven
Robert Stewart, of Athol
Margaret Stewart
Walter Stewart

The Mackay historian explains that Mariota Mackay who is described in Latin as "Mariota filia Athyn", being the "handfasted" wife of Alexander Stewart the Wolf of Badenoch, would explain Stewart's friendship with Farquhar Mackay who was Mariota Mackay's brother and physician to Robert II of Scotland. It would also explain why a party of Mackay's supported Stewart the Wolf of Badenoch in a raid into the Braes of Angus in 1391. It may well also have served as a motive for Angus Du Mackay, 7th of Strathnaver having supported Alexander Stewart the Earl of Mar, son of the Wolf, at the Battle of Dingwall in 1411 against Donald of Islay, Lord of the Isles, as Mackay and Stewart the Earl of Mar would have been cousins.
SOURCE: Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Stewart,_Earl_of_Buchan

Do you have supplementary information, corrections or questions with regards to Alexander STEWART?
The author of this publication would love to hear from you!

Timeline Alexander STEWART

Click on the names for more info. Symbols used:  grandparents    parents    brothers/sisters    children