John Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl

John Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl (born c. 1440 – September 19, 1512), also known as Sir John Stewart of Balveny, was a Scottish nobleman and ambassador to England (in 1484).

He was the oldest child of Joan Beaufort, widowed Queen of James I of Scotland, and her second husband Sir James Stewart, the Black Knight of Lorn.

He was created Earl of Atholl in around 1457, the first Earl of the eighth creation of the title. He is believed to have had a hand in suppressing the rebellion of the Earl of Ross, the last of the Lords of the Isles. He was buried in Dunkeld Cathedral in Perthshire.

Marriage and issue

John Stewart married twice, and had several children. However, the exact number, names and the attribution of his issue to their mothers is unclear.

He married first, in 1459-60, Margaret Douglas, daughter of Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas. Margaret, also known as the 'Fair Maid of Galloway', had been twice married already to the 8th Earl and the 9th Earl of Douglas. She died between 1473 and 1475. They had two daughters:

# Janet Stewart, married Alexander Gordon, 3rd Earl of Huntly
# Elizabeth Stewart.

He married second, before April 1475, Eleanor (d. March 21, 1518), daughter of William Sinclair, 3rd Earl of Orkney. At least nine children were born:

# John Stewart, 2nd Earl of Atholl
# Andrew Stewart, Bishop of Caithness
# Jean Stewart, married by contract dated August 31, 1507, James Arbuthnott of Arbuthnott, who had a Crown Charter of the feudal barony of Arbuthnott on January 29, 1507.
# Catherine Stewart
# Elspeth Stewart, married Sir Robert Innes of Innermarky
# Marjory Stewart
# Margaret Stewart
# Isabel Stewart
# Anne Stewart, married John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Lennox

References

*Weis, Frederick Lewis,"et al", "The Magna Charta Sureties 1215", 5th edition, Baltimore, Md., 1999, p.117-118, ISBN 0-8063-1609-8
* [http://www.thepeerage.com/p10213.htm#i102130 The Peerage.com]