King of The Scots Robert, III

Abt 1336 - 1406  (~ 70 years)

 Set As Default Person

• Name	King of The Scots Robert  [1]
  Suffix	III
  Born	Abt 1336	Scotland   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Name	John Stewart
  Name	Robert III, King of The Scots
  Reference Number	9793
  Died	4 Apr 1406	Scotland   [1]
  Person ID	I9793	FelsingFam
  Last Modified	16 Feb 2024

  
  

  Family	Annabelle Drummond,   b. Abt 1350, Scotland ,   d. 1401, Scotland  (Age ~ 51 years)
  Children	+ 1. Mary Stewart,   b. Abt 1382, Scotland ,   d. Aft 1458, Scotland  (Age ~ 77 years)  [natural]
  Last Modified	16 Feb 2024
  Family ID	F3343	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - Abt 1336 - Scotland Died - 4 Apr 1406 - Scotland  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Notes

  From https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Stewart-972 Robert III, King of the Scots was born John Stewart, the son and heir of Robert II and Elizabeth Mure, sometime around 1337.[1][2][3] John was created earl of Carrick on 22 June 1368.[4][5] Because his parents had eloped and there were inevitable questions about the validity of their marriage, he was legitimated by papal dispensation and, on 27 March 1371, declared by parliament to be heir to the throne of Scotland.[6] In 1384, Robert II's health began to fail and John, as his eldest son and heir, was appointed to supervise the enforcement of all laws within the kingdom.[7] Unfortunately, four years later (two years before he was to succeed his father) he was severely injured and permanently lamed when he was kicked by a horse belonging to Sir James Douglas of Dalkeith.[7][8] Because John's injuries limited his physical ability to "enforce the laws," parliament appointed his younger brother Robert, earl of Fife, as Guardian of the Kingdom in his place, with complete responsibility for administering the government.[9][7] John succeeded his father on 19 April 1390, and was crowned at Scone on 14 August of the same year, taking the regnal name of Robert III.[10][11][12] His wife, Annabella Drummond, was crowned Queen of Scots on the following day.[1][12] The new king was fifty years old and in frail health; and his younger brother, the earl of Fife, continued to function as the Guardian of the Kingdom, making the king's position little more than symbolic.[13] This arrangement unfortunately gave rise to an increase in the independence claimed by many of the nobles (who were granted an annuity for their "retinue and service," which ordinarily would have been considered part of their lawful obligation to the king) and resulted in more power-grabs and warring among the various clans.[13][14] Major Events Affecting His Reign Robert III has been variously described as "courteous," "dignified," and kind-hearted."[15] He wanted Scotland to be peaceful and prosperous, and for the most part his subjects recognized this and regarded him with affection.[15] However, he was completely ineffectual as a leader, having neither the energy nor the will power to control his nobles.[15][16] In 1393 he did make an attempt to seize control of the government back from his brother, but the results were disastrous.[8] Although external relations with England and France were relatively peaceful,[17] within Scotland itself lawlessness was rampant.[13][18] His own youngest brother, Alexander, whose ruthless pillaging in the northern regions earned him the nickname of 'the Wolf of Badenoch,' was excommunicated by the Bishop of Moray for seizing some of his lands. The Wolf of Badenoch retaliated by setting fire to the town of Elgin and burning the magnificent cathedral of Elgin to the ground.[13][18] Bribery and corruption were rife, there was a widening rift between the Lowlands and the Highlands, and clan warfare rose to new levels.[8] Robert III became so depressed by this state of affairs that he instructed his wife to bury him in a dungheap with the epitaph "Here lies the worst of kings and the most miserable of men."[8] [16] At this point Queen Annabella took matters into her own hands by calling a special council in April 1398.