James_I_of_Scotland

Stewart, James I 1a 2a

Birth Name Stewart, James I
Gender male
Age at Death 41 years, 2 months, 20 days

Narrative

Born on December 10, 1394, the son of Robert III and Annabella Drummond, he had an eventful childhood. In 1402 his elder brother, David, starved to death in prison at Falkland in Fife.

Before the death of his father in 1406 the authorities sent James to France for safety. During his journey to France, the English captured the young prince and handed him over to Henry IV of England, who imprisoned him and demanded a ransom. Robert III allegedly died from grief over the capture of James. James's uncle, Robert Stewart, 1st Duke of Albany, who became Regent on the death of Robert III, showed no haste in paying for his nephew's release. Albany secured the release of his own son Murdoch, captured at the Battle of Homildon Hill, but not so with James. So for the next 18 years James remained a prisoner/hostage in England. Henry IV had the young Scots King imprisoned and educated in Windsor Castle and in secure large country houses near London.

Scholars believe that during his captivity James wrote The Kingis Quair, an allegorical romance, one of the earliest major works of Scottish literature.

After the death of James's uncle in 1420, the Scots finally paid the ransom of £40,000, and in 1424 James returned to Scotland to find a country in chaos. He took his bride with him – he had met and fallen in love with Joan Beaufort, a cousin of King Henry VI of England, while imprisoned. He married her in London in February 2, 1423. They had eight children.

James was formally crowned King of Scotland at Scone Abbey, Perthshire, on May 2 or 21, 1424. He immediately took strong actions to regain authority and control. In one such action he had the Albany family, who had opposed his actions, executed. The execution of Murdoch, Duke of Albany, and two of Murdoch's sons took place on May 24, 1425 at Castle Hill, Stirling.

James ruled Scotland with a firm hand, and achieved numerous financial and legal reforms. For the purpose of trading with other nations, he made Scots coinage exchangeable for foreign currency only within Scottish borders. He also tried to remodel the Parliament of Scotland along English lines. In foreign policy he renewed the Auld Alliance, an alliance with the French, in 1428.

His actions throughout his reign, though effective, upset many people. During the later years of his reign, they helped to lead to his claim to the throne coming under question.

James I's grandfather, Robert II, had married twice and the awkward circumstances of the first marriage (the one with James's grandmother Elizabeth Mure) led some to dispute its validity. Conflict broke out between the descendants of the first marriage and the unquestionably legitimate descendants of the second marriage over who had the better right to the Scottish throne. Matters came to a head on February 21, 1437, when a group of Scots led by Sir Robert Graham assassinated James at the Friars Preachers Monastery in Perth. He attempted to escape his assailants through a sewer. However, three days previously, he had had the other end of the drain blocked up because of its connection to the tennis court outside, balls habitually got lost in it. (See also: Catherine Douglas.)

A wave of executions followed, of those who had participated in the plot, in March 1437. The authorities executed (among others) James's uncle, Walter Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl, and Atholl's grandson, Robert Stewart, Master of Atholl — both of them descended from Robert II's second marriage).

Children with Joan Beaufort
Margaret Stewart, Princess of Scotland (1424-1445) married Louis XI of France
Isabella Stewart, Princess of Scotland (1426-1494) married Francis I, Duke of Brittany
Eleanor Stewart, Princess of Scotland (1433-1484) married Sigismund, Archduke of Austria
Mary of Scotland, Countess of Buchan died 1465 married Wolfart VI van Borsselen
Joan of Scotland, Countess of Morton (c. 1428-1486) married James Douglas, 1st Earl of Morton
James II of Scotland (1430-1460)
Alexander Stewart, Duke of Rothesay (born and died 1430); Twin of James
Annabella Stewart, Princess of Scotland married and divorced 1. Louis of Savoy, and then married and divorced 2. George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly.

 

References
E W M Balfour-Melville, James I King of Scots, London 1936
Peter Wordie and Lance St John Butler (1989). "Tennis in Scotland" in The Royal Game. Stirling: Falkland Palace Real Tennis Club. ISBN 0-9514622-0-2 or ISBN 0-9514622-1-0.

