| Notes |
- Murdoch Stewart was 2nd Duke of Albany, Earl of Menteith, Earl of Fife and (briefly) Regent of Scotland.
Murdoch was born in 1362 as the only son of Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, from his first marriage to Margaret Graham, Countess of Menteith. Murdoch had six sisters as well as three half-brother and two half sisters from his father's second marriage.
In 1389, Murdoch was appointed Justiciar of the North after the title was stripped from his rogue uncle, Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, known as The Wolf of Badenoch. Murdoch worked with his father to consolidate power in the Albany Stewart family.
It was about this time that Murdoch married a woman named Joan who did not live long. They had no children. Her surname is unknown. She is only identified in the dispensation for the later marriage between Murdoch and Isobel of Lennox, in which Joan is described as being in the fourth degree of consanguinity (2nd cousins).
In 1392, after an arrangement by their fathers, Murdoch Stewart married Isobel, Countess of Lennox, the last of the ancient Scottish Mormaers. Isobel would become a central power figure in the dynastic clashes between the Albany Stewarts and the Royal Stewarts. Murdoch and Isobel had five children together, likely born at Doune Castle. Murdoch is sometimes referred to in early charters as "of Kincleven" so the children may have been born and raised there. (Devlin) Murdoch also had a castle on Loch Ard in Aberfoyle parish, Perthshire, not far from his father's castle in Doune, which was used solely as a hunting lodge..
Murdoch served in several Scottish military campaigns. In 1402, Murdoch was captured by the English at the battle of Homildon Hill. This battle was such a decisive defeat that William Shakespeare wrote about it in his play, Henry IV. Murdoch was held prisoner for 12 years.
In 1405, Murdoch's father, Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, had Murdoch's cousin, David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay and first in line for the throne, imprisoned. David died in captivity under suspicious circumstances. Robert, Duke of Albany, was widely believed to be responsible, but was exonerated. This left only the young Prince James in line for the throne ahead of the Albany Stewarts.
In 1406, Murdoch's cousin, Prince James, was captured by the English and joined Murdoch as a prisoner in London. Weeks later, the king died, making James now the uncrowned captive King James I of Scots.
Murdoch's father, Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, worked diligently to ransom Murdoch but expended little effort to ransom the king. Robert's neglect of the king would lead to a deadly rift between the Albany Stewarts and their Royal cousins. As the imprisoned king had no heirs, this made Duke Robert and his son Murdoch first and second in line for the throne.
In 1416, Murdoch was freed in a prisoner exchange negotiated by his father Robert, while King James remained in captivity London.
In 1419, Murdoch's eldest son, Robert, died, leaving his next son Walter as heir and third in line for the throne.
In 1420, Murdoch's father died and Murdoch inherited the Dukedom of Albany, the Earldoms of Fife and Menteith, and the Regency of Scotland. Murdoch was now ruler of Scotland. He and his son Walter were now first and second in line for the throne. But Murdoch would not rule for long. Murdoch made no effort to free King James until forced to do so by the Scottish Council in 1423. During the negotiations, Murdoch's son, Walter, argued against the release of King James, feeling that he, Walter, would make a better king. Walter also argued against making peace with England, which was a necessary condition of James' release. The Albany Stewarts had been campaigning against England for years, and Walter saw it as a sign of weakness to end the fighting. Walter had already fallen out with his father, Murdoch, over his future inheritance of the Earldom of Lennox, and Walter was also at odds with his father over the release of King James.
On 28 March 1424, and agreement was reached for the release of King James I after 18 of his 29 years. When James returned home, neither Murdoch nor Walter Stewart went to greet him at the border. Instead Murdoch sent his son Alexander and his father-in-law, Duncan of Lennox to represent the Albany Stewarts.
Part of the peace accord required hostages to be sent south. The Albany Stewarts ensured that none of their family members were included among the hostages, but, instead that many of the Black Douglases were. The Douglases were the next most powerful family in Scotland, This may have felt like a triumph for the Albany family, but it caused a rift with the Douglases.