[8] Robert III appears to have been present at this meeting, at which his eldest son, David (then only nineteen years of age), was created duke of Rothesay and his brother Robert, earl of Fife, was created duke of Albany (marking the first time the title of duke was ever used in Scotland).[19][20] Politics at court quickly became an ongoing battle beween the queen and her son on one side, and the ambitious duke of Albany ( who had earlier become accustomed to governing the kingdom himself) on the other side.[21] In January, 1399, civil unrest became so uncontrolled that the Estates (encouraged by Albany) decided to depose the king.[22] They did not call for his abdication because he was well liked personally, but they did conclude that the misgovernance of the realm was due to the king and his ministers, and declared that "...sen it is welesene and kennit that our lorde the kynge for seknes of his persone may nat trauail to gouerne the Realme na restreygne trespassours and rebellours" the task of governing would be given to a Council General.[22] Albany, however, did not get the job. David, duke of Rothesay and heir to the throne (now twenty years of age) was made Governor.[22] Unfortunately for David, Albany was made one of his senior advisors.[8] Rothesay was required to take the same oath as a king at coronation, and detailed provisions were enacted to prevent any interference by Robert III in government affairs.[22] The king made no attempt to recover his power, depressed and convinced that he was a complete failure he retired to the family estates at Rothesay and in Ayrshire.[22][16] David was young, reckless, and not an astute politician. His dissolute lifestyle gained him some powerful enemies, not the least among them George, earl of March, whose daughter he was engaged to marry but whom he jilted in order to marry the daughter of Archibald the Grim, 3rd earl of Douglas, who had a larger dowry.[23][24] When the queen died in October 1401,[25] Albany contrived to have David arrested and thrown into the prison at Falkland Castle in Fife where he was left to starve to death.[8] David Stewart, duke of Rothesay, died 26 Mar 1402. His death has been variously ascribed to starvation, slow poison, or even dysentery caused by the primitive conditions of his confinement.[26][27] Because the circumstances of his death strongly suggested foul play, Albany arranged for a declaration of the Estates which pronounced David's death to be "the visitation of Providence."[26] It should be noted, however, that Jon Wright, one of the persons in whose care David was committed, later received a payment of £108 from Albany.[26] Albany lost no time in grabbing the reins of power, and now only an old man in failing health and an eight year old boy stood between himself and the throne.[28] Marriage and Children John married Annabella Drummond, daughter of Sir John Drummond of Stobhall and Mary Montifex, daughter of Sir William Montifex, sometime after 13 March 1365 (the date of the commission to grant a dispensation for their marriage) and before 31 May 1367 (when King David granted a charter to the earldom of Atholl in both their names).[1][29] There were seven children from this marriage: David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay; b. 24 Oct 1378;[30][31] m. Feb 1400 Marjory Douglas;[30][31] d. 26 Mar 1402[30][31] Robert Stewart; b. bef 1392;[32] d. young[30][33] James I of Scotland; b. 25 Jul 1394;[34][35] m. Feb 1424 Joan Beaufort;[35][36] d. 21 Feb 1437[35][37][38] Margaret Stewart; m. bef 1390 Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas;[39][40] d. aft Jan 1449/50 and bef Sep 1456[39][40] Elizabeth Stewart m. bef 10 Nov 1387 James Douglas, 1st Lord Dalkeith[41][42] Mary Stewart [see research notes]; b. in or aft. 1738;[43] m(1) aft 24 May 1397 George Douglas, 13th earl of Angus;[43][44] m(2) bef. 27 Jan 1405/6 Sir James Kennedy of Dunure;[43][40] m(3) bef. 15 May 1416 William Graham, 1st Lord Graham of Kincardine;[43][45] m(4) 1425 Sir William Edmonstone of Duntreath;[43][45] d. aft. Feb 1461/2[43] Egidia Stewart (died unmarried)[46][42] [see research notes] Robert III also had at least 2 illegitimate sons by an unknown mistress (before his marriage to Annabella): James Stewart of Killbride; b. bef. 1388[47][42] John Stewart of Ardgowan and Auchingowan]]; b. bef 20 May 1390[47][42] Death It took Robert III almost four years to realize that his youngest and only surviving son might be in danger from Albany, who had been implicated in his eldest son's murder. Late in February 1406 he asked Sir David Fleming to help smuggle young James out of Scotland to France, to ensure his safety.