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 COURAGE GROWS STRONG AT THE WOUND Clan Crest © Art Pewter Silver Ltd, East Kilbride, Scotland |
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Whether the Stewarts are descended from Banquo, Thane of Lochaber in the eleventh century, as alluded to by Shakespeare in his play MacBeth, is questionable. What is certain is their descent from Walter Fitz-Alan, the Shropshire Knight whom David I settled at Renfrew in around 1138. On behalf of King David, Walter and later his descendants, down to his great grandson Alexander who was High Lord Steward of Scotland in 1263, battled to repel the Norse invaders, finally defeating them and their King Hakon at the Battle of Largs. Alexander’s son James was the fifth High Steward or Stewart. His brother, Sir John Stewart of Bonkyl, fell when fighting alongside William Wallace in the cause of independence at the Battle of Falkirk in 1258. From Sir John arose a number of famous Scottish families. From his eldest son Alexander came the line of the Earls of Angus. The line ended with a female who carried the earldom to the Douglases who are Earls of Angus, and Dukes of Hamilton, still.From his second son, Alan, descended the Stewart Earls of Lennox. His heir Lord Darnley married Mary Queen of Scots and became ancestor of the later Stewart Kings. Also descended from Alan are the Earls of Galloway who are currently chiefs of the Stewarts. From his fourth son came the Stewarts of Innermeath, the Stewarts of Murtly and Grandtully, the Stewart Earls of Athol and the Stewarts of Appin. From his sixth son, Robert, came the Stewarts of Allanton. Sir John Stewart of Bonkyl’s nephew, Walter the sixth High Stewart, fought with Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn and Berwick with great credit and was awarded the hand of Robert’s only daughter. While Marjory was killed shortly after the marriage, while carrying their son, the child was saved and went on to take the throne as King Robert II in 1371. It was from the two marriages of Robert II that many of the later troubles and disputes of the Stewart Kings, which cannot be gone into in this short summary, arose. Of the main line of the Stewart Kings are both Mary Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie, amongst the nations most romantic heroes.Their male line came to an end with Charles’ younger brother Henry in 1807 but three of the great houses of the country are directly descended from natural sons of King Charles II. |