 

Events

Event Date Place Description Sources
Birth 1394-12-00 Dumferline, Fifeshire, Scotland   3
Event Note

B: 13 Jul 1394
P: Dunfermline Palace, Fife, Scotland

Death 1436-02-21 Perth, Perthshire, Scotland   3

Age: 41y 2m

Parents

Relation to main person Name Birth date Death date Relation within this family (if not by birth)
Father of Scotland, Robert III13371406-04-04
Mother Drummond, Annabella13501401
    Sister     of Scotland, Margaret 1370 1456-09-00
    Brother     of Scotland, David 1378-10-24
    Sister     Stewart, Mary 1380 1458
    Brother     of Scotland, Robert 1383
    Sister     of Scotland, Elizabeth 1387
    Sister     of Scotland, Egidia 1390
         Stewart, James I 1394-12-00 1436-02-21

Families

Family of Stewart, James I and Beaufort, Joan
Unknown Partner Beaufort, Joan ( * 1398 + 1445-07-15 )
  Children
Name Birth Date Death Date
Stewart, Margaret14241445
Stewart, Isabella14261494
of Scotland, Joan14281486
of Scotland, Mary14291465
Stewart, James II1430-10-161460-08-03
Stewart, Alexander1430-10-161430
Stewart, Annabella1432
Stewart, Eleanor14341484

Source References

  1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_I_of_Scotland James I of Scotland
      • Source text:

        Born on December 10, 1394, the son of Robert III and Annabella Drummond, he had an eventful childhood. In 1402 his elder brother, David, starved to death in prison at Falkland in Fife.

        Before the death of his father in 1406 the authorities sent James to France for safety. During his journey to France, the English captured the young prince and handed him over to Henry IV of England, who imprisoned him and demanded a ransom. Robert III allegedly died from grief over the capture of James. James's uncle, Robert Stewart, 1st Duke of Albany, who became Regent on the death of Robert III, showed no haste in paying for his nephew's release. Albany secured the release of his own son Murdoch, captured at the Battle of Homildon Hill, but not so with James. So for the next 18 years James remained a prisoner/hostage in England. Henry IV had the young Scots King imprisoned and educated in Windsor Castle and in secure large country houses near London.

        Scholars believe that during his captivity James wrote The Kingis Quair, an allegorical romance, one of the earliest major works of Scottish literature.

        After the death of James's uncle in 1420, the Scots finally paid the ransom of £40,000, and in 1424 James returned to Scotland to find a country in chaos. He took his bride with him – he had met and fallen in love with Joan Beaufort, a cousin of King Henry VI of England, while imprisoned. He married her in London in February 2, 1423. They had eight children.

        James was formally crowned King of Scotland at Scone Abbey, Perthshire, on May 2 or 21, 1424. He immediately took strong actions to regain authority and control. In one such action he had the Albany family, who had opposed his actions, executed. The execution of Murdoch, Duke of Albany, and two of Murdoch's sons took place on May 24, 1425 at Castle Hill, Stirling.

        James ruled Scotland with a firm hand, and achieved numerous financial and legal reforms. For the purpose of trading with other nations, he made Scots coinage exchangeable for foreign currency only within Scottish borders. He also tried to remodel the Parliament of Scotland along English lines. In foreign policy he renewed the Auld Alliance, an alliance with the French, in 1428.

        His actions throughout his reign, though effective, upset many people. During the later years of his reign, they helped to lead to his claim to the throne coming under question.

        James I's grandfather, Robert II, had married twice and the awkward circumstances of the first marriage (the one with James's grandmother Elizabeth Mure) led some to dispute its validity. Conflict broke out between the descendants of the first marriage and the unquestionably legitimate descendants of the second marriage over who had the better right to the Scottish throne. Matters came to a head on February 21, 1437, when a group of Scots led by Sir Robert Graham assassinated James at the Friars Preachers Monastery in Perth. He attempted to escape his assailants through a sewer. However, three days previously, he had had the other end of the drain blocked up because of its connection to the tennis court outside, balls habitually got lost in it. (See also: Catherine Douglas.)

        A wave of executions followed, of those who had participated in the plot, in March 1437. The authorities executed (among others) James's uncle, Walter Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl, and Atholl's grandson, Robert Stewart, Master of Atholl — both of them descended from Robert II's second marriage).