[8] This mission turned out to be a disaster: Fleming was ambushed and killed and high tides delayed the ship which was to convey the boy to France. When Henry St Clair finally managed to hide James on a cargo ship instead, it was attacked by pirates who took the young prince to England where he was imprisoned in the Tower of London.[8][48] Robert III died 4 April 1406 at Dundonald, Ayrshire.[1][26] He is thought to have died of grief, shortly after having learned of his youngest son's imprisonment.[49][26] He was buried in front of the high altar in the Abbey Church at Paisley, Renfrewshire.[1][49] In accordance with his wishes, the funeral was not an elaborate one.[50] It was not until many years later that a monument to his memory was erected by Queen Victoria.[16] Research Notes (Daughter) Mary Stewart: Douglas Richardson believes that Mary had five husbands, and that husband number three was William de Cunningham, Knt of Kilmaurs.[43] He cites as evidence the papal dispensation granted for this marriage on 7 July 1409.[51] No other historian gives credence to this marriage. James Balfour Paul acknowledges the papal dispensation and states "....there is no clear evidence that the marriage with Sir William Cunningham took place, though it is not improbable."[52] Alison Weir also references the papal dispensation but adds "....it is doubtful whether the marriage ever took place."[40] Sir Archibald Dunbar makes no mention of a marriage to Cunningham, only listing four husbands for Mary.[53] More significantly, however, the Rotuli Scaccarii Regum Scotorum (The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland) does not list Cunningham as one of Mary's husbands.[44] The Exchequer Rolls are a meticulous accounting of all expenditures made by the royal treasury and provide documentation of all of Mary's other four marriages but do not contain any evidence that a marriage between Mary and Cunningham was ever formalized. Accordingly, he is not listed as one of Mary's husbands in this profile. (Daughter) Egidia (or Giles) Stewart: In The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland there are remissions in the accounts dated March 1405/6 and March 1406/7 of the custom of the wool of Galloway, Nithsdale, and Douglasdale to Egidia, daughter of Robert III.[45] This suggests that Egidia was the Countess of Douglas, who is called "Margaret" in several crown charters and has been identified as Robert III's eldest daughter. It is unknown whether Margaret and Egidia were the same person (although the distinguished scholar/historian, Thomas F. Henderson, does believe that this was the case),[54] or whether Egidia was actually a younger daughter of Robert III. There are, however, numerous payments made to an "Egidia, daughter of Robert III" by authority of the governor, usually said to be for her adornment ("pro apparatu suo") and some of these payments were received on her behalf by her uncle, the earl of Atholl.[45] Alison Weir describes Egidia as having died unmarried, although she gives no source for this statement.[46] Sources ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Douglas Richardson. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham (Salt Lake City: the author, 2013), vol. 1, pp.647-656 BRUS 11. John Stewart ↑ Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1904), vol. 1, p. 17. ↑ Burnett, George (ed). Rotuli Scaccarii Regum Scotorum (Exchequer Rolls of Scotland). Edinburgh: General Register House (1880), vol. 4, appendix to preface clxx. ↑ RRS, vi, no. 400. PoMS doc. 1/54/563 (22 Jun 1368), Charter from King David to John Stewart, son of Robert, steward of Scotland, and (John's) wife Annabella, of the earldom of Carrick. ↑ Dunbar, Sir Archibald H. Scottish Kings: A Revised Chronology of Scottish History 1005-1625. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1899), p. 172 ↑ Acts of Parliament of Scotland, 1124-1423, vol. 1, p.182. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Henderson, Thomas Finlayson. The Royal Stewarts. Edinburgh: William Blackwood and Sons (1914), p. 16. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 Ashley, Mike. British Kings and Queens. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers (1998), pp.553-554. ↑ Balfour, Sir James. The Annales of Scotland MCVII-MDCIII. Edinburgh: W. Aitchison (1824), pp. 132-133. ↑ Acts of Parliament of Scotland, 1124-1423, vol.1, pt.2, p. 215. ↑ Balfour, Sir James. The Annales of Scotland MCVII-MDCIII. Edinburgh: W. Aitchison (1824), pp.133-134. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Dunbar, Sir Archibald H. Scottish Kings: A Revised Chronology of Scottish History 1005-1625. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1899), p. 173 ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Henderson, Thomas Finlayson. The Royal Stewarts. Edinburgh: William Blackwood and Sons (1914), p. 23. ↑ MacKenzie, Agnes Mure. The Rise of the Stewarts. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd Ltd. (1935), p. 88. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 MacKenzie, Agnes Mure. The Rise of the Stewarts. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd Ltd. (1935), pp. 80-81. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Mackay, Aeneas J.G. Dictionary of National Biography Online. Robert III. ↑ MacKenzie, Agnes Mure. The Rise of the Stewarts. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd Ltd. (1935), p.82. ↑ 18.0 18.1 MacKenzie, Agnes Mure. The Rise of the Stewarts. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd Ltd. (1935), p.86. ↑ Balfour, Sir James. The Annales of Scotland MCVII-MDCIII. Edinburgh: W. Aitchison (1824), p. 137. ↑ Banks, T.C. Dormant and Extinct Baronage of England. London: J. White (1837), vol. 4, p. 421. ↑ MacKenzie, Agnes Mure. The Rise of the Stewarts. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd Ltd. (1935), p.88. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 MacKenzie, Agnes Mure. The Rise of the Stewarts. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd Ltd. (1935), pp.89-90. ↑ Balfour, Sir James. The Annales of Scotland MCVII-MDCIII. Edinburgh: W. Aitchison (1824), p. 138. ↑ Henderson, Thomas Finlayson. The Royal Stewarts. Edinburgh: William Blackwood and Sons (1914), p. 24. ↑ Balfour, Sir James. The Annales of Scotland MCVII-MDCIII. Edinburgh: W. Aitchison (1824), p. 139. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 26.4 Henderson, Thomas Finlayson. The Royal Stewarts. Edinburgh: William Blackwood and Sons (1914), pp. 24-25. ↑ Balfour, Sir James. The Annales of Scotland MCVII-MDCIII. Edinburgh: W. Aitchison (1824), pp. 139-140. ↑ MacKenzie, Agnes Mure. The Rise of the Stewarts. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd Ltd. (1935), p. 98. ↑ RRS, vi, no. 372. PoMS doc. 1/54/520 (31 May 1367), Charter from King David to John Stewart of Kyle and Annabella, daughter of the late John Drummond, his spouse, of the earldom of Atholl. ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 30.3 Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1904), vol. 1, pp. 17-18. ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 Burnett, George (ed). Rotuli Scaccarii Regum Scotorum (Exchequer Rolls of Scotland). Edinburgh: General Register House (1880), vol. 4, appendix to preface clxxi ↑ Burnett, George (ed). Rotuli Scaccarii Regum Scotorum (Exchequer Rolls of Scotland). Edinburgh: General Register House (1880), vol. 3, pp. 290, 300. ↑ Weir, Alison. Britain's Royal Families. London: The Bodley Head (1989), p. 227 ↑ Burnett, George (ed). Rotuli Scaccarii Regum Scotorum (Exchequer Rolls of Scotland). Edinburgh: General Register House (1880), vol. 4, appendix to preface clxxii. ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 Douglas Richardson. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Famiies, 5 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham (Salt Lake City: the author, 2013), vol. 1, pp. 656-662 BRUS 12. James I of Scotland ↑ Dunbar, Sir Archibald H. Scottish Kings: A Revised Chronology of Scottish History 1005-1625. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1899), p. 187 ↑ Sandford, Francis (Lancaster Herald of Arms). A Genealogical History of the Kings of England. Thomas Newcomb, printer (1677), p. 316. ↑ Henderson, Thomas Finlayson. The Royal Stewarts. Edinburgh: William Blackwood and Sons (1914), p. 43 ↑ 39.0 39.1 Douglas Richardson. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham (Salt Lake City: the author, 2013), vol. 1, pp.649-652 BRUS 11.iii. Margaret Stewart ↑ 40.0 40.1 40.2 40.3 Weir, Alison. Britain's Royal Families. London: The Bodley Head (1989), p. 228 ↑ Douglas Richardson. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham (Salt Lake City: the author, 2013), vol. 1, p. 652 BRUS 11.iv. Elizabeth Stewart ↑ 42.0 42.1 42.2 42.3 Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1904), vol. 1, p. 18. ↑ 43.0 43.1 43.2 43.3 43.4 43.5 43.6 Douglas Richardson. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham (Salt Lake City: the author, 2013), vol. 1, pp.653-656 BRUS 11.v. Mary Stewart ↑ 44.0 44.1 Burnett, George (ed). Rotuli Scaccarii Regum Scotorum (Exchequer Rolls of Scotland). Edinburgh: General Register House (1880), vol. 4, appendix to preface clxxiii. ↑ 45.0 45.1 45.2 45.3 Burnett, George (ed). Rotuli Scaccarii Regum Scotorum (Exchequer Rolls of Scotland). Edinburgh: General Register House (1880), vol. 4, appendix to preface clxxiv. ↑ 46.0 46.1 Weir, Alison. Britain's Royal Families. London: The Bodley Head (1989), p. 229 ↑ 47.0 47.1 Burnett, George (ed). Rotuli Scaccarii Regum Scotorum (Exchequer Rolls of Scotland). Edinburgh: General Register House (1880), vol. 4, appendix to preface clxxv. ↑ Henderson, Thomas Finlayson. The Royal Stewarts. Edinburgh: William Blackwood and Sons (1914), p. 28. ↑ 49.0 49.1 Balfour, Sir James. The Annales of Scotland MCVII-MDCIII. Edinburgh: W. Aitchison (1824), pp. 143-144. ↑ Burnett, George (ed). Rotuli Scaccarii Regum Scotland (Exchequer Rolls of Scotland). Edinburgh: General Register House (1880), vol. 3, preface p. xcvi. ↑ McGurk, Francis (ed). Calendar of Papal Letters to Scotland of Benedict XIII of Avignon 1394-1419. Scottish History Society, 4th series, vol. 13 (1976), p. 207. ↑ Paul, James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1904), vol. 4, p. 230. ↑ Dunbar, Sir Archibald H. Scottish Kings: A Revised Chronology of Scottish History 1005-1625. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1899), p. 180 ↑ Henderson, Thomas Finlayson. The Royal Stewarts. Edinburgh: William Blackwood and Sons (1914), p. 26. See also: Birch, W. de G. Catalogue of Seals in the....British Museum. London: the Trustees (1895), vol. 4, pp. 15-16, Robert III. Cawley, Charles. Medieval Lands, Scotland, Kings. Foundation for Medieval Genealogy: Medieval Lands database, chapter 6, Stewart. Ewan, Elizabeth et al. The New Biographical DIctionary of Scottish Women. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press (2018), pp. 16-17. (Annabelle Drummond) Johnston, G. Harvey. The Heraldry of the Stewarts. Edinburgh: W. & A.K. Johnston (1908), p. 10 (ped.); pp. 15-16 (arms), available online. Kennedy, Matthew. A Chronological Genealogical and Historical Dissertation of the Royal Family of the Stuarts. Paris: Lewis Coignard Printer (1705), pp. 207-208. Macdonald, William Rae. Scottish Armorial Seals. Edinburgh: W. Green (1904), pp. 321-322. Mackay, Aeneas J.G. Dictionary of National Biography Online. Annabella Drummond. Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1905), vol. 2, pp. 438-439. (Carrick) Paul, Sir James Balfour. The Scots Peerage. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1910), vol. 7, p. 37. (Annabelle Drummond) Richardson, Douglas. Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 4 vols., ed. Kimball G. Everingham. 2nd edition. Salt Lake City, UT: the author, 2011. See also WikiTree's source page for Magna Carta Ancestry. Richardson, Douglas. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols., ed. Kimball G. Everingham. Salt Lake City, UT: the author, 2013. See also WikiTree's source page for Royal Ancestry Wikipedia: Robert III of Scotland

  
  

• Sources

  [S784] The Genealogist, Journal of the American Society of Genealogists, (Name: American Society of Genealogists;), Adrian Benjamin Burke, "The Livingston Ancestry of the Duncanson Sisters of New Netherland", The Genealogist 27 (2013): 28-50, 162-181 and 28 (2014): 58-89. Also available on AmericanAncestors.org.