King James I knew that he had to move quickly and carefully to consolidate his own power and reduce or eliminate the threat of the Albany power. The Albany Stewarts had governed Scotland for nearly 40 years and had built a massive network of family loyalties. Many in the kingdom were far more loyal to the Albany Stewarts than to the king himself.
James first visited with his only surviving uncle, Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl and bought him off. Then, on 13 May 1424, just a week before his coronation, King James had Murdoch's son, Walter of Fife and Lennox, arrested along with two of his followers. Walter was imprisoned and held without charge or trial on the Bass Rock, Scotland's least hospitable prison, where James himself had been held as a child. Scotland held its breath to see how Murdoch would react to the arrest and imprisonment of his son. Murdoch did not react and may have felt that Walter was more of a hindrance than a help to the family power.
It has long between the traditional right of the Earl of Fife to place the crown on the king's head at the coronation ceremony. James invited Murdoch Stewart, Earl of Fife, to do so at his coronation on 21 May 1424, This gesture both appeared to honour Murdoch, but also forced Murdoch to acknowledge James as his lawful king, thus symbolically submitting the Albany power to James' royal power. Murdoch relinquished the Governorship of Scotland of Scotland in favour of the king.
King James I could not move too quickly against the Albany family, as Murdoch still had the loyalty of the Scots army under the command of Murdoch's half-brother, John Stewart, Earl of Buchan. They were fighting in France with Scotland's ally, the Dauphin Charles of France. However, by the end of that summer, in August 1424 the Earls of Buchan and Douglas fell at the Battle of Verneuil and the Scots army was wiped out, including many Albany loyalists. This severely weakened Murdoch's political position back home. Rather than have the Buchan lands return to the Albany family, James had them forfeited and returned to the crown.
King James began to systematically reduce the power of the Albany family, but excluding them and their allies from the High Council and eliminating the flow of royal monies to Murdoch's allies, including the elimination of customs income of Aberdeen and Inverness from their mutual cousin, Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar, son of the late Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, the Wolf of Badenoch. Again, all eyes turned to Murdoch Stewart to see how he would react. He did not react. Maybe Murdoch was being cautious, but it sent a message to his allies that he did not have their backs and his power base grew weaker. James continued to fill his Council with those who had been alienated by the Albany Stewarts. James also exploited a rift between the Albany Stewarts and the Black Douglases to win the Douglases over to his side.
King James then had Murdoch's father-in-law, Duncan, Earl of Lennox, and another supporter, Sir Robert Graham arrested. Again, all eyes turned to Murdoch. Again, Murdoch did not lift a finger in opposition. Sir Robert Graham was so angered that he later became one of the assassins of King James.
In November 1424, James then moved to capture the Lennox capital castle at Dumbarton and placed his half-uncle, Sir John "The Red" Stewart, Sheriff of Bute (one of the many illegitimate sons of King Robert III), in charge.
On 12 March 1425, King James called his second parliament. It was here that Murdoch Stewart seems to have finally found his voice. He opposed the king on two of the king's proposals which were defeated. James was angered.
King James now moved to finish off the Albany family. On 21 March 1425, he had Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany, his son, Alexander, and his wife, Isobel of Lennox, all arrested. He had the Albany castles of Doune and Falkland seized. Murdoch's son Walter was already in prison. His remaining son, James Mhor Stewart, escaped capture and fled deep into his mother's lands in the Lennox to raise a rebel army from among the fomenting Lennox supporters. The rebels, under James Mhor Stewart of Albany burned the town of Dumbarton to the ground and killed the castle's keeper, Sir John "The Red" Stewart, Sheriff of Bute. James Mohr Stewart's rebellion failed and he fled to Ireland.
Murdoch along with his imprisoned sons and his father-in-law were charged with treason, tried, convicted, stripped of all lands and titles, and on 24 March 1425 they were executed by beheading at Stirling Castle. The earldoms of Fife, Menteith and Lennox were forfeited to the crown. Isabella of Lennox was imprisoned in Tantallon Castle for life. The Albany Stewarts were done.
Almost.
Isobel of Lennox and her son, James Mhor Stewart of Albany were still alive and they weren't done.
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1362 - 1425 (63 years)