        Children with Joan Beaufort
        Margaret Stewart, Princess of Scotland (1424-1445) married Louis XI of France
        Isabella Stewart, Princess of Scotland (1426-1494) married Francis I, Duke of Brittany
        Eleanor Stewart, Princess of Scotland (1433-1484) married Sigismund, Archduke of Austria
        Mary of Scotland, Countess of Buchan died 1465 married Wolfart VI van Borsselen
        Joan of Scotland, Countess of Morton (c. 1428-1486) married James Douglas, 1st Earl of Morton
        James II of Scotland (1430-1460)
        Alexander Stewart, Duke of Rothesay (born and died 1430); Twin of James
        Annabella Stewart, Princess of Scotland married and divorced 1. Louis of Savoy, and then married and divorced 2. George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly.

         

        References
        E W M Balfour-Melville, James I King of Scots, London 1936
        Peter Wordie and Lance St John Butler (1989). "Tennis in Scotland" in The Royal Game. Stirling: Falkland Palace Real Tennis Club. ISBN 0-9514622-0-2 or ISBN 0-9514622-1-0.

         

  2. Errol Bevan: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=bevangenealogy&id=I32535 @ RootsWeb Ancestries of Errol S. BEVAN and Hollie C. ATKINSON BEVAN to ADAM and EVE including REINHARDT and BLOCKER Cousins and more
      • Source text:

        ID: I32535
        Name: James I King Of SCOTLAND
        Surname: SCOTLAND
        Given Name: James I King Of
        Sex: M
        Birth: Dec 1394 in , Dumferline, Fifeshire, Scotland
        Death: 21 Feb 1436/1437 in , Perth, Perthshire, Scotland
        Burial: 1437 Charter House, Perth, Perthshire, Scotland
        Ancestral File #: 8J5D-SN
        LDS Baptism: 6 Mar 1900
        Endowment: 5 Dec 1900
        Sealing Child: 11 Jan 1927 1
        Change Date: 3 Apr 2007 at 01:00:00

        Father: Robert III (Robert John STEWART) King Of SCOTLAND b: ABT 1337 in Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland
        Mother: Annabella DRUMMOND b: ABT 1350 in Of Stobhall, Cargill, Perthshire, Scotland

        Marriage 1 Joan (Jane) BEAUFORT b: ABT 1406 in Of Westminster, Middlesex, England
        Married: 2 Feb 1423/1424 in St Mary, Overy, Southwark, Surrey, England
        Sealing Spouse: 24 Dec 1926 in LOGAN
        Children
        Margaret Stewart Princess Of SCOTLAND b: 1424 in Perth, Perthshire, Scotland
        Alexander (Twin) Stewart Duke of Rothesay Prince Of SCOTLAND b: 16 Oct 1430 in Perth, Perthshire, Scotland
        Isabella Elizabeth Stewart Princess Of SCOTLAND b: 1426 in Perth, Perthshire, Scotland
        Joan (Janet) Stewart Princess Of SCOTLAND b: 1428 in , Perth, Perthshire, Scotland
        Eleanor Stewart Princess Of SCOTLAND b: ABT 1434 in Of Perth, Perthshire, Scotland
        Mary Stewart Princess Of SCOTLAND b: ABT 1429 in Of Perth, Perthshire, Scotland
        Annabella Princess Of SCOTLAND b: ABT 1432 in Of Perth, Perthshire, Scotland
        James II (Twin) Stewart King Of SCOTLAND b: 16 Oct 1430 in , Perth, Perthshire, Scotland

        Sources:
        Repository:
        Name: Family History Library
        Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 USA

        Title: Ancestral File (R)
        Author: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
        Publication: Copyright (c) 1987, June 1998, data as of 5 January 1998

         

      • Citation:

        bevangenealogyservices@hotmail.com

  3. Errol Bevan: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=PED&db=bevangenealogy&id=I32527&style=TABLE @ RootsWeb Ancestries of Errol S. BEVAN and Hollie C. ATKINSON BEVAN to ADAM and EVE including REINHARDT and BLOCKER Cousins and more