Alexander Stewart, 4th High Steward of Scotland

Alexander Stewart
Born	1214
Died	1283
Title	4th High Steward of Scotland
Tenure	1246-1283
Nationality	Scottish
Predecessor	Walter Stewart, 3rd High Steward of Scotland
Successor	James Stewart, 5th High Steward of Scotland
Parents	Walter Stewart, 3rd High Steward of Scotland Bethóc (Beatrix) Mac Gille Críst

Alexander Stewart (1214–1283), also known as Alexander of Dundonald, was 4th hereditary High Steward of Scotland from his father's death in 1246.

A son of Walter Stewart, 3rd High Steward of Scotland by his wife Bethóc, daughter of Gille Críst, Earl of Angus, Alexander is said to have accompanied Louis IX of France on the Seventh Crusade (1248–1254).^[1] In 1255 he was one of the councillors of King Alexander III, though under age.^[2]

He was the principal commander under King Alexander III of Scotland at the Battle of Largs, on 2 October 1263, when the Scots defeated the Norwegians under Haakon IV. The Scots invaded and conquered the Isle of Man the following year, which was, with the whole of the Western Isles, then annexed to the Crown of Scotland.^[3][4]

Marriage and children

The identity of Alexander's wife is uncertain.^[5] Some secondary sources erroneously^[6] identify her as Jean, daughter of James, son of Angus, son of Somerled.^[7][8][9]

• James Stewart, 5th High Steward of Scotland (c. 1243-1309)^[10]
• Sir John Stewart of Bonkill, Berwickshire (c. 1245-22 July 1298), described as the "second son" who married the Bonkill heiress, had seven sons and one daughter, and was killed in the Battle of Falkirk.^[11][12] Agnatic ancestor of British kings.
• Andrew Stewart (a.k.a. Andrew Steward) Esq. (c. 1245),^[10] third son of Alexander Stewart.^[13][14] Married the daughter of James Bethe. Father of Sir Alexander 'the fierce' Steward and direct ancestor of Oliver Cromwell.^[15] Great uncle of King Robert II.^[16]
• Elizabeth Stewart, (c. 1248, d. before 1288) Married Sir William Douglas the Hardy, Governor of Berwick-upon-Tweed.^[7] She was the mother of the Good Sir James Douglas.^[9][17]
• Hawise Stewart (c. 1262) Married the brother of the Lord of Liddesdale, Sir John de Soulis.^[18] Had female issue, Muriel de Soulis.

Through their eldest son James they were great-grandparents of King Robert II, the first Stewart to be King of Scots, and thus ancestors of all subsequent Scottish monarchs and the later and current monarchs of Great Britain.

Through their second son John, they were the direct ancestors in the male line of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, and of the Stuart monarchs of Scotland and England from Darnley's son James VI and I onwards.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Alexander Stewart, 4th High Steward of Scotland

16. Alan fitz Flaad               8. Walter fitz Alan                       17. Avelina               4. Alan fitz Walter, 2nd High Steward of Scotland                             9. Eschyna de Londoniis                       2. Walter Stewart, 3rd High Steward of Scotland                                   20. Gille Chlerig, Earl of Mar               10. Morggán of Mar                       5. Alesta                             11. Ada                       1. Alexander Stewart, 4th High Steward of Scotland                                         12. Gille Brigte, Earl of Angus                       6. Gille Críst, Earl of Angus                             3. Bethóc                                   28. David I of Scotland               14. Henry, Earl of Northumbria                       29. Maud, Countess of Huntingdon               7. Marjorie of Huntingdon                             30. William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey               15. Ada de Warenne                       31. Elizabeth of Vermandois, Countess of Leicester

Notes

1. Simpson, David, The Genealogical and Chronological History of the Stuarts, Edinburgh, 1713.
2. Anderson, William, The Scottish Nation, Edinburgh, 1867, vol.ix, p.512
3. Burke, Messrs., John and John Bernard, The Royal Families of England, Scotland, and Wales, with Their Descendants &c., volume 2, London, 1851, p. xli-xlii.
4. Anderson (1867) vil.ix, p.512
5. MacEwen, Andrew B. W. (2011), "The wives of Sir James the Steward (d.1309)" (pdf), Foundations (Foundation for Medieval Genealogy) 5 (5): 391.
6. Sellar, William David Hamilton (2000), "Hebridean sea kings: The successors of Somerled, 1164–1316", in Cowan, Edward J.; McDonald, Russell Andrew, Alba: Celtic Scotland in the middle ages, Tuckwell Press, pp. 195, 195 fn 34, ISBN 1-86232-151-5
7. Simpson (1713)
8. Burke (1851), vol.2, page xlii
9. Mackenzie (1935) p.12.
10. International Genealogical Index Source Batch No. 6020347, Sheet 65, Source Call No. 1621525
11. Simpson (1713)p.64.
12. See also the following for references to Sir John Steward of Bonkill:
    • Nisbet, Alexander, 1722. Vol.1,p.48; and appendix, page 149.
    • Burke, Messrs., John and John Bernard, The Royal Families of England, Scotland, and Wales, and Their Descendants &c., volume 2, London, 1851, p. xlii.
    • Anderson, William, "The Scottish Nation", Edinburgh, 1867, vol.vii, p.200.
    • Mackenzie, A. M., MA., D.Litt., The Rise of the Stewarts, London, 1935, p.13 - 14.
    • The Marquis de Ruvigny & Raineval, The Jacobite Peerage &c., London & Edinburgh (1904), 1974 reprint, p.8n.
13. Visitations of Cambridgeshire, 1575 & 1619
14. Foster, John, The Statesmen of the Commonwealth of England, London, 1830, vol.4, p.305
15. Noble, Mark, Memoirs of the Protectoral House of Cromwell, London, 1757, vol.2, p.204
16. Courthorpe, William Esq., DeBrett's Baronetage of England, London, 1835, p.87
17. Maxwell, Sir Herbert, Bt., A History of the House of Douglas, London, 1902, vol.1, p.28.
18. The Complete Peerage, by Cokayne, Vol. VIII, p. 206.

External links

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